THE RACE: 2007 FOOD CITY 250 – BRISTOL MOTOR SPEEDWAY

Busch Series Race #26 of 35 for the 2007 season


 

  • Race: 8:00pm/et, Friday, August 24, 2007 in Bristol, TN
  • Length: 250 Laps, 133.24 miles
  • TV: ESPN2 – 7:30pm/et
  • Radio: PRN
  • Announcers: Jerry Punch, Rusty Wallace, Andy Petree
  • Pit Reporters: Allen Bestwick, Dave Burns, Jamie Little, Mike Massaro

    Practice Dates/Times

  • Practice: Thursday, August 23, 1:00-5:00pm/et (open practice), Friday, August 24, 9:00-9:50am/et and 10:15-11:15am/et

    Qualifying Info

  • Qualifying Draw: Thursday, August 23, 12:00pm/et
  • Qualifying Time: Friday, August 24, 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.

    Goodyear Tire Notes

    Busch Series — Race No. 26 — Food City 250
    Bristol Motor Speedway (0.533-mile oval) — Bristol, Tenn.
    Fast Facts for August 24-25, 2007
    Tire: Goodyear Eagle Speedway Radials
    Number of Tires: Busch Series: Left-side — 500, Right-side — 500
    Tire Codes: Left-side — D-4118; Right-side — D-4098
    Tire Circumference: Left-side — 87.4 in.; Right-side — 88.6 in.
    Technical Inspection Inflation: Left Front — 26 psi; Left Rear — 26 psi; Right Front — 42 psi; Right Rear — 40 psi
    Minimum Recommended Inflation: Left Front — 20 psi; Left Rear — 18 psi; Right Front — 41 psi; Right Rear — 38 psi
    Estimated Pit Window: Every 130-140 laps, based on fuel mileage (Nextel Cup).
    Notes: This is the first time that Goodyear has brought this specific combination of left- and right-side tires that to the track . . . this is the same right-side tire code (D-4098) that Goodyear ran at Bristol in March and twice at Pocono this summer . . . this left-side code (D-4118) is brand new to the Goodyear tire lineup . . . it has a slightly tougher tread compound than the previous left-side run at Bristol, primarily due to the brand new, concrete racing surface . . . unlike on other NASCAR ovals less than one mile in length, where no inner liners are run, teams are required to run inner liners in their right-side tires at Bristol . . . air pressure in those inner liners should be 12-25 psi greater than that of the outer tire.


    ENTRY, PRACTICE, QUALIFYING, AND RACE INFORMATION

  • Kahne Wins at Bristol: #9-Kasey Kanhe held off a hard charging #38-Jason Leffler to win the Food City 250 at Bristol Motor Speedway. Leffler spun coming across the finish line after contact with #99-David Reutimann, who finished third. #5-Kyle Busch was fourth, #21-Scott Wimmer fifth. The rest of the top ten were #5-David Ragan, #88-Brad Keselowski, #2-Clint Bowyer, #26-Jamie McMurray, and #20-Aric Almirola. The points leader, #60-Carl Edwards finished 11th. There were 6 leaders with 11 lead changes and 11 cautions for 57 laps.(8-24-2007)
    NASCAR Race Number 26
    Unofficial Race Results for the Food City 250 – Friday, August 24, 2007
    Bristol Motor Speedway – Bristol, TN – .53 Mile Paved

    Fin Str Car Driver Team Laps Pts Bns Total Award Status Times Laps
    1 23 9 Kasey Kahne Ragu Dodge 250 190 5 $57,525 Running 2 10
    2 1 38 Jason Leffler Great Clips Toyota 250 180 10 $59,089 Running 3 81
    3 10 99 David Reutimann Aaron’s Dream Machine Toyota 250 170 5 $40,437 Running 1 33
    4 20 5 Kyle Busch Hot Shot Chevy 250 165 5 $24,850 Running 1 24
    5 25 21 Scott Wimmer AutoZone Chevy 250 155 $38,662 Running
    6 19 6 David Ragan # Discount Tire Ford 250 150 $23,650 Running
    7 18 88 Brad Keselowski # U.S. NAVY Chevy 250 146 $24,310 Running
    8 16 2 Clint Bowyer BB&T Chevy 250 142 $22,170 Running
    9 30 26 Jamie McMurray Aflac Ford 250 138 $21,950 Running
    10 27 20 Aric Almirola Rockwell Automation Chevy 250 134 $38,362 Running
    11 21 60 Carl Edwards Scotts Ford 250 130 $27,625 Running
    12 39 35 Bobby Hamilton, Jr. McDonald’s Ford 250 127 $29,712 Running
    13 4 22 Mike Bliss Supercuts Dodge 250 124 $27,987 Running
    14 14 37 Greg Biffle Cub Cadet Ford 250 121 $21,260 Running
    15 9 42 David Stremme Wrigley’s Winterfresh Dodge 250 118 $27,490 Running
    16 6 33 Kevin Harvick Roadloans.com Chevy 250 115 $27,680 Running
    17 2 18 Brad Coleman # Carino’s Italian Grill Chevy 250 112 $27,422 Running
    18 36 56 Danny O’Quinn Power Equipment Co. Chevy 250 109 $23,090 Running
    19 24 24 Casey Mears National Guard/278th Calvary 250 106 $21,055 Running
    20 26 90 Stephen Leicht citifinancial Ford 250 103 $28,277 Running
    21 35 16 Travis Kvapil 3M Ford 250 100 $28,450 Running
    22 29 27 Johnny Sauter Kleenex/Food City Ford 250 97 $20,905 Running
    23 38 44 Dale Jarrett UPS Toyota 250 94 $21,220 Running
    24 13 11 Jason Keller Dutch Quality Stone Chevy 250 91 $22,810 Running
    25 7 70 Mark Green ForeTravel Motorcoach Chevy 250 88 $22,750 Running
    26 33 14 Kyle Krisiloff Lilly/Walgreens Ford 250 85 $26,972 Running
    27 22 77 Bobby Labonte Dollar General Chevy 247 82 $26,275 Running
    28 11 12 Ryan Newman alltel Dodge 246 84 5 $20,980 Running 2 64
    29 34 47 Kelly Bires Armor All Ford 244 76 $22,845 Running
    30 43 72 D.J. Kennington Northern Provincial Pipelines Dodge 242 73 $22,950 Running
    31 41 36 Brent Sherman Big Lots! Chevy 239 70 $26,747 Running
    32 5 66 Steve Wallace HomeLife Communities Dodge 238 67 $25,547 Running
    33 8 41 Reed Sorenson Memorex Dodge 237 64 $20,420 Running
    34 15 17 Matt Kenseth Arby’s Ford 229 61 $20,400 Running
    35 31 7 Mike Wallace GEICO Chevy 225 58 $25,492 Running
    36 28 10 Brian Vickers Ft. McDowell Resort Destination 214 55 $22,365 Accident
    37 12 59 Marcos Ambrose # Kingsford/Bush’s Ford 169 52 $25,452 Accident
    38 42 28 Robert Richardson Jr. # Checker’s/U.S. Border Patrol 165 49 $22,305 Accident
    39 17 1 J.J. Yeley Miccosukee Resorts Chevy 127 46 $20,270 Fuel Pump
    40 3 29 Jeff Burton Holiday Inn Chevy 118 48 5 $25,750 Running 1 38
    41 37 25 David Gilliland freecreditreport.com Ford 98 40 $20,230 Accident
    42 32 0 Eric McClure Hefty Chevy 74 37 $22,205 Accident
    43 40 89 Morgan Shepherd Victory in Jesus Dodge 17 34 $22,166 Handling
    Race Comments: Before an estimated crowd of 115,000 – Kasey Kahne won the Food City 250, his seventh career NASCAR Busch Series victory. Prior to the green flag the following driver(s) dropped to the rear for the reason(s) indicated: #28 Richardson (unapproved impound adjustment).
    Failed to Qualify: (3) 54 Brad Teague, 49 Derrike Cope, 08 Jason White.
    Time of Race: 01 Hrs, 45 Mins, 02 Secs.
    Average Speed: 76.119 MPH
    Margin of Victory: .374 Seconds
    Caution Flags: 11 for 57 laps: Laps: 18-21 (#7 accident turn 2); 52-56 (#7 accident turn 4); 78-84 (#0, #29 accident turn 4); 101-105 (#25 accident turn 2); 120-125 (#59 accident turn 1); 134-138 (#2, #9, #33, #36 accident frontstretch); 143-146 (#41 accident turn 4); 152-157 (#47 accident turn 4); 173-179 (#28, #59 accident turn 2); 206-209 (#66 accident turn 1); 215-218 (#10 accident turn 2).
    Lead Changes: 9 among 6 drivers: J. Leffler 1-14; J. Burton 15-52; J. Leffler 53-77; K. Busch 78-101; D. Reutimann 102-134; J. Leffler 135-176; R. Newman 177-236; K. Kahne 237; R. Newman 238-241; K. Kahne 242-250.
    Busch Pole Award: Jason Leffler, #38 (120.324 mph)
    Checkers/Rally’s Double Drive-Thru Challenge: Aric Almirola, #20 (119.887)
    Featherlite “Most Improved Driver: Bobby Hamilton Jr, #35 (15 Places)
    Raybestos “Rookie of the Race: David Ragan, #6
    Sunoco Diamond Performance: Kasey Kahne, #9
    WIX Filters “Lap Leader: Jason Leffler, #38 (81 Laps)

