Kurt Busch still waiting for drag racing debut UPDATE: When Kurt Busch's wife surprised him with a spot in a drag racing school, the NASCAR driver had no idea what he was getting into. He still doesn't really know, either. Busch spent two days waiting to make his NHRA debut at the Gatornationals, but heavy rain and flooding forced the sanctioning body to postpone his Sportsman class until Sunday at the earliest. It was a small setback for Busch, who has grown accustomed to delays in NASCAR. He has waited considerably longer for this. Two years to be exact. But don't expect this to be a full-time venture anytime soon. "I still hope I've got 10 or 15 years left on the Cup circuit," he said. "But the fun meter's been pegged and I'm having a great time doing it. Who knows? The opportunity could be out there to do something in NHRA racing later on."(Associated Press)(3-13-2010)
UPDATE: NASCAR driver Kurt Busch has lost his drag-racing debut. Busch was sent home Sunday in the opening round of eliminations at the NHRA Gatornationals. Busch raced in the Super Gas division of the Sportsman class. His 1970 Dodge Challenger sputtered shortly after takeoff and covered the 1,000-foot drag strip in 10.10 seconds, a bumper behind Wes Neely's 1967 Chevrolet Camaro. Busch raced in the 9.90-second division, meaning he was a bit off the projected pace.(Associated Press / ESPN.com)(3-15-2010)

Kurt Busch test at Gresham: Coming off his NASCAR Sprint Cup win at Atlanta Motor Speedway Sunday, Kurt Busch made a stop at Gresham Motorsports Park Tuesday to test his #2 Miller Lite Dodge. Busch, along with his Penske Racing NASCAR Nationwide Series teammate Justin Algaier, spent the day taking turns lapping the GMP track. During a break, Busch took time out to film a segment for Inside NASCAR for Showtime TV.(GMP PR)(3-9-2010)

Lots of testing for the #2: Miller Lite Dodge driver Kurt Busch and his Steve Addington-led #2 Penske Racing Team will be testing at all sizes of race tracks in the upcoming weeks. The schedule calls for a day of testing on March 9 at Gresham Motorsports Park, a half-mile oval asphalt track with a quarter-mile oval track within the main one located near Jefferson, Ga. The schedule shows the Talladega open testing on March 16 on that massive 2.66-mile speed plant. The team will be participating in the March 23-24 open testing at the 1.5-mile Charlotte Motor Speedway. With NASCAR’s wing-to-spoiler transition, Busch is looking forward to getting in the laps on such a diverse lineup of race tracks. “We’ll be testing on everything but a road course in the next couple of weeks and with the tracks we have coming up on the schedule, those will be some important test days,” said Busch. The current car schedule for these tests sees the team using their “PRS-701” (last raced at California last fall and completely rebuilt) at Gresham, the “635 car” (Busch yet to race this car) at Talladega and the “PRS-712” (another new Penske Racing Dodge Charger) at Charlotte.(Tom Roberts PR)(3-3-2010)

Kurt Busch to try Drag Racing: #2-Kurt Busch showed off his vaunted versatility Monday night at Rockingham Dragway at the wheel of a 1970 Dodge Challenger in which he will make his drag racing debut two weeks hence. Under the watchful eye of former NHRA and IHRA Pro Stock driver Roy Hill, who now operates a professional drag racing school, the 31-year-old Busch, who normally drives the No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, had a best quarter mile time of 9.16 seconds at 166 miles per hour. “We got a lot of homework done,” Busch said, “but we’ve still got a lot to do. The track worked great and I was amazed at how well the car hooked at the 400 foot mark.” A vintage “muscle car,” Busch’s Challenger is equipped with a turbocharger which, according to Hill, makes it fully capable of sub-9.00 second times although it will be dialed-in to run the 9.90 second standard of the NHRA Super Gas class. Busch plans to make his Super Gas debut at the March 11-14 NHRA Tire Kingdom Gatornationals at Gainesville, Fla [an off week for the Sprint Cup Series].(Richmond County Daily Journal)(3-3-2010)

Penske history at Atlanta: Penske Racing made its first start at Atlanta Motor Speedway on March 26, 1972, with the late Mark Donohue finishing 15th. In 81 starts at Atlanta, the organization has two wins (Rusty Wallace in 1993 and Kurt Busch in 2009), eight poles and nine top-five finishes.(Penske Racing)(3-3-2010)

