THE RACE: 2007 AARON’S 312 – TALLADEGA SUPERSPEEDWAY

Busch Series Race #10 of 35 for the 2007 season


 

  • Race: 3:00pm/et, Saturday, April 28, 2007 in Talladega, AL
  • Length: 117 Laps, 311.22 miles
  • TV: ABC – 2:30pm/et
  • Radio: MRN
  • Announcers: Jerry Punch, Andy Petree
  • Pit Reporters: Allen Bestwick, Dave Burns, Jamie Little, Mike Massaro

    Practice Dates/Times

  • Practice: Thursday, April 26, 4:00-5:20pm/et and 6:30-7:30pm/et. Rookie practice, 5:40-6:10pm/et

    Qualifying Info

  • Qualifying Draw: Thursday, April 26, 3:00pm/et.
  • Qualifying Time: Friday, April 27, 5:05pm/et
  • Qualifying: 2 laps for all positions, cars will be impounded.
  • NASCAR Online will have live lap-by-lap coverage of Busch qualifying via the web (NOTE: this is a paid subscription service). TheHotLap.com has free qualifying coverage.

    ENTRY, PRACTICE, QUALIFYING, AND RACE INFORMATION

  • Labonte wins at Talladega: #77-Bobby Labonte won the Aaron’s 312 at Talladega Superspeedway for his 1st win of the 2007 season, first since Darlington in 1998 and the 10th of his Busch Series career. Labonte beat KHI teammate #33-Tony Stewart at the finish line by a few feet. #24-Mears finished 3rd with the rest of the top 10 as follows: #6-Ragan, #14-Kyle Krisiloff, #21-Harvick, #42-Montoya, #27-Ward Burton, #18-Brad Coleman [pole sitter] and points leader #60-Carl Edwards. Edwards points lead is now 433 points over Kevin Harvick. #5-Kyle Busch, while running 2nd, got tapped by Stewart, immediatedly flipped over off turn 4 and slid on his roof a few feet, hit the grass and barrell-rolled about 7 times. Busch got out of the car fast and was not injured, but didn’t have kind words for Stewart. There were 8 cautions for 20 laps, one red flag and 20 drivers lead the race with 36 lead changes.(4-28-2007)
    NASCAR Race Number 10
    Unofficial Race Results for the Aaron’s “312 – Saturday, April 28, 2007
    Talladega Superspeedway – Talladega, AL – 2.66 Mile Paved
    Total Race Length – 120 Laps – 319.2 Miles – Purse: $1,341,763

