This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (July 2009)

Ryan Joseph Newman
Born	(1977-12-08) December 8, 1977 (age 34) South Bend, Indiana, United States
Achievements	1999 United States Auto Club Silver Crown Series Champion 2008 Daytona 500 winner Sprint All-Star Race XVIII Winner
Awards	2002 NASCAR Winston Cup Series Winston Cup Rookie of the Year 2003 Driver of the Year
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series career
380 race(s) run over 13 year(s)
Car no., team	No. 39 (Stewart-Haas Racing)
2011 position	10th
Best finish	6th – 2002, 2003, 2005
First race	2000 Checker Auto Parts/Dura Lube 500 (Phoenix)
Last race	2012 Coca-Cola 600 (Charlotte)
First win	2002 New Hampshire 300 (New Hampshire)
Last win	2012 Goody's Fast Relief 500(Martinsville)
Wins Top tens Poles 16 155 49
NASCAR Nationwide Series career
63 race(s) run over 8 year(s)
2011 position	108th
Best finish	28th – 2001
First race	2001 Alltel 200 (Rockingham)
Last race	2011 Bashas' Supermarkets 200 (Phoenix)
First win	2001 NAPAonline.com 250 (Michigan)
Last win	2005 Ford 300 (Homestead)
Wins Top tens Poles 7 35 12
NASCAR Camping World Truck Series career
3 race(s) run over 3 year(s)
2011 position	89th
Best finish	49th – 2009
First race	2008 E-Z-GO 200 (Atlanta)
Last race	2011 Good Sam Club 200 (Atlanta)
First win	2008 E-Z-GO 200 (Atlanta)
Wins Top tens Poles 1 4 1
Statistics current as of May 24, 2012.

Ryan Joseph Newman (born December 8, 1977, in South Bend, Indiana)^[1] is a driver in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. He drives the #39 United States Army/Tornados/Haas Automation/Quicken Loans/Outback Steakhouse Chevrolet Impala for Stewart Haas Racing under crew chief Tony Gibson. Newman graduated from Purdue University in 2001 with a B.S. in engineering.^[2] He and Danny Efland are the only drivers to have a college degree. In 2002, he was the Raybestos Rookie of the Year.

He enjoys driving and working on vintage cars, particularly 1950s Chryslers. Newman's car was featured on the cover of the 2005 EA Sports computer game NASCAR SimRacing, and he was actively involved in its development. Brooklyn Sage Newman, first child of Ryan and wife Krissie, arrived on Thursday, November 18, 2010.

Racing career[link]

Early days[link]

Newman made his racing debut in 1993 in the United Midget Auto Racing Association and the All-American Midget Series, winning both Rookie of the Year and the championship. His 100 feature wins and two titles have him in the Quarter Midget Hall of Fame. Moving to USAC in 1995 running the C.E. Lewis #39 Drinan Chassis powered Brayton Motor, he was ROTY again in both the Midget Series and the Silver Crown in 1996. In 1999, he was the first driver to win in all three divisions while being the Silver Bullet Series champion in the #14 Beast Chassis powered Chevy.

Beginnings with Penske[link]

Newman began working for legendary racing icon Roger Penske in 2000, winning 3 of the five ARCA RE/MAX Series races he entered, and making his Winston Cup debut at Phoenix International Raceway. In 2001, Newman continued in both ARCA and NASCAR, while attending Purdue. Newman ran 15 Busch Series races that season, winning poles in his 2nd and 3rd career starts and scoring his first career win at Michigan International Speedway in just his 9th career start. He also had a series-high 6 poles. Around this time he would meet racing legend Buddy Baker, who would eventually become his mentor on superspeedways.

"Rocket Man"[link]

In 2002, Newman won a season-high 6 poles, breaking the record set by Davey Allison.^{[citation needed]} In September, he won his first career Winston Cup race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway after starting from the pole. Newman also became the second rookie since Dale Earnhardt Jr. to win the The Winston, and beat out Jimmie Johnson for the Rookie of the Year award on the strength of rookie records in top-fives (14) and top-tens (22).^{[citation needed]}

Newman's 2008 Daytona 500 car, on display at the Daytona 500 Experience

Newman's sophomore season began with 2 flips and 1 near flip at the 2003 Daytona 500 after contact with Ken Schrader, At Watkins Glen he spun and hit the foam blocks, sending him on his side. The near-flip was at the 2003 Aaron's 499 when getting turned, he got into the wall, sending it nearly on his side. 27 cars in all.. Though finishing the season with a series-high eight wins and eleven poles, he also suffered seven DNF's, which left him sixth in points. His number of poles during the season led to him being nicknamed "Rocket Man."^{[citation needed]}

In 2004, Newman qualified for the inaugural Chase for the Cup by finishing seventh in points with two wins and nine poles. He made the 2005 Chase as well, while returning to the Busch Series after a four-year absence, winning six out of the nine races he entered, including a series-record five straight.

