(NASCAR Statistical Services)(9-30-2006)

(NASCAR Statistical Services)(9-30-2006)

(NASCAR Statistical Services)(9-30-2006)

Did Not Qualify:
#-37-Randy LaJoie, 165.067 mph
#95-Steadman Marlin, 157.540

(NASCAR Statistical Services)(9-30-2006)

NASCAR News & Notes:

Clint Bowyer (#2 ACDelco Chevrolet) captured his first win of the season last Saturday, just in time for his return home to Kansas.

Bowyer, from Emporia, Kan., approximately 100 miles from Kansas Speedway, will be making his third NASCAR Busch Series start at the track. He finished 32nd there in 2004 and 16th last season. But this year is different. Bowyer is coming off a big win at Dover International Speedway that has given the team a
late-season boost.

“Getting our first win of the season was the toughest thing for us,” Bowyer said. “We’ve had a lot of ups and downs this year and the win in Dover is exactly what we needed.” Bowyer has three runner-up finishes in 2006.

His Richard Childress Racing team is currently fourth in the point standings despite the 28-race winless streak to start the season. Heading into this weekend, the team has nine top five and 13 top-10 finishes. Bowyer has not ranked lower than fifth in the standings all season.

But the team’s goal of winning the championship seems dashed this year. Teammate Kevin Harvick (#21 Coast Guard Chevrolet) is running away with the title, leaving the rest of the field to battle for second. Bowyer had gone through a cold spell prior to his win, finishing outside the top 10 in six consecutive races. The win has put him 126 points behind second place Carl Edwards (#60 Ameriquest Ford), a goal that is attainable with six races left. It would be a good finish to the year, but not good enough for Boywer.

“After running in both series this year, I am going to take a break from the full-time doubly duty deal next year,” Bowyer said. “But just because I’m not going to do it next year, doesn’t mean that I won’t ever do it. I will come back and get the NASCAR Busch Series championship.”

Five Drivers Vie For Final Two Spots In Top 10

Jason Leffler (#38 Great Clips Chevrolet) finished fifth at Dover to move within eight points of 10th place driver Reed Sorenson (#41 Nicoderm Dodge).

The two are competing with three other drivers – Johnny Sauter (#00 Yellow Transportation Chevrolet), Kenny Wallace (#22 AutoZone Ford) and John Andretti (#10 ppc Racing Ford) – for the final two positions in the top 10. The top-10 drivers are honored at the end of the year at the NASCAR Busch Series Awards Banquet which will be held this year at Disney’s Grand Floridian in Orlando, Fla.

Only 93 points separate eighth place (Sauter) and 13th place (Andretti) leaving the battle wide-open over the last six races of the season. Sauter and Sorenson look to have the advantage going into Kansas – each driver has one top-10 finish at the track. Sauter finished third and Sorenson finished sixth in last year’s race. Sauter also has added incentive as his sponsor Yellow Transportation is also the race entitlement sponsor.

Bowyer’s Win Extends Chevrolet’s Lead In Manufacturers’ Points

Although Clint Bowyer’s win on Saturday was his first of the season, it was the ninth for Richard Childress Racing and the 18th for Chevrolet. The win extended Chevrolet’s lead in the Bill France Performance Cup standings to 46 over second place Ford, 218-172. Kevin Harvick leads all drivers with six wins. Carl Edwards has four of Ford’s five victories. Third-place Dodge has 161 points and five wins. Each manufacturer has won a race at Kansas. Ford leads the pack with two wins.

Petty To Serve As Analyst For Select TNT Races

NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series veteran Kyle Petty will make select appearances as an analyst on TNT’s NASCAR Busch Series broadcasts for the remainder of the season starting with Saturday’s broadcast of the Yellow Transportation 300.

Petty will be filling in for Benny Parsons who is concentrating on TNT/NBC’s NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series coverage while he recovers from cancer.

“I had the opportunity back at California to step in and help out with TNT’s excellent NASCAR Busch Series coverage for my friend Benny Parsons,” Petty said. “I could never fill the shoes of Benny, but I wanted to help the network out when I could and look forward to the opportunity to do so.”

