| | | | | | HIS TEAMMATES ARE TOO | Kurt Busch: Team player | |
| | By Reid Spencer / SceneDaily.com Kurt Busch doesn't mind being a team player - as long as he has a safety net.
Even before team owner Roger Penske pulled the trigger on the points switch that guarantees rookie Sam Hornish Jr. top-35 status and a starting spot in the first five NASCAR Sprint Cup races of 2008, Busch expressed his willingness to do what was best for the organization as a whole.
It took conversations with Miller Brewing and Mobil (the respective sponsors of Busch's and Hornish's cars), along with approval from NASCAR, before the owner points that had accrued to Busch's No. 2 Dodge could be transferred to the No. 77 Hornish will drive in 2008.
As the 2004 Cup champion, Busch won't have to worry about qualifying, either. The past champion's provisional provides a security blanket in case the unexpected happens -- a spin or parts failure during a qualifying run.
"We talked with the Mobil executives as well as the Miller executives (as to) what can be a win-win for everybody involved," Busch said. "I'm a team player."
Qualifying, of course, hasn't been a problem for Busch, who started from the front row five times in 2007, with one pole and four second-place efforts in time trials. His average start was 13.7, fourth best.
"It's been good to us lately, but you never want to put yourself in a position to not make a race, and right now, with the champion's provisional, we'll be guaranteed a spot," he said.
As to Hornish, who failed in his first six attempts to qualify for a Cup race, Busch expects his new teammate to experience the highs and lows of a typical rookie season.
"I think he's going to have some great races," Busch said. "I think he's going to have some struggles. That's what all rookies do. One week they're on fire; the next week you're putting out the fire."
| | Posted December 20, 2007 , 9:22 pm EST
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