NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES

He’s A Contender:As the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series reaches its first off-week of the season, Dale Earnhardt Jr. is looking more like a Chase contender all the time. After starting the year with victories in two non-points events – the Budweiser Shootout and one of the Gatorade Duel qualifying races for the Daytona 500 – Earnhardt has posted three top-five finishes, one of only three drivers to do that in the season’s first five weeks. That is the sort of consistency that produces championships. Earnhardt finished fifth Sunday at Bristol; he’s fifth in the series points, the highest standing among Hendrick Motorsports drivers. Regarding The Top 35, The Bubble Has Burst:            Five races are in the books. That means the weekly guaranteed starting spots to the top 35 teams in car owner points are based on CURRENT standings.There are some surprises, regarding those on the outside looking in.Sam Hornish Jr., the former Indianapolis 500 and IndyCar Series champion driving the No. 77 Dodge for Roger Penske, has the 35th and final guaranteed spot going into Martinsville.Looking up at Hornish – and having to qualify on time at Martinsville:

• Jamie McMurray
• Dave Blaney
• Dario Franchitti
• Regan Smith
• Kyle Petty

Competitive Balance The Rule, Thus Far:            Chevrolet’s 2007 dominance has become a distant memory very quickly. Thus far, all four manufacturers have posted victories, with Chevrolet finally getting its first, Sunday at Bristol. In addition, Toyota posted its historic first victory in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series two weeks ago at Atlanta.            Furthermore, all four manufacturers are in the top 12 of the NSCS standings.  Here’s the breakdown:

• Chevrolet – 5
• Dodge – 3
• Ford – 2
• Toyota – 2

 Champions Lurking for Top 12 Position            Those just inside the top 12 might not want to get too comfortable. Six championships say they’ll be challenged. Jimmie Johnson, the two-time defending champion, and Jeff Gordon, a four-time series champ, sit 13th and 14th in the series standings. And you can bet the two Hendrick teammates are looking forward to Martinsville. Gordon has seven wins there and Johnson has four – including the last three.

60th Anniversary Season Coming To Martinsville, Which Was There At The StartThis season marks NASCAR’s 60th anniversary. Next week, the sport comes to the only track that was on the very first schedule back in 1948 – Martinsville Speedway, in Martinsville, Va. The Goody’s Cool Orange 500 on Sunday, March 30 will continue a tradition that started on July 4, 1948. That’s right. Martinsville, not Daytona, was the first race track to celebrate the Independence Day tradition.Martinsville then was on the inaugural schedule in 1949 for the Strictly Stock Series, the precursor to what is now known as the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.  NASCAR NATIONWIDE SERIES – NASHVILLE

Who’s got something for Edwards? Carl Edwards, the defending series champion has won three straight at Nashville Superspeedway and five of his 13 career wins have come on concrete. Clint Bowyer may be up to the task. Last week’s winner at Bristol, Bowyer has led more laps (286) than Edwards (247) at Nashville since 2005, has a higher Driver Rating (130.2 vs. 125.6) and has spent more Laps in the Top 15 (1083 vs. 1072). Bowyer also captured his first series win at Nashville. Hometown Kid Looking for WinHow much does a victory at a driver’s hometown track mean? Just ask Tony Stewart when he finally won at Indianapolis in 2005. Bobby Hamilton Jr. has that same longing when it comes to Nashville. A native of the Music City, Hamilton always has this race circled on his calendar and won’t be satisfied until he holds one of the most sought-after trophies in NASCAR aloft – a Gibson guitar custom-designed by Sam Bass. The closest he’s come is a runner-up finish in 2002. Regulars’, Youngsters’ Time to Shine?The first stand-alone event of the season, Nashville offers series regulars a prime opportunity to get into Victory Lane. It’s also a chance for up-and-coming drivers to gain experience. Landon Cassill, 18; Bryan Clauson, 18 and Colin Braun, 19 are in line for their season and track debuts. Chase Miller, 21, will make his season debut – he made his series debut at Nashville this past June. Braun, Coleman Look to Renew Winning Ways

Braun and 20-year-old Brad Coleman will meet for the first time in their NASCAR careers at Nashville but the two native Texans are very familiar with one another. In 2005, they set a world record as the youngest team in the Rolex 24 at Daytona when they posted a top 10 finish, seventh in the GT class. Both were 16 at the time. A good showing Saturday has added importance to Coleman, who competes full-time for Nashville-based Baker Curb Racing. Coleman made his series debut at Nashville in 2006.

