THE RACE: 2006 Sharpie MINI 300 – Bristol Motor Speedway

Busch Series Race #6 of 35 for the 2006 season

 

  • Race: Saturday, March 125, 2006 in Las Vegas, NV
  • Length: 300 Laps, 159.9 miles
  • TV: FOX – 3:00pm/et
  • Radio: PRN
  • Announcers: Mike Joy, Larry McReynolds, Darrell Waltrip
  • Pit Reporters: Dick Berggren, Steve Byrnes, Matt Yocum and Jeanne Zelasko

    Practice Dates/Times

  • Sharpie MINI 300 practice: Friday, March 24, 1:45pm – 2:45pm/et and 6:00pm-7:00pm/et (time approximate. practice follows Cup qualifying). Rookie practice 3:00pm – 3:30pm/et

    Qualifying Info

  • Qualifying Draw: Friday, March 24, 12:45pm/et
  • Qualifying Time: Saturday, March 25, 12:05pm/et
  • Qualifying: 2 laps for all positions, cars will be impounded. TV coverage live on Speed.
  • NASCAR Online will have live lap-by-lap coverage of Busch qualifying via the web (NOTE: this is a paid subscription service). BGNRacing.com has free qualifying coverage.

    ENTRY, PRACTICE, QUALIFYING, AND RACE INFORMATION

  • Kyle Busch Wins at Bristol: #5-Kyle Busch took the lead late and held off #21-Kevin Harvick to take the win in the Sharpie Mini 300 at Bristol. #17-Matt Kenseth, #20-Denny Hamlin, and #60-Carl Edwards rounded out the top 5. The race was delayed 1 hour and 20 minutes for snow.(3-25-2006)
    NASCAR Busch Series Race Number 6
    Unofficial Race Results for the Sharpie Mini 300 – Saturday, March 25, 2006
    Bristol Motor Speedway – Bristol, Tenn. – .533 Mile High-Banked Concrete
    Total Race Length – 300 Laps – 159.900 Miles
    Provided by NASCAR Statistical Services – Saturday, March 25, 2006 @ 07:27 PM Eastern
    Fin Str Car Driver Team Laps Pts Bns Award Status Ti.
    Led    		 Lps
    Led
    1 20 5 Kyle Busch Lowes/Shop Vac Chevrolet 300 185 5 $51,625 Running 1 12
    2 1 21 Kevin Harvick U.S. Coast Guard Chevrolet 300 180 10 $39,175 Running 3 120
    3 22 17 Matt Kenseth Ameriquest Mortgage Ford 300 165 $34,125 Running
    4 7 20 Denny Hamlin Rockwell Automation Chevrolet 300 165 5 $28,050 Running 1 29
    5 9 60 Carl Edwards Ameriquest Mortgage/Soaring Dreams Ford 300 160 5 $26,175 Running 1 65
    6 5 9 Scott Riggs Lawry’s Dodge 300 150 $25,300 Running
    7 6 33 Ron Hornaday Jr. Outdoor Channel Chevrolet 300 146 $30,010 Running
    8 23 22 Kenny Wallace AutoZone Ford 300 142 $32,790 Running
    9 28 10 John Andretti # Freedom Roads/Camping World Ford 300 138 $32,575 Running
    10 13 00 Johnny Sauter Blue Ox Chevrolet 300 134 $39,750 Running
    11 26 50 Danny O’Quinn Jr. # Barr-Nunn Ford 300 130 $30,775 Running
    12 4 2 Clint Bowyer ACDelco Chevrolet 300 127 $23,775 Running
    13 29 14 Tracy Hines # Turbines Inc. Dodge 300 124 $25,050 Running
    14 32 59 Stacy Compton Kingsford/Bush’s Baked Beans Ford 300 121 $28,150 Running
    15 15 1 Jason Keller Miccosukee Resorts Dodge 300 118 $33,975 Running
    16 16 11 Paul Menard Menards/Moen Chevrolet 300 115 $27,675 Running
    17 11 47 Jon Wood Clorox/American Red Cross/Food City Ford 300 112 $27,625 Running
    18 38 43 Aaron Fike Smith Transport Dodge 300 109 $25,575 Running
    19 43 56 Kevin Lepage SunCom Wireless Chevrolet 300 106 $22,300 Running
    20 10 77 Burney Lamar # Dollar General Chevrolet 300 103 $33,650 Running
    21 30 36 Tim Sauter Lester Buildings Chevrolet 300 100 $26,395 Running
