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NASCAR NEXTEL CUP AND INDYCAR® SERIES RACERS LOOKING FORWARD TO SUPER BOWL XL IN DETROIT THIS WEEKEND
BROOKLYN, Mich. – While drivers from the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series and the IRL IndyCar® Series won’t be visiting Michigan to compete at the 2-mile Michigan International Speedway oval until June and July respectively, several drivers with Detroit connections will visit Michigan this weekend to take in Super Bowl XL Sunday at Ford Field.
Roger Penske – who owned MIS from 1972 until merging with current owner International Speedway Corporation in 1999 and also has 13 Indianapolis 500 victories as an owner to his credit – is Chairman of the Super Bowl XL Host Committee, which means several of his drivers will be in town for the big game.
The list includes 2004 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series champion Kurt Busch, who drives the # 2 Miller Lite Dodge for Penske. Penske will also host IndyCar Series Marlboro Team Penske drivers during the big game, which include two-time Indianapolis 500 winner Helio Castroneves, along with Defiance, Ohio native and two-time IndyCar Series Champion Sam Hornish Jr.
Busch, who will drive his first race for Penske Racing later this month, is quite the sports fan and will no doubt look forward to enjoying his Christmas present from his car owner when he visits Detroit this weekend.
"To receive the invitation to attend the Super Bowl from Roger Penske on Christmas day just set me on my heels,” said Busch, who won at MIS in June of 2003. “I can't wait to go and see him on Saturday when he finally has all of the preparations completed and he can relax a little and enjoy what he has put together, which is Super Bowl Sunday. I can't wait to sit down, put my arm on his shoulder and say, 'Great job!'"
Fellow Dodge driver Kasey Kahne, a life-long Seattle Seahawks fan who hails from Enumclaw, Washington, can’t attend the Super Bowl but can’t wait to watch the Seahawks’ first Super Bowl first appearance. Kahne, who drives the # 9 Dodge Dealers/UAW Dodge for Evernham Motorsports in the NEXTEL Cup Series, cheered on his team while attending the NFC Championship Game in Seattle on January 22. After growing up going to Seahawks games with his Dad, who was a season ticket holder, Kahne is ready for Sunday.
“I grew up going to Seahawks games,” said Kahne. “They have the entire state of Washington behind them, and it’s pretty awesome to see what the fans are like out there now. I think they’re as good as any team in the NFL, and that’s why they’re in the Super Bowl. Not many people outside of Washington knew anything about them or cared. They know about them now.”
"It's going to be a close game,” added Kahne. “If the Seahawks score 30 points that'll definitely be enough. If they don't score over 20 they'll have a tough time winning, but if they score 25-30 they've got it.”
Two-time IndyCar Series champion Hornish Jr., will also be attending Sunday’s game as a guest of team owner Penske, but he might have a disagreement with Kahne on who will he’ll be rooting for on Sunday.
“I’m excited to go to the Super Bowl and I’m sure it will be a great game,” said Hornish. “Of course, I’ll be rooting for the Steelers as Ben Roethlisberger is from Ohio, about 40 miles away from my hometown of Defiance. A lot of people in my area are pretty excited about it, so Sunday should be a lot of fun. Plus, I’m honored to be a guest of Roger’s (Penske) at Super Bowl XL. Anything that I’ve read and heard about the Super Bowl coming to Detroit, people have had nothing but great things to say about his efforts. Just like anything else he’s done in his career. He’s given 110 percent.”
There are several other personalities who count racing and football among their interests who are expected to be in Detroit this weekend. The list includes legendary Dallas Cowboy quarterbacks Roger Staubach and Troy Aikman, who co-own Hall of Fame Racing, a brand new team starting in 2006. Drivers Terry Labonte and Tony Raines will share the driver duties this season in the No. 96 Texas Instruments/DLP Chevrolet.
Of course, current Washington Redskins coach Joe Gibbs owns three NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series cars under the Joe Gibbs Racing banner, including 2005 NEXTEL Cup Series champion Tony Stewart along with rookies Denny Hamlin and J.J. Yeley. Gibbs has four wins as an owner at MIS. Gibbs, who has three Super Bowl rings to his credit, has been a NASCAR team owner since the 1992 season and amassed 47 career Cup Series wins as an owner.
Winter Blast at 200 mph: MIS will be on hand at this weekend’s Motown Winter Blast inside the DTE Energy comfort zone at the Southwest Corner of Campus Martius park in Downtown Detroit. The speedway will be distributing MIS posters to Winter Blast visitors, along with handing out information on purchasing tickets to MIS events this summer. The events include the only stops in Michigan for the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series on June 18 and August 20 and the IRL IndyCar Series visit to MIS on July 30.
A helping hand from MIS: In the event that Detroit gets any significant snowfall during Super Bowl week, MIS maintenance staffers will be on hand with six Chevrolet Silverados with snowplows to help assist with the clean-up.
