THE RACE: 2007 O’REILLY CHALLENGE – TEXAS MOTOR SPEEDWAY

Busch Series Race #33 of 35 for the 2007 season


  • Race: 3:30pm/et, Saturday, November 3, 2007 in Justin, TX
  • Length: 200 Laps, 300 miles
  • TV: ESPN2 – 3:00pm/et
  • Radio: PRN
  • Purse: $1,244,106
  • Announcers: Jerry Punch, Rusty Wallace, Andy Petree
  • Pit Reporters: Allen Bestwick, Dave Burns, Jamie Little, Mike Massaro

    Practice Dates/Times

  • Practice: Friday, November 2, 10:00-11:00am/et & 11:55am-12:55pm/et, Rookie practice 11:10-11:40am/et

    Qualifying Info

  • Qualifying Draw: Friday, November 2, 9:00am/et
  • Qualifying Time: Friday, November 2, 6:35pm/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 #33 — O’Reilly Challenge
    Texas Motor Speedway (1.5-mile oval) — Fort Worth, Tex.
    Fast Facts for November 2-4, 2007
    Tire: Goodyear Eagle Speedway Radials (Nextel Cup); Goodyear Wrangler Speedway Radials (Craftsman Truck)
    Number of Tires: Busch Series: Left-side — 600, Right-side — 600
    Tire Codes: Left-side — D-4078; Right-side — D-4064
    Tire Circumference: Left-side — 87.4 in.; Right-side — 88.7 in.
    Technical Inspection Inflation: Left Front — 30 psi; Left Rear — 30 psi; Right Front — 50 psi; Right Rear — 47 psi
    Minimum Recommended Inflation: Left Front — 23 psi; Left Rear — 21 psi; Right Front — 49 psi; Right Rear — 45 psi
    Notes: Teams in all three NASCAR series will run the same tire codes at Texas this weekend, though the Nextel Cup and Busch Series tires will be branded “Goodyear Eagle,” while the Craftsman Truck tires will be branded “Goodyear Wrangler” . . . this is the same specific combination of left- and right-side tires that Goodyear brought for Cup and Busch teams to run at Texas this past April . . . Craftsman Truck teams ran this right-side tire code (D-4064) with a different left-side code in their early-season appearance at Texas . . . in addition to Texas, this specific tire combination has been run at Chicagoland and will be run at Homestead on the 2007 schedule . . . this left-side code (D-4078) has been run with a slightly different right-side code by major NASCAR teams at California, Dover, Michigan, Kansas and Kentucky this season . . . as on all NASCAR ovals greater than one mile in length, teams are required to run inner liners in all four tire positions at Texas . . . air pressure in those inner liners should be 12-25 psi greater than that of the outer tire.


    ENTRY, PRACTICE, QUALIFYING, AND RACE INFORMATION

  • Harvick Wins at Texas: #21-Kevin Harvick picked up his 6th win of the season in the O’Reilly Challenge at Texas Motor Speedway. It was the 32nd win of his Busch career, which moves him into second all time behind Mark Martin [47 wins]. #5-Kyle Busch finished second, followed by #20-Denny Hamlin, #2-Clint Bowyer, #17-Matt Kenseth, #88-Brad Keselowski, #18-Tony Stewart, #33-Tony Raines, and #90-Stephen Liecht. Busch Champion Carl Edward finished 11th. The race was slowed by 4 cautions for 20 laps and there were 8 leaders with 12 lead changes.(11-3-2007)
    NASCAR Race Number 33
    Unofficial Race Results for the O’reilly Challenge – Saturday, November 3, 2007
    Texas Motor Speedway – Fort Worth, TX – 1.5 Mile Paved
    Total Race Length – 200 Laps – 300 Miles – Purse: $1,244,106

    Fin Str Car Driver Team Laps Pts Bns Total Award Status Times Laps
    1 4 21 Kevin Harvick AutoZone Chevy 200 190 5 $73,275 Running 2 36
    2 5 5 Kyle Busch Delphi Chevy 200 175 5 $52,000 Running 1 10
    3 6 20 Denny Hamlin Rockwell Automation Chevy 200 170 5 $47,925 Running 1 11
    4 11 2 Clint Bowyer BB&T Chevy 200 160 $29,375 Running
    5 25 17 Matt Kenseth iLevel Ford 200 155 $29,050 Running
    6 9 88 Brad Keselowski # U.S. NAVY Chevy 200 150 $36,938 Running
    7 2 18 Tony Stewart Goody’s Cool Orange Chevy 200 156 10 $22,285 Running 3 114