  • Edwards’ Point Lead at 690: Carl Edwards’ 11th place finsh at Bristol combined with David Reutimann’s 3rd place finish took Edwards lead from 700 down to 690. Kevin Harvick fell to third in the points, Jason Leffler remains fouth and David Ragan fifth.(8-24-2007)
    Points Report
    Bristol Motor Speedway
    Food City 250
    UNOFFICAL Provided by NASCAR Statistics- Friday, 8/24/2007 @ 10:31 PM Eastern

    Pos Driver BPts Points Ldr Starts
    1 Carl Edwards 110 3743 0 26
    2 David Reutimann 20 3053 -690 26
    3 Kevin Harvick 60 3028 -715 19
    4 Jason Leffler 30 2921 -822 26
    5 David Ragan # 20 2841 -902 26
    6 Bobby Hamilton, Jr. 5 2704 -1039 26
    7 Stephen Leicht 15 2615 -1128 26
    8 Greg Biffle 40 2585 -1158 23
    9 Marcos Ambrose # 15 2553 -1190 26
    10 Mike Wallace 45 2477 -1266 26
    11 Matt Kenseth 65 2322 -1421 16
    12 Clint Bowyer 45 2275 -1468 15
    13 Dave Blaney 15 2252 -1491 20
    14 Casey Mears 15 2248 -1495 16
    15 J.J. Yeley 10 2239 -1504 22
    16 Scott Wimmer 25 2170 -1573 16
    17 Kyle Krisiloff 0 2159 -1584 26
    18 Steve Wallace 15 2141 -1602 26
    19 Jeff Burton 50 2128 -1615 14
    20 Denny Hamlin 50 2020 -1723 14
    21 Brent Sherman 20 1999 -1744 26
    22 Kyle Busch 85 1843 -1900 13
    23 Regan Smith 25 1820 -1923 17
    24 Mike Bliss 5 1772 -1971 16
    25 Shane Huffman 5 1727 -2016 18
    26 Aric Almirola 20 1690 -2053 16
    27 Juan Pablo Montoya 20 1689 -2054 17
    28 Todd Kluever 15 1687 -2056 16
    29 Brad Coleman # 10 1579 -2164 14
    30 Ward Burton 0 1555 -2188 16
    31 David Stremme 10 1554 -2189 13
    32 Reed Sorenson 10 1503 -2240 16
    33 Bobby Labonte 10 1490 -2253 14
    34 David Gilliland 5 1488 -2255 18
    35 Tony Stewart 15 1437 -2306 10
    36 Jamie McMurray 5 1425 -2318 14
    37 Kasey Kahne 30 1424 -2319 12
    38 Brad Keselowski # 5 1354 -2389 18
    39 Eric McClure 5 1306 -2437 20
    40 Jason Keller 10 1261 -2482 12
    41 Jon Wood 0 1154 -2589 13
    42 Paul Menard 0 1019 -2724 9
    43 Kelly Bires 10 927 -2816 10
    44 Robert Richardson 5 872 -2871 12
    45 Danny O’Quinn 0 752 -2991 8
    46 Kevin Hamlin 5 748 -2995 7
    47 Stanton Barrett 0 748 -2995 10
    48 Timothy Peters 0 646 -3097 7
    49 Ryan Newman 15 611 -3132 6
    50 Morgan Shepherd 0 609 -3134 16
    51 Richard Johns 0 583 -3160 7
    52 Cale Gale 0 582 -3161 6
    53 Mark Martin 0 573 -3170 4
    54 Robby Gordon 0 549 -3194 6
    55 Kurt Busch 20 527 -3216 4
    56 D.J. Kennington 0 520 -3223 7
    57 Johnny Sauter 0 520 -3223 7
    58 Justin Diercks 0 505 -3238 7
    59 Dale Earnhardt, Jr 10 503 -3240 4
    60 Ron Hornaday, Jr 5 481 -3262 4
    61 Tony Raines 0 467 -3276 5
    62 Scott Riggs 0 460 -3283 4
    63 Sam Hornish, Jr 0 456 -3287 6
    64 Boris Said 5 452 -3291 4
    65 Chase Miller 0 436 -3307 4
    66 Todd Bodine 5 431 -3312 3
    67 Brett Rowe 0 427 -3316 8
    68 Mark Green 0 407 -3336 7
    69 Bobby East 5 403 -3340 5
    70 Scott Pruett 10 395 -3348 3
    71 Derrike Cope 0 388 -3355 7
    72 Jay Sauter 0 376 -3367 4
    73 Kertus Davis 0 369 -3374 6
    74 Brian Vickers 5 334 -3409 3
    75 Ron Fellows 10 328 -3415 3
    76 Kevin Conway 0 328 -3415 4
    77 Timothy McCreadie 0 327 -3416 3
    78 Kevin Lepage 0 306 -3437 6
    79 Joe Nemechek 0 300 -3443 3
    80 Jorge Goeters 5 297 -3446 3
    81 David Green 0 294 -3449 3
    82 Patrick Carpentier 5 256 -3487 2
    83 Jeff Green 0 255 -3488 3
    84 Mike Harmon 0 255 -3488 6
    85 Brad Teague 0 252 -3491 7
    86 Andy Pilgrim 0 236 -3507 2
    87 Andy Lally 0 210 -3533 2
    88 Alex Garcia 0 210 -3533 3
    89 Max Papis 0 205 -3538 2
    90 Michel Jourdain 0 203 -3540 2
    91 Martin Truex, Jr 5 195 -3548 2
    92 Frank Kreyer 0 189 -3554 3
    93 Bobby Santos 0 189 -3554 3
    94 Travis Kvapil 0 170 -3573 2
    95 John Graham 0 164 -3579 2
    96 Brian Keselowski 0 158 -3585 2
    97 Jerick Johnson 0 157 -3586 5
    98 Jimmie Johnson 5 155 -3588 1
    99 Kenny Wallace 0 146 -3597 2
    100 Ron Young 0 143 -3600 2
    101 Landon Cassill 0 140 -3603 2
    102 Donnie Neuenberger 5 140 -3603 3
    103 Adrian Fernandez 0 138 -3605 1
    104 Johnny Benson 0 138 -3605 1
    105 Shelby Howard 0 137 -3606 2
    106 Justin Ashburn 0 134 -3609 2
    107 Trevor Boys 0 134 -3609 2
    108 Niclas Jonsson 5 132 -3611 1
    109 Elliott Sadler 0 121 -3622 1
    110 Scott Lagasse 0 119 -3624 2
    111 Travis Kittleson 0 112 -3631 1
    112 Josh Wise 0 106 -3637 1
    113 Marc Mitchell 0 103 -3640 1
    114 Chris Horn 0 101 -3642 2
    115 J R Fitzpatrick 0 98 -3645 2
    116 Brian Simo 0 97 -3646 1
    117 Carlos Contreras 5 97 -3646 2
    118 Dale Jarrett 0 94 -3649 1
    119 Todd Souza 0 94 -3649 1
    120 P J Jones 0 91 -3652 1
    121 Scott Gaylord 0 89 -3654 2
    122 Steve Grissom 0 88 -3655 1
    123 Kerry Earnhardt 0 88 -3655 1
    124 German Quiroga 5 84 -3659 1
    125 Danny Efland 0 77 -3666 2
    126 Rogelio Lopez 0 76 -3667 1
    127 Mike MacKenzie 0 64 -3679 1
    128 Deac McCaskill 5 63 -3680 1
    129 Michael Valiante 0 61 -3682 1
    130 A J Frank 0 52 -3691 1
    131 Ian Henderson 0 52 -3691 1
    132 Dange Hanniford 0 49 -3694 1
    133 Larry Foyt 0 49 -3694 1
    134 John Andretti 0 46 -3697 1
    135 John Young 0 46 -3697 1
    136 Jamie Mosley 0 43 -3700 1
    137 Joe Fox 0 40 -3703 2
    138 Eddie MacDonald 0 40 -3703 1
    139 Caleb Holman 0 37 -3706 1
    140 Mike Potter 0 37 -3706 1
    141 Randy MacDonald 0 34 -3709 2
    142 Michael Waltrip 0 34 -3709 1
    143 Jason White 0 0 -3743 1
    144 Ruben Pardo 0 0 -3743 2
    145 Tono Perez 0 0 -3743 1