Penske Donates Trucks to Clinton Bush Haiti Fund: Penske Corporation and its family of companies announced that today it has donated over $1 million worth of diesel-powered flatbed trucks to the Clinton Bush Haiti Fund. “I’m pleased the Penske Corporation has stepped up to donate more than $1 million worth of trucks, which will be instrumental in mobilizing food and lifesaving supplies in Haiti,” President Clinton said. “Their generous contribution is an example of what the private sector can do to help Haiti rebuild and recover from the massive earthquake, and I’m grateful for their leadership.”
"The catastrophe that has struck Haiti is almost unimaginable," said Roger Penske, Chairman of Penske Corporation. "These trucks will assist in the humanitarian relief efforts in Haiti by facilitating the distribution of critical supplies that will help ease the suffering of the Haitian people." For more info about the Clinton Bush Haiti Fund, visit www.clintonbushhaitifund.org.(Penske Racing)(2-6-2010)

Magellan to Sponsor Penske Racing Cup Series Cars: Continuing to steer in a positive direction, Penske Racing welcomes Magellan portable car navigation systems as a NASCAR Cup Series sponsor for 2010 and beyond. Beginning a multi-year partnership this season, Magellan will make its debut as an associate sponsor on all three Penske Racing Cup Series entries. The #2 Miller Lite Dodge driven by Kurt Busch, the #12 Penske Dodge with Brad Keselowski behind the wheel and the #77 Mobil 1 Dodge driven by Sam Hornish Jr. will all be sponsored by Magellan. “We hosted Magellan last year at our annual Penske Racing Sponsor Summit in Indianapolis,” said Roger Penske. “We have continued to work with them and we are excited to announce this partnership because our organizations share common core values and we believe there are some great opportunities to build for the future together.”
“Magellan is looking forward to becoming a part of the Penske Racing team,” said Kevin Chuang, Magellan Chief Executive Officer. “Roger has built a top-echelon organization on and off the track and being a sponsor of Penske Racing will help Magellan as we continue to grow our brand.”(Penske Racing)(1-19-2010)

Penske picks up Kurt Busch's option: Penske Racing has picked up the option on #2-Kurt Busch's contract for 2011, team owner Roger Penske said on Monday night. The contract allows Busch to talk to other teams next season, but Penske said he has the right to match any offer. Penske added that it is his intention to keep the 2004 Sprint Cup champion with the organization long term. Busch said he likes having the option to explore, but it is his goal to work out a long-term deal with Penske. "Absolutely," Busch said during the final stop on the first day of the 2010 Media Tour. "I like where I am. I like where things are going."(ESPN)(1-19-2010)

Media selects top drivers, races of decade in NASCAR’s three national series: With the recently completed 2009 season closing out another decade of NASCAR racing, media members have selected the top drivers and top races of the decade for all three national series as voted upon in a poll on NASCARMedia.com. The listing of drivers and races for the poll was compiled following discussions with the three series directors and other long-time observers in the industry - and also resulted from direct input from NASCAR fans. #48-Jimmie Johnson was selected as the top NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver of the decade, followed by #14-Tony Stewart and #24-Jeff Gordon. Johnson won an unprecedented fourth consecutive series championship in 2009 and posted 47 NASCAR Sprint Cup victories this decade - most of any driver. He is the only driver to earn a spot in the Chases for the NASCAR Sprint Cup all six years of the format's existence. The March 16, 2003 race at Darlington Raceway was voted the top NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race. In what is the closest Margin of Victory - .002 seconds - since the advent of electronic scoring in May 1993, Ricky Craven edged Kurt Busch to the finish line in that thriller. The Oct. 14, 2000 race at Talladega Superspeedway, which marked Dale Earnhardt's final career victory, came in second, followed by the March 11, 2001 event at Atlanta Motor Speedway, with Kevin Harvick getting his first NASCAR Sprint Cup victory in a narrow defeat of Jeff Gordon.(NASCAR PR), see the results for the Nationwide Series and Camping World Truck Series on those pages.(12-21-2009)