Newman endured his first winless season in 2006, finishing a career-worst 18th in points, while his longtime crew chief, Matt Borland, left for Michael Waltrip Racing. His pole ratio between his rookie year and 2006 was one in every three races, tying him for fifteenth on the all-time poles list.^{[citation needed]}

In 2007, despite a streak of three consecutive poles, Newman again failed to win a race, including a near win at Lowe's Motor Speedway that was spoiled by a blown tire.^{[3][dead link]} His winless drought ended after he won the 2008 Daytona 500 on February 17, 2008. It was also the first Daytona 500 win for Penske.

Move to Stewart-Haas[link]

Newman pits his #39 Impala

On July 15, 2008, Newman announced that he was leaving Penske at the end of the season, and a month later, it was confirmed he was joining newly-formed Stewart Haas Racing in 2009, in the number 39^[4] (his number during his midget-driving years) Chevy Impala. U.S. Army signed on for a three-year sponsorship deal, though only for 23 races of the 2009 season.^[5] Despite a slow start, Newman has given his career a boost since the move. Including a pole, 5 top fives, and 12 top tens, and an average finish of 14.0, his best since his 8 win season in 2003. On September 12 at Richmond, Newman finished 10th and clinched a spot in the Chase for the first time since 2005. On November 1, 2009, at the Amp Energy 500 at Talladega Superspeedway, Newman was involved in a heavy crash on the back stretch in which he flipped over on top of Kevin Harvick entering Turn 3. He ended up on his roof, and because the roof was crushed, crews had to use the Jaws of Life to pry the roof off the car after NASCAR officials flipped it back over. Newman was unharmed. On April 10, 2010, Newman broke a 78 race winless streak with a win in the Subway Fresh Fit 600 at Phoenix International Raceway. He only led 4 laps during the race.

Newman began his 2011 season by leading the most laps in the Daytona 500, but crashed twice late and finished 22nd. He got his first win of the season winning on a fuel mileage having enough to get the checkered flag at the Lenox Industrial Tools 301 at New Hampshire, giving him his 3rd career win at the track. Tony Stewart finished 2nd giving Stewart/Haas Racings first ever 1–2 finish. At the same track in September, Ryan Newman grabbed his 3rd pole of the season at the Sylvania 300. The 49th pole of his career put him in a tie for 10th all time on career poles with Bobby Issac. On April 1, 2012, at Martinsville Speedway, Newman survived a wild finish to get the 16th win of his career. The finish involved a controversial caution with 3 laps to go involving the No. 10 of David Reutimann which set up a green-white-checkered finish. Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson dominated but on the restart they crashed with Clint Bowyer and Newman came through unscathed on route to the win.

Nationwide Series[link]

Ryan Newman made his Nationwide Series debut on February 12, 2001 at Rockingham) in the Alltel 200. He started second and finished ninth; it was his first of fifteen appearances in the 2001 season, where he finished with one win and eight top-10 finishes. He regularly averages five series races per season.^[6]

He joined Dale Earnhardt, Jr.'s JR Motorsports for the 2009 campaign as the driver of the #5 Fastenal Chevy, signing on for four appearances for the year. In May 2010, Newman was hired to drive the #1 car for Phoenix Racing at Dover. In 2011, Newman will drive the #30 Chevrolet for Turner Motorsports at Phoenix International Raceway

Craftsman Truck Series[link]

Newman made his Truck Series debut on October 25, 2008 at Atlanta Motor Speedway, starting 10th in the 33 truck field driving Kevin Harvick's #2 Truck and passed his teammate Ron Hornaday with less than five laps to go to pick up his first truck series win in his first start making him the first driver to get their first Truck win at Atlanta and becoming the 4th driver to win in their first Truck race and joining the list of drivers who have won in all three of NASCAR's top series.

Charity[link]

Newman and his wife, Krissie, operate the Ryan Newman Foundation, whose mission is to educate and encourage people to spay or neuter their pets and to adopt dogs and cats from animal shelters; to educate children and adults about the importance of conservation so the beauty of the great outdoors can be appreciated by future generations; and to provide college scholarship funding through the Rich Vogler Scholarship program, of which Newman himself was a recipient, to students interested in auto racing careers. The Newmans themselves have rescued and care for six dogs: Digger, Mopar, Harley, Socks, Dunkin and Fred.^{[citation needed]} He helped fund the construction of the Catawba County, North Carolina Humane Society shelter, in the county where he once lived.^{[citation needed]}

Hobbies[link]

Newman is a car enthusiast and owns 14 cars. His first car was a 74 Triumph TR-6. His favorite car is his 1948 Buick Roadmaster convertible he received from his wife as a birthday gift. His collection can be viewed on the History Channel show American Pickers (Episode: Art of the Deal).

