More Midwest homecomings In addition to Emporias Clint Bowyer, two other prominent Midwestern drivers are entered in the NASCAR Busch Series event at Kansas. Carl Edwards (#60 Charter Communications Ford) is a native of Columbia, Mo. about 120 miles from Kansas City and will be making his first NASCAR Busch Series start at Kansas Speedway. Edwards, currently fourth in the NASCAR Busch Series championship standings and sixth in the Chase for the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup, has had great success at Kansas in NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series competition. He won there last year, was second in 2003 and eighth in his first NASCAR national series effort in 02. Rusty Wallace, the 1998 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup champion who currently ranks third in the Chase, will make his fourth NASCAR Busch Series start of the season in the #64 Miller High Life Dodge and his first series start at Kansas. Wallace, who owns his NASCAR Busch Series team, hails from St. Louis, some four hours from Kansas Speedway. He will be joined in the event by his two racing brothers, Kenny (#22 AutoZone Ford) and Mike (#38 Great Clips Dodge). The last time the three raced together was this past July 30 at Gateway, located in their hometown.
Contreras, Goeters, Jourdain entered at Kansas … For the fourth time this season, the NASCAR Busch Series hopes to feature multiple Hispanic drivers in an event. Carlos Contreras (#40 Cottman Transmission Dodge), Michel Jourdain Jr. (#15 Centrix Financial Ford) and Jorge Goeters (#73 Red Cactus Salsa/US Mortgage Chevrolet) are entered at Kansas. Only Contreras, via owner Armando Fitz 26th-place standing in the NASCAR Busch Series owners point rankings, is guaranteed a starting spot. Jourdian has competed in 19 series races this year for ppc Racing while Goeters has participated in his first three NASCAR events this year, all in the NASCAR Busch Series. He was the pole winner at Mexico City this past March. Contreras also has three series appearances this year. All three drivers will be racing at Kansas for the first time in their series career, however Contreras posted finishes of 12th and 16th in 2001-02, respectively, in NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series competition at the track. Other races where more than one Hispanic driver participated are Mexico City (10), Watkins Glen (2) and California (3).
Edwards to go up, up and away Carl Edwards will look forward to experiencing a different type of speed on Wed., Oct. 19 when he is scheduled to fly in an F-16 fighter jet with the South Carolina Air National Guard 169th Fighter Wing based at the McEntire Air National Guard Station in Eastover, S.C. The National Guard is a co-associate sponsor on Edwards #60 Ford, and his series public relations representative, Randy Fuller, is a former Air Force F-16 crew chief. He has been asked to serve as honorary crew chief for Edwards flight. Edwards will undergo training and briefing during the morning and will have the opportunity to meet with troops at the station before the scheduled take-off at 1:30 p.m. The flight is scheduled to last an hour, and media are invited to attend. Contact Fuller at [email protected] for more information.
Todd Bodine in for two for Cicci/Kelly Racing Todd Bodine, a 15-time winner in the NASCAR Busch Series and currently fourth in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series standings, will compete in two races in the #34 Dollar General Chevrolet for Frank Cicci Racing with Jim Kelly. Randy LaJoie, a two-time series champion, has started 28 races in that car this season (he started in a second Cicci/Kelly car at Bristol). Bodine is scheduled to start Saturday at Kansas and again at Charlotte in two weeks. LaJoie will remain with the team and is slated to return to the #34 at Memphis.
This Weeks NASCAR Busch Series Leaders Through 29 races of the 35-race season:
Points leader Martin Truex Jr. (4,063)
Money won Martin Truex Jr. ($1,358,679)
Laps led Martin Truex Jr. (614)
Miles led Martin Truex Jr. (896.63)
Victories Martin Truex Jr. (6)
Poles Carl Edwards, Kasey Kahne (3)
Top-five finishes Martin Truex Jr. (14)
Top-10 finishes Clint Bowyer, Martin Truex Jr. (18)
Races led Martin Truex Jr. (16)
Weeks in Top 10 Carl Edwards, Reed Sorenson, Martin Truex Jr. (29)
ON THE RIGHT TRACK
There have been four different race winners at Kansas, with the Green brothers Jeff (2001) and David (#27 Kleenex Ford 2003) claiming two of those victories. Three former series champions are among the four previous winners the Greens, who remain the only siblings to capture NASCAR Busch Series crowns in 1994 and 2001, respectively, and defending race winner Joe Nemechek (#87 Cellular One Chevrolet), who won the title in 1992. Nemechek swept the weekend events at Kansas last season. Michael Waltrip (#99 State Fair Corn Dogs Chevrolet) has two Busch Poles at Kansas. Paul Menard (#11 Menards Chevrolet) captured the pole here last fall. Greg Biffle (#66 Subway Ford), the 2002 series champion, leads all drivers with four top five and four top-10 finishes in four races at Kansas. Ford leads manufacturers with two wins at Kansas.