    Owner Points Following Race # 26
    Bristol Motor Speedway
    Food City 250
    UNOFFICIAL Provided by NASCAR Statistics – Friday, 8/24/2007 @ 10:22 PM Eastern

    Pos Owner Car # Points Ldr
    1 Jack Roush 60 3,743
    2 Richard Childress 29 3,701 -42
    3 Richard Childress 21 3,576 -167
    4 Joe Gibbs 20 3,519 -224
    5 Delana Harvick 33 3,054 -689
    6 Michael Waltrip 99 3,053 -690
    7 Ray Evernham 9 2,956 -787
    8 Todd Braun 38 2,921 -822
    9 Armando Fitz 22 2,853 -890
    10 Jack Roush 6 2,841 -902
    11 Gregory Pollex 10 2,790 -953
    12 Delana Harvick 77 2,750 -993
    13 Jack Roush 16 2,718 -1,025
    14 Jack Roush 17 2,704 -1,039
    15 Gary Weisbaum 35 2,704 -1,039
    16 Dale Earnhardt, Jr 88 2,699 -1,044
    17 Chip Ganassi 41 2,641 -1,102
    18 Joe Gibbs 18 2,639 -1,104
    19 Floyd Ganassi 42 2,616 -1,127
    20 Robert Yates 90 2,615 -1,128
    21 James Finch 1 2,604 -1,139
    22 Clarence Brewer 37 2,601 -1,142
    23 Tammy Brewer 27 2,565 -1,178
    24 Tad Geschickter 59 2,553 -1,190
    25 James Finch 7 2,477 -1,266
    26 Rick Hendrick 5 2,414 -1,329
    27 Jodi Geschickter 47 2,361 -1,382
    28 Richard Childress 2 2,336 -1,407
    29 Rick Hendrick 24 2,277 -1,466
    30 Gregory Pollex 14 2,159 -1,584
    31 Edward Rensi 25 2,156 -1,587
    32 Rusty Wallace 66 2,141 -1,602
    33 John McGill 36 1,999 -1,744
    34 Gene Haas 28 1,985 -1,758
    35 Bobby Ginn 4 1,820 -1,923
    36 Keith Duesenberg 0 1,573 -2,170
    37 Roger Penske 12 1,424 -2,319
    38 Teresa Earnhardt 15 1,019 -2,724
    39 Jack Roush 26 945 -2,798
    40 Mary Louise Miller 70 937 -2,806
    41 Bryan Mullet 11 839 -2,904
    42 Stanton Barrett 230 775 -2,968
    43 Jimmy Means 252 759 -2,984
    44 Keith Coleman 23 758 -2,985
    45 John McNelly 56 718 -3,025
    46 Frank Cicci 34 592 -3,151
    47 Pat MacDonald 72 582 -3,161
    48 Johnny Davis 01 577 -3,166
    49 Robby Gordon 155 549 -3,194
    50 Cindy Shepherd 89 504 -3,239
    51 Wayne Day 105 434 -3,309
    52 Bill Riley 91 431 -3,312
    53 Teresa Earnhardt 8 382 -3,361
    54 Todd Braun 32 353 -3,390
    55 Andrea Nemechek 87 300 -3,443
    56 Donnie Richardson 244 286 -3,457
    57 Jack Roush 106 282 -3,461
    58 Steve Germain 103 281 -3,462
    59 Alex Garcia 298 210 -3,533
    60 Teresa Earnhardt 111 195 -3,548
    61 James Rowe 273 186 -3,557
    62 Jerry Young 171 174 -3,569
    63 Gina MacDonald 271 174 -3,569
    64 Roger Penske 139 170 -3,573
    65 Dusty Whitney 249 158 -3,585
    66 Jack Johnson 176 157 -3,586
    67 Rick Hendrick 148 155 -3,588
    68 Susan Spraker 163 152 -3,591
    69 Jay Robinson 49 139 -3,604
    70 Fred Horn 158 132 -3,611
    71 MICHAEL WALTRIP 44 94 -3,649
    72 Kelly Souza 113 94 -3,649
    73 Armando Fitz 144 80 -3,663
    74 Tom Eriksen 167 76 -3,667
    75 Chris Lencheski 130 70 -3,673
    76 Lori Morgan 200 68 -3,675
    77 Eddie D’hondt 192 52 -3,691
    78 John Young 146 46 -3,697
    79 Charles Henderson 175 37 -3,706
    80 Robert Richardson 180 31 -3,712
    81 Jeff Barrister 250 31 -3,712
    82 Charles Fridell 54 31 -3,712
    83 J L Pennington 08 25 -3,718
    84 Earl Sadler 195 22 -3,721


