Indianapolis Raceway Park sits some fifteen minutes west of Indianapolis Motor Speedway. But IRP is a storied track in its own right, one with NASCAR history tied directly to it. The NASCAR Busch Series has raced at IRP since the series inception in 1982. The exciting racing each year on the .686-mile oval surrounded by packed grandstands was a precursor to the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series arrival at the big track in 1994. IRP hosts the NASCAR Busch Series Kroger 200 this Saturday night, the 24th consecutive season that the track and the race sponsor has welcomed the series to central Indiana. History shows names such as Morgan Shepherd claiming the most series wins at IRP (three), Jimmy Hensley still holding the race record of 96.923 mph set in 1995 and likewise remaining intact is David Greens (#27 Kleenex Ford) qualifying record of 113.461 established in his series championship year of 1994.
Nine winners at IRP have gone on to claim NASCAR Busch Series championships in that same season. And recent history shows three IRP victors/series champions Kevin Harvick, 2001; Greg Biffle, 2002 and Brian Vickers, 2003 have done so in the last four years. Additionally, a NASCAR Busch Series Raybestos rookie has won at IRP twice in the last five seasons. Ron Hornaday Jr. (#32 WINFUEL Chevrolet) was a rookie winner in 2000 as was Kyle Busch last year.
Reed Sorenson (#41 Discount Tire Dodge) follows in the recent history footsteps of younger drivers finding success at the venerable track. A rookie, he is third in the championship rankings, only 84 points behind leader and defending NASCAR Busch Series champion Martin Truex Jr. (#8 Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet). Sorenson, who won at Gateway last week, made his series debut at IRP one year ago, starting third and finishing 13th. Two other rookies Carl Edwards (#60 Charter Communications Ford) and Denny Hamlin (#20 Rockwell Automation Chevrolet), come to IRP ranked in the Top 10. Edwards is fourth while Hamlin is sixth. Both will be making their first NASCAR Busch Series IRP starts.
NEWS & NOTES, PART II
Truexs lead getting pressure from Bowyer, Sorenson Following 22 of the NASCAR Busch Series 35 races this season, the championship rankings are as close as theyve been since Milwaukee, where only 41 points separated leader Martin Truex Jr. and third-place Clint Bowyer (#2 ACDelco Chevrolet). Truex took his first points lead of the season following that race. He remains in first place heading to IRP, but Bowyer, now in second, and Reed Sorenson in third, are only 70 and 84 points behind the defending series champion, respectively. Truex was 142 points in front of Bowyer his biggest lead of the season after his win at New Hampshire three weeks ago. Sorenson led the points for two weeks earlier this season, and closed the gap on Truex considerably following his second win of the year last week at Gateway. The top three havent been this close at this stage of the season since 2003 when only 35 points stood between first-place Scott Riggs and third-place Jason Keller (#35 McDonalds Ford). Already this year, first through third places have been separated by 94 points or less eight times.
Stremme hopes for hometown success David Stremme (#14 U.S. NAVY Dodge) returns to his home state for this weekends race at IRP, and looks to capitalize on one of the strongest runs of his career in front of family and friends. Stremme, from South Bend, Ind., led 54 laps last Saturday at Gateway in perhaps the strongest car in the field before tire issues forced him out of the lead on Lap 138 and a disappointing 19th-place finish. Currently ninth in the NASCAR Busch Series point standings, the 28-year-old has experience at IRP, having won ASA and late-model races at the track earlier in his career. His father, Lou and mother, Cindy, were both racers and Stremme won his first race in 1993 in his mothers Street Stock car. Im really excited to be racing at home this weekend, he said. I have a pretty big fan base in that area and all those people as well as my family and friends will be at the track to cheer me on. Anytime you can race in front of your hometown crowd you push yourself to do better. Indianapolis has such a rich racing history of its own and for me, IRP has been good luck. Im very comfortable with the track. Winning this weekend near my hometown, where it all started for me, would be really special.
Others back home in Indiana, too NASCAR Busch Series director Joe Balash is a native of Hobart, Ind., and grew up watching races at Indianapolis Motor Speedway and IRP. Tony Stewart (#33 James Dean Chevrolet) was born in Rushville and now resides in Columbus, Ind. He is entered in his first NASCAR Busch Series race since Charlotte. Logansport, Ind., native Boston Reid (#57 Hitachi Power Tools Chevrolet), 22, looks to make his seventh start of the season. And 19-year-old Joel Kaufman (#12 Supercuts Dodge) will attempt to make his NASCAR Busch Series debut at IRP. Kaufman grew up in LaGrange, Ind., and was 16 years old in 2002 when he won the Sunoco Super Series Championship at IRP. Now 19, the Indiana native is currently sixth in the Hooters Pro Cup Northern Division standings. Green continues standings climb David Green remains on a second-half hot streak. Green won at Pikes Peak two weeks ago, and posted a fourth-place finish at Gateway last Saturday. He has picked up four places in the NASCAR Busch Series standings in that span, from 11th to seventh, his highest ranking in the points since he finished seventh overall last season. Green has been in the Top 10 in the championship standings in seven of his nine fulltime seasons. Weve had a few awesome weekends in a row, he said. I feel like were really picking up some momentum in the second half of the season. Were taking the same car that weve used for the past two races. It brought us two top-fives, so hopefully we can keep that streak alive at IRP.
