Young series regulars making strides in 2008 with solid top-10 points ranking
Ambrose, No. 59 team, have to right the ship after crew chief Giles departs

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (March 25, 2008) – In this 60th anniversary season of NASCAR, short tracks like Richmond International Raceway are recognized as having laid the foundation for the sport.

Classic racing, beating and banging, no apologies … those are the words drivers use to describe competing at the .75-mile oval.

If it sounds old school, it is. 

But as the NASCAR Nationwide Series approaches its first open weekend of the season following its lone short-track test of the year at Richmond, there are fresh names popping up in the top 10 standings looking to add their own history to the series.

Kelly Bires (No. 47 Clorox Ford), 23, and Brad Keselowski (No. 88 U.S. Navy Chevrolet), 24, are two of the five series regulars who dot the top 10 rankings this week. Keselowski is a career-best sixth in the standings while Bires jumped from 11th to eighth. Both were among the top-five finishers at Nashville Superspeedway last Saturday.

Both drivers forged similar paths to this stage in their career. Keselowski was named to take over the No. 88 for JR Motorsports last July while Bires got the nod in the No. 47 JTG Racing entry last June.

Now, in their first full year in the NASCAR Nationwide Series, they’re able to build on the information gained during their partial season in 2007.

“Testing is really important for us to get working together and build chemistry with our team,” Keselowski said at a press conference prior to going on track Tuesday afternoon.

“I think if we can find a little more speed with our cars we have a shot at it (the series championship),” he said. “We need to get better at these types of tracks if we want to run with Clint (Bowyer – series points leader) and Carl (Edwards – defending series champion) to have a shot at the championship come November.”

 ”We’ve had a great start to the season,” Bires said. “Consistency has been there, which is really what you need. It’s a long season and if you’re consistent, the top 10s, the top fives and the wins are going to come with that.

“We’re here to try to gain as much information as we can for our short-track program. I ran one race here last year and struggled. That’s one of our big priorities this year, to improve on that program – and it’s starting here today and yesterday.”

NNS TESTING ETC.

Crew Chief Departure Leaves Ambrose Scrambling … The JTG Racing camp was expected to have one of its two teams challenging for a top-10 standing this year, but most figured it would be the No. 59 Kingsford Ford of Marcos Ambrose as opposed to the surprising start of his teammate Kelly Bires. Ambrose, who finished eighth in the 2007 final standings, comes to the open week 16th in the rankings and now has to search for a new crew chief in addition to finding more consistency.

Ambrose’s fellow Australian Walter Giles left the team after last Saturday’s event at Nashville. “(Giles) decided to part ways with us and that has put us on the back foot,” Ambrose said. “We’ve had a tough start to our year, and today it’s about Gary Cogswell, a crew chief who was working with us in the truck series in 2006. We’re just trying to learn each other again.”

Lone Short-Track Test Gets Thumbs Up From Balash … Cloudy and cold weather on Monday gave way to sunny skies and warmer temperatures on Tuesday for the two-day test at Richmond. The combination of the weather – dry after postponements of practice at some races to start the year – and information gained was a plus for the teams according to Joe Balash, NASCAR Nationwide Series director. “From a NASCAR perspective, we’re pleased to see the mix of drivers on top of the leader board,” he said.

“The teams have been working with busy schedules. Drivers have had to modify their driving styles based upon past experience at this track due to the new engine package. Overall, the teams have been happy with the amount of track time they’ve logged as well as the results.”

More than 30 drivers representing more than 20 teams participated in the two-day test and gathered notes for the remaining three short tracks on the 2008 series schedule. The .75-mile facility will host the NASCAR Nationwide Series 250 on May 2.

Pit Stops … Mid-way through Tuesday’s afternoon session, Bobby Hamilton Jr. (No. 25 Smithfield Foods Ford) topped the speed chart at Richmond with a fast lap of 21.733 seconds/124.733 mph. Reigning series champion Carl Edwards (No. 60 Scotts Ford) was the fastest of the two sessions on Monday topping the chart in the evening at 21.600 seconds/125.0 mph. Mike Wallace (No. 7 GEICO Toyota), posted a quick lap of 21.535 seconds/125.377 mph during the afternoon session on Monday. Log on to www.NASCARMedia.com  for all NASCAR Nationwide Series testing speeds from Richmond. Audio from testing press conferences as well as photos from the sessions may also be accessed at NASCAR’s media-only website.

