Kurt Busch making impressive bid for Chase spot with Furniture Row Racing

BROOKLYN, Mich. – Kurt Busch is an underdog now, and it's a role he seems plenty comfortable with.

There are three races remaining in the regular season, and Busch is ninth in the points standings, meaning he has a decent shot at a surprising berth in NASCAR's Chase for the Sprint Cup. That's quite a step for the 35-year-old driver — whose career looked anything but stable as recently as last year.

Furniture Row Racing is Busch's third team in three seasons, a single-car operation based in Denver that is hardly a NASCAR superpower. Busch's trouble-filled stint with Phoenix Racing in 2012 was a far cry from the days when he drove for the likes of Jack Roush and Roger Penske.