DPR Sports & Racing News

2009 Nationwide Series Past Photos and Events...

Edwards Wins at Indianapolis... O'Reilly Raceway Park

Carl Edwards passed Kyle Busch with 22 laps to go Saturday night at O’Reilly Raceway Park and went on to win the NASCAR Nationwide Series Kroger 200.
 

Photo By Dan Peters

Busch led coming to the green flag on Lap 174, but Edwards battled him hard and finally made the pass for the lead on Lap 179.
 
Busch finished second, with Matt Kenseth third as double-duty drivers swept the top-three positions. Brad Keselowski finished fourth, with Steve Wallace fifth.

Photo By Dan Peters
 
Bayne and Steve Wallace, while running 1-2, were involved in a bizarre accident on Lap 36 after Michael Annett crashed in Turn 3. As Bayne and Wallace took the yellow flag and slowed into Turn 1, the pace car hit the track in the middle of the corner.

Photo By Dan Peters

New Nationwide Stock Car makes debut in test at Talladega Superspeedwy

The NASCAR Nationwide Series new cars hit the track on Monday as part of a one-day test at Talladega Superspeedway in Talladega, Ala.

(NASCAR Photo)

NASCAR Photo

Tuesday marked the first time the No. 16 Con-way Freight Ford Mustang was revealed in public. Ford had announced in July that Mustang, the iconic pony car that has raced for all 45 years of its existence, would compete in the NASCAR Nationwide Series beginning in July 2010 when a limited rollout of NASCARs new car begins at Daytona International Speedway.

With the economy worsening late last year, NASCAR opted to delay the introduction of the new car, originally planned for August 2010, until 2011. Sources have told Sporting News that the most likely scenario involves a partial rollout next year at superspeedways (Daytona and Talladega) and road courses (Watkins Glen and Montreal).

Introduction of the Nationwide car (which differs from its Sprint Cup counterpart in such features as a spoiler instead of a wing and traditional spring front suspension instead of bumps stops) hasn't been set in stone.

"We're going to talk to [owners] about a couple of different options, and we just want to make sure we get that feedback from them before we announce the implementation," Balash said.

Ford and Dodge have opted to run versions of their muscle cars -- Mustang and Challenger, respectively -- as their Nationwide entries with the new car. Chevrolet reportedly has resisted NASCAR's urging to run its Camaro and instead will field the Impala SS, the same brand it runs in the Cup Series. Similarly, Toyota will run a Nationwide version of its Cup car, the Camry.

"You'd have to ask Chevrolet what the reasons are behind their models that they choose," Balash said. "We talk to all the manufacturers about the types of vehicles that they're running in the series, and Chevrolet ultimately has the decision about what they're going to run as part of their brand marketing."

Representatives from Chevrolet were not available to respond to questions about the choice of models to be used in the Nationwide Series.

SCARs concerns about commitments from the automakers received a boost today when Ford announced it will introduce its popular Mustang on a limited basis in the Nationwide Series in 2010.

The eventual plan is to integrate the new car for the entire 2011 schedule, said Robin Pemberton, NASCAR vice president of competition. We had been talking with NASCAR for some time about Mustang as part of its vision for a muscle car rollout for the Nationwide Series, said Brian Wolfe, director of Ford North America Motorsports.

We both saw it as a way of differentiating the series from Sprint Cup. We loved the idea, so we jumped on the chance to extend Mustang's racing legacy to a new series reaching a huge and loyal audience.

After meeting with team owners on Tuesday, Pemberton said the consensus was to take the Mustangs to three intermediate tracks or ovals and possibly two speedways, Talladega and Daytona in 2010. NASCAR hopes to have a rollout schedule finalized before the Nationwide and Sprint Cup races Aug. 8-9 at Watkins Glen.

Not all manufacturers have announced the models for the new Nationwide cars, but the lineup is expected to include Chevrolet Impala SS, Ford Mustang, Dodge Challenger and Toyota Camry.

The 2010 Ford Mustang will join the 2010 Fusion (Sprint Cup) and the 2009 Ford F-Series (Camping World Truck Series) as Fords competitive entries in NASCARs three major professional series.

Ford Racing has gone through the official NASCAR submission and approval process for the new car, and, once templates are finalized, production of Mustang parts will start so teams can build the first cars for testing later this fall.

When it is introduced, the new Nationwide Series car will look and drive differently from the Cup Series' COT. The Nationwide car will feature a more traditional spoiler instead of a rear wing and a spring front suspension instead of bump stops.

Were excited about the new car in the NASCAR Nationwide Series, and particularly the new body styles such as the Ford Mustang, said NASCAR president Mike Helton. Its going to be one good-looking race car. Mustang currently competes professionally in the NHRA Funny Car and Pro Stock divisions and places like the Grand-Am KONI Challenge, SCCA World Challenge, and the Mustang Challenge Series. Since its debut in 1964, Mustang has compiled more than 2,000 professional racing victories in NHRA, Grand-Am, IMSA, SCCA, NMRA and NMCA, as well as other racing series.

Mustang has dominated other forms of racing, including NHRA drag racing, Grand-Am Cup road racing, and Formula D drifting, and now its coming to NASCAR Nationwide, Wolfe said. Its the most successful product nameplate in racing history, and it seems only right that it should be coming to the most popular form of racing in North America.

Logano Wins First His Chicagoland Speedway Race In Record Style

Photo By Dan Peters

Joey Logano earned his third NASCAR Nationwide Series (NNS) victory of the season in Friday night's race at Chicagoland Speedway.

It would have been hard to find more than two people at Chicagoland Speedway who thought crew chief Dave Rogers' final call was the right one.

Even driver Joey Logano had his doubts. But Logano streaked to victory in Friday night's Dollar General 300 Nationwide Series race, vindicating Rogers' decision to keep Logano on the track during a late caution in the 200-lap event at the 1.5-mile speedway.

Photo By Mark Rotor

Logano, who led a race-high 96 laps, stayed out on old tires during the second and final caution of the race -- called on Lap 185 because of debris -- as did Jason Leffler. After the restart on Lap 192, Logano pulled away from teammate Kyle Busch, who took two tires under the caution.

Photos By Mark Rotor

"The last restart I got beat and the other restarts, too -- I don't know why. The final one (restart) -- the 38 (Jason Leffler) was there hanging with me and I just drove it into (turn) one as hard as I can and hope for the best. Once we got a big enough gap -- Kyle (Busch) got in that dirty air and we were able to pull away. I was really surprised. Dave (Rogers, crew chief) thought I was done. I was like; 'We're not done yet. We're not done yet.' But, deep down inside I thought I was. This is really awesome. We've come up second three times, so it's cool to get a win."

Photo By Dan Peters

To beat Kyle Busch?

"It's awesome, man. If you looked at every one of my victories -- it's been a one-two finish between me and Kyle (Busch). That's pretty neat. New Hampshire -- we finished one and two. So, that's awesome."

What does this win mean to you?

"What an awesome win, I'll tell you. The fastest car won the race. I didn't think the fastest car was going to win the race there at the end. Clean air was huge. It's cool to get the GameStop Toyota back in victory lane. We finished second in New Hampshire and I think we finished fourth last week (Daytona), so it's cool to keep this thing up front with these guys. It's so much fun coming over here."

"I can't believe it, dude -- he's driving away from me!" Busch radioed after the final restart.

In fact, Logano pulled away to win by 2.619 seconds over Busch, who nevertheless extended his lead in the Nationwide standings to 192 points over sixth-place finisher Carl Edwards. Brian Vickers ran third, followed by Leffler and Kevin Harvick.

Did you have anything for Joey Logano at the end?

