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Kurt Busch hopes to keep momentum

Kurt Busch hopes to keep his momentum running following a strong to his season and his dominant victory two weeks ago at Atlanta

The 2004 Sprint Cup Series champion is currently ranked in third place in the drivers' standings and heads into this weekend's race at Bristol as one of the favourites, having won at the half-mile oval five times - a record he shares among active drivers with points leader Jeff Gordon.

"We're definitely pumped up with how our season has started," Busch said. "Daytona is one thing. Then to evaluate where you are in the mile-and-a-halfs is another. The third step for this season to get under our belt is short tracks, Bristol and Martinsville.

"We're hoping we can blend in the set-ups that we've figured out so far this year into Bristol and into Martinsville. But that's going to be the big challenge. Nobody knows what to expect because we haven't had much pre-season testing to help us with the short tracks.

"But we feel like we've got our homework done. Went down to New Smyrna Speedway in Florida and tried to get used to the short track feel of things again."

The Penske driver failed to make the Chase for the Sprint Cup last year, finishing only 18th in the championship with one win to his name, claimed at a rain-shortened event at Loudon in June. He says his team has worked hard to overcome last season's struggles, but wouldn't point at any specific areas where he has seen the biggest gains.

"Well, we've worked on all areas," Busch said. "Last year everybody would ask: What areas do you think you need to improve on to make your car a championship-calibre car? We couldn't put our finger on just one thing.

"I think we had to look at all areas and make every area better. And we've had a lot of people pulling the rope in the same direction helping us do that. Engines, aerodynamics, set-ups, you name it, we're doing it better."

Nevertheless, Busch admits that the new Dodge engine, which has been mostly developed by Penske since last year, has been key to his recent success. He says the low-end torque of the motor has significantly improved, something than can actually add to his strengths at Bristol.

"I think that's what the new R6 engine from Dodge has provided for us," he said. "The biggest thing has been durability that we focused on. Also to gain more power low end and top end. You can definitely see the low-end torque on restarts.

"When you go to do the restarts through the gear, tracks where you're full throttle, not flipping the tyres, you really get to put your power down."

Busch last won at Bristol in 2006, when he claimed his maiden victory for Roger Penske. His other four wins at the half-mile venue came while he was driving for Jack Roush.

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