Honors[link]

On April 29, 2008, the St. Joseph County, Indiana, Board of Commissioners dedicated a half-mile stretch of newly-rerouted Lincoln Way West (formerly U.S. Route 20) near the South Bend Regional Airport to Newman.^[7]

Career NASCAR Cup Series Statistics[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

• Official website
• Ryan Newman Foundation
• Ryan Newman at Racing Reference
• [http://www.nascar.com/drivers/dps/rnewman00/cup/index.html Ryan Newman}} at NASCAR.com

Bella Thorne
Thorne at the Movieguide 2012 Awards Gala Red Carpet
Background information
Birth name	Annabella Avery Thorne[1]
Born	(1997-10-08) October 8, 1997 (age 14) Pembroke Pines, Florida, U.S.
Genres	Dance-pop, electropop
Occupations	Actress, singer, model, Dancer
Instruments	Vocals
Years active	2003–present (actress) 2011–present (singer)
Labels	Walt Disney
Associated acts	Zendaya
Website	bellathorneofficial.com

Annabella Avery "Bella" Thorne (born October 8, 1997) is an American teen actress, dancer, singer, and model. She is a child model and actor with appearances in more than 20 films and television series and more than 60 commercials, she is best known for her role as the aspiring young dancer CeCe Jones on the Disney Channel original series Shake It Up!.

Early life[link]

Bella Thorne was born on October 8, 1997, in Pembroke Pines, Florida.^[2] She is the youngest of four children, the others being Kaili (born in 1992), Dani (born in 1993), and Remy (born in 1995), who are also actors and models.^[2] Thorne, who is of Italian, Cuban, and Irish descent, spoke Spanish as her first language, although she has forgotten it.^[3]

Career[link]

Thorne's first film appearance was an uncredited role as a sidelines fan in the 2003 film Stuck on You. She has since appeared in film and television projects including Jimmy Kimmel Live!, Entourage, The O.C. (as a younger version of Taylor Townsend), the third-last episode of October Road (as Angela Ferilli, the pre-adolescence crush of the main characters; her older brother Remy also guest-starred in the same episode as a younger Eddie Latekka), and five episodes of Dirty Sexy Money (as Margaux Darling).^[4] In 2007 Thorne appeared as a young girl plagued by supernatural visions in The Seer.

In 2008, Thorne starred alongside Christian Slater and Taylor Lautner in the short-lived drama series My Own Worst Enemy, for which she won a Young Artist's Award for her portrayal of the character Ruthy Spivey; Thorne described her Enemy casting as a major breakthrough as this was the first recurring role in her career. She then appeared in the ten-episode web series Little Monk, which depicted characters from the series Monk as children. In 2009, she filled the role of the vengeful antagonist in the horror film Forget Me Not.^[5]

In 2010, Thorne joined the cast of HBO's Big Love in its fourth season, replacing Jolean Wejbe in the role of Bill Henrickson's daughter Tancy 'Teeny' Henrickson (though she had actually auditioned for a different role). She also guest starred on Wizards of Waverly Place, as Max's girlfriend Nancy Lukey.^[2] In addition, Thorne took on a supporting role in the family drama Raspberry Magic.

Thorne enjoyed an extensive career as a child model. Since appearing in her first pictorial for a parenting magazine at the age of 6 weeks, Thorne has starred in television ad campaigns for Digital Light Processing, Publix, and KFC, and appearing in print ads for brands including Barbie, ALDO K!DS, JLO by Jennifer Lopez, Kaiya Eve Couture, LaSenza Girl, Tommy Hilfiger, Ralph Lauren, Guess?, Target, Justice and Mudd for Kohls. She also modelled for Sears back to school.^[2] In an interview with Seventeen magazine, Thorne described her appointment as the spokesperson for Texas Instruments as her big break, but admitted that she has lost much more projects than she has booked and credited the support of her family for helping her get over disappointments.

Thorne currently co-stars on the Disney Channel sitcom Shake It Up!, (originally titled Dance, Dance Chicago). Thorne plays CeCe Jones, a dancer with heavy ambitions for a career in the spotlight.^[6] The show is a buddy comedy centered around a teen dance show (in a show-within-a-show format) co-starring Thorne and Zendaya.^[7] The multi-camera series began production in Hollywood, California, in July 2010 and premiered on November 7, 2010 on Disney Channel. While she had a substantial portfolio of work in television and film, Thorne had no experience in professional dancing before being cast. After signing onto the show in October 2009, she began taking three dance classes every night.^[8]

Personal life[link]

Originally from Pembroke Pines, Florida, Thorne has been living with her family in California since early 2006.^[2] Her interests include dancing, playing soccer, spending time with her family and playing with her two dogs, a Cocker Spaniel and a wolf hybrid, six cats and a turtle.^[2] She also admits to being a collector of hardcover books, listening to 1980s music, and using YouTube as a research tool for getting into character. Thorne is an avid supporter of the Humane Society, the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, and The Nomad Organization, which provides education, food and medical supplies to children in Africa.^[2][5]

Thorne lost her father to a vehicle accident in 2007.^[5] Thorne disclosed her father's death in a live interview on the local television talk show "View from the Bay" in December 2008.^[5]