Looks like Addington to Penske?: UPDATE: hearing that former #18-Kyle Busch crew chief, Steve Addington, will become the new crew chief for #2-Kurt Busch at Penske Racing. Announcement could come early next week.(12-12-2009)
UDPATE: Steve Addington will head up the #2 Miller Lite Dodge team beginning in 2010. The 45-year-old Addington, who was crew chief for 12 NASCAR Cup Series victories over the last two seasons, will team up with driver Kurt Busch and the Miller Lite squad that is coming off a strong fourth-place finish in the 2009 series championship standings. "Steve Addington has a proven track record of success in NASCAR and we are excited to welcome him to Penske Racing," said Roger Penske. "By adding Steve to the winning Miller Lite team and working closely with Kurt, we believe we have the combination in place to compete for a championship as we head into the 2010 season."(Penske Racing PR)(12-14-2009)

Penske donates $25,000 to Brienne Davis scholarship: Universal Technical Institute (UTI) Foundation announced Roger Penske has donated $25,000 toward the Brienne Davis Memorial Scholarship for one qualified female to attend UTI's NASCAR Technical Institute in Mooresville, N.C. The Penske award is part of the Brienne Davis Memorial Scholarship Fund for women pursuing careers in the automotive industry. Davis, a UTI graduate and Sprint Cup official, died tragically in 2008. "The automotive industry needs outstanding people, like Brienne Davis, who are dedicated to top-notch service," Roger Penske, chairman of Penske Corporation, said. "This scholarship was created to provide more opportunities for women committed to pursuing technical excellence through a career in the motorsports and racing industries." In addition to the $25,000 scholarship, the Foundation, through the support of The NASCAR Foundation and the NASCAR family, will also be awarding three $10,000 Brienne Davis Memorial Scholarships to women who wish to attend one of UTI's nine automotive campuses across the United States. The deadline for scholarship applications is Dec. 31, 2009. More information about the scholarships is available on the UTI Foundation Web site at www.utifoundation.net.(Penske Racing)(12-6-2009)

Addington moving on UPDATE 4: during the Ford 400 Sprint Cup Series qualifying at Homestead-Miami Speedway, Andy Petree of ESPN2 reported that Steve Addington, former crew chief for #18-Kyle Busch at Joe Gibbs Racing, informed JGR he would leave and is moving on. No word what team or job he is going to.(11-20-2009)
UPDATE: Bob Dillner reported on the SPEED Report that Addington is talking to Penske Racing about being #2-Kurt Busch's crew chief in 2010, supposedly the hold up is that Addington wants a 3-year contract.(11-24-2009)
UPDATE 2: former #18-Kyle Busch crew chief Steve Addington supposedly cleaned out his office and said his goodbyes on Monday after six seasons with Joe Gibbs Racing. Addington has been rumored to be a candidate at Penske Racing for #2-Kurt Busch and Richard Petty Motorsports for #19-Elliott Sadler.(FoxSports)(12-2-2009)
UPDATE 3: [Penske Racing president Tim] Cindric said the organization hoped to decide on a new crew chief for Kurt Busch within the next two weeks. He confirmed that Steve Addington, former crew chief for Busch's younger brother, Kyle, is among the final "two or three" candidates. Penske is mulling at least two internal candidates.(Sports Illustrated)(12-3-2009)
UPDATE 4: Addington had been offered the head post for Elliott Sadler's #19 team at Richard Petty Motorsports, but sources say that he turned it down.(FoxSports)(12-4-2009)

Kurt Busch names winning car ”Patriot”: #2-Kurt Busch has decided to name his Texas winning car, the “PRS-702” Miller Lite Dodge…”Patriot”…”We’ve been kicking around potential names for the car since the other night and it just kept on coming back to ‘Patriot,’” Kurt said from Phoenix on Tuesday morning. “With what all occurred last week in Texas, we wanted to name the car with a tribute to all of our brave military men and women who are serving our country. The fact that we had our special Operation Homefront color scheme on the car and all their representatives and the soldiers there helping us celebrate the big win sealed the deal. Like Eva said, and I quote, ‘It’s the patriotic thing to do in naming the car ‘Patriot.’
Busch picked up another $10,000 bonus for Operation Homefront with his win last Sunday at Texas, bringing the total of Miller Lite’s donation to $220,000. Kurt is asking for fans to participate by texting T-R-O-O-P-S to 90999 or visit MillerLite.com/vets to make a $5 donation, which will be added to your phone bill. “That was really cool to have our Operation Homefront friends with us at Texas to celebrate the big win,” Kurt said. “The program working with those guys has been very enjoyable and gratifying. We’re so proud to have carried their colors and to have been able to add some money to the cause. We hope the fans will continue to text in those donations.”(Tom Roberts PR)(11-11-2009)

