Milwaukee Mile NASCAR Kurt Busch test news, photos

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

MILWAUKEE MILE

A NEW ERA BEGINS

 


NASCAR's KURT BUSCH TESTS "CAR OF TOMORROW" AT THE MILE 


Sentimental Track for 2000 Truck Series Race Winner

 

MIILWAUKEE (September 27, 2006) - 2004 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup champion Kurt Busch
tested his Penske Engineering "Car of Tomorrow" at The Milwaukee Mile today.
NASCAR is introducing a new-design race car that will be phased in beginning
in March of 2007 in the NEXTEL Cup Series, and Busch's team is one of
several NASCAR teams in recent weeks to test their race cars at The Mile.

 

NEXTEL Cup teams are allowed to test as often as they wish at non-NEXTEL Cup
tracks.  According to Busch, The Milwaukee Mile is an ideal place to test,
and offers some key benefits to his team with their development of the car
that will be raced in 16 races at 10 different speedways next season.

 

"NASCAR is going to run these cars on tracks a mile and less, so (The
Milwaukee Mile) will be equivalent to the largest track these cars will race
on," he said.  "The Mile offers great comparisons for Phoenix, great
comparisons for New Hampshire, somewhat at Richmond, work on your brakes
here, work on getting your car set down on the ground.  It is a very smooth
generous race track that allows for good speed and good braking.  It's just
the all-around best test track that we can run the Car of Tomorrow on."

 

In recent weeks, Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sebates, Hendrick
Motorsports and Joe Gibbs Racing have also logged laps with their Car of
Tomorrow race cars at The Milwaukee Mile.

 

The Milwaukee Mile was the sight of Busch's first NASCAR Craftsman Truck
Series race victory in 2000, in what was the 28 year-old's only race event
at America's Legendary Oval.  He has tested a NEXTEL Cup car at The Mile on
several occasions since, most recently with his #2 Miller Lite 'Cup car in
late June.

 

While Busch's first trip to victory lane in a major NASCAR event is a
lasting memory, he's also sentimental toward The Milwaukee Mile for another
reason; his dad Tom grew up in Chicago, and as a youngster in the 1970's
attended races at The Milwaukee Mile with Kurt's grandfather.

 

"My dad used to come here all the time with my grandfather, who wasn't too
big on the Chicago area short tracks - he liked the big mile - the Indy
cars, stock cars," Busch said.  "They came to a lot of races, and as a
matter of fact, my dad said he used to crawl up into a roof vent behind
Section O (of the old covered grandstand) and take naps as a child on race
weekends."

 

For race fans looking ahead to the 2007 season schedule, an announcement
will be forthcoming.  Already announced is the move to Sunday, June 3rd for
the ABC Supply / A.J. Foyt Indy 225 IndyCar Series race.  It will be the
49th time that the Milwaukee Mile IndyCar Series race will immediately
follow the running of the Indianapolis 500.  For more information on this
return to tradition, team testing and the latest Milwaukee Mile happenings,
visit the speedway's website, www.milwaukeemile.com
<http://www.milwaukeemile.com/> .

 

# # #

 

PHOTO CAPTIONS:  photo credit - Russ Lake/Milwaukee Mile

Busch_3235:  Kurt Busch at speed at The Milwaukee Mile, a track he describes
as the best all-around track to test NASCAR's new-design Car of Tomorrow. 

 

Busch_3242:  The spec rear wing is one of the highly visible changes to the
NEXTEL Cup Series car being raced 16 times at 10 different speedways in
2007.

 

Busch_3237:  The shape of the front nose, bigger windows and rear wing are
three obvious differences being implemented in NASCAR's Car of Tomorrow,
which will make it's racing debut at Bristol Motor Speedway next March.

 

Busch_3248:  Kurt Busch, sporting a Miller Lite ball cap and his Busch
Series Penske Truck Rental uniform, took time to speak with Milwaukee media
during Penske Engineering's test of the new-design Car of Tomorrow.

 

Contact:  Jim Tretow, VP - Media & Communications,
 jtretow@milwaukeemile.com, 414-453-5761
x2222