 Shake Up Imminent?Only five races into the season, 2008 is already shaping up as an exciting championship battle. With standings leader Kevin Harvick sitting Nashville out, the door is wide open for a new leader. Clint Bowyer is 49 points behind Harvick in second, but Carl Edwards trails Bowyer by one point. In fact, Harvick’s cushion over Bowyer is the largest difference between one position and the next in the top 10 rankings. Eight of this week’s top 10 drivers are full-time series regulars.  NASCAR CRAFTSMAN TRUCK SERIES

BBM Looks Hunting for Owners’ Title             Billy Ballew Motorsports continues to chase NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series owners’ championship with Kyle Busch and other drivers. In 206 starts prior to the 2008 season, the team never has ranked higher than fifth in the points. All in the Family in the NCTS           The recent test at Martinsville Speedway brought out some new faces and “next generation” drivers including Chrissy Wallace, whose father, Mike, is a four-time NCTS winner and Adam Crawford, son of Rick Crawford, a veteran of 275 races and a Martinsville and Daytona winner. It again demonstrates the series is a good place to start in NASCAR national series competition and fits nicely with the 2008 twenty something invasion that has placed three drivers under the age of 30 among the current championship top 10. A Martinsville Homecoming           Martinsville is becoming a hub of NCTS activity with two teams (H-T Motorsports and Bobby Hamilton Racing VA) and a top engine builder (Joey Arrington) calling the southern Virginia city home. BHR VA’s Dennis Setzer, a two-time Martinsville Speedway winner, ranks ninth in current points while H-T’s Ted Musgrave, a former NCTS champion, is a single point out of the top 10. The activity has been brought a number of local residents into NASCAR including graduates of Patrick Henry Community College’s motorsports program, who have joined BHR VA in shop and over-the-wall capacities.

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Nashville’s Stand-Alone Event At No Loss For Excitement
Edwards, Bowyer Ready To Battle For Points Lead
Series Tests At Richmond March 24-25 To Begin Open Week

Prime Time Players: Series In The Spotlight At Nashville

The first stand-alone event of the NASCAR Nationwide Series season at Nashville Superspeedway has plenty of drama attached to it.

First and foremost, who’s got something for Carl Edwards (No. 60 Scotts Miracle Gro Ford), the reigning series champion who has three straight wins at Nashville?

Clint Bowyer (No. 2 BB&T Chevrolet) thinks he does. His win last week at Bristol Motor Speedway propelled him into second place in the standings. Bowyer won his first series race on the 1.333-mile track in 2005.

Two-time series champion Kevin Harvick isn’t racing this weekend, leaving the door wide open for a new leader. Bowyer’s ready to walk through but Edwards is only one point behind him in third.

In fact, Harvick’s 49-point cushion over Bowyer is the largest difference between one position and the next in this week’s top 10-rankings where eight of the 10 are full-time series regulars.

A spot in the top 10 isn’t out of the question for Nashville native Bobby Hamilton Jr. (No. 25 Smithfield Foods Ford). He’s only 30 points out of 10th as he heads to his home track.

But it’s a win at Nashville that drives Hamilton to circle this event on his calendar each year.

Just ask Tony Stewart about Indianapolis as far as what a home track win means. Hamilton feels the same about Nashville. He won’t be satisfied until he holds aloft one of the most sought-after trophies in NASCAR – a one-of-a-kind Gibson guitar custom-designed by Sam Bass. The closest Hamilton has come is a runner-up finish in 2002.

Opportunity Knocks At Nashville For Series Regulars, Up-And-Comers

The first stand-alone event of the season offers series regulars a prime opportunity to get into Victory Lane. It’s also a chance for up-and-comers to gain experience.

Landon Cassill (No. 5 National Guard Chevrolet), Bryan Clauson (No. 40 Fastenal Dodge) and Colin Braun (No. 16 CitiFinancial Ford) are in line for their season and track debuts. Chase Miller (No. 9 Valvoline Dodge) is set for his season debut – he made his series debut at Nashville last June.

Braun and Brad Coleman (No. 27 Cottonelle Ford) will meet for the first time in their NASCAR careers at Nashville, but the native Texans are familiar with one another.

In 2005, they set a world record as the youngest team in the Rolex 24 at Daytona (seventh in GT). Both were 16. A good showing has added importance to Coleman, who competes full-time for Nashville-based Baker Curb Racing. He also made his series debut at the track in 2006.

Strictly Speaking: Talking The Talk About Nashville Superspeedway

• Saturday’s Field Has Nashville Firsts

Along with Clint Bowyer, Jason Leffler (No. 38 Great Clips Toyota) earned his first series win at Nashville in 2004.

In addition to Chase Miller and Brad Coleman, Kelly Bires (No. 47 Clorox Ford), Cale Gale (No. 33 Camping World Chevrolet) and David Stremme (No. 64 Atreus Homes & Communities Chevrolet) also made their series debuts at Nashville.

• Cooper Brings Impressive Resume Home  

Nashville native Stewart Cooper joined Braun Racing late last season to lead Leffler, and the No. 38 Toyota team, in 2008.

Cooper’s career began at the Nashville Fairgrounds where he served as crew chief on Casey Atwood’s late model team and followed Atwood to the NASCAR Nationwide Series and Brewco Motorsports (now BakerCurb Racing) where he was promoted to crew chief in 2005.  

During his tenure, Cooper led his team to a total of eight wins, seven poles, 32 top-five and 79 top-10 finishes.

• Keselowski Prepping To Be “Guitar Man”

Thanks in part to the rainy weather the NASCAR Nationwide Series has experienced during the first few weeks of the season, Brad Keselowski and his No. 88 U.S. NAVY Chevrolet team have spent some time playing “Guitar Hero.”