"It was unfortunate there we had to settle for second. Congratulations to Joey (Logano) and those guys. It's another Joe Gibbs one-two and it seems like it's always this way anyways. Second best is just that. We weren't the best car out there tonight and Joey (Logano) was better than us."

Was clean air the difference for tonight's winner?

"It was just clean air. We just saw it tonight -- it was a product of clean air. Even us on newer tires, if I could have gotten to Joey's (Logano) outside there that one time on the second lap on that restart, I would have had him. But I couldn't get there and he was able to get the clean air and pull away. That's what I did earlier in the day until you catch lap traffic then you start slowing down and those guys slow you down that much and everybody else catches up. It's just a product of what it is."

How was your race?

"Joey (Logano) had a better car than us tonight. We worked all through practice trying to get the thing to where it would tighten up into the corner and never really found that balance. It was always loose getting in, so you just can't charge the corners and that's where I felt I was getting beat. Overall, it was a good night and we led a lot of laps. We still ended up getting beat there. Lapped traffic was a pain in the neck tonight. This track is just so aero-sensitive that you get around anyone and you slow down a half-second then the guys behind you catch up. That one run I got through traffic just barely before Joey (Logano) did, and then he got stalled in traffic and I pulled back away. It is just a product of the way the cars are with the race track tonight. There really wasn't an outside lane. I tried going out there a few times and it was even looser up there. Unfortunately, we just didn't have what it took and settled for second."

Photo By Dan Peters

Was there anything left to challenge for the win at the end?

Brian Vickers "We had a good car and we had the best car at times, usually towards the end of a run. Those guys would get so far ahead of us that we just couldn't catch back up to them. I thought we had a shot for it at the end and then Carl (Edwards) jumped on our outside and made it three wide. I always understood the rule as you had to stay in line or you got black- flagged, but they didn't black-flag him so maybe that's not the rule. It definitely cost us a shot at the win."

Carl Edwards started race from the pole... Led early..then faded and was not a factor at the end

Photo By Dan Peters

Brad Keselowski's championship hopes suffered a severe blow when he ran out of fuel before pitting on Lap 57 during the first green-flag run of the race. Keselowski lost two laps before his crew could get the stalled No. 88 Chevrolet refired. Though he rallied for an 18th-place finish and held third in the Nationwide standings, Keselowski fell 334 points behind Busch.

The same fate befell Ryan Newman, Keselowski's teammate-for-a day at JR Motorsports. Newman was out of gas when he pitted from the lead on Lap 57 and lost a lap in the pits. He finished 22nd.

The average speed of 147.340 mph was a race record, breaking Busch's record of 144.443 mph from last year. The race also set records for fewest cautions (two) and fewest caution laps (11)

Photo By Mark Rotor

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Edwards Earns First NASCAR Nationwide Series Win of the Season

Photo By Dan Peters

Dan Peters

Oak Park Journal

www.oakparkjournal.com

http://www.danspitstopracing.com/the_milwaukee_mile

http://www.oakparkjournal.com/sports/2009-Milwaukee-Mile-June-20th-Edwards-wins.html

Carl Edwards made the trip from Infineon Raceway worthwhile again on Saturday night, winning the NASCAR Nationwide Series NorthernTool.com 250 at the Milwaukee Mile, for the second straight year.

Edwards left Infineon earlier in the day, where he practiced his NASCAR Sprint Cup Series car, to race at Milwaukee. Having to start at the rear of the field, Edwards tiptoed through the field early in the race.

Photo By Joe Paolella

After his Cup counterpart, Joe Gibbs Racing's Kyle Busch, led for numerous laps, Edwards chased him down and made the pass for the lead on Lap 205.

Despite two caution periods in the final 50 laps, Edwards easily pulled away to his first Nationwide victory of the season. He also repeated as the Milwaukee race winner, going to victory lane in 2008 with new crew chief Drew Blickensderfer.

"It seems like almost every week, we're getting faster and faster," Edwards said. "It's really cool to get that first win. Hopefully, it kicks off the rest of the season like it did last year."

Colin Braun practiced & qualified the #60 For Edwards

Photo By Dan Peters

2008 Turnaround started at the Mile. dj vu?

Carl Edwards' 2008 win at Mile kicked off an impressive second-half run where he won seven of the final 19 races. Can he do it again this season?

"We could go win every race," Edwards said. "That's how we try to approach them. As good as last season ended, it didn't get good until a year ago tonight. All my guys are aware of that, I was aware of that. People were mentioning that to me as I was getting in the car: 'Hey, do you remember last year?' I thought, 'Boy, if we could do that again and get it going, there's no reason we can't have the same success.

Photo By Dan Peters

This win is also for the fans, Edwards stated, Man, Ive been waiting a whole year to do that flip for them. Edwards won last years race but elected not to celebrate in his customary way due to the passing on race day of NHRAs Scott Kalitta and a late race bump of Clint Bowyer.

The victory was the first of the season for Dan Stillman, who replaced Blickensderfer as Edwards' crew chief.

Kyle Shrub Busch finished second, despite leading the most laps (80) for the eighth consecutive race.

We started in the back, had a good race car, and drove through the field, Busch said afterwards, I knew Carl (Edwards) was better than us all night and he just went up there and passed us to win the race. We didnt keep up with the changes and he got the best of us tonight.

Johnny Sauter practiced and qualified the Combos Toyota for Busch

Photo By Dan Peters

I finished second, Busch continued after his 12^th top ten result of the season left him with a 127 point lead over Edwards in the championship standings, But Im not here to finish second. I traveled all this way to win the race and I didnt win it.

Photo By Dan Peters

JR Motorsports' Brad Keselowski finished third. Keselowski led the field twice for 23 laps before making a late race charge to take third place from first-time pole position winner Erik Darnell on the final lap.

We were strong in the middle and it felt good to get up front and lead some laps, Keselowski said, it seems were just clicking away these top threes (finishes).

This is a great track and I enjoy coming here, Keselowski stated after posting his second top ten finish in as many races at The Milwaukee Mile. Last June, he scored his first-ever pole position at The Mile, a speedway at which his father Bob and uncle Ron raced USAC Stock Cars, ARCA and NASCAR Trucks on

Polesitter Erik Darnell, Edwards' teammate, finished fourth after rallying in the closing laps.

Photo By Dan Peters

We struggled in practice and made some changes which paid off in qualifying, Darnell said. It was real tight at the start of the race and we made some more changes.

Ive never been in a race where we made so many changes with the car and we were real good on the short runs, Darnell continued, describing the late race power moves he made around both Keselowski and Busch to rank as high as second.

We just got killed on the long runs and thats what hurt us in the end.

Darnell started the afternoon strong by claiming the pole in the Race Titled sponsors No. 6 Northern Tool + Equipment Fusion, then paced the opening laps and on one other occasion for a total of 19 laps. His fourth place result is the Beach Park, Ill. natives Nationwide Series career-best finish to date.

Roush Fenway's Ricky Stenhouse Jr. completed the top five

Great Race For Steven Wallace

Photo By Dan Peters

Sixth through 10th were Rusty Wallace Racing's Steve Wallace, Phoenix Racing's Mike Bliss, Richard Childress Racing's Stephen Leicht, Kevin Harvick Inc.'s Ron Hornaday and Braun Racing's Jason Leffler.

Busch saw his series lead over Edwards cut to 127 points, with Keselowski third, 218 out of the lead.

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Kyle Busch Wins at Richmond

Ron Fellows celebrates his fourth NASCAR Nationwide Series victory as he takes the trophy for winning the NAPA Auto Parts 200 Presented by Dodge in Montreal.