Keller a quiet contender Jason Keller has had two of this three worst finishes of the season in his last two races 36th at Pikes Peak and 33rd at Gateway. Those results have caused the 34-year-old native of Greenville, S.C., to fall out of the NASCAR Busch Series Top 10, where he was a fixture for seven consecutive weeks before his result at Pikes Peak. Currently 11th, Keller might not seem poised for a rebound, but IRP may just be the place for the series all-time money-winner ($9,933,180) to regroup. Keller has won twice at IRP, tied with Randy LaJoie (#34 Dollar General Chevrolet) for second in all-time wins behind Morgan Shepherds three. The track is the only NASCAR Busch Series venue where Keller has more than one win among his 10 career victories. He also captured a Busch Pole at IRP in 1999, also his most recent victory from the pole. Keller is second in IRP annals with six top fives and is tied for second all-time with eight top 10s in 11 races. Keller is the Ironman of the NASCAR Busch Series, looking to compete in his 258th consecutive race. He has been running at the finish for 18 races in succession, most in the series to date.
The Wallace Family Tribute 250 last Saturday night at Gateway International Raceway was the most-viewed NASCAR Busch Series event in the history of the track. The race, aired on TNT, produced a 62% increase in viewers (2,144,000 1,324,000) over the 2004 race at Pikes Peak, which aired on the same weekend also on TNT. Households were also up significantly from one year ago, registering an increase of 53% (1,530,000 999,000). The race was broadcast directly against Major League Baseball, tennis, the American LeMans Series and NHRA qualifying.
This Weeks Series Leaders Through 22 races of the 35-race NASCAR Busch Series season:
Points leader Martin Truex Jr. Total: 3,096
Money won Martin Truex Jr. Total: $1,102,990
Laps led Martin Truex Jr. Total: 514
Miles led Martin Truex Jr. Total: 822.14
Victories Martin Truex Jr. (5)
Poles Carl Edwards, Kasey Kahne. (3)
Top-five finishes Martin Truex Jr. (11)
Top-10 finishes Clint Bowyer, Carl Edwards, Martin Truex Jr. (14)
Races led Martin Truex Jr. (13)
Weeks in Top 10 Carl Edwards, Reed Sorenson, Martin Truex Jr. (22)
ON THE RIGHT TRACK
Jason Keller has the best average finish at IRP (8.6). Randy LaJoie is the only driver to win consecutive races at IRP, having done so in his series championship seasons in 1996-97. LaJoie won both races from the Busch Pole, and remains the only driver to capture successive poles at the track. He has also led the most laps there with 313, and is tied for third in average finishes (10.3). David Green won the IRP pole in 1994, is fifth among all drivers with seven top-10 finishes, and is fifth all-time with an 11.1 average finish. Other former race winners at IRP who are entered in this weekends field are Steve Grissom (#49 Advil Ford 1990), Mike Wallace (#64 Miller High Life Dodge 1994), Ron Hornaday Jr. (2000) and Kevin Harvick (2001). Other former pole winners entered are Kenny Wallace (#22 AutoZone Ford 2001) and Johnny Sauter (#1 Miccosukee Dodge 2004).
ETC.
Reed Sorensons win at Gateway gave Dodge its fourth victory of the season and its first since Johnny Sauter won at Milwaukee. Dodge, still third in the Bill France Performance Cup standings, now has 120 points. Chevrolet continues to lead the standings with 10 wins and 152 points while Ford is second with eight victories and 146 points. Chevy is the win leader at IRP with 12. Boston Reid will be joined by Tyler Walker (#38 Great Clips Dodge) and Edwards in the USAC Silver Crown race at IRP on Thursday night. Kasey Kahne, who shares the #38 with Walker in addition to his fulltime NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series duties in the #9 Dodge Dealers/UAW Dodge, is also entered in the event. Walker and Kahne will be driving Kasey Kahne, Inc. cars. Walker is also scheduled to throw out the first pitch at the Indianapolis Indians game on Friday at 7 p.m. Johnny Sauter is scheduled to do double-duty this weekend at IRP. In addition to the Kroger 200 on Saturday night, Sauter is entered in the Power Stroke Diesel 200 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series event on Friday night. He was second in both races last year. Brandon Miller (#21 Reeses Chevrolet) posted his second consecutive top-10 finish last week at Gateway. Miller was 10th at Pikes Peak, then registered a career-best sixth-place finish last Saturday.
FROM THE ARCHIVES
One of the longest-standing event speed records in the NASCAR Busch Series was set 20 years ago at Indianapolis Raceway Park. Jimmy Hensley turned a record speed of 96.923 mph with his win in the 1985 edition of this race.
Hensley had taken over the seat of the famous Thomas Brothers Country Ham #00 Olds, led by crew chief Gere Kennon, for two-time NASCAR Busch Series champion Sam Ard. Ard retired following the 1984 season after becoming the first driver in series history to capture back-to-back championships. Hensley started the 1985 Kroger 200 in the second spot beside pole winner Brett Bodine and stayed near the front of the field for most of the race. Hensley took the lead on Lap 181 of the caution-free 200-lap event and held on for his third win of the season.
FAST FACTS
What: Kroger 200 (Race #23 of 35 in the NASCAR Busch Series).
Where: Indianapolis Raceway Park, Indianapolis, Ind.
When: 8:15 p.m. ET, Saturday, Aug. 6.
Track Layout: .686-mile oval.
Race Length: 200 laps/137.2 miles.
Posted Awards: $946,176.
TV: TNT, 8:30 p.m. ET.
Radio: MRN, XM Satellite.
2004 Winner: Kyle Busch.
2004 Polesitter: Johnny Sauter.
Pre-race schedule (all times local): Fri., Aug. 6: Practice 10-11:30 a.m.; Noon- 1:00 p.m. Qualifying 5:05 p.m. Impound on pit road after qualifying.(NASCAR PR)(8-2-2005)
