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Contract Status: Driver: 2008+; Sponsor: 2007

Kurt Busch's Superdome opens soon: The “Grand Opening” of the new Kurt Busch Superdome at the Victory Junction Gang Camp is set for Tuesday, May 20 at 2:00pm/et. The project was announced in May 2006, with Kurt announcing the donation of the initial $1 million in support of the project. The 28,000 square-foot facility will provide opportunities for indoor sports in a climate-controlled environment. "It’ll be like seeing a dream come true to finally get the doors open and see all the kids enjoying themselves,” said Kurt. “It’s been a labor of love for all of the people involved and I’m so proud and grateful to have the opportunity to make a contribution in this manner to the Petty camp.” Final details on the event will be announced within the next 10 days. Several sports and entertainment celebrities are expected to be on hand.(TRPR)(5-9-2008) Comment here

Kurt Busch and team keeping busy: #2-Kurt Busch, crew chief Pat Tryson and team will be busy testing during the next few weeks. “We know that test time is extremely important in our effort to get better with this car and we’re committed to doing what it takes to be competing up front,” said Tryson. “We’ve already scheduled a test at Nashville (Nashville Superspeedway, the 1.33-mile D-shaped concrete track near Lebanon, Tenn.) next Tuesday (April 15) and are set to test for Goodyear at Indy (Indianapolis Motor Speedway) on April 22nd and 23rd.(TRPR)(4-10-2008)

Dodge re-ups with Penske and Ganassi: Dodge executives have taken team owners Roger Penske and Chip Ganassi out of the Toyota equation by signing new contracts with the two. That keeps Dodge with a four-team lineup, including Petty Enterprises and Gillett-Evernham. When Toyota first announced its NASCAR plans, there was considerable speculation that both Penske and Ganassi would eventually switch.(Winston Salem Journal)(2-18-2008)

An extra million for Newman and the team: Teammates #12-Ryan Newman and #2-Kurt Busch gave Dodge its first ever 1-2 sweep in NASCAR’s premier event, the Daytona 500, winning the 50th running of the “Great American Race” Sunday at Daytona International Speedway. The Dodge Charger domination didn’t stop there. Six of the first eight positions were filled by Dodge drivers. Reed Sorenson finished fourth, Elliott Sadler fifth, Kasey Kahne sixth and Robby Gordon seventh. Chrysler Chairman and CEO Robert Nardelli met with Dodge team owners earlier Sunday and announced there would be a $1 million bonus for a Dodge victory. During a meeting with several members of the motorsports press later in the day, he predicted a Dodge victory. It was Newman’s first Daytona 500 victory and snapped an 81-race winless streak. He led four times for eight laps in the #12 Alltel Dodge Charger, but the most important was the final circuit. The win was also the first Daytona 500 victory for car owner Roger Penske, the most successful owner in open wheel history with 14 Indianapolis 500 victories. It was the first Daytona 500 win by a Dodge driver since Ward Burton visited victory lane in 2002. Newman collected $1,506,045 for the win plus the $1 million bonus from Dodge. Newman’s Dodge Charger will be inducted into the Daytona 500 Experience Monday where it will remain on display for one year. Following the induction ceremonies, Newman departs for New York for a media tour and then on to Las Angeles on Tuesday afternoon for more appearances.(Dodge Motorsports PR)(2-18-2008) Comment here

Tryson named 2007 Sporting News "Crew Chief of the Year": #2 Miller Lite Dodge crew chief Pat Tryson’s effort last season garnered him the prestigious 2007 Sporting News “Crew Chief of the Year” designation. “It was a real honor to receive that notoriety, especially with the great jobs done by so many crew chiefs last year,” said Tryson. “They may have cited me for it, but it was a tribute to Kurt and our whole Miller Lite Dodge Team.”
Added his driver, Busch: "Just think about the big statement winning that award meant. The fact is that Pat didn't even join our team until June and he was on our pit box for only 21 of the 36 races. That's pretty incredible if you ask me. It's like spotting all the other competitors 15 races to make their marks and then going out there and making a huge impact and a major statement in a relatively short period of time. I am so proud of Pat and thrilled to have him as our team's leader."(Tom Roberts PR)(2-17-2008) Comment here

Penalties for Busch, Stewart after practice incident? UPDATE Probation: NASCAR chairman Brian France kicked off the 2008 media tour in Charlotte, N.C., last month by saying Sprint Cup drivers needed to show more of their personalities. #2-Kurt Busch and #20-Tony Stewart obliged on Friday night when they got into a sheet metal exchange on pit road after an on-the-track incident that wrecked both of their cars in the final practice for Saturday's Budweiser Shootout at Daytona International Speedway. Both drivers immediately were summoned to the NASCAR hauler to meet with Series director John Darby and competition director Robin Pemberton. They will meet again on Saturday before the governing body determines what fines, if any, will be issued. The only words spoken by either driver -- both left through a side door without commenting -- came from Busch before entering the hauler. "It's a great way to start off 2008," he said, clapping his hands together.(more at ESPN.com)(2-9-2008)
UPDATE: On SPEED's NASCAR Live, Bob Dillner reported that he spoke with NASCAR's Jim Hunter that Tony Stewart and Kurt Busch met Saturday morning in the NASCAR Trailer and the meeting was cordial. It was also reported that Stewart may had thrown a punch in the NASCAR trailer Friday night after the incident, but NASCAR declined to comment on that and no more about possible penalties for either driver yet. Dr. Dick Berggren talked to Stewart during practice, who was very contrite and said it was part of racing and that what happened was over.(2-9-2008)
UPDATE 2: NASCAR has placed drivers Tony Stewart and Kurt Busch on probation for the first six races of the 2008 Sprint Cup Series season, a result of their on-track altercations this past Friday during practice for the Budweiser Shootout at Daytona. Stewart, driver of the #20 Toyota and Busch, driver of the #2 Dodge, violated Section 12-4-A (actions detrimental to stock car racing; altercation with another competitor) of the NASCAR rule book.(NASCAR PR)(2-12-2008) Comment here.

New Young Guns Named: #07-Clint Bowyer and #11-Denny Hamlin are the latest additions to the Gillette Young Guns program. The pair join #2-Kurt Busch, #12-Ryan Newman, #99-Carl Edwards and #9-Kasey Kahne as clean-shaven drivers in the campaign. #48-Jimmie Johnson and #26-Jamie McMurray are no longer participating in the program. The company is unveiling a new ad campaign featuring the drivers with WWE veteran John Cena attempting to teach the group to wrestle. Cena learned to drive a Sprint Cup car as part of a reality television show last summer. The Gillette program is entering its fifth season.(SceneDaily.com) Comment here.

Kurt Busch under the weather: Miller Lite Dodge crew chief Pat Tryson got the word that his blue #2 Miller Lite Dodge Team would start on the pole for Saturday night's Bud Shootout almost immediately after driver Kurt Busch drew the top starting spot just after 7:00 p.m. tonight here at Daytona International Speedway. The last time Tryson had talked to or had seen his driver was some eight hours earlier. At 11:30am/et Thursday morning, Tryson could be found consoling his driver as Busch lay on the hospital gurney in the infield medical center, being administered intravenous fluids. "He's a skinny little dude, but he's as tough as nails," Tryson said of Busch late Thursday night. "I told him this morning that his health is the number one priority and after seeing him laying there earlier today, I can't believe he's done all they tell me he has since then." Busch had been bedridden with the flu at his Mooresville, N.C., home since Monday night. He mustered enough energy to make it down to Daytona Beach this morning, only to be ushered straight to the infield medical center and put under the resident physician's care. Although an hour late, Busch was suited up and completed the afternoon's hectic "NASCAR Media Day" schedule before taking a break prior to the qualifying draw for Saturday night's special event for last year's pole winners. The 2004 NASCAR champ was admittedly weak, but incredibly joyous with the outcome of the draw. While Busch is certain to start from the inside of the front row here on Saturday night, his status for practice on Friday is yet to be determined. "Just like I told Kurt this morning, he doesn't have to be in the car for early practice if he doesn't feel up to it," Tryson said. "We'll play it by ear and hopefully he gets a great night's rest and is ready to go tomorrow (Friday). He's had a tough day here today and has already shown what a champion competitor that he is."(Tom Roberts PR)(2-8-2008) Comment here.

