In the city where blues is king, Memphis Motorsports Park is quickly becoming known as the track where NASCAR Busch Series debuts are all the rage.

Led by reigning Indianapolis 500 and IndyCar champion Dario Franchitti (#42 Target Dodge) and 18-year-old Chase Austin (#64 HomeLife Communities Dodge), Saturday’s field at Memphis is again dotted by some high-profile drivers attempting to make their series debuts.

Last year, another open-wheel superstar, Juan Pablo Montoya, was in the debut spotlight along with Tim Schendel who was fresh off his victory in the Elite Division at the Toyota All-Star Showdown.

Austin, who turned 18 less than a month ago, will attempt to become only the second driver of African-American descent to compete in the NASCAR Busch Series (Bill Lester was the first in 1999). A teammate of Steve Wallace (#66 HomeLife Communities Dodge), Austin – a competitor in the NASCAR Grand National Division Busch East Series this year – will have to qualify on time.

Additionally, Colin Braun (pronounced “Brown”) looks to make his much-anticipated series debut in the #16 3M Ford for Roush Fenway Racing. Like Franchitti, the 19-year-old Braun – a Grand-Am Series “veteran” – made his NASCAR national series debut in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series last weekend at Martinsville Speedway.

In all, there are 14 drivers age 23 or under entered at Memphis and along with Austin and Braun, there are three other teenagers in the event: 18-year-old Bryan Clauson (#41 Memorex Dodge) who is the experienced series driver on the Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates team with Franchitti (four starts); 18-year-old Landon Cassill (#24 National Guard Chevy) and 19-year-old Brad Coleman (#18 Carino’s Chevy). All three will be making their track debuts at Memphis.

Teams Participate In St. Jude’s “Design A Dream” Event At Memphis

Young patients at Memphis-based St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital will literally have a hand in this weekend’s race at Memphis Motorsports Park.

Sixteen cars in the race will carry paint schemes designed by the children. The original “Design a Dream” idea was circulated in the media and received support from St. Jude’s and the track. It will come to fruition in the form of colorful and whimsical takes on each participating team’s normal paint scheme.

Some drivers will visit the hospital on Thursday and enjoy lunch with the children. A few patients will, in turn, come to the track on Saturday and participate in the singing of the National Anthem with the popular country group Diamond Rio.

“This is a great way to help bring awareness and give the kids a chance to be creative on a large scale,” said Jason Keller (#11 InvestLinc Chevy).

In The Loop: Edwards’ Stats Say Probable Clinch At Memphis; Yeley A Factor Driving #20 Chevy 

Carl Edwards (#60 Scotts Winterguard Ford) is in a comfortable spot right now.

After the checkered flag flies this weekend at Memphis, Edwards needs to lead David Reutimann (#99 Aaron’s Dream Machine Toyota) by 585 points to clinch the 2007 NASCAR Busch Series championship.

Currently, Edwards is 638 points ahead of Reutimann, meaning Edwards can lose 53 points and still hoist the championship trophy. An eighth-place finish or better for Edwards would also clinch the title.

Considering Edwards’ past at Memphis, losing points doesn’t seem likely.

He’s been stellar there, finishing in the top five in both his visits. Edwards finished fifth and third in 2005 and ‘06, respectively.

His statistics there are obviously solid. He has a Driver Rating of 106.8, an Average Running Position of 11.3, 36 Fastest Laps Run and of the 506 laps run at Memphis over the two races, he has spent 78.3% of them in the top 15.

Reutimann has run at Memphis in the NASCAR Busch Series only once, posting a 12th-place finish in 2002.

Another battle to watch is for the owner’s championship – and the #20 Joe Gibbs Racing Chevy could make a hard charge this weekend. J.J. Yeley, a Memphis master, will pilot the #20 FedEx Chevy this weekend and try to chip away at the 116-point lead the #29 Richard Childress Chevy now owns.

Of those competing this weekend, Yeley holds the top statistics in most categories. With finishes of second and 10th in 2005 and ‘06, he has a Driver Rating of 108.7, an Average Running Position of 8.0, and has run 85.6% of the total laps in the top 15. All those numbers are best of any driver in Saturday’s race.

Scott Wimmer, who will drive the #29 Holiday Inn Chevy this weekend, will have to shake off some Memphis rust. He has not raced at the Tennessee short track since 2003, but does have strong finishes there. Wimmer won at Memphis in 2002 and notched three consecutive top 10s from 2001-03.

NBS, Etc.