    22 31 4 Mark Green GEICO/BryMak Dodge 300 97 $31,645 Running
    23 37 01 Jay Sauter Western Union Chevrolet 299 94 $26,445 Running
    24 21 90 Matt McCall citifinancial Ford 299 91 $24,025 Running
    25 34 27 David Green Cottonelle/Food City Ford 299 88 $31,595 Running
    26 27 99 Michael Waltrip Aaron’s Sales & Lease Dodge 299 90 5 $21,900 Running 1 23
    27 18 41 Reed Sorenson Nicoderm CQ Dodge 298 82 $21,850 Running
    28 12 16 Greg Biffle freecreditreport.com Ford 298 84 5 $21,800 Running 2 48
    29 2 18 J.J. Yeley Vigoro/The Home Depot Chevrolet 298 76 $21,750 Running
    30 14 25 Ashton Lewis Jr. United States Marines Ford 296 73 $25,670 Running
    31 19 88 Mark McFarland # NAVY Chevrolet 290 70 $25,030 Running
    32 8 32 Jason Leffler Lucas Oil Chevrolet 289 67 $26,920 Running
    33 3 64 Steve Wallace Jackson Roscoe Foundation Dodge 288 69 5 $24,990 Running 1 3
    34 17 06 Todd Kluever # 3M Ford 262 61 $24,775 Accident
    35 36 38 A.J. Foyt IV # Great Clips Dodge 257 58 $30,245 Running
    36 39 34 Mike Bliss TBA Chevrolet 237 55 $20,690 Running
    37 24 66 Ken Schrader Yard-Man Ford 237 52 $20,655 Running
    38 25 35 Regan Smith McDonald’s Premium Roast Coffee Ford 233 49 $24,635 Accident
    39 42 23 Chris Wimmer # Hotel Preston Chevrolet 195 46 $20,580 Accident
    40 41 0 Kertus Davis RACEGIRL Chevrolet 175 43 $20,560 Engine
    41 40 49 Jorge Goeters Advil Ford 167 40 $20,540 Too Slow
    42 35 12 Joel Kauffman # TakeMeOnVacation.com Dodge 128 37 $22,515 Accident
    43 33 58 Kevin Conway # Carver Racing Dodge 6 34 $22,456 Accident
    Race Comments Before an estimated crowd of 110,000, Kyle Busch won the Sharpie Mini 300, posting his seventh NASCAR Busch Series victory. No one dropped to the rear of the field.
    Failed to Qualify (4) Caleb Holman, #75; Brad Teague, #05; Jerry Robertson, #72; Shane Hall, #28.
    Time of Race 2 hours, 13 minutes, 59 seconds Average Speed 71.606 mph Margin of Victory 0.559 Seconds
    Caution Flags 13 for 81 laps: Laps 9-15 (#58 accident turn 4); 22-27 (Debris); 31-39 (#06 spun frontstretch [Red 1:19:02-lap 32-snow]); 62-70 (#77 accident turn 2); 98-101 (#12 accident backstretch); 113-119 (Debris); 124-129 (#34,88,90 accident turn 2); 142-147 (#90 spun turn 4); 194-198 (#32 accident turn 4); 227-231 (Debris); 235-241 (#11,35,18,23 accident turn 4); 245-249 (#41,2 accident turn 2); 269-273 (#06 accident backstretch).
    Lead Changes 9 among 7 drivers: K. Harvick 1-2; S. Wallace 3-5; K. Harvick 6-65; M. Waltrip 66-88; K. Harvick 89-146; D. Hamlin 147-175; G. Biffle 176-194; C. Edwards 195-259; G. Biffle 260-288; K. Busch 289-300.
    Top 10 Driver Points (1) K. Harvick 952; (2) J. Yeley 831; (3) D. Hamlin 814; (4) C. Bowyer 791; (5) C. Edwards 774; (6) J. Sauter 711; (7) B. Lamar 709; (8) J. Wood 708; (9) J. Leffler 706; (10) J. McMurray 698.
    Busch Pole Award None
    Raybestos Rookie of the Race John Andretti #
    Sunoco Diamond Performance Award Kyle Busch
    Checkers/Rally’s Double Drive-Thru Challenge Award Johnny Sauter
    WIX Filters Lap Leader Award Steven Wallace, #64 (3 Laps)
    Featherlite Most Improved Driver Award Danny O’Quinn Jr., #50 (14 Places)
    Bank of America Card Service Mid-Race Leader Award Jason Leffler
    Goody’s Headache Powder Extra Strength Award Ron Hornaday Jr.
    Mobil 1 Oil Command Performance Driver of the Race Ron Hornaday Jr.

