Friday, Oct. 28, 2011
Denny Darnell Scott Sebastian Jimmy White
DODGE MOTORSPORTS PR TUMS Fast Relief 500
Martinsville Speedway NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Kurt Busch Open Interview
KURT BUSCH (No. 22 Shell/Pennzoil Dodge Charger R/T)
WE’VE TALKED ABOUT TALLADEGA BEING A WILD CARD; THIS PLACE PRESENTS MANY WILD CARDS AS WELL. WHAT DOES THIS TRACK PRESENT FROM THAT PERSPECTIVE THAT’S OUT OF YOUR CONTROL THAT OTHERS DON’T? “Just the small, tight confines here of how 43 cars don’t fit very well on a paper clip-shaped race track that’s only a half-mile long. Cars everywhere all the time. Anybody can release their foot off the brake pedal getting into the corner and wreck somebody pretty easy. You’re always on edge here, like you are at Talladega, where things can happen so quick.”
WE NORMALLY SEE A LOT OF CAUTIONS HERE. IF YOU HAVE A BAD HANDLING CAR, DOES IT HELP WITH EXTRA OPPORTUNITIES TO IMPROVE THE HANDLING OR DOES IT UPSET YOUR RYTHEM? “It depends. If you spend extra time on pit road, you really lose a lot of spots and it’s hard to gain those spots back. It’s a combination where if you have a good handling car, you’re day is a lot easier; if you’re off a little bit, it’s an uphill battle all day long. If you have a good handling car, you don’t really care about the yellows. If your car is good when you have old tires, then it’s easier as well after restarts, but if your car is struggling, those restarts really get in your way.”
YOU CAN’T SPEAK FOR EVERY TEAM, BUT IS IT A GIVEN THAT IF YOU’RE IN THE CHASE, YOUR GUYS MAY PUSH THE ENVELOPE A LITTLE MORE BECAUSE THERE’S SO MUCH ON THE LINE, OR WOULD YOU TRY TO AVOID THAT BECAUSE THERE’S SO MUCH ON THE LINE? “The key to being successful in the Chase is to operate business as usual, but know that the focus in the Chase has to be more intense for 10 weeks than it does for the regular 26.”
WERE YOU SURPRISED AT THE NEWS THAT CAME OUT REGARDING CHAD (KNAUS) AND THE CONVERSATION HE HAD WITH JIMMIE (JOHNSON) ABOUT THE CAR LAST WEEK? “I didn’t hear about that. We got wrecked out at Talladega and then I saw the big screen and saw Regan Smith’s wreck and I’m like ‘why does Talladega have to be this way’. A lot of people get frustrated at Talladega. Hopefully, we’ll find the right combination there soon.”
LOOKING AHEAD TO TEXAS, IS IT A RELIEF TO GET BACK ON THE MILE-AND-HALF TRACKS? “It will be just that much more refreshing to get back to it and try to salvage what we can out of a great season. We’ve had a great run with our Shell/Pennzoil Dodge this year. Texas, it’s the AAA 500, so we’ll have AAA on our car that weekend. If we can get a win there, that would really cap off a very successful season even though we didn’t get a chance of winning the championship.”
HOW WIDE OPEN IS THE CHAMPIONSHIP? “You’ve got those three guys that have separated themselves. We’re 50 points back which is the equivalent of being over a race back. The old system, that would be 200 points back. There’s no way you can gain that in four races.”
IS THAT BECAUSE OF THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE AHEAD OF YOU? “No. It’s just too many points to gain. Three or four guys, it’s not too bad, but just too many points to gain on one guy.”
WHO IS GOING TO WIN THE WORLD SERIES? “I’ve got to go with the Rangers. It’s been an unbelievable series to watch and be part of actually on Monday night in Texas. It’s really neat to see the two teams and the passion and really what’s all there in baseball. I’ve been really excited watching this series even though it’s not the Cubs in it.”
WHAT DID YOU THINK OF LAST NIGHT’S GAME? “It just would never end. You’re down to one strike in the ninth and ready to order your Texas Ranger World Series jersey. It’s unbelievable. I’ve been speechless to watch the pressure that these players are under and they deliver. In some cases, on the reliever’s side, maybe they’re overthinking it a little bit.”