Thorne was diagnosed with dyslexia in second grade.^[5] She is currently being home-schooled after previously attending a public school, where she had suffered peer abuse.^[5] Thorne improved in her learning after attending a Sylvan Learning center and is currently reading and writing a grade ahead.^[5][8][9] Thorne also talked about her dyslexia in an April 2010 interview with American Cheerleader Magazine, and explained that she overcame her dyslexia by rigorously reading everything she could find, including the labels of cereal boxes.^[10][11]

Filmography[link]

Discography[link]

Albums[link]

Soundtrack albums[link]

Singles[link]

As featuring artist[link]

Other appearances[link]

Awards and Nominations[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Bella Thorne

• Official website
• Bella Thorne at the Internet Movie Database
• Thorne Kids at Life.com

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (September 2007)

Adair Rae Tishler (born October 3, 1996) is a former American teen actress, model, voice actress, and singer, who has appeared in television shows such as Charmed and House and in movies such as Within and An American Girl: Chrissa Stands Strong. She is perhaps best known for portraying Molly Walker on NBC's Heroes.^[1] She won a Young Artist Award in 2008 for Best Performance in a TV Series - Supporting Young Actress for her performance in Heroes.^[2]

Tishler has participated in theater productions of Cinderella and Sound of Music. Her résumé includes voice-over work, and she has also performed in music videos—she appears in Martina McBride's video God's Will and in Rhonda Vincent's video If Heartaches Had Wings which also featured pop-star and actress Miley Cyrus.

Her other performances include the role of Carrie in the short indie film 'Six and the City'; a knock-off of the hit TV show Sex and the City. Tishler has also appeared in the hit WB series, Charmed in its final season. She portrayed Tara James in the American Girl movie Chrissa Stands Strong.

Adair used to sing lead vocals for an indie rock band, "Smash It Up". The band consisted of four middle school friends from Burbank California, Cole Clarke (lead guitar), Brennan Flynn (bass guitar), Mia Viesca (drums), and Adair Tishler (vocals), and released a self-titled CD of original songs on April 21, 2009.

Adair has also been involved with modeling in fashion shows and has been hired multiple times for photo shoots. Adair once stated "that she may sign up for a professional modeling school once she gets more acting jobs". Since moving from Los Angeles, California, a representative of Tishler stated in late 2010 that "Adair will be taking a break from acting and singing for "Smash It Up" to focus on school and family". It has not yet been said that Adair will one day return to show business.

Filmography[link]

References[link]

1. ^ Adair Tishler IMDB Profile
2. ^ Young Artist Awards 2008

Kurt Thomas Busch
Born	(1978-08-04) August 4, 1978 (age 33) Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
Achievements	2003 IROC Champion 2004 NASCAR Nextel Cup Series Champion
Awards	2000 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Rookie of the Year
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series career
412 race(s) run over 13 year(s)
Car no., team	No. 51 (Phoenix Racing)
2011 position	11th
Best finish	1st - 2004
First race	2000 MBNA.com 400 (Dover)
Last race	2012 Coca-Cola 600 (Charlotte)
First win	2002 Food City 500 (Bristol)
Last win	2011 AAA 400 (Dover)
Wins Top tens Poles 24 170 15
NASCAR Nationwide Series career
18 race(s) run over 4 year(s)
Car no., team	No. 1 (Phoenix Racing) No. 54 (Kyle Busch Motorsports)
2011 position	97th
Best finish	39th (2006)
First race	2008 Emerson Radio 250 (Richmond)
Last race	2012 Pioneer Hi-Bred 250 (Iowa)
First win	2006 O'Reilly 300 (Texas)
Last win	2012 Virginia 529 College Savings 250 (Richmond)
Wins Top tens Poles 4 15 3
NASCAR Camping World Truck Series career
25 race(s) run over 2 year(s)
Best finish	2nd (2000)
First race	2000 Daytona 250 (Daytona)
Last race	2001 GNC Live Well 200 (Milwaukee)
First win	2000 Sears DieHard 200 (Milwaukee)
Last win	2000 Motorola 200 (California)
Wins Top tens Poles 4 17 4
Statistics current as of May 24, 2012.

Kurt Thomas Busch (born August 4, 1978) is an American NASCAR and NHRA driver. He drives the No. 51 TAG Heuer/Phoenix Construction Chevrolet Impala for Phoenix Racing in the Sprint Cup Series and drives the No. 1 Phoenix Construction Chevrolet Impala for Phoenix and the No. 54 Monster Energy Toyota Camry for Kyle Busch Motorsports in the Nationwide Series.

Busch has also driven for Penske Racing and Roush Fenway Racing in his Sprint Cup career, which began in 2001.

Busch, winner of 24 Cup races and the 2004 championship, also races on an "opportunity permitting" basis in the Pro Stock division of NHRA. ^[1]

He is a second-generation race car driver, his father Tom won several NASCAR sanctioned events. He is the older brother of Kyle Busch, who is also a NASCAR driver.^[2]

Busch won the Cup Series Championship in 2004, the first ever season using the "Chase for the Cup" points format, finishing just eight points ahead of Jimmie Johnson. With a 2006 win in the Nationwide Series, Busch became one of only 23 drivers with a win in all three of NASCAR's top divisions: the Sprint Cup Series, the Nationwide Series, and the Camping World Truck Series.