• Memphis Debuts, Part II: Four drivers entered in Saturday’s race also carry over from the “Debut City” theme for Memphis. Scott Wimmer and Jamie McMurray (#26 Dish Network Ford) made their series debuts in this race in 2000, while Steve Wallace and Stephen Leicht (#90 CitiFinancial Ford) did the same in 2005. David Reutimann captured his first – and to date, only – Busch Pole at Memphis in 2003.

• Double-Duty Doubles: Five double-duty drivers will venture to and from Atlanta Motor Speedway for the Sam’s Town 250 and Sunday’s NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Pep Boys Auto 500. Each has a substitute driver ready at Memphis who will be available to practice and qualify their car if necessary – Kenny Wallace will sub for Jamie McMurray; Matt McCall is in for Carl Edwards; Auggie Vidovich is on standby for David Ragan (#6 Discount Tire Ford); Mark Green is on call for David Reutimann and Casey Atwood will sub for J.J. Yeley.

• Leffler Set For 150th Start: Jason Leffler (#38 Great Clips Toyota), currently fourth in the series driver standings, looks to make his 150th start in the NASCAR Busch Series at Memphis. Leffler made his series debut at O’Reilly Raceway Park at Indianapolis in 1999 and has won two races and eight poles in the 148 races since. His car will carry a special decal commemorating his landmark start.

• Tickets For Elvis?: Brad Coleman returns to the track for the first time since racing at Dover International Speedway last month and will be making his next-to-last appearance for Joe Gibbs Racing since announcing last week he will move to Brewco Motorsports full-time in 2008. His final scheduled race for JGR is next week at Texas Motor Speedway. Coleman plans on having some fun while in Memphis – in addition to touring Graceland with an advance group of drivers including Scott Wimmer, Bryan Clauson, Jason Keller, Landon Cassill and Chase Austin Thursday – Coleman’s team will have an Elvis impersonator in the pits during the weekend.

• Helping Hand For “Shakes”: CitiFinancial sponsored a fundraiser Monday, Oct. 22 for Shane “Shakes” Hakes at Victory Lane Karting in Charlotte, N.C. The event raised more than $7,000 for Hakes’ family. Hakes, who most recently served as a tire specialist on the #90 crew after also spending time with KHI’s NASCAR Busch Series and NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series teams in the same capacity, was critically injured in a motorcycle accident on July 15. As he continues to recover at WakeMed in Raleigh, N.C., the CitiFinancial racing crew and the #90 CitiFinancial Ford of Stephen Leicht will continue to carry the special “Racing for Shakes” logo.

• BB&T Back With Bowyer: Clint Bowyer will be back with sponsor BB&T for the 2008 season, the debut year for new series sponsor Nationwide Insurance. Bowyer, with two wins, 11 top fives and 16 top-10 finishes in 19 races this year, plans to contend for the inaugural NASCAR Nationwide Series championship next year. The sponsorship agreement extends through 2009. In his last full-time season in the NASCAR Busch Series in 2005, Bowyer finished second to Martin Truex Jr. in the championship by 68 points.

• Setting Different This Time For Keselowski: Four months ago at Memphis, Brad Keslelowski (#88 U.S. NAVY Chevy) turned in the performance that set the stage for his career rejuvenation. Subbing for the suspended Ted Musgrave in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race on June 30, Keselowski won the pole and led 62 laps – including being in the lead before a spin with eight laps to go. He finished 16th but won a bigger prize when he was named to drive the #88 for Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s JR Motorsports program. Keselowski had been out of a ride prior to that time. “That run turned a lot of heads,” he said. “I had a lot of voicemails to sort through when I landed back in Charlotte after the race and one was from Dale Jr. Now it’s four months later and I’m coming back to Memphis with a full-time ride in the #88 Chevy.”

By The Numbers:  Memphis Motorsports Park

• 2 – Most wins (Kevin Harvick)
• 3 – Most top fives (Jeff Green, Clint Bowyer, Harvick)
• 2 – Most Busch Poles (Green, Martin Truex Jr.)
• 2 – Races won from the pole (Green in 1999, Truex)
• 35th – Worst starting position of a winner (Bowyer, 2005)
• 4 – Number of NASCAR Busch Series champions who have also won at Memphis

2007 NASCAR BUSCH SERIES RAYBESTOS ROOKIE OF THE YEAR STANDINGS

     Driver                          Points
 1. David Ragan                   222
 2. Marcos Ambrose            192
 3. Kyle Krisiloff                   177
 4. Brad Keselowski             165
 5. Juan Pablo Montoya        165
 6. Brad Coleman                 156
 7. Robert Richardson Jr.        99
 8. Justin Diercks                   51

2007 NASCAR Busch Series Champions Week

ESPN2

ESPN2 continues its season-long coverage of the NASCAR Busch Series with live racing from Memphis Motorsports Park. The telecast of the 250-lap race begins at 3 p.m. ET with NASCAR Countdown.

