THE RACE: 2007 BUSCH SERIES 250 – GATEWAY INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY

Busch Series Race #21 of 35 for the 2007 season


 

  • Race: 8:30pm/et, Saturday, July 21, 2007 in Madison, IL
  • Length: 200 Laps, 250 miles
  • TV: ESPN2 – 8:00pm/et
  • Radio: MRN
  • Purse: $1,532,287
  • Announcers: Jerry Punch, Rusty Wallace, Andy Petree
  • Pit Reporters: Allen Bestwick, Dave Burns, Jamie Little, Mike Massaro

    Practice Dates/Times

  • Practice: Friday, July 20, 7:00-8:00pm/et and 9:00-10:00pm/et. Rookie practice 8:15-8:45pm/et

    Qualifying Info

  • Qualifying Draw: Friday, July 20, 5:15pm/et
  • Qualifying Time: Saturday, July 21, 4:35pm/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

  • Sorenson Wins at Gateway: #41-Reed Sorenson picked up his first Busch Series win since Gateway in 2005 by winning the Busch Series 250 Saturday night. He took the lead from #99-David Reutimann with about 30 laps remaining and pulled away for the win. #29-Scott Wimmer ended up second, #99-Reutimann third, #38-Jason Leffer fourth, and #6-David Ragan fifth. #60-Carl Edwards recovered from a spin with 25 laps remaining to finish 6th. The rest of the top 10 were #42-Kevin Hamlin, #77-Ron Hornaday, #1-J.J. Yeley, and #03-Todd Bodine, making Germain Racing’s Busch debut. There were 9 cautions for 43 laps and 8 leaders with 14 lead changes.(7-21-2007)
    NASCAR Race Number 21
    Unofficial Race Results for the NASCAR Busch Series “250” – Saturday, July 21, 2007
    Gateway International Raceway – Madison, IL – 1.25 Mile Paved
    Total Race Length – 200 Laps – 250 Miles – Purse: $1,532,287

    s

    Fin Str Car Driver Team Laps Pts Bns Total Award Status Times Laps
    1 2 41 Reed Sorenson Wrigley’s Juicy Fruit Dodge 200 195 10 $59,850 Running 4 95
    2 1 29 Scott Wimmer Holiday Inn Chevy 200 175 5 $67,999 Running 1 53
    3 8 99 David Reutimann Aaron’s Dream Machine Toyota 200 170 5 $47,196 Running 2 23
    4 29 38 Jason Leffler Great Clips Toyota 200 160 $42,521 Running
    5 21 6 David Ragan # Discount Tire Ford 200 155 $29,575 Running
    6 3 60 Carl Edwards Dish Network/homezone Ford 200 155 5 $34,200 Running 2 7
    7 13 42 Kevin Hamlin Texaco/Havoline Dodge 200 146 $33,950 Running
    8 15 77 Ron Hornaday Dollar General Chevy 200 142 $33,100 Running
    9 16 1 J.J. Yeley Miccosukee Resorts Chevy 200 138 $25,885 Running
    10 24 03 Todd Bodine Germain Toyota Toyota 200 139 5 $26,450 Running 1 15
    11 26 16 Todd Kluever 3M Ford 200 130 $38,121 Running
    12 32 7 Mike Wallace GEICO Chevy 200 127 $32,471 Running
    13 11 35 Bobby Hamilton, Jr McDonald’s Ford 200 124 $31,696 Running
    14 22 21 Tim McCreadie AutoZone Chevy 200 121 $32,140 Running
    15 10 9 Chase Miller Dodge Dealers Dodge 200 118 $32,555 Running
    16 5 37 Bobby East Cub Cadet/Cottonelle Ford 199 115 $26,895 Running
    17 23 20 Travis Kittleson Bob Steele Chevy Chevy 199 112 $31,685 Running
    18 14 59 Marcos Ambrose # Kingsford/Aussie Vineyards Ford 198 109 $30,896 Running
    19 31 70 Mark Green ForeTravel/BIOMET Chevy 198 106 $23,940 Running
    20 19 30 Stanton Barrett Interush.net Chevy 198 103 $24,805 Running
    21 34 05 Brett Rowe FMI Fireplaces/31-W Insulation 195 100 $23,720 Running
    22 39 28 Robert Richardson, Jr # Checkers-Rally’s/U.S. Border Patrol 193 97 $23,610 Running
    23 12 90 Stephen Leicht citifinancial Ford 188 94 $30,421 Running
    24 9 47 Kelly Bires Clorox/American Red Cross Ford 181 91 $25,340 Running
    25 36 36 Brent Sherman BIG LOTS Chevy 181 88 $27,901 Running
    26 28 88 Brad Keselowski # U.S. Navy Chevy 177 90 5 $25,095 Running 1 5
    27 20 18 Brad Coleman # Carino’s Italian Grill Chevy 154 82 $24,985 Accident
    28 27 66 Steve Wallace HomeLife Communites Dodge 149 79 $29,411 Running
    29 35 33 Cale Gale Camping World Chevy 135 76 $30,240 Accident
    30 4 27 Jason Keller Kleenex/GoodNites Ford 131 73 $25,580 Accident
    31 42 25 Richard Johns freecreditreport.com Ford 119 70 $24,520 Accident
    32 6 24 Landon Cassill National Guard Chevy 108 67 $24,410 Accident
    33 7 22 Mike Bliss Family Dollar Dodge 98 69 5 $27,666 Accident 2 2
    34 25 2 Kenny Wallace Jimmy John’s Chevy 97 61 $24,190 Accident
    35 17 10 Dave Blaney Fan1st.com Toyota 96 58 $22,080 Handling
    36 18 14 Kyle Krisiloff # Lilly/Walgreens Ford 96 55 $27,336 Accident
    37 41 0 Eric McClure Hefty Chevy 45 52 $21,885 Brakes
    38 38 56 Frank Kreyer Culver’s Chevy 41 49 $21,825 Brakes
    39 30 89 Morgan Shepherd Victory in Jesus Racing Dodge 25 46 $21,790 Brakes
    40 40 52 Brad Teague Ford 20 43 $21,755 Over Heating
    41 43 76 Jerick Johnson American Legion Chevy 12 40 $21,720 Vibration
    42 37 49 Derrike Cope Chevy 8 37 $21,640 Vibration
    43 33 01 Danny Efland JD Motorsports Chevy 0 34 $21,579 Electrical
    Race Comments: Before an estimated crowd of 52,000 – Reed Sorenson won the Gateway 250, third NASCAR Busch Series victory and second at Gateway International Raceway. Prior to the green flag the following driver(s) dropped to the rear: #25 Johns (back-up car).
    Failed to Qualify: (1) 44 Mike Harmon.
    Time of Race: 02 Hrs, 37 Mins, 56 Secs.
    Average Speed: 94.977 MPH
    Margin of Victory: 2.064 Seconds
    Caution Flags: 9 for 44 laps: Laps: 7-9 (#66 accident turn 3); 94-97 (debris); 100-106 (#2,14,22 accident turn 2); 110-118 (#20,24,88 accident turn 3); 123-126 (#25 accident turn 1); 133-137 (#27,33,42 accident turn 2); 140-143 (debris); 155-158 (#18,37 accident turn 2); 179-182 (#60 accident turn 4).
    Lead Changes: 12 among 7 drivers: S. Wimmer 1-53; R. Sorenson 54-63; M. Bliss 64; C. Edwards 65-67; D. Reutimann 68-69; B. Keselowski # 70-74; R. Sorenson 75-93; M. Bliss 94; R. Sorenson 95-118; C. Edwards 119-122; T. Bodine 123-137; D. Reutimann 138-158; R. Sorenson 159-200.
    Top 10 Driver Points: (1) C. Edwards 3,229;(2) D. Reutimann 2,377;(3) K. Harvick 2,358;(4) D. Ragan # 2,271;(5) J. Leffler 2,257;(6) D. Blaney 2,252;(7) B. Hamilton, Jr 2,183;(8) S. Leicht 2,094;(9) M. Wallace 2,055;(10) M. Ambrose # 2,048.
    Busch Pole Award Scott Wimmer, #29 (135.355 mph)
    Checkers/Rally’s Double Drive-Thru Challenge Scott Wimmer, #29 (141.823 sec.)
    Featherlite “Most Improved Driver Jason Leffler, #38 (29 Places)
    Raybestos “Rookie of the Race David Ragan, #6
    Sunoco Diamond Performance Reed Sorenson, #41
    WIX Filters “Lap Leader Scott Wimmer, #29 (53 Laps)

