Kyle Busch: “We need to qualify up front, get a good pit stall and stay up front”
Kyle Busch, Driver Of The No. 5 Kellogg’s/Carquest Monte Carlo SS: (On The Current State Of The No. 5 Team. ) “This Hendrick Motorsports team gave me a great car last week at Indy and we are turning it around to take back to Pocono this weekend. It was the best car I’ve ever had at Indy and, to be honest, I thought we had something for Tony Stewart. I think we passed more cars than anyone all day long—and usually at Indy you can’t pass. It says a lot about the engines at Hendrick Motorsports and the cars these guys are building. “
Kyle Busch: (on Pocono. ) “Pocono’s a tough track with its three distinct corners. We finished in the top 10 last time and we learned a lot about the tires and pit strategy. That race tends to have some long green-flag runs, so we need to qualify up front, get a good pit stall and stay up front. I’d like to win one to put us in a better position in the Chase. “
RATING KYLE: After 20 races this season, Kyle Busch has the fourth-best average running position (12.366) in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series, falling right behind three former circuit champions: Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson and Tony Stewart. He also has the fifth-best driver rating in the Cup Series at 97.4.
POCONO PAST: In his last race at Pocono Raceway, Kyle Busch finished eighth, posted an average running position of 6.830 and recorded the sixth-best driver rating (106.8). He has started in the top 10 in the past three Pocono races, and has one top-five result and two top-10s at the 2.5-mile track in Long Pond, Pa.
TESTING ROAD ATLANTA: Kyle Busch and his No. 5 Kellogg’s/CARQUEST crew will test the 12-turn, 2.54-mile road course at Road Atlanta in Braselton, Ga., on Wednesday in preparation for the Aug. 12 NEXTEL Cup event at Watkins Glen (N. Y) International.
WELCOME, BABY JONES: Jason Jones, rear-tire carrier for the No. 5 Kellogg’s/CARQUEST Chevrolet, missed Sunday’s race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway for a good reason. Jones and wife Keisha welcomed a daughter, Georgia Kate, into the world at 2:27 a. m. on Monday. Gene Cornwell filled in for Jones and helped the No. 5 team to a fourth-place finish at the Brickyard.
BIRTHDAY BOYS: The No. 5 Kellogg’s/CARQUEST team has two birthdays coming up soon. Crew chief Alan Gustafson will turn 32 on Sunday at Pocono and third-year engineer Chris Heroy will celebrate his 30th birthday on Aug. 10 at Watkins Glen.
TRUSTY CHASSIS NO. 426: Gustafson has selected Hendrick Motorsports Chassis No. 426 as the primary Monte Carlo SS for this weekend’s NEXTEL Cup event at Pocono. The car finished eighth in the June event there and cruised to a fourth-place result Sunday at Indianapolis.
Kyle Busch WALKING FOR A GOOD CAUSE: Kyle Busch will join 15-time Cup winner Ernie Irvan for the LAPS Walk on Saturday at Pocono Raceway. The walk begins at 3:30 p. m. local time with an autograph session immediately following. All proceeds from the LAPS Walk will go toward traumatic brain injury prevention and treatment. For more information, visit www.lapswalk.org.
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