Kurt Busch wins at Texas: #2-Kurt Busch won the Dickies 500 at Texas Motor Speedway for his 2nd win of the season and 20th of his career. #18-Kyle Busch led 232 laps and was in position to win the race and set history by winning the Cup, Nationwide and Truck race same weekend/ same track, then ran out of fuel with two laps to go and finished 11th. #11-Hamlin finished 2nd, followed by #17-Kenseth, #5-Martin, #29-Harvick [who was 2nd but ran out of fuel and got passed by three cars], #14-Stewart, #33-Bowyer, #16-Biffle, #31-Burton and #44-Allmendinger. On lap 3, points leader #48-Johnson was involved in a wreck and hit the inside wall, the crew took just over an hour to repair the car and get Johnson out so he could make laps and finished 38th. Johnson's points lead went from 184 to 73 over #5-Mark Martin. There were 5 cautions for 26 yellow flag laps and there were 13 lead changes among 4 drivers.
Scheduled Race Re-Airs:
ESPN2: Monday, November 9 at 3:30am/et
ESPN Classic: Monday, November 9 at 1:00pm/et
SPEED, Wednesday, November 11 at 12:00pm/et
For race results, awards and more, see my Texas Race Results Page
For the drivers points standings, see my Drivers Points Standings.(11-8-2009)

No news on a crew chief for Kurt Busch: from an Open Interview with #2-Kurt Busch:
ANY UPDATE ON THE CREW CHIEF SITUATION FOR THE 2 CAR NEXT YEAR?
Busch: “No news. We still have good candidates outside and inside. We’ve come this far, we might as well just finish it off is what the mentality is right now. We don’t know what next week will bring us. There could be some changes, but it could just be the same thing. We don’t’ know.”(Dodge Motorsports PR)(11-7-2009)

Special Operation Homefront scheme for Kurt Busch: #2-Kurt Busch continues racing to support fundraising efforts for Operation Homefront this weekend at Texas. Miller Lite is donating $200,000 to the organization dedicated to serving our military families in need. This amount will grow by an additional $10,000 if Kurt and the #2 Miller Lite Dodge can achieve another top-10 finish in this weekend’s race at Texas. He already scored one such bonus when he finished 10th in the Oct. 17 NASCAR Banking 500 at Lowe’s Motor Speedway. Kurt is also asking for fans to help in this worthy cause. You can do so in several manners. To make a $5 donation, just text the word T-R-O-O-P-S to 90999. The charge will appear on your wireless bill. Alternatively, visit millerlite.com/vets to make a donation and learn more about the great work of Operation Homefront. Fans attending this weekend’s race can contribute to Operation Homefront by purchasing a “postcard” from the Kurt Busch (or Penske Racing) souvenir trailer. Fans will be able to inscribe the card with a personalized message to a serviceman or woman overseas. Penske Racing will submit the cards and 100% of the proceeds collected to OHF and the cards will be included in care packages sent directly overseas. The “Blue Deuce” will carry another cool paint scheme this weekend at Texas Motor Speedway.(Tom Roberts PR), see images of the scheme on my #2 Team schemes page.(11-5-2009)

Tryson could leave Penske early...if UPDATE: If #2-Kurt Busch isn’t a factor in the Chase for the Sprint Cup championship entering the season finale in Homestead next month, don’t be surprised to see crew chief Pat Tryson make an early exit from the #2 Dodge team. “If we find ourselves out of championship contention, that’s when we’ll make a big change and maybe get the new (crew chief) in there and get a couple races under our belt before we show up back in Daytona,” said Busch, who is currently sixth and 121 points behind Johnson in the Chase standings. Tryson announced last month that he’ll leave the Penske organization at season’s end and become Martin Truex Jr.’s crew chief at Michael Waltrip Racing in 2010.(Racin' Today)(10-16-2009)
UPDATE: Tryson said there are no plans for him to step aside and begin his new job even thou Busch is 312 points behind Johnson.(ESPN.com)(11-2-2009)