    (NASCAR PR)(3-25-2006)

  • Qualifying Snowed Out – Harvick on Pole: Snow moved into the race track shortly after qualifying started, forcing the cancellation of the session. The field will line up according to NASCAR rules with #21-Kevin Harvick on the pole. He will be followed by #18-J.J. Yeley, #64-Steve Wallace, #2-Clint Bowyer, and #9-Scott Riggs.(3-25-2006)
    NASCAR Busch Series
    Sharpie Mini 300
    Starting Line-Up by Row
    Bristol Motor Speedway – Bristol, Tenn.
    Provided by NASCAR Statistical Services – Saturday, March 25, 2006 @ 1:19 PM Eastern
    Pos Car Driver Team Reason
    1 21 Kevin Harvick U.S. Coast Guard Chevrolet 1st in Owner Points
    2 18 J.J. Yeley Vigoro/The Home Depot Chevrolet 2nd in Owner Points
    3 64 Steve Wallace Jackson Roscoe Foundation Dodge 3rd in Owner Points
    4 2 Clint Bowyer ACDelco Chevrolet 4th in Owner Points
    5 9 Scott Riggs Lawry’s Dodge 5th in Owner Points
    6 33 Ron Hornaday Jr. Outdoor Channel Chevrolet 6th in Owner Points
    7 20 Denny Hamlin Rockwell Automation Chevrolet 7th in Owner Points
    8 32 Jason Leffler Lucas Oil Chevrolet 8th in Owner Points
    9 60 Carl Edwards Ameriquest Mortgage/Soaring Dreams Ford 9th in Owner Points
    10 77 Burney Lamar # Dollar General Chevrolet 10th in Owner Points
    11 47 Jon Wood Clorox/American Red Cross/Food City Ford 11th in Owner Points
    12 16 Greg Biffle freecreditreport.com Ford 12th in Owner Points
    13 00 Johnny Sauter Blue Ox Chevrolet 13th in Owner Points
    14 25 Ashton Lewis Jr. United States Marines Ford 14th in Owner Points
    15 1 Jason Keller Miccosukee Resorts Dodge 15th in Owner Points
    16 11 Paul Menard Menards/Moen Chevrolet 16th in Owner Points
    17 06 Todd Kluever # 3M Ford 17th in Owner Points
    18 41 Reed Sorenson Nicoderm CQ Dodge 18th in Owner Points
    19 88 Mark McFarland # NAVY Chevrolet 19th in Owner Points
    20 5 Kyle Busch Lowes/Shop Vac Chevrolet 20th in Owner Points
    21 90 Matt McCall citifinancial Ford 22nd in Owner Points
    22 17 Matt Kenseth Ameriquest Mortgage Ford 23rd in Owner Points
    23 22 Kenny Wallace AutoZone Ford 24th in Owner Points
    24 66 Ken Schrader Yard-Man Ford 25th in Owner Points
    25 35 Regan Smith McDonald’s Premium Roast Coffee Ford 26th in Owner Points
    26 50 Danny O’Quinn Jr. # Barr-Nunn Ford 27th in Owner Points
    27 99 Michael Waltrip Aaron’s Sales & Lease Dodge 28th in Owner Points
    28 10 John Andretti # Freedom Roads/Camping World Ford 29th in Owner Points
    29 14 Tracy Hines # Turbines Inc. Dodge 30th in Owner Points
    30 36 Tim Sauter Lester Buildings Chevrolet 31st in Owner Points
    31 4 Mark Green GEICO/BryMak Dodge 32nd in Owner Points
    32 59 Stacy Compton Kingsford/Bush’s Baked Beans Ford 33rd in Owner Points
    33 58 Kevin Conway # Carver Racing Dodge 34th in Owner Points
    34 27 David Green Cottonelle/Food City Ford 35th in Owner Points
    35 12 Joel Kauffman # TakeMeOnVacation.com Dodge 36th in Owner Points
    36 38 A.J. Foyt IV # Great Clips Dodge 2005 Winning Owner
    37 01 Jay Sauter Western Union Chevrolet 5 Attempts, 38th in Owner Points
    38 43 Aaron Fike Smith Transport Dodge 5 Attempts, 39th in Owner Points
    39 34 Mike Bliss TBA Chevrolet 5 Attempts, 40th in Owner Points
    40 49 Jorge Goeters Kraft Ford 5 Attempts, 41st in Owner Points
    41 0 Kertus Davis RACEGIRL Chevrolet 5 Attempts, 44th in Owner Points
    42 23 Chris Wimmer # Hotel Preston Chevrolet 5 Attempts, 48th in Owner Points
    43 56 Kevin Lepage SunCom Wireless Chevrolet 3 Attempts, 42nd in Owner Points
    Did Not Qualify: #75-Caleb Holman; #05-Brad Teague; #72-Jerry Robertson; #28-Shane Hall.

