Title: Arizona Travel 200 at Phoenix Post by: Darnell99Fan on November 06, 2007, 04:18:19 pm ~Race2Win
Arizona.Travel 200 - Weekend Schedule FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 9TH 11:00 AM NBS QUALIFYING ORDER DRAWING 12:00 PM - 1:20 PM NBS PRACTICE 1 3:05 PM - 3:30 PM NBS ROOKIE PRACTICE 3:35 PM - 4:35 PM NBS FINAL PRACTICE (ONE HOUR, TIME PERMITTING) SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 20TH 12:05 PM NBS QUALIFYING (TWO LAPS, ALL POSITIONS) IMPOUND 4:00 PM NBS DRIVER INTRODUCTIONS 4:30 PM NBS RACE (200 LAPS, 200 MILES) Title: Re: Arizona Travel 200 at Phoenix Post by: Darnell99Fan on November 06, 2007, 04:20:07 pm ~Race2Win
Arizona.Travel 200 - Raybestos Rookie Notes NEWS AND NOTES FROM THE RAYBESTOS® ROOKIE CONTENDERS – NASCAR BUSCH SERIES Brad Keselowski was the Raybestos® Rookie of the Race in the November 3 O’Reilly Challenge at Texas Motor Speedway. Keselowski scored a sixth-place finish, his best in 32 NASCAR Busch Series races. He collected his second consecutive top-10 finish and fifth of the 2007 season. Keselowski grabbed top Raybestos Rookie honors for the fifth time in 25 races. David Ragan leads Marcos Ambrose by 31 points (233-202) in the Raybestos® Rookie standings entering the November 10 ARIZONA.TRAVEL 200 at Phoenix (Ariz.) International Raceway. THE STREAK CONTINUES: At least two Raybestos® Rookies have been in the top-10 in the NASCAR Busch Series championship standings for 18 consecutive races, dating back to Kentucky (race No. 16). Ragan is fifth in the Busch Series championship standings, best of any Raybestos® Rookie. He is 137 points behind fourth-place Kevin Harvick and 142 ahead of sixth-place Bobby Hamilton Jr. Ambrose is ninth in the standings, 31 points behind eighth-place Greg Biffle and 37 ahead of 10th-place Mike Wallace. Ambrose has captured WIX Filters Lap Leader of the Race honors twice this season: Montreal (race No. 23) and Las Vegas (race No. 4). Other Raybestos® Rookies to capture the honor: Brad Coleman (Talladega and Kentucky, race No. 16) and Juan Pablo Montoya (Mexico City, race No. 3). DID YOU KNOW? TWO Raybestos® Rookies have won pole positions this season: David Ragan at Texas (race No. 8) and Brad Coleman at Talladega. Todd Kluever was the Raybestos® Rookie of the Race in the 2006 ARIZONA.TRAVEL 200 at Phoenix, scoring an 18th-place finish. DID YOU KNOW? In 11 NASCAR Busch Series races at Phoenix, Greg Biffle and Carl Edwards are the only Raybestos® Rookies to win. Biffle edged Jeff Green and Kevin Harvick to win the 2001 race, an event that ended under caution. THREE Raybestos® Rookies have led the most laps in 11 previous Busch races at Phoenix: 2001: Greg Biffle (twice for 112 laps) 2004: Kyle Busch (four times for 151 laps) 2005: Carl Edwards (twice for 103 laps) 2006: Stephen Leicht (once for eight laps) THREE Raybestos® Rookies have won pole positions in Busch Series competition at Phoenix: 2000: Jason Leffler 2004: Kyle Busch 2005: Carl Edwards DID YOU KNOW? Only once in the eight previous fall races have TWO Raybestos® Rookies finished in the top-five at Phoenix. In 2000, Jason Leffler placed second while Ron Hornaday grabbed a fifth place finish. Top-five finishes by Raybestos® Rookies in fall race at Phoenix: 2000: Jason Leffler, second 2000: Ron Hornaday, fifth 2001: Greg Biffle, first 2004: Kyle Busch, second Top-10 finishes by Raybestos® Rookies in fall race Phoenix: 2000: Jason Leffler, second 2000: Ron Hornaday, fifth 2001: Greg Biffle, first 2001: Scott Wimmer, seventh 2002: Johnny Sauter, seventh 2002: Kerry Earnhardt, 10th 2004: Kyle Busch, second Raybestos® Rookies to lead a lap in the fall race at Phoenix: 2000: Jason Leffler (three times for 43 laps) 2000: Ron Hornaday (led once for four laps) 2001: Greg Biffle (twice for 112 laps) 2003: David Stremme (once for one lap) 2004: Kyle Busch (four times for 151 laps) 2006: Stephen Leicht (once eight laps) RAYBESTOS® ROOKIE HISTORY A Raybestos® Rookie has won at least one race in each of the past FOUR consecutive seasons (2004-2007). Danny O’Quinn Jr. narrowly edged John Andretti to win the 2006 Raybestos® Rookie of the Year title in the NASCAR Busch Series. O’Quinn Jr. finished one point higher than Andretti in the final standings, the closet margin in NASCAR national series history. He also became the second driver in series history to win the award without completing the full schedule. The 2006 Raybestos® Rookie of the Year title was the second consecutive and third overall for Roush Fenway Racing in the Busch Series. Kyle Busch posted a record-setting year on his way to the 2004 Raybestos® Rookie of the Year