Early and personal life[link]

This biographical section of an article needs additional citations for verification. Please help by adding reliable sources. Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately, especially if potentially libelous or harmful. (August 2009)

Busch with his former wife, Eva

At the age of six, Busch was accompanying his father to the track and driving go-carts himself. As an underage teenager, he competed in Dwarf competition winning in just his second race, at the Las Vegas Speedway Park. This father and son team competed western tracks from Southern California to Utah. In 1994, his first full year as a driver, Busch won 10 consecutive races at 10 different tracks. His father eventually sold their dwarf equipment and purchased a powerful car for the Legends Series, which Busch began driving in 1996 at age 18.^[2] After graduating at Durango High School, Busch enrolled at the University of Arizona, hoping to earn a degree in Pharmacy.^[2]

Busch became engaged to girlfriend, Eva Bryan, while attending the 2005 Hungarian Grand Prix. On July 27, 2006, during an off weekend following the Sprint Cup Pocono race, they were married in Virginia. The footage was taped and later aired on national television. His younger brother Kyle Busch also competes full-time in both the Sprint Cup Series, Nationwide Series and runs part time in the Camping World Truck Series. Busch is also an avid fan of the Chicago Cubs and the Chicago Bears. The 2011 NASCAR season took a toll on the marriage and finally, Kurt and Eva filed for divorce in early June and were legally separated later that month. Kurt appeared to show off his new girlfriend, Patricia Driscoll, during the June 26, 2011 Toyota/Save Mart 350 weekend at Sonoma, California.^[3]

Racing career[link]

Beginnings[link]

Busch's first racing experience was in a Dwarf car at age 14 at Pahrump Valley Speedway.^[4] He was put in the Dwarf car by his father.^[5]

Busch earned his big break after Chris Trickle was wounded in a mysterious shooting (Trickle would die of the injuries over a year later and to this day the murderer has never been found). The Star Nursery team looked for a new driver to replace Trickle for the No. 70 team. Busch gained national exposure while competing against Ron Hornaday, Jr., Matt Crafton, Greg Biffle, Kevin Harvick and others for the first time in the 1997 Winter Heat Series at Tucson Raceway Park.

Busch and the Star Nursery team went on to win the 1998 Auto Zone Elite Division Southwest Series Rookie of the Year.^[6] He followed up by winning the series championship in 1999.^[7]

That led to a tryout in a Roush Racing "Gong Show", which he won and earned a Craftsman Truck Series ride. He raced the No. 99 Exide Batteries Ford F-150.^[4] He won four races and finished runner-up to teammate Greg Biffle in the championship standings, as well as winning Rookie of the Year honors.

Sprint Cup Series[link]

Roush Racing[link]

2000–2005[link]

Roush announced during the 2000 season that Busch was being promoted to the Winston Cup series to replace Chad Little in Roush's No. 97 John Deere Ford for the 2001 season. However, Little was released from the ride toward the end of the season and Busch ran several races, beginning at Dover in September, with Jeff Hammond as his crew chief. Busch finished 48th in the points with no wins, top fives, or top tens.

Busch ran for rookie of the year honors in 2001, starting 35 of 36 races with no wins, although he scored three top fives and six top tens that year. However, he ran the first several races in an unsponsored car due to John Deere pulling its sponsorship before Roush signed Newell Rubbermaid as the team's sponsor, with its Sharpie brand featured on the hood of the car. He and Dale Earnhardt made contact in the Daytona 500, and Earnhardt stuck his hand out the window at Busch to give him the finger. To this day Busch recalls this as the only time he encountered Earnhardt on the track (in fact, it was the last time Earnhardt and Busch competed in the same race due to Earnhardt's fatal crash at the end of the race). Busch finished with a 27th place finish in the championship standings, was the runner-up for the Rookie of the Year award, earned more than $2 million in winnings. Busch's best finish was third at the spring Talladega race, and he added a fifth place at Indianapolis. He also won the pole for the Southern 500 at Darlington.

2002 was Busch's breakout year in the Winston Cup Series. He won his first race at the Food City 500 in Bristol in the spring. Busch added a second win at Martinsville in October, then won at Atlanta the next week and Homestead in the season finale. Busch scored four wins, 12 top fives and 20 top tens, with one pole, and finishing third in the final standings in 2002. He finished the season particularly strong, winning three out of the final five races and finishing third and sixth and leading many laps in the other two. Busch finished 3rd in points that year. He also collected $5,105,394.

Busch had an up and down year in 2003, finishing 11th in the season standings, earning four wins (including a season sweep at Bristol, making him the first driver to do that since Rusty Wallace accomplished the feat in 2000), nine top fives and 14 top tens but finishing only 11th in the standings following a late season slump, although he collected US$5 million+ dollars again that year. Busch was the runner-up finisher in the closest finish in NASCAR history on March 16, 2003. The race in Darlington, South Carolina was decided with a two-lap side-by-side battle with Ricky Craven, who ended up crossing the finish line first, 0.002 seconds ahead of Busch.