Kurt Busch talks about progress on new crew chief: from a Dodge Motorsports Notes & Quotes - Kurt Busch [#2 Miller Lite Dodge] Open Interview - Talladega:
WHERE DOES YOUR TEAM STAND WITH GETTING A NEW CREW CHIEF FOR NEXT YEAR? IS THERE ANY INTEREST IN STEVE ADDINGTON?
Kurt Busch: “I feel like what we’ve done internally at Penske Racing has been smart; we’ve been patient. We still find ourselves with an outside shot at the championship and that’s what we’re going to base our decision off of when we do make a change or move somebody in. A guy like Steve Addington, to hear the news, you have to talk to a guy like J.D. Gibbs before you move on and find out what the story is and if he’s available. Those are the types of guys we’d love to talk to and see if we can match up.”(Dodge Motorsports)(10-31-2009)

Kurt Busch will run the older Dodge engine at Talladega: from a Dodge Motorsports Notes & Quotes - Kurt Busch [#2 Miller Lite Dodge] Open Interview - Talladega:
CAN YOU TALK ABOUT YOUR EXPERIENCE WITH WORKING WITH JASPER ENGINES? “That’s our engine shop and that’s where we build the horsepower that we need for the open motors and the restrictor-plate motors. We’ve phased in our R6 for this race. The 12 [Stremme] and 77 [Hornish Jr.] cars for Penske Racing will be racing the new engine (R6). I’ll still have the R5 package because of the durability questions. The power still shows the same. For us being in the Chase, you can’t afford to have an engine failure. We needed to go with the given. With those guys running the new R6 engine, it helps us get ready for Daytona in 2010.”(Dodge Motorsports)(10-31-2009)

Steve Addington looking at options: Steve Addington said he was "surprised" by the change that will put replace him as Kyle Busch's crew chief and plans to explore all options inside and outside of Joe Gibbs Racing. On Tuesday, JGR announced that Dave Rogers, who has worked in JGR's Nationwide Series program will take over as crew chief of the #18 following Sunday's race at Tallaadega Superspeedway. Is it possible that Addington will leave JGR for another Sprint Cup Series team? "That would be ironic," Addington said Friday morning at Talladega. "Yes, I'm going to look at everything." One of those options could be the #2 Penske Racing car of Kurt Busch, which is losing Pat Tryson to Michael Waltrip Racing after this season. #88-Dale Earnhardt Jr. also could be in the market for a new crew chief, but Addington said he has yet to be contacted by anyone high up at Hendrick Motorsports.(ESPN.com)(10-30-2009)

Kurt Busch's wife wins: #2-Kurt Busch's wife, Eva Busch, was the star of the show in her foray into the horse show arena. Eva, riding her Arabian show horse, “C.J.,” claimed two blue ribbons, winning both her classes and taking the highest overall score in Saturday’s “Lighten Up Dressage” at the Latta Plantation Equestrian Center in Huntersville, N.C. “I’m so proud of Eva,” said Kurt. “She came home the big winner in her first-ever competition. That’s really impressive.” “Yeah, and it really helps to have the great equipment when you’re competing out there,” Eva said with a chuckle.(Tom Roberts PR)(10-22-2009)

Penske Racing Hauler driver wins: Congratulations goes out to Bill “Stump” Lewis for claiming the first-place prize in the 2009 Freightliner Run Smart Hauler Challenge. The final segment of the annual contest for NASCAR Sprint Cup Series team transport drivers was held over the weekend at Lowe’s Motor Speedway and “Stump” was presented his trophy and $35,000 first-place check on the stage prior to Saturday night’s NASCAR Banking 500. “This one’s especially sweet,” said the popular veteran driver, who shares the over-the-road duties with wife, Cindy. “It’s my third big trophy and I was up against a bunch of young bucks this time around.” “I guess you could call Stump the Brett Favre of what we do out here,” Cindy offered. “I’m so proud of him. He just keeps on getting better…in everything he does…” The last time Stump was a winner in the contest, he bought Cindy a new Harley-Davidson motorcycle. “This time around, we’re going to spend the money on getting things done around the house, like putting in an irrigation system for the yard.” “But first, we’ll have a big party to celebrate and have all the team over,” said Cindy.(Tom Roberts PR)(10-21-2009)