Keselowski hopes to trade the video game experience for real-time strumming. If he wins the race and earns the Gibson guitar trophy,  the JR Motorsports driver says he’ll take on the challenge of learning to play a real guitar.

• Harmon Goes Country

Rising country music artist James Otto will be displayed on the hood of Mike Harmon’s No. 84 Chevrolet at Nashville. Otto is a member of “Muzik Mafia,” a group of Warner Bros. Records artists that include Big and Rich, Gretchen Wilson, Cowboy Troy, and John Anderson among others.

In The Loop: Stout Competition In Line To Halt Edwards’ Record Nashville Streak

Winner of three straight at Nashville Superspeedway, Carl Edwards is the runaway favorite in this Saturday’s Pepsi 300, right? Well, not exactly.

Statistically, Clint Bowyer is a notch better than Edwards at the 1.33-mile concrete track. Here’s the statistical tale-of-the-tape at Nashville since 2005:

Driver Rating: Bowyer edges Edwards, 130.2 to 125.6

Average Running Position: Bowyer beats Edwards, 3.9 to 5.1

Laps in the Top 15: Bowyer edges Edwards, 1,083 to 1,072.

Edwards does lead Bowyer in a key speed category – Fastest Laps Run. The defending series champion has 210 Fastest Laps Run in his five races at Nashville, compared to Bowyer’s 153.

Bowyer has one win at Nashville, the second race there in 2005 – a race Edwards did not run. Edwards has won three there, but only two when Bowyer was also running. His victory there last year was won without Bowyer in the field. He led a race-high 74 laps that event.

But other drivers have a chance of knocking Edwards off his pedestal. Scott Wimmer (No. 29 Holiday Inn Chevrolet) has a solid chance to win his first race since 2003. Wimmer, who has three consecutive top 10 finishes at Nashville, has a Driver Rating of 118.7, an Average Running Position of 4.5 and 72 Fastest Laps Run in his two races there since 2005.

Also watch for Nashville native Bobby Hamilton Jr. to have a strong showing. Last season, he racked up finishes of ninth and 13th, notching some solid stats in the process.

In the two races in 2007, Hamilton had a Driver Rating of 94.0, an Average Running Position of 8.9 and 447 Laps in the Top 15, which was all but three of the total laps.

Series regular Steve Wallace (No. 66 Atreus Homes & Communities Chevrolet) could also vie for his first win. In his four Nashville races – all top-15 finishes – Wallace has a Driver Rating of 85.1, an Average Running Position of 13.0 and 684 Laps in the Top 15 (76%).

NASCAR Nationwide Series Coverage At Nashville Superspeedway Begins Friday

The NASCAR Nationwide Series makes its first appearance of the season on ESPN with coverage from Nashville Saturday, March 22, beginning at 2 p.m. ET. 

The Nashville telecast is presented by Tractor Supply Company. ESPN2 is the home of the NASCAR Nationwide Series all season, with selected races on ESPN and ABC.

Allen Bestwick will host NASCAR Countdown with analysis by 1989 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series 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.

ESPN2 airs live coverage of Friday’s NASCAR Nationwide Series practice at Nashville at 2:30 p.m. ET, and taped coverage of final practice airs Saturday at 11 a.m. ET.

Marty Reid will be the lead announcer, joined in the booth for analysis by Wallace and two-time NASCAR Sprint Cup champion crew chief Andy Petree.

Jamie Little, 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.

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

The Director’s Take: Concrete Answer - It’s All About The Trophy

“Nashville provides a great opportunity for more rookies to showcase their talent and gives our second- and third-year drivers a great shot at a win,” said NASCAR Nationwide Series director Joe Balash of the season’s first stand-alone event.

The track surface and time of year will be factors on Saturday.

“Concrete tracks have a tendency to tighten a bit as they get rubbered in,” he said. “That makes it a little easier for drivers to turn the car because they don’t have to anticipate how much the track will change or ‘come to’ them.

“The concrete is less susceptible to temperature changes; asphalt gets greasy and slick when its hot. But not so with concrete tracks, especially in the early spring where the outdoor temperature varies so much.

“Racers race for different things. That guitar is important to people. The uniqueness of that trophy is important,” he said.

Nashville Superspeedway

Most Wins: Carl Edwards (3)
Most Poles: Martin Truex Jr. (2)
Quick Fact: If Edwards captures a fourth straight win at Nashville, he will become only the fourth driver in series history to accomplish that feat at one track.

NNS Etc.

• Phoenix Racing, Jay Robinson Racing and Rusty Wallace Racing have made driver changes that will be in effect at Nashville.

Tennessee’s own Sterling Marlin will be in the No. 1 Miccosukee Resort Chevrolet, replacing Johnny Sauter. David Stremme is now in the No. 64 Atreus Homes & Communities Chevrolet in place of Chase Austin and Kenny Wallace will move to the No. 28 U.S Border Patrol Chevrolet for the remainder of the season; Brian Keselowski had been manning that car.

• The NASCAR Nationwide Series has its first open week of the season next week but teams will be busy Monday and Tuesday as the third test of the year takes place at Richmond International Raceway March 24-25.