    (NASCAR PR)(3-25-2006)

  • McFarland Leads Caution Filled Practice Session: #88-Mark McFarland led the only Bristol practice session. He was followed by #9-Scott Riggs, #32-Jason Leffler, #41 Reed Sorenson, and #64-Steve Wallace. There were 5 cautions in the session, including separate accidents by #06-Todd Kluever and #90-Matt McCall that will force the teams to backups and a wreck by #05-Brad Teague that forced the team to withdraw. For complete results, visit BGNRacing.com or NASCAR.com.(3-25-2006)
  • Friday Practice Sessions Rained Out: Rain forced the cancellation both Busch Series practice sessions scheduled for Friday. A single practice session at 8:00am/et is now scheduled for Saturday morning.
  • Entry List: There are 44 entries for the Sharpie Mini 300. For a complete listing, see BGNRacing.com or NASCAR.com.(3-20-2006)

    NASCAR BRISTOL NEWS & NOTES

  • Bristol marks 2006 qualifying cutoff … Saturday’s race will be the sixth of the NASCAR Busch Series season, marking the first event of the year where the top 30 in 2006 owner points are automatically set for qualifying. The first five races of the season used the top-30 owner points from the 2005 season. Owners will have had to attempt every event to date in order to hold a spot in the top 30 heading to Bristol. This week, two cars in the top 30 in owner points for Roush Racing – the #16 FreeCreditReport.com Ford driven by Greg Biffle and the #17 Ameriquest Ford of Matt Kenseth – will have to qualify on time as they have attempted four and three races, respectively, in 2006. Rick Hendrick’s #57 Chevrolet also is in the top 30, but isn’t entered in this event, leaving three slots open to teams to replace those three cars. Tim Sauter (#36 Lester Buildings Chevrolet), Mark Green (#4 GEICO Dodge) and Stacy Compton (#59 Kingsford/Bush’s Baked Beans Ford) are guaranteed starting positions at Bristol. Notable drivers who will need to qualify for one of the remaining 12 slots include David Green (#27 Kleenex Ford), A.J. Foyt IV (#38 Great Clips Dodge) and Aaron Fike (#43 Smith Transport Dodge). A past champion’s provisional is also available.
    “This weekend we have a little less pressure on us since we are now locked in the race,” said Todd Kluever (#06 3M Ford). “Having to qualify for this race on time would have been really tough since there are so many cars separated by only hundredths of seconds. Now we can spend more time working on our race set-up during practice and not have to be as concerned about making sure we get in the race. A huge weight has been lifted off our shoulders having those first five races behind us.”
  • Steve Wallace set for first 2006 series start … He may have a long way to go to match his dad’s output at Bristol – Rusty Wallace had nine wins in NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series competition – but Steve Wallace (#64 Jackson Roscoe Foundation Dodge) is happy to begin cementing his own legacy at the track. The 18-year-old Wallace made his series debut last year at Memphis, starting 11th and finishing 15th. He shares the #64 Dodge – which his father owns – with Jamie McMurray and has a qualifying spot locked at Bristol thanks to the team’s third-place standing in the owner points. The younger Wallace, who will race against his uncle Kenny (#22 AutoZone Ford) – Steve won the family race at Memphis as Kenny finished 18th last October – has a victory at Bristol, winning the first-ever UARA late model race there in 2004.
    “There’s no way you couldn’t be excited about this,” he said. “I’ve raced at Bristol three times now and I’ve won, crashed and [was] in contention to win there last year. Obviously, I’m where I am because of my father. He’s won a ton of races and he’s one of the greatest drivers in the history of the sport. You’re not real smart if you can’t take advantage of that. It’s great being Rusty Wallace’s son, but what I want more than anything is for people to say one day, ‘There’s Steve Wallace, a really good race car driver,’ instead of saying, ‘There’s Steve Wallace, Rusty’s kid.”