Tryson could leave Penske early...if: If #2-Kurt Busch isn’t a factor in the Chase for the Sprint Cup championship entering the season finale in Homestead next month, don’t be surprised to see crew chief Pat Tryson make an early exit from the #2 Dodge team. “If we find ourselves out of championship contention, that’s when we’ll make a big change and maybe get the new (crew chief) in there and get a couple races under our belt before we show up back in Daytona,” said Busch, who is currently sixth and 121 points behind Johnson in the Chase standings. Tryson announced last month that he’ll leave the Penske organization at season’s end and become Martin Truex Jr.’s crew chief at Michael Waltrip Racing in 2010.(Racin' Today)(10-16-2009)

Are NASCAR Drivers smarter than a 5th grader?: Comedian Jeff Foxworthy hosts the all-new half-hour version of "Are You Smarter Than A 5th Grader?" The fast-paced game show, where knowledge of grade-school level questions is tested, welcomes NASCAR drivers #55-Michael Waltrip, #6-David Ragan, #99-Carl Edwards, #2-Kurt Busch and #11-Denny Hamlin. On October 6, Michael Waltrip will be in the classroom to play the game to raise money for the Victory Junction Gang Camp. He’ll also be joined by Roush Racing’s David Ragan. The special back-to-back episodes will premiere on MyNetworkTV (8:00pm/et/pt). On October 26, NASCAR week kicks off on the new nationally-syndicated edition of "Are You Smarter Than A 5th Grader?" Michael Waltrip, Carl Edwards, Kurt Busch, and Denny Hamlin are among the contestants playing the game for their charities. Check your local listings for exact air time.(10-5-2009)

Penske deal for Saturn from GM is off: General Motors Co. said Wednesday it would shut down its Saturn brand after an agreement with Penske Automotive Group Inc. to acquire it fell apart. Penske, citing concerns of whether it could continue to supply vehicles after a manufacturing contract with GM ran out, ended talks with GM Wednesday to acquire the brand. GM CEO Fritz Henderson said in statement that Saturn and its dealership network will be phased out. In a statement, the Bloomfield Hills, Mich.-based auto retailer says an agreement with another manufacturer to continue producing Saturn vehicles after GM stopped making them fell through, leading Penske to terminate talks with GM. Penske said it negotiated terms and conditions to make Saturn cars with another manufacturer, but that company's board of directors rejected the agreement. Penske spokesman Anthony Pordon would not identify the other manufacturer. In June, GM and Penske agreed to take over the Saturn brand and related dealerships, although GM would produce the vehicles for a limited period of time. GM said Saturn vehicle owners can still go to their Saturn dealer for service and would be able to go to a certified GM dealer for service once Saturn dealerships are closed. It was expected that GM would announce the completion of Saturn's sale to Penske in the coming days.(ABC/AP)(9-30-2009)

Kurt Busch testing at Rockingham: #2-Kurt Busch and crew will be testing for two days after Dover on both tracks located near Rockingham, N.C. The Miller Lite Dodge Team plans on testing at "Little Rock," the short track on Tuesday and on the 1.017-mile speedway on Wednesday.(Tom Roberts PR)(9-28-2009)

New chassis for Kurt Busch: #2-Kurt Busch doesn't believe the new chassis he'll use in Sunday's Sprint Cup race at Dover International Speedway is a risk. The 2004 Cup champion said the chassis has been ready since the Atlanta race on Labor Day weekend, "but we didn't want to change our program... because of how the car raced there in March when we won." The Penske Racing team picked Dover because it has similar characteristics to Atlanta. "The aerodynamic numbers of chassis 700 showed up to be the same for what we ran in June, and June was a great finish for us at the Monster Mile where we finished fifth," said Busch, recalling the first Dover race. "We ran competitively all day and so the body being a given... we can really understand what this new chassis is going to bring to us. If you rely on your engineering department, everybody behind the scenes at Penske Racing, they'll tell you that it's better," he said. "It's lighter, it's faster, so we can't be wrong in bringing it."(ESPN Insider)(9-24-2009)