title. In 34 starts, Busch won five times, captured five poles and scored 16 top-five and 22 top-10 finishes. His second-place finish in the Busch Series championship standings is a record for a Raybestos® Rookie. Other Raybestos® Rookie records Busch owns or shares: most starts (34), most wins (tied with Biffle), most top fives (tied with Biffle), most top 10s, most money won ($2,027,050), most championship points (4,943), most laps led (1,108) and most races led (21). David Stremme holds the record for fewest starts by a driver to win Raybestos® Rookie of the Year. In 2003, he started just 18 of the 34 races and was the top rookie finisher in 16 of those starts. He was the only Raybestos® Rookie to score three top-three finishes and had more top-10 finishes (seven) than any other first-year driver. He led six races for a total of 86 laps. David Green was the first Raybestos® Rookie to win a race, at Lanier, Ga., in 1991. Green captured the Nestle 200 by 1.58-seconds over Jeff Gordon, a fellow Raybestos® Rookie. A third Raybestos® Rookie, Todd Bodine, placed eighth in the race. Dennis Setzer was the first Raybestos® Rookie to win TWO or more races in a season. In 1994, he won the Ford Credit 300 at South Boston (Va.) Speedway and The Pantry 300 at Hickory (N.C.) Motor Speedway. Steve Park was the first Raybestos® Rookie to win THREE or more races in a season. In 1997, he won the BellSouth Mobility/Opryland 300 at Nashville (Tenn.) Speedway, the Detroit Gasket 200 at Michigan International Speedway and the Autolite Platinum 250 at Richmond (Va.) International Raceway. Kenny Wallace was the first Raybestos® Rookie to win a pole in the Busch Series. Wallace grabbed the top starting spot for the 1989 Goody’s 300 at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway, the first race in the history of the Raybestos® Rookie of the Year program. RAYBESTOS® ROOKIE CONTENDER POINT STANDINGS DRIVER POINTS David Ragan 233 Marcos Ambrose 202 Kyle Krisiloff 180 Brad Keselowski 179 Juan Pablo Montoya 169 Brad Coleman 163 Robert Richardson Jr. 114 Justin Diercks 51 HIGHEST-FINISHING RAYBESTOS® ROOKIE BY RACE EVENT HIGHEST-FINISHING ROOKIE ORBITZ 300 Ambrose, 16th Stater Bros. 300 Peters, 17th Telcel-Motorola 200 Montoya, FIRST Sam’s Town 300 Ambrose, 10th Nicorette 300 Montoya, eighth Sharpie Mini 300 Ragan, 13th Pepsi 300 Coleman, 15th O’Reilly 300 Ragan, fifth Bashas’ Supermarkets 200 Montoya, 21st Aaron’s 312 Ragan, fourth Circuit City 250 Montoya, 11th Diamond Hill Plywood 200 Ragan, 13th CARQUEST Auto Parts 300 Ambrose, 20th Dover 200 Ambrose, sixth Federated Auto Parts 300 Ragan, seventh Meijer 300 presented by Oreo Coleman, second AT&T 250 Coleman, fourth Camping World 200 Ragan, 18th Winn-Dixie 250 Krisiloff, 20th USG DUROCK 300 Keselowski, 14th Busch 250 Ragan, fifth Kroger 200 Keselowski, 10th NAPA Auto Parts 200 Krisiloff, sixth Zippo 200 at The Glen Coleman, fifth CARFAX 250 Keselowski, 13th Food City 250 Ragan, sixth Camping World 300 Ragan, 10th Emerson Radio 250 Ambrose, 15th RoadLoans.com 200 Keselowski, seventh Yellow Transportation 300 Krisiloff, 28th Dollar General 300 Ragan, sixth Sam’s Town 250 Ragan, third O’Reilly Challenge Keselowski, sixth Title: Re: Arizona Travel 200 at Phoenix Post by: Darnell99Fan on November 08, 2007, 03:37:49 pm NASCAR announced today that Chad Walter, crew chief of the No. 24 Chevrolet driven by Casey Mears and Tony Eury Sr., crew chief of the No. 88 Chevrolet driven by Brad Keselowski in the NASCAR Busch Series, have been fined and penalized due to rule violations at Texas Motor Speedway. Both crew chiefs were fined $10,000 and placed on probation until December 31, 2007, for violating Sections 12-4-A (actions detrimental to stock car racing), 12-4-Q (car, car parts, components and/or equipment used that do not conform to NASCAR rules) and 20A – 10.7F: (lug nuts were not fully threaded; threads had been removed) of the 2007 NASCAR Busch Series Rule Book.The infraction was discovered during pre-race inspection on November 3. (NASCAR PR) (11-07-07)