  • Matt McCall debuts at Bristol … Add another name to the impressive list of young drivers who have made their way in the NASCAR Busch Series – Matt McCall. The 24-year-old native of Denver, N.C. is scheduled to make his series debut in the #90 CitiFinancial Ford as a developmental driver for Robert Yates Racing. The car, also shared by NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series regular Elliott Sadler and 18-year-old Stephen Leicht, is firmly entrenched in the top 30 in owner points, guaranteeing McCall a starting spot in Saturday’s race. A finalist last year in Jack Roush’s “Gong Show,” McCall captured the 2005 UARA-Stars Touring Late Model Division championship. He opened the 2006 season at Daytona International Speedway in ARCA competition, starting and finishing second. When he’s not driving, McCall – who has a degree in Mechanical Engineering from UNC Charlotte – teaches karate in his hometown. He’s a third-degree black belt.
    “The most important thing I’ve learned from martial arts is discipline,” McCall said. “It teaches you to be patient, and at Bristol, that can’t be a bad thing. If I can bring the [car] home with the fenders on that will bring a smile to everyone’s face.”
  • Family feuds fueled at Bristol … In addition to the Steve Wallace – Kenny Wallace nephew/uncle rivalry that will begin in earnest at Bristol, there will be a few other “family feuds” on view Saturday. Two sets of brothers will attempt to face each other. The Greens – David (1994 NASCAR Busch Series champion), Jeff (#34 Frank Cicci Racing with Jim Kelly Chevrolet; 2000 series champion) and Mark are entered along with the Sauters – Jay (#01 Western Union Chevrolet), Johnny (#00 Yellow Transportation Chevrolet) and Tim. Carl Edwards (#60 Ameriquest Ford) and Kenny Schrader (#66 Yard-Man Ford), who are cousins on Edwards’ father’s side, also are in the mix. David and Jeff Green and Jay Sauter will have to qualify on time.
  • IN THE LOOP: Harvick’s steady numbers equal dominance at Bristol … Kevin Harvick’s win at this event last year at Bristol was a study in consistency throughout the race as evidenced by NASCAR’s Loop Data statistics. Harvick, who started 38th last year, was one of 15 drivers whose Driver Rating was 85 points or better for the event; his rating was 100.4 on the maximum 150-point scale. Seven drivers rated 100 points or higher. Harvick’s ability to work his way through the field, especially late in the race, was illustrated by his first-place standing with 25 laps to go and an Average Running Position of 14th, keeping him in contention. Conversely, his teammate Jeff Burton, who started second and finished second just .159-second behind Harvick, had an Average Running Position of third and a race-leading Driver Rating of 137.4, but made only nine passes for position under green while Harvick made 22, third-best among all drivers. For the season, Greg Biffle continues to lead in Average Running Position (5.828) while rookie Burney Lamar remains first among Closers with 23 positions gained this in the last 10 percent of each race. Denny Hamlin has been Trailing at the Finish only a combined 12.804 seconds this year while Kyle Busch, despite being ranked eighth in overall Driver Rating (89.3) stands 18th in the NASCAR Busch Series point standings.
  • David Green’s strange but true Bristol victory tale … One of David Green’s nine NASCAR Busch Series wins came at Bristol. It also was one his most notable. “No question, one of my most memorable Bristol races was my 1994 victory there when Mark Martin and I had a very odd finish,” he said. On April 9, Martin was leading the NASCAR Busch Series race when a caution came out late in the event. It was evident that the race would end under yellow. However Martin, thinking he had won, pulled off the track from Turn 4 and headed to Victory Lane. But there was still one lap to go, and a pleasantly-surprised Green completed that final lap and made his own trip to Victory Lane. Martin was scored as the 11th-place finisher in the official results while Green went on to win the NASCAR Busch Series championship that year. “At Bristol, it’s not over until it’s over,” Green said.
  • This Week’s NASCAR Busch Series Leaders … Through five races of the 35-race season:
    • Points leader – Kevin Harvick (772)
    • Money won – Denny Hamlin ($297,569)
    • Laps led – Matt Kenseth (141)
    • Miles led – Matt Kenseth (218.42)
    • Victories – Greg Biffle, Jeff Burton, Denny Hamlin, Kasey Kahne, Tony Stewart (1)
    • Busch Poles – Kyle Busch, Carl Edwards, Matt Kenseth, Boris Said, J.J. Yeley (1)
    • Top-five finishes – Greg Biffle, Kevin Harvick (3)
    • Top-10 finishes – J.J. Yeley (5)
    • Raybestos Rookie Leader – Burney Lamar
    • Races led – Greg Biffle, Jeff Burton, Carl Edwards, Matt Kenseth (3)
    • Weeks in Top 10 – Clint Bowyer, Kevin Harvick, Burney Lamar, Jon Wood, J.J. Yeley (5)