Miller challenges Bud for 2008, money to charity: The Palms Casino Resort unveiled today a new head-to-head betting line that establishes the #2 Miller Lite Sprint Cup team as a clear favorite over the rival Bud car for the 2008 season. Wasting no time in underscoring its confidence in Kurt Busch and the entire Miller Lite Racing team, Miller Brewing Company announced immediately that it is wagering $25,000 on the Blue Deuce to again finish ahead of the Bud car [#9-Kasey Kahne] this year, with the winnings pegged for the Kurt Busch Foundation. The Palms' official line has the Miller Lite car favored to finish 8½ spots ahead of the Bud car in the final Sprint Cup season standings. Additionally, Miller is wagering $2,500 on the #2 car to finish ahead of the #9 at the Feb. 17 season-opening race in Daytona Beach. At The Palms Casino Resort, the Blue Deuce is favored to finish 6½ spots ahead of the #9 Bud car in the Daytona race. The Palms will be setting similar lines between the two cars for each race. In addition to making a wager on its car for charity, Tom Long, Miller's president and CEO, today sent a certified letter to his counterpart at Anheuser-Busch, August Busch IV, encouraging him to place a wager on his company's new team and driver, donating any winnings to charity. This is the third consecutive year Miller Lite has engaged Budweiser in a friendly challenge in the days leading up to the start of the NASCAR season. Past challenges have included as a prize swapping paint schemes on their cars and the naming rights to each brewer's hometown baseball stadium. Both years, Bud has declined Miller's offer. In year one of the challenge, 2006, Bud would have emerged the winner, but Miller Lite would have been victorious in 2007. The Palms Casino Resort announced that not only was it issuing an official season-long betting line for the Miller Lite and Bud cars, but also a line for each individual race. Miller plans to wager on the Miller Lite Dodge in select individual races during the season, with winnings again going to the Kurt Busch Foundation. Should it lose the season-long wager, Miller will still make a $5,000 donation to the charity. For more information about this year's Miller Lite NASCAR challenge, please visit www.MillerLiteRacing.com.(Tom Roberts PR)(2-6-2008) Comment here.

NASCAR permits Penske to swap owners points between Busch, Hornish: NASCAR has approved Penske Racing's request to transfer the owner points from #2-Kurt Busch to #77-Sam Hornish Jr., a move that locks the three-time IndyCar Series champion into the first five races of next season. Hornish publicly thanked Busch for giving him the points at the Penske holiday party on Friday night. Bud Denker, senior vice president of Penske Corp., confirmed Saturday that the team would swap the points with NASCAR's approval. Robin Pemberton, NASCAR's vice president of competition, said the sanctioning body had signed off on the transfer. "This would obviously help Sam as he prepares to run the first five races instead of prepares to qualify for the first five races," Denker said. "With a champion like Kurt Busch and the opportunity to utilize (the points), anyone would be foolish to not take care of the situation." Hornish, a former Indianapolis 500 winner, is leaving that series for NASCAR next season. But his #77 Dodge won't be one of the 35 cars locked into the first five races of the year. As the 2004 series champion, Busch has a provisional position that he could fall back on should he fail to qualify on speed.(ESPN.com/AP)(12-15-2007)

Report rates value of NASCAR sponsorships: Miller Brewing Co. is getting a high rate of return on its sponsorship of driver #2-Kurt Busch, at least when it comes to broadcasters and Busch himself mentioning one of his sponsors on the air, according to research released by SportsBusiness Journal. Busch ranked second among NASCAR drivers for on-air audio mentions of Busch and a sponsor, reflecting a monetary value for the media exposure of about $3.64 million. That was the conclusion of a recent report that captured and assessed the more than 96,000 sponsor impressions through NASCAR's 37-race Nextel Cup Series schedule, including the Nextel All-Star Challenge. Nearly 400 sponsors were tracked, analyzing primary and secondary car and driver partners, all race venue signage, and the myriad graphics and audio mentions from the races' TV broadcasts. As far as audio mentions, Busch ranked second in NASCAR with 124 "detections" equating to 10 minutes and 20 seconds of air time. Jeff Gordon, driving the #24 Du Pont Chevy, ranked the highest with 178 detections, equaling 14 minutes and 50 seconds of air time valued at $5.07 million. Busch didn't rank among the top five when both audio and video detections were evaluated. Nextel Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson, driving the #48 Lowe's Chevy, was the top driver with 7,845 detections valued at $55.98 million. Among the beer brands, Miller Lite lost out to main rival Anheuser-Busch Cos. Inc.'s Budweiser brand, an official sponsor of NASCAR. Miller Lite had 2,099 detections valued at $18.48 million, compared with Budweiser's 3,024 detections valued at $45.54 million.(Milwaukee Business Journal)(12-12-2007)

Penske Names VP of Marketing: Penske Performance has appointed Jonathan Gibson as Vice President of Marketing, a newly created position within its organization. In this role, Gibson will oversee the sponsorship management, media and public relations, licensing as well as other marketing functions for Penske Performance, which includes its teams in NASCAR, the IndyCar Series and the American Le Mans Series. Gibson was most recently Vice President for Pierce, a sports marketing and experiential marketing division of Omnicom's, The Radiate Group. Formerly, he led the Miller Lite brand's sports marketing investments, which included its long and prosperous relationship with Penske Racing.(Penske Racing PR)(12-8-2007)

Kurt Busch to compete in Rolex 24: Penske Racing officials say Kurt Busch will drive in the Rolex 24 at Daytona next month as part of collaboration between Penske and Wayne Taylor Racing. Busch will team with two-time Indianapolis 500 winner Helio Castroneves and sports-car veteran Ryan Briscoe in a Riley-Pontiac fielded by Penske-Taylor Racing. Busch will be making his second Rolex 24 at Daytona start. He finished 27th in 2005. Castroneves and Briscoe will be teammates for Penske's Indy Racing League team in 2008.(SceneDaily.com)(12-4-2007)

Penske Racing to form test team: #2-Kurt Busch said Penske Racing has plans to form a designated test team to prepare for the 2008 Sprint Cup Series season when all 36 races will feature the car of tomorrow. "We need more laps, more time with the new car to be more competitive," said Busch, who finished seventh in points this year, following the NMPA Myers Bothers Awards Luncheon at Cipriani's. With the addition of new teammate Sam Hornish Jr. in the #77 Dodge, the fourth team is expected to focus solely on testing. Busch said teammate Ryan Newman, Hornish, himself or an "outside driver" could all be involved in the tests. Busch, who has already tested at Atlanta, said the remainder of his offseason schedule includes scheduled stops at Daytona International Speedway, Lakeland, California and Las Vegas. Nashville is also a possibility if the weather cooperates, he said. With the Cup series already running twice in the COT at Bristol this year, Busch is comfortable heading into the first handful of races in '08. "We feel like we're prepared really well for the first five or six, then we hit tracks like Texas [and Charlotte], and that's where the teams that are ready to go will prevail," he said, adding, "I hope not to be in a Cup car until January. I might end up doing a shakedown test for the Rolex 24. Penske's putting together a team. It might be double top secret until now. But we're having some fun with that."(SceneDaily.com)(11-30-2007)