  • Leffler on Pole for Food City 250: #38-Jason Leffler grabbed his second Busch pole of the year [the first was Daytona in July] with a speed of 120.324mph. #18-Brad Coleman will start second, #29-Jeff Burton third, #22-Mike Bliss fourth and #66-Steve Wallace fifth. The rest of the top 10 will be #33-Kevin Harvick, #70-Mark Green, #41-Reed Sorenson, #42-David Stremme, and #99-David Reutimann. The two drivers that did not qualify were #54-Brad Teague and #49-Derrike Cope. #08-Jason White withdrew following an accident in practice.(8-24-2007)
    Starting Line Up by Row
    Bristol Motor Speedway
    Food City 250
    Provided by NASCAR Statistics – Fri, August 24, 2007 @ 05:43 PM Eastern

    Pos Car Driver Team Time Speed
    1 38 Jason Leffler Great Clips Toyota 15.947 120.324
    2 18 Brad Coleman # Carino’s Italian Grill Chevy 16.051 119.544
    3 29 Jeff Burton Holiday Inn Chevy 16.071 119.395
    4 22 Mike Bliss Supercuts Dodge 16.076 119.358
    5 66 Steve Wallace HomeLife Communities Dodge 16.078 119.343
    6 33 Kevin Harvick Roadloans.com Chevy 16.090 119.254
    7 70 Mark Green ForeTravel Motorcoach Chevy 16.092 119.239
    8 41 Reed Sorenson Memorex Dodge 16.120 119.032
    9 42 David Stremme Wrigley’s Winterfresh Dodge 16.123 119.010
    10 99 David Reutimann Aaron’s Dream Machine Toyota 16.128 118.973
    11 12 Ryan Newman alltel Dodge 16.129 118.966
    12 59 Marcos Ambrose # Kingsford/Bush’s Ford 16.132 118.944
    13 11 Jason Keller Dutch Quality Stone Chevy 16.145 118.848
    14 37 Greg Biffle Cub Cadet Ford 16.149 118.819
    15 17 Matt Kenseth Arby’s Ford 16.159 118.745
    16 2 Clint Bowyer BB&T Chevy 16.163 118.716
    17 1 J.J. Yeley Miccosukee Resorts Chevy 16.164 118.708
    18 88 Brad Keselowski # U.S. NAVY Chevy 16.180 118.591
    19 6 David Ragan # Discount Tire Ford 16.186 118.547
    20 5 Kyle Busch Hot Shot Chevy 16.191 118.510
    21 60 Carl Edwards Scotts Ford 16.203 118.423
    22 77 Bobby Labonte Dollar General Chevy 16.219 118.306
    23 9 Kasey Kahne Ragu Dodge 16.224 118.269
    24 24 Casey Mears National Guard/278th Calvary Regiment 16.232 118.211
    25 21 Scott Wimmer AutoZone Chevy 16.256 118.036
    26 90 Stephen Leicht citifinancial Ford 16.273 117.913
    27 20 Aric Almirola Rockwell Automation Chevy 16.282 117.848
    28 10 Brian Vickers Ft. McDowell Resort Destination Toyota 16.283 117.841
    29 27 Johnny Sauter Kleenex/Food City Ford 16.311 117.638
    30 26 Jamie McMurray Aflac Ford 16.343 117.408
    31 7 Mike Wallace GEICO Chevy 16.393 117.050
    32 0 Eric McClure Hefty Chevy 16.395 117.036
    33 14 Kyle Krisiloff Lilly/Walgreens Ford 16.422 116.843
    34 47 Kelly Bires Armor All Ford 16.435 116.751
    35 16 Travis Kvapil 3M Ford 16.441 116.708
    36 56 Danny O’Quinn Power Equipment Co. Chevy 16.443 116.694
    37 25 David Gilliland freecreditreport.com Ford 16.444 116.687
    38 44 Dale Jarrett UPS Toyota 16.467 116.524
    39 35 Bobby Hamilton, Jr. McDonald’s Ford 16.474 116.474
    40 89 Morgan Shepherd Victory in Jesus Dodge 16.478 116.446
    41 36 Brent Sherman Big Lots Chevy 16.512 116.206
    42 28 Robert Richardson Jr. # Checker’s/U.S. Border Patrol Chevy Owner Points
    43 72 D.J. Kennington Northern Provincial Pipelines Dodge 16.482 116.418

    Did Not Qualify: # 54 Brad Teague; # 49 Derrike Cope; # 08 Jason White.


  • Yeley Leads Happy Hour: #1-J.J. Yeley was fastest in Happy Hour at Bristol with a speed of 120.068mph. #29-Jeff Burton was second, #38-Jason Leffler third, #33-Kevin Harvick fourth, and #00-David Reutimann (who spun during the session but didn’t hit anything) fifth. #47-Kelly Bires wrecked early in the session and will go to a backup.(8-24-2007)
    NBS Final Practice (HAPPY HOUR)
    Bristol Motor Speedway
    Food City 250
    Provided by NASCAR Statistics – Fri, August 24, 2007 @ 11:23 AM Eastern

    Pos Car Driver Team Time Speed # Laps
    1 1 J.J. Yeley Miccosukee Resorts Chevy 15.981 120.068 41
    2 29 Jeff Burton Holiday Inn Chevy 15.996 119.955 38
    3 38 Jason Leffler Great Clips Toyota 15.998 119.940 38
    4 *5 Kyle Busch Hot Shot Chevy 16.013 119.828 23
    5 33 Kevin Harvick Roadloans.com Chevy 16.025 119.738 46
    6 21 Scott Wimmer AutoZone Chevy 16.050 119.551 44
    7 99 David Reutimann Aaron’s Dream Machine Toyota 16.055 119.514 22
    8 42 David Stremme Wrigley’s Winterfresh Dodge 16.062 119.462 34
    9 22 Mike Bliss Supercuts Dodge 16.076 119.358 7
    10 66 Steve Wallace HomeLife Communities Dodge 16.091 119.247 39
    11 *12 Ryan Newman alltel Dodge 16.094 119.225 47
    12 *2 Clint Bowyer BB&T Chevy 16.107 119.128 44
    13 37 Greg Biffle Cub Cadet Ford 16.126 118.988 43
    14 *44 Dale Jarrett UPS Toyota 16.140 118.885 46
    15 6 David Ragan # Discount Tire Ford 16.146 118.841 34
    16 88 Brad Keselowski # U.S. NAVY Chevy 16.155 118.774 14
    17 90 Stephen Leicht citifinancial Ford 16.169 118.672 26
    18 35 Bobby Hamilton, Jr. McDonald’s Ford 16.214 118.342 36
    19 9 Kasey Kahne Ragu Dodge 16.214 118.342 38
    20 18 Brad Coleman # Carino’s Italian Grill Chevy 16.220 118.298 33
    21 16 Travis Kvapil 3M Ford 16.235 118.189 36
    22 *11 Jason Keller Dutch Quality Stone Chevy 16.242 118.138 34
    23 *24 Casey Mears National Guard/278th Calvary Regiment 16.253 118.058 44
    24 25 David Gilliland freecreditreport.com Ford 16.268 117.949 62
    25 *70 Mark Green ForeTravel Motorcoach Chevy 16.310 117.646 26
    26 41 Reed Sorenson Memorex Dodge 16.311 117.638 44
    27 7 Mike Wallace GEICO Chevy 16.314 117.617 51
    28 10 Brian Vickers Ft. McDowell Resort Destination Toyota 16.315 117.610 53
    29 *56 Danny O’Quinn Power Equipment Co. Chevy 16.324 117.545 34
    30 47 Kelly Bires Armor All Ford 16.327 117.523 42
    31 77 Bobby Labonte Dollar General Chevy 16.333 117.480 50
    32 59 Marcos Ambrose # Kingsford/Bush’s Ford 16.387 117.093 52
    33 *26 Jamie McMurray Aflac Ford 16.402 116.986 36
    34 20 Aric Almirola Rockwell Automation Chevy 16.406 116.957 41
    35 *0 Eric McClure Hefty Chevy 16.472 116.489 23
    36 *54 Brad Teague Scag Mowers Chevy 16.473 116.482 27
    37 60 Carl Edwards Scotts Ford 16.475 116.467 47
    38 *17 Matt Kenseth Arby’s Ford 16.482 116.418 57
    39 14 Kyle Krisiloff Lilly/Walgreens Ford 16.505 116.256 43
    40 *72 D.J. Kennington Northern Provincial Pipelines Dodge 16.586 115.688 25
    41 *89 Morgan Shepherd Victory in Jesus Dodge 16.619 115.458 19
    42 36 Brent Sherman Big Lots Chevy 16.711 114.823 21
    43 27 Johnny Sauter Kleenex/Food City Ford 16.728 114.706 44