Title: Re: Arizona Travel 200 at Phoenix Post by: Darnell99Fan on November 08, 2007, 03:38:07 pm A.J. Allmendinger is returning to the Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates (CGRFS) lineup this weekend at Phoenix International Raceway (PIR) to pilot the No.41 Imation Dodge in the Arizona Travel 200. Allmendinger first raced for CGRFS earlier this year at California Speedway in the No.42 Memorex Dodge. He went on to compete in four more races, totaling five NASCAR Busch Series starts altogether for CGRFS. Allmendinger is the full-time driver of the No.84 Red Bull Toyota in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series. Team Red Bull and CGRFS reached an agreement earlier this season that allowed Allmendinger to drive the No.42 car. The two teams extended the agreement earlier this week to put Allmendinger in the No.41 Dodge for the final two races of the 2007 season. AND: Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates announced today driver Dario Franchitti will make his third and fourth appearances in the NASCAR Busch Series (NBS) on November 10 at Phoenix International Raceway (PIR) and November 17 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. (CGRFS PR) (11-07-07)
Title: Re: Arizona Travel 200 at Phoenix Post by: Darnell99Fan on November 08, 2007, 03:38:50 pm The familiar black No. 18 Carino’s Italian Grill Chevrolet will take to the track for the final time this season as rookie NASCAR Busch Series driver Brad Coleman completes his 17 race schedule with Joe Gibbs Racing in the Arizona Travel 200 this weekend at Phoenix International Raceway. In 16 races for JGR in 2007, the impressive youngster has posted three Top 5’s, five Top 10’s, seven Top 15’s and nine Top 20’s along with winning the Pole at Talladega and outside Pole at Bristol. Coleman has recently made headlines by signing two independent driver agreements in both the NASCAR Nationwide Series and NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. In 2008 he will run the No. 27 Kleenex Ford Fusion for new Brewco Motorsports owner Gary Baker in the Nationwide Series and begin his Cup career by testing and running his inaugural Cup races for Hall of Fame Racing. (BPT PR) (11-06-07)
Title: Re: Arizona Travel 200 at Phoenix Post by: Darnell99Fan on November 08, 2007, 03:41:40 pm Arizona.Travel 200 - Entry List
Car Driver Hometown Team Owner 00 Michael McDowell Phoenix, AZ TBA Toyota Michael Waltrip 0 Eric McClure Chilhowie, VA Hefty Chevrolet Keith Duesenberg 01 Kertus Davis Gaffney, SC TBA Chevrolet Johnny Davis 1 J.J. Yeley Phoenix, AZ Miccosukee Resort Chevrolet James Finch 2 Clint Bowyer Emporia, KS BB&T Chevrolet Richard Childress 5 Kyle Busch Las Vegas, NV Spectracide/Lowe's Chevrolet Rick Hendrick 6 David Ragan Unadilla, GA Discount Tire Ford Jack Roush 7 Mike Wallace St. Louis, MO GEICO Chevrolet James Finch 9 Kasey Kahne Enumclaw, WA Doublemint Dodge Ray Evernham 10 Brian Vickers Thomasville, NC Fort McDowell Resort Destination Toyota Greg Pollex 11 Jason Keller Greenville, SC TBA Chevrolet Bryan Mullet 12 Sam Hornish Jr Defiance, OH Kodak Dodge Roger Penske 13 Todd Souza Central Coast Cabinets Chevrolet Kelly Souza 14 Kyle Krisiloff Carmel, IN Lilly/Walgreens Ford Greg Pollex 16 Greg Biffle Vancouver, WA 3M Scotch Tape Ford Jack Roush 17 Matt Kenseth Cambridge, WI Arby's Ford Jack Roush 18 Brad Coleman Houston, TX Carino's Italian Grill Chevrolet Joe Gibbs 20 Denny Hamlin Chesterfield, VA Rockwell Automation Chevrolet Joe Gibbs 21 Kevin Harvick Bakersfield, CA Auto Zone Chevrolet Richard Childress 22 Mike Bliss Milwaukie, OR Supercuts Dodge Armando Fitz 24 Landon Cassill Fairfax, IA National Guard Chevrolet Rick Hendrick 25 Richard Johns Lawrenceville, GA FreeCreditReport.com Ford Ed Rensi 26 Jamie McMurray Joplin, MO Dish Network Ford Jack Roush 27 Robby Gordon Cerritos, CA Kleenex Ford Tammy Brewer 28 Derrike Cope Spanaway, WA Kibbles & Bits/Milkbone/9 Lives Chevrolet Joe Custer 29 Scott Wimmer Wausau, WI Holiday Inn Chevrolet Richard Childress 30 Stanton Barrett Bishop, CA Rhytter Phone/Interush Chevrolet Stanton Barrett 33 Tony Raines LaPorte, IN RoadLoans Chevrolet Delana Harvick 34 Brian Pannone REF Motorsports Ford Bob Farmer 35 Bobby Hamilton Jr Nashville, TN McDonald's Ford Gary Weisbaum 36 Jeremy Clements Spartanburg, SC TBA Chevrolet John McGill 37 John Graham Toronto, CA Kick Butt Amped Energy Ballz Ford Clarence Brewer 38 Jason Leffler Long Beach, CA Great Clips Toyota Todd Braun 41 AJ Allmendinger Los Gatos, CA Imation Dodge Chip Ganassi 42 Dario Franchitti Edinburg, UK Target Dodge Floyd Ganassi 44 Jennifer Jo Cobb Kansas City, KS TBA Chevrolet Donnie Richardson 47 Kelly Bires Mauston, WI Clorox / American Red Cross Ford Jodi Geschickter 52 Scott Gaylord Lakewood, CO TBA Ford Jimmy Means 56 Frank Kreyer Pardeeville, WI Culver's Chevrolet John McNelly 59 Marcos Ambrose Launceston, AU Kingsford Ford Tad Geschickter 60 Carl Edwards Columbia, MO World Financial Group Ford Jack Roush 66 Steve Wallace Charlotte, NC Homelife Communities Dodge Rusty Wallace 72 D.J. Kennington St. Thomas, CA Northern Provincial Pipelines Dodge Pat MacDonald 77 Ron Hornaday Jr Palmdale, CA Dollar General Chevrolet Delana Harvick 88 Brad Keselowski Rochester Hills, MI U.S. Navy Chevrolet Dale Earnhardt Jr. 89 Morgan Shepherd Conover, NC Victory In Jesus Dodge Cindy Shepherd 90 Stephen Leicht Asheville, NC Citifinancial Ford Robert Yates 99 David Reutimann Zephyrhills, FL Aaron's Dream Machine Toyota Michael Waltrip # - Rookie Title: Re: Arizona Travel 200 at Phoenix Post by: Darnell99Fan on November 08, 2007, 03:44:57 pm Busch Series News & Notes - Phoenix