Joey Logano
Photo By Joe Paolella

Tony Stewart races the #20 Nationwide Series car for the final time at Chicagoland Speedway on July 11, 2008

Photo By Dan Peters

Kyle Busch won his fifth Nationwide Series race of the 2008 season at Chicagoland Speedway in the Dollar General 300 powered by Coca- Cola Friday night.

Matt Kenseth goes for a wild ride Friday night at Chicagoland Sppedway

Photos By Mark Rotor

"It's definitely an awesome feeling to be here Friday night," Busch said in Victory Lane. "We weren't that good early in the race, but we made some adjustments, and this car just came to life."

NASCAR Nationwide Series Ushers In Night Racing At Chicago

Edwards bumps his way to a win at Milwaukee, Ends draught.

Change is not always good for a race team, but dont ask Carl Edwards to complain about the recent changes at Roush Racing this past week.

Edwards responded by winning Saturday's Camping World RV Rental 250 at The Milwaukee Mile.

"It just feels good to win a race ... for our team, for everybody at the shop and all the guys who have been working hard and sticking with this program even though we haven't won a race in a long time," Edwards said. "It means a lot to have all that support. This win is a huge relief."

Edwards had to start at the rear of the field, due to his late arrival from Sonoma, where he qualified and practiced his Sprint Cup Car. Filling in for Carl was Eric Darnell who raced in Fridays NASCAR Craftsman Truck Camping World 200.

He wasted little time charging to the front.
Edwards bumped past series points leader Clint Boyer to take the lead with 38 laps to go and held off rookie phenom Joey Logano to win his 14th career win in the series and end his Nationwide Series drought.

Logano was trying to become the fourth series driver to win two races in his first four starts joining the late Dale Earnhardt, Darrell Waltrip and Ron Fellows, but he was beaten off pit road on Lap 206 by three other cars.
Carl's last victory was at the Nashville Super Speedway nearly a year ago in June 2007, and though he won the then-Busch Series title last year, Edwards didn't win the second half of the season.

The defending series champion had gone 36 races without a victory, and team owner Jack Roush decided that was enough. So Roush Fenway Racing swapped crew chiefs earlier this week, with Drew Blickensderfer taking over for Pierre Kuettel on Edwards' No. 60 team. Carl later said in a press conference after the race that he probably talked to Drew more on a caution flag run during this race, than he did total in the past. I called him Drew because I was afraid I would mispronounce his name.


Bowyer retained his points lead with his third place finish, but was a man of few words after the race. He held a stone cold face and answered neither of the two questions asked of him during the post race press conference. As he walked out, he said Sorry guys and walked out.


Bowyer and Edwards both arrived late at the Milwaukee Mile after qualifying their Cup Cars in California. Rest assured, they did not ride the plane back to California after the race together.

Milwaukee is a tough and flat track with little banking, so beating & banging are a common site here and happened all night long.


Just ask Brad Keselowski.
Keselowski won the pole and had the dominant car for more than half the race. But after leading 145 of the first 171 laps, Keselowski was challenged in Turn 3 by Logano.
Logano slipped in the corner and bounced into Keselowski, sending the No. 88 Chevrolet up the track Logano took the lead and soon pulled away.

Logano finished second in Joe Gibbs Racing's Toyota, with Bowyer hanging on for third in Richard Childress Racing's Chevrolet. David Ragan (Roush Fenway) was fourth, with David Reutimann (Michael Waltrip Racing) fifth.

Scott Wimmer, Mike Bliss, Brad Keselowski, Jason Keller and Jason Leffler rounded out the top 10.

• One-Day Show In Milwaukee Packed With Possibilities
• 400 Hitter: Kenny Wallace To Join Exclusive Start Club
• In The Loop: Saturday Night Might Be All Right For Leffler
• Double-Duty Drivers Abound At Milwaukee Mile

Going The Extra Mile: Series-Only Regulars Seek Third Straight Win

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla (June 17, 2008) - The first step was taken by Scott Wimmer (No. 29 Holiday Inn Chevrolet) in March at Nashville Superspeedway when he became the first NASCAR Nationwide Series-only regular to win in 2007.

Next, Brad Keselowski (No. 88 NAVY Chevrolet) took the regulars back up front with his first career series win two weeks ago, again at Nashville.

Last week, Joey Logano (No. 20 GameStop Toyota) brought the group again to the fore with his historic win from the pole at Kentucky Speedway. Logano, at 18 years, 21 days, became the youngest winner in series history surpassing Casey Atwoods (18 years, 10 months, 9 days) 1999 victory at The Milwaukee Mile.

All three drivers are entered at Milwaukee and can be considered a strong contender for a third consecutive win by a series-only regular Saturday night, even with the presence of four double-duty drivers, including standings leader Clint Bowyer (No. 2 BB&T Chevrolet) and reigning series champion Carl Edwards (No 60 Save-A-Lot Ford).

Keselowski has moved up to second in the rankings, the highest a series-only regular has stood since 2005 when Martin Truex Jr. trailed leader Reed Sorenson by 36 points.

We have to keep working to get things better because there are a couple of them (competitors) out there who are coming on strong, Bowyer said.

To Bowyers point, five series-only regulars are ranked in the top 10 standings this week.

We have to keep working to get things better because there are a couple of them (competitors) out there who are coming on strong, Bowyer said.

Hermans Big Night: Kenny Wallace Set For 400th Series Start

Kenny Wallace (No. 28 U.S. Border Patrol Chevrolet) will become a member of an exclusive club Saturday night at Milwaukee when he becomes just the third driver in NASCAR Nationwide Series history to accumulate 400 starts.

Hell join Jason Keller (No. 11 Americas Incredible Pizza Company Chevrolet438 and counting) and Tommy Houston (417).

Kellers last win came at Milwaukee in 2003.

The start will also mark the 753rd of Wallaces NASCAR national series career.

Wallaces older brother Rusty ran at Milwaukee and won two USAC Stock Car races at The Mile by 1980 with Kenny on the crew. As a payback, Rusty fielded an ASA car in 1986 for Kenny, which led to Kennys NASCAR career.

I started my career at the Milwaukee Fairgrounds back in 1986, he said. It feels like just yesterday I was driving ASA cars against some of the greatest drivers like Joe Shear and Dick Trickle.My career really has come full circle at Milwaukee.

My wifes (Kim) family lives about five miles from the track. Milwaukee is also close to St. Louis, so it all hits close to home for me.

Ambrose Embarks On Career First Double Duty Trek

Marcos Ambrose (No. 59 STP Ford) has a bigand busyweekend ahead.

After posting a sixth-place finish at Kentucky last Saturday, he will join four other drivers in a Milwaukee-Infineon Raceway double-duty capacity this weekend.

But unlike the others, Ambroses will be a first as he seeks his debut in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.

Ambrose has spent the week in Sonoma, Calif. and wont venture to Milwaukee until race day. Robert Pressley will practice and qualify the No. 59 car for Ambrose, which will be of great comfort to the Australian.

Pressley, a long-time driver for Ambroses JTG Racing team, served as a coach and mentor for Ambrose when he first made the switch from V-8 Supercars to NASCAR Craftsman Trucks and on to the NASCAR Nationwide Series.

In 244 career NASCAR Nationwide Series races, Pressley registered 10 wins.

Wimmer, Bires Seek Mile-Stone

Last year the duo of Aric Almirola and Denny Hamlin broke a two-race winning streak at Milwaukee by Wisconsin drivers.

Scott Wimmer (Wausau) and Kelly Bires (No. 47 Clorox FordMauston) hope to rekindle the streak.