In 2004, Busch won three races, two poles and the inaugural NASCAR Nextel Cup Championship. He won his fourth consecutive race at Bristol after winning the Food City 500 in March (winning that race for the third consecutive year), and became the second driver to sweep both races at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in a single season. He scored ten top five and 21 top ten finishes that season. Irwin Industrial Tools and Crown Royal replaced Rubbermaid as his sponsor. Midway through the 2005 season, Busch announced that he would be leaving Roush Racing at the end of the season and would replace Rusty Wallace in the No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge for Penske Racing South. Busch won three races during the 2005 season, along with nine top five and 18 top ten finishes in 34 races. He finished 10th in the final standings.

Busch (97) and Joe Nemechek at Talladega Superspeedway in 2005.

Penske Racing[link]

2005–2011[link]

Busch left Roush Racing and joined Penske Racing South in 2006. Busch had asked team owner Jack Roush to let him out of his contract at the end of the 2005, but Roush initially refused. However, after Chip Ganassi released Jamie McMurray from his 2006 contract, Roush decided to release Busch. McMurray, who was originally slated to join Roush in 2007 to drive the No. 6, instead replaced Busch in the No. 97, which was then renumbered to No. 26. In the 2006 season, driving for Penske, Busch scored one win at Bristol Motor Speedway in the Food City 500, his fifth win at the track. Busch celebrated the victory by getting out of his car and making a snow angel on the track, due to snow that had fallen at the track that weekend. He also won six poles and had seven top fives and twelve top ten finishes but finished 16th in the final standings. He also made his Busch Series debut for Penske in the No. 39 Penske Truck Rental Dodge at Texas Motor Speedway, winning in his first race. He ran six more races that season and picked up a second win at Watkins Glen International. In the 2007 season, Busch had two wins, one pole, scored five top-fives, and ten-top tens through 26 races and qualified for the Chase for the Sprint Cup. Busch's on-track performance increased noticeably after the addition of Pat Tryson as his crew chief mid-way through the season.^[8] He also ran four more Busch races, earning 2 top five and 3 top ten finishes.

Kurt Busch's 2008 Sprint Cup Series racecar

In 2008, in order to make sure rookie teammate Sam Hornish Jr. would be guaranteed a starting spot in the season's first five races, the owner's points from Busch's No. 2 car were transferred over to the No. 77 car driven by Hornish. Busch would still be guaranteed a starting spot, due to NASCAR's Champion's Provisional Rule, which states that the most recent series champion not in the top 35 in the previous season's final owner points automatically qualifies for a race. (with his 2004 championship, Busch was by several years the most recent). On June 29, Busch broke a 29-race winless streak at New Hampshire Motor Speedway when the Lenox Industrial Tools 301 was called due to rain on lap 284. It was his fourth win since joining Penske Racing and 18th overall.

He began his 2009 season at the 2009 Daytona 500, he was involved in a wreck on lap 124 when Dale Earnhardt Jr. swerved into Brian Vickers. Vickers shot up the track and hit the wall, ricocheting into Denny Hamlin, who came down into Busch. He then spun into the grass (along with 8 other drivers). Busch made numerous pit stops to repair the car, and was able to finish tenth. Busch then qualified fourth for the season's second race at the Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California. He ran in the top five most of the race and finished fifth. This moved him up seven spots in the standings to third. Busch led most of the race the 2009 Kobalt Tools 500, leading 235 of 325 laps and getting his nineteenth Sprint Cup Series victory. He led more laps in the race than he did in the entire 2008 season. He remained in the top five in points for the rest of the season. He qualified for the chase, and ended up 4th in the standings, the first car that was not under the Hendrick Motorsports banner.Busch picked up another win at the 2009 Dickies 500 after his brother Kyle ran out of fuel with two laps to go.

For the 2010 season in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, Penske Racing will bring Brad Keselowski on board to drive the No. 12 Penske Racing Dodge Charger. Busch and Sam Hornish will be his teammates.^[9] Keselowski will also run a full-time Nationwide Series, driving the No. 22 Discount Tires Dodge Challenger. 2009 Rookie Justin Allgaier will accompany him in the Nationwide Series.^[10] Steve Addington, who was Kyle Busch's crew chief for the past two seasons and led the younger Busch to 14 victories, became the crew chief for Kurt at the start of the 2010 season, as Pat Tryson left to join Michael Waltrip Racing as Martin Truex Jr's crew chief. On May 22, 2010, Kurt Busch won the 26th Annual NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race. He then followed it up by winning the Coca-Cola 600 the following weekend, becoming only the seventh driver to win both in the same year. Kurt eventually made the Chase being seeded 5th in points. Busch also, amazingly, finished seventh at Daytona after wrecking three times in the last twelve laps. Busch would finish out the season 11th among the Chase contenders.