RCR, Roush Fenway Headed For Desert Showdown in Phoenix Turmoil: Plenty Of Drama Remains For Final Standings Slots In The Loop: Bowyer Hopes For Phoenix Repeat Dodge, Toyota In Two-Race Shootout For Third In Manufacturer Race Champion’s Week Media Activities Dec. 6-7 In Orlando Game On: Final Two Races A Chance For Roush Fenway Redemption DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Nov. 7, 2007) – Now that Carl Edwards (No. 60 World Financial Group Ford) has clinched the NASCAR Busch Series driver title, his team can let out a collective breath and focus on wins in the last two races of the season. And to start the final sprint, his record at Phoenix International Raceway bodes well. Edwards won the 2005 fall race from the pole and has four top fives and five top-10 finishes overall in his five races at Phoenix. The No. 60 team also has extra motivation. Its leader, crew chief Pierre “PK” Kuettel, is a Phoenix native who would covet a win at his home track. The crew also has to swallow that it likely won’t win the owner championship to go along with Edwards’ driver title. The No. 29 Richard Childress Racing team is the frontrunner for the owner crown. So the impetus for wins is paramount to the No. 60 crew these final two races. The No. 29 Holiday Inn Chevrolet comes to Phoenix leading the owner standings by 113 points over the No. 20 Chevy of Joe Gibbs Racing. In order to clinch the owner title, the No. 29, to be driven by Scott Wimmer at Phoenix, needs leave this weekend with a 196-point advantage over the No. 20 – an 83-point gain. The split title has happened only once before in NASCAR national series competition – in 2003, Brian Vickers won the driver championship but RCR won the owner title with the driver duo of Kevin Harvick and Johnny Sauter. Jeff Burton has shared the No. 29 ride with Wimmer this year. Either way, the battle between the two teams should be electrifying at Phoenix. The last five races at the one-mile track have been won by Roush Fenway Racing or RCR. Matt Kenseth (No. 17 Arby’s Ford) is the defending race winner while Clint Bowyer (No. 2 BB&T Chevrolet) won last April. Time Ticking Away For Drivers To Avoid Top 10 Tumble Following his fifth-place finish at Texas last Saturday, Matt Kenseth was able to slice into the lead held by Mike Wallace (No. 7 GEICO Chevrolet) for 10th place in the standings. Wallace – who finished 21st at Texas dropping 22 points to Kenseth – comes to Phoenix 52 points ahead of the defending race winner. But Wallace isn’t the only driver in a precarious position with two races to go. Even with Kenseth on his bumper, Wallace is in a similar stalking role with ninth-place Marcos Ambrose (No. 59 Kingsford Ford). Ambrose is 37 points ahead of Wallace and has been struggling to hold on to his top-10 standing over the last four races where his average finish has been 28.3. Despite Ambrose’s slump, Greg Biffle (No. 16 3M Scotch Tape Ford) is feeling some pressure from the Aussie. Biffle’s eighth-place standing is secure by only 31 points over Ambrose. Biffle, like Kenseth, is a two-time winner at the one-mile track. Meanwhile, Jason Leffler (No. 38 Great Clips Toyota), who won the pole at Phoenix for the April 2005 race, is fighting to stave off reigning series champion Kevin Harvick (No. 21 AutoZone Chevrolet). Leffler’s hold on third is in jeopardy as fourth-place Harvick trails by just 20 points. In The Loop: Bowyer, Kenseth Set Up For Duel In the Desert Brilliant. Dominant. Unstoppable. Any of the above could be used to describe Clint Bowyer during last April’s NASCAR Busch Series Race at Phoenix International Raceway. In that event, Bowyer led 120 of the 200 laps and racked up some impressive stats in the process. In spending all 200 laps in the top 15, he earned a Driver Rating of 148.5 (a perfect Driver Rating is 150.0), an Average Running Position of 1.4 and had 52 Fastest Laps Run. Over his five career-series races at Phoenix, Bowyer has an average Driver Rating of 110.4, an Average Running Position of 9.1 and 125 Fastest Laps Run (more than any other driver). He has also spent 81.2% of the total laps run in the top 15. But since 2005, no driver has enjoyed more success than Matt Kenseth. Over his