Castroneves wins "Dancing With the Stars": Race car [Penske Racing's IRL] driver Helio Castroneves is the winner of "Dancing With the Stars." Spice Girl Melanie Brown and her partner, Maksim Chmerkovskiy, were the highest-scoring couple throughout the hit show's fifth season. But on Tuesday night, viewers snubbed Brown and gave the mirrorball trophy to Castroneves. The fourth consecutive man to win the contest, Castroneves' personality, enthusiasm and flashing smile - combined with an effortless quickstep on his final performance - clearly resonated more with voters. "It's not only about dancing, you know? It's about popularity," Castroneves said after the show. "That's what I'm actually very happy about."(Associated Press)(11-28-2007)

Crew Chief change at the #12? Miller retires? UPDATE 2 Confirmed: hearing Roy McCauley take over as the crew chief for the #12 alltel Penske Racing team for driver Ryan Newman. McCauley started the 2007 season as Kurt Busch's crew chief in the #2 Dodge. Supposedly current #12 crew chief, Mike Nelson, will move over to a management position at Penske Racing. The crew chief job for the #77 team and driver Sam Hornish Jr. is supposedly open.(11-17-2007)
UPDATE: been told that Mike Nelson will be in the front office overseeing the Cup side of the business and Roy McCaulley will be Ryan Newman's crew chief, and Matt Gimbel will be the interim crew chief for #77 Sam Horish Jr. until a permanent crew chief is chosen, then he will be the race engineer for #77 team. Also, been told that Penske Racing's Don Miller will retire.(11-27-2007)
UPDATE 2: Don Miller, who has served as President of Penske Racing South, Inc. since its inception in 1990, is retiring from his position after nearly two successful decades at the highest levels of stock car racing. Penske Racing also announced that Mike Nelson, who just completed his first season as crew chief of the #12 Alltel Dodge driven by Ryan Newman, has been promoted to Vice President of Operations. In his new role, Nelson will oversee Penske’s entries in the Sprint Cup Series and Nationwide Series programs, reporting to Tim Cindric, President of Penske Performance, Inc. In addition, Roy McCauley has been named crew chief for the #12 Alltel team.(Penske Racing PR)(11-28-2007)

Penske undecided on points switch: Team owner Roger Penske said Saturday he hasn't decided if he'll move #2-Kurt Busch's points to Sam Hornish Jr. to guarantee the driver a spot in the first five races of next season. Hornish is leaving the IndyCar Series for a full NASCAR schedule next season, but his #77 Mobil 1 Dodge won't be one of the 35 cars locked into the first five races of the year. As a former series champion, Busch has a provisional that he could fall back on should he fail to qualify on speed. "We have a number of options and we're looking at all of them ... we'll see," Penske said at Phoenix International Raceway. "This isn't all about the first five races. This is about a long career for a great race car driver and someone who has delivered for us for a long time at Penske Racing."(ESPN.com/AP)(11-11-2007)

Kurt Busch honored: #2-Kurt Busch received Official Certificates of Commendation from the offices of State of Nevada Governor Jim Gibbons and Second District of Nevada U.S. Congressman Dean Heller for his outstanding humanitarian contributions, both personally and on behalf of the Kurt Busch Foundation at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The final “Ride with Kurt for the Kids” fundraiser for 2007 was held Tuesday.(Tom Roberts PR)(11-7-2007)

Penske may consider points swap for Hornish UPDATE: With Sam Hornish having trouble qualifying for Cup races - he has missed all six he has attempted this year - Penske Racing may consider making a points swap to get Hornish into races in 2008. With Kurt Busch having won the 2004 Nextel Cup championship, Penske could transfer the points earned by Busch's #2 team to Hornish, which would lock him into the top 35 for the first five races of next season. Busch would get into those races as the most recent past champion if he failed to qualify on speed. NASCAR officials confirmed that a move would be allowed. Penske said he is committed to fielding three Sprint Cup cars next year for Busch, Hornish and Ryan Newman. Penske said he has not talked to other drivers for the third team.(SceneDaily.com)(10-30-2007)
UPDATE: NASCAR officials said Penske Racing can transfer the points earned by Kurt Busch this year to guarantee a starting spot for Sam Hornish Jr. in the first five races of next season. If Busch failed to qualify for one of those races, he likely would get to race by virtue of being a former series champion. . . . Signs point to Hornish's car being No. 77 if, as expected, he makes the jump to NASCAR next season.(Indianapolis Star)(11-3-2007)

Kurt Busch races for troops at Texas: #2-Kurt Busch will be racing for a $100,000 bonus contribution to "Operation Homefront" if he can pull off the win in Sunday's Dickies 500 at Texas Motor Speedway. It's all part of an engaging statewide promotional campaign that sponsor Miller Lite launched several weeks back. The campaign recognizes, celebrates, honors and rewards military veterans, both past and present, for their commitment to serving our country. Miller Lite is teaming with Operation Homefront (see operationhomefront.net/texas) to support Texas troops and their families. Miller Lite is donating financial support to the cause and consumers have the opportunity to visit the special web site and vote how to apply Miller Lite's contribution. Consumers can also make donations on their own through the site. For additional information, we invite you to visit www.MillerThanksVets.com and log in. Miller Lite and Penske have also created a commemorative Kurt Busch Race Helmet that will be autographed and raffled for charity.(Tom Roberts PR)(11-1-2007)

NASCAR studying how Hamlin, Blaney had water in fuel: MORE Denny Hamlin, who thought he had enough gas while leading when his car sputtered and didn't start with three laps remaining in the Pep Boys Auto 500, actually had water in his fuel cell at the time. Whether that caused him not to accelerate and get hit from behind by Martin Truex Jr. is uncertain, Joe Gibbs Racing Senior Vice President Jimmy Makar said Sunday night at Atlanta. But what is certain is that Hamlin and Bill Davis Racing's Dave Blaney had water in their fuel cells, and Roush Fenway Racing's Greg Biffle also might have had a similar situation. NASCAR Nextel Cup Series Director John Darby said that no water was found in the Sunoco pumps following the race. Darby said all of the Sunoco documentation from the weekend shows no water in the tanks.(SceneDaily.com)(10-28-2007)
UPDATE: Water found in the fuel tanks of cars driven by #11-Denny Hamlin and #22-Dave Blaney during Sunday's Nextel Cup race at Atlanta was not isolated to those teams, a NASCAR official said Monday. Water also was discovered in the fuel of the Penske Racing cars driven by #2-Kurt Busch and #12-Ryan Newman after returning to Charlotte, N.C. In addition, water was found in the fuel cell of all three Richard Childress racing team cars belonging to #29-Kevin Harvick, #07-Clint Bowyer and #31-Jeff Burton. #16-Greg Biffle believes his car may have had water in its fuel, although no evidence was found. NASCAR Nextel Cup Series director John Darby said the problem is more widespread than originally thought and that NASCAR has issued bulletins to all Cup and Truck Series teams to check for evidence of contamination so they can locate the source. Darby said everything from the underground fuel-holding tank at the track to the fuel trucks that deliver the gas to the individual gas cans are being analyzed. He said the underground tank is the least likely source because there is an alarm system located that can detect the slightest amount of contamination. Darby dismissed sabotage as a possible explanation, saying too many teams were affected for anyone to have been singled out.(ESPN.com)(10-30-2007)

Penske Staying with Dodge; Decision on Hornish Soon:Penske Racing owner Roger Penske said Sunday that his team will be driving Dodges for years to come. Penske said he has agreed to a multi-year deal with Dodge. The team contract was set to expire at the end of the 2008 season. As for Sam Hornish Jr., one of Penske's two IndyCar Series drivers who is considering the switch to the Cup Series but has yet to qualify for a race, the plan is to continue trying to get him in a race. "We're going to keep digging," Penske said. He said the team likely will know its plans for Hornish by the Phoenix Cup race in two weeks.(ESPN.com)(10-29-2007)

