Columnist Brian Hilderbrand: Busch hopes knowledge of PIR will be helpful

Friday, Nov. 3, 2000 | 11:05 a.m.

Brian Hilderbrand's motor sports notebook appears Friday. Reach him at bh@lasvegassun.com or 259-4089.

PHOENIX -- After a week off from the NASCAR Winston Cup Series to drive his final Craftsman Truck Series race, Kurt Busch is looking forward to returning to the No. 97 John Deere Ford this weekend at Phoenix International Raceway.

Busch is more familiar with the 1-mile Phoenix oval than any of the tracks he has visited in his first four Winston Cup starts, having competed at PIR in the NASCAR Southwest Series and, earlier this year, in the truck.

"This track is very familiar to me and I've got a lot of laps there with the Southwest Series, which helps because those cars get around that track fairly quickly and the trucks go slower than the Southwest Series car," Busch said as he prepared for Sunday's Checker Auto Parts/Dura Lube 500.

"Now I'll go in there with a third type of vehicle and it's something I'm used to -- swapping vehicles at racetracks. That's how I grew up racing; swapping vehicles at the 3/8-mile in Las Vegas and it has helped me just to adapt to different types of vehicles."

Although he called PIR one of his favorite tracks, the 22-year-old Las Vegas native said he is not altering his approach to Sunday's 312-lap race.

"We just want to make some laps -- that's the program on the Winston Cup side," Busch said. "(Team owner Jack Roush) said he would like a top 10 this year, which isn't out of the question, but it's going to be tough to get that.

"At the Winston Cup level, being a top-10 car is tough. We're running around in 18th and struggling; we think we're good and we're running 18th, so we've got some things to work on and we'll gradually pick up that program to where it needs to be."

Busch ended a hectic three-week stretch last Saturday by winning the Motorola 200 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race at California Speedway. In the span of 18 days, Busch was either testing or racing the Winston Cup car or racing the No. 99 Exide Batteries truck. In addition to securing Rookie of the Year and the second spot in the championship standings behind Roush Racing teammate Greg Biffle, Busch established rookie records for victories (four), top-five (13) and top-10 (16) finishes and money won ($590,120). His four Bud Poles matched Biffle's 1998 mark.

"(Last Saturday) was finally the end," Busch said. "I went 18 days in a row in a vehicle, either testing somewhere or flying somewhere. We were busy but we were able to get through it and now we have just one more test and three Cup races through the end of the year.

"I complained a little bit about only racing 24 (truck) races when I first signed on -- Jack sure gave me the opportunity to bump those races and tests up."

Dodge is scheduled to hold a three-day test session at Las Vegas Motor Speedway Monday through Wednesday. The test will be closed to the public.

Although lap times were not released at the Daytona test, Marlin said, "We need to pick up another half a second in order to qualify in the top 10 at Daytona."

Compton said he was not pleased with his times.

"We certainly have some hurdles to get over." Compton said. "That's why we're here. I'm real happy with the results, although I'm not real happy with the times that we ran."

The drivers are in town for this weekend's Championship Auto Racing Teams "Stars of Tomorrow" karting event, to be held Friday through Sunday at the Las Vegas Karting Center.

A spider bit Hornish on his thigh last week and shortly thereafter he began to feel severe pain in his leg that made walking a struggle.

Hornish was admitted to the hospital and kept for four days before flying to Las Vegas this week for the automotive trade show.

Hornish remains on antibiotics to combat the effects of the bite.

Seeling, in her fifth year of professional competition, clinched the title when she advanced to the second round of last weekend's Matco Tools Supernationals in Baytown, Texas.

Shirley Muldowney is the only other professional female champion in the NHRA's 49-year history. She won the Top Fuel title in 1977, '80 and '82.

"This is so unbelievable," the 30-year-old Seeling said. "The Winston championship is ours finally. I'm just so proud of this entire Team Winston bunch and I can't thank my owner, George Bryce, enough for the last five years."

This year's Sunbelt Regional champion and LVMS Late Model champion, Dick Cobb, will be joined in the field by Mesa Marin track champion Mike Duncan and local drivers Brendan Gaughan, Chuck Trickle, Steve Anderson and Lance Magin.

Drivers will be competing for a share of the $15,000 purse in the twin 70-lap Late Model main events. ARCA Trucks also will be competing in a 50-lap main event.

Gates open at 5 p.m. and the first race starts at 7.