    8 15 29 Jeff Burton Holiday Inn Chevy 200 147 5 $27,045 Running 1 1
    9 26 33 Tony Raines RoadLoans Chevy 200 138 $25,350 Running
    10 19 90 Stephen Leicht citifinancial Ford 200 134 $32,122 Running
    11 3 60 Carl Edwards Dish Network Ford 200 130 $24,575 Running
    12 22 38 Jason Leffler Great Clips/Comcast Toyota 200 127 $26,672 Running
    13 7 55 Robby Gordon Verizon Wireless Ford 200 124 $17,475 Running
    14 12 35 Bobby Hamilton Jr. McDonald’s Ford 200 121 $26,222 Running
    15 24 24 Casey Mears National Guard 256th Infantry Brigade 199 118 $16,875 Running
    16 20 16 Greg Biffle 3M Ford 199 120 5 $21,825 Running 2 26
    17 8 6 David Ragan # Discount Tire Ford 199 112 $16,200 Running
    18 1 99 David Reutimann Aaron’s Dream Machine Toyota 199 109 $25,872 Running
    19 28 47 Kelly Bires Clorox/American Red Cross Ford 199 106 $18,350 Running
    20 17 00 Michael McDowell NAPA/Aaron’s Toyota 198 103 $16,600 Running
    21 33 7 Mike Wallace GEICO Chevy 197 105 5 $25,047 Running 1 1
    22 29 11 Jason Keller Sweet Baby Ray’s Chevy 197 97 $22,122 Running
    23 34 66 Steve Wallace Memorex Dodge 197 94 $21,997 Running
    24 21 9 Elliott Sadler Auto Value/Bumper to Bumper Dodge 197 91 $21,200 Running
    25 18 42 Dario Franchitti Target Dodge 197 88 $22,825 Running
    26 38 37 Casey Atwood Kick Butt Amped Energy Ballz Ford 197 85 $17,050 Running
    27 36 14 Kyle Krisiloff # Lilly/Walgreens Ford 196 82 $21,472 Running
    28 10 41 Bryan Clauson Memorex Dodge 195 79 $16,825 Running
    29 14 77 Bobby Labonte Dollar General Chevy 195 76 $20,250 Running
    30 27 59 Marcos Ambrose # Kingsford Ford 195 73 $21,697 Running
    31 16 12 Sam Hornish Jr. Kodak Dodge 194 70 $16,645 Running
    32 42 28 Robert Richardson Jr. # U.S. Border Patrol Chevy 193 67 $16,610 Running
    33 31 1 J.J. Yeley Miccosukee Resorts Chevy 188 64 $14,575 Engine
    34 41 25 Richard Johns freecreditreport.com Ford 188 61 $16,540 Running
    35 23 27 Brad Baker Cottonelle/Brookshire’s Ford 171 58 $16,510 Accident
    36 32 70 Mark Green ForeTravel/BIOMET Chevy 170 55 $16,475 Engine
    37 37 10 Brent Sherman Fan1st.com Toyota 161 52 $19,807 Running
    38 30 30 Stanton Barrett Smith & Wesson Chevy 131 49 $16,385 Accident
    39 40 89 Morgan Shepherd Victory In Jesus Dodge 33 51 5 $14,335 Handling 1 1
    40 43 0 Eric McClure Hefty/Jason March Chevy 18 43 $16,300 Electrical
    41 39 01 Kertus Davis RACEGIRL/Jason March Chevy 12 40 $16,240 Vibration
    42 35 36 Jeremy Clements Chevy 4 37 $16,200 Accident
    43 13 22 Mike Bliss SuperCuts Dodge 3 34 $19,490 Accident
    Race Comments: Before an estimated crowd of 94,000 – Kevin Harvick won the O’Reilly Challenge, his 32nd career NASCAR Busch Series victory. Prior to the green flag the following driver(s) dropped to the rear for the reason(s) indicated: #88 Keselowski and # 24 Mears (unapproved impound adjustment); #14 Krisiloff and #7 M. Wallace (engine change); #03 Marks (backup truck).
    Failed to Qualify: (3) 05 Brett Rowe, 72 D.J. Kennington, 44 Mike Harmon.
    Time of Race: 02 Hrs, 04 Mins, 49 Secs.
    Average Speed: 144.212 MPH
    Margin of Victory: 3.486 Seconds
    Caution Flags: 4 for 20 laps: Laps: 5-9 (#22,27,36 accident turn 4); 22-26 (#12 spun turn 4); 129-132 (Debris); 135-140 (#27,30 accident turn 4).
    Lead Changes: 12 among 8 drivers: D. Reutimann (Pole); T. Stewart 1-22; M. Wallace 23; M. Shepherd 24; K. Busch 25-34; T. Stewart 35-88; K. Harvick 89; G. Biffle 90; J. Burton 91; T. Stewart 92-129; D. Hamlin 130-140; G. Biffle 141-165; K. Harvick 166-200.
    Checkers/Rally’s Double Drive-Thru Challenge: Stephen Leicht, #90 (119.289 Seconds)
    Featherlite “Most Improved Driver: Bobby Hamilton Jr, #35 (24 Places)
    Raybestos “Rookie of the Race: Brad Keselowski, #88
    Sunoco Diamond Performance: Kevin Harvick, #21
    WIX Filters “Lap Leader: Mike Wallace, #7 (1 Lap)