  • Keselowski Fastest in Practice: #88-Brad Keselowski was fastest during the opening practice session at Bristol with a top speed of 120.324mph. He was followed by #5-Kyle Busch, #41-Reed Sorenson, #33-Kevin Harvick and #25-David Gilliland. There was one incident during the session involving #08-Jason White, #41-Sorenson, and #66-Steve Wallace. White’s team does not have a backup so they have withdrawn. Sorenson will go to a backup.(8-24-2007)
    NBS Practice 1
    Bristol Motor Speedway
    Food City 250
    Provided by NASCAR Statistics – Fri, August 24, 2007 @ 09:54 AM Eastern

    Pos Car Driver Team Time Speed # Laps
    1 88 Brad Keselowski # U.S. NAVY Chevy 15.947 120.324 40
    2 *5 Kyle Busch Hot Shot Chevy 15.997 119.947 41
    3 41 Reed Sorenson Memorex Dodge 16.043 119.604 15
    4 33 Kevin Harvick Roadloans.com Chevy 16.063 119.455 26
    5 25 David Gilliland freecreditreport.com Ford 16.100 119.180 41
    6 22 Mike Bliss Supercuts Dodge 16.136 118.914 38
    7 42 David Stremme Wrigley’s Winterfresh Dodge 16.186 118.547 33
    8 *26 Jamie McMurray Aflac Ford 16.193 118.496 26
    9 37 Greg Biffle Cub Cadet Ford 16.201 118.437 39
    10 47 Kelly Bires Armor All Ford 16.226 118.255 30
    11 6 David Ragan # Discount Tire Ford 16.229 118.233 37
    12 38 Jason Leffler Great Clips Toyota 16.229 118.233 33
    13 9 Kasey Kahne Ragu Dodge 16.229 118.233 30
    14 *12 Ryan Newman alltel Dodge 16.234 118.196 47
    15 *2 Clint Bowyer BB&T Chevy 16.247 118.102 32
    16 29 Jeff Burton Holiday Inn Chevy 16.250 118.080 58
    17 *11 Jason Keller Dutch Quality Stone Chevy 16.257 118.029 25
    18 1 J.J. Yeley Miccosukee Resorts Chevy 16.262 117.993 27
    19 *17 Matt Kenseth Arby’s Ford 16.275 117.899 39
    20 59 Marcos Ambrose # Kingsford/Bush’s Ford 16.279 117.870 39
    21 20 Aric Almirola Rockwell Automation Chevy 16.289 117.797 31
    22 7 Mike Wallace GEICO Chevy 16.294 117.761 35
    23 77 Bobby Labonte Dollar General Chevy 16.299 117.725 29
    24 *49 Derrike Cope Checkers/Rally’s Chevy 16.301 117.711 9
    25 60 Carl Edwards Scotts Ford 16.312 117.631 45
    26 16 Travis Kvapil 3M Ford 16.321 117.566 27
    27 99 David Reutimann Aaron’s Dream Machine Toyota 16.330 117.502 36
    28 18 Brad Coleman # Carino’s Italian Grill Chevy 16.344 117.401 49
    29 90 Stephen Leicht citifinancial Ford 16.352 117.343 39
    30 66 Steve Wallace HomeLife Communities Dodge 16.359 117.293 42
    31 21 Scott Wimmer AutoZone Chevy 16.368 117.229 29
    32 10 Brian Vickers Ft. McDowell Resort Destination Toyota 16.376 117.171 30
    33 35 Bobby Hamilton, Jr. McDonald’s Ford 16.380 117.143 34
    34 *89 Morgan Shepherd Victory in Jesus Dodge 16.390 117.071 13
    35 *24 Casey Mears National Guard/278th Calvary Regiment 16.444 116.687 29
    36 *56 Danny O’Quinn Power Equipment Co. Chevy 16.461 116.566 30
    37 *70 Mark Green ForeTravel Motorcoach Chevy 16.463 116.552 25
    38 36 Brent Sherman Big Lots Chevy 16.484 116.404 29
    39 *44 Dale Jarrett UPS Toyota 16.597 115.611 16
    40 *72 D.J. Kennington Northern Provincial Pipelines Dodge 16.620 115.451 31
    41 14 Kyle Krisiloff Lilly/Walgreens Ford 16.662 115.160 18
    42 *0 Eric McClure Hefty Chevy 16.697 114.919 18
    43 27 Johnny Sauter Kleenex/Food City Ford 16.784 114.323 26
    44 *54 Brad Teague Scag Mowers Chevy 16.854 113.848 7
    45 *08 Jason White Stockcarsteel.com/Gunbroker.com Dodge 17.030 112.672 3

  • Bowyer Fastest in Open Practice Session: The Busch Series held an open practice session Thursday at Bristol Motor Speedway. The top 10 were #2- Clint Bowyer, #41-Reed Sorenson, #5-Kyle Busch, #38-Jason Leffler, #33-Kevin Harvick, #70-Mark Green, #22-Mike Bliss, #25-David Gilliland, #10-Brian Vickers.(8-23-2007)
    NBS Open Practice
    Best Time Best Speed
    Bristol Motor Speedway – 0.533
    8/23/2007 1:00:00PM

