HISTORICAL DATA
Dodge Motorsports
• First Dodge NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Win: Lee Petty, 2/1/53, West Palm, Fla., 100 miles, .5-mile track.
• Last Dodge NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Win: Kurt Busch, 11/08/2009, 2009 Dickies 500, 147.137 mph avg. speed.
THE DODGE BOYS
• Dodge has 205 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series wins.
• Busch has scored at least one victory in each of the last eight years (2002-2009).
• Kasey Kahne recorded the 200th win by Dodge in the Sprint Cup Series with his victory in the Pocono 500 at Pocono Raceway last season.
• Dodge teams have posted 45 wins since the returning to NASCAR’s premier series in 2001 after being out of the sport since 1977.
• Dodge has recorded four wins in 2009; Busch (Atlanta-1, Texas-2), Kahne (Infineon & Atlanta-2).
• All six Dodge teams are in the top-35 in 2009 NSCS owner points: Busch (4th), Kahne (10th), Elliott Sadler (25th), Reed Sorenson (28th), Sam Hornish Jr. (29th) and Brad Keselowski (30th).
DODGE AT PHOENIX INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY
• Dodge is seeking its first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series win at PIR.
• Dodge has earned four poles at PIR since returning to NASCAR’s premier series in 2001 (Casey Atwood- 1, Ryan Newman – 3).
• Kurt Busch (No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge) is the only active Dodge driver with a win at PIR. He won in 2005 before moving to Penske Racing and the Dodge ranks in 2006.
THE CHASE – KURT BUSCH AT PHOENIX
• Busch started third and finished second in last year’s fall event at Phoenix International Raceway. It’s his best finish in the fall race.
• In 13 starts at PIR, Busch has one win (2005), four top-five and seven top-10 finishes. He has led 571 laps.
• Busch has posted top-10 starts in seven of his last eight races at PIR.
• Busch is making his fourth Chase appearance and second driving a Dodge.
• Average start: 14.8 Average finish: 12.5
THE CHASE – KASEY KAHNE AT PHOENIX
• Kahne started 11th and finished 13th in last year’s fall event at Phoenix International Raceway.
• In 10 starts at PIR, Kahne has one top-five and three top-10 finishes.
• Kahne’s best finish at PIR was fifth at the fall race his rookie year in 2004.
• Kahne’s best starting position at PIR is fourth (2004).
• Kahne won six races in 2006 and finished eighth in the final standings in his only other Chase appearance.
• Average start: 13.0 Average Finish: 19.5
DID YOU KNOW: Penske Racing’s Sam Hornish Jr. made his Sprint Cup debut at PIR at the fall event in 2007. Hornish, driving the No. 06 Mobil 1 Dodge Charger, qualified 26th and finished 30th.
QUICK FACTS:
• There have been 16 different pole winners in 26 races at PIR. Qualifying at Phoenix has never been canceled.
• Five races at Phoenix have had at least one green-flag stretch of 125 or more laps. The longest was 189 in 1984.
• Kurt Busch is one of two drivers that have led in seven of the eight Chase races. Denny Hamlin is the second.
“Phoenix is a pretty unique race track. To me, it’s a neat place to go (race). The weather always seems to be good out there. That’s a track that I haven’t really run that well at. Early on (in my career) I did…my first year. We’ve kind of been up-and-down there. I feel like this year, with where we’re at right now and the gains that we’ve made in the last month. Phoenix will be another track where we can run pretty well.”
Kasey Kahne, No. 9 Budweiser Dodge
“Kurt is as good as they get on those tracks and his record certainly shows that. He’s won a ton of races on the flat one‐mile tracks and is always on top of his game every time we race there. When we get out to Phoenix, Kurt seems to have some extra swagger going and I’m sure that’ll be the case again this weekend. He has such a strong background and connection with that track.”
Pat Tryson, Crew Chief, No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge
“I have run Phoenix [International Raceway] in the Nationwide Series car and have had a couple of good runs there. This will be my first time in a Cup Series car at Phoenix. I feel like the Penske cars have been extremely strong on the short tracks. Phoenix, to me, is a short track even though it is one mile in length. It drives like a short track. [Teammate] Kurt [Busch] has historically run really well there, and hopefully we can build on the success Penske has had. The No. 12 team did a great job in our first weekend together. We did not get the finish we deserved last weekend in Texas, but I feel like we really have a solid foundation.”
Brad Keselowski, No. 12 Penske Racing Dodge
“There is something special about Phoenix International Raceway because it is a track where I experienced many of my firsts in racing. I would never think that my first top-10 in Cup Series competition would come on a short track, but the April race was very special to me and the entire No. 77 team.”
Sam Hornish Jr., No. 77 Mobil 1 Dodge
“Phoenix is a tough track. As a crew chief, you have to set up the car for two separate corners. If you can get your car to really run well through turns 3 and 4, you will have a solid car. We know going in we have a good car and a great driver. We just need a bit of luck to get the finish we deserve.”
Roy McCauley, Crew Chief, No. 12 Penske Racing Dodge
“This weekend’s race at Phoenix International Raceway is a really good opportunity for the Mobil 1 Dodge to get back on track. We have had some very good runs on short tracks this season, including the first race at Phoenix earlier this year. It is a challenge to balance the car at the one-mile oval because of the difference in the corners. Turns 1 and 2 are tighter with more banking than turns 3 and 4, which are more flat, sweeping corners.”
Travis Geisler, Crew Chief, No. 77 Mobil 1 Dodge
- Darnell Communications for Dodge Motorsports, Press Release