  • Edwards Clinches Busch Championship: Carl Edwards’ 11th place finish sealed his championship for 2007. David Reutimann now stands 552 points behind. Jason Leffler remains third, Kevin Harvick fourth, and David Ragan fifth.(11-3-2007)
    Points Report
    Texas Motor Speedway
    O’Reilly Challenge
    UNOFFICAL Provided by NASCAR Statistics – Saturday, 11/3/2007 @ 5:01 PM Central

    Pos Driver BPts Points Ldr
    1. Carl Edwards 125 4494 0
    2. David Reutimann 30 3942 -552
    3. Jason Leffler 30 3733 -761
    4. Kevin Harvick 65 3713 -781
    5. David Ragan # 20 3576 -918
    6. Bobby Hamilton Jr. 5 3434 -1060
    7. Stephen Leicht 20 3337 -1157
    8. Greg Biffle 60 3256 -1238
    9. Marcos Ambrose # 20 3225 -1269
    10. Mike Wallace 65 3188 -1306
    11. Matt Kenseth 80 3136 -1358
    12. Denny Hamlin 75 3011 -1483
    13. Clint Bowyer 50 2961 -1533
    14. Scott Wimmer 25 2907 -1587
    15. Jeff Burton 80 2812 -1682
    16. Kyle Busch 110 2748 -1746
    17. J.J. Yeley 10 2716 -1778
    18. Steve Wallace 15 2639 -1855
    19. Kyle Krisiloff # 0 2634 -1860
    20. Casey Mears 20 2536 -1958
    21. Mike Bliss 15 2447 -2047
    22. Brent Sherman 20 2425 -2069
    23. Dave Blaney 15 2401 -2093
    24. Jamie McMurray 5 2087 -2407
    25. Brad Keselowski # 5 2080 -2414
    26. Jason Keller 15 2069 -2425
    27. Kasey Kahne 35 1956 -2538
    28. Bobby Labonte 10 1929 -2565
    29. Reed Sorenson 15 1881 -2613
    30. Aric Almirola 20 1850 -2644
    31. Regan Smith 25 1820 -2674
    32. Shane Huffman 5 1727 -2767
    33. Tony Stewart 25 1723 -2771
    34. Juan Pablo Montoya 20 1689 -2805
    35. Todd Kluever 15 1687 -2807
    36. Brad Coleman 10 1680 -2814
    37. Eric McClure 5 1639 -2855
    38. Kelly Bires 10 1620 -2874
    39. David Gilliland 5 1597 -2897
    40. Ward Burton 0 1555 -2939
    41. David Stremme 10 1554 -2940
    42. Stanton Barrett 0 1212 -3282
    43. Paul Menard 0 1208 -3286
    44. Jon Wood 0 1154 -3340
    45. Robert Richardson Jr. # 5 1091 -3403
    46. Richard Johns 0 1057 -3437
    47. Robby Gordon 0 1027 -3467
    48. Danny O’quinn, Jr 0 952 -3542
    49. Ryan Newman 20 851 -3643
    50. Morgan Shepherd 5 789 -3705
    51. Kevin Hamlin 5 748 -3746
    52. Brian Vickers 15 714 -3780
    53. D J Kennington 0 685 -3809
    54. Bobby East 5 679 -3815
    55. Dale Earnhardt, Jr 10 668 -3826
    56. Cale Gale 0 658 -3836
    57. Todd Bodine 5 655 -3839
    58. Timothy Peters 0 646 -3848
    59. Chase Miller 0 642 -3852
    60. Tony Raines 0 638 -3856
    61. Mark Green 0 632 -3862
    62. Timothy McCreadie 0 600 -3894
    63. Johnny Sauter 0 587 -3907
    64. Mark Martin 0 573 -3921
    65. Kertus Davis 0 544 -3950
    66. Kurt Busch 20 527 -3967
    67. Sam Hornish Jr. 0 526 -3968
    68. Brett Rowe 0 524 -3970
    69. Kevin Conway 0 523 -3971
    70. Justin Diercks 0 505 -3989
    71. Ron Hornaday, Jr 5 481 -4013
    72. Scott Riggs 0 460 -4034
    73. Boris Said 5 452 -4042
    74. A J Allmendinger 0 449 -4045
    75. Landon Cassill 0 449 -4045
    76. Bryan Clauson 0 443 -4051
    77. Derrike Cope 0 440 -4054
    78. Casey Atwood 0 412 -4082
    79. Scott Pruett 10 395 -4099
    80. Jimmie Johnson 10 387 -4107
    81. Jay Sauter 0 376 -4118
    82. Martin Truex, Jr 10 370 -4124
    83. Ron Fellows 10 328 -4166
    84. Kevin Lepage 0 306 -4188
    85. Mike Harmon 0 301 -4193
    86. Joe Nemechek 0 300 -4194
    87. Jorge Goeters 5 297 -4197
    88. Brad Teague 0 295 -4199
    89. David Green 0 294 -4200
    90. Brian Keselowski 0 292 -4202
    91. John Graham 0 286 -4208
    92. Patrick Carpentier 5 256 -4238
    93. Jeff Green 0 255 -4239
    94. Andy Pilgrim 0 236 -4258
    95. Bobby Santos 0 235 -4259
    96. Donnie Neuenberger 5 228 -4266
    97. Elliott Sadler 0 212 -4282
    98. Andy Lally 0 210 -4284
    99. Ron Young 5 210 -4284
    100. Alex Garcia 0 210 -4284
    101. Max Papis 0 205 -4289
    102. Sterling Marlin 0 203 -4291
    103. Michel Jourdain 0 203 -4291
    104. Brad Baker 0 198 -4296
    105. Frank Kreyer 0 189 -4305
    106. Jeremy Clements 0 174 -4320
    107. Chris Horn 0 174 -4320
    108. Travis Kvapil 0 170 -4324
    109. Jerick Johnson 0 157 -4337
    110. Dario Franchitti 0 155 -4339
    111. Marc Mitchell 0 155 -4339
    112. Kenny Wallace 0 146 -4348
    113. Adrian Fernandez 0 138 -4356
    114. Johnny Benson 0 138 -4356
    115. Shelby Howard 0 137 -4357
    116. Justin Ashburn 0 134 -4360
    117. Trevor Boys 0 134 -4360
    118. Niclas Jonsson 5 132 -4362
    119. Danny Efland 0 132 -4362
    120. Blake Bjorklund 0 131 -4363
    121. Scott Lagasse 0 119 -4375
    122. Travis Kittleson 0 112 -4382
    123. Josh Wise 0 106 -4388
    124. Carl Long 0 104 -4390
    125. Michael McDowell 0 103 -4391
    126. J R Fitzpatrick 0 98 -4396
    127. Brian Simo 0 97 -4397
    128. Carlos Contreras 5 97 -4397
    129. Todd Souza 0 94 -4400
    130. Dale Jarrett 0 94 -4400
    131. P J Jones 0 91 -4403
    132. Scott Gaylord 0 89 -4405
    133. Steve Grissom 0 88 -4406
    134. Kerry Earnhardt 0 88 -4406
    135. German Quiroga 5 84 -4410
    136. Rogelio Lopez 0 76 -4418
    137. Colin Braun 0 73 -4421
    138. Mike Mackenzie 0 64 -4430
    139. Deac McCaskill 5 63 -4431
    140. Michael Valiante 0 61 -4433
    141. A J Frank 0 52 -4442
    142. Ian Henderson 0 52 -4442
    143. Brandon Miller 0 52 -4442
    144. Dange Hanniford 0 49 -4445
    145. Larry Foyt 0 49 -4445
    146. Jeff Fuller 0 49 -4445
    147. John Andretti 0 46 -4448
    148. John Young 0 46 -4448
    149. Matthew Carter 0 46 -4448
    150. Jamie Mosley 0 43 -4451
    151. Joe Fox 0 40 -4454
    152. Eddie Macdonald 0 40 -4454
    153. Chase Austin 0 40 -4454
    154. Caleb Holman 0 37 -4457
    155. Mike Potter 0 37 -4457
    156. John Borneman 0 37 -4457
    157. Randy Macdonald 0 34 -4460
    158. Michael Waltrip 0 34 -4460
    159. Jason White 0 0 -4494
    160. Ruben Pardo 0 0 -4494
    161. Tono Perez 0 0 -4494

  • Owner Points: Richard Childress continues to lead the owner points over Joe Gibbs and Jack Roush.(11-3-2007)
    Owner Points Following Race # 33
    Texas Motor Speedway
    O’Reilly Challenge
    UNOFFICIAL Provided by NASCAR Statistics – Saturday, 11/3/2007 @ 5:01 PM Central