    Pos. Car Driver Team Lap Time Top Speed
    1 2 * Clint Bowyer BB&T Chevy 16.227 118.247
    2 41 Reed Sorenson Memorex Dodge 16.268 117.949
    3 5 * Kyle Busch Spectracide Hot Shot Insect Killer/Lowe’s Chevy 16.319 117.581
    4 38 Jason Leffler Great Clips Toyota 16.378 117.157
    5 33 Kevin Harvick Roadloans.com Chevy 16.388 117.086
    6 70 * Mark Green ForeTravel Motorcoach Chevy 16.392 117.057
    7 22 Mike Bliss Supercuts Dodge 16.393 117.050
    8 25 David Gilliland freecreditreport.com Ford 16.403 116.979
    9 24 * Casey Mears National Guard/278th Calvary Regiment Chevy 16.422 116.843
    10 10 Brian Vickers Ft. McDowell Resort Destination Toyota 16.426 116.815
    11 66 Steve Wallace HomeLife Communities Dodge 16.433 116.765
    12 44 * Dale Jarrett UPS Toyota 16.466 116.531
    13 6 David Ragan # Discount Tire Ford 16.485 116.397
    14 29 Jeff Burton Holiday Inn Chevy 16.494 116.333
    15 20 Aric Almirola Rockwell Automation Chevy 16.497 116.312
    16 37 Greg Biffle Cub Cadet Ford 16.498 116.305
    17 35 Bobby Hamilton, Jr. McDonald’s Ford 16.500 116.291
    18 11 * Jason Keller Dutch Quality Stone Chevy 16.509 116.228
    19 12 * Ryan Newman alltel Dodge 16.517 116.171
    20 59 Marcos Ambrose # Kingsford/Bush’s Ford 16.519 116.157
    21 99 David Reutimann Aaron’s Dream Machine Toyota 16.523 116.129
    22 26 * Jamie McMurray Aflac Ford 16.534 116.052
    23 9 Kasey Kahne Ragu Dodge 16.535 116.045
    24 42 David Stremme Wrigley’s Winterfresh Dodge 16.537 116.031
    25 17 * Matt Kenseth Arby’s Ford 16.544 115.982
    26 36 Brent Sherman BIG LOTS Chevy. 16.581 115.723
    27 16 Travis Kvapil 3M Ford 16.588 115.674
    28 18 Brad Coleman # Carino’s Italian Grill Chevy 16.588 115.674
    29 60 Carl Edwards Scotts Ford 16.592 115.646
    30 88 Brad Keselowski # U.S. NAVY Chevy 16.608 115.535
    31 7 Mike Wallace GEICO Chevy 16.640 115.313
    32 1 J.J. Yeley Miccosukee Resorts Chevy 16.647 115.264
    33 90 Stephen Leicht citifinancial Ford 16.651 115.236
    34 77 Bobby Labonte Dollar General Chevy 16.660 115.174
    35 47 Kelly Bires Armor All Ford 16.660 115.174
    36 89 * Morgan Shepherd Victory in Jesus Dodge 16.719 114.768
    37 49 * Derrike Cope Checkers/Rally’s Chevy 16.726 114.720
    38 56 * Danny O’Quinn Power Equipment Co. Chevy 16.755 114.521
    39 21 Scott Wimmer AutoZone Chevy 16.776 114.378
    40 54 * Brad Teague Scag Mowers Chevy 16.851 113.869
    41 72 * D.J. Kennington Northern Provincial Pipelines Dodge 16.853 113.855
    42 27 Johnny Sauter Kleenex/Food City Ford 16.946 113.230
    43 08 * Jason White Stockcarsteel.com/Gunbroker.com Dodge 16.961 113.130
    44 0 * Eric McClure Hefty Chevy 17.058 112.487
    45 14 Kyle Krisiloff Lilly/Walgreens Ford 17.092 112.263
    46 28 R. Richardson Jr. # D. Cope Checker’s/U.S. Border Patrol Chevy 17.134 111.988

  • Bristol Entry List: There are 47 cars on the preliminary entry list for Friday’s Food City 250 issued by Bristol Motor Speedway. [Note: this is not the official list from NASCAR.](8-21-2007)
    UPDATE: NASCAR has now release their preliminary list and there are 46 entries.(8-21-2007)

    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. 2 Clint Bowyer Camping World Chevy Richard Childress
    4. 5 Kyle Busch Spectracide Hot Shot/Lowe’s Chevy Rick Hendrick
    5. 6 David Ragan Discount Tire Ford Jack Roush
    6. 7 Mike Wallace GEICO Chevy James Finch
    7. 08 Jason White Hooters Energy Drink Dodge J.L. Pennington
    8. 9 Kasey Kahne Ragu Dodge Ray Evernham
    9. 10 Brian Vickers Fort McDowell Resort Destination Toyota Greg Pollex
    10. 11 Jason Keller Dutch Quality Stone Chevy Bryan Mullet
    11. 12 Ryan Newman Alltel Dodge Roger Penske
    12. 14 Kyle Krisiloff Lilly/Walgreens Ford Greg Pollex
    13. 16 Todd Kluever 3M Ford Jack Roush
    14. 17 Matt Kenseth Arby’s Ford Jack Roush
    15. 18 Brad Coleman Carino’s Italian Grill Chevy Joe Gibbs
    16. 20 Aric Almirola Rockwell Automation Chevy Joe Gibbs
    17. 21 Scott Wimmer Auto Zone Chevy Richard Childress
    18. 22 Mike Bliss Supercuts Dodge Armando Fitz
    19. 24 Casey Mears National Guard Chevy Rick Hendrick
    20. 25 David Gilliland FreeCreditReport.com Ford Ed Rensi
    21. 26 Jamie McMurray Aflac Ford Jack Roush
    22. 27 Johnny Sauter Kleenex Ford Tammy Brewer
    23. 28 Robert Richardson Checkers/Rally’s Chevy Gene Haas
    24. 29 Jeff Bruton Holiday Inn Chevy Richard Childress
    25. 33 Kevin Harvick RoadLoans Chevy Delana Harvick
    26. 35 Bobby Hamilton Jr McDonald’s Ford Gary Weisbaum
    27. 36 Brent Sherman Big Lots! Chevy John McGill
    28. 37 Greg Biffle Yard-Man Ford Clarence Brewer
    29. 38 Jason Leffler Great Clips Toyota Todd Braun
    30. 41 Reed Sorenson Memorex Dodge Chip Ganassi
    31. 42 Kevin Hamlin TBA Dodge Floyd Ganassi
    32. 47 Jon Wood Clorox Ford Jodi Geschickter
    33. 49 Derrike Cope TBA Chevy Jay Robinson
    34. 54 Brad Teague Scag Mowers Chevy Jim Braddock
    35. 56 Danny O’Quinn Jr Power Equipment Company Chevy John McNelly
    36. 59 Marcos Ambrose Kingsford Ford Tad Geschickter
    37. 60 Carl Edwards Scotts Ford Jack Roush
    38. 66 Steve Wallace Homelife Communities Dodge Rusty Wallace
    39. 70 Mark Green Foretravel Motorcoach Chevy Mary Louise Miller
    40. 72 D.J. Kennington TBA Dodge Pat MacDonald
    41. 77 Bobby Labonte Dollar General Chevy Delana Harvick
    42. 88 Brad Keselowski U.S. Navy Chevy Dale Earnhardt Jr.
    43. 89 Morgan Shepherd Victory In Jesus Dodge Cindy Shepherd
    44. 90 Stephen Leicht Citifinancial Ford Robert Yates
    45. 97 Brian Sockwell rearyracing.com Chevy Jerry Reary
    46. 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 – Food City 250

    Five months ago when Carl Edwards (#60 Scotts Ford) won his first race of the season at Bristol Motor Speedway, he set sail for what has since become a stout lead in the NASCAR Busch Series driver standings.

