Kurt Busch's 12th-Place Finish Leads Penske Racing Trio at Darlington Raceway

PHOTO (select to view enlarged photo)

DARLINGTON, S.C. - In Saturday night's Dodge Challenger 500 at the 1.366-mile Darlington Raceway, Penske Racing driver Kurt Busch climbed two spots in the 2008 NASCAR Cup Series driver point standings with his 12th-place finish in the No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge while teammates Ryan Newman and Sam Hornish Jr. finished 37th and 38th, respectively.

No. 2 Miller Lite driver Busch started fifth and ran among the top-five for much of the 367-lap event, but mechanical problems with the right-front suspension caused a long pit stop with less than 100 laps remaining. The end result saw Busch, the 2004 NASCAR Cup Series Champ, climb to 22nd in the 2008 driver point standings and, most importantly, close the distance to 12th place - and Chase eligibility - from 222 points to 194 points.

"The Miller Lite team did a great job tonight," Busch said, appearing relieved to bounce back from a five-race streak of finishing no better than 23rd. "The Charlotte test paid dividends. With this right side being the same as Charlotte here at Darlington, we just kept the same frame of mind for four days straight which really helped us. It will be nice to do that again at the All-Star race and the (Coca-Cola) 600 and try to stick with the same tire and give our team some continuity and hopefully we'll benefit from it."

Visit PenskeRacing.com for the complete story, photos and more...

Sam Hornish Jr. Finishes 11th in Darlington Nationwide Race

DARLINGTON, S.C. – Sam Hornish Jr., driver of the No. 12 Penske Truck Rental Dodge in the NASCAR Nationwide Series, earned a season-best 11th place finish in the Diamond Hill Plywood 200 at Darlington Raceway on Friday night. In his first-ever race at the 1.366-mile "Lady in Black," Hornish Jr. managed a tight race car and ran a smart race to capture his third top-15 finish in just four Nationwide Series starts.

Hornish Jr. started the race in 12th position. Just as racing action was set to begin, spotter Nick DiFazio radioed Hornish Jr. with words of advice: "Race the racetrack and remember to watch what is going on in front of you," he said. "Let's stay focused and try to learn something for tomorrow night's Cup Series race."

A series of early race cautions prevented Hornish Jr. from getting a good feel for the handling of the Penske Truck Rental Dodge. By lap 20, he reported that race car was tight-handling overall.

Visit PenskeRacing.com for the complete story, photos and more...

Ryan Briscoe to Line Up Third, Helio Castroneves Fourth for Team Penske in 2008 Indy 500

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – They didn’t get the pole position, but Team Penske drivers Ryan Briscoe and Helio Castroneves did put themselves in prime position to win the 2008 Indianapolis 500 on Sunday, May 25. Briscoe will start third and Castroneves fourth in the 92nd running of the famous race, which Roger Penske's team has won a record 14 times.

"This is only the pole position," said Castroneves, who won the race in 2001 and 2002. "The race is the big thing. That's what we're really focused on."

Both Penske drivers held strong positions on the grid throughout the course of Saturday's Pole Day qualifying session - with Briscoe even holding the pole position for a few minutes - before being surpassed by Ganassi Racing teammates Scott Dixon and Dan Wheldon.

Visit PenskeRacing.com for the complete story, photos and more...

Kurt Busch on Penske Racing Team Cam This Thursday, May 15th

MOORESVILLE, N.C. – Starting this Thursday, May 15 at PenskeRacing.com, Kurt Busch talks about the upcoming week's activities at Lowe's Motor Speedway on the Team Cam.. Fans that are in town for the All-Star events are encouraged to stop by Busch's merchandise trailer. Busch is tentatively scheduled to be at his souvenir trailer at Lowe's Motor Speedway on Saturday. The visit to the souvenir trailer will mark the 257th time in the last 260 races that Busch has been out on race days to meet the fans and sign autographs. Please verify that time by visiting the trailer in advance and picking up the free tickets for the autograph line.

Kurt will also be signing autographs along with his fellow teammates, Ryan Newman and Sam Hornish Jr. at the Penske Racing Fan Fest on Friday, May 23rd. For more information on the Penske Racing Fan Fest, click the link below.

Visit PenskeRacing.com for the complete story, photos and more...

Vote for Sam Hornish Jr. to Compete in This Weekend's NASCAR All-Star Race

MOORESVILLE, N.C. – Fans of Penske Racing driver Sam Hornish Jr. have a unique opportunity to guarantee him a spot in the 2008 NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race, the $1 million no-holds-barred event at Lowe's Motor Speedway on Saturday evening, May 17, 2008, by voting Hornish Jr. and the No. 77 Mobil 1 Dodge team into the race. Fans can vote as many times as they like at http://nascar.com/ until 7 p.m. EDT on May 17.

"To have the opportunity to race in the 2008 Sprint All-Star Race as a rookie would be incredible," said Hornish Jr., who looks to join his Penske Racing teammates - Ryan Newman and Kurt Busch - in the All-Star Race. "It's an exciting race and, with no points on the line, the best drivers in the sport put on a great show for the fans. The entire No. 77 Mobil 1 team would love to have the opportunity to be a part of this year's event. Thanks to everyone who votes for me as their fan choice on NASCAR.com."

Visit PenskeRacing.com for the complete story, photos and more...