Gold scheme for #2 at Atlanta: Kurt Busch and his Pat Tryson-led #2 Penske Racing Team will be returning to their gold "World Beer Cup" color scheme for the final time this year in Sunday's Pep Boys Auto 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway. "The fans have really let it be known how much they love the gold colors that we had on our car in the two races earlier this year, so we decided to bring out the gold for one final time this season," Kurt said of the special paint job that reflects sponsor Miller Lite's fourth gold award in the American-Style Light Lager category at the most recent World Beer Cup contest held last year. "We are so proud of what the color scheme represents that we actually hoped to run the gold car more than what we have so far this year."(TRPR), see images of the scheme on my #2 Team Schemes page.(10-24-2007)

Kurt Busch on merger of Miller and Coors: DOES THE MERGER BETWEEN MILLER AND COORS AFFECT YOUR SPONSORSHIP? “I don’t know anything other than they did combine, or they’re in negotiations to do such. The numbers that I’ve heard are 58 percent for MillerSAB and 42 percent for MolsonCoors. That’s all that I know. I haven’t talked with any Miller people about it. They are all coming in tonight to check out qualifying, and then tomorrow we’ve got some in the morning for meetings. Right now I’m sure it doesn’t change a thing. Roger Penske has been with Miller for over 25 years and his race teams. That’s what really anchors us solidly with that program.”(Dodge Motorsports PR)(10-15-2007)

Kurt Busch tests at Iowa: #2-Kurt Busch and the Miller Lite Dodge team tested at the Iowa Speedway Oct. 9-10, 2007. “We’re just using the test to sort out some stuff that will help us in the future COT races,” Crew Chief Pat Tryson said late Tuesday afternoon from the seven-eighths-mile “Rusty Wallace designer track,” located near Newton, Iowa. “Kurt was out in Las Vegas on Monday for the Dodge function and the group dropped him off here on their way back to North Carolina. We’re pretty fortunate to be getting in the additional test time and it can only help. We’re in line to do some tire testing for Goodyear next Monday and Tuesday at Charlotte (Lowe’s Motor Speedway), so we have a pretty busy schedule going right now.” Kurt Busch Inc. has scheduled its special “Grand Opening Open House” celebration this Thursday (Oct. 11) at the KBI complex - kurtbusch.com.(Tom Roberts PR)(10-10-2007)

Molson Coors, SABMiller Combine U.S. Operations: The makers of Coors and Miller Lite plan to combine their U.S. brewing operations in an effort to compete better against industry leader Anheuser-Busch. The joint venture announced Tuesday will be known as MillerCoors and will have responsibility for selling brands including Miller Lite, Miller Genuine Draft, Coors, Coors Light and Molson Canadian in the U.S. Anheuser-Busch Cos. accounts for about half of the U.S. market with brands such as Budweiser, Michelob and Bud Light. SABMiller PLC will have a 58% economic interest in the venture and MolsonCoors Brewing Co. will own 42% of the new company. They will have equal voting interests, however. The joint venture will also result in cost savings of $500 million, the companies said. That savings will mainly come from reducing shipping distances, finding economies of scale in brewing operations, optimizing production and eliminating duplicate corporate and marketing services. Under the terms of the agreement, the companies said they will conduct all of their U.S. business exclusively through the venture. The companies said by combining their U.S. operations, the venture will be able to invest more in marketing its brands to consumers and compete more effectively with larger brewers like Anheuser-Busch and InBev NV S.A., which imports a large number of global beers into the U.S. and is the world's largest brewer by volume.(AP/Yahoo Biz), no word how or if this will effect the sponsorship of the #2 Pensek Racing Dodge of Kurt Busch, Coor's Light was just announced as the official beer of NASCAR and will not sponsor a team in 2008.(10-9-2007)

Miller Lite to honor military vets: Miller Lite will be launching an engaging statewide promotional campaign around the upcoming Nov. 4 Dickies 500 at Texas Motor Speedway. The campaign will recognize, celebrate, honor and reward military veterans, both past and present, for their commitment to serving our country. Miller Lite has teamed with Operation Homefront to support Texas troops and their families. Miller Lite will donate financial support to the cause and consumers will have the opportunity to visit a special web site and vote how to apply Miller Lite's contribution. Consumers will also be able to make a donation on their own through the site. Stay tuned for additional details forthcoming in the next few weeks.(TRPR)(10-4-2007)

Rejection of Penske test track recommended: Iredell County [NC] commissioners should deny Penske Racing permission to build a test track off Mazeppa Road near Mooresville [NC], the Iredell County Planning Board voted late Wednesday [9-5]. Fueled by about 200 opponents in the audience who were concerned primarily about noise, the board voted 9-0 against the $21 million track. The Planning Board is a citizen advisory board and the final say rests with the commissioners, who will consider Penske's plans on Oct. 2.(Charlotte Observer/Thatsracin)(9-7-2007)

Penske Racing to create test track in Mooresville, NC: Penske Racing plans to build a test track in Mooresville similar in size and layout to the track at Richmond International Raceway. The 54-acre site on Mazeppa Road would include 1/4- and 1/2-mile ovals within the 3/4-mile oval track, and a 1.8-mile road course, documents filed with the Iredell County Planning Department show. At its neighboring race shop, Mooresville-based Penske already designs, makes and tests high-performance vehicles for competition in the Nextel Cup and Busch series, Indy Racing League, and Automobile Racing Club of America and American LeMans series. The test track also would accommodate law-enforcement training and recreational motorsports, but is not for spectators paying admission, Penske says in its filing with the county. Testing would be between 8am and 6pm/et, according to the filing. The acreage now includes two ball fields and a vacant lot. The land is zoned for heavy industrial uses, including race tracks, Iredell County Planner Rebecca Harper said. Penske proposes putting in landscaping along the track property's railroad boundary to obscure the track's view from Mazeppa Road, and adding landscaping along Penske Way, which leads off Mazeppa. The company would leave the woods on the west side of the property as a noise buffer. Industry border the other three sides. Penske Racing South president Don Miller could not be reached Thursday. The Iredell County Planning Board will consider the plan at 7pm Wednesday. The planning staff is recommending approval. County commissioners are expected to consider the board's recommendation in October.(Charlotte Observer)(8-31-2007)

Hornish to run 5-6 races in the final 10: Sam Hornish Jr. plans to run five to six of the final 10 races in the Nextel Cup season for Penske Racing, team owner Roger Penske said on Saturday. Penske said the 2006 Indianapolis 500 champion, who is considering a full-time ride in Cup next season, will turn his focus to stock cars as soon as the Indy season ends on Sept. 9. Hornish's first Cup race could come in the championship Chase opener at New Hampshire International Speedway. "That's the game plan right now," Penske said before the start of the Cup race at Bristol Motor Speedway. "Obviously, he's got to qualify. But he did a good job at Michigan and if there is a chance to run cars every week, we'll see." Penske would like to keep Hornish's focus on Car of Tomorrow races -- New Hampshire, Dover, Talladega, Martinsville and Phoenix -- because that is the car NASCAR will use full time in 2008. "I told him the more experience you get the better you're going to be," Penske said. "We'll see."(ESPN.com)(8-25-2007)

Kurt Busch wins at Michigan: #2-Kurt Busch won the twice rained-delayed 3M Performance 400 at Michigan International Speedway for his 2nd win in 2007 and 17th of his career. There was a Green-White-Checkered finish, but 2nd place, #1-Truex Jr. could not catch Busch and held on to 2nd. The rest of the top-10 were #48-Johnson, #17-Kenseth, #11-Hamlin, #22-Blaney, #99-Edwards, #83-Vickers, #43-Labonte and #20-Stewart. #24-Gordon was in the top five before he and #17-Kenseth got together, sending Gordon spinning off turn 4 and losing a lap, finishing 27th. Gordon now leads #11-Hamlin by 276 pts. #11-Hamlin is the 2nd driver to clinch a spot in the Chase. #8-Earnhardt Jr. finished 12th and moves up to 13th in the drivers pts, but loses ground to #2-Busch who is in the final Chase spot [12th] now has a 163 pt lead with three races to go before the race starts at New Hampshire. There were 8 cautions for 36 laps and 10 drivers led the race with 18 lead changes.
Race Results on my Michigan Race Results/Awards Page.
Points Standings on my Drivers/Owners Points after Michigan page
Race Rundown: see my Michigan Glen Race Info/Rundown Page for my race rundown page, laps led, top 10, race notes, lucky dogs and more.(8-21-2007)