Tryson shut out at Penske Shop: #2-Penske Racing crew chief Pat Tryson says he's only welcome at the race shop for the once-weekly debrief meeting. Because Tryson is moving to Michael Waltrip Racing at the end of this season, the team does not want him present during any preparations for 2010. "They want me to focus on this year's stuff and they've got stuff going on at the shop for next year, so they're going to work on that," Tryson said before Sunday's race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. "I'll be communicating by e-mail and phones, and I'll be in there for driver debrief on Tuesdays. Tuesday is the only day I'm welcome." It could make things difficult as Tryson and driver Kurt Busch attempt to win the championship this season. But Tryson says he's still committed to the #2 team, and can do a lot of his planning from home. But Penske vice president of operations Mike Nelson said the team is striking the right balance by involving Tryson in this year's planning and keeping him from the shop during preparations for 2010. "It really breaks down to 2009 vs. 2010. He's not there for the discussions that we have about 2010. That's a lot of what we're doing at the shop right now," Nelson said. "The 2009 stuff - that's something that he needs to be involved with and there's no change in his involvement with Kurt. That's the meeting that Kurt comes in for on Tuesdays. We're trying to leave that part of it seamless. We're trying not to affect anything for 2009, it's just that it doesn't make any sense for him or for us to sit down and discuss what we're doing in 2010." Tryson said he does not have permission to be at MWR the other days of the week so he can prepare for being Martin Truex Jr.'s crew chief next year. "I'm still working for Penske, and that's all I'm worried about," Tryson said. "I'm just worried about winning the championship. You can do a lot of it via e-mail, so it's not that big a deal. The biggest thing is the lack of communication with the guys, seeing the guys."(Associated Press)(9-20-2009)

Tryson leaving #2 team due to 'personal reasons': Pat Tryson, crew chief for Kurt Busch and the #2 Miller Lite Dodge, spoke to reporters in the NHMS media center on Friday: “One of the reason that I came in here (media center)…there’s been a lot of stuff, read a lot of stuff, heard a lot of stuff (regarding why he is leaving Penske Racing at the end of the year)…I wanted to make it perfectly clear to everybody that the reason that I came to Penske Racing was because of Kurt Busch. The No. 1 reason to stay here at Penske Racing is because of Kurt Busch. My decision (to leave) had nothing to do with Kurt Busch. I just wanted to clear that up. I had to do things for personal reasons and the things that I want to do in my career that doesn’t have anything to do with who’s driving the race car. We’re in this together until the end. We’re gonna try to win the (NASCAR) championship because it means a lot to me. The best thing that could happen to me is to win the championship this year.”(Dodge Motorsports PR)(9-19-2009)

Miller Lite issues challenge to Budweiser: MillerCoors issued a “Beer Car Challenge for Charity” to Anheuser-Busch Inbev, in which the #2 Miller Lite Dodge of Kurt Busch and the #9 Budweiser Dodge of Kasey Kahne would race for their respective charity during the 10-week NASCAR Chase for the Sprint Cup. Both cars secured their spots in the Chase last weekend at Richmond. In MillerCoors’ proposed challenge, the higher finishing beer car in each race will win $2,500 for its charity, and the higher finisher in the final Chase standings will win $25,000 for the same charity. The #2 Miller Lite Dodge has already announced that, should AB InBev accept the challenge, they will be running for Operation Homefront, an organization that helps military families in need.(Tom Roberts PR)(9-18-2009)

Discount Tires moves to Penske: Just days after announcing his move from JR Motorsports in 2010, Brad Keselowski and Penske Racing have signed Discount Tire as their sponsor for 26 Nationwide Series races next year. Keselowski will drive the #22 Dodge full time in the Nationwide Series next year along with a full-time Sprint Cup schedule. Discount Tire will also be an associate sponsor on #12-Keselowski and teammate #2-Kurt Busch's Sprint Cup Series cars. Additionally, the company will have a presence on all three Penske Racing cars at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. A full announcement is expected later this week. Discount Tire currently sponsors David Ragan's #6 Roush Fenway Racing Nationwide Series ride. The partnership has been in place since the start of the 2007 season.(FoxSports)(9-16-200)

