There’s plenty of fanfare surrounding the NASCAR Busch Series’ arrival at Kansas Speedway for Saturday’s race.

Emporia’s Clint Bowyer (# 2 BB&T Chevy) is scheduled to compete in the Yellow Transportation 300 before resuming his attempt to capture the 2007 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup as one of the 12 drivers in the Chase for the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup.

Columbia, Mo., native Carl Edwards (# 60 Scotts Winterguard Ford) returns to familiar territory as the NASCAR Busch Series points leader and also joins Bowyer as a Chase participant.

Then there’s the quiet thunder that accompanies series veteran Jason Keller (# 11 InvestLinc Chevy).
He’s not in the top 10 in points. He hasn’t run a full season. He drives for a start-up team.

But he can produce perhaps the biggest headline of the event.

If Keller qualifies – which he must do on time for his CJM Racing team as it is not in the top 30 in the owner point standings – he will be on the starting grid for the 417th time in his career, which will tie Tommy Houston’s all-time starts record.

The 37-year-old Keller is the only driver other than Houston to make more than 400 series starts. The man whose record he’s approaching is more than willing to have Keller as the new standard-bearer.
“I was able to race against Jason as he was beginning in the series,” Houston said. “He’s a good racer, races everybody clean and has kept his car in good shape.
“He’s the kind of person who’s dedicated to the NASCAR Busch Series. He’s got a lot of racing ahead of him and of anybody who could break this record, I’m happy that it’s Jason.”

Battles Galore Throughout NASCAR Busch Series Top-10 Point Standings

As Carl Edwards continues his march toward the NASCAR Busch Series driver championship and his # 60 Roush Fenway Ford Racing team tries to fend off the # 29 Richard Childress Racing Chevy team for the owner title – the # 60 comes to Kansas 39 points ahead of the # 29 – there are other micro-battles going on within the standings with seven races to go.

Fourth-place Jason Leffler (# 38 Great Clips Toyota) is 20 points behind reigning series champion Kevin Harvick (# 77 Dollar General Chevy) in the race for third.

Rookie David Ragan (# 6 Discount Tire Ford) has been sitting comfortably in fifth place in the point standings for the last six weeks, but is feeling the pressure from Bobby Hamilton Jr. (# 35 McDonald’s Ford) who is only 42 points out in sixth place.

Greg Biffle (# 16 3M Ford), the 2002 series champion, jumped ahead of Marcos Ambrose (# 59 Kingsford Ford) and is now seventh, but Ambrose sits just 21 points back in eighth. Stephen Leicht (# 90 CitiFinancial Ford) is within 67 points of Ambrose but is feeling the pressure from Mike Wallace (# 7 GEICO Chevy) who ranks 10th but is 30 points behind Leicht.

And 11th has become relevant again as Matt Kenseth (# 17 Arby’s Ford) has crept to within 70 points of Wallace heading into this weekend.

In The Loop:  Former Kansas Winners Harvick, Kahne Among Top Picks As First To Repeat

Kansas Speedway has provided some runner-up heartbreak over the past two years in the NASCAR Busch Series.

Last year at Kansas, Matt Kenseth dominated, leading 145 laps and notching a superb Driver Rating of 145.0. But he finished second to Kevin Harvick.

In 2005, the same thing nearly happened, but this time to Kenseth’s Roush Fenway Racing teammate Greg Biffle. Biffle led 136 laps in that race and racked up an impressive Driver Rating of 143.8. He too finished second, this time to Kasey Kahne (# 9 Ragu Dodge).

All four drivers will race Saturday, with Kenseth and Biffle looking for some redemption. Both should fair well – they sit atop every key Loop Data category.

Over the last two races, Biffle has the top average Kansas Driver Rating (120.6), an Average Running Position of 7.0 (seventh-best), a series-high 78 Fastest Laps Run and has spent 364 Laps in the Top 15 (91%). He also has 53 Quality Passes (passes of cars in the top 15 under green), which is third-most.

Kenseth has a Driver Rating of 118.9 (second-best), an Average Running Position of 6.0 (third-best), 60 Fastest Laps Run (second-most) and has spent 386 of 400 Laps in the Top 15.

Harvick, the two-time series champion, has a series-high five wins this season and could add another to the tally. Over the past two years, Harvick has an average finish of 2.5 at Kansas, a Driver Rating of 115.7 (third-best), an Average Running Position of 5.9 (best of any driver competing Saturday) and has spent all but three of his laps in the top 15.