Kurt Busch Wins at Pocono: #2-Kurt Busch put on a dominating performance to win the Pennsylvania 500 at Pocono Raceway for his first win in 52 races. Busch led 175 of the 200 laps and beat #8-Earnhardt, Jr. to the finish line by 4.132 seconds. The rest of the top-10 were #11-Hamlin, #24-Gordon, #48, Johnson, #20-Stewart, #12-Newman, #07-Bowyer, #01-Martin, and #25-Mears. With the win, Kurt Busch jumped over Earnhardt and into the top 12 in the point standings. Ryan Newman remains 14th in the points, 90 points out of 12th. There were 7 cautions for 27 laps and 11 drivers lead the race with 17 lead changes.
Race Results on my Pocono Race Results/Awards Page.
Points Standings on my Drivers/Owners Points after Indianapolis page
Race Rundown: see my Pocono Race Info/Rundown Page for my race rundown page, laps led, top 10, race notes, lucky dogs and more.(8-5-2007)

The Latest on Hornish to NASCAR: Sam Hornish Jr. [is] taking a long, hard look at what he wants to do next and whether it includes a risky jump to NASCAR. "It's safe to say that the challenge of it intrigues me," Hornish said in the midst of preparations for this week's Honda 200. After eight years in IRL, he's itching for something new. Despite his IRL success, Hornish makes no secret of the fact that he's restless. His agreement with Penske Racing allows him to try some different things. He's driving in several Busch Series events and is testing himself in other ways. "That's one of the great things about this deal I have with Roger right now is that we have an opportunity to go either way," Hornish said. "The best part is that I don't have to make a decision today or tomorrow. We started off this year knowing that we were going to do 11 to 14 stock-car events, run the whole IndyCar schedule, run the 24 Hours of Daytona, have a whole bunch of different kind of racing thrown in there. We're going to continue to work on that plan. We'll sit down at the end of the year when that's all over with and make a decision on what we're going to do."(Associated Press)
AND: Hornish refuted the prevailing rumor that he already has made up his mind and that owner Roger Penske will add a third car to his NASCAR team next year for Hornish. "I'd say where I'm at right now, the scales are 50-50," said Hornish. "I haven't made any decision; the team hasn't made a decision."(Columbus Dispatch)(7-21-2007)

Third Penske team in 2008? Mobil 1 as sponsor? UPDATE 2: hearing that Mobil 1 will be a full sponsor of a third Penske Racing Nextel Cup car in 2008, no word on a driver.(6-8-2007)
UPDATE: Roger Penske said Sunday he plans to field two Dodge-backed Nextel Cup Series teams in 2008. Recent reports said Penske Racing may leave Dodge next season in favor of a move to Toyota, a rumor Penske dismissed. "Our Dodge commitment is a long-term contract," said Penske, one of the world's largest Toyota dealers. "I read in the paper where we were switching to Toyota. We haven't even talked to them about it." As for the speculated third team? "We've looked at whether we'd run an additional car," Penske said. "We haven't made any commitment on it at this point. There's lots of speculation. We've got a lot of moving parts right now. I'm not committing to a third team at this point, at all."(ESPN.com)(6-11-2007)
UPDATE 2: Penske Racing appears to be expanding to three teams in 2008, and former Indianapolis 500 champion Sam Hornish Jr. likely will fill that seat. Hornish is expected to compete in an unspecified number of Nextel Cup races toward the end of this season, team owner Roger Penske said Sunday morning at New Hampshire International Speedway. "We're looking at it," Penske said of the third team. "We definitely are very interested in doing that, but we have to look and see where we are with Hornish. That'll be a deciding factor on exactly what we do." More than likely Mobil 1, the sponsor on Hornish's Busch car and an associate sponsor on both Penske Cup cars, would be the primary sponsor on the Cup car. Mobil 1 and Penske have had a long association. With this apparent plan to expand to three teams with Hornish, Penske said he is not in the running for free agent Kyle Busch. Busch's older brother, Kurt, early last week lobbied on behalf of his brother during a national teleconference saying Penske Racing would be "stupid" not to talk to his brother.(ESPN.com)(7-2-2007)

Penske may soon feature a brother act: UPDATE: Roger Penske may be considering adding Kyle Busch to the Penske Racing South NASCAR operation, which includes older brother Kurt Busch. "Penske would be stupid not to look at Kyle, so that talk is under way," Kurt Busch said during a national teleconference. But, he added, Kyle is "talking with all the other race teams out there such as Ginn Motorsports, Yates. I'm sure he's talked with Gibbs. "I would say he's talked with 99 percent of the garages, and that 1 percent (he hasn't talked to) is probably Roush Racing." Kyle Busch is to return to The Bullring at Las Vegas Motor Speedway next week and compete in the annual "Night of Fire" racing card Tuesday night.(Las Vegas Sun), been told Kyle Busch has met this week with Evernham Motorsports and Chip Ganassi Racing.(6-29-2007)
UPDATE: Kyle Busch has visited eight Nextel Cup organizations since he became a free agent and could have his final list arrowed to four by the end of the weekend, a source close to the situation said on Friday. One of those organizations is Evernham Motorsports, where team members say the 22-year-old driver spent part of Tuesday. Other organizations believed to be in the mix are the Chevrolet teams of Richard Childress Racing, Dale Earnhardt Inc., Ginn Racing and Joe Gibbs Racing, and the Dodge team of Chip Ganassi Racing. Busch said he has not had sit-down discussions with Penske Racing officials even though his older brother, Kurt Busch, said there have been conversations. But he did say Chevy and Dodge teams were in the mix, and that there has been some contact by Ford. "The teams have their timetables with their sponsors and stuff like that they have to let know. ... There are a couple of teams that would like to know within the next three or four [weeks]."(ESPN.com)(6-30-2007)

Tryson Takes Over as Kurt Busch's Crew Chief: Pat Tryson will become crew chief effective immediately of the #2 Miller Lite Dodge driven by Kurt Busch. Tryson replaces Troy Raker who has served as interim crew chief of the team since Texas. Troy will return to his previous role within the Penske engineering department. Tryson, a 10-year veteran Nextel Cup crew chief, led Mark Martin to the Chase for the Nextel Cup in each of the last three seasons while working for Roush Fenway Racing. Most recently, he served as crew chief for Greg Biffle and the #16 team.(Penske Racing PR)(6-19-2007)

Kurt Busch going "blogging" #2-Miller Lite Dodge driver Kurt Busch will begin a weekly blog on ESPN.com this weekend. The 2004 NASCAR champ's written "musings and opinings" will be featured on Fridays for the remainder of the racing season. "My own blog; that's cool," Kurt said as he was beginning the new project earlier this week. "We're gonna' have a lot of fun with it. I'll guarantee you that I'll be talking about some subjects in my ESPN blog that'll be seen only there. Of course we'll have to talk about the races, but I plan on going outside those lines on a regular basis. I'm really looking forward to it and we really appreciate having the opportunity.(TRPR)(6-14-2007)