    The same went for Roush Fenway Racing in the series owner standings. For the 18 races following the Bristol spring event, the #60 team was solidly in first place, with no reason to look back.

    Of course, that’s why the races are run.

    Although still enjoying a hefty lead in the driver rankings, the #60 team is looking up in the owner standings as the #29 Holiday Inn Chevy team of Richard Childress Racing – with driving shared by Jeff Burton and Scott Wimmer – has re-claimed the top spot.

    The #29 team was more than 300 points behind the #60 following the second race at Nashville Superspeedway in June. Burton – who will drive the #29 at Bristol while Wimmer pilots the #21 AutoZone Chevy – registered his second top five in succession at Michigan International Speedway last week, while Edwards slumped to his third finish outside the top 25 in a row – allowing the team to erase a 41-point deficit and hold a 40-point advantage.

    Despite the recent rash of bad vibes, Edwards and Roush Fenway should be positive heading to Bristol. Edwards’ win in March was the first of his current season sweep of concrete-surfaced tracks. And added in is teammate Matt Kenseth’s (#17 Army’s Ford) win at this event last year.

    Only once before has the driver and owner title in the NASCAR Busch Series been shared – and RCR was also part of that formula.

    In 2003, Brian Vickers won the driver championship while the duo of Kevin Harvick and Johnny Sauter drove the #21 PayDay Chevy to the owner crown for Childress.

    “Regular” Guys Have Solid Footing In Series Top 10 Point Standings

    As the season moves toward its conclusion, the top 10 drivers in the point standings have a very “regular” feel.

    Of the drivers ranked in the top 10 heading to Bristol, eight are NASCAR Busch Series regulars – those who have competed in each of the 25 races to date on the schedule.

    Only former series champions Kevin Harvick (#33 RoadLoans.com Chevy – 18) and Greg Biffle (#37 Cub Cadette Ford – 22) have not started every race.

    Veterans like Jason Leffler (#38 Great Clips Toyota – fourth); Bobby Hamilton Jr. (#35 McDonald’s Ford – sixth) and Mike Wallace (#7 GEICO Chevy – 10th) are solidly ranked.

    For Hamilton and Wallace, it’s been a long time coming; Hamilton was last in the top 10 in 2004 prior to departing before season’s end to compete in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series, and Wallace hasn’t been in the top 10 since 2003 when he was ranked for two of the season’s 34 race weeks. He did miss two races that year, however.

    Stephen Leicht (#90 CitiFinancial Ford) has been in the top 10 for the last nine weeks, a career-best seventh for the past three, while rookie Marcos Ambrose (#59 Kingsford Ford – eighth) has been ranked for 19 weeks this season, the last 10 in succession.

    In The Loop:  The Rocket Man Rocks At Bristol Motor Speedway

    In both 2005 and ‘06, Ryan Newman (#12 Alltel Dodge) raced only one of the two NASCAR Busch Series races at Bristol Motor Speedway.

    This season, he’s racing both. And it’s easy to see why he’s making the change.

    Newman always performs well at Bristol in a NASCAR Busch Series car.

    In five career races there, his worst finish is eighth. Since 2005, Newman has enjoyed finishes of first (‘05), sixth (‘06) and fourth (‘07). He also sits atop practically every key Loop Data category at Bristol.

    Newman is first in Driver Rating (128.9), first in Average Running Position (4.6), first in Green Flag Speed and has spent 94.4% of his laps in the top 15, which is best of any other driver. Additionally, Newman is sixth in Fastest Laps Run with 50.

    Kevin Harvick also navigates the high-banked terrain of Bristol well. Harvick, a Bristol winner in 2005, has a Bristol Driver Rating of 114.7, which is best of any driver who has raced each of the five races since that season. In those five races, which include a win and four top fives, Harvick has an Average Running Position of 8.9 and series-high numbers in Fastest Laps Run (100) and Quality Passes (68). He also ranks third in Laps in the Top 15 with 1,126.

    Driver standings leader Carl Edwards won this past March at Bristol, his first win of the season. He has currently hit a rough patch though, going 10 races without a win and suffering finishes of 30th (Montreal), 32nd (Watkins Glen) and 28th (Michigan) in his last three races. Edwards’ fortune should change at the .533-mile short track. In the past five Bristol races, Edwards has a Driver Rating of 107.5, an Average Running Position of 9.3 and 56 Fastest Laps Run.

    NBS ETC.

    • Bristol Notes: Dale Jarrett (#44 UPS Toyota) returns to the NASCAR Busch Series at Bristol. A charter member of the series (329 starts, 11 wins – one at Bristol), he’s back for the first time since 2005 and will drive for Michael Waltrip, teaming with David Reutimann (#99 Aaron’s Dream Machine Toyota). … Travis Kvapil goes from his Roush Fenway truck to the #16 3M Ford Friday night; while Johnny Sauter returns to the #27 Kleenex Ford (then Chevy/Pontiac) for the first time since 2004 when he ran full-time for Brewco. … Kevin Harvick will drive his own #33 Chevy at Bristol, where he’s tied with Morgan Shepherd (#89 Victory in Jesus Racing Dodge) for the most series wins at the track (four) and has 10 top fives in 15 starts at the track. … Carl Edwards, Clint Bowyer (#2 BB&T Chevy – Richmond) and Jason Leffler (ORP) have claimed the first three short-track wins of the season.

    • Bristol the Beginning for Keselowski:  Brad Keselowski (#88 U.S. NAVY Chevy) first met JR Motorsports team owner Dale Earnhardt Jr. at the NASCAR Busch Series race at Bristol this past March. Despite driving for an under-funded organization, Keselowski – set up in the pit stall next to the two-time series champion, who was also running in the race – posted a career-best 12th-place starting position. Keselowski apparently made quite an impression that weekend, because when Earnhardt started searching for a new driver for the #88 last month, he called the 23-year-old to see if the rookie driver was interested in the position. In his four starts since for JRM, Keselowski has captured one top 10 and three top 15s. He also led five laps at Gateway International Raceway, the first laps led of his series career. His average finish in the #88 is 15.75.

    • Chase Austin Set for Series Debut: Rusty Wallace Inc. has announced that Chase Austin, the team’s 17-year-old developmental driver, is scheduled to make his NASCAR Busch Series debut Oct. 28 at Memphis Motorsports Park. Austin’s 18th birthday is 25 days before the event. If he qualifies the #64 Dodge, he would become the first African-American driver to start a NASCAR Busch Series race on an oval. In 1999, Bill Lester started 21st and finished 24th at Watkins Glen. Austin will team with Steve Wallace (#66 HomeLife Communities Dodge), who also made his series debut at Memphis in 2005. Austin currently drives the #66 Dodge in the NASCAR Grand National Division, Busch East Series where he has posted six top-15 finishes in eight starts. “The decision to enter Chase was made in preparation for next season,” team owner Rusty Wallace said. “We’re planning on Chase driving in 15 races for our new team … a development schedule in 2008 that looks like the one we ran with Steve last year (with) both limited Busch Series and ARCA schedules.”

    COUNTDOWN TO 417

    Jason Keller has 412 career starts; the series record is 417. He must qualify on time for all but one of his remaining races (Calif. – Brewco). Keller is tied with Morgan Shepherd for the most poles at Bristol (3).