  • Edwards’ Point Lead at 852: With Kevin Harvick not competing at Gateway, Carl Edwards was able to expand his point lead to 852 over David Reutimann. Harvick fell to third, David Ragan moved to fourth and Jason Leffler moved to fifth. Edwards’ point lead is now larger than Harvick’s was at any point last year.(7-21-2007)
    Points Report
    Gateway International Raceway
    NASCAR Busch Series 250
    UNOFFICAL Provided by NASCAR Statistics- Saturday, 7/21/2007 @ 11:57 PM Eastern

    Pos Driver BPts Points Ldr
    1 Carl Edwards 105 3229 0
    2 David Reutimann 15 2377 -852
    3 Kevin Harvick 40 2358 -871
    4 David Ragan # 15 2271 -958
    5 Jason Leffler 15 2257 -972
    6 Dave Blaney 15 2252 -977
    7 Bobby Hamilton, Jr 5 2183 -1046
    8 Stephen Leicht 15 2094 -1135
    9 Mike Wallace 45 2055 -1174
    10 Marcos Ambrose # 5 2048 -1181
    11 Clint Bowyer 45 1999 -1230
    12 J.J. Yeley 10 1966 -1263
    13 Matt Kenseth 60 1936 -1293
    14 Greg Biffle 25 1891 -1338
    15 Scott Wimmer 25 1869 -1360
    16 Casey Mears 15 1862 -1367
    17 Regan Smith 25 1820 -1409
    18 Steve Wallace 15 1782 -1447
    19 Shane Huffman 5 1727 -1502
    20 Kyle Krisiloff # 0 1711 -1518
    21 Denny Hamlin 40 1704 -1525
    22 Kyle Busch 80 1678 -1551
    23 Brent Sherman 20 1652 -1577
    24 Juan Pablo Montoya 20 1625 -1604
    25 Jeff Burton 45 1616 -1613
    26 Mike Bliss 5 1510 -1719
    27 Ward Burton 0 1497 -1732
    28 Todd Kluever 15 1484 -1745
    29 Tony Stewart 15 1364 -1865
    30 David Stremme 10 1345 -1884
    31 Reed Sorenson 10 1336 -1893
    32 Aric Almirola 15 1271 -1958
    33 David Gilliland 5 1257 -1972
    34 Eric Mcclure 5 1193 -2036
    35 Kasey Kahne 25 1164 -2065
    36 Jamie Mcmurray 5 1157 -2072
    37 Jon Wood 0 1154 -2075
    38 Bobby Labonte 5 1148 -2081
    39 Brad Coleman # 10 982 -2247
    40 Brad Keselowski # 5 950 -2279
    41 Jason Keller 10 943 -2286
    42 Robert Richardson, 5 741 -2488
    43 Kelly Bires 5 730 -2499
    44 Paul Menard 0 713 -2516
    45 Timothy Peters 0 646 -2583
    46 Stanton Barrett 0 636 -2593
    47 Kevin Hamlin 5 569 -2660
    48 Danny O’quinn, Jr 0 546 -2683
    49 Justin Diercks 0 505 -2724
    50 Dale Earnhardt, Jr 10 503 -2726
    51 Tony Raines 0 467 -2762
    52 Cale Gale 0 461 -2768
    53 Scott Riggs 0 460 -2769
    54 Mark Martin 0 452 -2777
    55 Chase Miller 0 436 -2793
    56 Johnny Sauter 0 423 -2806
    57 Morgan Shepherd 0 397 -2832
    58 Ryan Newman 10 389 -2840
    59 Robby Gordon 0 385 -2844
    60 Richard Johns 0 377 -2852
    61 Jay Sauter 0 376 -2853
    62 Brett Rowe 0 375 -2854
    63 Sam Hornish, Jr 0 368 -2861
    64 Kurt Busch 15 357 -2872
    65 Kertus Davis 0 335 -2894
    66 Kevin Conway 0 328 -2901
    67 D J Kennington 0 307 -2922
    68 Bobby East 0 303 -2926
    69 Joe Nemechek 0 300 -2929
    70 David Green 0 294 -2935
    71 Derrike Cope 0 290 -2939
    72 Todd Bodine 5 289 -2940
    73 Mark Green 0 273 -2956
    74 Boris Said 0 241 -2988
    75 Kevin Lepage 0 227 -3002
    76 Mike Harmon 0 221 -3008
    77 Brad Teague 0 215 -3014
    78 Tim Mccreadie 0 200 -3029
    79 Jeff Green 0 200 -3029
    80 Ron Hornaday 0 197 -3032
    81 Martin Truex, Jr 5 195 -3034
    82 Bobby Santos 0 189 -3040
    83 Scott Pruett 5 160 -3069
    84 Jimmie Johnson 5 155 -3074
    85 Jorge Goeters 5 151 -3078
    86 Kenny Wallace 0 146 -3083
    87 Ron Young 0 143 -3086
    88 Donnie Neuenberger 5 140 -3089
    89 Adrian Fernandez 0 138 -3091
    90 Johnny Benson 0 138 -3091
    91 Justin Ashburn 0 134 -3095
    92 Brian Vickers 0 124 -3105
    93 Elliott Sadler 0 121 -3108
    94 Jerick Johnson 0 120 -3109
    95 Travis Kittleson 0 112 -3117
    96 Frank Kreyer 0 110 -3119
    97 Marc Mitchell 0 103 -3126
    98 Chris Horn 0 101 -3128
    99 Brian Simo 0 97 -3132
    100 Carlos Contreras 5 97 -3132
    101 Todd Souza 0 94 -3135
    102 P J Jones 0 91 -3138
    103 Steve Grissom 0 88 -3141
    104 Michel Jourdain 0 88 -3141
    105 Kerry Earnhardt 0 88 -3141
    106 German Quiroga 5 84 -3145
    107 Shelby Howard 0 82 -3147
    108 Danny Efland 0 77 -3152
    109 Rogelio Lopez 0 76 -3153
    110 Trevor Boys 0 76 -3153
    111 Travis Kvapil 0 70 -3159
    112 Ron Fellows 0 67 -3162
    113 Landon Cassill 0 67 -3162
    114 J R Fitzpatrick 0 64 -3165
    115 Alex Garcia 0 61 -3168
    116 Scott Lagasse 0 58 -3171
    117 A J Frank 0 52 -3177
    118 Ian Henderson 0 52 -3177
    119 Dange Hanniford 0 49 -3180
    120 Larry Foyt 0 49 -3180
    121 John Andretti 0 46 -3183
    122 John Young 0 46 -3183
    123 Jamie Mosley 0 43 -3186
    124 Eddie Macdonald 0 40 -3189
    125 Caleb Holman 0 37 -3192
    126 Mike Potter 0 37 -3192
    127 Randy Macdonald 0 34 -3195
    128 Michael Waltrip 0 34 -3195
    129 Ruben Pardo 0 0 -3229
    130 Tono Perez 0 0 -3229