Also watch for Stephen Leicht to make a surge Saturday. In his first-ever Kansas start last season, Leicht finished 12th, and put up impressive numbers in the process: Driver Rating of 83.3, Average Running Position of 15.7 and 109 Laps in the Top 15.
 
NBS, Etc.

• Off To See The Wizards: David Ragan will be at the Kansas City Wizards-L.A. Galaxy soccer match Thursday at Arrowhead Stadium. He’ll participate in a pre-game autograph and media session and at halftime, will assist teams from Kansas and Missouri in the Special Olympics’ “Border Showdown” soccer game. Also, Back40 Records artist Christopher Hatfield will sing the national anthem during pre-game ceremonies. Back40 Records is a creation of driver Carl Edwards and a high school friend to promote and showcase musical talent in Edwards’ hometown of Columbia, Mo.  
• Telling It Like It Is: Jeff Burton (# 29 Holiday Inn Chevy) on the series’ owner title race: “All the pressure is on the # 60 car.  It would be much more disappointing for them to win the drivers’ championship and lose the owners’ championship. And it is our job to make that disappointment. For them to honestly say that they are the best team in the Busch Series, they have to win both. The best teams in the garage, with the exception of the # 60, aren’t running a full season. For them to claim victory, then they need to win both.  It is the same for (us).  For us to claim that we were the best, we have to win the owners’ championship.”
• Of Note: Marcos Ambrose’s wife Sonja gave birth to their second child – Adelaide Elizabeth Ambrose – last Sunday afternoon. After finishing 20th at Dover, Ambrose flew directly back to Charlotte for the birth. “Mum and baby are great,” he said. “Thankfully, she looks more like her mum than me.” … Kansas City native Jennifer Jo Cobb (# 44 Driver Boutique Chevy) will attempt to become the first female series driver of 2007 at Kansas. ...  Kevin Harvick’s # 029 KHI chassis went through one of the world’s best wind tunnels in Torino, Italy. The car will be making its debut at Kansas. … There has yet to be a repeat race winner at Kansas Speedway.

The Director’s Take: Kansas

“Kansas Speedway is one of the true tri-ovals in NASCAR. Each of these tracks has its own unique points. Kansas is more of a true tri-oval whereas other tracks have more of a double dog leg on the front.

“With this type of track cars carry more speed going into Turn 1 than Turn 3. On a true oval the speed is the same in 1 and 3. This causes drivers to use more brake at one end of the track than the other.

Crew chiefs and drivers will talk about how the car is better at one end than the other. Fans will see a driver get passed on one end and then pass back at the other, this going on for lap after lap. These differences cause the teams to look for that elusive balance – the car working well on both ends.

“Watch for action in Turns 1 and 4. Drivers will take chances going into 1 to gain that extra spot. Having a little extra speed with a loose car coming out of 4 and a driver will be testing the paint on the SAFER barrier.

Rookie Spotlight: No Quit In Ragan In His Attempt To Make Raybestos Rookie History  

Ragan Continues Quest For “Double:” As a full-time rookie driver in both the NASCAR Busch Series and in the  NASCAR NEXTEL Cup, David Ragan still has an opportunity to claim Rookie of the Year honors in both series. With a comfortable 24-point lead with seven races to go over Marcos Ambrose in the NASCAR Busch Series chase, Ragan is in the opposite position in his premier series rookie race. There, he’s in second, 15 points behind Juan Pablo Montoya. Although Montoya is fourth in the NASCAR Busch Series rookie rankings, his season is effectively over in the nation’s # 2 motorsports series so he can concentrate on his NASCAR NEXTEL Cup program with Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates. Ragan has eight races remaining in NASCAR NEXTEL Cup competition to become the first driver to claim Rookie of the Year honors in both series in the same season.

2007 NASCAR BUSCH SERIES
RAYBESTOS ROOKIE OF THE YEAR STANDINGS

Driver                               Points
 1. David Ragan                  214
 2. Marcos Ambrose           190
 3. Kyle Krisiloff                  171
 4. Juan Pablo Montoya      165
 5. Brad Keselowski            157
 6. Brad Coleman               156
 7. Robert Richardson Jr.      99
 8. Justin Diercks                 51

ESPN2

ESPN2 continues its season-long coverage of the NASCAR Busch Series with live racing from Kansas Speedway. The telecast of the 300-mile race is presented by Principal Financial Group and begins at 3 p.m. ET with NASCAR Countdown. Allen Bestwick will serve as host.