    Pos Owner Car # Points Ldr
    1 Richard Childress 29 4,753 0
    2 Joe Gibbs 20 4,640 -113
    3 Jack Roush 60 4,494 -259
    4 Richard Childress 21 4,436 -317
    5 Michael Waltrip 99 3,942 -811
    6 Delana Harvick 33 3,802 -951
    7 Ray Evernham 9 3,785 -968
    8 Todd Braun 38 3,733 -1,020
    9 Armando Fitz 22 3,666 -1,087
    10 Jack Roush 6 3,576 -1,177
    11 Rick Hendrick 5 3,531 -1,222
    12 Jack Roush 17 3,518 -1,235
    13 Delana Harvick 77 3,492 -1,261
    14 Gregory Pollex 10 3,471 -1,282
    15 Jack Roush 16 3,462 -1,291
    16 Gary Weisbaum 35 3,434 -1,319
    17 Dale Earnhardt, Jr 88 3,425 -1,328
    18 Chip Ganassi 41 3,374 -1,379
    19 Robert Yates 90 3,337 -1,416
    20 Joe Gibbs 18 3,251 -1,502
    21 Tad Geschickter 59 3,225 -1,528
    22 Floyd Ganassi 42 3,220 -1,533
    23 Clarence Brewer 37 3,196 -1,557
    24 James Finch 7 3,188 -1,565
    25 Tammy Brewer 27 3,160 -1,593
    26 James Finch 1 3,154 -1,599
    27 Jodi Geschickter 47 3,054 -1,699
    28 Richard Childress 2 2,867 -1,886
    29 Edward Rensi 25 2,739 -2,014
    30 Rusty Wallace 66 2,727 -2,026
    31 Rick Hendrick 24 2,662 -2,091
    32 Gregory Pollex 14 2,634 -2,119
    33 Joe Custer 28 2,454 -2,299
    34 John McGill 36 2,447 -2,306
    35 Keith Duesenberg 0 1,937 -2,816
    36 Bobby Ginn 4 1,820 -2,933
    37 Roger Penske 12 1,734 -3,019
    38 Jack Roush 126 1,607 -3,146
    39 Bryan Mullet 11 1,535 -3,218
    40 Stanton Barrett 30 1,239 -3,514
    41 Teresa Earnhardt 15 1,208 -3,545
    42 Mary Louise Miller 70 1,162 -3,591
    43 John McNelly 156 918 -3,835
    44 Jimmy Means 252 906 -3,847
    45 Johnny Davis 01 869 -3,884
    46 Pat MacDonald 72 855 -3,898
    47 Robby Gordon 55 819 -3,934
    48 Cindy Shepherd 89 768 -3,985
    49 Keith Coleman 23 758 -3,995
    50 Teresa Earnhardt 8 722 -4,031
    51 Frank Cicci 34 592 -4,161
    52 Wayne Day 05 562 -4,191
    53 Steve Germain 103 505 -4,248
    54 Donnie Richardson 44 441 -4,312
    55 Bill Riley 91 431 -4,322
    56 Rick Hendrick 148 387 -4,366
    57 Todd Braun 32 353 -4,400
    58 Andrea Nemechek 87 300 -4,453
    59 Dusty Whitney 249 292 -4,461
    60 Jack Roush 106 282 -4,471
    61 Jerry Young 171 241 -4,512
    62 Alex Garcia 298 235 -4,518
    63 Fred Horn 158 205 -4,548
    64 Michael Waltrip 00 197 -4,556
    65 Teresa Earnhardt 111 195 -4,558
    66 James Rowe 273 186 -4,567
    67 Gina MacDonald 271 174 -4,579
    68 Roger Penske 139 170 -4,583
    69 Jack Johnson 176 157 -4,596
    70 Susan Spraker 163 152 -4,601
    71 Jay Robinson 149 139 -4,614
    72 Charles Fridell, Jr 154 132 -4,621
    73 Eddie D’hondt 192 98 -4,655
    74 Kelly Souza 113 94 -4,659
    75 Armando Fitz 144 80 -4,673
    76 Tom Eriksen 167 76 -4,677
    77 Chris Lencheski 130 70 -4,683
    78 Lori Morgan 200 68 -4,685
    79 Stanton Barrett 231 49 -4,704
    80 Doug Taylor 240 46 -4,707
    81 John Young 146 46 -4,707
    82 Rusty Wallace 64 40 -4,713
    83 Charles Henderson 175 37 -4,716
    84 Jeff Barrister 250 31 -4,722
    85 Robert Richardson 180 31 -4,722
    86 Jim Braddock 254 31 -4,722
    87 J L Pennington 208 25 -4,728
    88 Brian Carter 161 25 -4,728
    89 Earl Sadler 195 22 -4,731
    90 Bryan Mullet 112 22 -4,731

  • Reutimann On Pole in Texas: #99-David Reutimann continued his strong run at Texas by capturing the Busch pole for the O’Reilly Challege. His qualifying speed was 191.646mph. #18-Tony Stewart will line up on the outside of row 1. The rest of the top 10 are #99-Carl Edwards, #21-Kevin harvick, #5-Kyle Busch, #20-Denny Hamlin, #55-Robby Gordon, #6-David Ragan, #88-Brad Keselowski, and #41-Bryan Clauson. Not making the race: #05-Brett Rowe, #72-D.J. Kennington & #44-Mike Harmon.(11-2-2007)
    Starting Line Up by Row
    Texas Motor Speedway
    O’Reilly Challenge
    Provided by NASCAR Statistics – Fri, November 02, 2007 @ 07:03 PM Central

    Pos Car Driver Team Time Speed
    1 99 David Reutimann Aaron’s Dream Machine Toyota 28.177 191.646
    2 18 Tony Stewart Goody’s Cool Orange Chevy 28.279 190.954
    3 60 Carl Edwards Dish Network Ford 28.310 190.745
    4 21 Kevin Harvick AutoZone Chevy 28.333 190.590
    5 5 Kyle Busch Delphi Chevy 28.409 190.081
    6 20 Denny Hamlin Rockwell Automation Chevy 28.444 189.847
    7 55 Robby Gordon Verizon Wireless Ford 28.504 189.447
    8 6 David Ragan # Discount Tire Ford 28.556 189.102
    9 88 Brad Keselowski # U.S. NAVY Chevy 28.560 189.076
    10 41 Bryan Clauson Memorex Dodge 28.562 189.062
    11 2 Clint Bowyer BB&T Chevy 28.624 188.653
    12 35 Bobby Hamilton Jr. McDonald’s Ford 28.627 188.633
    13 22 Mike Bliss SuperCuts Dodge 28.643 188.528
    14 77 Bobby Labonte Dollar General Chevy 28.656 188.442
    15 29 Jeff Burton Holiday Inn Chevy 28.698 188.166
    16 12 Sam Hornish Jr. Kodak Dodge 28.706 188.114
    17 00 Michael McDowell NAPA/Aaron’s Toyota 28.724 187.996
    18 42 Dario Franchitti Target Dodge 28.747 187.846
    19 90 Stephen Leicht citifinancial Ford 28.768 187.709
    20 16 Greg Biffle 3M Ford 28.772 187.682
    21 9 Elliott Sadler Auto Value/Bumper to Bumper Dodge 28.786 187.591
    22 38 Jason Leffler Great Clips/Comcast Toyota 28.798 187.513
    23 27 Brad Baker Cottonelle/Brookshire’s Ford 28.828 187.318
    24 24 Casey Mears National Guard 256th Infantry Brigade 28.889 186.922
    25 17 Matt Kenseth iLevel Ford 28.894 186.890
    26 33 Tony Raines RoadLoans Chevy 28.933 186.638
    27 59 Marcos Ambrose # Kingsford Ford 28.937 186.612
    28 47 Kelly Bires Clorox/American Red Cross Ford 28.988 186.284
    29 11 Jason Keller Sweet Baby Ray’s Chevy 29.029 186.021
    30 30 Stanton Barrett Smith & Wesson Chevy 29.031 186.008
    31 1 J.J. Yeley Miccosukee Resorts Chevy 29.067 185.778
    32 70 Mark Green ForeTravel/BIOMET Chevy 29.086 185.656
    33 7 Mike Wallace GEICO Chevy 29.149 185.255
    34 66 Steve Wallace Memorex Dodge 29.177 185.077
    35 36 Jeremy Clements Chevy 29.180 185.058
    36 14 Kyle Krisiloff # Lilly/Walgreens Ford 29.212 184.856
    37 10 Brent Sherman Fan1st.com Toyota 29.308 184.250
    38 37 Casey Atwood Kick Butt Amped Energy Ballz Ford 29.324 184.150
    39 01 Kertus Davis RACEGIRL/Jason March Chevy 29.589 182.500
    40 89 Morgan Shepherd Victory In Jesus Dodge 29.618 182.322
    41 25 Richard Johns freecreditreport.com Ford 29.666 182.027
    42 28 Robert Richardson Jr. # U.S. Border Patrol Chevy Owner Points
    43 0 Eric McClure Hefty/Jason March Chevy 29.988 180.072