ETC.
Denny Hamlin (#20 Rockwell Automation Chevrolet fifth) and Kenny Wallace (sixth) are separated by only 13 points in the NASCAR Busch Series championship standings while eighth-place David Stremme holds a slight one-point lead over ninth-place David Green. Just 74 points separate Stremme from 11th-place Greg Biffle Biffle has competed in 22 of 29 races this year.
Jon Wood (#47 Clorox/Wisk Ford) will make his first NASCAR Busch Series start at Kansas, but like Carl Edwards, has a win (2003), three top fives and one top 10 in four NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series starts at Kansas.
Mark Martin (#9 Pennzoil Platinum Ford), the series all-time leader in wins (47) and poles (28 tied with Tommy Ellis), is entered at Kansas. He has two wins, a pole, and six top-10 finishes in six starts this year.
Paul Menard has finished in the top 10 in 12 of the last 14 races.
Clint Bowyer has finished 25th or worse twice this year, the best mark in the series.
Brewco Motorsports announced a joint promotional venture with the United States Postal Service for the month of October in an effort to raise awareness for Child Health. The teams three Fords Biffle and Aaron Fikes #66 and David Greens #27 with the newly-issued Child Health commemorative postage stamp, beginning this weekend. The promotion comes at an appropriate time as the first Monday in October is designated as Child Health Day and this year is designated The Year of the Healthy Child by the Surgeon General.
For the third time this season, three Raybestos Rookies Reed Sorenson, Carl Edwards and Hamlin rank in the top five in the NASCAR Busch Series points standings.
NASCAR is a final nominee for a Horizon Award for Sports Business honor in the Best Sports-Themed Advertising category for its 2005 NASCAR Busch Series TV ad campaign. The winners will be announced Nov. 2 in Atlanta.
Johnny Sauter (#1 United Way Dodge) participated in an on-line auction used to generate donations to the United Way prior to Saturday’s race. Sauter bid on a special package, which included space on his race car. He gave his winning spots back to the United Way so it could feature three of its main charity beneficiaries on the car during the event. All three charities listed American Red Cross, Salvation Army and Catholic Charities are currently focused on providing aid to victims of Hurricane Katrina.
FROM THE ARCHIVES
Since the first NASCAR Busch Series race at Kansas Speedway in 2001, Greg Biffle is the only driver to post top-10 finishes in each of his races there. In the four events held at the 1.5-mile track, Biffle has finished no worse than fourth. He was runner-up in last years event and picked up a pair of third-place finishes in 2001 and 03. He was fourth in 02. By contrast, Biffle has one top 10 starting position ninth in 2001 and has led a total of 18 laps since 01. His consistent finishes, however, outshine his competitors.
FAST FACTS
Next Race: United Way 300 presented by Yellow Transportation and Sprint Nextel (Race #30 of 35 in the NASCAR Busch Series).
Where: Kansas Speedway, Kansas City, Kan.
When: 2:10pm/et, Saturday, Oct. 8.
Track Layout: 1.5-mile paved.
Race Length: 300 miles/200 laps.
Posted Awards: $1,436,086.
TV: NBC, 2:00pm/et.
Radio: MRN, XM Satellite.
2004 Winner: Joe Nemechek.
2004 Polesitter: Paul Menard.
Pre-race schedule (all times local): Fri., Oct. 7: Practice 9 10 a.m.; 10:30 11:50 a.m. Qualifying 4:05 p.m. Cars impounded after qualifying.(NASCAR PR)(10-4-2005)