Open Week Up Next … With this test behind them, NASCAR Nationwide Series teams look toward the first open week on the schedule this weekend. They’ll return to the track April 5 for the O’Reilly 300 at Texas Motor Speedway.

Fast Facts

What: NASCAR Nationwide Series testing at Richmond International Raceway.

Track Layout: .75-mile oval.

When: Monday, March 24 and Tuesday, March 25.

Times: 1-5 p.m.; 6-9 p.m. each day.

Who’s Scheduled: Kertus Davis, Clint Bowyer/Steven Leicht, Landon Cassill, David Ragan, Mike Wallace, Chase Miller, Sam Hornish, Jr., Matt Kenseth, Johnny Benson, Denny Hamlin, Bobby Labonte/Stephen Leicht, Mike Bliss, Eric McClure, Bobby Hamilton Jr., Brad Coleman, Scott Wimmer, Kyle Busch, Kevin Harvick/Cale Gale, Jason Leffler, Dario Franchitti,  Bryan Clauson, Kelly Bires, Marcos Ambrose, Carl Edwards, David Stremme, Steve Wallace, Brad Keselowski, David Reutimann, Jason Keller, Kevin Lepage, Mark Green, Morgan Shepherd, Jeff Green.

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Chrissy Wallace Ready For NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Debut
Skinner Bids For Record, Third Consecutive Win At Martinsville
Same Track, Different Seat For NASCAR Mod Champion Donny Lia

First Female Driver From Wallace Clan Debuts At Martinsville

Chrissy Wallace (No. 03 Toyota) hopes to follow her father Mike’s footsteps into NASCAR national series competition.

If she’s successful in qualifying for Saturday’s Kroger 250, both father and 19-year-old daughter will have made their debuts at Martinsville Speedway.

Mike Wallace, a four-time NASCAR Craftsman Truck winner, finished second in his maiden NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Martinsville on Oct. 28, 1990.

He’ll also spot for his daughter, who in 2007 became the first female driver to win a late model stock car race at historic Hickory (N.C.) Motor Speedway.

The younger Wallace would become the ninth female to compete in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series.

Rookies don’t always benefit from having top equipment. Not Chrissy, whose team has 14 wins and the 2006 championship with Todd Bodine (No. 30 Lumber Liquidators Toyota).

“Obviously, this is a big opportunity for me. I have to thank the Germains, Mike Hillman and Toyota for putting this deal together,” she said. “Our goal is to go out there and run a smart race and finish.” 

Her father is happy to be going along for the ride.

“When I got the call from Chrissy after the test, It was very nice. She just wanted to tell me ‘thank you,’” said Wallace. “She said everything I told her on the radio made her run faster and she said she realized I really did know what I was talking about.

“She asked me to spot for her. I don’t even need to say it, I’m sure, but yes, I’m very proud.”

Skinner Looks For Yet Another Record

Three have tried; none succeeded.

This week, Mike Skinner (No. 5 Toyota Tundra Toyota) looks for a way to win an elusive, third consecutive short track race at the same track.

Dennis Setzer (No. 18 Dodge) was the last before Skinner to score back-to-back victories at a short track. Setzer won at Martinsville in 2002-03 and came tantalizingly close to a third victory the following April, finishing second to Rick Crawford (No. 14 Power Stroke Diesel by International Ford).

Ron Hornaday Jr. (No. 33 VFW Chevrolet) had two shots at win No. 3 in 1998 and 1999, but failed both times to even crack the top 10.

Skinner has been in this position once before at O’Reilly Raceway Park at Indianapolis in 1997. A broken oil line at mid-race ended the streak.

Martinsville’s only three-time series winner, Skinner, isn’t getting ahead of himself.

“Well, the first thing we have to do is win,” said Skinner, who’ll be aboard the BDR Chassis 5-76 that carried him to both Martinsville wins in 2007.

“Our goal this weekend is to definitely win, but we will take what we can get,” he said. Skinner, ranked seventh in points following top 10s in California and Atlanta, adds it’s too early for an “all in” strategy.

“We’ve got to catch back up in the points and this would be a good weekend to do it,” Skinner said.

