Columnist Brian Hilderbrand: Busch looks to pad Cup lead at Phoenix

Tuesday, Nov. 2, 2004 | 10:09 a.m.

Brian Hilderbrand covers motor sports for the Las Vegas Sun. His motor sports notebook appears Friday. He can be reached at bh@lasvegassun.com or (702) 259-4089.

2004 -- Jimmie Johnson (Charlotte, Martinsville, Atlanta)

1998 -- Jeff Gordon (Pocono, Indianapolis, Watkins Glen, Michigan)

1996 -- Jeff Gordon (Dover, Martinsville, North Wilkesboro)

1994 -- Rusty Wallace (Dover, Pocono, Michigan)

1993 -- Mark Martin (Watkins Glen, Brooklyn, Bristol, Darlington)

1993 -- Rusty Wallace (Bristol, North Wilkesboro, Martinsville)

1992 -- Bill Elliott (Rockingham, Richmond, Atlanta, Darlington)

1991 -- Harry Gant (Darlington, Richmond, Dover, Martinsville)

1988 -- Rusty Wallace (Charlotte, North Wilkesboro, Rockingham)

1987 -- Dale Earnhardt (Bristol, Darlington, Richmond)

1987 -- Dale Earnhardt (Darlington, North Wilkesboro, Bristol, Martinsville)

1983 -- Bobby Allison (Darlington, Richmond, Dover)

1981 -- Darrell Waltrip (Martinsville, North Wilkesboro, Charlotte, Rockingham)

1976 -- David Pearson (Charlotte, Riverside, Michigan)

1976 -- Cale Yarborough (Richmond, Dover, Martinsville, North Wilkesboro)

1975 -- Richard Petty (Bristol, Atlanta, North Wilkesboro)

1974 -- Richard Petty (Atlanta, Pocono, Talladega)

1973 -- David Pearson (Darlington, Martinsville, Talladega)

1972 -- Bobby Allison (Bristol, Trenton, Atlanta)

With his worst finish of the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series "playoffs" behind him, Kurt Busch said he is looking forward to returning to the West this weekend for Sunday's race at Phoenix International Raceway.

Busch, a Las Vegas native, lost an engine early in Sunday's race at Atlanta Motor Speedway and finished 42nd -- but dodged a serious hit in the points when contenders Jeff Gordon and Dale Earnhardt Jr. also struggled. Busch left Atlanta with his points lead intact, although his 96-point lead was trimmed to 59 with three races remaining.

Busch this weekend will attempt to pad his lead over Jimmie Johnson at a track where Busch is coming off back-to-back top-10 finishes.

"Phoenix is a track where we finished fourth last year and (sixth) the year before that," Busch said. "It's been a great racetrack for me just because of the experience level that I have at Phoenix -- racing Southwest Tour races and trucks -- and, of course, I enjoy the West Coast, and the flat miles have been good to us this year with New Hampshire as the prime candidate."

Busch kicked off the 10-race "Chase for the Nextel Cup" with a victory at New Hampshire International Speedway on Sept. 19. He vaulted from seventh to second in points under NASCAR's redesigned championship format and assumed the points lead two weeks later with a fifth-place finish at Talladega Superspeedway.

Johnson won for the third week in a row Sunday and gained 148 points on Busch, moving from fourth to second in the standings.

CHASE STAT: Dale Earnhardt Jr., Tony Stewart, Elliott Sadler and Matt Kenseth are the only four drivers who have remained in the top 10 in Nextel Cup points all season. Busch was 16th in points after the season-opening Daytona 500, but has been in the top 10 since after the second race of the season.

Kenseth, the 2003 Cup champion, has been in the top 10 in points for 68 straight races. He is ninth, 257 points behind Busch, and is guaranteed to finish in the top 10 this season.

DOUBLE DUTY: In addition to driving in Saturday's NASCAR Busch Series race at Phoenix International Raceway, Kyle Busch will race in Thursday's NASCAR Southwest Series season finale on the 1-mile oval. Racecarceilingfans.com and Honda Cars of Corona will sponsor Busch's No. 84 Pontiac.

Busch, the younger brother of Kurt, is coming off a second-place finish in Saturday's Busch Series race at Atlanta Motor Speedway -- his 14th top-five finish in 31 races this season. He trails NASCAR Busch Series points leader Martin Truex Jr. by 176 points with three races remaining.

Nextel Cup Series veteran Ken Schrader also will race in Thursday's Southwest Series event. Schrader has 14 career victories at PIR -- more than any other driver in the 41-year history of the track -- but has not won a NASCAR Cup race in 16 career starts on the mile oval.

LYNCH IN TRUCKS: Las Vegas resident Scott Lynch, the 2003 NASCAR West Series champion, will drive the No. 59 HT Motorsports Dodge in Friday's NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race at Phoenix International Raceway and the No. 19 season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

Bobby Hamilton Racing will prepare the truck, which is owned by James Harris. Lynch has made two Truck Series starts, both for Orleans Racing, at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. His best finish was 12th in the 2003 race.

AT THE BULLRING: Thane Alderman of Las Vegas won the 140-lap Super Late Model main event during Saturday night's annual Fall Classic at The Bullring at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Mike Cofer finished second and Chuck Trickle was third.

Doug Hamm won the 100-lap Late Models feature, Michael Morrissey Jr. claimed the 50-lap IMCA Modifieds main and Lee Hatch and Spencer Clark won the 75-lap twin mains in the ASA Speed Truck Challenge.