Press conferences featuring select drivers will be held both days—Monday from 5-5:45 p.m. and Tuesday from Noon-12:45 p.m. and 5-5:45 p.m.

The final schedule will be available this week on NASCARMedia.com. Media should contact RIR PR Director Aimee Turner (aturner@rir.com) for credential information. 

• Dollar General, sponsor of the No. 32 Toyota of Denny Hamlin, is a Nashville-based company and is assisting the area Red Cross and other corporations with fundraising to aid in relief efforts due to devestating tornadoes that hit the Nashville area and Middle Tennessee in early February. Dollar General pledged $100,000 towards the relief fund which was set to reach $500,000.

Raybestos Rookie of the Year Standings

Rank    Driver                   Points
1          Dario Franchitti       58
2          Bryan Clauson        43
3          Brian Keselowski    38
4          Cale Gale               20

Results following the Sharpie Mini 300 at Bristol Motor Speedway.

Bill France Performance Cup Standings

Chevrolet extended its lead on Toyota in the Bill France Performance Cup standings following Clint Bowyer’s win last week at Bristol.

Ford is the manufacturer to beat at Nashville, however, with four wins—three in a row.
 
Up Next: O’Reilly 300 At Texas Motor Speedway

Next week is the first open week of the season for the NASCAR Nationwide Series. Competition picks up again on Saturday, April 5 at Texas Motor Speedway.

Kevin Harvick is the all-time series winner at Texas with four victories. Matt Kenseth is the defending race winner.
 
The Race: Pepsi 300 presented  by Kroger

The Place: Nashville Superspeedway

The Date: Saturday, March 22

The Time: 3 p.m. ET

The Distance: 300 miles/225 laps

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

Track Size: 1.333 miles

2007 Winner: Carl Edwards

2007 Pole: David Stremme

              2008 Standings

1 Harvick         751
2 Bowyer         702
3 Edwards       701
4 Ragan          671
5 Reutimann    668
6 Bliss            627
7 M. Wallace   603
8 Keselowski   591
9 Leffler           579
10 Busch        568

Schedule:
Friday-Practice 1:30-3 p.m.;
Final Practice 4:30-5:30 p.m.
Saturday-Qualifying,  10:05 a.m. (Impound).

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On The Bubble: 2008 Top 35 Standings Now In Effect
RCR Riding Momentum Into Martinsville
Earnhardt Jr. The Leading Man At Hendrick Motorsports

The Top 35: Who’s In and Who’s Out?

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (March 18, 2008) – For the first five races of 2008, the top 35 teams in the final 2007 owner points were assured starting spots. Beginning with this season’s sixth race, March 30 at Martinsville Speedway, 2008 points determine the weekly top-35 guarantees. Teams outside the top 35 must qualify based on speed.

Heading to Martinsville, the coveted 35th spot belongs to the No. 77 Mobil 1 Dodge team owned by Roger Penske and driven by Sam Hornish Jr., who will make his first start at Martinsville next week.

Four points behind in 36th is the No. 26 Crown Royal Ford team owned by Geoff Smith, and driven by Jamie McMurray, who has six top-10 finishes in 10 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series starts at Martinsville.

Following McMurray in 37th is the No. 22 Caterpillar Toyota team owned by Bill Davis, and driven by Dave Blaney, making his 15th start at Martinsville next week with a best finish of 16th back in 2005.

David Reutimann, driver for the No. 44 UPS Toyota owned by Michael Waltrip, is facing a whole new set of challenges after racing the No. 00 to 26th place in the standings. Reutimann is taking over the No. 44 after veteran Dale Jarrett competed in his final NASCAR Sprint Cup Series points event at Bristol.  

Two rookie drivers are trying to move up: Dario Franchitti, driver of the No. 40 The Hartford Dodge owned by Felix Sabates, and Regan Smith, driver of the No. 01 Principal Financial Chevrolet owned by Teresa Earnhardt are 38th and 39th, respectively.

1-2-3 Bristol Finish Big Boost For Richard Childress Racing

Richard Childress Racing started off this season somewhat low-key, but that has changed, after the one-two-three finish that Jeff Burton (No. 31 AT&T Mobility Chevrolet), Kevin Harvick (No. 29 Shell/Pennzoil Chevrolet), and Clint Bowyer (No. 07 Jack Daniel’s Chevrolet) pulled off at Bristol, respectively.

While much of the talk this season has been about Kyle Busch (No. 18 M&M’s Toyota) and his big start, RCR has been collectively moving to the top of the point standings as the only NASCAR Sprint Cup team with all of its drivers in the top 12.

Harvick currently is third in the standings with two top fives and four top 10s. His best finish at Martinsville is seventh (twice) in 2003 and ‘06. Burton, coming off his win at Bristol, is fourth in the standings with two top fives and three top 10s. Burton won at Martinsville in 1997 driving for Jack Roush, and finished sixth there last April. Bowyer currently is ninth in the standings with one top five and two top-10 finishes. He finished 11th last spring at Martinsville.

In The Loop: Storylines Abundant

Parity has reigned in the first five races of this NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season.