Consecutive Victories On NCTS Short Tracks
Driver                 Track            Years
Mike Skinner       Martinsville     2007
Dennis Setzer      Martinsville     2002-03
Ron Hornaday Jr. Bristol            1997-98
Tony Raines        I-70                1997-98*
Ron Hornaday Jr. Louisville        1996-97
Mike Skinner       Mesa Marin    1995-96*
Mike Skinner       Indianapolis    1995-96
* Did Not Compete In Following Season’s Event

A Different Kind Of Martinsville For NASCAR Whelen Modified Champion Lia

Donny Lia (No. 71 TRG Chevrolet) seemingly has an advantage this week over his Raybestos Rookie of the Year classmates.

Lia has won at Martinsville Speedway  before.

The question is whether winning last September’s NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour race provides Lia with insights beyond knowing the location of Victory Lane.

The New York native, following two days of testing at Martinsville last week, isn’t sure driving a 3,400-pound truck will be markedly different from guiding his lighter modified around the track’s paperclip layout.

“It was surprising to me just how hard you drive the trucks into the corners, pretty much as hard and deep as I would drive a modified there,” said Lia, the modified tour’s 2007 champion. “However, you do tend to pick the throttle up a little bit later in the corner and smoother than you would a modified.”

What’s more familiar about Martinsville is how the track fits Lia’s eye. He’s been there many times – just not at Martinsville, Va.

“It is a lot like the track I cut my teeth at, Riverhead Raceway in (Long Island) New York, just bigger,” he said. “So it is like going home for me.”

Lia and his fellow Raybestos Rookie of the Year candidates obviously benefited from testing – something that hasn’t previously happened.

“We learned a lot about our truck and were very competitive,” said Lia, who posted third, fourth and seventh-fastest speeds during three of the test’s four sessions.

His speed topped out at 94.941 mph, slightly more than a tenth-of-a-second slower than Jack Sprague’s (No. 2 American Commercial Lines Chevrolet) top speed of 95.675.

Lia, who got a late start and has ground to make up in the rookie derby, thinks the Kroger 250 is a great opportunity to score points.

“If we can qualify in the top 10 and play the strategy game just right, I think we have a shot to win this race,” he said.

Etc. and Quotable

• Six Winners In Kroger 250 Field … Six drivers with a combined nine of the track’s 18 wins will compete in Saturday’s race. They include Skinner, Setzer, Sprague, Crawford, David Starr (No. 11 Red Horse Racing Toyota) and Jon Wood (No. 21 Barnhill Ford).

• ACS Relay Noted … Wood’s truck will carry the logo of the American Cancer Society on behalf of his mother, Carol Wood, participating in the May 17 Relay for Life being held in Stuart, Va.

• VFW To Ride With Hornaday … The Kroger 250 marks the first of four races the No. 33 VFW Chevrolet of Ron Hornaday Jr. will honor the Veterans of Foreign Wars. His crew has been wearing “Support Our Troops” wristbands.

  “You have to be tough. You can’t let guys punt you around because if you do that, they will take advantage of you all day long.” – Brian Scott, No. 16 Shark Energy Drink/Albertsons Chevrolet, 16th in his 2007 Martinsville Speedway debut.

  “Martinsville is just one of those old-school places. It is good, old hard-nosed short track racing. Martinsville is a place where you can beat, bang, root and gouge and it is acceptable.” –  Jack Sprague, who has a win among seven finishes of third or better and third-best Driver Rating of 107.7.

• Schrader Returns … Ken Schrader will run his own No. 52 for the first time since 2005. The Federated Auto Parts Toyota finished second at Texas Motor Speedway in June 2007 driven by Skinner.

Rookies At Martinsville: 0-For-18

The list of Martinsville winners is a NASCAR Hall of Fame-worthy roster and includes Jimmy Hensley, the late Bobby Hamilton and Bobby Labonte.

Conspicuously absent is any Raybestos Rookie of the Year candidate.

Yet it would be wrong to suggest it can’t happen in 2008 because a rookie nearly broke through on three previous occasions.

Travis Kvapil finished second in 2001; likewise Carl Edwards in 2003 and Todd Kluever in 2005.

The trio shares one common distinction. Each won Raybestos Rookie of the Year honors.

So while the .526-mile layout hasn’t produced any freshman winners, Martinsville Speedway definitely identifies the best in class.