  • Reutimann Paces Happy Hour: #99-David Reutimann backed up his fast opeing practice, with the top speed in Happy Hour at Texas. His top speed was 189.700mph. He was followed by #35-Bobby Hamilton, Jr., #24-Casey Mears, #5-Kyle Busch, and #88-Brad Keselowski. Slowest were #0-Eric McClure & #44-Mike Harmson.(11-2-2007)
    NBS Final Practice (HAPPY HOUR)
    Texas Motor Speedway
    O’Reilly Challenge
    Provided by NASCAR Statistics – Fri, November 02, 2007 @ 11:57 AM Central

    Pos Car Driver Team Time Speed # Laps
    1 99 David Reutimann Aaron’s Dream Machine Toyota 28.466 189.700 19
    2 35 Bobby Hamilton Jr. McDonald’s Ford 28.830 187.305 28
    3 *24 Casey Mears National Guard 256th Infantry Brigade 28.845 187.207 21
    4 *5 Kyle Busch Delphi Chevy 28.851 187.169 11
    5 88 Brad Keselowski # U.S. NAVY Chevy 28.881 186.974 31
    6 21 Kevin Harvick AutoZone Chevy 28.909 186.793 20
    7 9 Elliott Sadler Auto Value/Bumper to Bumper Dodge 28.932 186.645 29
    8 *55 Robby Gordon Verizon Wireless Ford 28.982 186.323 17
    9 18 Tony Stewart Goody’s Cool Orange Chevy 28.987 186.290 27
    10 20 Denny Hamlin Rockwell Automation Chevy 28.999 186.213 28
    11 29 Jeff Burton Holiday Inn Chevy 29.013 186.123 35
    12 41 Bryan Clauson Memorex Dodge 29.071 185.752 23
    13 *2 Clint Bowyer BB&T Chevy 29.101 185.561 18
    14 36 Jeremy Clements Chevy 29.117 185.459 23
    15 77 Bobby Labonte Dollar General Chevy 29.137 185.331 23
    16 *00 Michael McDowell NAPA/Aaron’s Toyota 29.142 185.300 19
    17 38 Jason Leffler Great Clips/Comcast Toyota 29.148 185.261 23
    18 90 Stephen Leicht citifinancial Ford 29.157 185.204 29
    19 1 J.J. Yeley Miccosukee Resorts Chevy 29.163 185.166 21
    20 33 Tony Raines RoadLoans Chevy 29.192 184.982 30
    21 6 David Ragan # Discount Tire Ford 29.200 184.932 19
    22 16 Greg Biffle 3M Ford 29.216 184.830 21
    23 59 Marcos Ambrose # Kingsford Ford 29.255 184.584 12
    24 *17 Matt Kenseth iLevel Ford 29.281 184.420 32
    25 *70 Mark Green ForeTravel/BIOMET Chevy 29.282 184.414 12
    26 22 Mike Bliss SuperCuts Dodge 29.342 184.037 30
    27 *11 Jason Keller Sweet Baby Ray’s Chevy 29.362 183.911 22
    28 *12 Sam Hornish Jr. Kodak Dodge 29.390 183.736 33
    29 66 Steve Wallace Memorex Dodge 29.403 183.655 26
    30 60 Carl Edwards Dish Network Ford 29.469 183.243 16
    31 47 Kelly Bires Clorox/American Red Cross Ford 29.475 183.206 30
    32 37 Casey Atwood Kick Butt Amped Energy Ballz Ford 29.481 183.169 28
    33 7 Mike Wallace GEICO Chevy 29.500 183.051 11
    34 27 Brad Baker Cottonelle/Brookshire’s Ford 29.520 182.927 25
    35 10 Brent Sherman Fan1st.com Toyota 29.565 182.648 16
    36 42 Dario Franchitti Target Dodge 29.654 182.100 34
    37 *30 Stanton Barrett Smith & Wesson Chevy 29.879 180.729 28
    38 25 Richard Johns freecreditreport.com Ford 29.944 180.337 32
    39 *01 Kertus Davis RACEGIRL/Jason March Chevy 30.134 179.200 6
    40 14 Kyle Krisiloff # Lilly/Walgreens Ford 30.201 178.802 15
    41 *72 D.J. Kennington Northern Provincial Pipelines Dodge 30.669 176.074 15
    42 *05 Brett Rowe 31-W Insulation Chevy 30.673 176.051 15
    43 *89 Morgan Shepherd Victory In Jesus Dodge 30.780 175.439 4
    44 28 Robert Richardson Jr. U.S. Border Patrol Chevy 30.824 175.188 18
    45 *0 Eric McClure Hefty/Jason March Chevy 31.001 174.188 12
    46 *44 Mike Harmon Marty Lyons Foundation/Spring Hill Suites 32.456 166.379 5

    NBS Rookie Practice
    Texas Motor Speedway
    O’Reilly Challenge
    Provided by NASCAR Statistics – Fri, November 02, 2007 @ 10:41 AM Central

    Pos Car Driver Team Time Speed # Laps
    1 *00 Michael McDowell NAPA/Aaron’s Toyota 28.749 187.833 5
    2 41 Bryan Clauson Memorex Dodge 29.088 185.644 13
    3 88 Brad Keselowski # U.S. NAVY Chevy 29.244 184.653 14
    4 59 Marcos Ambrose # Kingsford Ford 29.330 184.112 14
    5 47 Kelly Bires Clorox/American Red Cross Ford 29.472 183.225 11
    6 25 Richard Johns freecreditreport.com Ford 29.512 182.976 6
    7 6 David Ragan # Discount Tire Ford 29.596 182.457 8
    8 *12 Sam Hornish Jr. Kodak Dodge 29.596 182.457 17
    9 42 Dario Franchitti Target Dodge 29.626 182.272 10
    10 27 Brad Baker Cottonelle/Brookshire’s Ford 29.776 181.354 10
    11 36 Jeremy Clements Chevy 29.777 181.348 5
    12 28 Robert Richardson Jr. U.S. Border Patrol Chevy 30.732 175.713 9
    13 *72 D.J. Kennington Northern Provincial Pipelines Dodge 30.830 175.154 8

  • Reutimann Fastest in First Practice: #99-David Reutiman’s speed of 187.820mph was fastest of all drivers in the opening practice session for the O’Reilly Challenge at Texas Motor Speedway. He was followed by #21-Kevin Harvick, #5-Kyle Busch, #12-Sam Hornish, and #90-Stephen Leicht. Slowest were #28-Robert Richardson & #05-Brett Rowe.(11-2-2007)
    NBS Practice 1
    Texas Motor Speedway
    O’Reilly Challenge
    Provided by NASCAR Statistics – Fri, November 02, 2007 @ 10:01 AM Central

