Four rookies in top 10 With the influx of young talent in the NASCAR Busch Series, it should be no surprise that four Raybestos Rookie of the Year candidates are in the top 10 in the points standings. Carl Edwards (#60 Charter Ford) has led the NASCAR Busch Series standings for the last seven weeks, and won at Atlanta. Reed Sorenson (#41 Discount Tire Dodge) is currently third in points and won at Nashville. Hamlin (eighth) and Wood (10th) are the other two rookie candidates in the top 10.
ON THE RIGHT TRACK
Johnny Sauter (#1 Yellow Dodge) made his first career NASCAR Busch Series start at Richmond International Raceway in 2001 and finished fifth. Sauter won at RIR in the fall of 2003. Jason Keller (#35 McDonalds/McGriddles Ford) has 22 starts at Richmond and has started on the front row four times. He won the spring race at Richmond in 2002. Greg Biffle (#66 Duraflame Ford) has an average RIR start of 11.1. Mark Martin (#9 Pennzoil Ford) will attempt to make his 23rd NASCAR Busch Series start at Richmond.
ETC.
Ford leads the Bill France Performance Cup standings with 77 points and five wins. Chevrolet is second with 72 points and four wins; Dodge has 60 points and two wins. Eight former Richmond winners are entered in Fridays race, including the last three winners of the spring race (Jason Keller, Kevin Harvick #21 Reeses Chevrolet and Kyle Busch #57 Spectracide Triple Strike Grass-Weed-Root Killer Chevrolet). Buschs win from the pole at Richmond last year was his first career win. All three Green brothers (Mark, Jeff and David) will attempt to race against each other again this weekend. At Darlington, David Green (#27 Kleenex Ford) was the highest finishing brother with a 15th-place finish. In 1989, the spring race at Richmond (which was the second race of the season that year) was canceled because of snow. The race was moved after the 1991 race.
FROM THE ARCHIVES
Richmond International Raceway opened in October 1946 as a half-mile dirt track. It was paved in 1968 and became a three-quarters mile speedway in 1988. The last NASCAR Busch Series race to be held on the old half-mile track took place on Sept. 12, 1987.
The 1987 Freedlander 200 was won by Mark Martin and was the first of his record-setting five NASCAR Busch Series wins at Richmond. Driving a Ford owned by B.A. Lawmaster, Martin sat in 16th position as pole sitter Larry Pearson led the 32-car field to the green flag.
Tommy Houston dominated the first half of the race, leading 106 laps. Pre-race favorite Dale Earnhardt, dropped out after 28 laps due to handling problems and never led a lap. Taking the lead at Lap 142, Martin led for two laps before L.D. Ottinger took over. Harry Gant went to the front for 17 laps before Martin took the lead for good on lap 167 (of 180 laps). Martin took home $8,000 for his third career NASCAR Busch Series victory.
FAST FACTS
What: FUNAI 250 (Race #12 of 35 in the NASCAR Busch Series).
Where: Richmond International Raceway, Richmond, Va.
When: 8:05 p.m. ET, Friday, May 13.
Track Layout: Three-quarter mile oval.
Race Length: 250 laps/187.5 miles.
Posted Awards: $1,023,776.
TV: FX, 7:30 p.m., ET.
Radio: MRN, XM Satellite.
2004 Winner: Kyle Busch.
2004 Polesitter: Kyle Busch.
Pre-race schedule (all times local): Fri., May 13: Practice 9:30 11:50 a.m.; p.m. Qualifying 4:35 p.m. Cars impounded after qualifying.(NASCAR PR)(5-10-2005)