Penske says Busch has his support despite incident: Roger Penske certainly didn't condone driver #2-Kurt Busch's temper tantrum last weekend at Dover International Speedway, and he acknowledges Busch let his emotions endanger a competitor. But Penske's a racer, he understands and respects the emotional overload on-track competition can produce. So all said, he fully supports his driver. "In my situation as a car owner, I looked at what happened last weekend and the biggest disappointment I have is that I wasn't there to maybe keep that situation [from happening] on the pit lane," Penske said Sunday at Pocono Raceway. Penske said he and Busch met with team executives midweek to discuss the severity of the meltdown, namely what it projected internally and externally. Penske suggested that Busch rally his team, advice the driver heeded.(ESPN.com)(6-11-2007)

Kurt Busch penalized, not suspended: UPDATE 2: NASCAR announced today that Kurt Busch, driver of the #2 Miller Lite Dodge in the Nextel Cup Series, has been penalized 100 championship driver points, fined $100,000 and placed on NASCAR probation until Dec. 31, 2007 for violating Section 12-4-A (actions detrimental to stock car racing – reckless driving; endangering a crew member on pit road) of the 2007 NASCAR rule book. Car owner Roger Penske has also been penalized with the loss of 100 championship owner points due to his driver’s infraction. The violation occurred on pit road during the race at Dover International Speedway on June 4.(NASCAR PR).
Penske Statement: Penske Racing acknowledges the fine, penalty and probation that has been imposed by NASCAR relative to the pit incident involving Kurt Busch at this week's Dover race and will not appeal. Safety is paramount in motorsports and must not be compromised. "I regret the incident that occurred at Dover and apologize to NASCAR, my sponsors, the fans, my Penske Racing team and Joe Gibbs Racing. I understand that safety is crucial to the sport and I accept the points penalty, fine and probation that NASCAR has imposed on me," said Kurt Busch. Penske Racing will continue to support Kurt and look forward to racing at Pocono.(Penske Racing PR)(6-8-2007)
UPDATE: NASCAR Vice President of Competition Robin Pemberton says that NASCAR did consider suspending driver Kurt Busch for a race after a pit-road incident at Dover, but that the sanctioning body thinks the 100-point penalty and $100,000 fine is an appropriate penalty. "We looked at a lot of different options from Monday night on, and we felt like we got everybody's attention and we felt like the 100-point penalty, 100,000 was substantial," Pemberton said Friday morning at Pocono Raceway. "One of the things you can't lose sight of is we parked Kurt during the race also. ... That all wrapped into that."(SceneDaily.com)(6-8-2007)
UPDATE 2: Comments from Kurt Busch: “I regret my actions on Monday during the race. To accept the penalty, that’s what we’re going to do. I’m glad I’m here to race the car this weekend. We’ve got our work cut out for us to gain these 100 points back. The money, hopefully it goes to the NASCAR Foundation or whatever they do with the funds. We’re here to move forward. The real incident was out on the racetrack. What happened on pit road is the real story. I reached out for Jason Lee, the crew member on Joe Gibbs’ team, and left him a message to clear some of the air on things, to let him know that it was not my intention at all to put him in danger. What the beef is is between me and Tony out on the track.”(Clear!Blu PR)(6-9-2007)

Third Penske team in 2008? Mobil 1 as sponsor? hearing that Mobil 1 will be a full sponsor of a third Penske Racing Nextel Cup car in 2008, no word on a driver.(6-8-2007)

Stewart/Busch Tangle; Busch almost hits #20 crewman UPDATE 4 Suspension and more?: been asked why no penalty announced for #2-Kurt Busch on Tuesday [when penalties are usually announced], two reasons: 1) the Dover race was postponed from Sunday to Monday, so things got pushed back a day too; 2) the death of Bill France Jr. So we could see some sort of penalty announcement on Wednesday [June 6th]. ESPN2's NASCAR Now show reported that NASCAR officials met Tuesday afternoon about the situation. What happened? here is what I have posted in my race report: #20-Stewart and #2-Busch got together, Stewart finished 40th after the team made repairs, Busch came to pit road and ran close to the #20 and stopped, the jackman had to hustle to get out of the way, Busch then peeled out when he left, NASCAR parked Busch the rest of the race and will meet with NASCAR at the trailer after the race.(6-5-2007)
UPDATE: #2-Kurt Busch and #20-Tony Stewart dealt with more than damaged cars following their incident on lap 271 of Monday's rain-delayed Autism Speaks 400 at Dover International Speedway. They dealt with wounded feelings as well. The incident occurred when Busch tried to move up in front of Stewart and the left front of Stewart's car tagged the right rear of Busch's. Stewart then hit Busch again after Busch bounced off the wall. On pit road, Busch pulled up beside Stewart, who was sitting in his pit stall. NASCAR then parked Busch for endangering Stewart's crew members. A penalty is expected. They both paid for the accident, with Busch finishing 42nd and Stewart 40th.(SceneDaily.com)(6-6-2007)
UPDATE 2: been hearing that Busch will be suspended one race and miss Pocono, nothing confirmed yet, no word who would drive the car.(6-6-2007)
UPDATE 3: ESPN2's NASCAR Now reported that NASCAR would not make any announcement on a penalty, if any, before Friday.(6-6-2007)
UPDATE 4: hearing Busch will be suspended for one race AND hearing the #2 Dodge, even after the accident, failed post race inspection and could face a fine/penalty for that infraction, being a COT, it could be substantial.(6-8-2007)

Toyota: Gibbs? Penske merge with Waltrip? UPDATE 2: Toyota, sources said, has approached the Gibbs team with a proposal to leave Chevrolet, which would give it #20-Tony Stewart, #11-Denny Hamlin and #18-J.J. Yeley. Gibbs’ management doesn’t appear to be that interested, but the offer hasn’t been rejected, according to team sources. Penske [#2, #12], who has been with just about every manufacturer in racing over the years and who is one of the world’s biggest Toyota dealers, could be making the move to Toyota for next year. According to sources close to the situation, Penske could be looking at a merger with Michael Waltrip’s struggling Toyota operation. And there is speculation that Robert and Doug Yates [#38, #88] may be willing to listen to Toyota offers, even though they have long-standing ties with Ford.(Winston Salem Journal)(5-31-2007)

UPDATE: Several sources tell SI.com that Toyota is going hard after Joe Gibbs Racing and that Gibbs is very interested. Officially, the Gibbs team denies any contact with Toyota: "It's news to us," team spokesman Mike Arning said. Toyota, as a matter of policy, does not comment on contract negotiations. The potential deal is a delicate subject for Gibbs and Toyota. Gibbs' contract with Chevrolet, which runs out at the end of the year, stipulates this is a non-negotiating period with other manufacturers. Is contact to determine interest negotiating? You'd have to read the fine print and then get a clarification from an arbitrator to determine that. But sources say there definitely has been communication between Toyota and Gibbs.(Sports Illustrated)(6-2-2007)
UPDATE: Representatives from Penske Racing and Michael Waltrip Racing on Saturday disallowed rumors of an impending merger between the two organizations, which currently field Dodges and Toyotas, respectively, in a variety of NASCAR series. "I heard about it for the first time [Friday]," said Ty Norris, Michael Waltrip Racing's general manager. "I wish he would come and talk to us." Wally McCarty, Penske Racing's marketing director, was just as succinct. "We're racing Dodges through the end of next season, and right now we're most concerned about winning races for Dodge -- we have to be," McCarty said. "We have a beautiful new facility and so does [Waltrip]. There's no 'win' there. I don't know where people come up with these things. Roger [Penske] sells nearly every car make made in the world, and he has great relationships with all of them. We race Dodges, Hondas and Porsches out of the same shop, and we have great relationships with all of them. Would we race Toyotas at some point? When it's appropriate, we might talk about it, and if it's right, we might do that [but] right now [Waltrip] has three teams and we have two -- and you can only have four [total] so it doesn't make sense." McCarty said Penske was considering a third team "depending on what [Penske IndyCar Series driver] Sam Hornish decides to do," over the next year or two.(NASCAR.com)(6-3-2007)