last four Phoenix races, he has three top fives, including a win from the Busch Pole at this race last year. His Loop Data statistics are phenomenal: a Driver Rating of 123.9, an Average Running Position of 4.0, 90 Fastest Laps Run, and has spent 99.3% of the laps the top 15. Also, watch for series regular Jason Leffler to shine at Phoenix. He finished seventh at this race in 2005 and among the regulars, heads most of the stat lists. In his four Phoenix races since 2005, Leffler has a Driver Rating of 95.2, an Average Running Position of 12.6, 52 Fastest Laps Run and he has spent 60.4% of the total laps run in the top 15. Scott Wimmer will try to keep the momentum going for the No. 29 team as it inches closer to the 2007 owner championship. But Phoenix has presented a speed bump of sorts for Wimmer. Driving for a different team, he finished 42nd at this race last season. On the bright side, he does have a Phoenix win on his resume (2002). Meanwhile, Denny Hamlin will pilot the No. 20. Hamlin has two consecutive top-five finishes at Phoenix, and a Phoenix Driver Rating of 98.7. NBS, Etc. Phoenix Homecomings, Part II: Although born near Toronto, Canada, Pierre Kuettel moved to Phoenix shortly thereafter and calls the area home. Other happy Phoenix returns feature J.J. Yeley (No. 1 Miccosukee Resort Chevrolet). He has three top-10s in six career series races at his home track and craves a win there. Also, Michael McDowell (No. 00 Michael Waltrip Racing Toyota), who made his series debut last week at Texas where he finished 20th, was born in Phoenix. McDowell, 22, is scheduled to race for Michael Waltrip Racing in the final two races of the year. He made his NASCAR debut two weeks ago at Martinsville in the Craftsman Truck Series (30th) and has won four times on the ARCA circuit this season. Additionally, Stephen Leicht spent an abbreviated time as an Arizona resident, living in the city of Ahwatukee, a suburb of Phoenix between the ages of three and five. He began racing go-karts in Arizona before his family made a permanent move to Asheville, N.C. Harvick Stands Alone In Second: Kevin Harvick’s win at Texas last week not only made him the all-time series leader in victories at the track with four, but also moved him out of a second-place tie with Jack Ingram for second on the all-time win list. Harvick’s win gives him 32 in 190 races; Ingram had 31 in 274 events. Mark Martin is the career leader with 47 victories in 224 races. Harvick will join Kyle Busch (No. 5 Sta-Green/Lowe’s Chevrolet) with triple-duty driving at Phoenix. Both are entered in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, NASCAR Busch Series and NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series races. Keselowski Gaining Ground: Brad Keselowski (No. 88 U.S. NAVY Chevrolet) is staging a hard charge in the series’ Raybestos Rookie of the Year standings. Since joining JR Motorsports in mid-July, Keselowski has gone from fifth place and 66 points behind third place (then Juan Pablo Montoya) to fourth-but more importantly-only one point behind Kyle Krisiloff (No. 14 Lily/Walgreens Ford) in third. Keselowski has been one of the hottest series regulars in the season’s second half, posting five top 10s and his career-best finish, a sixth-place effort last Saturday at Texas where 17 double-duty drivers were entered. Coleman’s JGR Swan Song: Brad Coleman (No. 18 Carino’s Chevrolet), the 19-year-old from Houston, Texas who fashioned solid finishes while running a partial 16-race schedule for Joe Gibbs Racing this year, makes his final start for the team before moving to Brewco Motorsports and a full-time ride in 2008. Coleman claimed his first career pole at Talladega in addition to registering three top fives and five top 10s this year. Coleman will also run a limited NASCAR Sprint Cup Series schedule next year for Hall of Fame Racing, whose team owner, Tom Garfinkel, is executive vice president of the Phoenix-based Arizona Diamondbacks. The No. 18 team will also host Steve McCarty (R), who wrote the Steve Miller Band hit “Fly Like an Eagle,” in their pit on Saturday. Of Note -- Phoenix: Jason Leffler will have a busy schedule this week at Phoenix, competing in four races in three days. He will run the USAC Midget and Silver Crown races on Thursday night, the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race on Friday night and the Arizona.Travel 200 on Saturday afternoon. … This Veterans Day weekend the No. 88 U.S. NAVY team will honor the casualties and survivors of the attack on Pearl Harbor with a special Pearl Harbor Survivors Association decal on the car. On Dec. 7, 1941, 2,390 