Nationwide Series -- Race No. 29 -- Kansas Lottery 300
Kansas Speedway (1.5-mile oval) – Kansas City, Kan.
Fast Facts for October 2-4, 2009

Tire: Goodyear Eagle Speedway Radials

Number of Tires:
Sprint Cup: Left-side – 1,450, Right-side – 1,450;
Nationwide: Left-side – 575; Right-side – 575

Tire Codes: Left-side -- D-4132; Right-side -- D-4150

Tire Circumference: Left-side -- 87.3 in.; Right-side -- 88.6 in.

Technical Inspection Inflation:
Left Front -- 30 psi; Left Rear -- 30 psi;
Right Front -- 48 psi; Right Rear -- 45 psi

Minimum Recommended Inflation:
Left Front -- 22 psi; Left Rear -- 20 psi;
Right Front -- 47 psi; Right Rear -- 43 psi

Notes: Teams in NASCAR Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series will be running the same combination of left- and right-side tires at Kansas this weekend . . . this is the same tire combination that teams in these two series ran at Kansas last season . . . this tire set-up is run at just one other NASCAR track -- California Speedway . . . as on all NASCAR ovals greater than one mile in length, teams are required to run inner liners in all four tire positions at Kansas . . . air pressure in those inner liners should be 12-25 psi greater than that of the outer tire.

• Logano wins at Kansas: #20-Joey Logano won the Kansas Lottery 300 at Kansas Speedway for his fourth win of the year and his first win at Kansas. He passed #18-Kyle Busch with 4 laps to go. Busch dominated most of the race, leading 173 laps, and became the single season lap leader for the Nationwide Series. He broke Sam Ard's record. #88-Brad Keselowski finished third. The rest of the top 10: #33-Kevin Harvick, #16-Greg Biffle, #12-Justin Allgaier, #60-Carl Edwards, #99-Scott Speed, #29-Clint Bowyer and #10-Reed Sorenson. There were 8 cautions for 33 laps and 12 lead changes among 6 leaders.(10-3-2009)

• Kansas Race Fast Facts:
  Joey Logano won the Kansas Lottery 300, his fifth victory in 37 NASCAR Nationwide Series races.
  This is his fourth victory and 14th top-10 finish in 2009.
  This is his first victory and second top-10 finish in two races at Kansas Speedway.
  Kyle Busch (second) posted his fourth top-10 finish in six races at Kansas Speedway. It is his 25th top-10 finish in 2009.
  Busch broke the NASCAR Nationwide Series single-season record for laps led and now has 2,226 in 2009. Sam Ard had previously held the record with 2,127 laps led in 1984.
  Busch tied the single-season record for runner-up finishes with 10 (Jack Ingram, 1983).
  Brad Keselowski (third) posted his second top-10 finish in four races at Kansas Speedway.
  Justin Allgaier (sixth) was the highest finishing rookie.
  Kyle Busch leads the point standings by 245 points over Carl Edwards.
  (NASCAR Statistics)(10-3-2009)

• Lucky Dogs - Who got a lap back on each caution at Kansas and their finish
  Caution 1: none, no one a lap down
  Caution 2: #62-Gaughan, 29th
  Caution 3: #12-Allgaier, 6th
  Caution 4: #22-Kligerman, 16th
  Caution 5: #28-Wallace, 20th
  Caution 6: #66-Wallace, 15th
  Caution 7: #01-Wallace, 17th
  Caution 8: #23-Robert Richardson, 22nd
  (NASCAR PR)(10-3-2009)