Wimmer came close last year, finishing second; he was third in 2002. Bires, a teammate of Marcos Ambrose, was making his series track debut and finished 30th following a 14th-place start one year ago.

Josh Wise (No. 22 Supercuts Dodge) was born in Janesville and two crew members are also Wisconsin natives. Jon Hansen, the car/truck chief on the No. 88 NAVY Chevrolet of Brad Keselowski is from Madison while Ethan Marquardt, the front tire carrier for Kenny Hendricks No. 31 Grandstay.net Chevrolet, is from Merrill.

In The Loop: Leffler Could Produce Breakthrough At Milwaukee

The NASCAR Nationwide Series has seen a big boost in competitive balance recently.

There have been five different winners in the last five races, and the last two events have been won by NASCAR Nationwide Series-only regulars.

Its very possible that those numbers will grow this weekend in Milwaukee.

Two drivers in particular have excellent statistics at the historic one-mile venue, and both call the series their only home Jason Leffler (No. 38 Great Clips Toyota) and Brad Coleman No. 27 Scott Bath Tissue Ford).

Leffler has finishes of fourth (2006) and third (2007) in his last two Milwaukee races, leading to some of the most impressive statistics in the series.

Over those two races, Leffler has series-highs in Driver Rating (124.4) and Average Running Position (3.3) and has 46 Fastest Laps Run (third-most) and 504 Laps in the Top 15 (second).

Coleman has only one career start at Milwaukee, but it was very good one. He started and finished fourth last season, and racked up impressive numbers in his Milwaukee Mile debut. He had a Driver Rating of 111.5, an Average Running Position of 4.4, four Fastest Laps Run and ran all 250 Laps in the Top 15.

Probably the two biggest threats at Milwaukee to the series regulars are points leader Clint Bowyer and defending series champion Carl Edwards.

Bowyer has an Average Running Position of 4.5 and a Driver Rating of 113.3, while Edwards has an Average Running Position of 11.1 and a Driver Rating of 102.4.

Saturday Night Short-Track Racing From Milwaukee To Air On ESPN2

The Milwaukee Mile is one of Americas legendary racetracks, and ESPN2s season-long coverage of the NASCAR Nationwide Series continues with a live, prime-time telecast Saturday beginning at 8 p.m. ET with NASCAR Countdown.

The green flag flies at 8:45 p.m. and the telecast also airs in high definition on ESPN2 HD and will be simulcast on ESPN360.com and ESPN MobileTV.

Dr. Jerry Punch will be the lead announcer for ESPN2s coverage, joined in the booth for analysis by 1989 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Rusty Wallace and two-time NASCAR Sprint Cup champion crew chief Andy Petree, Dave Burns, Mike Massaro and Shannon Spake will report from the pits, while two-time NASCAR Sprint Cup champion crew chief Tim Brewer will be in the ESPN DISH Tech Center.

Allen Bestwick will host NASCAR Countdown with analysis by Wallace and Brad Daugherty, a former winning team owner in the NASCAR Nationwide Series and NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, in the ESPN pit studio.

Jason Leffler is scheduled to serve at In-Race Reporter.

ESPN2 also airs coverage of qualifying on Saturday at 5:30 p.m.

The Directors Take: Historic Mile Is A Track Of Transition

The Milwaukee Mile bills itself as Americas Legendary Oval, and is the oldest active track in the world, dating back to 1903.

Its only fitting that Kenny Wallace makes his 400th start here since this is a race track thats got such a rich history, said Joe Balash, NASCAR Nationwide Series director.

History aside, Balash sees Saturday nights race as one of transition.

Its really going to be a test for the teams now that weve come off of a number of race tracks with good banking to Milwaukee, which is a wide, flat track, he said.

Its a track that races with multiple grooves so there will be a lot of passing. Its so wide it gives the drivers a lot of places to race so that will be a big plus, especially for our fans.

Weve got quite a few younger drivers in the race and the track may be of help to them if theres a bobble; theres more room on the track for correction.

Teams will be setting their suspension up to handle the bumps due to the transitions between older pavement and new pavement so they dont upset the balance of the car.

The Milwaukee Mile

Most Wins: Greg Biffle (2)
Most Poles: Aric Almirola (2)
Quick Fact: Because he started the event, Aric Almirola was awarded the win last year even though Denny Hamlin finished the race.

NNS Etc.

• Kenny Wallaces 400th career series start is one of many exciting elements for the Wallace family this weekend.
  
  Mike Wallace (No. 7 GEICO Toyota), who comes off a third-place finish at Kentuckyhis best finish since a runner-up at Gateway Raceway in 2005will be racing at the same track with his daughter, Chrissy. She is entered in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series event Friday night. Mike won at Milwaukee in 1994.
  
  Chrissys cousin Steve Wallace will drive the No. 66 Jimmy Johns Gourmet Sandwiches Chevrolet in the NASCAR Nationwide Series race while Rusty Wallace will be in the ESPN2 booth for Saturday nights event.
  
  
• Three NASCAR Nationwide Series regulars will pull double duty in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race at Milwaukee Friday while one truck regular will do the same in the NASCAR Nationwide Series event.
  
  Colin Braun (No. 16 CitiFinancial Ford) and Landon Cassill (No. 5 National Guard Chevrolet) will join Mike Bliss (No. 1 Miccosukee Resort Chevrolet) seventh in the NASCAR Nationwide Series standings and the 2002 NASCAR Craftsman Truck champion in Fridays race.
  
  Ted Musgrave (No. 91 Chevrolet) will turn around and run on Saturday night as well.
  
  Cassill will actually face triple duty as a dirt modified race in Vinton, Iowa is also on his schedule Sunday.
  
  
• In addition to Robert Pressley for Marcos Ambrose, substitute drivers who are scheduled to practice and qualify this weekend include: Stephen Leicht for Clint Bowyer; Erik Darnell for Carl Edwards; Auggie Vidovich for David Ragan (No. 6 Discount Tire Ford) and 1995 NASCAR Craftsman Truck champion Mike Skinner for David Reutimann (No. 99 Aarons Dream Machine Toyota).

Raybestos Rookie Of The Year

Rank Driver Points
1 Bryan Clauson 118
2 Dario Franchitti 100
3 Cale Gale 72
4 Landon Cassill 70
5 Chase Miller 60
6 Brian Keselowski 56
7 Patrick Carpentier 31

Results following the Meijer 300 at Kentucky Speedway.

Bill France Performance Cup

Chevrolet has the most wins at Milwaukee with nine, two in a row and three of the last four races. Dodge snapped that string with a victory in 2005. Ford has five wins at the track.

The No. 20 of Joe Gibbs Racing won this race last year with Chevy as the manufacturer. JGR moved to Toyota this season and the No. 20 has won seven races, including last weeks historic win by Joey Logano.

Up Next: Camping World RV Sales 200 at New Hampshire

New Hampshire Motor Speedway hosts the Camping World RV Sales 200 next Saturday, June 28. The race will air on ABC.

NHMS is one of four tracks in the NASCAR Nationwide Series that has yet to produce a repeat winner and its 21-race streak is the longest such span in the series.

Kevin Harvick won from the pole last year, only the second time in his career hes accomplished the feat.