    Fin Str Car Driver Team Laps Pts Total Award Status
    1 34 77 Bobby Labonte Dollar General Chevrolet 120 190 $52,725 Running
    2 37 33 Tony Stewart Old Spice Chevrolet 120 175 $44,175 Running
    3 4 24 Casey Mears National Guard/155th Armored Brigade 120 175 $33,775 Running
    4 7 6 David Ragan # Discount Tire Ford 120 165 $29,075 Running
    5 23 14 Kyle Krisiloff # Clabber Girl Ford 120 155 $40,125 Running
    6 25 21 Kevin Harvick AutoZone Chevrolet 120 155 $30,200 Running
    7 20 42 Juan Pablo Montoya # Texaco/Havoline Dodge 120 151 $28,000 Running
    8 5 27 Ward Burton Cottonelle Ford 120 142 $31,580 Running
    9 1 18 Brad Coleman # Carino’s Italian Grill Chevrolet 120 143 $28,875 Running
    10 9 60 Carl Edwards Sharp Aquos Ford 120 139 $27,825 Running
    11 8 17 Danny OQuinn Dish Network Ford 120 130 $22,975 Running
    12 22 35 Bobby Hamilton Jr. McDonald’s Ford 120 132 $29,155 Running
    13 6 2 Clint Bowyer Camping World Chevrolet 120 129 $26,750 Running
    14 31 22 Mike Bliss Family Dollar Dodge 120 121 $22,575 Running
    15 36 88 Shane Huffman U.S. NAVY Chevrolet 120 118 $29,480 Running
    16 35 36 Brent Sherman BIG LOTS Chevrolet 120 120 $26,480 Running
    17 33 1 J.J. Yeley Miccosukee Resorts Chevrolet 120 112 $20,700 Running
    18 39 0 Eric McClure Hefty/RACEGIRL Chevrolet 120 114 $26,155 Running
    19 38 28 Robert Richardson Checkers Chevrolet 120 106 $21,925 Running
    20 19 20 Aric Almirola Rockwell Automation Chevrolet 120 108 $28,275 Running
    21 24 9 Kasey Kahne Country Crock Dodge 119 105 $25,125 Running
    22 41 05 Justin Ashburn FIKES Automotive/31W Insulation 118 97 $21,775 Running
    23 11 4 Regan Smith Ginn Resorts Chevrolet 116 94 $25,405 Running
    24 15 99 David Reutimann Aaron’s Dream Machine Toyota 110 96 $24,905 Accident
    25 32 59 Marcos Ambrose # Kingsford Ford 109 88 $24,905 Accident
    26 28 66 Steve Wallace HomeLife Communities Dodge 109 90 $24,605 Accident
    27 14 41 Reed Sorenson Wrigley’s Juicy Fruit Dodge 109 82 $18,775 Accident
    28 27 90 Stephen Leicht citifinancial Ford 109 79 $23,175 Accident
    29 26 8 Dale Earnhardt Jr. Menards/vertis Chevrolet 94 81 $18,525 Transmission
    30 17 16 Greg Biffle 3M Ford 89 78 $24,050 Accident
    31 18 47 Jon Wood Armor All Ford 89 70 $22,975 Accident
    32 2 10 Dave Blaney Haas Avocados Toyota 87 67 $25,250 Running
    33 30 7 Mike Wallace GEICO Chevrolet 74 69 $22,660 Engine
    34 21 29 Scott Wimmer Holiday Inn Chevrolet 71 61 $28,125 Running
    35 3 38 Jason Leffler Great Clips Toyota 71 58 $22,940 Running
    36 10 37 Jamie McMurray Yardman by MTD Ford 59 55 $18,005 Overheating
    37 16 25 David Gilliland freecreditreport.com Ford 55 57 $17,970 Accident
    38 42 52 Donnie Neuenberger Ford 34 49 $19,935 Overheating
    39 12 5 Kyle Busch Delphi Chevrolet 26 46 $17,900 Accident
    40 29 70 Justin Diercks # Foretravel Motorcoach Chevrolet 17 43 $19,840 Overheating
    41 13 11 Martin Truex Jr. Bass Pro Shops/Tracker Boats Chevrolet 9 40 $17,805 Accident
    42 40 01 Morgan Shepherd RACEGIRL Chevrolet 2 37 $19,770 Handling
    Race Comments: Before an estimated crowd of 75,000 Bobby Labonte won the Aaron’s 312, his 10th career NASCAR Busch Series victory and his first since Darlington in March 1998. Prior to the green flag the following driver dropped to the rear for the reason indicated: # 22 Bliss (unapproved impound adjustment). The 36 lead changes set a new series record. The 20 different leaders set the record for the most leaders in a NASCAR Busch Series race at Talladega.
    Failed to Qualify: N/A
    Time of Race: 02 Hrs, 23 Mins, 46 Secs.
    Average Speed: 133.216 MPH
    Margin of Victory: 0.052 Seconds
    Caution Flags: 8 for 30 laps: Laps: 5-7 (#38 backstretch); 10-14 (#00,11,27.29,59,99 accident frontstretch); 28-31 (#5,24 accident backstretch); 57-60 (#25 accident turn 1); 91-94 (#16,47 accident turn 3); 103-105 (#20 accident turn 3); 111-114 (#9,22,41,59,66,90,99 accident backstretch [Red 16:09-112]); 116-118 (Debris).
    Lead Changes: 36 among 20 drivers: B. Coleman # 1-14; D. Ragan # 15; J. Montoya # 16-18; C. Edwards 19-20; C. Mears 21-22; T. Stewart 23-24; C. Mears 25-27; K. Kahne 28-32; D. Earnhardt Jr. 33; D. Gilliland 34; C. Bowyer 35-37; D. Reutimann 38-39; C. Edwards 40-42; C. Bowyer 43-46; C. Mears 47; M. Wallace 48-52; C. Mears 53-56; B. Hamilton Jr. 57; B. Labonte 58; C. Mears 59-63; S. Wallace 64; C. Mears 65-67; G. Biffle 68; C. Mears 69-74; D. Earnhardt Jr. 75; C. Mears 76-81; J. Montoya # 82-83; C. Edwards 84; K. Harvick 85; A. Almirola 86-87; K. Harvick 88-90; B. Sherman 91; E. McClure 92; K. Harvick 93-96; C. Mears 97-118; T. Stewart 119; B. Labonte 120;
    Top 10 Driver Points: (1) C. Edwards 1,664;(2) K. Harvick 1,231;(3) D. Blaney 1,168;(4) D. Reutimann 1,130;(5) B. Hamilton Jr. 1,052;(6) M. Kenseth 1,048;(7) D. Ragan # 1,025;(8) Ky. Busch 1,016;(9) M. Ambrose # 1,009;(10) M. Wallace 994.
    Busch Pole Award Brad Coleman, #18 (184.299 mph)
    Checkers/Rally’s Double Drive-Thru Challenge Kyle Krisiloff, #14 (258.798 seconds)
    Featherlite “Most Improved Driver Shane Huffman, #88 (28 Places)
    Raybestos “Rookie of the Race David Ragan, #6
    Sunoco Diamond Performance Bobby Labonte, #77
    WIX Filters “Lap Leader Brad Coleman, #18 (14 Laps)
    Mobil 1Oil Command Performance Kyle Krisiloff, #14


    Drivers Points Report
    Talladega Superspeedway
    Aaron’s 312
    Provided by NASCAR Statistics- Saturday, 4/28/2007 @ 6:56 PM Eastern