Kligerman on pole at Dover: #22-Parker Kligerman won the pole for the Kansas Lottery 300 at Kansas Speedway in his first Nationwide Series attempt with a speed of 172.778mph. #18-Kyle Busch will start second. #16-Greg Biffle was third fastest but wrecked coming off turn 2 on his second lap and will have to go to a backup car. The rest of the top 10: #32-Brian Vickers, #60-Carl Edwards, #1-David Gilliland, #20-Joey Logano, #11-Brian Scott, #15-Michael Annett, and #38-Jason Leffler. #02-Andy Ponstein wrecked on his first lap and did not qualify. Did Not Qualify: #96-Michael McDowell, #52-Kevin Hamlin, #92-Willie Allen, #73-Derrike Cope, #79-Jennifer Jo Cobb, #89-Morgan Shepherd, #58-Chris Horn, and #02-Andy Ponstein.(10-3-2009)

Speed fastest in Happy Hour: #99-Scott Speed was quickest during the final practice session at Kansas with a speed of 171.510 mph. He was followed by: #22-Parker Kligerman, #16-Greg Biffle, #60-Carl Edwards, #32-Brian Vickers, #6-Erik Darnell, #15-Michael Annett, #11-Brian Scott, and #10-Reed Sorenson. Slowest: #58-Chris Horn and #24-Eric McClure.(10-2-2009)

Busch fastest in opening practice: #18-Kyle Busch was the fastest in the opening practice session for the Kansas Lottery 300 with a speed of 168.397mph. #11-Brian Scott was second. The rest of the top 10: #88-Brad Keselowski, #12-Justin Allgaier, #20-Joey Logano, #33-Kevin Harvick, #22-Parker Kligerman, #16-Greg Biffle, #10-Reed Sorenson, and #32-Brian Vickers. No speed: #47-Chase Miller. #29-Clint Bowyer spun in turn 2 early in the session and backed into the wall. The team had to go to a backup car.(9-25-2009)

Entry List: UPDATES: There are 52 cars on the preliminary entry list for Saturday's Kansas Lottery 300 at Kansas Speedway. Some notes:
Brad Coleman is driving the Phoenix Racing #1;
Driver of the #07 is TBA;
Parker Kligerman will make his series debut in the Penske #22;
Kevin Conway will drive the #26;
Driver of the #31 is TBA;
Mike Bliss will drive the #40 for Key Motorsports;
Danny O'Quinn will drive the #44, which appears to be a second car for the #07 team;
Michael McDowell will be back in the #96;(9-28-2009)
UPDATE: Brad Coleman twittered Monday evening that he will not be in the #1.(9-28-2009)
UPDATE 2: Jennifer Jo Cobb will be in the #79 for Derrike Cope.(9-29-2009)
UPDATE 3: David Gilliland will drive the #1 for Phoenix Racing.(9-29-2009)
UPDATE 4: Final Changes: Jeremy Clement will be in the #0 Chevy for JD Motorsports and his #50 team has withdrawn; the #31 Rick Ware team withdrew; Kevin Hamlin will be in the #52.(10-2-2009)

Can Bowyer Become Third Homecoming King Of 2009?

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Sept. 29, 2009) - Reigning NASCAR Nationwide Series champion Clint Bowyer (#29 Holiday Inn Chevy) comes to the Kansas Lottery 300 on a bit of a hot streak. He won the July race at Daytona International Speedway and last weekend’s Dover 200 at Dover International Speedway. He has only competed in nine races this season.

But if Bowyer – who has averaged an 8.6 finish this season and completed all but three laps in his nine starts – wants to keep atop the result sheets, he’ll have to do it at a place where there may be a little extra pressure to do well. Kansas Speedway is Bowyer’s home track. Bowyer is from Emporia, Kan., about 100 miles southwest of the track. Bowyer has never won at Kansas Speedway, but he did register a second-place finish last season, which was his third consecutive top-five finish at Kansas Speedway. His Richard Childress Racing team won there in 2006 with Kevin Harvick behind  the wheel.

“It’s my home track and I wanted to race everything there is to race there,” Bowyer said. “We’ve been close to winning the Nationwide race at Kansas before and it’s been one of my better tracks. We always run up front, in the top three at least, about every time we’ve run there. Kansas is the place where I want to put on a good show and try to win in front of my hometown crowd.”