    Pos Car Driver Team Time Speed # Laps/TD>
    1 99 David Reutimann Aaron’s Dream Machine Toyota 28.751 187.820 16
    2 21 Kevin Harvick AutoZone Chevy 28.828 187.318 7
    3 *5 Kyle Busch Delphi Chevy 28.839 187.246 24
    4 *12 Sam Hornish Jr. Kodak Dodge 28.911 186.780 27
    5 90 Stephen Leicht citifinancial Ford 28.924 186.696 25
    6 *2 Clint Bowyer BB&T Chevy 28.977 186.355 13
    7 35 Bobby Hamilton Jr. McDonald’s Ford 28.991 186.265 21
    8 *55 Robby Gordon Verizon Wireless Ford 29.013 186.123 19
    9 *24 Casey Mears National Guard 256th Infantry Brigade 29.040 185.950 18
    10 77 Bobby Labonte Dollar General Chevy 29.055 185.854 20
    11 20 Denny Hamlin Rockwell Automation Chevy 29.065 185.790 14
    12 29 Jeff Burton Holiday Inn Chevy 29.071 185.752 18
    13 18 Tony Stewart Goody’s Cool Orange Chevy 29.118 185.452 26
    14 16 Greg Biffle 3M Ford 29.128 185.389 22
    15 33 Tony Raines RoadLoans Chevy 29.129 185.382 24
    16 22 Mike Bliss SuperCuts Dodge 29.131 185.370 18
    17 *17 Matt Kenseth iLevel Ford 29.220 184.805 15
    18 60 Carl Edwards Dish Network Ford 29.227 184.761 14
    19 1 J.J. Yeley Miccosukee Resorts Chevy 29.265 184.521 28
    20 88 Brad Keselowski # U.S. NAVY Chevy 29.279 184.433 27
    21 38 Jason Leffler Great Clips/Comcast Toyota 29.295 184.332 23
    22 41 Bryan Clauson Memorex Dodge 29.300 184.300 14
    23 *00 Michael McDowell NAPA/Aaron’s Toyota 29.328 184.124 21
    24 47 Kelly Bires Clorox/American Red Cross Ford 29.347 184.005 30
    25 6 David Ragan # Discount Tire Ford 29.396 183.698 26
    26 37 Casey Atwood Kick Butt Amped Energy Ballz Ford 29.417 183.567 28
    27 *70 Mark Green ForeTravel/BIOMET Chevy 29.422 183.536 21
    28 *11 Jason Keller Sweet Baby Ray’s Chevy 29.431 183.480 25
    29 25 Richard Johns freecreditreport.com Ford 29.440 183.424 41
    30 59 Marcos Ambrose # Kingsford Ford 29.456 183.324 32
    31 7 Mike Wallace GEICO Chevy 29.476 183.200 19
    32 36 Jeremy Clements Chevy 29.526 182.890 20
    33 9 Elliott Sadler Auto Value/Bumper to Bumper Dodge 29.538 182.815 14
    34 10 Brent Sherman Fan1st.com Toyota 29.586 182.519 21
    35 27 Brad Baker Cottonelle/Brookshire’s Ford 29.616 182.334 18
    36 66 Steve Wallace Memorex Dodge 29.626 182.272 26
    37 *30 Stanton Barrett Smith & Wesson Chevy 29.767 181.409 11
    38 14 Kyle Krisiloff # Lilly/Walgreens Ford 29.903 180.584 4
    39 *89 Morgan Shepherd Victory In Jesus Dodge 29.964 180.216 6
    40 42 Dario Franchitti Target Dodge 30.050 179.700 9
    41 *01 Kertus Davis RACEGIRL/Jason March Chevy 30.280 178.336 7
    42 *0 Eric McClure Hefty/Jason March Chevy 30.606 176.436 13
    43 *72 D.J. Kennington Northern Provincial Pipelines Dodge 30.856 175.006 25
    44 28 Robert Richardson Jr. U.S. Border Patrol Chevy 30.861 174.978 23
    45 *05 Brett Rowe 31-W Insulation Chevy 32.225 167.572 3

  • Texas Entry List: There are 46 drivers on the tenative entry list for Saturday’s O’Reilly Challenge at Texas Motor Speedway.(10-29-2007)
    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. 01 Kertus Davis TBA Chevy Johnny Davis
    4. 2 Clint Bowyer BB&T Chevy Richard Childress
    5. 5 Kyle Busch Delphi Chevy Rick Hendrick
    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 Elliott Sadler Auto Value / Bumper to Bumper Dodge Ray Evernham
    10. 10 Brent Sherman Fans1st.com Toyota Greg Pollex
    11. 11 Jason Keller Sweet Baby Ray’s Barbecue Sauce Bryan Mullet
    12. 14 Kyle Krisiloff Lilly/Walgreens Ford Greg Pollex
    13. 16 Greg Biffle 3M Ford Jack Roush
    14. 17 Matt Kenseth iLevel Ford Jack Roush
    15. 18 Tony Stewart Goody’s Chevy Joe Gibbs
    16. 20 Denny Hamlin Rockwell Automation Chevy Joe Gibbs
    17. 21 Kevin Harvick Auto Zone Chevy Richard Childress
    18. 22 Mike Bliss Family Dollar Dodge Armando Fitz
    19. 24 Casey Mears National Guard Chevy Rick Hendrick
    20. 25 Richard Johns FreeCreditReport.com Ford Ed Rensi
    21. 27 Brad Baker Kleenex Ford Tammy Brewer
    22. 28 Robert Richardson U.S. Border Patrol Chevy Joe Custer
    23. 29 Jeff Burton Holiday Inn Chevy Richard Childress
    24. 30 Stanton Barrett Smith & Wesson/SKI Motorsports Chevy Stanton Barrett
    25. 33 Tony Raines RoadLoans Chevy Delana Harvick
    26. 35 Bobby Hamilton Jr McDonald’s Ford Gary Weisbaum
    27. 36 Jeremy Clements TBA Chevy John McGill
    28. 37 Casey Atwood Kick Butt Amped Energy Ballz Ford Clarence Brewer
    29. 38 Jason Leffler Great Clips Toyota Todd Braun
    30. 41 Bryan Clauson Memorex Dodge Chip Ganassi
    31. 42 Dario Franchitti Target Dodge Floyd Ganassi
    32. 44 Mike Harmon Marty Lyons Fdtn/Spring Hill Suites Chevy Donnie Richardson
    33. 47 Kelly Bires Clorox / American Red Cross Ford Jodi Geschickter
    34. 52 Donnie Neuenberger TBA Ford Jimmy Means
    35. 55 Robby Gordon Verizon Wireless Ford Robby Gordon
    36. 59 Marcos Ambrose Kingsford Ford Tad Geschickter
    37. 60 Carl Edwards Dish Network Ford Jack Roush
    38. 66 Steve Wallace Atreus Homes & 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. 99 David Reutimann Aaron’s Dream Machine Toyota Michael Waltrip
    46. 344 TBA UPS Toyota Michael Waltrip


    NASCAR Busch Series News & Notes – O’Reilly Challenge

    Following the race at Gateway International Raceway last July, Carl Edwards (#60 Dish Network Ford) had an 852-point lead over second-place David Reutimann (#99 Aaron’s Dream Machine Toyota) in the NASCAR Busch Series standings.