    Owner Points Following Race # 21
    Gateway International Raceway
    NASCAR Busch Series 250BR> UNOFFICIAL Provided by NASCAR Statistics – Saturday, 7/21/2007 @ 11:55 PM Eastern

    Pos Owner Car # Points Ldr
    1 Jack Roush 60 3,229
    2 Richard Childress 29 3,043 -186
    3 Joe Gibbs 20 2,784 -445
    4 Richard Childress 21 2,739 -490
    5 Delana Harvick 33 2,484 -745
    6 Ray Evernham 9 2,422 -807
    7 Michael Waltrip 99 2,377 -852
    8 Gregory Pollex 10 2,278 -951
    9 Armando Fitz 22 2,276 -953
    10 Jack Roush 6 2,271 -958
    11 Todd Braun 38 2,257 -972
    12 Jack Roush 17 2,203 -1,026
    13 Floyd Ganassi 42 2,194 -1,035
    14 Gary Weisbaum 35 2,183 -1,046
    15 Chip Ganassi 41 2,178 -1,051
    16 Clarence Brewer 37 2,142 -1,087
    17 Tammy Brewer 27 2,134 -1,095
    18 James Finch 1 2,126 -1,103
    19 Delana Harvick 77 2,124 -1,105
    20 Robert Yates 90 2,094 -1,135
    21 Jack Roush 16 2,080 -1,149
    22 Richard Childress 2 2,060 -1,169
    23 Dale Earnhardt, Jr 88 2,059 -1,170
    24 James Finch 7 2,055 -1,174
    25 Tad Geschickter 59 2,048 -1,181
    26 Joe Gibbs 18 2,042 -1,187
    27 Rick Hendrick 5 1,986 -1,243
    28 Rick Hendrick 24 1,960 -1,269
    29 Jodi Geschickter 47 1,954 -1,275
    30 Bobby Ginn 4 1,820 -1,409
    31 Rusty Wallace 66 1,782 -1,447
    32 Edward Rensi 25 1,719 -1,510
    33 Gregory Pollex 14 1,711 -1,518
    34 John McGill 36 1,652 -1,577
    35 Gene Haas 28 1,609 -1,620
    36 Keith Duesenberg 0 1,319 -1,910
    37 Roger Penske 12 1,114 -2,115
    38 Mary Louise Miller 70 803 -2,426
    39 Keith Coleman 23 758 -2,471
    40 Teresa Earnhardt 15 713 -2,516
    41 Jack Roush 126 677 -2,552
    42 Bryan Mullet 211 651 -2,578
    43 Jimmy Means 52 633 -2,596
    44 Frank Cicci 34 592 -2,637
    45 Stanton Barrett 30 566 -2,663
    46 John McNelly 56 530 -2,699
    47 Johnny Davis 01 448 -2,781
    48 Bill Riley 91 431 -2,798
    49 Robby Gordon 155 385 -2,844
    50 Wayne Day 05 382 -2,847
    51 Teresa Earnhardt 8 382 -2,847
    52 Pat Macdonald 72 369 -2,860
    53 Todd Braun 32 353 -2,876
    54 Andrea Nemechek 87 300 -2,929
    55 Cindy Shepherd 89 292 -2,937
    56 Jack Roush 106 282 -2,947
    57 Donnie Richardson 44 252 -2,977
    58 Teresa Earnhardt 111 195 -3,034
    59 James Rowe 273 186 -3,043
    60 Rick Hendrick 148 155 -3,074
    61 Jerry Young 171 143 -3,086
    62 Steve Germain 03 139 -3,090
    63 Fred Horn 158 132 -3,097
    64 Jack Johnson 76 120 -3,109
    65 Gina Macdonald 271 116 -3,113
    66 Kelly Souza 113 94 -3,135
    67 Susan Spraker 163 88 -3,141
    68 Armando Fitz 144 80 -3,149
    69 Tom Eriksen 167 76 -3,153
    70 Jay Robinson 49 71 -3,158
    71 Chris Lencheski 130 70 -3,159
    72 Alex Garcia 298 61 -3,168
    73 Eddie D’hondt 192 52 -3,177
    74 John Young 146 46 -3,183
    75 Charles Henderson 175 37 -3,192
    76 Lori Morgan 200 37 -3,192
    77 Robert Richardson 180 31 -3,198
    78 Jeff Barrister 250 31 -3,198
    79 Earl Sadler 195 22 -3,207

