Its back to work for the competitors in the NASCAR Busch Series following the second off-week of the season. The site of Saturday nights race Lowes Motor Speedway in Concord, N.C. is NASCARs proverbial backyard, housing a majority of the sports team shops and driver residences. That makes Lowes a home track for many participants, and is a key reason behind the 53 entries for the CARQUEST Auto Parts 300, second only to Daytonas 54.
David Stremme (#14 U.S. NAVY Dodge) is one of those entrants, and returns to this event carrying the highest finish eighth of the NASCAR Busch Series regulars in the field who also raced one year ago. And despite his 27th-place finish at Richmond last time out, Stremme is arguably riding the best streak of his young NASCAR Busch Series career, having registered top-10 finishes two of those consecutive third-place efforts in the three races prior to Richmond. Even though we’ve had some good finishes, we’re still not where we want to be, Stremme said. The team is showing a lot of progress and we get more competitive each week, but we don’t plan to settle for top-five finishes. We are definitely focused on that first win. The 27-year-old native of South Bend, Ind., the 2003 NASCAR Busch Series Raybestos Rookie of the Year, is also firmly entrenched in eighth place in the series point standings, and has been in the Top 10 for six of the seasons 12 race weeks. Not a bad climb considering Stremme started the season in 40th position after an engine failure at Daytona. “I’ve matured a lot as a driver and I think that’s helping this team run consistently, he said. We’re going to tracks I’ve been on before and I learn more and more each week. The guys just keep giving me fast racecars and I think we’re finally showing what this team is capable of.”
NASCAR Busch Series champions throughout the field Ten former NASCAR Busch Series champions led by reigning titlist Martin Truex Jr. (#8 Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet) are entered in Saturday nights race, representing series crowns won in 11 of the last 14 years, and the last five in succession. Others include: Brian Vickers (#57 Ore Ida Chevrolet) 2003; Greg Biffle (#66 Duraflame Ford) the defending Busch Pole winner at Charlotte 02; Kevin Harvick (#21 Reeses Chevrolet) 01; Jeff Green (#4 GIECO Chevrolet) 00; Randy LaJoie (#34 Dollar General Chevrolet) 1996-97; David Green (#27 Kleenex Ford) 94; Steve Grissom (#49 Advil Ford) 93; Joe Nemechek (#87 Cellular One Chevrolet) 92 and Bobby Labonte (#19 Hunts Chevrolet) 91 are entered as is Mark Martin (#9 Pennzoil Ford), the all-time leader in NASCAR Busch Series wins (47).
NEWS & NOTES, PART II
NASCAR Busch Series Top 10 Second win offers Edwards breathing room Coming off his second win of the season a thrilling last-lap pass of Elliott Sadler (#90 Citifinancial Ford) at Richmond Carl Edwards (#60 Charter Communications Ford) comes to Charlotte leading second-place Clint Bowyer (#2 ACDelco Chevrolet) by 180 points, 1,797-1,617. Reed Sorenson (#41 Discount Tire Co. Dodge) remains in third with 1,526 points, and will try to reverse a mini-slump that has seen him finish 31st or worse in three of his last four races, enabling fourth-place Martin Truex Jr. (1,479) to climb to within 47 points of the rookies position. Ashton Lewis Jr. (#25 U.S. Marine Corps Ford) remains in fifth for the third week in succession, but Kenny Wallace (#22 Stacker 2 Ford) is only 19 points behind in sixth with 1,424. Denny Hamlin (#20 Rockwell Automation Chevrolet), one of three Raybestos rookies in the NASCAR Busch Series Top 10, is seventh, just five points behind Wallace. David Stremme is eighth, while Greg Biffle, despite missing two races, is ninth with 1,379 points. Lewis teammate, Jason Keller (#35 McDonalds Ford), who was ranked 10th in the standings following the Mexico City event but fell to 24th after Las Vegas where he finished last due to engine failure, has steadily climbed back into contention, regaining the 10th position with 1,308 points. David Green is tied with Keller in points, but is in 11th place; Keller has one more top-10 finish than Green. Fedewa, Wallace look to share milestone They entered the NASCAR Busch Series five years apart, but Kenny Wallace and Tim Fedewa (#12 Supercuts Dodge) are scheduled to make career start #325 together in the NASCAR Busch Series Saturday night. Both drivers will be searching for their first win and first top-five finish at Charlotte as well. A start by each would put them in a tie for seventh all-time on the series career list. Tommy Houston is first with 417, followed by Elton Sawyer (392), Jason Keller (368), David Green (333), Randy LaJoie (328) and Dale Jarrett (327). Wallace made his first series start in 1988 at Martinsville, while Fedewa began his NASCAR Busch Series career in 92 at Darlington.
Truex represents NASCAR Busch Series in NASCAR NEXTEL All-Star Challenge Martin Truex Jr. became only the second NASCAR Busch Series regular to participate in the 21-year history of the NASCAR NEXTEL All-Star Challenge when he was voted by the fans to drive in last Saturdays event, providing he finished on the lead lap of the NEXTEL Open. Truex didnt disappoint, finishing 10th in the NEXTEL Open and on the lead lap, he transferred to the NASCAR NEXTEL All-Star Challenge where he was relegated to 22nd place after being involved in a nine-car accident on Lap 35. Tommy Ellis, the 1988 NASCAR Busch Series champion, participated in the 1991 all-star race for Junior Johnson, finishing 14th.