Marty Reid will anchor ESPN2’s coverage from Memphis, with analysis by another two-time NASCAR Busch Series champion, Randy LaJoie. Rusty Wallace, the 1989 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup champion, will also offer analysis.

Pit reporters at Memphis will be Allen Bestwick, Shannon Spake and Vince Welch.

2007 At-A-Glance: NASCAR Busch Series Leaders After 31 Of 35 Races:

Season Traditional Statistics:      
Driver points – Edwards (4,276)
Victories – Harvick (5)
Races led – Edwards (20)
Laps led – Ky. Busch (958)
Top-five finishes – Edwards (14)
Top-10 finishes – Edwards (19)
Owner points – Richard Childress Racing (#29) - (4,456)
Money Won – Edwards ($1,113,110)
Miles led – Ky. Busch (1,286.08)
Busch Poles – Hamlin (5)
Closest to 10th – Kenseth 10th (2,981 pts); 11th – M. Wallace -22
Consecutive Weeks in Top 10 – Edwards, Harvick (31)

Season Loop Data Statistics:
Driver Rating – Edwards (107.2)
Average Running Position – Edwards (9.8)
Fastest Laps Run – Edwards (526 fastest laps)
Quality Passes – Edwards (943)
Laps In Top 15 – Edwards (4,700 of a possible 5,700)

Chevy Has Strong History At Final Four Tracks

If history holds, Chevy – already the winner of the 2007 Bill France Performance Cup – can continue to build on its impressive season.

Chevy is the top manufacturer at three of the final four tracks remaining on the schedule, including Memphis Motorsports Park.

Chevy has won six races at Memphis and has been to Victory Lane in the last three events there. Kevin Harvick’s win last season was his second at Memphis, making him the only driver to have multiple victories at the track. His first in 2000 was also in a Chevy.

Ford is the only other active manufacturer with a win at Memphis. Tennessee native Bobby Hamilton Jr. (#35 McDonald’s Ford) won in a Ford in 2003.

Chevy also has a series-leading six wins at Texas and Homestead-Miami Speedway while Ford has six wins at Phoenix International Raceway.

Manufacturers' Championship 2007 Point Standings

Chevy 237
Ford       182
Dodge    138
Toyota    125

Up Next: O’Reilly Challenge At Texas Motor Speedway

The second and final visit of the 2007 season at Texas Motor Speedway is up next for the NASCAR Busch Series. The O’Reilly Challenge is scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 3 as part of three NASCAR races that weekend at the 1.5-mile track. ESPN2 will carry the race live beginning at 3 p.m. ET. The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series runs on Friday night while NASCAR NEXTEL Cup race is on Sunday afternoon.

Kevin Harvick has won the last two fall races at Texas and three overall tying him with Mark Martin for the series lead in victories there.

Matt Kenseth, who captured his first series win at Texas in 2003, won this past April. He’s the only driver other than Harvick and Martin with multiple victories at Texas.

David Ragan won his first career Busch Pole last April. Jeff Green, the 2000 series champion, leads all drivers with two poles.

No driver has won from the pole at Texas in the previous 13 races.

FAST FACTS

The Race: Sam’s Town 250
The Place: Memphis Motorsports Park
The Date:  Oct. 27, 20071
The Time: 3:30 p.m. (ET)
TV: ESPN2, 3 p.m. (ET)
Track Layout: .75-mile oval
Race Purse: $1,302,075
2006 Winner: Kevin Harvick
2006 Pole: Johnny Sauter

2007 Point Standings
Pos. Driver  Points
1      Edwards  4,276
2      Reutimann 3,638
3      Harvick  3,523
4      Leffler  3,451
5      Ragan  3,299
6      Hamilton Jr. 3,264
7      Biffle  3,136
8      Leicht  3,046
9      Ambrose  2,987
10    Kenseth  2,981

Pre-Race Schedule:
Friday–Practice, 2-3 p.m.; Rookie Practice, 3:30-4 p.m.; Final Practice, 4-5 p.m. Saturday–Qualifying, 9:35 a.m. (impound).