  • Wimmer On Pole in Gateway: #29-Scott Wimmer captured the pole for Saturday night’s Busch Series 250 at Gateway Raceway by setting a new track record with a speed of 135.355 mph. It is his first career Busch pole. #41-Reed Sorenson will start second, #60-Carl Edwards third, #27-Jason Keller fourth, and #37-Bobby East fifth. #24-Landon Cassill, making his Busch debut, starts sixth. The rest of the top 10: #22-Mike Bliss, #99-David Reutimann, #47-Kelly Bires, and #9-Chase Miller. #25-Richard Johns, the first driver out, wrecked and will have to go to a backup. The only DNQ was #44-Mike Harmon.(7-21-2007)
    Starting Line Up by Row
    Gateway International Raceway
    GATEWAY 250
    Provided by NASCAR Statistics – Sat, July 21, 2007 @ 06:16 PM Eastern

    Pos Car Driver Team Time Speed
    1 29 Scott Wimmer Holiday Inn Chevy 33.246 135.355
    2 41 Reed Sorenson Wrigley’s Juicy Fruit Dodge 33.296 135.151
    3 60 Carl Edwards Dish Network/homezone Ford 33.302 135.127
    4 27 Jason Keller Kleenex/GoodNites Ford 33.612 133.881
    5 37 Bobby East Cub Cadet/Cottonelle Ford 33.651 133.726
    6 24 Landon Cassill National Guard Chevy 33.666 133.666
    7 22 Mike Bliss Family Dollar Dodge 33.670 133.650
    8 99 David Reutimann Aaron’s Dream Machine Toyota 33.730 133.412
    9 47 Kelly Bires Clorox/American Red Cross Ford 33.788 133.183
    10 9 Chase Miller Dodge Dealers Dodge 33.821 133.053
    11 35 Bobby Hamilton, Jr McDonald’s Ford 33.878 132.830
    12 90 Stephen Leicht citifinancial Ford 33.880 132.822
    13 42 Kevin Hamlin Texaco/Havoline Dodge 33.905 132.724
    14 59 Marcos Ambrose # Kingsford/Aussie Vineyards Ford 33.907 132.716
    15 77 Ron Hornaday Dollar General Chevy 33.915 132.685
    16 1 J.J. Yeley Miccosukee Resorts Chevy 33.947 132.560
    17 10 Dave Blaney Fan1st.com Toyota 33.953 132.536
    18 14 Kyle Krisiloff # Lilly/Walgreens Ford 33.968 132.478
    19 30 Stanton Barrett Interush.net Chevy 33.978 132.439
    20 18 Brad Coleman # Carino’s Italian Grill Chevy 33.980 132.431
    21 6 David Ragan # Discount Tire Ford 33.986 132.407
    22 21 Tim McCreadie AutoZone Chevy 33.989 132.396
    23 20 Travis Kittleson Bob Steele Chevy Chevy 34.000 132.353
    24 03 Todd Bodine Germain Toyota Toyota 34.014 132.298
    25 2 Kenny Wallace Jimmy John’s Chevy 34.016 132.291
    26 16 Todd Kluever 3M Ford 34.018 132.283
    27 66 Steve Wallace HomeLife Communites Dodge 34.041 132.194
    28 88 Brad Keselowski # U.S. Navy Chevy 34.084 132.027
    29 38 Jason Leffler Great Clips Toyota 34.143 131.799
    30 89 Morgan Shepherd Victory in Jesus Racing Dodge 34.146 131.787
    31 70 Mark Green ForeTravel/BIOMET Chevy 34.199 131.583
    32 7 Mike Wallace GEICO Chevy 34.250 131.387
    33 01 Danny Efland JD Motorsports Chevy 34.493 130.461
    34 05 Brett Rowe FMI Fireplaces/31-W Insulation Chevy 34.540 130.284
    35 33 Cale Gale Camping World Chevy 34.704 129.668
    36 36 Brent Sherman BIG LOTS Chevy 34.766 129.437
    37 49 Derrike Cope Jay Robinson Chevy 34.832 129.192
    38 56 Frank Kreyer Culver’s Chevy 34.845 129.143
    39 28 Robert Richardson, Jr # Checkers-Rally’s/U.S. Border Patrol 35.389 127.158
    40 52 Brad Teague Jimmy Means Ford 35.446 126.954
    41 0 Eric McClure Hefty Chevy 35.521 126.686
    42 25 Richard Johns freecreditreport.com Ford Owner Points
    43 76 Jerick Johnson American Legion Chevy 36.517 123.230

  • Reutimann Paces Happy Hour: #99-David Reutimann was fastest in Happy Hour Friday night with a top speed of 135.632 mph. #10-Dave Blaney was second, #22-Mike Bliss third, #03-Todd Bodine fourth, and #6-David Ragan fifth. The rest of the top 10: #41-Reed Sorenson, #18-Brad Coleman, #21-Tim McCreadie, #29-Scott Wimmer, and #2-Kenny Wallace. Slowest were #76-Jerick Johnson, and #44-Mike Harmon.(7-20-2007)
    NBS Final Practice (HAPPY HOUR)
    Gateway International Raceway
    GATEWAY 250
    Provided by NASCAR Statistics – Fri, July 20, 2007 @ 10:07 PM Eastern

