The pit crew for #97-Kurt Busch certainly played a part in his victory at Bristol this past Saturday night. Busch’s crew won the weekly’s McDonald’s/POWERade Pit Crew Championship Award, worth $20,000. Busch’s car spent 233.373 seconds in the pits, the lowest total among teams competing in this particular contingency program.(NASCAR PR)(8-27-2003) UPDATE: Kurt Busch’s team not only captured Saturday night’s (Aug. 23) Sharpie 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway, but the pit crew for Busch’s Ford Taurus also took home top honors in the McDonald’s Drive-Thru Pit Championship fueled by POWERade. It was the second McDonald’s Drive-Thru Pit Championship victory for Busch’s No. 97 pit crew in the past four races. The crew also won at the Brickyard 400 in Indianapolis. Each victory was worth $20,000. Busch’s crew did an outstanding job in the pits during the thrilling 500-lap race on the historic .533-mile oval. The No. 97 Sharpie/Rubbermaid Ford spent the least amount of time on pit road – 233.373 seconds, nearly 40 seconds fewer than the second-place finisher – the No. 88 Dale Jarrett UPS Ford (272.851). Busch’s over-the-wall crew consists of: Andy Thurman (front tire changer), Mark Full (front tire carrier), Kevin Gilman (rear tire changer), Jason Binger (rear tire carrier), Doug Newell (gasman), Scott Radel (jackman) and Jim Gaudette (catch can). The team’s crew chief is Jimmy Fennig. In the McDonald’s Drive-Thru Pit Championship fueled by POWERade season standings, Busch’s pit crew is ranked third with 816 points, three behind the second-place pit crew for Dale Earnhardt Jr. Michael Waltrip’s crew leads the chase with 891 points. The season pit crew champion will receive a $200,000 bonus. For the season standings, who has won each week, the top 10 last race, see my Pit Crew Page .(DMF Communications PR)(8-28-2003)
