No. 78 Furniture Row Chevrolet will carry Beautyrest sponsorship in Phoenix
DENVER, Colo. (Feb. 27, 2013) – After being based 11 days in Daytona Beach, Fla. for the season opening Daytona 500, Kurt Busch returns to his racing roots for a pair of Sprint Cup races in two of the most famous desert cities.
First on the Sprint Cup Series docket is Sunday’s Subway Fresh Fit 500 at Phoenix International Raceway. The series will head north the following week to Busch’s hometown of Las Vegas for the Kobalt Tools 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
“Always a great feeling to get back to where I grew up and learned this trade of auto racing,” said Busch, who has completed 99.7 percent of laps in Cup races at Phoenix (6299 of 6317). “I have many fond memories racing in the southwest – the roots are deep.”
Joining Busch as an associate sponsor on his No. 78 Chevrolet SS for the Phoenix race will be Beautyrest, the Atlanta-based manufacturer of premium mattresses, which are sold at Denver Mattress locations nationwide. It will be the first of seven races that Beautyrest will have associate sponsorship on the No. 78.
“We had a strong run in Phoenix back in November and we look for the same or better in our Furniture Row/Beautyrest Chevrolet on Sunday,” said Busch, winner of the 2005 spring race at Phoenix. “Beautyrest is one of the best of the better brands and they obviously deserve a solid performance.”
Busch and Furniture Row Racing are expecting nothing less than a solid performance at Phoenix’s one-mile oval. Busch drove the Furniture Row car to an eighth place finish at Phoenix in November, and had it not been for a loose lug nut on one pit stop and a fiery final-lap accident, the finish could have been better.
“We were strong in Phoenix both in qualifying (6th) and the race,” recalled Busch. “I’ve always enjoyed racing in Phoenix, it got a little more challenging since the reconfiguration, but a good kind of challenge. The new Gen-6 car could also throw us a few curves, which should make it more interesting.
“Phoenix is also a place where you can see multiple strategies play out. A two-tire stop could be left-sides. You’re going to have to adapt to the conditions and situation and probably will have to call a few audibles along the way.”
Busch has tackled the Phoenix mile 20 times in his Sprint Cup career. He has one win (April 2005), four top-fives, 11 top-10s and has led 750 laps. His average start is 13.0 and average finish 13.2.
Busch is coming off a 28th-place finish in the Daytona 500. He was collected in an early multicar wreck, causing serious front-end damage to the car’s grille. After a couple of unscheduled pit stops to make repairs, Busch fell six laps down.
Busch Career Sprint Cup Record at Phoenix
Year
Start
Finish
Status/Laps
Laps Led
2000
26
29
Running, 311/312
0
2001
41
22
Running, 312/312
0
2002
13
6
Running, 312/312
117
2003
7
4
Running, 312/312
98
2004
28
10
Running, 315/315
14
2005
2
1
Running, 312/312
219
DNS
2006
7
24
Running, 310/312
0
8
8
Running, 312/312
0
2007
6
18
Running, 312/312
0
9
12
Running, 312/312
0
2008
40
23
Running, 310/312
0
3
2
Running, 312/313
60
2009
3
3
Running, 312/312
63
2
6
Running, 312/312
69
2010
19
35
Running, 366/378
0
3
9
Running, 312/312
20
2011
2
8
Running, 312/312
31
17
22
Running, 311/312
57
2012
19
15
Running, 312/312
2
6
8
Running, 319/319
0
Starts: 20 Poles: 0
Wins: 1 Laps Led: 750
Top 5s 4 Avg. Start: 13.0
Top 10s 11 Avg. Finish: 13.2
Furniture Row Racing Road Crew, 2013
No. 78 Over-the-Wall Crew
Front-tire changer Anthony O’Brien, Cambridge, Minn.
Front-tire carrier Mike Houston, Concord, N.C.
Rear-tire changer Kenyatta Houston, Bronx, N.Y.
Rear-tire carrier Arthur Simmons, Newark, Mo.
Jackman Andrew Turner, Coloma, Mich.
Gasman Andy Rueger, Seymour, Ind.
2nd Gasman Ryan Bergenty, Plainville, Conn.
_____________________________________________
No. 78 Road Crew
General Manager Joe Garone, Denver, Colo.
Crew Chief Todd Berrier, Kernersville, N.C.
Executive
Competition Director Mark McArdle, La Crosse, Wis.
Car Chief Robert Huffman, Hickory, N.C.
Engineers Cole Pearn, London, Ontario
Matt Faulkner, Memphis, Tenn.
Spotters Rick Carelli, Arvada, Colo.
Clayton Hughes, Thomasville, N.C.
Engine Specialist Scott Meesters, Hanford, Calif.
Engine Builder Earnhardt-Childress Racing
Shock Specialist Nick Kerlin, Old Fort, Ohio
Tire Specialist Chad Krauch, Loveland, Colo.
Technical Support Michael McCullough, Imperial, Calif.
Mechanics Ryan Bergenty, Plainville, Conn.
Gary Frost, Romeo, Mich.
Transportation Henry Benfield (also gas runner), Statesville, N.C.
Jason Churgin, San Fernando Valley, Calif.
Jim Gilbert, Belleville, IL.
Dave Hicks, Montcalm, WVa.
Chuck Lemay, DeKalb, IL
