Kurt Busch scored his first win on a two-mile oval. Credit: Autostock
May 1, 2003
11:44 AM EDT (1544 GMT)
Kurt Busch: It feels good to be the first two-time winner of 2003 and just continue with the momentum we had left over from last year, and whether you are a fan from Bristol, California or anywhere else, I appreciate the support!
Nascargirl24: Kurt, good job on your wins! What do you think about NASCAR`s rulings the past few weeks (the call on Vickers and Jr.)? Do you think they were the right calls or not fair?
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Kurt Busch: I believe both of them were the right calls, and not just to agree with your question, but it is tough to make that spur of the moment call. There is no instant replay, and all drivers are treated the same way.
A lot of different views have been taken from those 2 events, but I would have to agree with the way the cars were put in jeopardy at Texas, and Junior was taking cars out of jeopardy by going below the yellow line.
GORDONFAN907: Kurt, first of all I would like to say that you are an awesome racecar driver and have tons of talent! Good luck at your Cup racing. What have you guys done at Roush Racing to make you all so competitive?
Kurt Busch: It has been a uphill battle after 2001 to bring all of Roush Racing to the forefront of being competitive each week so a lot of things were done with engineering and the motor development to create what we have now with competitive race teams.
stoffelx2: What do you feel has been the greatest factor in your success over the past 15 races?
Kurt Busch: Just having Jimmy Fennig challenging me as a racecar driver, and me doing the same to my crew chief. You have to be able to have consistent efforts each week and when you are struggling, you have to adapt to the day and the track and use your knowledge to move forward and succeed.
WisconsinBoy: Hi Kurt! We always hear about setting up the cars due to weather conditions, but how about yourself as the driver and especially for the upcoming night race, do you have to prepare yourself any different? P.S. Best of Luck!
Kurt Busch: There are things about Richmond that challenges you both during the day and at night. You can only test there during the daytime, and when the track gets cooler at night, it gets easier to handle. That is an approach we will look at, and as a driver at a night race it is 7 or 8 at night and we still have to do things nutritionally for a night race that we would for a day race.
Kirbster: Congratulations, Kurt! Looks like you are going to be one of the great drivers of this generation, except that kid Kyle Busch looks like he'll give you a challenge. Are you looking forward to getting to race against him in a couple years?
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| Credit: Autostock |
Kurt Busch: It will be great to finally race against him again! We grew up 6 years apart so we always had that rivalry and now that he has been able to branch away where he is, it will be only a matter of time before we can race against each other. We have both grown in so many ways so it will definitely be a good rivalry between us.
Nascargirl24: Kurt, what is the weirdest thing you've ever been asked to sign?
Kurt Busch: With our sponsor being Sharpie, I have to be able to be ready for any signing situation, and I had to sign a kid's forehead once! He said it just didn't look the same when he looked in the mirror! Haha
JG24JJ48: Hello Mr. Busch! Man, what was with those Roush engines at the beginning of the season? Do you think that all the problems have been worked out?
Kurt Busch: I know for sure they have all been worked out. This was a great step in the right direction at California Speedway with the way the horsepower band was so good at the bottom and the top. That really helps with setup changes as well, so it was really a team effort that helped us get to Victory Lane.
_97berg: Hey Kurt, I'm your biggest fan! My question for you is do you plan on doing any practice at the Milwaukee Mile? If so can you tell me when? Rumor has it you did some practice there last season.
Kurt Busch: That was a great racetrack to test. The way that the flat corner there presents a challenge for the Cup cars helps you because you can do things there that you can prepare for Loudon, Phoenix, and perhaps a little at Richmond. You can work on flat-track ideas, and we may go back there this year. It is not a track where a Winston Cup car races so you don't care about the stopwatch; you care more about the engineers when it comes to changes that you made.
FordsNeo: I remember hearing during the Food City 500 broadcast that you and Jimmy were considering taking the car you won with to Dover. Did you all ultimately decide that? How is it possible to use a short track car for a mile oval?
Kurt Busch: The two tracks are very similar, and we did decide to do that that day, and it is chassis No. 46. You prepare the different frame rail heights at Bristol, but with the competition being so fierce you have to have good downforce for Bristol and therefore it will compliment anything you try to do at Dover. The lengths are different but they have very similar characteristics.
go97roushrox: Congratulations on the win! Can`t wait to see you at the head table this year, BUT everyone knows behind a great man is a great woman, so how did you and Melissa meet?
Kurt Busch: Believe it or not, we met at a racetrack! Haha It was just a local Saturday night race, so we have been together for a number of years and the support she lends me for what we have achieved can't go unrecognized.
AngBad8: Kurt, who do you think your biggest competition will be at Richmond?
Kurt Busch: I hope that we are in competition to compete with the likes of Dale Jr., Jeff Gordon, Ryan Newman and then of course, Tony Stewart who just had a bad result at California and he will be on a mission. Those are some of the top-5 cars you will need to watch.
NAPA15RULES: Being such a young driver, where would you like to see yourself in about 5 years?