Tragic News Corey Tucker, car chief for #2-Kurt Busch, lost his father in a tragic accident earlier this week. Thoughts and prayers to Corey and his family. Details of the accident can be found here: recordonline.com.(5-24-2007)

Kurt Busch back in Gold at the All-Star Race: #2-Miller Lite Dodge driver Kurt Busch is racing a special “gold color scheme” car in Saturday night’s NEXTEL All-Star Challenge at Lowe’s Motor Speedway. “We’re bringing back the gold color scheme that we did so well with at Daytona in February and we’re in a position where we can lay it all on the line for the All Star race on Saturday night,” said Busch, the 2004 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup champion, who climbed to seventh in the series point standings with his 12th-place finish at Darlington on Sunday. “It’s a great game plan and we’re super excited.(Tom Roberts PR), see an image on my #2 Team Schemes page.(5-18-2007)

Penske would like to talk to Dale Jr. Roger Penske said Friday that he has an interest in adding Dale Earnhardt Jr. to his Nextel Cup team, but he realizes it isn't likely to happen. "Certainly we'd like to talk to him," Penske said. "Obviously, he's one of the top drivers in the sport. But from everything I've heard, he wants to say in a Chevrolet. We have a contract with Dodge and we're loyal to that." Even at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the day before Indy 500 pole day, Earnhardt Jr. is a big topic. Penske is hoping to win his 15th Indianapolis 500 as a team owner. He has a two-car IndyCar Series team with Sam Hornish Jr., last year's winner, and Helio Castroneves, a two-time Indy 500 winner. But Penske also has a two-car Cup team with #2-Kurt Busch and #12-Ryan Newman. Cup team owners are allowed to have four cars, so Penske has the space to add Earnhardt. Penske also is a team owner with the money to make a serious bid for Earnhardt's services. Forbes magazine recently listed Penske's net worth at $2.2 billion.(ESPN.com)(5-12-2007)

Kurt Busch's Team Collects Pit Crew Win in Talladega: #2 crew earns first Checkers/Rally's Double Drive-Thru Challenge victory of season. Kurt Busch's over-the-wall crew became the fifth team of the season to win the Checkers/Rally's Double Drive-Thru Challenge by collecting the win in Sunday's Aaron's 499 at Talladega Superspeedway. The #2 crew spent 171.490 seconds on pit road, helping Busch to a solid third-place finish at the 2.66-mile oval. "The guys were certainly awesome on pit road," said Busch. "The race called for a mixture of all kinds of stops and they performed flawlessly. It was a good day all around for our Miller Lite Dodge Team. Winning the Checkers/Rally's Double Drive-Thru Challenge puts the icing on the cake for the best finish we've had this season." Checkers/Rally's will award Busch's crew a prize of $11,000 for winning the weekly competition. Penske Racing's #2 crew includes: Ray Gallaghan (jackman), David Littau (front-tire carrier), Jay Hackney (front-tire changer), Andy Brown (rear-tire carrier), Kevin Hebert (rear-tire changer), Chris Williams (gasman), Steve Williams (catch can) and Daniel Keaton (eighth man). After nine Nextel Cup races, Mark Martin's/Regan Smith's #01 pit crew leads in the Checkers/Rally's Double Drive-Thru Challenge standings with four wins. Denny Hamlin's #11 crew is second with two victories. An additional $111,150 will be presented to the pit crew with the most wins at the completion of the 36-race Nextel Cup schedule. To win the Checkers/Rally's Double Drive-Thru Challenge, teams are required to finish on the lead lap while spending the least amount of time on pit road. Checkers/Rally's is in its third season as title sponsor for the pit crew challenge. Checkers/Rally's is the Official Burger and Drive-Thru Restaurant of NASCAR, more info at checkers.com.(DMF Communications PR)(5-3-2007)

Raker back as Kurt Busch's crew chief this week: Troy Raker will again be standing in for #2 Miller Lite Dodge crew chief Roy McCauley this weekend at Phoenix as Roy is spending time with wife, Amy, who is battling cancer. Kurt Busch drives the #2 Dodge for Penske Racing, sone facts aboyt Raker:
Joined Ford Motor Company as an engineer in 1993
Liaison between Ford and Bud Moore Engineering 1995
Engineer for Ricky Rudd Racing 1996-closing
Engineer for Bill Elliott Racing 2000
Engineer for Joe Gibbs Racing 2001-2006
Joined Penske Racing January 2007 as Chassis Engineer
(Tom Roberts PR)(4-19-2007)

Roy McCauley Taking Leave of Absense; Troy Raker Interim #2 Crew Chief: Troy Raker has been named the interim leader of the #2 Miller Lite Dodge Team with driver Kurt Busch as crew chief Roy McCauley will be spending more time with wife, Amy, who is battling cancer. "Amy has been winning her fight with Leukemia since it was first diagnosed back in February," McCauley said from his office at the Penske Racing headquarters on Tuesday afternoon. "But, there have been recent complications stemming from her long-term treatment and I feel as though I need to spend more time by her side. In the interim, I will maintain an active role with our team from a communications standpoint, but Troy Raker will be in charge, leading the team and working with Kurt on a daily basis at the race track."(Tom Roberts PR)(4-10-2007)

Penske Plans to build track near shop: Roger Penske has now consolidated all three of his teams -- his NASCAR, Indy Racing League and American LeMans groups -- under one enormous roof in Mooresville, N.C. That includes approximately 260 employees working in a state-of-the-art, 425,000-square foot, shop. It is an impressive campus that includes a wind tunnel and a seven-post vehicle dynamics rig, and now with all the teams, all the engineers, all the employees under one roof, the thought is there can be plenty of knowledge sharing. For instance, a Cup crew chief can study the aerodynamics of an open-wheel car and apply what he learns to the Cup car, particularly the new Car of Tomorrow. Penske said he is finalizing plans to build a test track near the shop. There is plenty of land to spare, and about 70 acres will be used. "We could build an oval that's the size of the Richmond [International Raceway]," Penske said, referring to the .75-mile track. "And we'd put a road course in. We look at it as a test track, but our sponsors could use it. There's lot of different things you could use something like that for, so I think it will be terrific." Penske is, of course, thinking out of the box yet again. He figures that the test track would cut the expenses of going on the road for testing, and it would eliminate some of the travel wear-and-tear on the drivers and crews. Of course, Penske figures the test facility could be used for sponsor and customer entertainment, as well.(ESPN.com)(3-20-2007)

Hornish to run Brickyard 400? Defending the Indianapolis 500 title will be tough enough for Sam Hornish Jr., but he says he'd like to win twice on the historic 2 1/2-mile oval this year. Hornish, who already has driven in two Busch Series races this season, said Wednesday he likes the idea of trying to drive in both major American races at the track - Indy and the Allstate 400 at the Brickyard. "The biggest thing would be our resources," Hornish said. "But if they asked me to do it, I'd do it." It's not unprecedented. A few NASCAR drivers, most notably Tony Stewart and Robby Gordon, have competed in Indianapolis on Memorial Day weekend and later returned to compete in the Brickyard 400. Hornish won the second-closest finish in Indy 500 history by 0.0635 seconds in 2006. Hornish might be setting himself up for even greater expectations. When asked if he had any inkling about running in the July 29 Nextel Cup race in Indianapolis, he didn't hesitate. "I'm trying to work on Roger (Penske) as far as that goes," Hornish said. "I think it would require a little bit of testing, and the biggest thing would be our resources. Obviously, we don't want to take away from what Kurt (Busch) and Ryan (Newman) do there." #2-Busch and #12-Newman are the two regular drivers for Penske's NASCAR team. Hornish also is trying to become only the sixth driver in Indy history to repeat as champion, something his teammate Helio Castroneves accomplished in 2001-02.(Associated Press)(3-15-2007)