    Pos Car Driver Team Time Speed # Laps
    1 99 David Reutimann Aaron’s Dream Machine Toyota 33.178 135.632 26
    2 10 Dave Blaney Fan1st.com Toyota 33.210 135.501 28
    3 22 Mike Bliss Family Dollar Dodge 33.303 135.123 33
    4 *03 Todd Bodine Germain Toyota Toyota 33.383 134.799 23
    5 6 David Ragan # Discount Tire Ford 33.395 134.751 26
    6 41 Reed Sorenson Wrigley’s Juicy Fruit Dodge 33.466 134.465 36
    7 18 Brad Coleman # Carino’s Italian Grill Chevy 33.487 134.381 30
    8 21 Tim McCreadie AutoZone Chevy 33.515 134.268 37
    9 29 Scott Wimmer Holiday Inn Chevy 33.521 134.244 31
    10 *2 Kenny Wallace Jimmy John’s Chevy 33.524 134.232 37
    11 20 Travis Kittleson Bob Steele Chevy Chevy 33.534 134.192 48
    12 88 Brad Keselowski # U.S. Navy Chevy 33.577 134.020 36
    13 38 Jason Leffler Great Clips Toyota 33.584 133.992 39
    14 60 Carl Edwards Dish Network/homezone Ford 33.605 133.909 27
    15 42 Kevin Hamlin Texaco/Havoline Dodge 33.613 133.877 23
    16 33 Cale Gale Camping World Chevy 33.653 133.718 27
    17 7 Mike Wallace GEICO Chevy 33.682 133.603 32
    18 47 Kelly Bires Clorox/American Red Cross Ford 33.683 133.599 39
    19 1 J.J. Yeley Miccosukee Resorts Chevy 33.700 133.531 33
    20 77 Ron Hornaday Dollar General Chevy 33.733 133.401 34
    21 16 Todd Kluever 3M Ford 33.749 133.337 27
    22 66 Steve Wallace HomeLife Communites Dodge 33.755 133.314 21
    23 *24 Landon Cassill National Guard Chevy 33.761 133.290 48
    24 14 Kyle Krisiloff # Lilly/Walgreens Ford 33.775 133.235 18
    25 35 Bobby Hamilton, Jr McDonald’s Ford 33.809 133.101 37
    26 59 Marcos Ambrose # Kingsford/Aussie Vineyards Ford 33.830 133.018 29
    27 9 Chase Miller Dodge Dealers Dodge 33.861 132.896 43
    28 25 Richard Johns freecreditreport.com Ford 33.941 132.583 38
    29 37 Bobby East Cub Cadet/Cottonelle Ford 33.956 132.524 30
    30 90 Stephen Leicht citifinancial Ford 33.971 132.466 31
    31 27 Jason Keller Kleenex/GoodNites Ford 34.011 132.310 24
    32 36 Brent Sherman BIG LOTS Chevy 34.015 132.295 12
    33 *30 Stanton Barrett Interush.net Chevy 34.058 132.128 36
    34 *89 Morgan Shepherd Victory in Jesus Racing Dodge 34.187 131.629 2
    35 *70 Mark Green ForeTravel/BIOMET Chevy 34.251 131.383 21
    36 *56 Frank Kreyer Culver’s Chevy 34.342 131.035 17
    37 *01 Danny Efland JD Motorsports Chevy 34.468 130.556 7
    38 *05 Brett Rowe FMI Fireplaces/31-W Insulation Chevy 34.565 130.189 20
    39 *49 Derrike Cope Jay Robinson Chevy 34.670 129.795 7
    40 28 Robert Richardson, Jr Checkers-Rally’s/U.S. Border Patrol 34.876 129.029 18
    41 *0 Eric McClure Hefty Chevy 35.185 127.895 6
    42 *76 Jerick Johnson American Legion Chevy 36.238 124.179 3
    43 *44 Mike Harmon The Westin-St. Louis Chevy 36.435 123.508 4

    NBS Rookie Practice
    Gateway International Raceway
    GATEWAY 250
    Provided by NASCAR Statistics – Fri, July 20, 2007 @ 08:46 PM Eastern

    Pos Car Driver Team Time Speed # Laps
    1 9 Chase Miller Dodge Dealers Dodge 33.656 133.706 14
    2 47 Kelly Bires Clorox/American Red Cross Ford 33.741 133.369 7
    3 37 Bobby East Cub Cadet/Cottonelle Ford 33.752 133.325 8
    4 14 Kyle Krisiloff # Lilly/Walgreens Ford 33.791 133.172 10
    5 6 David Ragan # Discount Tire Ford 33.797 133.148 13
    6 *24 Landon Cassill National Guard Chevy 33.800 133.136 13
    7 18 Brad Coleman # Carino’s Italian Grill Chevy 33.854 132.924 15
    8 59 Marcos Ambrose # Kingsford/Aussie Vineyards Ford 33.894 132.767 9
    9 33 Cale Gale Camping World Chevy 33.944 132.571 16
    10 20 Travis Kittleson Bob Steele Chevy Chevy 33.988 132.400 15
    11 25 Richard Johns freecreditreport.com Ford 33.989 132.396 24
    12 21 Tim McCreadie AutoZone Chevy 34.049 132.162 19
    13 88 Brad Keselowski # U.S. Navy Chevy 34.092 131.996 5
    14 *56 Frank Kreyer Culver’s Chevy 34.669 129.799 22
    15 *01 Danny Efland JD Motorsports Chevy 34.816 129.251 14
    16 *0 Eric McClure Hefty Chevy 34.869 129.054 8
    17 *05 Brett Rowe FMI Fireplaces/31-W Insulation Chevy 34.905 128.921 9
    18 28 Robert Richardson, Jr Checkers-Rally’s/U.S. Border Patrol 35.119 128.136 7
    19 *76 Jerick Johnson American Legion Chevy 36.667 122.726 10

  • Leffler Fastest in Practice at Gateway: #38-Jason Leffler was fastest in the opening practice session at Gateway. His top speed was 134.204 mph. He was followed by #29-Scott Wimmer, #03-Todd Bodine, #24-Landon Cassill, and #90-Stephen Leicht.(7-20-2007)
    NBS Practice 1
    Gateway International Raceway
    GATEWAY 250
    Provided by NASCAR Statistics – Fri, July 20, 2007 @ 08:03 PM Eastern

    Pos Car Driver Team Time Speed # Laps
    1 38 Jason Leffler Great Clips Toyota 33.531 134.204 20
    2 29 Scott Wimmer Holiday Inn Chevy 33.673 133.638 15
    3 *03 Todd Bodine Germain Toyota Toyota 33.686 133.587 15
    4 *24 Landon Cassill National Guard Chevy 33.688 133.579 35
    5 90 Stephen Leicht citifinancial Ford 33.706 133.507 20
    6 22 Mike Bliss Family Dollar Dodge 33.748 133.341 25
    7 99 David Reutimann Aaron’s Dream Machine Toyota 33.770 133.254 24
    8 60 Carl Edwards Dish Network/homezone Ford 33.891 132.779 18
    9 41 Reed Sorenson Wrigley’s Juicy Fruit Dodge 33.964 132.493 13
    10 10 Dave Blaney Fan1st.com Toyota 33.971 132.466 15
    11 1 J.J. Yeley Miccosukee Resorts Chevy 33.976 132.446 25
    12 18 Brad Coleman # Carino’s Italian Grill Chevy 33.988 132.400 25
    13 6 David Ragan # Discount Tire Ford 33.990 132.392 21
    14 42 Kevin Hamlin Texaco/Havoline Dodge 34.044 132.182 19
    15 *2 Kenny Wallace Jimmy John’s Chevy 34.105 131.945 20
    16 88 Brad Keselowski # U.S. Navy Chevy 34.116 131.903 36
    17 77 Ron Hornaday Dollar General Chevy 34.149 131.775 14
    18 7 Mike Wallace GEICO Chevy 34.157 131.745 21
    19 16 Todd Kluever 3M Ford 34.159 131.737 26
    20 47 Kelly Bires Clorox/American Red Cross Ford 34.224 131.487 26
    21 66 Steve Wallace HomeLife Communites Dodge 34.227 131.475 23
    22 59 Marcos Ambrose # Kingsford/Aussie Vineyards Ford 34.242 131.418 28
    23 33 Cale Gale Camping World Chevy 34.259 131.352 22
    24 27 Jason Keller Kleenex/GoodNites Ford 34.260 131.349 17
    25 21 Tim McCreadie AutoZone Chevy 34.263 131.337 38
    26 9 Chase Miller Dodge Dealers Dodge 34.276 131.287 23
    27 35 Bobby Hamilton, Jr McDonald’s Ford 34.296 131.211 29
    28 25 Richard Johns freecreditreport.com Ford 34.307 131.169 21
    29 20 Travis Kittleson Bob Steele Chevy Chevy 34.393 130.841 53
    30 *30 Stanton Barrett Interush.net Chevy 34.417 130.749 23
    31 37 Bobby East Cub Cadet/Cottonelle Ford 34.425 130.719 25
    32 14 Kyle Krisiloff # Lilly/Walgreens Ford 34.461 130.582 22
    33 36 Brent Sherman BIG LOTS Chevy 34.474 130.533 21
    34 *89 Morgan Shepherd Victory in Jesus Racing Dodge 34.699 129.687 6
    35 *70 Mark Green ForeTravel/BIOMET Chevy 34.856 129.103 14
    36 *56 Frank Kreyer Culver’s Chevy 34.966 128.696 31
    37 *01 Danny Efland JD Motorsports Chevy 34.967 128.693 23
    38 *49 Derrike Cope Jay Robinson Chevy 35.186 127.892 9
    39 *0 Eric McClure Hefty Chevy 35.218 127.776 17
    40 *52 Brad Teague Jimmy Means Ford 35.641 126.259 4
    41 28 Robert Richardson, Jr Checkers-Rally’s/U.S. Border Patrol 35.809 125.667 20
    42 *44 Mike Harmon The Westin-St. Louis Chevy 36.221 124.237 7
    43 *05 Brett Rowe FMI Fireplaces/31-W Insulation Chevy 36.676 122.696 4

