Kurt Busch won the Food City 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway, scoring his 15th career NASCAR NEXTEL Cup victory in his 189th career start.
Buschs last victory came at Richmond, 13 races earlier.
It was his fifth Bristol victory in 11 races on the Tennessee short-track.
Busch scored his eighth top-10 finish in 11 races at Bristol.
Busch scored his first top-10 finish this season. His best finish in the first four races of 2006 was 16th twice.
Busch moved into 42nd on NASCARs all-time winners list, tied with Ernie Irvan.
Busch finished 10th in the 2005 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup point standings. One year ago after five races he ranked seventh in the point standings.
Busch climbed from 27th to 16th in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup point standings.
Busch led three times for 33 laps, including the final five laps.
This was team owner Roger Penskes 58th NASCAR NEXTEL Cup victory. Penske has scored eight NASCAR NEXTEL Cup victories at Bristol.
Dodge scored its first Bristol victory since Richard Petty won the Volunteer 500 in 1975, 31 years ago.
Notebook Items
Kevin Harvick (second) has finished in the top-five in six of his 11 races at Bristol Motor Speedway. He scored his first top-10 finish of the season. The last top-five finish posted by Harvick was at Richmond in May 2005. Harvick climbed from 23rd to 13th in the point standings. One year ago Harvick ranked sixth after five races.
Matt Kenseth (third) scored his sixth top-five finish in 13 races at Bristol Motor Speedway. He climbed from third to first in the NASCAR NEXTEL cup standings. The last time Kenseth led the point standings was leaving Bristol in March 2004. Kenseth has scored top-10 finishes in eight of his last nine races at Bristol.
Carl Edwards (fourth) scored his first top-10 finish in four races at Bristol Motor Speedway. It marked his second top-five finish in 2006.
Bobby Labonte (fifth) scored his third top-five finish in 27 races at Bristol Motor Speedway. It was his first top-10 finish in 2006 and first by the No. 43 when Jeff Green finished seventh at Martinsville in October 2004.
Tony Stewart (12th) led the most laps (245) in the 2006 Food City 500. The last time he led the most laps in a race was at Martinsville last October nine races ago where he finished second.
Denny Hamlin (14th) was the highest finishing Raybestos Rookie-of-the Year contender in the 2006 Food City 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway.
All seven of the 2006 Raybestos Rookie-of-the Year contenders have competed in all five races in 2006 and at least one has scored a top-15 finish in every race. This was the first race in 2006 that a rookie contender did not finish in the top 10.
Joe Nemechek (28th) has been running at the finish in the last 37 races, a streak that began at Bristol last April, the longest current streak.(NASCAR Statistical Services)(3-26-2006)