A top five or top-10 finish under the circumstances will go a long way toward establishing a favorite in this year’s rookie competition.

Raybestos Rookie of the Year Point Standings After 3 Races
Justin Marks      30
Phillip McGilton  29
Brian Scott         29
Colin Braun        24
Marc Mitchell     22
Andy Lally         22
Donny Lia          15

Up Next:

Erik Darnell (No. 99 Northern Tool + Equipment Ford) will defend his 2007 Kansas Speedway victory on April 26 .

The O’Reilly Auto Parts 250 will be the eighth held at the 1.5-mile facility in Kansas City, Kan.

This is a track where young drivers have made a huge impact. Four of Kansas Speedway’s previous seven winners were under the age of 25: Darnell, Wood, Carl Edwards and the late Ricky Hendrick.

In The Loop:

The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series regulars make it known they hold their own quite nicely against the double-duty drivers when racing at Martinsville Speedway. The regulars are the clear class at Martinsville, often trumping the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series regulars. It should be interesting to see if the trend continues this Saturday.

The NASCAR Sprint Cup regulars in the field: Kyle Busch (No. 51 Toyota), Denny Hamlin (No. 15 Toyota) and Schrader. And all three have had struggles in the NASCAR Craftsman Trucks at Martinsville.

In two starts there, Hamlin has finishes of eighth (October 2006) and 19th (October 2007). In the two starts combined, he has an Average Running Position of 11.6, a Driver Rating of 90.0, 76.8 percent of the laps in the top 15 and seven Fastest Laps Run. His stats are solid, but not near the top of the charts.

The same can be said for Busch. In three Martinsville starts, he’s finished fifth (October 2005), sixth (October 2006) and 31st (October 2007). In the three races, Busch has an Average Running Position of 10.6, a Driver Rating of 95.5, 81.0 percent of the laps in the top 15 and 19 Fastest Laps Run. Again, solid, but un-Busch like. Schrader, though failing to crack the top 10 in any of his last five Martinsville races, has been consistent over the last three. Since 2005, Schrader has a Driver Rating of 78.5 and an Average Running Position of 15.6. His last three finishes were 14th (April, 2005), 11th (October 2005) and 13th (March 2007). Schrader’s best Martinsville finish – eighth in October 2004 – is the Missourian’s only top 10.

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, Ron Hornaday Jr. (1)
• Top-five finishes – Kyle Busch (3)
• Top-10 finishes – Kyle Busch, Todd Bodine (3)
• Raybestos Rookie Leader – Brian Scott (1 point over 3 drivers)
• Races led – Erik Darnell, Ron Hornaday Jr. (18)
• Weeks in Top 10 – Seven drivers (3)

Director’s Take: Wayne’s Words

Fans love Martinsville Speedway for a number of reasons, not the least of which is the bumper-to-bumper, fender-to-fender rubbing  that makes for some of the most exciting races of the season.

And the competitors enjoy the racing as well. Aerodynamics isn’t an issue; it’s all about driving the truck.

That’s easier said than done – especially with 36 trucks on a tight track.

Drivers who can make his or her truck roll through the turns, stay off the curb and keep the brakes working from start to finish are going to have a very good chance of winning at Martinsville.

That said, it’s not all in the driver’s hands. The crew chief is very much a part of the equation from the time the truck is unloaded through the running of the race.

Strategy plays a big part in winning at any NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series short track race, but especially at Martinsville. Having the right setup is one thing. A crew chief also has to know when to call the driver to pit road to protect or gain track position.

That may not be quite as easy to call as in the past. There may be additional stops required due to the smaller, 17.75-gallon fuel cell that should shorten the fuel window.

Our teams had a great, two-day test last week to acquaint themselves with our 2008 engine package requiring a tapered spacer mounted between carburetor and intake manifold. The Kroger 250 marks its introduction to short track racing where a power reduction (around 70 horsepower) should help competitors with wheel spin and allow them to drive off the corners earlier and quicker. – Wayne Auton, NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Director

Martinsville Becoming NASCAR Hub

It’s not yet Charlotte, N.C., but with two teams, a top engine builder and a junior college motorsports program, Martinsville, Va., is becoming a hub of NASCAR in southern Virginia.