If Bowyer does win at the 1.5-mile oval this weekend, however, he’ll join two drivers that already have home state victories this season. Brad Keselowski (#88 Delphi Chevy) won at Michigan International Speedway, while Denny Hamlin won at Richmond International Raceway. One potential hang-up – Bowyer has never earned back-to-back Nationwide Series victories.

Also calling the Kansas Lottery 300 a home race is Carl Edwards, who was born in Columbia, Mo., which is about a two-hour drive from the track. Kyle Davis, the car chief for the #15 Toyota driven by Michael Annett, is from Savannah, Mo., about an hour drive from Kansas Speedway.

Points Battles Still Close Heading To Kansas

Kyle Busch (#18 NOS Toyota) continues to show consistency in his run for his first NASCAR Nationwide Series title. Already with six victories – all on different track configurations – Busch looks to add to his point total and keep Carl Edwards (#60 Save A Lot Ford) from gaining any more ground. Edwards calls Kansas Speedway his home track, as he was born in Columbia, Mo., just under two hours away from the 1.5-mile track.

As Busch adds to his lead, others behind him continue to fight for position. Closest again this week are Steve Wallace (#66 US Fidelis Chevy) and Justin Allgaier (#12 Verizon Wireless Dodge), who swapped the fifth position after last weekend’s Dover 200 at Dover International Speedway. Only 19 points separate the two drivers as they battle to secure the final honorary position for December’s season-ending banquet.

Behind Wallace and Allgaier – two drivers relatively new to the NASCAR Nationwide Series – are two veterans fighting for seventh. Jason Keller (#27 Scott Tissue Ford), the series’ all-time leader in starts (485), has a five-point advantage over Mike Bliss (#40 StopRepairBills.com Chevy) for the seventh position.

Former Kansas Winners, Beware: Repeating Is Tough

It is never easy to win two consecutive races, be it in one season, or at one track. In the case of Kansas Speedway, it has yet to happen in the NASCAR Nationwide Series.

In eight races at the 1.5-mile track, there have been eight different race winners. Jeff Green was the first to win, while drivers Jeff Burton, David Green, Joe Nemechek (#87 NEMCO Motorsports Chevy), Kasey Kahne, Kevin Harvick (#33 Jimmy John’s Chevy), Kyle Busch (#18 NOS Toyota) and Denny Hamlin have followed suit. However, none have been able to score a second victory.

Harvick will have one of the best chances of any of the three entered drivers this weekend. Harvick is bringing the same car with which he won in early September at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

Meanwhile, all six of Busch’s victories this season have come on different configurations. Busch’s only victory at a 1.5-mile track came in April at Texas Motor Speedway. He is driving the #18 Toyota, the same number that Denny Hamlin took to victory lane at Kansas a year ago.

Only two other tracks lack repeat winners: New Hampshire Motor Speedway (23 different winners) and Circuit Gilles Villeneuve (three).

Youth Served In Top 10, Throughout Nationwide Series Field

The NASCAR Nationwide Series has always been a place where young drivers can showcase their talents. In Saturday’s Kansas Lottery 300, youth is definitely served, as a third of the field is under the age of 25.

In fact, there are 19 drivers who are 25 years or younger entered, and five of those drivers are currently in the top 10 in the points standings. Kyle Busch (#18 NOS Toyota) leads, Brad Keselowski (#88 Delphi Chevy) is third, Steve Wallace (#66 US Fidelis Chevy) is fifth, Justin Allgaier (#12 Verizon Wireless Dodge) is sixth and Michael McDowell (#96 Dodge) is 10th.

The newest driver to the Nationwide Series entry list under the age of 25 is still a teenager. Penske Racing development driver Parker Kligerman (#22 Penske Truck Rental Dodge) is set to make his NASCAR Nationwide Series debut Saturday as a teammate to Allgaier, also a Penske development driver. At 19 years of age, the Westport, Conn. native Kligerman is currently second in the ARCA Re/Max points standings. If he is to win the ARCA title, he will join Allgaier as a series champion.