    Pos Driver BPts Points Ldr
    1 Carl Edwards 45 1664 0
    2 Kevin Harvick 20 1231 -433
    3 Dave Blaney 10 1168 -496
    4 David Reutimann 10 1130 -534
    5 Bobby Hamilton Jr. 5 1052 -612
    6 Matt Kenseth 30 1048 -616
    7 David Ragan # 15 1025 -639
    8 Kyle Busch 55 1016 -648
    9 Marcos Ambrose # 5 1009 -655
    10 Mike Wallace 30 994 -670
    11 Regan Smith 15 988 -676
    12 Juan Pablo Montoya 20 979 -685
    13 Stephen Leicht 5 945 -719
    14 Greg Biffle 10 918 -746
    15 Denny Hamlin 10 917 -747
    16 Jason Leffler 10 910 -754
    17 Shane Huffman 5 904 -760
    18 J.J. Yeley 5 890 -774
    19 Steve Wallace 10 878 -786
    20 Kyle Krisiloff # 0 869 -795
    21 Jon Wood 0 863 -801
    22 Brent Sherman 20 858 -806
    23 Casey Mears 15 848 -816
    24 Jeff Burton 25 840 -824
    25 Clint Bowyer 25 839 -825
    26 David Stremme 5 783 -881
    27 Ward Burton 0 773 -891
    28 Tony Stewart 10 751 -913
    29 Bobby Labonte 5 705 -959
    30 Eric Mcclure 5 677 -987
    31 Jamie Mcmurray 5 636 -1028
    32 Todd Kluever 5 635 -1029
    33 David Gilliland 5 610 -1054
    34 Kasey Kahne 20 570 -1094
    35 Scott Wimmer 5 547 -1117
    36 Mike Bliss 0 507 -1157
    37 Aric Almirola 5 503 -1161
    38 Brad Coleman # 5 483 -1181
    39 Reed Sorenson 0 478 -1186
    40 Paul Menard 0 466 -1198
    41 Brad Keselowski 0 440 -1224
    42 Timothy Peters 0 431 -1233
    43 Dale Earnhardt Jr. 10 382 -1282
    44 Jay Sauter 0 376 -1288
    45 Johnny Sauter 0 368 -1296
    46 Sam Hornish, Jr 0 334 -1330
    47 Danny Oquinn 0 324 -1340
    48 Justin Diercks # 0 322 -1342
    49 Kurt Busch 5 307 -1357
    50 Joe Nemechek 0 300 -1364
    51 Mark Martin 0 282 -1382
    52 Robby Gordon 0 257 -1407
    53 Robert Richardson 0 255 -1409
    54 Boris Said 0 241 -1423
    55 Ryan Newman 10 225 -1439
    56 Stanton Barrett 0 219 -1445
    57 Jeff Green 0 200 -1464
    58 Martin Truex Jr. 5 195 -1469
    59 Kertus Davis 0 195 -1469
    60 Scott Pruett 5 160 -1504
    61 Jorge Goeters 5 151 -1513
    62 Brett Rowe 0 140 -1524
    63 Adrian Fernandez 0 138 -1526
    64 Tony Raines 0 131 -1533
    65 Elliott Sadler 0 121 -1543
    66 Morgan Shepherd 0 117 -1547
    67 Scott Riggs 0 115 -1549
    68 Kevin Hamlin 0 109 -1555
    69 Justin Ashburn 97 -1567
    70 Brian Simo 0 97 -1567
    71 Todd Souza 0 94 -1570
    72 P J Jones 0 91 -1573
    73 Brad Teague 0 89 -1575
    74 Steve Grissom 0 88 -1576
    75 Michel Jourdain 0 88 -1576
    76 Kenny Wallace 0 85 -1579
    77 Kevin Conway 0 85 -1579
    78 German Quiroga 5 84 -1580
    79 Kevin Lepage 0 83 -1581
    80 Mike Harmon 0 83 -1581
    81 Cale Gale 0 82 -1582
    82 D J Kennington 0 82 -1582
    83 Roger Lopez 0 76 -1588
    84 Ron Fellows 0 67 -1597
    85 Ron Young 0 67 -1597
    86 J R Fitzpatrick 0 64 -1600
    87 Jason Keller 0 64 -1600
    88 Carlos Contreras 5 63 -1601
    89 Alex Garcia 0 61 -1603
    90 Richard Johns 0 61 -1603
    91 Donnie Neuenberger 0 49 -1615
    92 John Andretti 0 46 -1618
    93 John Young 0 46 -1618
    94 Jerick Johnson 0 40 -1624
    95 Caleb Holman 0 37 -1627
    96 Michael Waltrip 0 34 -1630
    97 Ruben Pardo 0 0 -1664
    98 Tono Perez 0 0 -1664

    Owner Points Following Race # 10
    Talladega Superspeedway
    Aaron’s 312
    UNOFFICIAL
    Provided by NASCAR Statistics – Saturday, 4/28/2007 @ 6:57 PM Eastern UNOFFICIAL