U.S. personnel were killed and 1,178 were wounded in the attack. The association was formed in 1958 with the goal to “Remember Pearl Harbor – Keep America Alert.” Also Team Rensi’s cars – the No. 35 McDonald’s Ford of Bobby Hamilton Jr. and the No. 25 FreeCreditReport.com Ford of Richard Johns - will adorn a special logo for a non-profit organization, Freedom Is Not Free, aimed at “aiding wounded service members, their families and the families of the fatally wounded.” The Director’s Take: Phoenix Phoenix is a track of compromises. At a track like Hometead, where both ends are equally shaped, teams can pick one setup and put it on the car. But at a track like Phoenix where the radius of the corner and the banking is different on each end, some teams set the car up to be very good in Turns 1 and 2 – and it is what it is in 3 and 4 – or vice versa. Or, they will compromise and find something that will work on both ends. Phoenix almost races like it has a fifth turn due to the dogleg on the backstretch, so the teams will be working on balancing the car to get the driver comfortable. One of the unique features of racing at Phoenix is the start time. Due to the proximity to sunset, it can be tough for the drivers going into Turn 1. They’ll use either a tinted tear-off on their helmet or they’ll put tape on the inside of the winshield to peel off as the sun sets and the race progresses. 2007 NASCAR BUSCH SERIES RAYBESTOS ROOKIE OF THE YEAR STANDINGS Driver Points 1. David Ragan 233 2. Marcos Ambrose 202 3. Kyle Krisiloff 180 4. Brad Keselowski 179 5. Juan Pablo Montoya 165 6. Brad Coleman 163 7. Robert Richardson Jr. 114 8. Justin Diercks 51 2007 NASCAR Busch Series Champion's Week The 2007 NASCAR Busch Series Champion’s Week media activities with Carl Edwards, the series champion, top 10 drivers in the final standings and the Raybestos Rookie of the Year will be held Dec. 6-7 in Orlando, Fla. The NASCAR Busch Series Awards Banquet will take place at the Portofino Bay Hotel on Friday, Dec. 7. ESPN2 ESPN2 continues its season-long coverage of the NASCAR Busch Series with live racing from Phoenix International Raceway. The telecast of the 200-mile race begins at 4 p.m. ET with NASCAR Countdown. Dr. Jerry Punch will anchor ESPN2’s coverage with analysis by 1989 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series champion Rusty Wallace and two-time NASCAR champion crew chief Andy Petree. Dave Burns, Jamie Little, Mike Massaro and Shannon Spake will report from the pits. Allen Bestwick will host NASCAR Countdown. Dale Jarrett, the 1999 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup champion and one of the founding drivers of the NASCAR Busch Series, will join Bestwick in the ESPN Pit Studio along with Brad Daugherty, a former winning team owner in the NASCAR Busch Series and NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. 2007 At-A-Glance: NASCAR Busch Series Leaders After 33 Of 35 Races: Season Traditional Statistics: Driver points – Edwards (4,494#) Victories – Harvick (6) Races led – Edwards (20) Laps led – Ky. Busch (968) Top-five finishes – Edwards (14) Top-10 finishes – Edwards, Harvick (14) Owner points – Richard Childress Racing (No. 29) - (4,753) Money Won – Edwards ($1,116,060) Miles led – Ky. Busch (1,301.08) Busch Poles – Hamlin (5) Closest to 10th – M. Wallace 10th (3,188 pts) 11th – Kenseth (- 52) Consecutive Weeks in Top 10 – Edwards, Harvick (33) Season Loop Data Statistics: Driver Rating – Edwards (105.7) Average Running Position – Edwards (10.0) Fastest Laps Run – Edwards (529 fastest laps) Quality Passes – Edwards (964) Laps In Top 15 – Edwards (5,022 of a possible (6,153) # - clinched driver championship Showdown Out West Between Dodge, Toyota; Ford Seeks Third Straight Phoenix Fall Win With two races left in the season, it’s a two-manufacturer race for third in the final Bill France Performance Cup rankings. Dodge has a nine-point led over Toyota for the third-place spot heading to Phoenix. Dodge has one win at Phoenix – Jamie McMurray’s 2004 victory. Toyota’s first series start at the track was last April when its three drivers placed 10th, 12th and 18th. Dodge had two divers in the top 18 last spring. Those two manufacturers also have the stout record of Ford has at Phoenix to contend with – six wins in the previous 11 races. Clint Bowyer won last April in a Chevy. Chevrolet claimed its series-leading 14th title back in September and Ford has held steady in second for the bulk of the season. Kevin Harvick’s win at Texas Motor Speedway last Saturday was the 20th for Chevrolet this season, the seventh time in its 26-year NASCAR Busch