NASCAR NEXTEL CUP AND INDYCAR® SERIES RACERS LOOKING FORWARD TO SUPER BOWL XL IN DETROIT THIS WEEKEND
BROOKLYN, Mich. – While drivers from the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series and the IRL IndyCar® Series won’t be visiting Michigan to compete at the 2-mile Michigan International Speedway oval until June and July respectively, several drivers with Detroit connections will visit Michigan this weekend to take in Super Bowl XL Sunday at Ford Field.
Roger Penske – who owned MIS from 1972 until merging with current owner International Speedway Corporation in 1999 and also has 13 Indianapolis 500 victories as an owner to his credit – is Chairman of the Super Bowl XL Host Committee, which means several of his drivers will be in town for the big game.
The list includes 2004 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series champion Kurt Busch, who drives the # 2 Miller Lite Dodge for Penske. Penske will also host IndyCar Series Marlboro Team Penske drivers during the big game, which include two-time Indianapolis 500 winner Helio Castroneves, along with Defiance, Ohio native and two-time IndyCar Series Champion Sam Hornish Jr.
Busch, who will drive his first race for Penske Racing later this month, is quite the sports fan and will no doubt look forward to enjoying his Christmas present from his car owner when he visits Detroit this weekend.
"To receive the invitation to attend the Super Bowl from Roger Penske on Christmas day just set me on my heels,” said Busch, who won at MIS in June of 2003. “I can't wait to go and see him on Saturday when he finally has all of the preparations completed and he can relax a little and enjoy what he has put together, which is Super Bowl Sunday. I can't wait to sit down, put my arm on his shoulder and say, 'Great job!'"
Fellow Dodge driver Kasey Kahne, a life-long Seattle Seahawks fan who hails from Enumclaw, Washington, can’t attend the Super Bowl but can’t wait to watch the Seahawks’ first Super Bowl first appearance. Kahne, who drives the # 9 Dodge Dealers/UAW Dodge for Evernham Motorsports in the NEXTEL Cup Series, cheered on his team while attending the NFC Championship Game in Seattle on January 22. After growing up going to Seahawks games with his Dad, who was a season ticket holder, Kahne is ready for Sunday.
“I grew up going to Seahawks games,” said Kahne. “They have the entire state of Washington behind them, and it’s pretty awesome to see what the fans are like out there now. I think they’re as good as any team in the NFL, and that’s why they’re in the Super Bowl. Not many people outside of Washington knew anything about them or cared. They know about them now.”
"It's going to be a close game,” added Kahne. “If the Seahawks score 30 points that'll definitely be enough. If they don't score over 20 they'll have a tough time winning, but if they score 25-30 they've got it.”
Two-time IndyCar Series champion Hornish Jr., will also be attending Sunday’s game as a guest of team owner Penske, but he might have a disagreement with Kahne on who will he’ll be rooting for on Sunday.
“I’m excited to go to the Super Bowl and I’m sure it will be a great game,” said Hornish. “Of course, I’ll be rooting for the Steelers as Ben Roethlisberger is from Ohio, about 40 miles away from my hometown of Defiance. A lot of people in my area are pretty excited about it, so Sunday should be a lot of fun. Plus, I’m honored to be a guest of Roger’s (Penske) at Super Bowl XL. Anything that I’ve read and heard about the Super Bowl coming to Detroit, people have had nothing but great things to say about his efforts. Just like anything else he’s done in his career. He’s given 110 percent.”
There are several other personalities who count racing and football among their interests who are expected to be in Detroit this weekend. The list includes legendary Dallas Cowboy quarterbacks Roger Staubach and Troy Aikman, who co-own Hall of Fame Racing, a brand new team starting in 2006. Drivers Terry Labonte and Tony Raines will share the driver duties this season in the No. 96 Texas Instruments/DLP Chevrolet.
Of course, current Washington Redskins coach Joe Gibbs owns three NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series cars under the Joe Gibbs Racing banner, including 2005 NEXTEL Cup Series champion Tony Stewart along with rookies Denny Hamlin and J.J. Yeley. Gibbs has four wins as an owner at MIS. Gibbs, who has three Super Bowl rings to his credit, has been a NASCAR team owner since the 1992 season and amassed 47 career Cup Series wins as an owner.
Winter Blast at 200 mph: MIS will be on hand at this weekend’s Motown Winter Blast inside the DTE Energy comfort zone at the Southwest Corner of Campus Martius park in Downtown Detroit. The speedway will be distributing MIS posters to Winter Blast visitors, along with handing out information on purchasing tickets to MIS events this summer. The events include the only stops in Michigan for the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series on June 18 and August 20 and the IRL IndyCar Series visit to MIS on July 30.
A helping hand from MIS: In the event that Detroit gets any significant snowfall during Super Bowl week, MIS maintenance staffers will be on hand with six Chevrolet Silverados with snowplows to help assist with the clean-up.
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