The proof:

All four manufacturers have at least two cars in the top 12.

Only 96 points separate first-place Kyle Busch from fifth-place Dale Earnhardt Jr. (No. 88 National Guard/AMP Energy Chevrolet).

Six drivers have Driver Ratings above 100.0, and one other – Earnhardt – is one-tenth off at 99.9.

The parity in the series is just one story. A look at the Loop Data box score tells some other interesting tales.

For instance, there is a reason Jeff Gordon (No. 24 DuPont Chevrolet) hasn’t been his usually dominant self. The statistics show a huge dip in the way he closes out races this year. Gordon’s “Closer” number (the positions gained/lost in the last 10% of races) is last at -31. Last season he led the stat with a +78.

Furthermore: Gordon’s average starting position this season is 3.4. At mid-race, he’s averaging a sixth-place position. His average finish, though, takes a huge dive at 18.6.

But the stats show Gordon’s been better than his finishes – as his Driver Rating of 102.9 is fourth-best in the series.

The side of that scenario explains the huge comeback year Greg Biffle (No. 16 Jackson Hewitt Ford) is having. Biffle, improving throughout, averages a start of 13.0, a mid-race of 9.2 and a finish of 7.4.

Overall this season, Biffle has a Driver Rating of 102.1 (fifth-best), an Average Running Position of 9.5 (fourth) and 1,372 (88.6%) Laps in the Top 15 (second-best).

Another storyline: The speed Carl Edwards (No. 99 Office Depot Ford) has flashed this season. He has 213 Fastest Laps Run, by far the highest total in the series (second most is Kyle Busch at 125).

The statistical story of points leader Kyle Busch begs to be told. The stats show his tremendous passing ability this season – he’s first in Pass Differential (passes minus times passed) at 126. Busch is the only driver in triple-digits in the stat, and is far ahead of second-place Tony Stewart (No. 20 Home Depot Toyota) with 72.
  
Hendrick Motorsports: Earnhardt Leads The Way

Last season at this time, Hendrick Motorsports had set themselves apart by notching three wins and two poles; three of the four Hendrick drivers were sitting in the top six of the standings.

Much has changed —for now.

During 2007, Dale Earnhardt Jr. was one of the most coveted free agents in NASCAR history, and this season he is validating the hype. He is one of only four drivers to post four top-10 finishes in the first five races of the season. The only race he didn’t finish in the top 10 was California, due to an accident.

Earnhardt currently is fifth in the series standings — the highest-ranked Hendrick Motorsports driver. He continues to be consistent — a solid formula to follow, en route to making the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup.

NASCAR Loop Data statistics show Earnhardt is ranked near the top of several pre-race categories at Martinsville, including Driver Rating (95.8) and Average Running Position (11.897).

Earnhardt’s teammate Jimmie Johnson (No. 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet) has not had the start of the season he was hoping for, with one top-10 finish at California. Johnson is currently 13th in the standings, 14 points out of 12th place. Johnson is looking forward to Martinsville, having won four races there, the last three consecutively (fall 2006 and both in 2007).

The NASCAR Loop Data statistics show Johnson near the top of several pre-race categories at Martinsville, including Driver Rating (120.8), Average Running Position (7.348), and Laps in the Top 15 (86.2%).

Jeff Gordon has had both ups and downs this season with two top 10s and two DNFs. Last season at this time he was leading the standings, but this season he sits in 14th after an 11th-place finish at Bristol.

But don’t count Gordon out at Martinsville. He has the most wins of any active driver in the series with six, and the most poles with six. Pre-race NASCAR Loop Data Statistics show Gordon at the top of the Driver Rating category with (124.5). Gordon also is ranked second in the following categories: Average Running Position (7.272) and Laps in Top 15 (86.7%).

Casey Mears (No. 5 CARQUEST/Kellogg’s Chevrolet) is currently 33rd in driver and owner point standings. He finished 42nd in the spring and 20th in the fall at Martinsville in 2007.

Next week seems to bode well for a turnaround. At Martinsville, Hendrick drivers have won eight of the last 10 races.

Kyle Busch Can’t Stop Making It Look Easy

Kyle Busch will not be kicking back this weekend because he leads the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series standings, and the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series standings, but rather he will be competing in Nashville to improve upon his 10th-place position in the NASCAR Nationwide Series standings.

Busch has been red-hot since the start of the season with a win at Atlanta — the first for Toyota in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series — and three top-five finishes. Though Bristol didn’t yield the same result this season as last year, Busch did manage to finish 14th after racing back from an early race accident caused by a power steering failure.

Looking forward to Martinsville Speedway next weekend, Busch has posted three top-five and four top-10 finishes in six starts.

The NASCAR Pre-Race Loop Data statistics show Busch near the top of several categories, including Driver Rating (98.0), Average Running Position (10.91) and Laps in the Top 15 (80%).

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Etc.

8th In the No. 8: Aric Almirola (No. 8 U.S. Army Chevrolet) finished eighth at Bristol in his first start of the season in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. Almirola is scheduled to participate in 12 races this season for Dale Earnhardt Inc., sharing a ride with veteran Mark Martin. Currently the No. 8 team owned by Teresa Earnhardt is 16th in the owner standings.

