Our 2013 Sprint Cup team previews roll on as we preview the Denver, Colorado based team of Furniture Row Racing today.
Kurt Busch, who was hired by Furniture Row Racing late in 2012 to run the last six races of the season and returns in 2013 to pilot the No.78 Furniture Row Chevrolet along with crew chief Todd Berrier. Furniture Row Racing continues its alliance with Richard Childress Racing in 2013, but will field its own pit crew this season, which is a change from years past when Furniture Row used pit crews provided by Stewart-Haas Racing. Mike Houston has also been hired as pit crew coach for the team.
“Re-establishing our own over-the-wall crew has been high on our radar,” said Furniture Row Racing general manager Joe Garone. “But before entering into this vital operation, we wanted to make sure that we had everything in place that would allow us to produce a highly-qualified over-the-wall crew. With Mike Houston coming on board to lead us in this new venture, he brings first-hand experience and a thorough understanding of what it takes to develop and maintain a successful pit crew week in and week out. And being able to train at the state-of-the-art PIT facility is a great opportunity that will only enhance our program.”
While 2013 may be a breakout year for Furniture Row and a year of redemption for Kurt Busch, one has to wonder which Busch will show up, whether it will be the driver who finished the 2012 season with three straight top-10 finishes or the driver who constantly blew up at his team while driving for Phoenix Racing in 2012. That will be the major factor in what kind of season Furniture Row Racing will have this year.