Kurt Busch: There is a lot of different objectives that one wants to accomplish and being competitive week in and week out speaks to a lot of those, but to have a Championship would be a great accomplishment for 2003 and beyond, but to be an established Cup veteran with 8 years experience would be an objective.
ambers-a-dale-jr-fan: Great race on Sunday! How does California speedway and weather compare to other tracks and weather? What's your favorite track?
Kurt Busch: California Speedway has to be a favorite for everyone in terms of climate. The temps are in the mid-70s, but it is nice to go up north in the Summer time and the temperatures are really cool at Loudon. Growing up in Las Vegas was some extreme heat, so in a way that helps me prepare for the heat in these Winston Cup cars.
bc4dfan: Is it true that you never raced until you were 15? I just think it's amazing how well you race, since you started later than most of the other drivers! You are really something!!!
Kurt Busch: It is true! I didn't start until I was 15, but I had a virus from my father, just watching him race and being caught up in cars all the time. I was very hands-on in the garage and watching him race, and we had the go-kart out in the backyard, so it was just a unique blend of working on cars, watching my dad race, and catching the urge to drive. Then at 15, we just built a racecar and went out and competed. Thanks for all the compliments!
JG24JJ48: Hello Mr. Busch! Have you ever thought of someday owning a Winston Cup team?
Kurt Busch: No thought of that just yet, but I wouldn't rule it out, but being 24 years old and having a lot of racing objectives I would like to obtain, but right now I am just happy being a driver for such a great car owner like Jack Roush.
FordsNeo: Kurt, awesome way to win!! I noticed that out of all the products showcased on your car, TakeAlongs is the only one that I haven't seen a special scheme. Will you be running one sometime?
Kurt Busch: First of all, thanks for the attention to detail with our sponsors! Secondly, you are exactly right there have been schemes for all the other new Rubbermaid associates and that is a great point and I will make it a concern for the next board meeting at Rubbermaid! We know how the car has performed with special paint schemes! :)
JG24JJ48: Hello, Mr. Busch! Are there any drivers that you hang out with off the track? What do you usually do?
Kurt Busch: Greg Biffle and I have been to the sand dunes a couple of times together and I have played golf a bit with Rusty Wallace, but usually there are a lot of conflicts with scheduling that we cant spend a lot of time together. I have great teammates in Roush, and in the community someone always has something going on. You always have a good time when you spend time with other drivers outside of the racetrack.
Girl97Friend: My main question for you is, what is it about racing that you love so much?
Kurt Busch: I think it is the thrill of competition, and of course many wise men have said you are only as good as your last race. It is a matter of having fun with it, and this is a career that I feel very privileged to be part of.
Duce: Great job Sunday Kurt, how do you prepare yourself coming from a 2-mile track and going to a .75-mile track?
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| Credit: Autostock |
Kurt Busch: That is how versatile you have to be in Winston Cup Series racing. You go from Martinsville to Talladega, so the schedule challenges you in ways to make sure you stay on your toes. You just get focused on Monday to prepare yourself for the upcoming race.
mmfan: I am a big Roush Racing fan and was wondering just how competitive is the racing between teammates. What kind of influence has Mark Martin had on your career as a driver?
Kurt Busch: We are competitive enough to challenge one another to obtain victories, but we want to work together to help one another. Mark has been instrumental in my career with pointers and experience and wisdom he has in him. He is a great teammate to learn from, as well as Jeff Burton, who knows things on and off the racetrack.
Nick: I've always wondered, when you're ahead on the last lap, what is going through you mind? How do you feel?
Kurt Busch: It is a situation that every driver loves to be in, and of course it takes a team effort to get in that type of position, so I am the QB or the pitcher that has to lay one more pitch or throw down to get the victory, whether that is a strike or a touchdown pass. All the pressure is on your shoulders and you want to come through for the team. It is always great to take the checkered flag first!
burbur78: How do you feel about your chances on a Championship this year? Do you feel like you can match the consistency you had during last season and the beginning of this season?
Kurt Busch: It takes that kind of consistency and if we continue to put together these efforts and be as calculated as we can, we will just work to get as many points as we can each week and hope to be there at the end for the Championship.
5-11climber: You look like a nice clean-cut guy but on the track there is this guy that comes out that is anything but nice. Is this just your aggressive, competitive nature behind the wheel or are you not to be judged but your appearance?
Kurt Busch: I think that my looks are a bit deceiving, but with the way that I have looked at race cars all my life and the way my father drove on the track, you build a sense of identity by watching those around you and learning from those around you. It looks like sometimes I am bit more aggressive than I need to be, and I will agree with that, but it is just continuing that aggression in a fine-tuned effort.
NASCAR.com: Kurt, do you have any final thoughts?
Kurt Busch: Thanks for all the great questions! The time that I spend with the fans is valuable to me, and of course things that are also valuable to me are our sponsors, and look forward to our special paint scheme with the Rubbermaid Commercial car this weekend. We will also be driving with the Rubbermaid Blue Ice paint scheme at the Coca-Cola 600.
NASCAR.com: Thank you all for joining us!
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