Almirola finished 43rd last season at Martinsville after leaving the race early due to electrical problems. In 2006 Almirola raced at Martinsville in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series where he finished 18th in the spring race and 16th in the fall.

The Fun Never Ends: Six drivers in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series will spend their off-weekend in the NASCAR Nationwide Series, making their way to Nashville for the Pepsi 300.

Last year’s NASCAR Nationwide Series champion Carl Edwards will be accompanied by last year’s NASCAR Nationwide Series Raybestos Rookie of the Year David Ragan as the two Roush Fenway Racing and NASCAR Sprint Cup drivers participating this weekend. Edwards returns to Nashville after winning the last three races there.

Clint Bowyer will make the trip to Nashville for Richard Childress Racing in the No. 2 Chevrolet. Bowyer won the fall race at Nashville in 2005.

Denny Hamlin and Kyle Busch are the two NASCAR Sprint Cup drivers from Joe Gibbs Racing.

David Reutimann also will attend the event in Nashville for Michael Waltrip Racing.

2008 Rookie Standings: Another week in the books and the Raybestos Rookie of the Year standings are still tight as NASCAR Sprint Cup teams take the week off and prepare for Martinsville.

Dario Franchitti leads the rookie standings with 50 points, just one point over Sam Hornish Jr. and Regan Smith who are tied with 49.

Smith was the highest-finishing rookie at Bristol posting a 26th, after finishing 38th at Atlanta. Smith is the only rookie this season to have competed at Martinsville; he posted a 26th-place finish last April in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.

Hornish Jr. finished 26th at Atlanta and 29th at Bristol, but has never raced at Martinsville.

Patrick Carpentier (No. 10 Valvoline Dodge) sits third in the rookie standings with 21 points. Carpentier finished 35th at Atlanta, but due to qualifying being cancelled, did not start at Bristol. This will also be the first time Carpentier has competed at Martinsville.

2008 Manufacturers’ Standings: Competition amongst manufacturers is extremely close, with all four manufacturers represented in the top 12 of the driver standings, and all four manufacturers having won at least one race in the first five races of the season. Plus, for the first time in Bristol Motor Speedway history, 42 cars finished the race last Sunday, a clear testimony to the “new car” being used in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.

In the Manufacturers’ Standings, Ford and Chevrolet both have 31 points, but Ford has two wins to Chevrolet’s one. Chevrolet grabbed its first win of the season at Bristol and has the most wins by a manufacturer at Martinsville with 43.

Up Next: Goody’s Cool Orange 500 at Martinsville Speedway

The sixth race on the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series schedule will be Sun., March 30 at Martinsville Speedway.

Last year at Martinsville, Jimmie Johnson won his third consecutive race there, becoming the sixth driver to accomplish the feat. 

Jeff Gordon captured the Coors Light Pole last season and led the most laps with 164, but was unable to parlay his good starting position into a win.

The Next Race: Goody’s Cool Orange 500
The Place: Martinsville Speedway
The Date: Sunday, March 30
The Time: 2 p.m. (ET)
The Track: .526-mile oval
The Distance: 500 laps/263 miles
TV: FOX, 1:30 p.m. (ET)
Radio: MRN, SIRIUS Satellite Radio
2007 Winner: Jimmie Johnson
2007 Polesitter: Jeff Gordon

2008 Points
    Driver         Points
 1 Kyle Busch  782
 2 Biffle            752
 3 Harvick        749
 4 Burton         745
 5 Earnhardt     686
 6 Kahne          674
 7 Stewart        656
 8 Newman       635
 9 Bowyer         606
10 Kurt Busch   605
11 Kenseth       604
12 Truex           595
Pre-Race Schedule: Friday—Practice, 12-1:30 p.m.; Qualifying, 3:40 p.m. Saturday—Practice, 11:30 a.m.-12:15 p.m.; Final Practice, 12:50 -1:50 p.m.

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Martinsville Test Brings Confidence To Teams

The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series held their final NASCAR-scheduled test for the season last week at Martinsville Speedway. The test at the .526-mile oval is the only NASCAR-scheduled test done on a short track.

Two of the next four races on the series’ schedule will take place on short tracks beginning with a return to Martinsville on March 29.

Testing at the track also provided teams the opportunity to gather information beneficial for not only short tracks, but some of the flat tracks on the 25-race schedule.

Drivers and teams left the test satisfied with the results.

Veteran driver Terry Cook (No. 60 Wyler.com Toyota) is looking forward to coming back for the Kroger 250. Cook wrapped up testing with the fastest truck Thursday, posting best time and speed of 20.113 seconds/94.148 mph.

The driver and team believe they have found the right set-up to be competitive come race day. “Instead of coming back and racing for a top 10, I think we can come back and race for the win,” said Cook.

With all three of their trucks running fast, the Roush Fenway Racing camp is also confident  about returning to the speedway.

Erik Darnell, driver of the No. 99 Northern Tool + Equipment Ford, was pleased with the test and knows it was a productive two days.

“This test gave us a chance to try a lot of different things that will help our short track program all year,” he said.