    He commented at the time that no lead was too large because no lead is ever safe.

    Many eyes rolled over that remark.

    Now, with three races left in the season, Edwards’ statement doesn’t seem so far-fetched.

    His lead over Reutimann is still stout at 531 points, but his luck lately has been anything but.

    Three weeks ago in Charlotte, he was seemingly en route to clinching the title when he was caught up in an incident on Lap 133, ending that opportunity. Last Saturday at Memphis he was forced to start from the rear of the field following a driver change upon his arrival from Atlanta and his NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series duties after substitute driver Matt McCall qualified the #60 Ford.

    There, he was involved in two incidents that looked to knock him out of a clinch chance. He rallied, but a spin with less than 10 laps left relegated him to 25th –- the seventh finish of 25th or worse in his last 10 races.

    To clinch, he needs to leave Texas with a 390-point lead over Reutimann. If he finishes 36th or better, 37th and leads at least one lap, or 39th and leads the most laps, he will become the 2007 NASCAR Busch Series champion – finally.

    His luck could very well change at Texas, where he finished third last spring. In five races there, he has three top-five and four top-10 finishes. He also won the fall race last year in NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series competition.

    Texas Two-Step: Wallace, Kenseth In Three-Race Showdown For 10th

    Series regular Mike Wallace (#7 GEICO Chevy) comes to Texas in 10th place in the point standings, 102 points ahead of 11th-place Matt Kenseth (#17 I Level Ford). Kenseth is scheduled to compete in the final three races of the season, making Saturday’s race the first of three showdowns between the two drivers.

    Even though he’s got a substantial cushion heading into the O’Reilly Challenge, Wallace has the law of averages to overcome in order to capture a coveted spot in the final top 10.

    In the 21 races the two drivers have competed in together this season, Kenseth has an average finish of 11.1 while Wallace’s average finish is 23.8. Kenseth has two wins, one of which came at Texas this past spring. He has two wins overall at Texas (2004).

    Wallace has competed in at least one race in the series over the last 18 seasons, but 2007 is only his fourth full-time campaign.

    In The Loop: Reutimann Hopes To Postpone Edwards’ Title Clinch Once More

    Can David Reutimann accomplish the improbable and delay Carl Edwards’ quest to clinch the NASCAR Busch Series championship for a third consecutive week?

    Yes he can. It will be tough but here’s how he can do it:

    Step One: Control what he can control. Reutimann first has to worry about his own performance. That’s exactly what he did at Memphis by winning, leading the most laps and earning a perfect Driver Rating of 150.0.

    His past Texas performances suggest he’ll run well this weekend. Reutimann has competed three times at Texas in the NASCAR Busch Series, averaging a finish of 14.7 – and he has been strong of late, notching a sixth-place result this past spring. In his two Texas races since 2005, Reutimann has a Driver Rating of 85.1, an Average Running Position of 14.0 and has run 55% of the total laps in the top 15.

    Step Two: Get lucky. Edwards needs to finish 36th or better to clinch the championship – a likely scenario considering his Texas past. In this season’s spring race, Edwards finished third and in this race last season, he finished seventh. In 2005, he finished fourth and third, respectively, in the two races. The one blemish on Edwards’ Texas record is a 43rd-place finish in the spring race last season. Overall at Texas, Edwards has a Driver Rating of 93.6, an Average Running Position of 14.7, 36 Fastest Laps Run and has spent 66.8% of his laps in the top 15. Reutimann needs another last-place finish from Edwards if he wants to prolong the inevitable.

    Step Three: Deal with the competition. The competition will be fierce this weekend, as reigning series champion Kevin Harvick (#21 AutoZone Chevy) returns to the scene. Harvick has been solid at Texas, earning a Driver Rating of 117.7 and an Average Running Position of 5.9 (both are best of any driver competing Saturday).

    Matt Kenseth, winner of this year’s Texas spring race, is also entered in Saturday’s field. He has a Texas Driver Rating of 108.1.

    NBS, Etc.

    • “Veteran” Advice: Bryan Clauson (#41 Memorex Dodge) turned 18 years old this past June. He started his fourth career NASCAR Busch Series race for the Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates team at Memphis last Saturday where he finished a season-best 18th in the event. His “experience” also put him in an interesting spot; to serve as a mentor to his new teammate – 34-year-old Dario Franchitti (#42 Target Dodge). The reigning Indianapolis 500 and IndyCar champion, Franchitti made his NASCAR Busch Series debut at Memphis where he started an impressive third and finished 32nd in the caution-filled event. Both will race together again at Texas.

    • Franchitti, Hornish Together Again: Dario Franchitti will be joined at Texas by his former IndyCar rival Sam Hornish Jr. (#12 Kodak Dodge), giving the O’Reilly Challenge a field consisting of the last two Indianpolis 500 champions. Hornish, though, has the leg up on Franchitti as far as his body of work at Texas. Both will be making their stock-car debuts at the track, but Hornish won the IndyCar event at the track last June; Franchitti finished fourth.

    • Labonte, Richardson Look To Home Track: Bobby Labonte (#77 Dollar General Chevy), the 1991 NASCAR Busch Series champion and Corpus Christi, Texas native, returns to his home track seeking his first series win there. Labonte has 195 starts in his series career to go along with his championship. At the other end of the spectrum is rookie driver Robert Richardson (#28 U.S. Border Patrol Chevy), who is from McKinney, Texas. He hopes to make his track debut at TMS Saturday; he’ll have to qualify on time to do so. Richardson, 25, has started 14 races for Jay Robinson Racing and is one of eight drivers competing for Raybestos Rookie of the Year honors. His best career finish is 19th last April at Talladega Superspeedway. Richardson attempted to make the spring race at Texas driving for his family-owned team but did not qualify.

    • Ambrose Seeks Consistency: With his first career series pole and his best finish to date (fourth) last week at Memphis, Marcos Ambrose (#59 Kingsford Ford) got a needed boost. The result was the Australian’s first top-five finish of the year and his first top-10 since placing seventh in Montreal. His only other oval top-10 finish was sixth at Dover International Speedway in June. The finish was also welcomed heading into another intermediate track where he’s struggled, especially recently. He posted DNFs at both Kansas Speedway and Lowe’s Motor Speedway and has an overall average finish of 26.8. He was 31st at Texas last spring.