Petty will join play-by-play announcer Bill Weber and fellow analyst Wally Dallenbach for four of the six remaining races this season. In addition to this Saturday, Petty will be in the booth at Lowe’s Motor Speedway (Oct. 13), Texas Motor Speedway (Nov. 4) and Homestead-Miami Speedway (Nov. 18). Petty has 55 career NASCAR Busch Series starts.

In The Loop: Flexible Setups And Speed Through Turns Important at Kansas

Kansas Speedway is a young track that has only hosted five NASCAR Busch Series events. To run well at the track, teams need to find a good balance of aerodynamic and chassis setup. Teams must also stay flexible and be able to keep their car in top condition throughout the entire run.

NASCAR’s new Loop Data shows that cars that are stout throughout an entire run have a better shot at victory. In last year’s race, winner Kasey Kahne was the sixth Fastest Driver Early in a Run and second Fastest Driver Late in a Run. Second and third-place finishers Greg Biffle and Johnny Sauter were also able to post times in the top three of each category. Another important element at Kansas is being able to get the car through the turns. Speed through the four turns will pay off more than speed down either straightaway. Kahne, Biffle and Sauter were all in the top seven in speed in each of the four turns. Biffle, in fact, was the Fastest Driver by Turn in all Kansas Speedway is a young track that has only hosted five NASCAR Busch Series events. To run well at the track, teams need to find a good balance of aerodynamic and chassis setup. Teams must also stay flexible and be able to keep their car in top condition throughout the entire run. NASCAR’s new Loop Data shows that cars that are stout throughout an entire run have a four turns. Sauter was second to Biffle in Turns 1 and 3 but had a little more difficulty getting out of Turns 2 and 4 – he was fifth fastest in Turn 2 and fourth fastest in Turn 4. Kahne was seventh fastest in Turn 1, fourth in Turn 2, fifth in Turn 3 and sixth in Turn 4.

NBS ETC …

Greg Biffle (#16 Ameriquest Ford) is the only driver to finish in the top 10 in all five races at Kansas Speedway. He was third in the inaugural race in 2001, fourth in ‘02, third in ‘03, second in ‘04 and third in ‘05. … Kevin Harvick Incorporated has announced that Bobby Labonte will assume driving duties of the #77 Dollar General Chevrolet starting this weekend. Labonte, the 1991 series champion, will pilot the #77 at the five remaining NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series/NASCAR Busch Series companion events. Burney Lamar will be behind the wheel for the Oct. 28 race at Memphis Motorsports Park. The move does not bode well for Lamar’s Raybestos Rookie of the Year hopes. He is currently in second place, five points behind John Andretti. … BREWCO Motorsports will run a special pink paint scheme on the car of Casey Atwood to help combat breast cancer. The #27 VIVA Towels/Breast Cancer Research Foundation Ford will feature the pink ribbon that has come to symbolize the fight against breast cancer. … Three diverse drivers will be attempting to make the field at the Yellow Transportation 300. Aric Almirola (#19 Banquet Chevrolet) will be attempting his seventh start of the season. Almirola earned a Busch Pole when he qualified the #20 Chevrolet for Denny Hamlin at Milwaukee. His top finish is 11th at the first Dover race. Michel Jourdain Jr. (#15 KRAFT Ford) is attempting his fourth NASCAR Busch Series start of the season, and 24th of his career. The Mexico City native finished 30th at Kansas last year. Jennifer Jo Cobb (#49 Providence Medical Center St. John Hospital Ford) will be attempting her second career NASCAR Busch Series start. She competed in the 2004 race at Homestead-Miami Speedway and finished 43rd. … The NASCAR Busch Series has an open week next weekend. The series will return to action at Lowe’s Motor Speedway on Friday, Oct. 13.

From The NASCAR Busch Series “25 Seasons Running” Archives

The 2002 NASCAR Busch Series race at Kansas Speedway was the most competitive series race at the 1.5-mile track. Michael Waltrip won the pole with a record speed of nearly 175 mph. A total of 15 different drivers took a turn at the front of field for a record 19 times, the most lead changes to date for the event. It was a grand day for rookies as first year driver Scott Riggs picked up bonus points for leading the most laps. Rookie Kerry Earnhardt got his career-best finish with a runner-up spot, 3.2 seconds behind race winner Jeff Burton.