Series tenure that it has reached the 20-victory plateau. Pontiac, with 21 wins in the inaugural series season in 1982, is the only other manufacturer to eclipse 20 wins in a season. Chevy holds the record with 24 in 1999. Manufacturers' Championship 2007 Point Standings Chevrolet 229 Ford 192 Dodge 147 Toyota 138 Up Next: Ford 300 at Homestead-Miami Speedway The final race of the 2007 season – and the final race for the series sponsor, Anheuser-Busch’s Busch Beer brand after 26 years – takes center stage at Homestead-Miami Speedway on Saturday, Nov. 17. The broadcast will begin at 4 p.m. ET on ESPN2. Carl Edwards will officially be crowned as the 19th – and last – NASCAR Busch Series champion, while the series owner title could still be on the line between the No. 29 RCR Chevrolet and the No. 20 JGR Chevy. A pair of former series champions holds the win and pole marks at Homestead. Florida native Joe Nemechek, the 1992 series champion, has three wins, while 2000 champ Jeff Green’s two poles are the standard. Matt Kenseth, whose 23 wins are sixth all-time in series history, is the defending race winner while two-time series champion Kevin Harvick sat on the pole last November. FAST FACTS The Race: Arizona.Travel 200 The Place: Phoenix International Raceway The Date: Nov. 10, 2007 The Time: 4:30 p.m. (ET) TV: ESPN2, 4 p.m. (ET) Track Layout: 1-mile D-shaped oval Race Purse: $1,408,944 2006 Winner: Matt Kenseth 2006 Pole: Matt Kenseth 2007 Point Standings Pos. Driver Points 1 Edwards 4,944# 2 Reutimann 3,942 3 Leffler 3,733 4 Harvick 3,713 5 Ragan 3,567 6 Hamilton Jr. 3,434 7 Leicht 3,337 8 Biffle 3,256 9 Ambrose 3,225 10 Wallace 3,188 # Cliched Title Pre-Race Schedule: Friday – Practice, 10-11:20 a.m.; Rookie Practice, 1:05-1:30 p.m.; Final Practice, 1:35-2:35 p.m. Saturday – Qualifying, 10:05 a.m. (impound). Title: Re: Arizona Travel 200 at Phoenix Post by: Darnell99Fan on November 09, 2007, 01:22:58 pm By the Numbers: Phoenix
By Josh Pate, NASCAR.COM November 8, 2007 10:21 AM EST With the championship wrapped up and just two races left in the Busch Series season, the focus now turns to two things: victories and owner points. And two teams have the inside track on both of them at Phoenix for Saturday's Arizona.Travel 200 (4 p.m. ET, ESPN2). Sure, Joe Gibbs Racing's No. 20 Chevrolet has made a late-season surge in the owner standings to slide into second position and become an underdog threat at the underrated title (complete owner standings). But to get that trophy, Denny Hamlin is going to have to do some driving. And so is Carl Edwards. The Nos. 20 and 60 can mathematically still be in the hunt for the car owner crown as the Joe Gibbs Racing 20 sits 113 points back and the Roush Fenway Racing No. 60 is 259 back. Based on past Phoenix results, however, the Gibbs bunch may be squeezed out of the picture considering the RCR and Roush success at the 1-mile desert track. Interesting Fact 556 Combined laps led in the last five Phoenix races by Richard Childress Racing drivers Clint Bowyer (186) and Kevin Harvick (103) as well as Roush Fenway Racing drivers Matt Kenseth (165), Greg Biffle (112) and Carl Edwards (111). They are the only two owners with multiple victories there and have combined to win the last five PIR races. Fun Fact 4,800,000 Pennies that would be produced from the copper that is on the roof of the Capitol building in Phoenix. Arizona tops the nation in copper production. All the Facts 1 Time in Busch Series history that the driver and owner championships were split among two teams: 2003, when Brian Vickers (Hendrick Motorsports) won the driver championship but RCR won the owner championship. Currently, Carl Edwards is the driver champion (Roush) but RCR leads the owner points (No. 29 Chevrolet). 1 Driver with multiple victories at Phoenix: Greg Biffle (2001, 2005 fall). Biffle has eight top-10s in nine starts, with his only other race resulting in a 12th-place finish (2006 fall). 2 Busch regulars who have led the most laps in a race this season: Marcos Ambrose (Montreal) and Jason Leffler (Bristol). 6 Drivers on Saturday's entry list with an average running position inside the top 10 in the last five Phoenix races, all Cup regulars: Matt Kenseth (4.049), Carl Edwards (6.461), Kevin Harvick (7.196), Clint Bowyer (9.057), Greg Biffle (9.196) and David Reutimann (9.890). 8 Former winners who are on the entry list for Saturday's race: Greg Biffle, Clint Bowyer, Carl Edwards, Bobby Hamilton Jr., Kevin Harvick, Matt Kenseth, Jamie McMurray and Scott Wimmer. Past winners Jeff Burton and Jeff Gordon are not racing. 