Phoenix: Sterling Marlin preview

No. 40 TEAM FACTS:

* Chassis: The Coors Light team will race chassis #504 at Phoenix International Raceway this weekend. This chassis is a brand new car to the Coors Light stable for the 2005 season.

* The Best at Phoenix: Marlin's best starting spot at Phoenix in 16 starts is the pole which he got in 1994. That same year he got his best finish, third, which was the second time he placed third at Phoenix. The first time was in 1991.

* Best Finish of 2005: Marlin beat his best finish of the season last weekend at Texas when he finished fifth in the Samsung/Radio Shack 500 at Texas Motor Speedway. Marlin battled back from a loose wheel and going a lap down to take the checkered flag fifth.

* Race of Firsts: Last week's race at Texas Motor Speedway was the first time that all three Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates driver's have finished in the top-five. Jamie McMurray, Casey Mears and Marlin finished second, fourth and fifth respectively. Busch Series driver Reed Sorenson also finished in the top-five the day before when he brought home third in the O'Reilly 300.

* NASCAR NEXTEL Cup points standings: Marlin's fifth-place finish jumped him into the top-10. Marlin is sitting sixth after seven races this season, just 12 points out of fifth. The last time Marlin made an appearance in the top-10 was last season after his fourth place finish at Bristol in the spring, 38 race weeks ago.

-cgr-