“Matt (Puccia, crew chief) and the guys gave me a good truck which I think will be very competitive when we come back for the race,” he added.

Darnell, who brought home his first win at Kansas Speedway last April, is looking to add another victory to his record.

Next Generation Drivers Spotted At Testing

During Martinsville’s two-day test, some new faces were spotted in the garage. Among those newcomers were a couple drivers with familiar last names.

Chrissy Wallace, middle daughter of NASCAR Nationwide Series driver and four time NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series winner Mike Wallace, tested the No. 03 Toyota for Germain Racing. The driver, who started racing at the age of 12, is looking to take her success in late models to the next level.

“Once I turned 14 or 15, I became more serious about racing and realized last year that racing was what I wanted to do,” she said. “I want to come to  trucks because this is the next step.”

Adam Crawford, son of veteran driver Rick Crawford (No. 14 Power Stroke Diesel by International Ford), tested a Circle Bar Racing-prepared truck.

The younger Crawford found his way to the top of the speed charts. He closed out day two with the third-fastest truck, posting a fast lap time of 20.142 seconds – a time faster than dad, a former Martinsville race winner.

The series has a history of fathers racing sons occurring on 16 different occasions. In fact, the first race for the series at Martinsville in 1995 featured a father/son duo, Geoffrey and Barry Bodine.

The race, eventually rained out, was postponed to a Monday where the younger Bodine had to “skip” high school class to participate in the race. Father Geoffrey, who led the race until he was involved in a next-to-last lap tangle with Mike Skinner (No. 5 Toyota Tundra Toyota), finished 15th. Barry finished 30th.

Etc. & Quotable

• New Development … Key Motorsports has created a development program for Dustin Skinner, the youngest son of  former series champion Mike Skinner. 

  The main goal is testing and seat time with the hopes of fielding the 22-year-old driver in a possible six races in 2008.

  The younger Skinner tested recently at New Smyrna Speedway, the driver’s home track in Florida.

  What we had at the end of the test in terms of a race truck and how it drove was a really huge improvement from where we started,” he said of the test.

  No. 40 Chevrolet crew chief Gary Showalter was on hand during the two days of testing. “Dustin did a really great job,” he said.

  “You can see that he definitely has the talent  and his father’s no-fear driving style,” Showalter added. “We were genuinely impressed with his performance over the two days.”

  As for dad, he’s pretty happy with the deal. “Everyone at Key Motorsports really worked hard with Dustin to give him the education he needed, and he’s only going to get better,” he said.

  “And as the team gets more used to Dustin and his driving style and listens to his feedback, they then can give him what he needs to improve,” he added. “He (team owner Curtis Key) has some really experienced people that will be working with Dustin on this deal so I’m really pleased.”

• No “Off Weekend” … Colin Braun, driver of the No. 6 Conway Freight Ford for Roush Fenway Racing will head to Tennessee this week to join the NASCAR Nationwide Series.

  Braun, who has one start in the series, will race the No. 16 CitiFinancial Ford in the Pepsi 300 at Nashville Superspeedway on March 22.

  The trucks head to the superspeedway for the Toyota Tundra 250 on Aug. 9.

  The Volunteer State hosts three series races – most of any state.

In The Loop:

Kyle Busch’s stellar performance in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series has made afterthoughts of last year’s two front-runners, Mike Skinner and Ron Hornaday Jr.

The two champions dueled the entire season, and were the only drivers still mathematically eligible for the title going into the season-ending race at Homestead. Hornaday eventually took the crown.

But this year, the buzz surrounds Busch. Still, Skinner and Hornaday are within eyeshot of Busch and because the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series regular will race only a part-time schedule this season, will likely focus their energy on second-place Todd Bodine.

Statistically, both Skinner and Hornaday have fared well despite not being at the very top of the standings (although Hornaday is close, in third).

Hornaday has a season Driver Rating of 112.9 (third-best), an Average Running Position of 7.5 (third), 25 Fastest Laps Run (second) and 272 Laps in the Top 15 (fourth). He trails Bodine in all those categories, and by 50 points in the series standings. Hornaday is 122 points behind Busch.

Skinner has slowly crept up the standings after a 29th-place finish at Daytona. A third-place finish at Atlanta has Skinner in seventh place in the standings, 162 points behind Busch and 90 points behind Bodine.

In the three races this season, Skinner has a Driver Rating of 94.5 (fifth-best) and an Average Running Position of 14.1 (10th). 

This Week’s NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Leaders
(Through three races of the 25-race season)

• Points leader – Kyle Busch (555)
• Driver Rating – Kyle Busch (126.7)
• Winnings – Kyle Busch ($175,800)
• Laps led – Ron Hornaday Jr. (97)
• Victories – Kyle Busch (2)
• Keystone Light Poles – Erik Darnell and Ron Hornaday Jr. (1)
• Top-five finishes – Kyle Busch (3)
• Top-10 finishes – Kyle Busch and Todd Bodine (3)
• Raybestos Rookie Leader – Justin Marks (1 point over 2 drivers)
• Races led – Erik Darnell and Ron Hornaday Jr. (3)
• Weeks in Top 10 – Seven drivers with three

Rookies Make Most of Test

Raybestos Rookies who have held their own on the track so far this season made the most out of the two-day test at Martinsville. 