    Pos Owner Car # Points Ldr
    1 Jack Roush 60 1,664
    2 Richard Childress 29 1,387 -277
    3 Joe Gibbs 20 1,332 -332
    4 Jack Roush 17 1,266 -398
    5 Delana Harvick 33 1,194 -470
    6 Richard Childress 21 1,188 -476
    7 Rick Hendrick 5 1,154 -510
    8 Michael Waltrip 99 1,130 -534
    9 Armando Fitz 22 1,116 -548
    10 Floyd Ganassi 42 1,088 -576
    11 Gary Weisbaum 35 1,052 -612
    12 Ray Evernham 9 1,047 -617
    13 Gregory Pollex 10 1,044 -620
    14 Delana Harvick 77 1,038 -626
    15 Jack Roush 6 1,025 -639
    16 Tad Geschickter 59 1,009 -655
    17 James Finch 7 994 -670
    18 Bobby Ginn 04 988 -676
    19 Tammy Brewer 27 988 -676
    20 Jack Roush 16 972 -692
    21 Robert Yates 90 945 -719
    22 Joe Gibbs 18 920 -744
    23 James Finch 1 912 -752
    24 Todd Braun 38 910 -754
    25 Dale Earnhardt, Jr 88 904 -760
    26 Chip Ganassi 41 903 -761
    27 Clarence Brewer 37 903 -761
    28 Rick Hendrick 24 879 -785
    29 Rusty Wallace 66 878 -786
    30 Gregory Pollex 14 869 -795
    31 Roger Penske 12 866 -798
    32 Jodi Geschickter 47 863 -801
    33 John McGill 36 858 -806
    34 Gene Haas 28 849 -815
    35 Richard Childress 2 839 -825
    36 Edward Rensi 25 756 -908
    37 Keith Duesenberg 0 741 -923
    38 Frank Cicci 34 592 -1,072
    39 Teresa Earnhardt 15 466 -1,198
    40 Keith Coleman 23 459 -1,205
    41 Teresa Earnhardt 8 382 -1,282
    42 Jack Roush 26 372 -1,292
    43 Mary Louise Miller 70 347 -1,317
    44 Andrea Nemechek 87 300 -1,364
    45 Jack Roush 06 282 -1,382
    46 Jimmy Means 52 268 -1,396
    47 Robby Gordon 55 257 -1,407
    48 Stanton Barrett 30 219 -1,445
    49 Todd Braun 32 204 -1,460
    50 Teresa Earnhardt 11 195 -1,469
    51 John McNelly 56 194 -1,470
    52 Wayne Day 05 140 -1,524
    53 Johnny Davis 01 117 -1,547
    54 James Rowe 73 97 -1,567
    55 Kelly Souza 13 94 -1,570
    56 Donnie Richardson 44 83 -1,581
    57 Pat Macdonald 72 82 -1,582
    58 Tom Eriksen 67 76 -1,588
    59 Jerry Young 71 67 -1,597
    60 Alex Garcia 98 61 -1,603
    61 John Young 46 46 -1,618
    62 Jack Johnson 76 40 -1,624
    63 Charles Henderson 75 37 -1,627
    64 Robert Richardson 80 31 -1,633
    65 Jeff Barrister 50 31 -1,633


  • Coleman on Pole at Talladega: #18-Brad Coleman grabbed his first career Busch pole at Talladega in just his 7th series start. His top speed was 184.299mph. Braun Racing team mates #10-Dave Blaney and #38-Jason Leffler will start second and third, #24-Casey Mears fourth, and #27-Ward Burton fifth. There were no incidents during the session and, with only 42 cars at the track, no one didn’t qualify.(4-27-2007)
    Starting Line Up by Row
    Talladega Superspeedway
    Aaron’s 312
    Provided by NASCAR Statistics – Fri, April 27, 2007 @ 07:34 PM Eastern

    Pos Car Driver Team Time Speed
    1 18 Brad Coleman # Carino’s Italian Grill Chevy 51.959 184.299
    2 10 Dave Blaney Haas Avocados Toyota 52.026 184.062
    3 38 Jason Leffler Great Clips Toyota 52.062 183.935
    4 24 Casey Mears National Guard/155th Armored Brigade 52.131 183.691
    5 27 Ward Burton Cottonelle Ford 52.204 183.434
    6 2 Clint Bowyer Camping World Chevy 52.233 183.332
    7 6 David Ragan # Discount Tire Ford 52.283 183.157
    8 17 Danny OQuinn Dish Network Ford 52.284 183.154
    9 60 Carl Edwards Sharp Aquos Ford 52.307 183.073
    10 37 Jamie McMurray Yardman by MTD Ford 52.325 183.010
    11 4 Regan Smith Ginn Resorts Chevy 52.336 182.972
    12 5 Kyle Busch Delphi Chevy 52.348 182.930
    13 11 Martin Truex Jr. Bass Pro Shops/Tracker Boats Chevy 52.369 182.856
    14 41 Reed Sorenson Wrigley’s Juicy Fruit Dodge 52.392 182.776
    15 99 David Reutimann Aaron’s Dream Machine Toyota 52.402 182.741
    16 25 David Gilliland freecreditreport.com Ford 52.430 182.644
    17 16 Greg Biffle 3M Ford 52.449 182.577
    18 47 Jon Wood Armor All Ford 52.459 182.543
    19 20 Aric Almirola Rockwell Automation Chevy 52.464 182.525
    20 42 Juan Pablo Montoya # Texaco/Havoline Dodge 52.497 182.410
    21 29 Scott Wimmer Holiday Inn Chevy 52.505 182.383
    22 35 Bobby Hamilton Jr. McDonald’s Ford 52.509 182.369
    23 14 Kyle Krisiloff # Clabber Girl Ford 52.539 182.265
    24 9 Kasey Kahne Country Crock Dodge 52.551 182.223
    25 21 Kevin Harvick AutoZone Chevy 52.566 182.171
    26 8 Dale Earnhardt Jr. Menards/vertis Chevy 52.585 182.105
    27 90 Stephen Leicht citifinancial Ford 52.628 181.956
    28 66 Steve Wallace HomeLife Communities Dodge 52.658 181.853
    29 70 Justin Diercks # Foretravel Motorcoach Chevy 52.665 181.829
    30 7 Mike Wallace GEICO Chevy 52.673 181.801
    31 22 Mike Bliss Family Dollar Dodge 52.748 181.542
    32 59 Marcos Ambrose # Kingsford Ford 52.798 181.371
    33 1 J.J. Yeley Miccosukee Resorts Chevy 52.844 181.213
    34 77 Bobby Labonte Dollar General Chevy 52.900 181.021
    35 36 Brent Sherman BIG LOTS Chevy 52.900 181.021
    36 88 Shane Huffman U.S. NAVY Chevy 52.999 180.683
    37 33 Tony Stewart Old Spice Chevy 53.111 180.302
    38 28 Robert Richardson Checkers Chevy 53.141 180.200
    39 0 Eric McClure Hefty/RACEGIRL Chevy 53.450 179.158
    40 01 Morgan Shepherd RACEGIRL Chevy 53.557 178.800
    41 05 Justin Ashburn FIKES Automotive/31W Insulation Chevy 53.803 177.983
    42 52 Donnie Neuenberger Ford 54.576 175.462

