Notebook

Busch looks for another strong run in season finale

HOMESTEAD, Fla. (AP) -- Kurt Busch doesn't want the NASCAR Winston Cup season to end with Sunday's finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

Busch is the hottest driver in the series right now -- climbing from 12th to third in the point standings over the last seven races -- and starts from the pole in the Ford 400 on Sunday.

He'll be going after his third win in the final five races. Busch won back-to-back events in October and was in contention for victory two weeks ago at Rockingham before finishing third.

"I don't see why we can't start off next year right where we left off this year," Busch said.

Busch might have contended for the Winston Cup title if not for a horrid stretch in August when a wreck in Indianapolis and two engine failures left him with three straight races in which he did not finish. He was fifth in points before Indy but plunged to 12th three weeks later.

"I believe it was the dismal month of August that really kicked us down," he said. "You would have thought a lot of teams or drivers or crew members or anybody involved with three DNFs in a row would have let the season go at that point ... but it has been my driving force -- to get back to where I think the team belongs."

Now Busch, who will watch as teammate Mark Martin tries to overtake Tony Stewart in the hunt for the Winston Cup title, wants to hold on to his spot in the standings.

"That would be a great victory for this team if we hold onto third," Busch said.

Rookie of the year

Ryan Newman has an insurmountable 20-point lead over Jimmie Johnson in the race for Rookie of the Year, but that doesn't mean the award is decided.

A four-member panel made up of former Winston Cup champion Bobby Labonte and three NASCAR officials voted this weekend on discretionary points and could sway the award over to Johnson. The results will be announced after Sunday's race.

The discretionary points are entered in categories ranging from the drivers' dealings with NASCAR officials and the media to their on-track conduct.

Four-time Winston Cup champion Jeff Gordon was originally on the panel, but because he owns Johnson's car, NASCAR replaced him with Labonte.

Johnson has three wins this season -- tying Tony Stewart's mark for most wins by a rookie -- and is fourth in points. Newman has one win and is seventh in points, but has six poles and is tied with Stewart and Mark Martin with the most top-10 finishes this season with 21.

Andretti still unsigned

John Andretti still has not signed the contract offer Petty Enterprises gave him months ago, but the organization is certain the driver will be back in 2003.

"There are a couple of issues that still need to be resolved, but as far as we're concerned, he is the driver of the No. 43," chief executive officer Kyle Petty said. "We have a verbal agreement, just no signature."

Andretti, one of the few remaining free agents, was less committal.

"Anything is possible," he said, smiling. "Who knows what will happen?"

Petty said there was no issue over Andretti's participation in the Indianapolis 500, a race the company forbid him to compete in this year. Andretti, the first of three drivers to compete in both the Indy 500 and the Coca-Cola 600, wants to do the double again and was disappointed he was not allowed.

"As far as we're concerned, he can run the Indy 500 every year," Petty said. "We said no this year because the issue came up 30 days beforehand and there wasn't enough time. As long as he plans on it in advance, he can run it and we'd love to partner up and help his efforts."

Fine first year

Winston Cup director John Darby enjoyed his first season as garage boss so much, he wishes it wouldn't end on Sunday.

"I loved it to the point that it wouldn't bother me if we were going to the Daytona 500 the week after Thanksgiving," Darby said.

Darby, who replaced Gary Nelson this season, has received rave reviews from teams for his management of the Winston Cup garage. He's been stern, but fair, in his enforcement of rules and policies while trying to fix some of the issues that plague the sport.

Darby is searching for ways to eliminate the aerodynamic problems the teams have complained about all season and said he will continue to work on that in 2003.

"I've got a lot of loose ends left," he said. "I'd like to refine the template program and get better procedures and better methods for doing things in many areas. When it's all said and done, I want someone to be able to look at a car from 20-feet away and be able to tell is it's right or wrong."

So long Sprint

Kyle Petty isn't sure how he'll feel after Sunday's race, when he gets out of the No. 45 Dodge and ends his relationship with Sprint -- one of his ties to his late son, Adam.

The telecommunications giant isn't coming back next season. Sprint had originally signed on with the Petty's to sponsor the car for which Adam was being groomed. Adam was killed in a wreck two years ago. As therapy, his father began driving the car.

"It's kind of sad because this is Adam's team and sponsor and I probably wouldn't have kept racing if I couldn't have driven that car," Petty said. "The 45 was my safe place, a tranquil place where I could do my healing."

Busch coming back

Anheuser-Busch extended its sponsorship of the NASCAR Busch Series through the 2007 season on Saturday.

In addition, Budweiser retained its rights as sponsor of the Bud Pole Award in all NASCAR divisions through 2007 and renewed the Budweiser Shootout at Daytona, the annual non-points race at Daytona International Speedway, for the next six years.

The Anheuser-Busch portion of the NASCAR Busch Series annual point fund distribution, which was $2.5 million in 2002, will increase $400,000 a year over the length of the new contract, extending to $4.5 million at the end of the 2007 season.

 

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