Fast Facts

The Race: Camping World RV Rental 250
The Place: The Milwaukee Mile
The Date: Saturday, June 21
The Time: 8:30 p.m. ET
The Distance: 250 laps / 250 miles
Track Size: 1-mile oval
TV: ESPN2, 8 p.m. ET
2007 Winner: Aric Almirola
2007 Pole: Aric Almirola

2008 Standings

1Clint Bowyer 2,336
2Brad Keselowksi2,166
3David Reutimann2,161
4Carl Edwards 2,111
5Kyle Busch 2,093
6David Ragan 2,041
7Mike Bliss 2,041
8Mike Wallace1,944
9David Stremme 1,916
10Jason Leffler1,834

Schedule (Times localCT)
SaturdayPractice 9-10:15 a.m.; Final Practice 10:45 a.m.-Noon; Qualifying, 4:35 p.m.

After Open Week, Series Drivers And Teams Back To Racing At TMS
Going Long: Hall-Of-Famer Irvin Set For Ride With Keselowski
All NASCAR National Series Standings Leaders Entered In OReilly 300

Back In The Saddle: Series Returns To Action At Texas

Following the first open week of the season one that began with a test session at Richmond International Raceway NASCAR Nationwide Series drivers and teams are anxious to get back to racing this weekend at Texas Motor Speedway.

Since we last left the series after the first of two stops this year at Nashville Superspeedway, Clint Bowyer (No. 2 Camping World Chevrolet) claimed the driver standings lead, the first time in his NASCAR national series car hes been in the No. 1 position.

Five series regulars dot the top-10 rankingsled by fifth-place Mike Bliss (No. 1 Miccosukee Resort Chevrolet), who moved from Fitz Motorsports No. 22 Dodge to Phoenix Racing during the open week.
Brad Keselowski (No. 88 U.S. NAVY Chevrolet), who has posted back-to-back fourth-place finishes in his last two races, sits in sixth place, his career-best standing.

Kelly Bires (No. 47 Clorox Ford), Mike Wallace (No. 7 GEICO Toyota) and Jason Leffler No. 38 Great Clips Toyota) come to Texas eighth through 10th, respectively.

All have had success at Texas. Keselowski was sixth last fall, at the time his best career finish. Bires made his track debut there last November and was a respectable 19th. Bliss and Wallace hope to resurrect their stout NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series stats at Texas in NASCAR Nationwide Series competition.

Leffler won his first NASCAR national series pole at Texas in 2000 and has two top-10 finishes there.

Rookie Gale Helps Harvick, KHI Maintain Momentum

Kevin Harvick Inc. remains atop the NASCAR Nationwide Series owner standings and the teams main driver two-time series champion Kevin Harvick (No. 33 RoadLoans.com Chevrolet) returns to the track where he is the all-time series winner (four).

Harvick won this race in 2001 and has captured the last three fall races at Texas. Driving his own equipment for the first time in his career, hes on a hot streak having collected top fives on both intermediate tracks contested thus far this season.

Although Harvick didnt run at Nashville two weeks ago, KHIs owner standings lead remains solid thanks to the career-best run by 23-year-old rookie Cale Gale in the No. 33 car.

Gale finished eighth at Nashville, a result that gives KHI six top 10s in the seasons first seven races.

Gale is scheduled for 14 races this season 11 in the No. 33 and three in the teams second car, the No. 77 Chevrolet.

Threesome Returns To Lone Star State; Irvin Catches New Experience

Whether a NASCAR veteran or relative newcomer, a trip home is always welcome. Bobby Labonte (No. 21 Prilosec OTC Chevrolet), the 1991 series champion, is attempting to win his first NASCAR national series race at Texas in 20 tries (14 in NASCAR Sprint Cup, six in NASCAR Nationwide Series). Labonte is from Corpus Christi.

Brad Coleman (No. 27 Cottonelle Ford) is a Houston native and Robert Richardson Jr. (No. 4 Jay Robinson Racing Chevrolet) from McKinney each have one career series start at the track. Coleman was 16th in this race last year while Richardson was 32nd in the 2007 fall race. Richardson also has three NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series starts at Texas.

Colemans sponsor will distribute several thousand seat cushions at Texas and urge fans in the stands to participate in the Cottonelle brands Lap 100 stretch creating the motorsports version of the seventh-inning stretch as seen in baseball.

Prior to Thursdays practice, Brad Keselowski will drive former Dallas Cowboys star and Pro Football Hall-of-Famer Michael Irvin around the track.

The laps will mark the former wide receivers first experience in a race car, and fittingly enough, they will be inside the No. 88 the same number Irvin wore from 1988-99 while racking up 750 receptions for 11,904 yards and 65 touchdowns with the Cowboys.

In The Loop: Standings Leaders In Each National Series Vie For Texas Supremacy

The NASCAR Nationwide Series entry list at Texas features the defending series champion (Carl Edwards, No. 60 Scotts Watersmart Ford), the 2001 and 2006 series champion (Kevin Harvick) and the points leaders in all three of NASCARs national series (Jeff Burton, No. 29 Holiday Inn Chevrolet; Clint Bowyer and Kyle Busch, No. 18 DLP HDTV Toyota).

And each has excellent statistics at Texas in the series since 2005.

The best stats belong to Harvick, who owns a series-high Driver Rating of 121.3 at Texas. He also has highs in Average Running Position (5.4), Fastest Laps Run (99) and Laps in the Top 15 (951) among those in Saturdays field.

Also likely to run up front is Burton, the NASCAR Sprint Cup points leader. Hes finished inside the top 10 in each of 11 his series starts at Texas, owns a Driver Rating of 109.8, an Average Running Position of 6.3, 41 Fastest Laps Run and has spent 97.3% of the laps in the top 15, which is the highest percentage of any driver at Texas.

Edwards is always a threat at the intermediate tracks and Texas is no different. He has a Driver Rating of 94.1, an Average Running Position of 13.5, 39 Fastest Laps Run and has run 72.3% of the laps in the top 15. Edwards best finish there was third in 2005 and this race last season.

Bowyer also has solid stats at Texas, but hasnt padded the resume as well as some of the other favorites. The NASCAR Nationwide Series standings leader has a Driver Rating of 89.4, an Average Running Position of 12.2, 20 Fastest Laps Run and 74.6% of the laps run in the top 15. His best finish was fourth in the series last visit to Texas.

Busch, the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series points leader, has four top fives at Texas in six starts, but has yet to find Victory Lane. Since 2005, he has a Driver Rating of 103.4, an Average Running Position of 10.9, 68 Fastest Laps Run and 78.0% of the Laps in the Top 15.

NASCAR Nationwide Series Coverage Begins Friday

After a weekend off, the NASCAR Nationwide Series returns to action at Texas on ESPN2 beginning at 2:30 p.m. ET with NASCAR Countdown. The telecast is presented by Star Motorcycles.

Dr. Jerry Punch will be the lead announcer for ESPN2s coverage, joined in the booth for analysis by 1999 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Dale Jarrett, one of the founding drivers of the NASCAR Nationwide Series, and two-time NASCAR Sprint Cup champion crew chief Andy Petree.

This will be Jarretts first broadcast after his retirement from NASCAR racing (he plans to race once more at the NASCAR Spring All-Star Challenge). He finished his NASCAR Nationwide career with 330 starts, 11 wins and 14 poles.

Dave Burns, Jamie Little, Mike Massaro and Shannon Spake will report from the pits, while two-time NASCAR Sprint Cup champion crew chief Tim Brewer will be in the ESPN DISH Tech Center.

Allen Bestwick will host NASCAR Countdown with analysis by Jarrett and Brad Daugherty, a former winning team owner in the NASCAR Nationwide Series and NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, in the ESPN pit studio.

The race will be simulcast on ESPN360.com, ESPNs signature broadband sports network, and on ESPN Deportes, the domestic Spanish-language network. The event also will be simulcast on ESPN MobileTV.
ESPN2 is the home of the NASCAR Nationwide Series all season, with selected races on ESPN and ABC.