Tryson named #56 Crew Chief for 2010: Michael Waltrip Racing (MWR) announced that veteran crew chief Pat Tryson will lead Martin Truex Jr. and the #56 NAPA Auto Parts Toyota Camry beginning in the 2010 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season.Tryson successfully earned his fifth Chase berth as crew chief on Saturday night at Richmond International Raceway and will join MWR upon the conclusion of the season. “Pat is a passionate competitor, a winner and a championship contender,” said Waltrip. “Those were the traits we were looking for in a crew chief that would help Martin deliver on the track for NAPA for years to come. We couldn’t be more proud to add a person of Pat’s caliber to our organization.”
“Michael Waltrip Racing has really come onto the scene this year and the progress they have made over a very short time is impressive,” Tryson said. “I believe that I can contribute. MWR is doing everything they can to get the NAPA AUTO PARTS Toyota back into victory lane and that’s what my focus will be. Martin is a talented driver and we’ll be doing everything we can to make that happen.” Tryson joins MWR after a successful run with #2-Kurt Busch, where Tryson guided the former NASCAR Sprint Cup champion to two Chase appearances, four victories and 35 top-10 finishes since 2007 with Penske Racing. A native of Malvern, Pa., Tryson got his start in NASCAR working for Kenny Bernstein’s NASCAR Cup operation. In 1997, he launched his crew chief career by calling the shots for driver Geoff Bodine. Two seasons later, he joined Roush Racing and worked with drivers Kevin Lepage and Johnny Benson. With Kevin Lepage at the wheel, Tryson helped steer him to one pole, two top-five and five top-10 finishes. In 2000, Wood Brothers Racing hired Tryson and for nearly three seasons, he worked with drivers Elliott Sadler and Ricky Rudd. The crew chief guided Sadler to his first NASCAR Cup Series win at Bristol Motor Speedway in March 2001. Roush Racing came calling midway through the 2003 season. This time, Tryson teamed up with driver Mark Martin to help the veteran make NASCAR’s new playoff system -- The Chase. They repeated with berths in 2005 and 2006. Tryson is only one of three crew chiefs (Robbie Reiser and Chad Knaus) who qualified for The Chase during its first three years.(MWR)(9-14-2009)

#2 Crew Chief Tryson to leave Penske UPDATE: Bob Dilner reported during SPEED's coverage of the Sprint Cup first practice at Richmond that Pat Tryson, current crew chief for #2-Kurt Busch, will leave Penske Racing and head over to crew chief Martin Truex Jr. for MIcheal Waltrip Racing #56 NAPA Toyota team (SPEED)
hearing that Gene Nead, current crew chief for #55-Michael Waltrip [team and points will go to the #56 in 2010], will stay with MWR and crew chief for Waltrip's part-time effort in 2010.(9-11-2009)
UPDATE: a partial transcript from Dodge, #2-Kurt Busch dicussing crew chief Pat Tryson:
THERE ARE REPORTS THAT YOUR CREW CHIEF PAT TRYSON IS LEAVING AT THE END OF THE YEAR. IS THERE ANY TRUTH TO THAT RUMOR? “Yeah, it’s a change that’s going to happen. It’s unfortunate that Pat (Tryson) made that type of decision. It seems like our focus should be on the Chase and making it in the Chase, so it’s a tough week for that type of news. That’s really where my focus is. No matter who I’m working with or communicating with, we have to get the Miller Lite Dodge in the Chase and get off to a great start once we do that.”
ARE YOU MAD AT PAT FOR THE TIMING OF HIS DECISION? “The timing isn’t all that good, but it never is any good when you want to change directions in life. I did that in 2005 at Roush Racing. There’s never a really a good time to bring things up, but I can’t be disappointed in Pat or upset at Pat. The way that we’ve had a great run together and the way that he turned our program around in 2007, it helped put him back on the map too so to speak. You never want to hold anybody back from their ambitions and their dreams. We have a guy in Brad Keselowski that’s coming to our program and Dale Jr. had a tough decision to make on what to do with him. And when your phrase it the way that Pat did and I’m sure the way that Keselowski did, that there are opportunities ahead and that you want to go and conquer other things, you can’t tie them down. You have to let them go and make those decisions. Pat and I had a great run together. We still have more work to do though. We want to get locked in (the Chase) tomorrow night. That’s the focus. If we go out and do business as usual, we should. He’ll be with us throughout the Chase. It’s going to be a changing target throughout the Chase, but right now Pat and I are a great combination and have a task at hand.”
DID PAT GIVE YOU ANY IDEA WHY HE WANTS A DIFFERNET OPPORTUNITY? “That’s something that I think Pat can answer or Mike Nelson from Penske Racing who can give better insight. My job is to focus on the Chase and not get into those details.”(Dodge Motorsports PR)(9-12-2009)