  • Gateway Entry List: There are 47 entries on the preliminary entry list for Saturday night’s Busch Series 250 at Gateway.(7-17-2007)
    UPDATE: Brian Sockwell has been removed from the list to bring the total to 46.(7-19-2007)
    UPDATE 2: #58-Chris Horn and #95-Blake Feese are not at the track, so there are 44 drivers attempting the race.(7-20-2007)

    Preliminary Entry List
    Gateway International Raceway
    Gateway 250
    Provided by NASCAR Statistics – Tue, July 17, 2007 @ 03:02 PM Eastern

    Ent Car Driver Team Name Owner
    1. 0 Eric McClure Hefty Chevy Keith Duesenberg
    2. 1 J.J. Yeley Miccosukee Resort Chevy James Finch
    3. 01 Danny Efland TBA Chevy Johnny Davis
    4. 2 Kenny Wallace Jimmy John’s Chevy Richard Childress
    5. 03 Todd Bodine TBA Toyota Steven Germain
    6. 05 Brett Rowe 31-W Insulation Chevy Wayne Day
    7. 6 David Ragan Discount Tire Ford Jack Roush
    8. 7 Mike Wallace GEICO Chevy James Finch
    9. 9 Chase Miller Dodge Dealers Dodge Ray Evernham
    10. 10 Dave Blaney Fan1st.com Toyota Greg Pollex
    11. 14 Kyle Krisiloff Lily/Walgreens Ford Greg Pollex
    12. 16 Todd Kluever 3M Ford Jack Roush
    13. 18 Brad Coleman Carino’s Italian Grill Chevy Joe Gibbs
    14. 20 Travis Kittleson Bob Steele Chevy Chevy Joe Gibbs
    15. 21 Timothy Peters Auto Zone Chevy Richard Childress
    16. 22 Mike Bliss Family Dollar Dodge Armando Fitz
    17. 24 Landon Cassill National Guard Chevy Rick Hendrick
    18. 25 Richard Johns FreeCreditReport.com Ford Ed Rensi
    19. 27 Jason Keller Huggies Ford Tammy Brewer
    20. 28 Robert Richardson U.S. Border Patrol Chevy Gene Haas
    21. 29 Scott Wimmer Holiday Inn Chevy Richard Childress
    22. 30 Stanton Barrett Interush.net Chevy Stanton Barrett
    23. 33 Cale Gale Camping World Chevy Delana Harvick
    24. 35 Bobby Hamilton Jr McDonald’s Ford Gary Weisbaum
    25. 36 Brent Sherman Big Lots! Chevy John McGill
    26. 37 Bobby East TBA Ford Clarence Brewer
    27. 38 Jason Leffler Great Clips Toyota Todd Braun
    28. 41 Reed Sorenson Wrigley’s Juicy Fruit Dodge Chip Ganassi
    29. 42 Kevin Hamlin Texaco / Havoline Dodge Floyd Ganassi
    30. 44 Mike Harmon HGM Hotels/M. Helsabeck Collection Donnie Richardson
    31. 47 Kelly Bires Clorox Ford Jodi Geschickter
    32. 49 Derrike Cope TBA Chevy Jay Robinson
    33. 52 Brad Teague TBA Ford Jimmy Means
    34. 56 Frank Kreyer TBA Chevy John McNelly
    35. 59 Marcos Ambrose Kingsford-Aussie Vineyards Ford Tad Geschickter
    36. 60 Carl Edwards Dish Network Ford Jack Roush
    37. 66 Steve Wallace Homelife Communities Dodge Rusty Wallace
    38. 70 Mark Green Foretravel Motorcoach Chevy Mary Louise Miller
    39. 76 Jerick Johnson American Legion Chevy Jack Johnson
    40. 77 Ron Hornaday Jr Dollar General Chevy Delana Harvick
    41. 88 Brad Keselowski U.S. Navy Chevy Dale Earnhardt Jr.
    42. 89 Morgan Shepherd Victory In Jesus Dodge Cindy Shepherd
    43. 90 Stephen Leicht Citifinancial Ford Robert Yates
    44. 99 David Reutimann Aaron’s Dream Machine Toyota Michael Waltrip

    Drivers in Red are required to qualify on time.


    NASCAR Busch Series News and Notes – Gateway 250

    Perfect Timing: Keller To Surpass $11 Million In Series Sponsor Hometown

    DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (July 17, 2007) – Listen closely.
    It’s not a roar – far from it. It’s not a bang. It’s hardly a pop.
    It’s a quiet sound, yet one that reverberates within the NASCAR Busch Series.

    “It” is yet another all-time mark about to fall by the wayside compliments of Jason Keller (#27 Huggies Ford) – the first series driver to surpass $9, $10 and by this weekend, $11 million in winnings.
    But who knew?

    The soft-spoken Keller is the king of quiet accomplishments. He’s a 17-year veteran, 12 of those seasons have been spent in a full-time capacity. He’s run a limited schedule the last two years, but this season he’s in a combination of rides with Brewco Motorsports and CJM Racing with the expectation of returning to full-time competition once again next season.