    Schedule (Team)             Projected Start
    8/25 – Bristol (CJM)            413
    9/1 – California (Brewco)      414
    9/8 – Richmond (CJM)         415
    9/22 – Dover (CJM)              416
    9/29 – Kansas (CJM)           417 – TIE
    10/13 – LMS (CJM)              418 – BREAK

    The Director’s Take: Bristol

    INSIGHT FROM JOE BALASH,
    NASCAR BUSCH SERIES DIRECTOR

    “It used to be that teams would take their oldest car to Bristol because of the amount of contact on the tough half-mile track.  Now, teams build cars made specifically for Bristol.

    “Teams are given an additional clearance on the rear quarter panels to account for the extreme force the cars are exposed to.

    “We’ll see if the new banking helps develop a second groove of racing. The high banking coupled with a new surface brings a different look to the track. It will be interesting to see how the drivers and teams work with those new aspects since they had limited time on the track during last month’s test due to six rain delays.

    “In the end, it will be a battle of getting off Turns Two and Four and protecting position entering One and Three.

    Rookie Spotlight: Ragan Feeling Season-Ending Pressure From Hard-Charging Ambrose 

    • Runaway No More:  Four races ago, David Ragan (#6 Discount Tire Ford) had a comfortable 25-point lead in the Raybestos Rookie of the Year standings. But that was before Marcos Ambrose had solid outings on the Montreal and Watkins Glen road courses along with his finish last week at Michigan that was two places better than Ragan. Heading to Bristol, Ambrose is within 18 points of the lead with 10 races to go, however Ragan had an impressive 13th-place finish at Bristol in March while Ambrose struggled to a 28th-place finish.

    • Keselowski Wows the Home Crowd: Brad Keselowski was hoping for a solid finish in front on his home track last week at Michigan. What he got was unexpected and heartwarming at the same time. The Rochester Hills native – about an hour and a half from the track – was contending for a top-10 spot in an event that featured 23 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series double-duty drivers when he ran out of fuel on the last lap. As winner Denny Hamlin was spinning through his victory doughnuts, Keselowski sputtered across the finish line in 13th place to a standing ovation. He’s been the top rookie finisher in three of his four races with JR Motorsports.

    2007 NASCAR BUSCH SERIES
    RAYBESTOS ROOKIE OF THE YEAR STANDINGS

     Driver                               Points
    1. David Ragan                  200
    2. Marcos Ambrose           182
    3. Kyle Krisiloff                  165
    4. Juan Pablo Montoya       165
    5. Brad Coleman                141
    6. Brad Keselowski            126
    7. Robert Richardson Jr.       84
    8. Justin Diercks                  51

    ESPN/ABC

    ESPN2 continues its season-long coverage of the NASCAR Busch Series with live, prime-time coverage from Bristol Motor Speedway. The telecast begins at 7:30 p.m. ET Friday with NASCAR Countdown.

    The half-mile, concrete surface has been a fixture on the NASCAR Busch Series schedule since the inception of the series in 1982 and events on the unique bowl-shaped track are always unpredictable.

    Dr. Jerry Punch will anchor ESPN2’s coverage from Bristol, with analysis by 1989 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series champion Rusty Wallace and two-time champion crew chief Andy Petree. Pit reporters will be Dave Burns, Jamie Little and Mike Massaro, while two-time champion crew chief Tim Brewer will report from the ESPN DISH Tech Center. Allen Bestwick will host NASCAR Countdown – joined by analyst Brad Daugherty, a former winning team owner in NASCAR’s Busch Series and NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series – in the ESPN Pit Studio.

    2007 At-A-Glance: NASCAR Busch Series Leaders After 25 Of 35 Races:

    Traditional Statistics:
    Driver points – Edwards (3613)
    Victories – Harvick (5)
    Races led – Edwards (17)
    Laps led – Edwards (682)
    Top-five finishes – Edwards (13)
    Top-10 finishes – Edwards (17)
    Owner points – Childress (#29) – (3653)
    Money Won – Edwards ($945,560)
    Miles led – Ky. Busch (1015.53)
    Busch Poles – Hamlin (4)
    Closest to 10th – M. Wallace 10th (2419 pts) Kenseth, 11th (-158)
    Consecutive Weeks in Top 10 – Edwards, Harvick (25)

    Loop Data Statistics:
    Driver Rating – Edwards (109.6)
    Average Running Position – Edwards (9.3)
    Fastest Laps Run – Edwards (451 fastest laps)
    Quality Passes – Edwards (860)
    Laps In Top 15 – Edwards (3,806 of a possible 4,448)

    Chevy Has Outside Shot At Record But Ford Has Inside Track Lately At Bristol

    With 10 races to go and 14 wins thus far in 2007, Bill France Performance Cup standings leader Chevy has a last chance opportunity to match the all-time NASCAR Busch Series wins mark of 24 it set in 1999.

    Chevy’s overall performance at Bristol (26 wins) would seem to give it an edge to keep its record-matching quest alive; however, the manufacturer hasn’t registered a victory in the fall event since Dale Earnhardt Jr. won in 2004.

    Ford, in second place in the standings, has won the last two races at the .533-mile track. Matt Kenseth won this race last year while Carl Edwards took the win this past spring. And third-place Dodge broke Chevy’s 16-race winning streak at Bristol, capturing this event two years ago.

    Toyota comes to Bristol just seven points behind Dodge and has some momentum having posted a win, four top-fives and eight top-10 finishes in its last three races on ovals.

    Manufacturers’ Championship
    2007 Point Standings
    Chevy     188
    Ford        151
    Dodge     109
    Toyota    102

    Up Next: Camping World 300 Presented By RVs.com

    A cross-country trip is up next for the NASCAR Busch Series when teams depart Bristol for the west coast and a Sept. 1 date at California Speedway for the Camping World 300 presented by Rvs.com. The race will be televised by ESPN2 beginning at 9:30 p.m. ET.

    Roush Fenway Racing has dominated the event with eight wins in the last nine races, most recently last February when Matt Kenseth registered the victory. The lone dent in that streak came courtesy of Kasey Kahne, who took Ray Evernham’s #9 Dodge to the win at this event one year ago. Clint Bowyer won the Busch Pole for this race last year.

    Kenseth’s win was his third overall in series competition at California, tying him with teammate Greg Biffle for most wins at the track. Bowyer holds the record with two poles at the 2-mile track where Dave Blaney made history for Toyota by posting the manufacturer’s first NASCAR Busch Series pole back in February.

    FAST FACTS

    The Race: Food City 250
    The Place: Bristol Motor Speedway
    The Date:  Aug. 24, 20071
    The Time: 8:00 p.m. (ET)
    TV: ESPN2, 7:30 p.m. (ET)
    Track Layout: .533-mile oval
    Race Purse: $1,399,759
    2006 Winner: Matt Kenseth
    2006 Pole: Ryan Newman

    2007 Point Standings

    No. Driver              Points
    1  Edwards             3,613
    2  Harvick               2,913
    3  Reutimann          2,883
    4  Leffler                  2,741
    5  Ragan                 2,691
    6  Hamilton Jr.         2,577
    7  Leicht                 2,512
    8  Ambrose             2,501
    9  Biffle                   2,464
    10 M. Wallace        2,419

    Pre-Race Schedule: Thursday–Open Practice, 1–5 p.m. Friday–Practice, 9–9:50 a.m. and 10:15–11:15 a.m. Qualifying, 4:35 p.m.