KOBYLUCK READY TO KICK OFF SEASON AT PHOENIX

Matt Kobyluck will shift into high gear as he and his Mohegan Sun Race Team get ready for their first race of the season at Phoenix International Raceway on April 19th. Last year, Kobyluck led 56 laps of the NASCAR West Series event before engine problems cut his day short, and relegated the team to a 30th place finish. Kobyluck isn’t dwelling on the past, however, and anticipates a strong showing by the Mohegan Sun Casino Chevrolet.

We had one of the best race cars out there last year,” said Kobyluck. “And it’s unbelievable how awesome that racetrack is. Its fun to drive and we seem to find ourselves near the front most of the time. This race is by far one of the biggest highlights of the season for the team, and it’s sort of become a primer for the start of the Busch East Series season.”

Matt Kobyluck began racing in NASCAR’s Busch East Series in 1999 and has become a top contender in the series with ten wins – not including his post-season victory in the 2006 edition of the Toyota All Star Showdown. Kobyluck has accumulated six career Busch Pole Awards,

Kobyluck's #40 at Phoenix in 2006.

42 top-five and 65 top-10 finishes. In the NASCAR West Series, Kobyluck has made seven career starts with two top-five and four top-10 finishes. Five of those starts were at Phoenix International Raceway.

A win in next week’s AlphaTrade.com 150 will ensure Kobyluck a starting position in the Toyota All-Star Showdown. Under the new format for the event, any driver who wins a Grand National race overall in 2007 will automatically qualify for the prestigious post-season event at Irwindale Speedway in October. Kobyluck won the 2006 edition and wants nothing more than to defend his victory.

“We’re not going out to Phoenix solely to try and get in the Showdown, but that certainly would be a nice plus. We’re racers and we want to win – it’s as simple as that,” said Kobyluck. “Still, those spots are going to be a commodity.”

The AlphaTrade.com 150 is scheduled for Thursday, April 19th at Phoenix International Raceway and will be broadcast live on HDNet with coverage beginning at 11 PM EST.