    ON THE RIGHT TRACK
    Harry Gant still holds the track record at Bristol, averaging 92.929 mph during his win at the April 4, 1992 Bristol race. … Jason Keller (#1 Miccosukee Resort Dodge) is tied for most Busch Poles at Bristol with three; he won from the pole in the spring 1999 event. … Michael Waltrip’s (#99 Aaron’s Sales & Lease Dodge) will attempt to make his 28th NASCAR Busch Series start at Bristol, which would tie him with Tommy Houston for second all-time at the track. … Kenny Wallace has the most series top 10s at the track with 17. … Jeff Green is second all-time with nine top-five finishes in NASCAR Busch Series races at Bristol.

    ETC.
    Kevin Harvick has six consecutive top-five finishes at Bristol. Harvick’s win last spring came from the 38th starting position, the worst start of a Bristol race winner. … Ron Hornaday Jr. (#33 The Outdoor Channel Chevrolet) will make his 2006 series debut for Kevin Harvick Inc. at Bristol. Hornaday is the fourth driver of the #33 Chevy this season, sharing time with the boss, Tony Stewart and Ron Fellows. … Kyle Busch (#5 Lowe’s/Shop-Vac Chevrolet) is one of seven drivers attempting to run fulltime in both the NASCAR Busch Series and NASCAR NEXTEL Cup. “We have a pool going on how much time I’m going to spend in the plane this season,” he said of working double duty. “I figure it’ll be at least a month total, 31 24-hour days. [But] I’m young. It’s been good so far.” … Chevrolet opened a bit of room in the Bill France Performance Cup standings last week with Jeff Burton’s (#21 U.S. Coast Guard Chevrolet) win at Atlanta – his first NASCAR Busch Series victory since 2002. Chevrolet (35 points) comes to Bristol with three wins, two more than second-place Dodge and third-place Ford. Dodge’s (31 points) place in the standings is its best since holding second place for one week following the season-opener at Daytona in 2005. Ford has 29 points. Chevrolet has 25 wins in 47 previous NASCAR Busch Series races at Bristol. … Michael Hodges, shock specialist for Clint Bowyer’s #2 ACDelco Chevrolet, is from Abingdon, Va., which is only about twenty miles from Bristol Motor Speedway … Next week will be the first off-week of the 2006 season for the NASCAR Busch Series.