Kurt Busch testing COT at local NC track: #2Kurt Busch, crew chief Roy McCauley and the Miller Lite/Penske Racing Dodge team are testing today (Tuesday, 3/6) at Southern National Raceway Park, a four-tenths-mile asphalt oval located near Kenley, N.C. "We're going the extra mile in preparing for the upcoming races, particularly for the Car of Tomorrow debut in the March 25 race at Bristol," Busch explained. "We tested at Bristol last week (Feb. 28-March 1) and felt like we needed more track time with our new Dodge Avenger (the COT). We're hoping to be at the top of our game with the new Dodge Avenger and getting the additional track time is very important. Just from the short-term impact, we're talking about three of four races where we're racing the car between Bristol and Phoenix. You could say that the next few weeks could play out to be the most important and pivotal of the 2007 season."(Tom Roberts PR)(3-6-2007)

Miller challenges Budweiser: Miller Brewing Co. today issued a NASCAR challenge to competitor Anheuser-Busch Cos. Inc., and the temporary naming rights to Milwaukee's Miller Park would be stake. The long-standing "battle of the beer cars" on NASCAR tracks would take on added significance during the 2007 Nextel Cup season if Anheuser-Busch accepts Miller's challenge to the Budweiser team. Miller is putting the naming rights to Miller Park on the line for a weekend series between the Milwaukee Brewers and the St. Louis Cardinals in 2008. If the Miller Lite #2 Dodge, driven by Kurt Busch, finishes ahead of the #8 Budweiser Chevy, driven by Dale Earnhardt Jr., in the 2007 season standings, Busch Stadium would be renamed Miller Lite Stadium for a yet-to-be-determined 2008 series in St. Louis. If the Budweiser car finishes the season ahead of the Miller Lite car in 2007, Milwaukee's Miller Park would be renamed Budweiser Park for a 2008 series in Milwaukee. "We're more confident than ever that Kurt Busch and the #2 Miller Lite team are going to be regular contenders for the Nextel Cup championship," said Tom Long, Miller's president and chief executive officer. "It's too bad for Anheuser-Busch that they didn't take us up on our challenge last year, when Kurt and the team were dealing with the first-year 'new team' transition. Kurt already has one title, and now he and the whole Penske Racing garage are focused on adding to that total. We expect to see plenty of Miller Lite flowing in victory lane this year." The new wager was officially proposed via certified letter from Long to Anheuser-Busch president and CEO August Busch IV, and delivered this morning. Busch had not yet responded.(Small Business Times)(2-9-2007)

Kurt Busch to run Gold scheme at Bud Shootout UPDATE: #2-Burt Busch will run a special gold paint scheme in the Bud Shootout, to promote and congratulate Miller Lite Beer for winning the World Beer Cup, Golden Award Winner in 2006. See the images on my #2 Team Scemes page.(2-5-2007)
UPDATE: Miller Brewing Company today announced it will paint Kurt Busch’s #2 Miller Lite Dodge with an all-gold scheme for the February 10 Bud Shootout. The one-race re-design honors Miller Lite’s fourth gold award in the American-Style Light Lager category at the World Beer Cup. The car will be painted from front to back in gold paint and will feature the World Beer Cup logo and “World Beer Cup Winner” on the hood, spoiler and rear quarter panels. Miller Lite won its fourth gold in the prestigious bi-annual competition in 2006. The 2006 Brewers Association World Beer Cup is the world's largest and most diverse international beer competition for commercial breweries, this year touting 2,221 entries from 540 breweries in 56 countries, including all other major breweries. The World Beer Cup has been held every other year since 1996 and is presented by the Association of Brewers, a not-for-profit educational and trade organization founded in 1978 that is dedicated to the promotion of quality beers and brewing throughout the world. The Association also hosts the annual Great American Beer Festival and is based in Boulder, Colo. Miller Lite Dodge driver Kurt Busch is excited about driving a gold car in this weekend’s Bud Shootout. “Gold is a color long-associated with great achievements,” Kurt said. “Gold always signifies the best in class, and that’s what we’re constantly striving for on the track. And I know the folks in Milwaukee take great pride in the unmatched quality of Miller Lite. We’d love to kick off the 2007 season by putting this awesome looking car in Victory Lane.” Until recently, Kurt was not aware of the great competitive history of Miller-sponsored gold cars at Daytona. “Someone pointed out that Bobby Allison was driving a gold-colored Miller car when he won the ’88 Daytona 500 in that super-exciting battle with his son, Davey,” Kurt said from Las Vegas last Saturday (2/3/07). “It’s nice to know that there is such good fortune associated in the past with the gold color scheme at Daytona. Man, wouldn’t it be cool to follow in Bobby’s footsteps and win the Shootout in another gold Miller car?” The record book also shows that Allison claimed Daytona wins in the 1987 Pepsi 400 and his 1988 “Twin-125” qualifying race behind the wheel of gold Miller-sponsored cars.(Tom Roberts PR)(2-6-2007)

Penske plans a test track behind shop in Mooresville: from a Clear!Blue/Dodge PR: COMMENT ON BUILDING A TEST TRACK, team owner Roger Penske said: "Our goal here is to take the roughly 70 acres out back and we build a test track [in back of their shop in Mooresville NC]. We're in an exploratory stage today. I'd like to see an oval with a big skid pad, also a road course would be intermingled within the oval side. I think the cost we have to go to tests and the fact we can use this for customer entertainment, for our sponsors, maybe police academies. It's like when we built the wind tunnel people said no one would use it. I can tell you it's being used every day. I think this is an opportunity for us to extend our commercial relationship within the sport. We really haven't said how big it is, but it'll be bigger than a half mile. Let's put it that way. Maybe we could build a Bristol here, but I don't have enough room for the stands. I'm not going into the track business. Don't get the wrong idea. This will be a test facility."(Clear!Blue/Dodge PR)(1-26-2007)

Penske to test COT at Daytona UPDATE: Speed's Bob Dillner reported on Speed's Preseason Thunder report Monday night that Penske Racing is bringing two COT's [Car of Tomorrow] to Daytona and will test them on the track Tuesday or Wednesday with #2-Kurt Busch and #12-Ryan Newman.
AND Kurt Busch says his #2-Miller Lite Dodge team will “surprise everyone” on Wednesday at Daytona when they shake down their superspeedway version of the Car of Tomorrow [COT]. Busch says “It’s just matter of us wanting to get ahead of the game and set the curve and raise the bar for people that are thinking they have their Car of Tomorrow scienced out while we’ve got ours here ready to go for a speedway test." Meanwhile, while the acronym “COT” for the Car of Tomorrow has been widely used, some have felt the need to create initials for the current racecars. In the spirit of fun, Busch revealed his Miller Lite Dodge team has come up with several including “CORN” meaning the “Car of Right Now” and “COY” is the “Car of Yesterday.” Busch said, “We’ve got a bunch of engineers in the back with way too much time on their hands I guess. Or they’re just working so hard they’ve got to curse the car somehow.”(PRN's Garage Pass Radio Show)(1-16-2007)
UPDATE: Penske Racing South drivers worked on a variety of gear and restrictor-plate combinations as they tested a "car of tomorrow" Wednesday during Nextel Cup practice at Daytona International Speedway. Both #12-Ryan Newman and #2-Kurt Busch took turns in the car, which won't be used on a restrictor-plate track until the October race at Talladega Superspeedway. Busch turned a top lap of 191.188 mph in a single-car run with a 1 1/8th-inch restrictor plate. The team went as low as a 15/16ths-inch restrictor plate. The current version car uses a 7/8ths-inch restrictor plate. Newman said the test proved that NASCAR couldn't run these cars without restrictor plates.(SceneDaily.com)(1-18-2007)

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