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CUP: Big Brother Getting It Done
Written by: Tom Jensen   
04/30/2009
Charlotte, NC
 
The NASCAR Sprint Cup points standings leader: Kurt Busch, driver of the #2 Miller Lite Dodge. (Photo by Stephen Dunn/Getty Images) ยป More Photos

Kurt Busch heads to Richmond International Raceway this weekend in a somewhat unfamiliar position: Leading the NASCAR Sprint Cup points standings.

Busch, the 2004 Cup champion, took over the points lead on Sunday at Talladega Superspeedway, where he finished sixth in his Penske Championship Racing Dodge Charger, while former points leader Jeff Gordon finished 37th. The last time Busch led the points was after Las Vegas in March 2005, 149 races ago.

And that means he’s atop the standings for the first time since joining Penske prior to the start of the 2006 season. It’s also quite a change from this time last season, when Busch was languishing back in 20th in points.

SPRINT CUP SERIES DRIVER POINT STANDINGS

He will be looking to keep things going under the lights at RIR on Saturday night during the running of the Crown Royal Presents The Russ Friedman 400. Historically, RIR has been a track where Busch has run reasonably well, but not consistently up front. In 16 career starts at the 0.75-mile, D-shaped oval, Busch has one victory, two top-five and five top-10 finishes. His average finish at RIR is 20.625, including a 42nd in this race a year ago.

Of more passing interest, perhaps, are the numbers Busch has posted in the first nine races of the 2009 Cup season: One victory, three top-five and six top-10 runs. Busch has finished 11th or better in seven of the nine events this season, with his worst result a 23rd place at Las Vegas.

Busch’s crew chief, Pat Tryson, likes the team’s chances on Saturday night. “We have a ton of momentum heading into this weekend and our goal for the weekend is to keep that going,” said Tryson. “We’re bringing the car we raced at Phoenix with us. Kurt really likes the car and we all are confident that we can get the job done with it and reach our goal at Richmond on Saturday night.”

For his part, Busch is also encouraged. “We’re coming into Richmond on a pretty big roll after finishing eighth at Texas, third at Phoenix and sixth at Talladega,” Busch said. “Getting those solid finishes on an intermediate track, a one-mile flat layout and then a big superspeedway – on three such diverse tracks – certainly has our
spirits high.”

So for now, the plan is to buckle down and keep focused on the big picture. “We can’t let any of the early success we’ve enjoyed so far go to our heads,” Busch said. “Our plan when we entered this season was to attack each and every race like it was the most important race on the schedule, with our first major goal being to make the Chase. Our strategy has been to attack every race with the attitude of getting everything we can out of it. If we have a top-10 car, then we strive to make sure we come out of the race with a top-10 finish.”

Tom Jensen is the Editor in Chief for SPEEDtv.com, the former Executive Editor of NASCAR Scene and a contributing Editor for TruckSeries.com. He is the author of “Cheating: The Bad Things Good NASCAR Nextel Cup Racers Do In Pursuit of SPEED,” and has appeared on television and radio shows to discuss NASCAR racing. Jensen is the past President of the National Motorsports Press Association. Jensen is the 1997 National Motorsports Press Association Writer of the Year and has won numerous national and state awards for news reporting, columns and feature writing. The Answer Man is back at SPEEDtv.com. Tom Jensen answers your questions during every race week and looks forward to hearing from you - please e-mail it to

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