    Did Not Qualify: None.


  • Bliss Fastest in Happy Hour: #22-Mike Bliss’ speed of 193.162mph was fastest of all competitors in Happy Hour at Talladega. #27-Ward Burton was second, #36-Brent Sherman third, #11-Martin Truex, Jr. fourth, and #16-Greg Biffle fifth. #8-Dale Earnhardt, Jr. was the only driver not to practice.(4-26-2007)
    NBS Final Practice (HAPPY HOUR)
    Talladega Superspeedway
    Aaron’s 312
    Provided by NASCAR Statistics – Thu, April 26, 2007 @ 07:32 PM Eastern

    Pos Car Driver Team Time Speed Lap #
    1 22 Mike Bliss Family Dollar Dodge 49.575 193.162 3
    2 27 Ward Burton Cottonelle Ford 49.698 192.684 4
    3 36 Brent Sherman BIG LOTS Chevy 49.796 192.305 10
    4 *11 Martin Truex Jr. Bass Pro Shops/Tracker Boats Chevy 49.856 192.073 8
    5 16 Greg Biffle 3M Ford 49.947 191.723 10
    6 9 Kasey Kahne Country Crock Dodge 49.976 191.612 3
    7 66 Steve Wallace HomeLife Communities Dodge 49.998 191.528 11
    8 29 Scott Wimmer Holiday Inn Chevy 50.013 191.470 14
    9 47 Jon Wood Armor All Ford 50.098 191.145 10
    10 99 David Reutimann Aaron’s Dream Machine Toyota 50.144 190.970 16
    11 1 J.J. Yeley Miccosukee Resorts Chevy 50.219 190.685 8
    12 *17 Danny OQuinn Dish Network Ford 50.237 190.616 9
    13 33 Tony Stewart Old Spice Chevy 50.250 190.567 10
    14 20 Aric Almirola Rockwell Automation Chevy 50.261 190.525 9
    15 41 Reed Sorenson Wrigley’s Juicy Fruit Dodge 50.269 190.495 12
    16 42 Juan Pablo Montoya # Texaco/Havoline Dodge 50.279 190.457 13
    17 59 Marcos Ambrose # Kingsford Ford 50.293 190.404 12
    18 4 Regan Smith Ginn Resorts Chevy 50.304 190.363 8
    19 21 Kevin Harvick AutoZone Chevy 50.309 190.344 3
    20 38 Jason Leffler Great Clips Toyota 50.328 190.272 5
    21 *24 Casey Mears National Guard/155th Armored Brigade 50.343 190.215 14
    22 6 David Ragan # Discount Tire Ford 50.345 190.208 16
    23 90 Stephen Leicht citifinancial Ford 50.374 190.098 20
    24 35 Bobby Hamilton Jr. McDonald’s Ford 50.399 190.004 12
    25 *5 Kyle Busch Delphi Chevy 50.416 189.940 12
    26 14 Kyle Krisiloff # Clabber Girl Ford 50.469 189.740 25
    27 60 Carl Edwards Sharp Aquos Ford 50.519 189.552 8
    28 *70 Justin Diercks # Foretravel Motorcoach Chevy 50.540 189.474 16
    29 88 Shane Huffman U.S. NAVY Chevy 50.567 189.373 12
    30 37 Jamie McMurray Yardman by MTD Ford 50.567 189.373 9
    31 *2 Clint Bowyer Camping World Chevy 50.616 189.189 3
    32 10 Dave Blaney Haas Avocados Toyota 50.631 189.133 12
    33 *25 David Gilliland freecreditreport.com Ford 50.721 188.798 4
    34 77 Bobby Labonte Dollar General Chevy 50.761 188.649 3
    35 7 Mike Wallace GEICO Chevy 50.938 187.993 3
    36 28 Robert Richardson Checkers Chevy 51.719 185.154 6
    37 18 Brad Coleman # Carino’s Italian Grill Chevy 51.929 184.406 11
    38 *0 Eric McClure Hefty/RACEGIRL Chevy 53.399 179.329 3
    39 *01 Morgan Shepherd RACEGIRL Chevy 53.446 179.172 3
    40 *05 Justin Ashburn FIKES Automotive/31W Insulation 53.799 177.996 9
    41 *52 Donnie Neuenberger Ford 54.609 175.356 3