The Directors Take: Maneuvering Bumps Smoothest Way To Victory At TMS

They may not go bump in the night, but navigating Texas Motor Speedways signature bumps are one of the keys to handling at the 1.5-mile track.

Managing the bumps, especially in Turns 1 and 2 and getting the car rotating properly, come into play at Texas, said Joe Balash, NASCAR Nationwide Series director.

The way the car turns or rotates in the center of the corner there allows the car to be lined up basically, allowing the driver to get back in the throttle sooner. If teams arent able to work that out, the driver is looking more at the outside wall and has to put more wheel into it; or turn the car harder to make it handle properly.

Plan on a lot of passing, too. There are three grooves in play at Texas which will showcase plenty of passes during the race.

Texas Motor Speedway

Most Wins: Kevin Harvick (4)
Most Poles: Jeff Green (2)
Quick Fact: In 11 spring races and three fall events at Texas, there has yet to be a winner from the pole in NASCAR Nationwide Series competition.

NNS Etc.

With too much to do and too little time, many motorists are committing DWD Driving While Distracted. Nationwide Insurance has teamed up with its series drivers Kenny Wallace (No. 28 U.S. Border Patrol Chevrolet) and Brad Coleman to raise awareness among teens in Texas about the dangers of driving while distracted and what they can do to stay safe on the road.

On Wednesday at 4 p.m. at Southlake Carroll Senior High (1501 W. Southlake Blvd., Southlake, Texas), the drivers presentation will be supplemented by a contest with a NASCAR simulator to see how well the students do while texting behind the wheel.

The event is the first of a series. Similar events will be held in other communities during the 2008 NASCAR Nationwide Series season.

CJM Racing and driver Jason Keller, the series all-time starts leader (428 and counting), heads to Texas knowing their future is secure in the NASCAR Nationwide Series. Team owners Tony and Bryan Mullet announced this week that the team has secured primary sponsorship with Americas Incredible Pizza Company (AIPC) for its No. 11 Chevrolet through 2013.

Kasey Kahnes No. 9 Hellmanns Dodge will carry more than the driver at Texas. The hood of the car will also be emblazoned with the picture of NASCAR fan Ron Bernheim. The 67-year-old resident of Chatsworth, Calif., is the winner of the sponsors Real Fan of the Year promotion. He entered the sweepstakes online along with 355,000 other fans.

Raybestos Rookie of the Year Standings

Rank DriverPoints
1 Dario Franchitti 58
2 Bryan Clauson 52
3 Brian Keselowski 38
4 Cale Gale 34
5 Chase Miller 10
6 Landon Cassill 8

Results following Pepsi 300 at Nashville Superspeedway.

Bill France Performance Cup Standings

Chevrolet built its lead in the Bill France Performance Cup standings following Scott Wimmers win at Nashville. Chevy also leads in all-time series wins at Texas with seven but hasnt won this race since 2003. Ford (the defending race winner) and Dodge have split the last four wins in the spring race.

Up Next: Bashas Supermarkets 200 At PIR

Phoenix International Raceway is up next for the NASCAR Nationwide Series. The Bashas Supermarkets 200 will run under the lights at the 1-mile track on April 11.

Clint Bowyer is the defending race winner; Kyle Busch captured last years pole. Greg Biffle leads all drivers with two wins at PIR.

The Race: OReilly 300

The Place: Texas Motor Speedway

The Date: Saturday, April 5

The Time: 3 p.m. ET

The Distance: 300 miles/200 laps

TV: ESPN2, 2:30 p.m. ET

Track Size: 1.5 miles

2007 Winner: Matt Kenseth

2007 Pole: David Ragan

2008 Standings

1 Clint Bowyer 877
2 Carl Edwards 866
3 David Reutimann 806
4 David Ragan 771
5 Mike Bliss 757
6 Brad Keselowski 756
7 Kevin Harvick 751
8 Kelly Bires 708
9 Mike Wallace 706
10Jason Leffler 703

Schedule:

Thursday - Practice, 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m.; Final Practice, 1-2 p.m.; Qualifying, 6:05 p.m. (Impound).

Past Nationwide News...

KHI Finally Atop Driver And Owner Standings
Kelly Bires Starts The Season On The Right Foot
Mike Wallace Set For 300th Career Start

Model Organization: KHI Success Built From Ground Up

Kevin Harvick (No. 33 Road Loans Chevrolet) finds himself in a familiar place, in an unfamiliar situation.
Four races into the NASCAR Nationwide Series Harvick, a two-time series champion, is leading the standings. Only this time he is doing it for his own team Kevin Harvick Inc.

Harvick has long had success in the NASCAR Nationwide Series driving for Richard Childress Racing. The duo have accounted for 32 victories and two championships together over nine years.

This season, however, Harvick plans to run 22 races, all for KHI.

Im looking forward to the challenge of running my own cars and creating a little bit different challenge from all aspects, Harvick said. I know what its been like the last few years to be winning races and being competitive week-in and week-out and thats what we are shooting for.

This isnt the first time KHI is on top of the owners point standings. Tony Stewart drove the No. 33 Chevrolet to Victory Lane in the 2005 and 2006 season openers at Daytona. However, this is the
first time that Harvick sits in first as both driver and owner.

We are certainly very proud of where our Nationwide Series program is headed, said DeLana Harvick, Kevins wife and team co-owner. We have been very fortunate to have some veteran drivers to help us along the way, but ultimately we knew that making the step toward week-in and week-out consistency, we needed Kevin.

We took similar steps getting our Truck program up and running, and we feel like we have built a good foundation there, so our approach to our Nationwide program naturally would follow that model.

On The Right Track: Bires Shows Improvement In Year Two

One year ago, Kelly Bires (No. 47 Clorox Ford) was starting his NASCAR career in the Craftsman Truck Series under the tutelage of veteran Mark Martin. After just seven races, plans were accelerated as Bires was called upon to step into the NASCAR Nationwide Series No. 47 Ford for JTG Racing.

After a strong start, including a seventh-place finish in his second NASCAR Nationwide Series race, Bires cooled off. He finished inside the top 15 in only four of 19 starts.

The new season brought a fresh start and improved results. Bires has three finishes in the top 15 this year and is currently 10th in the standings.

Were competitive weve been bringing top-10 cars to the track every week, and we easily could have had four top-10 finishes, Bires said. Since we dont, thats what were continuing to shoot for. Its going to be a lot of fun Saturday.

Mike Joins Wallace Clan As Latest With Bristol Milestone

Bristol Motor Speedway has always heldspecial meaning for the Wallace family. Rusty Wallace retired with nine career NASCAR Sprint Cup Series wins at the track, his son Steve (No. 66 Jimmy John's Gourmet Sandwiches) earned his first career pole during last years Sharpie Mini 300 and youngest brother Kenny (No. 36 Shark Energy Drink Dodge) earned the fourth of nine career NASCAR Nationwide Series wins at Bristol in 1994.

While middle-brother Mike Wallace (No. 7 Geico Toyota) has yet to win at the track, he will make his 300th career start this weekend, becoming only the 12th driver in series history to hit that milestone.

Mike Wallace, who has four career victories, is appreciative of how his career has played out.

Its great to think that Ive been able to win races and have longevity that has brought me to this point, Wallace said. There arent that many drivers that make it this far in their driving careers, and Im excited to make my 300th start.

If it cant be Daytona, then its got to be Bristol, Wallace said about the track at which hell hit the 300-race mark. My brothers have both won at Bristol, and Id like to join that list.

In The Loop: Braun Duo Of Leffler/Busch Should Contend For Victory

Jason Leffler (No. 38 Great Clips Toyota) has to feel like Bristol Motor Speedway owes him one.

