Busch considers fenderless feuds

Thursday, Oct. 6, 2005 | 2:08 a.m.

Now that he has signed a multiyear contract to drive for legendary team owner Roger Penske in the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series beginning in 2007, Kurt Busch admitted he has entertained thoughts of one day driving one of Penske's open-wheel race-cars.

In addition to owning a three-car NASCAR team, Penske has enjoyed unparalleled success in open-wheel racing with 11 national championships, 13 Indianapolis 500 victories and more than 120 race wins.

"I'm not closing the door on it," Busch said of getting behind the wheel of an IndyCar. "Working together with Penske Racing could lead to more opportunities; he's like a god when he walks around at Indianapolis.

"I know that getting a career started this late -- 27 years old -- in open-wheel isn't the best thing to do. But if we dabbled here and there, you should definitely look out for Kurt Busch having some fun."

Not that Busch plans to give up stock cars for IndyCars.

"It's a great thing that I have going with the NASCAR Cup car right now," said Busch, who drives for Roush Racing.

Busch is not exactly a rookie when it comes to driving the sophisticated open-wheel cars. In 2003, Busch drew rave reviews from several Champ Car World Series drivers after taking an 18-lap spin in Michel Jourdain Jr.'s Champ Car during a test session at Sebring International Raceway in Florida.

MISSING PIECE

Las Vegas-based Petersen Motorsports/White Lightning Racing won its class in last weekend's American Le Mans Series Petit Le Mans at Road Atlanta and now has captured every major international endurance sports car race held on pavement.

Jorg Bergmeister of Germany and Patrick Long of Las Vegas piloted the team's Porsche 911 GT3 RSR to its third consecutive ALMS victory in the GT2 class. Bergmeister and Long hold a 22-point lead in the drivers standings with one race remaining, while the team maintains a slim six-point edge over rival Alex Job Racing going into next weekend's season finale at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca.

"To win this race is a dream come true of mine," said team owner and local casino executive Michael Petersen. "We've won pretty much every major endurance sporting event we want to, with the exception of Dakar."

Petersen Motorsports/White Lightning Racing is a two-time winner of the prestigious 24 Hours of Le Mans (2003 and 2004) and also has scored class victories in the 12 Hours of Sebring and the Rolex 24 at Daytona.

ALSO NOTED:

Ricky Carmichael will attempt to capture the motocross version of golf's grand slam when he battles the world's top riders at the eighth annual U.S. Open Friday and Saturday at the MGM Grand Garden Arena. Carmichael, a two-time U.S. Open winner, this year already has won the THQ World Supercross GP championship, the THQ AMA Supercross Series championship, the AMA 250cc Motocross championship and earned the gold medal for Team USA at the Motocross des nations in Ernee, France.

Erica Enders, 21, made NHRA history Sunday in Joliet, Ill., when she became the first female driver to advance to the final round of eliminations in the Pro Stock class. Enders had a red-light foul against Jason Line in the final.

Las Vegas resident Scott Lynch was involved in two wrecks during Saturday's NASCAR West Series race at Thunder Hill Raceway in Kyle, Texas, but managed to hold onto the points lead despite a 15th-place finish. Lynch holds a 41-point lead over Mike Duncan and a 54-point edge over Steve Portenga going into the Oct. 15 season finale at Bakersfield's Mesa Marin Raceway.