    *Required to qualify on time


  • Mike Wallace Fastest in Practice: #7-Mike Wallace topped the speed charts in Thursday’s opening practice session in Talladega. His top speed was 197.342mph. The rest of the top five were #33-Tony Stewart, #1-J.J. Yeley, #47-Jon Wood, and #59-Marcos Ambrose. #11-Martin Truex, Jr. ran over something during the session and cut down a tire and then made contact with #8-Dale Earnhardt Jr. Truex suffered some damage to the nose of his car, but they fixed without going to a back-up. #01-Morgan Shepherd did not practice.(4-26-2007)
    NBS Practice 1
    Talladega Superspeedway
    Aaron’s 312
    Provided by NASCAR Statistics – Thu, April 26, 2007 @ 05:24 PM Eastern

    Pos Car Driver Team Time Speed # Laps
    1 7 Mike Wallace GEICO Chevy 48.525 197.342 42
    2 33 Tony Stewart Old Spice Chevy 48.561 197.195 21
    3 1 J.J. Yeley Miccosukee Resorts Chevy 48.749 196.435 32
    4 47 Jon Wood Armor All Ford 48.906 195.804 25
    5 59 Marcos Ambrose # Kingsford Ford 49.025 195.329 27
    6 10 Dave Blaney Haas Avocados Toyota 49.106 195.007 25
    7 9 Kasey Kahne Country Crock Dodge 49.216 194.571 29
    8 6 David Ragan # Discount Tire Ford 49.221 194.551 30
    9 41 Reed Sorenson Wrigley’s Juicy Fruit Dodge 49.241 194.472 31
    10 38 Jason Leffler Great Clips Toyota 49.321 194.157 29
    11 66 Steve Wallace HomeLife Communities Dodge 49.344 194.066 34
    12 22 Mike Bliss Family Dollar Dodge 49.348 194.050 18
    13 60 Carl Edwards Sharp Aquos Ford 49.420 193.768 31
    14 16 Greg Biffle 3M Ford 49.432 193.721 51
    15 37 Jamie McMurray Yardman by MTD Ford 49.482 193.525 24
    16 35 Bobby Hamilton Jr. McDonald’s Ford 49.507 193.427 39
    17 *24 Casey Mears National Guard/155th Armored Brigade 49.524 193.361 47
    18 29 Scott Wimmer Holiday Inn Chevy 49.536 193.314 20
    19 27 Ward Burton Cottonelle Ford 49.543 193.287 22
    20 18 Brad Coleman # Carino’s Italian Grill Chevy 49.610 193.026 24
    21 *2 Clint Bowyer Camping World Chevy 49.695 192.695 14
    22 4 Regan Smith Ginn Resorts Chevy 49.701 192.672 13
    23 77 Bobby Labonte Dollar General Chevy 49.736 192.537 24
    24 20 Aric Almirola Rockwell Automation Chevy 49.772 192.397 33
    25 88 Shane Huffman U.S. NAVY Chevy 49.782 192.359 21
    26 21 Kevin Harvick AutoZone Chevy 49.783 192.355 5
    27 *5 Kyle Busch Delphi Chevy 49.804 192.274 20
    28 42 Juan Pablo Montoya # Texaco/Havoline Dodge 49.812 192.243 24
    29 28 Robert Richardson Checkers Chevy 49.832 192.166 19
    30 *11 Martin Truex Jr. Bass Pro Shops/Tracker Boats Chevy 49.887 191.954 11
    31 99 David Reutimann Aaron’s Dream Machine Toyota 49.904 191.888 23
    32 14 Kyle Krisiloff # Clabber Girl Ford 49.939 191.754 20
    33 36 Brent Sherman BIG LOTS Chevy 49.988 191.566 13
    34 *17 Danny OQuinn Dish Network Ford 49.999 191.524 24
    35 *25 David Gilliland freecreditreport.com Ford 50.031 191.401 22
    36 *8 Dale Earnhardt Jr. Menards/vertis Chevy 50.137 190.997 12
    37 90 Stephen Leicht citifinancial Ford 51.588 185.625 19
    38 *70 Justin Diercks # Foretravel Motorcoach Chevy 51.612 185.538 19
    39 *0 Eric McClure Hefty/RACEGIRL Chevy 52.589 182.091 3
    40 *05 Justin Ashburn FIKES Automotive/31W Insulation 53.008 180.652 15
    41 *52 Donnie Neuenberger Ford 53.493 179.014 4

    *Required to qualify on time

  • Talladega Entry List: There are just 42 cars on the preliminary entry list for Saturday’s Aaron’s 312 at Talladega Superspeedway.(4-23-2007)
    Preliminary Entry List
    Talladega Superspeedway
    Aaron’s 312
    Provided by NASCAR Statistics – Mon, April 23, 2007 @ 08:46 PM Eastern