Other drivers 25 years or younger are Brad Coleman (#1 Miccosukee Indian Gaming & Resort Chevy), John Wes Townley (#09 Zaxby’s Ford), Brian Scott (#11 Ridemakerz Toyota), Michael Annett (#15 Dodge), Joey Logano (#20 GameStop Toyota), Brian Vickers (#32 Dollar General Stores Toyota), Danny O’Quinn Jr. (#44 Dynamic Technology Inc. Chevy), Shelby Howard (#70 ForeTravel Motorcoach Chevy) and Patrick Sheltra (#81 Dodge).

IN THE LOOP

NASCAR Nationwide Success Has Harvick Looking At Bright Side

Though Kevin Harvick’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season hasn’t come close to expectations, his NASCAR Nationwide Series campaign must be considered a success.

What makes this season even more special for Harvick: Each triumph is in his own Kevin Harvick, Inc. equipment.

Harvick nabbed his first series win as a driver-owner at Bristol earlier this season, and  added another victory in Atlanta three races ago. His team had three previous victories, but none with Harvick behind the wheel.

This season, Harvick has run 18 of the 28 series races, and has finished in the top 10 in all but six of them.

The current streak he’s on makes him a certain favorite at Kansas this weekend.

Harvick has finished in the top five in each of his last five starts, racking up some impressive statistics during the streak. Over the last five races, he has an average finish of 3.2, a Driver Rating of 124.0, an Average Running Position of 5.5, 259 Laps Led, a Laps in the Top 15 percentage of 98.3 and 184 Fastest Laps Run.

Count on another top-five run this weekend. Harvick is strong at Kansas, boasting some of the top statistics in the series.

In the four Kansas races since the inception of Loop Data in 2005, which includes a win in 2006, Harvick has a Driver Rating of 109.2, an Average Running Position of 8.4, a Laps in the top 15 percentage of 86.1, 85 Fastest Laps Run and 108 Laps Led.

On the other end of the Kansas success spectrum lies Brad Keselowski. Keselowski has uncharacteristic struggles at Kansas, owning a Driver Rating of 67.9 that makes Kansas his fourth-worst track.

In his Kansas career, Keselowski has an Average Running Position of 21.6, seven Fastest Laps Run, no Laps Led and a Laps in the Top 15 percentage of 33.8%.

His last visit there was a promising one, though. He scored a sixth-place finish with a Driver Rating of 95.9 and an Average Running Position of 11.6.

NNS Etc: Kansas Edition

• Owners Seeking Second Win, Too
  
  Like the drivers, no car owner has ever won twice in NASCAR Nationwide Series competition at Kansas. Rick Hendrick has Scott Wimmer (#5 Fasternal Chevy) entered, Jack Roush has drivers Greg Biffle (# 16 CitiFinancial Ford) and Carl Edwards (#60 Save A Lot Ford), Joe Gibbs has drivers Kyle Busch (#18 NOS Toyota) and Joey Logano (# 20 GameStop Toyota) and Richard Childress has Clint Bowyer (#29 Holiday Inn Chevy). Other Kansas owner winners are Clarence Brewer, Ray Evernham, Joe Nemechek and Greg Pollex.
  
  
• NNS Raybestos Rookie Standings

    Driver                    Team        Points
1. Justin Allgaier          Penske      216
2. Brendan Gaughan    RWR         200
3. Michael McDowell   K-A            187
4. Michael Annett        Germain     172
5. Scott Lagasse Jr.    N/A            154
6. Erik Darnell             RFR           133
7. John Wes Townley  RAB           166
8. Ken Butler III           R3              82

• On The Entry List
  
  There are 48 cars entered for this Saturday’s Kansas Lottery 300 – 26 Chevys, nine Toyotas, seven Fords and six Dodges.
  
