Busch's Crew Chief Takes Leave

MOORESVILLE, N.C. (AP) Kurt Busch's crew chief has taken a leave of absence to be with his wife as she battles cancer.<br/><br/>Troy Raker was named interim crew chief Tuesday for Busch at Penske Racing.

Tuesday, April 10th 2007, 7:18 pm

By: News On 6

MOORESVILLE, N.C. (AP) Kurt Busch's crew chief has taken a leave of absence to be with his wife as she battles cancer.

Troy Raker was named interim crew chief Tuesday for Busch at Penske Racing. He'll take over for Roy McCauley while he cares for his wife, Amy, who was diagnosed with Leukemia in February.

"There have been recent complications stemming from her long-term treatment and I feel as though I need to spend more time by her side," McCauley said. "Amy is receiving the best care possible and we're confident we will win the battle we are facing."

McCauley said he'll maintain an active role with the team, but allow Raker to run the show.

Raker, who has a masters in engineering from Penn State, broke into NASCAR in 1993 as an engineer for Ford Motorsports. He worked with Ricky Rudd and Bill Elliott before taking a position with Joe Gibbs Racing in 2000.

Raker joined Penske in January as a chassis engineer.