Leffler was strong the last time the NASCAR Nationwide Series visited Bristol Motor Speedway (August), finishing second with a car that looked like a winner.

His stats last race were tops in most categories Driver Rating (131.7), Average Running Position (4.3), Fastest Laps Run (55), Laps in the Top 15 (245) and Laps Led (81).

Another notable August achievement: Leffler never fell lower than 17th the entire race, which was also a race-best figure.

In other words, bet on Leffler who has an average Bristol Driver Rating of 87.1 to make a charge to the front this Saturday.

But if Leffler wants to take the checkered, hell have to contend with Kyle Busch (No. 32 Hass Avocados from Mexico Toyota), who is also driving a Braun Racing car. Busch, who has been Mr. Everywhere this season, needs only a NASCAR Nationwide Series win to complete the season cycle a win in all three series in the same season a feat hes accomplished the last three years.

It looks like Bristol might be the place to do it. Buschs series numbers are remarkable at the bruising short track. He won this race in 2006, and has finished in the top 10 in the last four Bristol races. In his last five Bristol races, Busch has a Driver Rating of 110.9, an Average Running Position of 10.1, 119 Fastest Laps Run, 174 Green Flag Passes and 109 Quality Passes (passes of cars in the top 15 under green). All those stats rank first in the series since the inception of Loop Data in 2005.

Whoever does win, expect them to overcome heated competition. Between Bristol races last season, the track was repaved and the resulting boost in passing was staggering. The August Bristol race saw 1,400 Green Flag Passes, compared to 470 in the spring Bristol race.

NASCAR Nationwide Series Sharpie Mini 300 To Air On ABC

The NASCAR Nationwide Series makes its first appearance of the 2008 season on ABC with a live, flag-to-flag airing of the 300-lap race from Bristol Motor Speedway Saturday, March 15, beginning at 2 p.m. ET with NASCAR Countdown. The Bristol telecast is presented by GoDaddy.com. ESPN2 is the home of the NASCAR Nationwide Series all season, with selected races on ESPN and ABC.

Dr. Jerry Punch will be the lead announcer for ESPN on ABCs coverage, joined in the booth for analysis by 1999 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Dale Jarrett, one of the founding drivers of the NASCAR Nationwide Series, and two-time NASCAR Sprint Cup champion crew chief Andy Petree. Dave Burns, Mike Massaro, Shannon Spake and Vince Welch will report from the pits, while two-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion crew chief Tim Brewer will be in the ESPN DISH Tech Center.

Allen Bestwick will host NASCAR Countdown with analysis by 1989 NASCAR Sprint Cup champion Rusty Wallace and Brad Daugherty, a former winning team owner in the NASCAR Nationwide Series and NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, in the ESPN pit studio.

The race re-airs on ESPN Deportes, ESPNs Spanish-language network, on Sunday, March 16, at 11 a.m. ET.

The Directors Take: Bristol Takes Racing Back To Basics

The first short track on the 2008 schedule doesnt provide for a lot of technology according to NASCAR Nationwide Series director Joe Balash.

Bristol is one of the most physically and mentally demanding tracks on the NASCAR Nationwide Series schedule, Balash said.On most of our larger tracks, drivers get a few seconds to wiggle their fingers before entering the next turn.But at Bristol, there is really never time to relax with 43 cars nose to tail.

Passing starts on the second or third lap of the race. The extreme banking and side force puts a lot of strain on the cars suspension as well. Aerodynamics isnt really in play here. Plain and simple, Bristol is just classic racing exactly what our series was built on.

Bristol Motor Speedway

Most Wins: Kevin Harvick, Morgan Shepherd (4)
Most Poles: Jason Keller, Morgan Shepherd (3)

NNS, Etc: Bristol Race Brings Out Former Champions

• Tale of Two Juniors Two-time series champion Martin Truex Jr. will drive the No. 5 National Guard Chevrolet for JR Motorsports on Saturday, the first time he is behind the wheel for his former boss since 2006. Truex won 12 races during his 2004 and 2005 championship seasons for owner Dale Earnhardt Jr.
  
  I'm really excited about driving Junior's Nationwide car at Bristol, Truex said. We were talking on the Internet at the beginning of the year, and he said he was looking for someone to drive his car in a couple of Nationwide races. I told him I'd do it, and he said, 'Are you kidding?' I told him I was being serious, but we didn't talk about it again for a while, and I had kind of forgotten about it. He brought it up again a couple of weeks ago and asked me if I was still interested, and I told him I was. It's going to be a lot of fun."
  
• Champions Playground Seven defending and former series champions representing seven victories dot the Bristol entry list this week. Defending driver champion Carl Edwards (No. 60 Scotts Ford) and Scott Wimmer, representing the 2007 owner champion No. 29 Holiday Inn Chevrolet of Richard Childress Racing are joined by Kevin Harvick (2001, 06); Martin Truex Jr. (2004-05); Greg Biffle (No. 16 Citifinancial Ford) (2002) and Bobby Labonte (No. 21 RCR Chevrolet) (1991), while Harvick and Johnny Sauter (No. 1 Miccosukee Indian Gaming & Resort Chevrolet) gave RCR the first driver owner championship split in series history in 2003.

Raybestos Rookie of the Year Standings

Rank Driver Points
1 Dario Franchitti47
2 Bryan Clauson 34
3 Brian Keselowski 28
4 Cale Gale 20

Results following Nicorette 300 at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

Bill France Performance Cup Standings

Matt Kenseths Atlanta win broke a 22-race winless streak for Ford. Stephen Leicht won the last race for the manufacturer at Kentucky Speedway in June 2007.

Up Next: Pepsi 300 at Nashville Superspeedway

The NASCAR Nationwide Series will be highlighted next weekend as the Pepsi 300 at Nashville Superspeedway is the only national series seeing action.

The race is the first of nine stand-alone events for the series. David Stremme (No. 64 Atreus Homes & Community Chevrolet) sat on the pole for last years event which was won by Carl Edwards, his third straight at the concrete track.

Driving With Blinders On: Coleman Excels At First-Time Tracks
Determined Burton Seeks Record Three Straight Atlanta Wins
Familiar Territory: Bires Has Experience, Success At Atlanta

In 17 starts last year, Brad Coleman collected a pole, three top fives and five top-10 finishes while running for Joe Gibbs Racing.

Pretty heady stuff for the teenager who also gained respect in the garage and praise from his team for his ability to hold his own in the NASCAR Nationwide Series.

But despite running for one of the top teams in NASCAR, his was only a part-time deal. He longed for a full-time opportunity and found it during the off-season with Baker-Curb Racing, formerly Brewco Motorsports.

After the first three races with his new team this season, the move seems to be the right one.

With decent results at Daytona and California, Coleman (No. 27 Cottonelle Ford) truly broke through at Las Vegas. After celebrating his 20th birthday on Feb. 26, Coleman posted his best finish of the young season (ninth) and for the first time in his series career, climbed into the top 10 in the rankings.

Through his first 22 career races, Coleman has had a knack for strong finishes at tracks hes never
seen before. Atlanta Motor Speedway will be another first-time drive for the Houston, Texas native.

His results at first-time tracks in 2007 were impressive. He was fourth in his first race at Milwaukee; he was ninth at Talladega (plus a pole); eighth at Montreal; fifth at Watkins Glen; 16th at Texas; 15th at Michigan and 17th at Bristol.

Its a challenge Ive learned to handle well, he said. You just have to go out there, be smart and find your groove.