Jim Harris’ HT Motorsports and Joey Arrington Engines set up shop near Martinsville Speedway several years back. Bobby Hamilton Racing  VA relocated from the Nashville area a few months ago.

Patrick Henry Community College has sent several students to BHR VA including Darin Goins, tire specialist for Stacy Compton (No. 4 Dodge Dealers Dodge); John Sowder, a general mechanic and tire carrier in training and Chad Martin, tire specialist on the No. 18 Dodge of Dennis Setzer.

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

Did You Know?

NASCAR is celebrating its 60th anniversary in 2008 but Martinsville Speedway’s first race pre-dated the organization by a year.

Martinsville is one of four tracks to host a NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series in all 14 seasons beginning in 1995.

FAST FACTS

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

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
10      P. McGilton      376

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

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Nationwide Series Nashville Superspeedway Unofficial Results 

Special to Sporting News NASCAR Wire Service

LEBANON, Tenn. (March 22, 2008) – Kyle Busch’s loss was Scott Wimmer’s gain.

Busch dominated Saturday’s Pepsi 300 at Nashville Superspeedway but lost control of his No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota off Turn 4 after leading 125 of the first 162 laps.

That handed the lead to Richard Childress Racing’s Clint Bowyer, but RCR teammate Wimmer passed Bowyer for the lead with 20 laps to go to notch his first win in nearly five years.

Wimmer is also the first non-NASCAR Sprint Cup driver to win a NASCAR Nationwide Series race this season and the first since Jason Leffler won at O’Reilly Raceway Park last July.

“Stepping down and running a partial schedule in the Nationwide Series is not what I want to be doing, but those are the cards that are dealt to me right now,” Wimmer said. “I’m with a great team with Richard
Childress Racing and have great teammates. You can struggle in a single-car operation or a lower-budget team, but that’s not where any driver wants to be.

“I’m just trying to do the best I can for Richard right now, and hopefully, it’ll fall that someday I can get back to racing Nationwide full time or Sprint Cup full time. But right now, I’m having a good time.”

RCR has won the last two Nationwide Series races and swept the top three positions in last weekend’s NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Bristol Motor Speedway. Bowyer finished second Saturday, with the third RCR driver, Stephen Leicht, finishing 12th.

Wimmer, who helped RCR’s No. 29 Chevrolet team to the owners championship last year, was winless in his last 57 races in the series and last scored a win in the series July 26, 2003 at Pikes Peak International Raceway.

Behind Wimmer and Bowyer were Carl Edwards in third, Brad Keselowski in fourth and Kelly Bires in fifth.

Sixth through 10th were David Stremme, Denny Hamlin, Cale Gale, David Reutimann and Nashville native Bobby Hamilton Jr.

Reutimann was running third when he had to pit for fuel with eight laps remaining. Wimmer, too, was close on gas, as his engine sputtered while he did celebratory burnouts.

“Extremely close,” Wimmer’s crew chief, Pat Smith, said. “We knew when that last caution came out, immediately when we went back [to green], I told Scott to start saving fuel then because I knew there was a chance [we were going to run out]. We were three laps short.”

Busch led the first 61 laps after winning the pole by more than two-tenths of a second earlier in the day.

He lost the lead in the pits, with Bowyer’s crew getting the No. 2 out first on Lap 62. Busch whipped into the lead two laps after the green flag waved, but Bowyer stayed with Busch and then passed him for the top spot on Lap 66.

Bowyer’s Chevrolet was able to stay out front for 29 laps before Busch’s car ran him back down, and he retook the lead on Lap 100.

Busch has now led 345 laps this season, yet is still without a victory.

“Just a stupid mistake on the driver’s part,” Busch said as he headed to his hauler.

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Guest Column By Cathy Elliott Note: Media outlets may use this column in their publications, free of charge.

It gets a little upsetting at times, when one of NASCAR’s rare “off” weekends rolls around, to hear the inevitable lament, “Aw, man, there’s no race this weekend.”

Let’s correct that statement right off the bat, because it is inaccurate. The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series does not compete every week, it is true, but even when the nation’s premier racing series is enjoying a couple of rare and well-deserved days off, there is plenty of action for fans to enjoy, and some serious stargazing to be done.

Every off weekend for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series in 2008, beginning with Easter weekend in March and ending in mid-July, features a NASCAR Nationwide Series race.

