Thirty-four races, more than 8,600 miles, events in two countries and arguably the most difficult competition in the 24-year history of the NASCAR Busch Series. After conquering those and so many other obstacles, one more remains for the two contenders for the 2005 championship Saturdays Ford 300 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Reigning NASCAR Busch Series champion Martin Truex Jr. (#8 Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet) has a 64-point advantage over second-place Clint Bowyer (#2 ACDelco Chevrolet) in the point standings. Simply put, Truex needs to finish 12th or better, or lead a lap and finish 14th or better, to repeat as champion. The NASCAR Busch Series championship has been decided by the outcome of the final race of the season 13 times in its 24-year history. Homestead-Miami Speedway will now have hosted five series title races since 1995. Truex is attempting to become the sixth driver to win two NASCAR Busch Series championships, and the fifth to win consecutive crowns. The last driver to win back-to-back titles was Truexs team co-owner, Dale Earnhardt Jr., who accomplished the feat in 1998 and 99.
Last call for Top 10 appearance Saturdays race not only decides the 2005 NASCAR Busch Series champion, but also solidifies the final top 10 drivers in the point standings. There remains a challenge for 10th heading into the season finale, where three drivers are vying for the slot. Greg Biffle (#66 Royal Office Products Ford) is 10th with 3,685 points. Biffle, the 2002 NASCAR Busch Series champion, is in tenth position despite missing eight races this season. He leads 11th-place J.J. Yeley (#18 Vigoro/Home Depot Chevrolet) by 53 points and 12th-place David Stremme (#14 U.S. NAVY Dodge) by 58 points. Veterans David Green (#27 Kleenex Ford) and Jason Keller (#35 McDonalds Ford) are seventh and eighth, respectively with Green leading Keller 3,765 3,743 a 22-point difference. Keller seeks his seventh consecutive finish in the NASCAR Busch Series Top 10 second-best in series history while Green goes for his third straight top-10 finish in his last three years of fulltime participation.
New faces for 2006 races preview at Homestead The season finale at Homestead-Miami will provide a glimpse into the 2006 season for the NASCAR Busch Series. Three drivers who plan to participate in full- or part-time schedules in the series next season are entered in the Ford 300. The three are relative newcomers to NASCAR national series competition Burney Lamar (#33 Outdoor Channel Chevrolet), the 2001 NASCAR AutoZone Elite Division, Southwest Series Rookie of the Year, who will drive for Kevin Harvick Inc. next season; Mark McFarland (#88 U.S. Navy Chevrolet), who is on board with Dale Earnhardt Jr.s new JR Motorsports team and Ryan Moore (#81 Kraft Chevrolet), another standout from the NASCAR Grand National Division, Busch North Series. Moore has two NASCAR Busch Series career starts, both coming this season. His races ended early due to on-track incidents. Lamar made his series debut last month at Kansas. He started eighth but finished 41st due to an accident. McFarland, the 2003 NASCAR Dodge Weekly Series national champion, has nine series starts, and looks to make his first since Richmond in the fall of 2004 where he finished 16th, his career-best finish in the NASCAR Busch Series.
Mexican trio hopes to make Homestead history Three natives of Mexico City look to close out the 2005 NASCAR Busch Series season Saturday at Miami. Carlos Contreras (#40 PartyPoker.net Dodge), Adrian Fernandez (#5 Lowes/Spectrum Chevrolet) and Jorge Goeters (#73 Red Cactus Salsa/US Mortgage Chevrolet) hope to become the first trio of Mexican drivers to start a NASCAR national series event at Homestead-Miami Speedway and culminate the year with three races where at least three Mexican drivers have started. Three or more Mexican drivers started at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez in Mexico City and again at California last September. Goeters captured the Busch Pole at Mexico City in his first NASCAR Busch Series start, and finished a career-best ninth at Watkins Glen last August. Fernandez posted a 10th-place finish at Mexico City, his best result in five starts this season. Contreras has also started five series events this year, and looks to improve upon a season-best of 32nd at Watkins Glen. I have enjoyed my experience here in NASCAR, but I dont know if I really want to do a full season, Fernandez said when asked about 2006. I think doing a few more races next year might be fun. I think everyone wants to continue the relationships that we have developed since March. Remember, this was just a one race deal and we have put all of the other races together since then. So everybody has worked very hard to make this happen. Contreras and Fernandez are guaranteed starting spots in the race as their owners are ranked in the top 30 of the NASCAR Busch Series owner standings. Goeters will have to qualify on time.
Double-digit victories for three manufacturers is series first Although Chevrolet clinched the 2005 Bill France Performance Cup in the NASCAR Busch Series two weeks ago, last weeks result provided a first for the award in the series. Carl Edwards (#60 Charter Communications Ford) exciting victory at Phoenix gave Ford 10 wins this season, and in addition to clinching second place in the standings, gave three manufacturers at least 10 wins in one season. Dodge also has 10 victories this year; it had seven wins the last three seasons combined. A win in the season finale would give Ford its most victories in three seasons. Chevrolet leads the manufacturers in wins at Homestead-Miami with six. Ford has three wins while Dodge seeks its first victory at Homestead.