Man On A Mission: Burton Seeks Third Consecutive Win At Atlanta

Its hard to figure how Jeff Burton (No. 29 Holiday Inn Chevrolet) would be seeking redemption when hes coming to Atlanta.

After all, hes won the last two races at the 1.54-mile track and is a strong favorite to become the first NASCAR Nationwide Series driver to win three straight there.

But he was forced to shut down last week at Las Vegas where he was also the defending race winner. He was in second place before an expired engine forced him to retire on Lap 157, his first DNF since 2006.

Needless to sayBurton, who along with Scott Wimmer, produced an owner championship last year for Richard Childressis primed for this one.

Obviously, Las Vegas was disappointing, he said. (We were) fast all weekend, but we had some things go wrong that were out of our control.

(But) I dont dwell on disappointment. I use it as an opportunity to learn and improve as a driver.

You Gotta Believe: Keselowski Grins And Bears It Through Unlucky Times

JR Motorsports recorded its first series victory when Mark Martin won at Las Vegas last Saturday. Seemingly a cause for celebration by the owner, two-time NASCAR Nationwide Series champion Dale Earnhardt Jr. (No. 5 National Guard Chevrolet) as the driver added to his all-time record for series wins (48).

But the celebration was fairly subdued. Arguably the most respected driver in NASCAR, Martin inadvertently caused an accident with three laps to go that took out contenders Carl Edwards (No. 60 Scotts Ford) and Martins teammate, Brad Keselowski (No. 88 U.S. NAVY Chevrolet).

Keselowski was in prime position to challenge for his first win, similar to his situation last summer in Memphis during a NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race.

There, Keselowski, subbing for a suspended Ted Musgrave, was seemingly in control of things when another late-race incident took him out of contention. But Keselowskis resolve remains firm.

Man, Carl and I ran each other hard, which is what youre supposed to do, he said. Thats what this series is about. Its about racing hard and going for wins. We were going for the win, both of us. I ran him hard, he ran me hard and (Martin) got in the back of him.

It is what it is, but were showing a lot of promise. Were about there. It was about the happiest I could be wrecking out of a race.

In The Loop: Bulls-Eye On Burton At Atlanta Motor Speedway

In each of the last two races, its been Jeff Burton in victory lane during the NASCAR Nationwide Series races at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

Hes made it look easy, too.

In the 2006 race, Burton racked up 75 laps led and had a comfy margin of victory of 1.419 seconds. Last season, he led 29 laps and came home 1.064 seconds ahead of then-teammate Kevin Harvick (No. 33 Camping World Chevrolet).

Burtons statistics have been phenomenal over the two wins. He has a Driver Rating of 133.7, an Average Running Position of 3.9, 51 Fastest Laps Run and has run 96% of the total laps in the 15.

So figure Burton to have a bulls eye on his bumper. Two other favorites looking to dethrone the 27-time series winner are Kasey Kahne (No. 9 Hellmanns Dodge) and Matt Kenseth (No. 17 Arbys Ford).

Kahne finished second to Burton in 2006 and has finished outside the top 10 only once in six Atlanta starts. In his three races since 2005, Kahne has a Driver Rating of 114.1, an Average Running Position of 5.2, a series-high 64 Fastest Laps Run and a series-high 580 Laps in the Top 15.

Kenseth, always dangerous on intermediate layouts such as Atlanta, won there in 2004 and has finished in the top 10 in each of the last five trips to the 1.54-mile track.

In the last three races, Kenseth has a Driver Rating of 114.4, an Average Running Position of 4.9, 48 Fastest Laps Run and 574 Laps in the top 15.

Also watch for NASCAR Nationwide Series regular Jason Leffler (No. 38 Great Clips Toyota) to make a play for the win. Though an accident ended his day after 62 laps last season, Leffler enjoyed a strong sixth-place run in 2006. In that race, Leffler earned a solid Driver Rating of 94.9.

David Stremme (No. 64 Atreus Homes & Communities Chevrolet), who had a fifth-place finish at Las Vegas last week, another track where he had strong Loop Data stats, could also be a factor. He has an Average Running Position of 15.4 at Atlanta since 2005.

NASCAR Nationwide Series Coverage At Atlanta

ESPN2 continues its season-long coverage of the NASCAR Nationwide Series Saturday at Atlanta Motor Speedway beginning at 1:30 p.m. ET with NASCAR Countdown.

Dr. Jerry Punch will be the lead announcer for ESPN2s coverage, joined in the booth for analysis by 1999 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Dale Jarrett, one of the founding drivers of the NASCAR Nationwide Series, and two-time NASCAR Sprint Cup champion crew chief Andy Petree.

Dave Burns, Jamie Little, Mike Massaro and Shannon Spake will report from the pits, while two-time NASCAR Sprint Cup champion crew chief Tim Brewer will be in the ESPN DISH Tech Center.

Allen Bestwick will host NASCAR Countdown with analysis by Jarrett and Brad Daugherty, a former winning team owner in the NASCAR Nationwide Series and NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, in the ESPN pit studio.

The race will be simulcast on ESPN360.com, ESPNs signature broadband sports network, and on ESPN Deportes, the domestic Spanish-language network. The event also will be simulcast on ESPN MobileTV.

ESPN2 is the home of the NASCAR Nationwide Series all season, with selected races on ESPN and ABC.

The Directors Take: Hitting Setups Critical At Atlanta Motor Speedway

Handling will be a critical component during our race at Atlanta, said Joe Balash, NASCAR Nationwide Series director of the series lone stop at the 1.54-mile track.

The way our mile-and-a-half tracks are configured allows teams to reach high speeds. Atlanta is truly one of those tracks where aerodynamics and the mechanical grip of coil binding come together. Teams have to figure out their setups to get the biggest advantage.

Theyll focus on balancing the handling of the car, working to make their cars grip and handle through the corners and carry higher corner entry speed so as to not push through the center.

Atlanta Motor Speedway

Most Wins: Mark Martin (3)
Most Poles: Kyle Busch, Mark Martin, Dick Trickle (2)
Quick Fact: Jeff Gordon won his first national series race at Atlanta in NASCAR Nationwide Series competition in 1992.

NNS Etc.

• Kelly Bires (No. 47 Clorox Ford), a former Wisconsin high school wrestling state champion, has a good grip on the start to his season. Competing in his first full year in the NASCAR Nationwide Series with JTG Racing,Bires, 23, has posted two top-15 finishes in the first three races.
  
  Consistency has been his key; according to Loop Data, nearly 80% of his laps last week at Las Vegas were in the top 15.
  
  Bires is not only coming off a stout performance but comes to a track where he has experience. He has raced at Atlanta twice in NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series competition, finishing 19th in 2006 in his national series debut and 10th last year before moving to the NASCAR Nationwide Series.
  
  
• The NASCAR Nationwide Series has its share of Georgia natives represented at their home track this weekend.
  
  David Ragan (No. 6 Discount Tire Ford - Unadilla) won the 2007 Raybestos Rookie of the Year award and is one of four drivers competing full time in the NASCAR Nationwide Series and in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. He began racing at the quarter-mile track at AMS when he was 12 years old.
  
  Jeffrey Roth, the front tire carrier for Kevin Harvicks No. 33 Chevrolet, is from Washington, Ga.
  
  Atreus Homes & Communities, sponsor of Rusty Wallace Racings Nos. 64 and 66 Chevrolets, is based in Atlanta as is Aarons Sales & Lease, sponsor of David Reutimanns No. 99 Toyota.

Raybestos Rookie of the Year Standings

Rank Driver Points
1Dario Franchitti 37
2 Bryan Clauson 25
3 Brian Keselowski20
4 Cale Gale 9