The Nationwide Series, often described as “NASCAR’s Triple-A,” is at its core a proving ground for drivers looking to move up to the top tier of racing.

In NASCAR, of course, this lofty height is the Sprint Cup Series. In baseball, it is the major leagues, described by Kevin Costner’s Crash Davis character in the movie “Bull Durham” as “the show”. (”Bull Durham” generated renewed national interest in and enthusiasm for minor league baseball when it was released in 1988, and is considered one of the best sports movies of all time.)

“You know, you never handle your luggage in the show; somebody else carries your bags … You hit white balls for batting practice, the ballparks are like cathedrals, the hotels all have room service …” says Davis to one of his Durham Bulls teammates.

I’ll admit that does sound a lot like the Sprint Cup Series. The finest equipment is always in use; the venues are some of the largest and grandest in all of sports. And I have personally never seen Jeff Gordon schlepping his suitcase up the stairway at any Speedway Slumberland location, although I’m not saying he wouldn’t be willing to do that, if the need ever arose. Which is unlikely.

But America’s second-most popular form of motorsports, despite slightly different equipment and smaller paychecks, isn’t necessarily second best in the eyes of fans. Many actually prefer it to Cup racing, and the “minor league” reference carries some credence.

A large percentage of people in the US have attended baseball games at both major and minor league parks. The fields look the same. The concession stands post the same laminated Soft drinks-Hot dogs-Peanuts-Pretzels-Popcorn-and-Beer menus. Fans proudly wear the jerseys of their favorite players.

There is a difference, though. The atmosphere at a stadium like Wrigley Field or Camden Yards is more formal, somehow. The organ music seems to swell more loudly. The grass looks, and smells, greener. The players, with last names like Jeter, Pujols and Smoltz, appear larger than life.

At minor league parks, things tend to be more laid-back. There may be some wacky promotions going on – in “Bull Durham,” it was “Hit Cow, Win Steak” – or a fly ball chasing dog in the outfield. There are occasional star-sightings, usually players from the big leagues trying to recover from an injury, or from a slump, but for the most part, it’s a very casual environment.

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series events are definitely the majors. A fan could get whiplash just trying to take it all in, from the Clydesdales over here to a live concert performance over there to a movie star grand marshal whizzing past in a golf cart on the other side of the fence. All this before the drivers are even introduced and a period of high-speed competition lasting longer than some Vegas marriages begins.

At a NASCAR Nationwide Series event, the races (and the television broadcasts) are shorter, and therefore produce longer periods of intense action.

An early mistake in a 500-mile event can sometimes be overcome, but in a shorter event competitors must race their hardest from green flag to checkered, and the margin for error is much slimmer.

Five hundred mile races can last four or more hours, but Nationwide Series events run about half that long. They are perfect for families with small children, who bring short attention spans to the track along with their sippy cups.

Then there are the players. Many of the two series’ competitors don’t just appear to be identical; they really are.

Since the early days of the NASCAR Nationwide Series, many NASCAR Sprint Cup drivers have used their days off to compete there, for a number of different reasons – to gain more “seat time”, for example, or to familiarize themselves with a particular track. Some just want to race. It is their hobby as well as their job.

In recent years, those claiming that NASCAR Sprint Cup drivers racing in the NASCAR Nationwide Series take opportunities away from the series regulars, who are often younger and less experienced, have criticized this practice. While there may be some validity in this view, the fact remains that the premier series’ superstars do attract large crowds and generate a tremendous amount of fan interest, ultimately drawing more attention to the lesser-known series and making more money for the venues.

This is not specific to NASCAR, by any means. If you don’t believe it, ask the manager of the Birmingham Barons how game attendance was affected when a former basketball player by the name of Michael Jordan decided to try his hand at minor league baseball for a season or two. Then ask the manager if he considered that a bad thing. When he picks himself up off the floor and finally stops laughing, I’m thinking he’ll tell you he liked it. A lot.

As Tom Hanks once stated so succinctly on the silver screen, “There’s no crying in baseball”. (Okay, different movie, but it’s still a cool line.)

The same applies to NASCAR. Let’s not bemoan the absence of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series during its breaks – it always comes back – and settle in for a wild ride with the NASCAR Nationwide Series, during “on” weekends as well as “off” ones.

In NASCAR, there is no such thing as an “off” weekend.

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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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