NASCAR Nextel Cup racing returns tonight after a week break for the Easter holiday, the last weekend off until the end of July.

Tonight’s Subway Fresh 500 at Phoenix International Raceway (8 p.m., FOX) marks the first night race of the young season, and all focus will be on Kurt Busch – and not because he won this event last season.

The last time Busch was at Phoenix he was slapped with a suspension from his then-team owner Jack Roush after a much-publicized encounter with local police that ended with a reckless driving charge and much embarrassment.

Busch, now with Penske Racing South in the No. 2 Miller Light Dodge, knows crushing media scrutiny will surround him tonight.

“I’m worried in the sense that being the defending champion will be lost,” Busch said. “It’ll be just about what happened last fall. But I did win the last race in the spring there, and that will be lost amongst all the other attention.”

Busch has been the talk of the sport in recent weeks, much of it because of what is perceived as aggressive driving. Because Busch unapologetically refuses to abide by the unwritten “give and take” rule, critics (fellow drivers and fans alike) have taken a mostly anti-Busch stance.

After getting into the back of Greg Biffle’s car during the race in Texas two weeks ago, Biffle’s girlfriend walked over to Busch’s fiancee to have words, something Busch chalked up to her getting “caught up in the moment.”

“It’s not bothersome whether it’s from the racers or it’s from the fans,” Busch said of his critics. “One mistake that I’ve made is that in all the circumstances, I’ve been too competitive. I don’t think it’s a bad thing at all . . . I get a lot of notoriety because I’m a race winner and a champion, but I’m a very competitive racer as well.”

The Phoenix track setup is as unique as they come. Mostly flat, Phoenix features 9 degree to 11 degree bankings in the turns.

“It races very well for being a flat track,” Busch said. “There’s not too many flat tracks that race well because the groove is, just hold the bottom lane. Where this track, you can race high and race side-by-side with somebody all the way around the race track.”

Three who can grab the checkered: Dale Earnhardt Jr. (two wins here); Ryan Newman (won three poles here); Martin Truex Jr. (DEI excels at PIR, Michael Waltrip came in second last year).