DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- Kurt Busch says that everyone needs to stop seeking new formats and appreciate the run that Jimmie Johnson and his team have put together this year. Busch is working hard to narrow the list of things he thinks the No. 48 does better as he and his team prepare for next season, including the addition of Brad Keselowski as a teammate.

Keselowski projected himself onto the 2010 Sprint Cup scene in a big way via his win at Talladega last spring and was recently announced as Busch and Sam Hornish's teammate for next season at Penske Racing.

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I always want the program to get stronger and Brad's going to do that for us.

”

-- KURT BUSCH

This week the process was accelerated by three races when Penske announced Keselowski's tenure would begin this weekend at Texas, when he replaced David Stremme in the No. 12 Dodge. It's a move Busch is all for as he looks toward next year.

"It's a big step as things develop for 2010," Busch said. "I always want the program to get stronger and Brad's going to do that for us. And what better way to get him seat time in our cars and a feel -- that way he's got all winter to digest it and feel the differences between the Hendrick cars that he's driven, and what we have."

Busch is intense in the middle of races and has proven he's diversified through the years into a compassionate, empathetic teammate who's willing to share his depth of experience.

And so it was at Talladega after the last green flag lap, when Keselowski -- driving a Phoenix Racing Chevrolet supported by Hendrick Motorsports -- attempted to come up behind his future teammate and help him advance from eighth place. Instead, Keselowski turned Busch around in front of the field and created a 13-car pileup.

"It's one of those things that you're doing the best that you can, as a teammate -- I understand what he was trying to do," Busch said. "Bump drafts are tough to do properly and he's learning how to do those things."

Busch is no stranger to the learning process, citing his own performance at Daytona in 2008.

"I pushed a teammate to win here with the bump draft," Busch said. "There are techniques to it and he'll [Keselowski] learn. It's a big mistake that he made but it's part of the situation that we're all in."

And what advice did Busch have for his new teammate after Sunday's race at Talladega?

"I put my arm around him and said 'Hey, you were doing the right thing and I would have done the same thing, except I would have done this' -- and that's where the two cars have to work together a little better." (Continued)