2011-2012[link]

In 2011, Busch earned his first Budweiser Shootout win after Denny Hamlin went below the yellow line at the end of the race at Daytona. He would go on to win the 2011 Gatorade Duel 1, and because Pole Winner Dale Earnhardt Jr's crash in practice, which forced him into a backup car, Kurt Busch started in first for the 2011 Daytona 500, and started the 2011 season 3 for 3. Busch won the pole for and led most of the race at Kansas, for 152 laps. However, a fuel pickup issue late hurt his chances of winning. Teammate Brad Keselowski took the victory. However, a few weeks later on June 26, Kurt finally got an elusive road course victory at Infineon Raceway. Not only did he win, but he also the most laps with 76. Because of Brad Keselowski's injury during a practice crash at Road Atlanta, Busch filled in for Keselowski in his NASCAR Nationwide Series car for the Zippo 200 at Watkins Glen International, and Busch managed to get the pole and the win. As of August 13, 2011, Kurt Busch has won 1/4 of all of his Nationwide races. On October 2 Kurt Busch won on 2 late restarts beating Jimmie Johnson in turn 1 leading the final 43 laps to grab his first ever victory at the Monster Mile at Dover. After a frustrating final 5 races, things came to a head when Busch launched a verbal tirade against ESPN pit reporter Dr. Jerry Punch at Homestead. Crew chief Steve Addington moved to Stewart-Haas Racing after the 2011 season.

Busch's employment with Penske Racing terminated on December 5, 2011. Although most observers of the sport believe he was fired,^[11] Busch claimed in a public statement that the parting was "mutual": "I am grateful to Penske Racing for six very productive years. Together we won a lot of races — 16 in all. ... Coming to a mutual agreement to go our separate ways is a positive step for me."^[12] In contrast, the Charlotte Observer reported several sources confirming team owner Roger Penske decided that Busch's altercation at Homestead-Miami Speedway was the last straw in his stormy tenure with the team but chose to defer the announcement until after Champion's Week.^[13]

Following his release from Penske Racing, Busch reached an agreement to drive for Phoenix Racing, driving the No. 51 Chevrolet, for the 2012 Sprint Cup Series season,^[14] with limited sponsorship from TAG Heuer.^[15] He will also run a limited Nationwide Series schedule for the team,^[16] while running additional Nationwide Series races for Kyle Busch Motorsports, sharing the No. 54 Monster Energy car with his younger brother.^[17]

At the 2012 Aaron's 499 at Talladega, Busch paid homage to the 2006 racing comedy Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby by running his #51 car with the paint scheme of Ricky Bobby's #62 "ME" Cougar car from the movie, causing NASCAR on Fox commentators Mike Joy, Larry McReynolds and Darrell Waltrip to jokingly refer to Busch as "Ricky Bobby" throughout the race, and Busch also dropped movie lines into radio chatter with his spotter and crew chief. Busch's girlfriend Patricia Driscoll spent months getting permission from Sony and Will Farrell as well as other trademark and license holders. Busch's real-life fall from grace during the 2011-12 Sprint Cup off-season has been compared to Ricky Bobby's.^[18] Towards the end of the race, when Busch spun out on the trioval off the bumper of Brad Keselowski, Busch made a unique move by driving back to the pits through the pit road exit and then swinging around to take his pit stop.

NHRA[link]

Busch began training in January 2011 under veteran NHRA Pro Stock driver Allen Johnson and obtained his NHRA Pro Stock competition license. He made his drag-racing competition debut on March 10 at the 42nd annual Tire Kingdom Gatornationals in Gainesville, FL. On March 12, Busch qualified in the Pro Stock field, and made his first professional drag-racing Elimination-round start on March 13, losing to Erica Enders by 0.004 second in a car carrying Shell sponsorship and painted to look like his NASCAR Sprint Cup racer. Busch is only the third driver to cross over between NASCAR and NHRA, the other two being Richard Petty and John Andretti.^[1]

Controversies[link]

2005 Phoenix incident[link]

Busch's 2005 season was cut short by two races after a confrontation during the Phoenix, Arizona race weekend with Maricopa County Sheriff deputies on November 11, 2005, when he was pulled over for suspicion of drunken driving and cited for reckless driving.^[19] At first, the Sheriff's department claimed that their equipment for sobriety testing had failed and they could not release results of his drunk driving tests. This claim later proved to be false, but by this time, Roush Racing responded two days later by suspending Busch for the remainder of the season and replacing him with Kenny Wallace for the final two races. Team president Geoff Smith famously declared they were "officially retiring as Kurt Busch's apologists."^[20] Busch was 8th in the Cup Series Chase for the Championship at the time of the incident. He was sentenced to serve 50 hours of community service which was to be completed within one year. In November 2006, one year after the incident, Busch was declared an honorary deputy in Maricopa County.