    But the 37-year-old native of Greenville, S.C., has plenty of racing to do yet in 2007.
    And as the NASCAR Busch Series makes its way to Gateway International Raceway, home of 26-year sponsor Busch Beer and parent company Anheuser-Busch, perhaps there’s no better representative to break a coveted mark and move one step closer to another milestone.

    If his current schedule holds, Keller will become the series’ all-time starts leader in October at Lowe’s Motor Speedway.

    The record of 417 starts was set by Tommy Houston from 1982-96. Keller became just the second driver to record 400 starts when he did so last August at O’Reilly Raceway Park at Indianapolis.

    Keller, who seeks his first career win at Gateway, is $1,284 shy of the $11 million mark.

    My Hometown: Wallaces, Edwards Return To Familiar Territory

    Since 1999, the NASCAR Busch Series race at Gateway International Raceway has had two things in common – exciting finishes and at least one native son in the field.

    Saturday night’s race will be no different as the St. Louis-based Wallace clan – brothers Kenny (#21 Jimmy John’s Chevy) and Mike (#7 GEICO Chevy) along with their nephew Steve (#66 HomeLife Communities Dodge) converge on their hometown track.

    Another Missouri native, Columbia’s Carl Edwards (#60 Dish Network Ford) will be making his third consecutive appearance and fourth overall at Gateway. This time he comes home as the defending race winner and series standings leader.

    Mike Wallace can make the biggest splash of his season to date at home on Saturday. The veteran was 19th in the standings seven races ago but is now 11 points from 10th place. He spent seven consecutive weeks in the top 10 earlier this season.

    Steve Wallace is in his first full season in the series and is ranked 19th in the standings while Kenny Wallace – who recently took over as Steve’s spotter – is making his second start of the year in the NASCAR Busch Series.

    Kenny served as a relief driver last February at California Speewday for David Gilliland, who had become ill. This weekend, he will start for Richard Childress Racing in the #21 car normally driven by reigning series champion Kevin Harvick, who won last Saturday at Chicagoland Speedway.

    In The Loop: Gateway A Site For Sor – enson’s Eyes In Attempt To Snap 60-Race Winless String

    Reed Sorenson (#41 Wrigley’s Juicy Fruit Dodge) circled and starred this NASCAR Busch Series weekend on his calendar.

    Both of Sorenson’s trips to Gateway International Raceway have resulted in top-five finishes, the last of which was a win – and also happens to be his most recent series victory dating back to his last 60 races.

    Sorenson collected one of his two career NASCAR Busch Series wins at Gateway (the other was at Nashville Superspeedway) in 2005. And last year, he came close to repeating, settling for a fourth-place finish.

    His stats over the past two years are likewise impressive. He leads all drivers in pre-race Driver Rating at 127.1, has the fourth-best Average Running Position at 4.8, has more Fastest Laps Run than any other driver with 59 and has spent all but three laps in the top 15 (397 total).

    In his four previous trips to the Madison, Ill., track, Scott Wimmer (#29 Holiday Inn Chevy) has also performed well. He has three top 10s and last year he finished sixth – his best finish of the season.

    In that race, Wimmer ran all 200 laps in the top 15, earned a Driver Rating of 110.6, had an Average Running Position of 4.5 and collected 13 Fastest Laps Run.

    Standings leader Carl Edwards will likely have a good chance to increase his lead over reigning series champion Kevin Harvick. For one, Harvick isn’t entered this weekend. But that may not matter, as Edwards has excelled at his home track in recent years at Gateway.

    Edwards is the defending winner of this race and finished third at Gateway in 2005. Over the past two years, Edwards has a Driver Rating of 122.7 (third-best), an Average Running Position of 5.7 (fifth-best), 57 Fastest Laps Run (second-most) and 357 Laps in the Top 15 (fourth-most).

    NBS ETC.

    • Germain Racing Makes Series Jump: On the heels of its 2006 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series championship, Toyota’s first NASCAR national series title, Germain Racing looks to make its debut in the NASCAR Busch Series this weekend at Gateway. Todd Bodine, the 2006 Craftsman Truck champion and long-time NASCAR Busch Series competitor, will drive the #03 Germain Racing Toyota in its inaugural venture. Bodine won in the Truck Series at Gateway last year and likes the opportunity to make the team’s NASCAR Busch Series debut there. “We’ve been working on putting together a Busch program for a long time,” said Bodine. “I’m glad we’re getting on track with our first Busch Series race at a place where we’ve had success as a team, and I’ve had success as a driver.”

    Bodine has 316 NASCAR Busch Series career starts, with 157 top-10 and 89 top-five finishes. He has 15 victories and seven pole awards. In his “regular” job, driving the #30 Lumber Liquidators Toyota for Germain Racing in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. Bodine is third in the standings with one win and one pole this season.

    • Cassill Debuts For Hendrick: Continuing with the NASCAR Busch Series debut theme, a new face will be on the scene at Gateway as 18-year-old Landon Cassill, a driver for Hendrick Motorsports, is scheduled to drive the #24 National Guard Chevy. Cassill, who turned 18 on July 7, recently moved to Charlotte from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, after graduating with honors from Jefferson High School. Cassill has competed in the NASCAR Grand National Division, Busch East Series and in ARCA events leading up to his anticipated debut in the NASCAR Busch Series.
    • Coleman Returns: It’s been a long wait in his mind, but Brad Coleman (#18 Carino’s Chevy) returns to the NASCAR Busch Series following a three-race layoff. The 19-year-old Coleman, who has a pole and three top-10 finsihes in his last four races – including consecutive top fives at Kentucky and The Milwaukee Mile – is scheduled to run the next six races for owner Joe Gibbs, marking Coleman’s longest starting string of the season. In the interim, the Houston, Texas native has been working out to gain strength and traveling to the race track to gain knowledge. He’s also spent countless hours on a simulator to prepare for the upcoming six tracks. The layoff might be more of a good thing than Coleman thinks – the last time he returned from a break – earlier this year with a six-week absence – he posted his career-best finish (second) at Kentucky.
    • Edwards’ Adventure: It’s well-known that NASCAR Busch Series standings leader Carl Edwards enjoys working out and that bicycling is one of his favorite fitness elements. But  even Edwards acknowledges that his latest endeavor – riding his bike from his home in Columbia to Gateway International Raceway – is a first. Edwards will utilize the buddy system, riding with friends over what he believes will be a two-day trip. He also plans to race against his younger brother, Kenny, on Sunday at I-80 Speedway in Omaha, Neb., on Carl Edwards Night at the track in NASCAR Whelen All-American Series competition.