  Eight of the 12 drivers that have won at least one NASCAR Nationwide Series race this season are entered. Those eight account for 23 victories in 28 races this season.
  
  The top 13 drivers in the points standings have started all 28 races this season, and are all entered at Kansas Speedway.
  
  Jason Leffler (#38 Great Clips-Comcast Toyota) is the highest running driver in the point standings – fourth – without a victory this season. He does have six top fives and 18 top 10s.
  
  Thirteen NASCAR Nationwide Series drivers are also scheduled to compete in Sunday’s Price Chopper “400” presented by Kraft Foods.
  
  Patrick Sheltra (#81 Dodge) is making his first NNS start at Kansas, though he does have three previous ARCA starts there.
  
  Kyle Davis is the lone Missouri or Kansas native on a NASCAR Nationwide Series crew this weekend. Davis, from Savannah, Mo., is the car chief for the #15 Toyota, driven by Michael Annett.
  
  
• Kansas Speedway Statistics
  
  No driver has ever won from the pole position at Kansas Speedway. Jeff Burton started the highest of any Kansas winner – second, en route to his win in 2002. Two drivers have come from 19th to win, including last year’s winner, Denny Hamlin.
  
  Burton’s 2002 win provided other track records. It marked the most leaders, 15, and the most lead changes, 19.
  
  The closest margin of victory was 0.030 seconds in 2005, when Kasey Kahne won.
  
  
• Manufacturers’ Standings
  
  With his victory Sunday at Dover, Clint Bowyer (#29 Holiday Inn Chevy) brought Chevy back to within 11 points of Toyota in the manufacturer points standings with seven races remaining. Chevy leads all manufacturers in Kansas wins with three. Toyota won its first and only Kansas race last season.

2009 Manufacturers' Championship Standings

Toyota       187
Chevy   176
Ford           166
Dodge        87
Follwing Race 28 of 35 at Dover International Speedway

Up Next: NASCAR Nationwide Series Right At Home In Golden State

NASCAR has a rich Southern California tradition and the NASCAR Nationwide Series has played a significant role. Aside from the actual on-track competition, for a number of years, the series’ postseason banquet was held in the Los Angeles area at the prestigious Beverly Wilshire Hotel.

Next week’s (Saturday, Oct. 10) Camping World RV Service 300 presented by Coleman will be the series’ 19th event at Auto Club Speedway, in Fontana, Calif. The series has raced at ACS since 1997, with Todd Bodine winning the first event. Jack Roush-owned cars have dominated overall, winning six times at the fast, flat 2-mile oval.

That’s obviously impressive but so is the fact that Kyle Busch will try not only for a season sweep next week, but also for a third-straight ACS victory. No one has ever won three straight NNS race at the track. Matt Kenseth has the most series victories  there, with four.

There has been one previous NNS season sweep at Auto Club Speedway. That happened in 2004 – the first season there were two of the series’ races at the track – with Roush driver Greg Biffle winning twice.

FAST FACTS

The Race: Kansas Lottery 300
The Place: Kansas Speedway (1.5-mile oval)
The Date: Saturday, Oct. 3
The Time: 3:30 p.m. ET
The Distance: 200 laps / 300 miles
TV: ESPN2, 3 p.m. ET
Radio: SIRIUS NASCAR Radio / MRN
2008 Winner: Denny Hamlin
2008 Polesitter: Kevin Harvick

Event Schedule (all times CT):
Friday – Practice, 2-3:30 p.m.; Final Practice, 5-6 p.m.; Saturday – Qualifying, 9:05 a.m.

2009 STANDINGS

     Driver                    Points
1   Kyle Busch             4,549
2   Carl Edwards           4,338
3   Brad Keselowski      4,252
4   Jason Leffler            3,749
5   Steve Wallace         3,259
6   Justin Allgaier          3,240
7   Jason Keller            3,125
8   Mike Bliss              3,120
9   Brendan Gaughan   3,063
10 Michael McDowell   2,978