Bowyer back to racing roots Taking advantage of an off-week in the NASCAR Busch Series schedule last Friday, Clint Bowyer returned to the track where he won the 2002 NASCAR Dodge Weekly Series Midwest Region championship Lakeside Speedway in Kansas City, Kan. Bowyer climbed into a Dirt Modified for the tracks 25-lap feature event and finished a close second to local star Kerry Davis. For Bowyer, Lakeside Speedways all-time feature winner with 31 victories, it wasnt all smooth sailing. After borrowing a car from 2004 track champion Tim Karrick, Bowyer had mechanical problems during his heat race and was forced to compete in the B Main to earn a transfer spot into the A Main where he finished second to Davis. It was fun to go back and I [nearly] won the race in a guys car I had never driven before, Bowyer said. It was a heck of a race.
ON THE RIGHT TRACK
Mark Martin has the most NASCAR Busch Series wins at Charlotte (six); he is also the leader in top fives (13), top 10s (13), races led (18) and laps led (1,257) in 26 career races. Greg Biffle has the best average finish among all NASCAR Busch Series drivers at Lowes Motor Speedway with five or more starts (4.7 in eight races). Michael Waltrip (#99 Aarons Sales & Lease Chevrolet) is tied for second among all drivers with 11 top-five and 12 top-10 finishes in 30 races at Lowes. He is second all-time in series starts at the track.
ETC.
Justin Labonte and the #44 U.S. Coast Guard Chevrolet team will host Admiral Thomas H. Collins, the Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard, this weekend as a prelude to Memorial Day. Chief Naval Officer Vern Clark will also be in attendance as a guest of FitzBradshaw Racings #14 US NAVY Dodge team. Kevin Harvick has competed in eight NASCAR Busch Series races at Lowes Motor Speedway. He has yet to record a win, but he has three Busch Poles, two top-five and five top-10 finishes in those starts. He also holds the qualifying record (184.445 mph in May 2003). Michel Jourdain Jr. (#10 ppc Racing Ford) can now call Lowes Motor Speedway his home track. The Mexico City native and former Champ Car standout, who is attempting to become the first Hispanic driver to compete fulltime in the NASCAR Busch Series, is now settled in Mooresville, N.C. with his wife, Nora, and three-month-old son, Michel. Ryan Newman (#39 ALLTEL Dodge) will attempt to make his first appearance in the NASCAR Busch Series since the 2001 season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Carl Edwards win at Richmond May 13 allowed Ford to build on its lead in the competition for the Bill France Performance Cup. With a two-victory lead over Chevrolet, Ford has the largest lead of the season and heads the manufacturers standings entering Charlotte with six wins and 86 points. Chevrolet is second with four wins and 76 points, while Dodge is third with two wins and 66 points. Hendrick Motorsports development driver Boston Reid, a Logansport, Ind., native, attended a number of Indianapolis 500s with his grandfather, Harold Reid. For the elder Reid, the trek is an annual event this weekends race will mark the 77th consecutive Indy 500 the 94-year-old will attend. My grandfathers a pretty amazing guy, Reid said. I think its awesome that hes still able to get out and do the things he loves at his age.
FROM THE ARCHIVES
The 1990 spring NASCAR Busch Series race at Lowes Motor Speedway saw Dale Jarrett pick up his second series win at the track. Dick Trickle won the second Busch Pole of his career with veteran Harry Gant starting on the outside of the front row.
Included in the stellar field were NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series champions Darrell Waltrip and Dale Earnhardt along with the likes of Mark Martin, Ernie Irvan, Davey Allison, Kyle Petty, Michael Waltrip and Ken Schrader. A young NASCAR Busch Series regular named Bobby Labonte was in the process of making a name for himself.
Trickle led for a race-high 114 laps, going to the front on four different occasions. He took the lead for the final time on Lap 167 and seemed destined to record his first series win. But it was Jarrett who slipped around Trickle on the last lap, winning the race by a margin of three feet. It was the only lap Jarrett led, and he is still the only NASCAR Busch Series winner to lead only one lap in an event at Lowes. Crew chief John Ervin guided the second-generation driver to the win just as he had assisted Jarretts father, Ned, to the 1965 NASCAR premier series championship.
ON DECK: DOVER INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY
The NASCAR Busch Series will make its first of two trips to Dover International Speedway next Saturday, June 4 for the MBNA NASCAR RacePoints 200. Greg Biffle is the defending champion, while David Green was the Busch Pole winner one year ago, his first since March 22, 2003 at Bristol.
FAST FACTS
Next Race: CARQUEST Auto Parts 300 (Race #13 of 35 in the NASCAR Busch Series).
Where: Lowes Motor Speedway, Concord, N.C.
When: 7:10 p.m. ET, Saturday, May 28.
Track Layout: 1.5-mile oval.
Race Length: 300 miles/200 laps.
Posted Awards: $1,159,088.
TV: FX, 6:30 p.m., ET.
Radio: PRN, XM Satellite.
2004 Winner: Kyle Busch.
2004 Polesitter: Greg Biffle.
Pre-race schedule (all times local): Fri., May 27: Practice 9 10:30 a.m.; 11 a.m. Noon. Qualifying 5:05 p.m. Cars impounded after qualifying.(NASCAR PR)(5-26-2005)