    • Of Note – Texas: Jason Leffler (#38 Great Clips Toyota) won his first NASCAR Busch Series pole at Texas in 2000. … Two former winners are entered at Texas – Kevin Harvick (2001, ’05, ’06) and Matt Kenseth (2004, ’07). Kenseth owns the most top fives (five), top 10s (10) and most starts (12) in series competition at the track. … Harvick’s next win will be the 32nd of his series career and will vault him into second place on the all-time list. He’s currently tied with Jack Ingram with 31 victories. The two-time and reigning series champion averages a win every six starts – it has been seven starts since his last victory (Watkins Glen). He did not compete at Memphis.

    The Director’s Take: Texas

    “Texas Motor Speedway is the last of the 1.5-mile tri-ovals for the NASCAR Busch Series this season. The frontstretch is 920 feet longer than the backstretch and has a double dogleg configuration.

    “Drivers will be looking to hit their marks entering the corners in order to get the car to ‘set’ and ‘rotate’ to get a good exit.

    “Texas provides multiple grooves for passing.  And this track is all about aero and having the car’s body at the right angle of attack with little drag for speed, yet enough downforce to turn.

    “Drivers will give each other more room on the track, which should help reduce the number of cautions that we saw last week at Memphis.”

    2007 NASCAR BUSCH SERIES
    RAYBESTOS ROOKIE OF THE YEAR STANDINGS

         Driver                      Points
    1. David Ragan              232
    2. Marcos Ambrose        201
    3. Kyle Krisiloff               178
    4. Brad Keselowski         170
    5. Juan Pablo Montoya    165
    6. Brad Coleman             163
    7. Robert Richardson Jr.   107
    8. Justin Diercks               51

    ESPN2

    ESPN2 continues its season-long coverage of the NASCAR Busch Series with live racing from Texas Motor Speedway. The telecast of the 300-mile race begins at 3:00 p.m. ET with NASCAR Countdown.

    The 1.5-mile track could be the scene of Carl Edwards’ clinching of the 2007 NASCAR Busch Series championship, even though two races remain in the 35-event season Saturday’s race.

    Dr. Jerry Punch will anchor ESPN2’s coverage with analysis by 1989 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series champion Rusty Wallace and two-time NASCAR champion crew chief Andy Petree. Dave Burns, Jamie Little, Mike Massaro and Shannon Spake will report from the pits.

    Allen Bestwick will host NASCAR Countdown. Dale Jarrett, the 1999 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup champion and one of the founding drivers of the NASCAR Busch Series, will join Bestwick in the ESPN Pit Studio along with Brad Daugherty, a former winning team owner in the NASCAR Busch Series and NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series.

    2007 At-A-Glance: NASCAR Busch Series Leaders After 32 Of 35 Races:

    Season Traditional Statistics:      

    Driver points – Edwards (4,364)
    Victories – Harvick (5)
    Races led – Edwards (20)
    Laps led – Ky. Busch (958)
    Top-five finishes – Edwards (14)
    Top-10 finishes – Edwards (19)
    Owner points – Richard Childress Racing (#29) – (4,606)
    Money Won – Edwards ($1,113,485)
    Miles led – Ky. Busch (1,286.08)
    Busch Poles – Hamlin (5)
    Closest to 10th – M. Wallace 10th (3,083 pts); 11th – Kenseth, -102
    Consecutive Weeks in Top 10 – Edwards, Harvick (32)

    Season Loop Data Statistics:

    Driver Rating – Edwards (106.0)
    Average Running Position – Edwards (10.1)
    Fastest Laps Run – Edwards (526 fastest laps)
    Quality Passes – Edwards (952)
    Laps In Top 15 – Edwards (4,822 of a possible 5,953)

    Final Push: Can Toyota Rally For Third-Place Breakthrough?

    Chevy, having already crowned the 2007 Bill France Performance Cup champion and Ford, this season’s probable runner-up, may be favorites in the final three races of the season as the leaders in manufacturer wins at Texas (Chevy – 6), Phoenix International Raceway (Ford – 6) and Homestead-Miami Speedway (Chevy – 6), respectively.

    But Toyota’s second-half surge and its 10-point deficit to third-place Dodge gives the manufacturers’ race some late-season drama. This is the closest Toyota has been to Dodge since a 10-point advantage by Dodge following the race at California Speedway in early September.

    Toyota won its second series race last Saturday at Memphis as David Reutimann registered his first career NASCAR Busch Series victory. Jason Leffler won Toyota’s inaugural series race in July at O’Reilly Raceway Park at Indianapolis.

    Dodge has one win in that 11-race span – Kasey Kahne’s victory at Bristol last August.

    Manufacturers’ Championship 2007 Point Standings

    Chevy    240
    Ford           186
    Dodge        144
    Toyota        134

    Up Next: Arizona.Travel 200 At Phoenix International Raceway

    A final race out west for the NASCAR Busch Series in 2007 waits next week at Phoenix International Raceway. The Arizona.Travel 200 will be televised live on ESPN2 beginning at 4:00 p.m. ET.

    Matt Kenseth won last year’s race from the Busch Pole; the second consecutive season a Roush Fenway Racing driver had done so. Carl Edwards won the 2005 fall event from the pole, the first driver in the first eight series races at the 1-mile track to accomplish the feat.

    Greg Biffle, another Roush Fenway team member, is the only driver with multiple wins at Phoenix (2001, spring ’05). A driver now with Roush Fenway, Jamie McMurray, won in 2004.

    Jason Leffler owns two poles at Phoenix (2000, spring ’06), the most of any driver.

    Jeff Burton and Scott Wimmer, the Richard Childress Racing duo that has forged a stout lead in the owner points, have each won a race at Phoenix – Burton in 2000 and Wimmer in ’02.

    Fast Facts

    The Race: O’Reilly Challenge
    The Place:  Texas Motor Speedway
    The Date:  Nov. 3, 20071
    The Time: 3:30 p.m. (ET)
    TV: ESPN2, 3 p.m. (ET)
    Track Layout: 1.5-mile oval
    Race Purse: $1,244,106
    2006 Winner: Kevin Harvick
    2006 Pole: Mark Martin

    2007 Point Standings

    Pos.  Driver             Points
    1       Edwards          4,364
    2       Reutimann       3,833
    3       Leffler              3,606
    4       Harvick            3,523
    5       Ragan             3,464
    6       Hamilton Jr.     3,313
    7       Leicht              3,203
    8       Ambrose         3,152
    9       Biffle               3,136
    10     Wallace          3,083

    Pre-Race Schedule:
    Friday–Practice, 9-10:00 a.m.; Rookie Practice, 10:10-10:40 a.m.; Final Practice, 10:55-11:55 a.m.; Qualifying, 5:35 p.m. (impound).


  • Additional Texas Busch Race Info at:
    texasmotorspeedway.com
    ESPN.com Busch page
    TheHotLap.com
    Catchfence.com Busch site
    NASCAR.com