    QUOTEBOOK

  • “I grew up on short tracks, as did most of the other drivers, so short tracks have a special place in our heart. And there is not another short track in the country like Bristol. The banking adds to the excitement but so do all the fans that pack into that place to see a race.” – Denny Hamlin (#20 Rockwell Automation Chevrolet)
  • “Simply put, it’s like flying an airplane in a gymnasium: fast, 300 laps of on-the-edge, wall-climbing racing. The fans are always second to none at Bristol. If you can’t get excited about a Bristol weekend, then you’re not a race fan … period.” – David Green.
  • “We’re better than this. Hopefully we can get it turned around before the championship gets out of reach.” – Reed Sorenson (#41 Discount Tire Co. Dodge).

    FROM THE NASCAR BUSCH SERIES 25 SEASONS RUNNING ARCHIVES

  • The Food City 250, run on August 28, 1992, was the first NASCAR event to be held on Bristol Motor Speedway’s new concrete racing surface. The track featured a traditional asphalt surface from the time it opened in 1961. The new concrete was a bold move by track owner Bruton Smith to add a new flavor to the high-banked half-mile track, one of seven tracks that began hosting NASCAR Busch Series races in 1982.
  • Kenny Wallace won the pole position with a speed of 118.189 mph, surprisingly, three miles an hour slower than Butch Miller’s speed of 121.267 mph set in the spring race. Wallace led the first four laps, but a young Jeff Gordon took over for the next 120 laps.
  • Todd Bodine moved to the lead on Lap 199, before being overtaken by Jeff Burton on Lap 230 of the 250-lap event. Bodine re-captured the lead on Lap 239 and never looked back to pick up the fourth series win of his career.

    NASCAR BUSCH SERIES 25 SEASONS RUNNING QUOTEABLES

  • “I love Bristol because it’s so fast and exciting.” – Chuck Bown, 1990 NASCAR Busch Series champion, on his favorite track. Bown captured the Busch Pole at Bristol for the 1991 fall race.

    ON DECK: TEXAS MOTOR SPEEDWAY
    Following an off-week, the NASCAR Busch Series returns to action on April 8 at Texas Motor Speedway. Kasey Kahne is the defending winner of the O’Reilly 300. Mark Martin has registered three of his NASCAR Busch Series-leading 47 wins at Texas. Jeff Green is the only driver to have won multiple Busch Poles while Jack Roush, with four victories, is the winningest NASCAR Busch Series owner at the 1.5-mile speedway.

    Fast Facts
    What: Sharpie Mini 300 (Race #6 of 35 in the NASCAR Busch Series).
    Where: Bristol Motor Speedway, Bristol, Tenn.
    When: 3:10 p.m. ET, Saturday, March 25.
    Track Layout: .533-mile high- banked oval.
    Race Length: 300 laps/159.9 miles.
    Posted Awards: $1,434,019.00
    TV: FOX, 3:10 p.m., ET.
    Radio: PRN, XM Satellite.
    2005 Winner: Kevin Harvick.
    2005 Polesitter: Carl Edwards.
    2006 NASCAR Busch Series Top 10: 1. Kevin Harvick 772. 2. J.J. Yeley 755. 3. Jamie McMurray 698. 4. Clint Bowyer 664. 5. Denny Hamlin 649. 6. Jason Leffler 639. 7. Carl Edwards 614. 8. Burney Lamar 606. 9. Jon Wood 596 10. Greg Biffle 595.
    Pre-race schedule (all times local): Fri., March 24 – Practice, 1:45 – 2:45 p.m.; “Rookie Practice,” 3 – 3:30 p.m.; Final Practice following NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Qualifying (one hour, time permitting) Sat., March 25 – Qualifying, 12:05 p.m. (Impound).