    The Director’s Take

    INSIGHT FROM JOE BALASH,
    NASCAR BUSCH SERIES DIRECTOR

    “Gateway is a more difficult track for crew chiefs and drivers to dial in their car because Turns 1 and 2 have 11 degrees of banking, while Turns 3 and 4 have nine degrees.

    Although Turns 1 and 2 have more banking, it’s a much tighter radius in the corner than in 3 and 4.

    Teams are always making a compromise with the race car because of the differences at each end of the track.

    The crew chiefs and drivers that get on the same page and find a balance with the differences in the race track are going to be the teams that run up front.”

    News From The NAPA Auto Parts 200

    Canadians In The Field: As the entry list begins to take shape for the NAPA Auto Parts 200, the list of Canadian drivers is solidifying as well. Led by Patrick Carpentier, who last week announced his intention to drive the #22 Fitz Motorsports Dodge in the event, other native Canadians who are entered to date include:

    Driver                    Car                    Hometown
    J.R. Fitzpatrick      #0 Chevy   Cambridge, Ontario
    Patrick Carpentier  #22 Dodge      Montreal, Quebec
    Ron Fellows          #33 Chevy  Mississauga, Ontario
    D.J. Kennington     #72 Dodge      St. Thomas, Ontario

    2007 NASCAR BUSCH SERIES
    RAYBESTOS ROOKIE OF THE YEAR STANDINGS

         Driver                                            Points
    1. David Ragan                                      184
    2. Marcos Ambrose                               167
    3. Juan Pablo Montoya                          162
    4. Kyle Krisiloff                                      151
    5. Brad Keselowski                                 98
    6. Brad Coleman                                     88
    7. Robert Richardson Jr.                          67
    8. Justin Diercks                                     51

    Note: Alex Garcia has officially withdrawn from the program. Sam Hornish Jr. and Bobby Santos are no longer eligible as they have not attempted eight of the first 20 events.

    ESPN/ABC

    ESPN2 will feature NASCAR Busch Series racing live from Gateway International Raceway on Saturday night. The telecast begins with NASCAR Countdown at 8:00 p.m. ET; the race starts at 8:30 p.m. ET. ESPN2 will carry the final practice session on Friday evening as well as qualifying on Saturday.

    Allen Bestwick hosts NASCAR Countdown from the ESPN Pit Studio, joined by Rusty Wallace – who returns to his hometown of St. Louis – and analyst Brad Daugherty, while Tim Brewer will report from the ESPN Chevy Cutaway Car.

    Wallace will work in the ESPN booth as lead analyst for the telecast and will be joined by Andy Petree. Dr. Jerry Punch will handle play-by-play. Pit reporters will be Dave Burns, Jamie Little, Mike Massaro and Shannon Spake.

    ESPN2 will also have live coverage of qualifying from Gateway along with the final practice session. Practice coverage will air at 7:00 p.m. ET Friday, with the live qualifying show for the Gateway 250 hosted by Bestwick beginning at 4:30 p.m. ET Saturday.

    2007 At-A-Glance: NASCAR Busch Series Leaders After 20 Of 35 Races:

    Traditional Statistics:

    Driver points – Edwards (3074)
    Victories – Edwards (4)
    Races led – Edwards (15)
    Laps led – Edwards (674)
    Top-five finishes – Edwards (12)
    Top-10 finishes – Edwards (15)
    Owner points – Roush (#60) – (3074)
    Money Won – Edwards ($805,785)
    Miles led – Ky. Busch (1015.53)
    Busch Poles – Hamlin (4)
    Closing in on Top 10 – Ambrose10th (1939 pts): Kenseth (-3); M. Wallace (-11); Biffle (-48)
    Consecutive Weeks in Top 10 – Blaney, Edwards, Harvick (20)

    Loop Data Statistics:

    Driver Rating – Edwards (115.3)
    Average Running Position – Edwards (7.2)
    Fastest Laps Run – Edwards (432 fastest laps)
    Quality Passes – Edwards (752)
    Laps In Top 15 – Edwards (3,380 of a possible 3,766)

    Three Different Winners In Last Three Races At Gateway; Ford Has Recent Edge

    Gateway International Raceway hasn’t had a repeat winner since two-time series champion Kevin Harvick won consecutive races in 2000-01. Likewise, there hasn’t been a manufacturer to repeat at Gateway since Ford in 2002-03.

    Over the last three races at Gateway, three different manufacturers have gone to Victory Lane. That could bode well for Toyota, currently in fourth place but rising in the Bill France Performance Cup standings.

    Toyota has yet to win in NASCAR Busch Series competition this season, but has fared well this season on tracks just over one mile in length. Toyota is only three points behind third-place Dodge, the 2005 winner Reed Sorenson.

    First-place Chevy last won at Gateway in 2004 but comes to the track with momentum having won one week ago at Chicagoland with Harvick behind the wheel.

    Ford, in second place in the standings, has defending race winner Carl Edwards in the fold to go for back-to-back victories.

    Manufacturers’ Championship
    2007 Points Standings

    Chevy 151
    Ford 128
    Dodge  82
    Toyota  79

    Up Next: Kroger 200 At O’Reilly Raceway Park At Indianapolis

    The longest-standing race sponsor in the NASCAR Busch Series, Kroger, once again holds the title for next Saturday’s event at O’Reilly Raceway Park at Indianapolis. ESPN2 will carry the race live beginning at 7:30 p.m. ET.

    Although considered a “stand-alone” event, the NASCAR Busch Series will share the 0.686-mile stage with the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, which will run the previous evening.

    Kevin Harvick is the defending winner of the Kroger 200 while Denny Hamlin captured the Busch Pole last year.

    The race is the second of three consecutive stand-alone events on the series’ summer schedule. The last in the group will be the inaugural race at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal on Aug. 4.
    The Director’s Take: Gateway

    2007 Point Standings

    No. Driver        Points
    1    Edwards     3074
    2    Harvick        2358
    3    Reutimann   2207
    4    Blaney        2194
    5    Ragan         2116
    6    Leffler          2097
    7    Hamilton Jr. 2059
    8    Leicht         2000
    9    Bowyer       1999
    10   Ambrose    1939

    The Race:  Gateway 250
    The Place: Gateway International Raceway
    The Date:  July 21, 20071
    The Time: 8:30 p.m. (ET)
    TV: ESPN2, 8:00 p.m. (ET)
    Track Layout: 1.25-mile oval
    Race Purse: $1,532,287
    2006 Winner: Carl Edwards
    2006 Pole: Denny Hamlin

    Schedule:
    Fri.: 6 – 7:00 p.m. – Practice; Rookie Practice; 7:15 – 7:45 p.m. – Final Practice 8 – 9:00 p.m. (one hour, time permitting). Sat.: 3:35 p.m. – Qualifying (Impound).