Dr. Jerry Punch will anchor ESPN2’s coverage from Kansas, with analysis by two-time NASCAR champion crew chief Andy Petree and Brad Daugherty, a former winning team owner in the NASCAR Busch Series and in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series.

Pit reporters will be Dave Burns, Jamie Little, Mike Massaro and Shannon Spake, while two-time champion crew chief Tim Brewer will report from the ESPN DISH Tech Center.

2007 At-A-Glance: NASCAR Busch Series Leaders After 29 Of 35 Races:

Traditional Statistics:       
Driver points – Edwards (4153) 
Victories – Harvick (5) 
Races led – Edwards (17)
Laps led – Ky. Busch (941)
Top-five finishes – Edwards (14)
Top-10 finishes – Edwards (19)
Owner points – Roush Fenway Racing (# 60) - (4,153) 
Money Won – Edwards ($1,066,560)
Miles led – Ky. Busch (1260.58)
Busch Poles – Hamlin (5)
Closest to 10th – M. Wallace 10th (2801 pts) Kenseth, 11th (-70)
Consecutive Weeks in Top 10 – Edwards, Harvick (29)

Loop Data Statistics:
Driver Rating – Edwards (107.9)
Average Running Position – Edwards (9.3)
Fastest Laps Run – Edwards (487 fastest laps)
Quality Passes – Edwards (927)
Laps In Top 15 – Edwards (4,475 of a possible 5,300)
 
Ford Looks For Late-Season Momentum; Goes For Series-Leading Third Win At Kansas

Denny Hamlin’s third win of the season last Saturday at Dover was the 17th for Chevy in 2007 and added to the manufacturer’s championship points tally in the Bill France Performance Cup standings.

Chevy clinched its 14th crown – building on its series record – following its win at Richmond International Raceway earlier this month.

Second-place Ford has two previous wins at Kansas, but those victories came in the first two series races at the track in 2001-02.

Kevin Harvick took Chevy to victory in this event last year, but Kasey Kahne won third-place Dodge’s first race at the track in 2005. Fourth-place Toyota will be making its series debut at Kansas and will look to improve upon its 1.5-mile track program that’s produced only one top-10 finish so far this year.

Manufacturers' Championship 2007 Point Standings
Chevy 219
Ford        170
Dodge      132
Toyota     117

Up Next: Dollar General 300 At Lowe’s Motor Speedway

Following an open week, the NASCAR Busch Series returns to Lowe’s Motor Speedway for the Dollar General 300 for night racing on Friday, Oct. 12. ESPN2 will carry the race live beginning at 7:30 p.m. ET.

Dave Blaney captured his first NASCAR national series win in this event last year, while Kevin Harvick was crowned series champion. It all followed a wild finish where the leaders were involved in a series of accidents in the last 10 laps that allowed Harvick to earn enough points to claim his second title despite a ninth-place finish.

Mark Martin has the most wins at LMS with four, while Matt Kenseth leads all drivers with four Busch Poles. Carl Edwards won the pole for this event last year. Kasey Kahne won this past May at the 1.5-mile track that the majority of drivers call their home venue.

FAST FACTS

The Race: Yellow Transportation 300
The Place: Kansas Speedway
The Date:  Sept. 29, 20071
The Time: 3:30 p.m. (ET)
TV: ESPN2, 3:00 p.m. (ET)
Track Layout: 1.5-mile tri-oval
Race Purse: $1,544,672
2006 Winner: Kevin Harvick
2006 Pole: Matt Kenseth

2007 Point Standings
Pos. Driver             Points
1      Edwards         4,153
2      Reutimann      3,399
3      Harvick           3,265
4      Leffler             3,245
5      Ragan             3,088
6      Hamilton Jr.     3,046
7      Biffle               2,919
8      Ambrose         2,898
9      Leicht             2,831
10    M. Wallace      2,801

Pre-Race Schedule:
Friday – Practice, 1:15-2:15 p.m.; Rookie Practice, 2:30-3:00 p.m.; Final Practice, 4:45 p.m. (one hour, time permitting). Saturday – Qualifying, 10:05 a.m. (impound).