This Weeks NASCAR Busch Series Leaders Through 34 races of the 35-race season:
Points leader Martin Truex Jr. (4,791)
Money won Martin Truex Jr. ($1,555,098)
Laps led Martin Truex Jr. (705)
Miles led Martin Truex Jr. (995.63)
Victories Martin Truex Jr. (6)
Poles Carl Edwards (4)
Top-five finishes Greg Biffle, Carl Edwards, Martin Truex Jr. (15)
Top-10 finishes Clint Bowyer, Carl Edwards, Martin Truex Jr. (21)
Races led Martin Truex Jr. (19)
Weeks in Top 10 Carl Edwards, Reed Sorenson, Martin Truex Jr. (34)
ON THE RIGHT TRACK
Joe Nemechek (#87 Cellular One Chevrolet) leads all NASCAR Busch Series drivers with three wins at Homestead-Miami. No other driver has more than one victory. Nemechek is tied with Mark Martin (#9 Pennzoil Ford) for most top fives (five) and leads all drivers with seven top-10 finishes. He is one of eight drivers to win a Busch Pole (1995). Jason Keller and Nemechek are the only two drivers to have raced in each of the 10 NASCAR Busch Series events at Homestead. Kevin Harvick (#21 Reeses Chevrolet) has led the most laps (236). Four former winners (Harvick in 2004, Nemechek in 1997, 99, and 2001), Kasey Kahne (#6 Lawrys Dodge 2004) and Kevin Lepage (#72 Gunbroker.com Chevrolet 1996) are entered. The wins were the first in NASCAR Busch Series competition for Kahne and Lepage
ETC.
The NASCAR Busch Series point leader has topped the standings by 64 points or less seven times heading into the final race of the season. No driver has been running at the finish at the end of every race this season. Stacy Compton (#59 Kingsford/Bushs Baked Beans Ford) is the current running at the finish leader with 29 races. The NASCAR Busch Series Raybestos Rookie of the Year competition is also coming down to the final race at Homestead-Miami. Carl Edwards leads Reed Sorenson (#41 Discount Tire Co. Dodge) by 11 points, 333-322. John Andretti (#10 St. Jude Racing to Save Lives Ford) will attempt to make his second career start in the NASCAR Busch Series at Homestead. Andrettis only other start came in the 1998 season opener at Daytona where he started 11th and finished 13th. Ryan Newman (#39 Alltel Dodge) will go for his sixth win in nine races this season at Homestead; five of those wins came in consecutive starts for Newman. Jason Keller is expected to make his 391st start in the NASCAR Busch Series at Homestead, a mark that dates to April 1991. At 391 races, he will have just one less than second-place Elton Sawyer (1983-2002) on the all-time list. He would enter the 2006 season needing 26 starts to catch leader Tommy Houstons record of 417 from 1982-96.
ON DECK: 2005 NASCAR BUSCH SERIES AWARDS
NASCAR will recognize its 2005 NASCAR Busch Series champion, top 10 drivers and other award winners on Fri., Dec. 9 at the annual series awards ceremony at the Portofino Bay Hotel in Orlando, Fla. NASCAR Busch Series Champions Week events kick off on Tues., Dec. 6 in Tampa, Fla., when the series champion visits for media opportunities, then on Weds., Dec. 7, a media luncheon featuring the champion will take place at the Rock N Sports Bar & Grill in Ybor City.
FAST FACTS
What: Ford 300 (Race #35 of 35 in the NASCAR Busch Series). Where: Homestead-Miami Speedway, Homestead, Fla. When: 4:10pm/et, Saturday, Nov. 19. Track Layout: 1.5-mile oval. Race Length: 300 M / 200 L. Posted Awards: $1,428,059. TV: TNT, 4:00pm/et. Radio: MRN, XM Satellite. 2004 Winner: Kevin Harvick. 2004 Polesitter: Casey Mears. NASCAR Busch Series Top 10: 1. Martin Truex Jr. 4,791. 2. Clint Bowyer 4,727. 3. Carl Edwards 4,495. 4. Reed Sorenson 4,389. 5. Denny Hamlin 4,091. 6. Kenny Wallace 3,992. 7. Paul Menard 3,946. 8. David Green 3,765. 9. Jason Keller 3,743. 10. Greg Biffle 3,685. Pre-race schedule (all times local): Fri., Nov. 18 Practice, 12 1:10 p.m.; 2:50 3:50 p.m. Sat., Nov. 19 Qualifying 11:05 a.m. (impound).(NASCAR PR)(11-17-2005)