    Ent. Car Driver Driver’s Hometown Team Name Owner
    1. 0 Eric McClure Chilhowie, VA Hefty Chevy Keith Duesenberg
    2. 01 Morgan Shepherd Conover, NC Race Girl Chevy Johnny Davis
    3. 1 J.J. Yeley Phoenix, AZ Miccosukee Resort Chevy James Finch
    4. 2 Clint Bowyer Emporia, KS Camping World Chevy Richard Childress
    5. 4 Regan Smith Cato, NY Ginn Clubs & Resorts Chevy Bobby Ginn
    6. 5 Kyle Busch Las Vegas, NV Delphi Chevy Rick Hendrick
    7. 6 David Ragan Kannapolis, NC Discount Tire Ford Jack Roush
    8. 7 Mike Wallace St. Louis, MO GEICO Chevy James Finch
    9. 8 Dale Earnhardt Jr Kannapolis, NC Menards Chevy Teresa Earnhardt
    10. 9 Kasey Kahne Enumclaw, WA Country Crock Spread Dodge Ray Evernham
    11. 10 Dave Blaney Hartford, OH Haas Avocados from Mexico Toyota Greg Pollex
    12. 11 Martin Truex Jr Mayetta, NJ Bass Pro Shops Chevy Teresa Earnhardt
    13. 14 Kyle Krisiloff Carmel, IN Clabber Girl Baking Powder Ford Greg Pollex
    14. 16 Greg Biffle Vancouver, WA 3M Ford Jack Roush
    15. 17 Danny O’Quinn Jr Coeburn, VA Dish Network Ford Jack Roush
    16. 18 Brad Coleman Houston, TX Carino’s Italian Grill Chevy Joe Gibbs
    17. 20 Aric Almirola Tampa, FL Rockwell Automation Chevy Joe Gibbs
    18. 21 Kevin Harvick Bakersfield, CA Auto Zone Chevy Richard Childress
    19. 22 Mike Bliss Milwaukie, OR Family Dollar Dodge Armando Fitz
    20. 23 Brad Keselowski Rochester Hills, MI Oklahome Centinnial Chevy Keith Coleman
    21. 24 Casey Mears Bakersfield, CA National Guard Chevy Rick Hendrick
    22. 25 David Gilliland Riverside, CA FreeCreditReport.com Ford Ed Rensi
    23. 27 Ward Burton South Boston, VA Cottonelle Ford Tammy Brewer
    24. 28 Robert Richardson McKinney, TX Checkers / Rally’s Chevy Gene Haas
    25. 29 Scott Wimmer Wausau, WI Holiday Inn Chevy Richard Childress
    26. 33 Tony Stewart Columbus, IN Old Spice Chevy Delana Harvick
    27. 35 Bobby Hamilton Jr Nashville, TN McDonald’s Ford Gary Weisbaum
    28. 36 Brent Sherman N. Barrington, IL Big Lots! Chevy John McGill
    29. 37 Jamie McMurray Joplin, MO Yard-Man Ford Clarence Brewer
    30. 38 Jason Leffler Long Beach, CA Great Clips Toyota Todd Braun
    31. 41 Reed Sorenson Peachtree City, GA Wriglery’s Juicy Fruit Dodge Chip Ganassi
    32. 42 Juan Pablo Montoya Bogota, CO Texaco / Havoline Dodge Floyd Ganassi
    33. 47 Jon Wood Stuart, VA Armor All Ford Jodi Geschickter
    34. 52 Kevin Lepage Shelburne, VT TBA Ford Jimmy Means
    35. 59 Marcos Ambrose Launceston, AU Kingsford Ford Tad Geschickter
    36. 60 Carl Edwards Columbia, MO Sharp Ford Jack Roush
    37. 66 Steve Wallace Charlotte, NC Homelife Communities Dodge Rusty Wallace
    38. 70 Justin Diercks Davenport, IA Foretravel Motorcoach Chevy Mary Louise Miller
    39. 77 Bobby Labonte Corpus Christi, TX Dollar General Chevy Delana Harvick
    40. 88 Shane Huffman Hickory, NC U.S. Navy Chevy Dale Earnhardt Jr.
    41. 90 Stephen Leicht Asheville, NC Citifinancial Ford Robert Yates
    42. 99 David Reutimann Zephyrhills, FL Aaron’s Dream Machine Toyota Michael Waltrip


    NASCAR Busch Series News & Notes – Talladega

    DEI Seeks Five Straight, Truex Jr. Seeks Four Straight

    DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (April 23, 2007)Dale Earnhardt Inc. employees head to Alabama this week with a smile on their faces because in the past four Aaron’s 312 races at Talladega Superspeedway, no one but DEI drivers have tasted victory. The team heads into Talladega to see if it can make it five straight wins.

    Dale Earnhardt Jr. (#8 Menards Chevy), a two-time NASCAR Busch Series champion, won the Aaron’s 312 event in 2003. Ever since no one has matched two-time series champion Martin Truex Jr. (#8 Bass Pro Shops Chevy) who has racked up three consecutive victories here. Currently Truex Jr. has a perfect score there, starting only three series races at Talladega, and winning all three. 

    The big question is can DEI and Martin Truex Jr. do it again? Truex Jr. has started only one series event this season, Daytona, where he finished sixth. Earnhardt Jr. has started two series events this season, finishing seventh at Daytona and sixth at Bristol. Earnhardt Jr. hasn’t raced at Talladega in the NASCAR Busch Series since 2004, where he finished second to Truex Jr.

    No other team has gone for five consecutive wins at Talladega in NASCAR Busch Series competition. Truex Jr. will be going for four consecutive victories, and would be the first driver ever to do so in the series.
    DEI has a total of 16 victories at restrictor-plate tracks in the NASCAR Busch Series, 11 at Daytona and five at Talladega. The experience DEI drivers have accumulated will help them this weekend.

    “When you finish a race at Talladega, you’re almost never physically tired like if you had just raced at Bristol or Martinsville,” Earnhardt said. “But the mental strain and the concentration needed will wear you out mentally and emotionally. It’s fun, but it’s tough.”