Colin Braun kept his Ford near the top, finishing the test with a best speed 95.041 mph, the third fastest on the track.

Braun feels the test was well worth it. “Our truck was fast both days and we had a lot of time to try different set-ups to see what worked best,” the rookie said.

“The guys worked really hard to get a lot accomplished that will help us tremendously when we go back for the race in two weeks,“ he added.

Donny Lia (No. 71 TRG Motorsports Chevrolet) ran right behind Braun. Lia consistently stayed on top of the speed charts for both days of the test.

Up Next:

The Kroger 250 is next on the schedule at Martinsville Speedway March 28–29. This will be the series’ first race of the season on a short track.

Mike Skinner, the series’ defending Kroger 250 winner in addition to winner of last October’s race, is gunning for an unprecedented “three-peat.”

Toyota Strong

Toyota remains on top three races into the 2008 season. With six wins, Chevrolet, however, holds the record for most wins by a manufacturer at Martinsville Speedway. 

2008 Manufacturers’ Championship Point Standings
Toyota      27
Chevrolet  15
Ford         14
Dodge      10

FAST FACTS

The Race: Kroger 250
The Place: Martinsville Speedway
The Date: March 29, 2008
The Time: 3:00 p.m. ET
Race Distance: 131.5 miles / 250 laps
TV: FOX, 3:00 p.m. ET
Track Layout: .526-Mile Oval
2007 Winner: Mike Skinner
2007Pole: Mike Skinner

2008 Standings:
Rank Driver               Points
1       Ky. Busch         555
2       T. Bodine          483
3       R. Hornaday Jr. 433
4       C. McCumbee   415
5       J. Benson         413
6       R. Crawford       411
7       M. Skinner        393
8       D. Starr            384
9       D. Setzer          383

Schedule: Friday: Practice, 11-11:50 a.m. and 1:45 p.m.-3:30 p.m.
Saturday: Qualifying, 10:10 a.m.

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Bristol Sprint Cup Series Food City 500 Official Results 

Bristol Nationwide Series Sharpie Mini 300 Official Results

60 Years Of NASCAR Has Included 47 Years Of Bristol Action

Bristol Motor Speedway On The Schedule Since 1961

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (March 13, 2008) – Bristol Motor Speedway, now a modern-day stock car coliseum, had modest beginnings, much like NASCAR itself. Through the years, the half-mile track has grown in size and stature, a development mirrored by the growth of stock car racing overall.

There have been 60 NASCAR seasons, 47 of which have included stops at Bristol Motor Speedway in Bristol, Tennessee. The relationship and benefits have been reciprocal. Undoubtedly, NASCAR’s history has been enriched by BMS’ short-tracks slugfests.

More than 160,000 fans will be stacked into the .533-mile oval on Sunday for the Food City 500, the fifth race of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season. On Aug. 23, all of those seats again will be filled for the Sharpie 500, a Saturday night flashbulb-popping spectacle.

It was a different scene on the afternoon of July 30, 1961, as 18,000 watched Jack Smith win the first race for NASCAR’s premier series at BMS, the Volunteer 500, with relief-driving help from Johnny Allen.
Fred Lorenzen was on the pole that day – and Bristol Motor Speedway was on the map.

And so the evolution began:

• Originally a half-mile, the oval was reconfigured into its present .533, with banking made steeper.
• In August 1978 the first night race was held on the oval.
• In January 1996, Speedway Motorsports Incorporated CEO Bruton Smith brought BMS from Larry Carrier. At that time, grandstand capacity had grown to 71,000. Smith of course envisioned bigger and better things to come. In time for that season’s night race, 15,000 more seats were added.
• Capacity went to 118,000 in 1997, 131,000 in 1998, 147,000 in 2000, approximately 160,000 in 2003.
• In March 2007, Bristol hosted the first race for the “new car” in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, with Kyle Busch winning.
• In August 2007, Bristol and its challenging banks (24-30 degrees in the turns) unveiled a newly repaved concrete surface.

History has been made routinely through the years. Darrell Waltrip and Cale Yarborough, both three-time NASCAR Sprint Cup champions, hold the top two all-time driver records at Bristol – Waltrip has the most wins (12), Yarborough the most poles (9).

Junior Johnson, the man who personifies history, holds the mark for most car owner victories – 21.

Waltrip won seven races in a row at Bristol from 1981-84. Yarborough took four straight and five of six between ’76-78. More recently, Kurt Busch took three consecutive in 2003-04.

History is on tap again for Sunday. Another great past champion, Dale Jarrett, will make his final start in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. Jarrett, the series titlist in 1999, has won at Bristol, taking the 1997 night race. His father, two-time series champion Ned Jarrett, will wave the green flag Sunday as the honorary starter.

“There is no better place [to finish] than Bristol because it’s the most special motorsports venue in the world as far as I’m concerned,” Dale Jarrett said this week. “I hopefully can go out on a good note on Sunday.”

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