2011 Homestead incident[link]

In the final race of the 2011 season, Busch finished 47 laps behind the leaders, after spending time in the garage for mechanical issues. While turning into the garage, Busch made an obscene hand gesture. While his car was undergoing repairs, Busch verbally abused Dr. Jerry Punch while waiting to be interviewed by Punch for ESPN, in an incident captured by a fan and posted on YouTube.^[21] NASCAR fined Busch $50,000 for his actions during the race, and Penske Racing issued an apology for Busch's "inappropriate actions".^[22]

In December 2011, he announced that he was seeing a sports psychologist, acknowledging "I need to be a better person on the radio, to the team, as a leader. It's personal issues, of course, and working with a sports psychologist, I've gotten obviously a small grasp, but there's obviously bigger things that I need to accomplish and things can't happen overnight."^[23]

Penske Racing and Busch later mutually agreed to part ways,^[24] although many in the sport believe he was fired.^[25]

Feuds with rival drivers[link]

In the February 2006 edition of GQ Magazine, he was selected number three on their list of the top ten most hated athletes, behind Barry Bonds and Terrell Owens.^[26]

Aside from Jimmy Spencer, Busch has had notable run-ins with Greg Biffle, Kevin Harvick, Robby Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, and Tony Stewart and even with younger brother Kyle Busch, who he now races for in the Nationwide Series. On June 4, 2007 in the Autism Speaks 400 at Dover International Speedway, after a crash with Stewart he drove beside Stewart's car on pit road, and gestured through his window netting. Busch was penalized 100 championship points, fined $100,000, and placed on probation until the end of the year.

But Busch would tangle with Stewart again only months later. During practice for the 2008 Budweiser Shootout at Daytona, Stewart clipped the back end of Busch's car sending Busch into the wall. After sustaining major damage Busch drove towards Stewart's car and rammed Stewart's car three times before attempting to return to the garage after the practice was called. Stewart had stopped his car in an effort to block Busch from going back into the garage area but Busch went around Stewart.

On June 21, 2009 in the Toyota Save-Mart 350 Busch was involved in a wreck with Johnson. Three weeks later at Chicagoland Speedway, both Johnson and Busch were involved in another incident where they collided into each other. Busch then retaliated by colliding with Johnson's car in the door area shortly after the contact. Over a year later, Busch was involved in an accident at Pocono Raceway after bumpdrafting with Johnson. His crash was overshadowed by Elliott Sadler's horrific crash.

On May 15, 2012, Busch was fined $50,000 and put on probation until July 25, 2012 after being involved in an altercation with Ryan Newman and reckless driving on pit road during the Bojangles' Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway three days earlier.^[27]

Racing record[link]

Sprint Cup Series[link]

Summary[link]

(Data current as of October 3, 2011)^[28]

References[link]

External links[link]

• Official website
• Kurt Busch at Racing Reference
• 10 Questions with Kurt Busch – July 2005 interview of the defending Nextel Cup champ

Bradley Steven Perry
Perry in July 2011
Born	(1998-11-23) November 23, 1998 (age 13)
Occupation	Actor
Years active	2007–present

Bradley Steven Perry (born November 23, 1998) is an American actor, best known for his role as Gabe Duncan on the Disney Channel family sitcom Good Luck Charlie, and for his role as Roger Elliston III in Disney's High School Musical spin-off film Sharpay's Fabulous Adventure.

Career[link]

In 2007, Perry began his professional acting career at the age of 8 with small roles in the films Choose Connor, and Magnificent Max.^[1][2] The following year, he made his television debut with a guest-starring role on the CBS crime-drama Without a Trace.^[3] Over the next year, Perry continued to appear in small comedic roles in such films as The Goods: Live Hard, Sell Hard, Opposite Day, and Old Dogs.^[3]

In 2010, Perry landed a starring role on the Disney Channel family sitcom Good Luck Charlie. On the series, Perry plays the intelligent and scheming Gabe Duncan, the third of four siblings in the Duncan family alongside fellow Disney veterans Jason Dolley and Bridgit Mendler.^[3][4][5][6] In 2011, Perry landed a co-starring role in the Disney Channel original movie Sharpay's Fabulous Adventure opposite Ashley Tisdale. In the film, Perry played Roger Elliston III, a precocious young dog owner and Sharpay's rival, competing to get his dog a starring role on Broadway.^[3][4][5]

Personal life[link]

Perry was born on November 23, 1998,^[7] and lives in Southern California with his parents and three older sisters.^[3][4][5][6] He is homeschooled on the set of Good Luck Charlie and plays on a local baseball team in his free time.^[3][4] Perry is also an avid fan of the New England Patriots and appeared in an NBC Sunday Night Football television promo as "The Patriots Kid".^[3][8]

When he isn't busy with work and school, Perry devotes his time to various charitable causes including Mattel Children's Hospital, which provides treatment for children suffering from pediatric diseases, Toys for Tots, which is dedicated to donating toys to underprivileged children during Christmas, and the Make-a-Wish Foundation, which is dedicated to granting wishes to children with life-threatening medical conditions.^[9][10][11]

Filmography[link]