    Two Juniors Looking To Make Fathers Proud

    The last NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series victories earned by 7-time series champion Dale Earnhardt Sr. and 2004 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series champion Bobby Hamilton Sr. both were at Talladega Superspeedway. This weekend, sons Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Bobby Hamilton Jr. (#35 McDonald’s Ford) are entered in the Aaron’s 312, and look to make their fathers proud by taking home the checkered flag.

    Dale Earnhardt Sr. won at Talladega in the fall of 2000 and holds the record for most wins there with 11 in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series and one in the NASCAR Busch Series. Bobby Hamilton Sr. followed up Earnhardt’s performance that next spring in 2001 with his final victory in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series.

    Dale Earnhardt Jr. has won at Talladega, once in the NASCAR Busch Series in 2004, and five times in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series, four of which were consecutive (a track record). Earnhardt Jr. also has followed in his father’s footsteps in becoming a car owner in the series. He started JR Motorsports in 2005, which fields Shane Huffman (#88 U.S. NAVY Chevy) in the NASCAR Busch Series.

    Bobby Hamilton Jr. has never won at Talladega, but has posted a top-five finish in 2000. Hamilton Jr. returned to NASCAR Busch Series competition this season and heads into Talladega ninth in the series standings, with a Driver Rating of 64.9, and an Average Running Position of 22.1.

    NASCAR Busch Series Leaders After 9 Of 35 Races:

    Driver points – Edwards (1525)
    Owner points – Roush Fenway (#60) (1525)
    Victories – J. Burton, Edwards, and Kenseth (2)
    Money won – Edwards ($447,950)
    Races led – Ky Busch (7)
    Miles led – Ky Busch (760.03)
    Top-five finishes – Edwards (8)
    Busch Poles – Ky Busch (2)
    Top-10 finishes – Edwards (9)
    Season Driver Rating – Ky Busch (124.2)
    Raybestos Rookie – Ambrose (+ 2 over Montoya)
    Closing in on Top-10 – Hamlin 10th (917 pts.) – Smith (-23), Leicht (-51), Regan (-57)

    Chevy Continues Atop The Standings

    Chevy won last week’s race at Phoenix International Raceway and gained momentum in the Bill France Performance Cup standings.

    Clint Bowyer captured his first win this season in the NASCAR Busch Series, moving Chevy further ahead of second-place Ford by four points. Chevy leads all manufacturers in victories at Talladega with 11.

    Toyota tightened the race for third place in the manufacturer’s standings this week with Dave Blaney finishing 10th at Phoenix, putting Toyota two points behind Dodge.

    In The Loop: Truex A Talladega Terror

    It can’t be this easy. Can it?

    In those three consecutive Talladega victories, Truex Jr. has earned some impressive Loop Data stats at the restrictor-plate track and has positioned himself as the series king of the famed 2.66-mile superspeedway.

    Of any driver competing in Saturday’s Aaron’s 312, Truex has the top pre-race Driver Rating (113.4), the top Average Running Position (7.336) and Laps in the Top 15 (191).

    If Truex is not atop the leader board in any one category, he’s close to the top. For instance, Truex has eight Fastest Laps Run which is tied for third most over the last two years at Talladega. His 311 Green Flag Passes are eighth most.

    As inconceivable as it may seem, Truex Jr. isn’t the only force at Talladega.  With last year’s runner-up finish, Kevin Harvick has also proven stellar at the track. Harvick has the second-best Driver Rating of anyone in Saturday’s race at 102.8 and a second-best Average Running Position of 9.965. Harvick also is the top “Closer” at Talladega in the NASCAR Busch Series – he has improved 14 positions in the last 10% of the races at Talladega.

    This weekend, Jason Leffler could open eyes. Leffler has an Average Running Position of 14.094 (13th-best) and a Driver Rating of 89.8 (13th-best). Jon Wood, who finished second in 2005, could also be one of the NASCAR Busch Series regulars to post a solid finish. He has eight Fastest Laps Run at the track, tied for third most.

    NBS ETC.

    ESPN on ABC will have live coverage of Saturday’s 312-mile race beginning at 2:30 p.m. ET with NASCAR Countdown, the fourth of six series events on ABC this year. Jerry Punch will anchor the telecast from Talladega, joined in the booth by current NASCAR NEXTEL Cup driver Dale Jarrett, and two-time champion crew chief Andy Petree for analysis.

    Juan Pablo Montoya (#42 Texaco Havoline Dodge) will be starting this weekend in the Aaron’s 312 at Talladega in his second NASCAR Busch Series restrictor-plate race. Montoya struggled in his first restrictor-plate event at Daytona, he finished 40th due to engine failure. He raced at Talladega in 2006 in the ARCA Series where he finished third.

    Series Standings Leader Carl Edwards (#60 Scotts Ford) will be racing in the Aaron’s 312 this weekend. Edwards in his last three series starts at Talladega has posted three top 10s. Edwards leads the NASCAR Busch Series standings by 424 points over second-place Dave Blaney (#32 ABF U-PACK Toyota). 

    Top Rookie Marcos Ambrose (#59 Kingsford Ford) is listed as a rookie this season but has proven he has more experience than most. He leads the Raybestos Rookie of the Year standings by two points over second-place Juan Pablo Montoya. This will be Ambrose’s second restrictor-plate start; he finished 16th at Daytona earlier this season.

    Double Duty Restrictor-plate races attract a lot of the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup drivers who pull double duty and Talladega is no exception. Out of the 41 drivers entered to race on Saturday, 20 of them are participating in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series this season.