8 Worst finish for Carl Edwards in his five Phoenix starts. Edwards has four top-fives including a victory in the 2005 fall race. His average finish is 4.4. 38 Times that Kevin Harvick has been passed under green-flag conditions in his last five races at Phoenix, fewest of those who have entered every race. 39 Drivers who have made their first career start at some point during the 2007 Busch Series season. Brian Pannone is on the entry list for Phoenix to make his series debut. 105 Drivers who have started the last five Busch Series races at Phoenix. 123.9 Driver Rating for Matt Kenseth at Phoenix, the highest among drivers entered in Saturday's race and third-highest overall behind Kurt Busch (125.1) and Jeff Burton (125.0). 125 Laps in which Clint Bowyer had the fastest car in the last five Busch Series races at Phoenix. 409 Laps led by Greg Biffle at Phoenix. The next closest is Matt Kenseth with 190. 818 Points scored by Kevin Harvick in the last five Phoenix races, more than any other driver and just one more than Carl Edwards, who is next on the list. 913 Laps in which Carl Edwards was in the top 15 in the last five Phoenix races Title: Re: Arizona Travel 200 at Phoenix Post by: Darnell99Fan on November 09, 2007, 02:18:35 pm ~HotLap.com
NBS Practice 1 Phoenix International Raceway Arizona Travel 200 Provided by NASCAR Statistics - Fri, November 09, 2007 @ 11:20 AM US Pos Car Driver Team Time Speed Lap # # Laps -Fastest -Next 1 22 Mike Bliss SuperCuts Dodge 27.447 131.162 34 34 ---.--- ---.--- 2 29 Scott Wimmer Holiday Inn Chevrolet 27.539 130.724 20 24 -0.092 -0.092 3 *2 Clint Bowyer BB&T Chevrolet 27.551 130.667 15 15 -0.104 -0.012 4 99 David Reutimann Aaron's Dream Machine Toyota 27.605 130.411 28 28 -0.158 -0.054 5 *5 Kyle Busch Sta-Green/Lowe's Chevrolet 27.633 130.279 4 28 -0.186 -0.028 6 21 Kevin Harvick AutoZone Chevrolet 27.675 130.081 9 10 -0.228 -0.042 7 *26 Jamie McMurray Dish Network Ford 27.786 129.562 5 35 -0.339 -0.111 8 20 Denny Hamlin Rockwell Automation Chevrolet 27.792 129.534 4 25 -0.345 -0.006 9 90 Stephen Leicht citifinancial Ford 27.794 129.524 5 23 -0.347 -0.002 10 9 Kasey Kahne Wrigley's Doublemint Dodge 27.795 129.520 4 31 -0.348 -0.001 11 38 Jason Leffler Great Clips/Comcast Toyota 27.804 129.478 6 24 -0.357 -0.009 12 *17 Matt Kenseth Arby's Ford 27.811 129.445 3 19 -0.364 -0.007 13 10 Brian Vickers Fort McDowell Resort Destination Toyota 27.815 129.427 6 21 -0.368 -0.004 14 35 Bobby Hamilton Jr. McDonald's Ford 27.840 129.310 4 37 -0.393 -0.025 15 88 Brad Keselowski # U.S. NAVY Chevrolet 27.855 129.241 11 41 -0.408 -0.015 16 77 Ron Hornaday, Jr Dollar General Chevrolet 27.876 129.143 3 33 -0.429 -0.021 17 *12 Sam Hornish Jr. Kodak Dodge 27.912 128.977 33 33 -0.465 -0.036 18 33 Tony Raines RoadLoans Chevrolet 27.936 128.866 5 33 -0.489 -0.024 19 27 Robby Gordon Huggies/Bashas' Ford 27.947 128.815 6 35 -0.500 -0.011 20 7 Mike Wallace GEICO Chevrolet 27.947 128.815 5 33 -0.500 -0.000 21 *11 Jason Keller InvestLinc Chevrolet 27.986 128.636 6 33 -0.539 -0.039 22 41 AJ Allmendinger Imation Dodge 28.036 128.406 7 47 -0.589 -0.050 23 6 David Ragan # Discount Tire Ford 28.083 128.191 13 46 -0.636 -0.047 24 60 Carl Edwards World Financial Group Ford 28.100 128.114 5 22 -0.653 -0.017 25 *24 Landon Cassill National Guard 40th Infantry Brigade 28.108 128.077 7 36 -0.661 -0.008 26 *00 Michael McDowell Aaron's/Best Western Toyota 28.127 127.991 11 42 -0.680 -0.019 27 1 J.J. Yeley Miccosukee Resorts Chevrolet 28.129 127.982 11 35 -0.682 -0.002 28 16 Greg Biffle 3M Scotch Tape Ford 28.145 127.909 13 18 -0.698 -0.016 29 59 Marcos Ambrose # Kingsford/Bashas' Ford 28.170 127.796 15 43 -0.723 -0.025 30 18 Brad Coleman # Carino's Italian Grill Chevrolet 28.175 127.773 7 40 -0.728 -0.005 31 47 Kelly Bires Clorox/Bashas' Ford 28.178 127.759 18 47 -0.731 -0.003 32 42 Dario Franchitti Target Dodge 28.254 127.416 20 53 -0.807 -0.076 33 66 Steve Wallace HomeLife Communties Dodge 28.282 127.289 9 26 -0.835 -0.028 34 *30 Stanton Barrett Phytter Phone/Interush Chevrolet 28.352 126.975 6 17 -0.905 -0.070 35 25 Richard Johns freecreditreport.com Ford 28.453 126.524 9 43 -1.006 -0.101 36 *89 Morgan Shepherd Victory In Jesus Dodge 28.474 126.431 4 12 -1.027 -0.021 37 14 Kyle Krisiloff # Lilly/Walgreens Ford 28.502 126.307 12 28 -1.055 -0.028 38 *72 D.J. Kennington Northern Provincial Pipeline Dodge 28.565 126.028 4 20 -1.118 -0.063 39 *01 Kertus Davis RACEGIRL Chevrolet 28.676 125.541 6 13 -1.229 -0.111 40 36 Jeremy Clements Chevrolet 28.725 125.326 5 5 -1.278 -0.049 41 *56 Frank Kreyer Culver's Chevrolet 28.739 125.265 13 46 -1.292 -0.014 42 28 Blake Bjorklund Kibbles 'n Bits/U.S. Border Control 28.749 125.222 3 25 -1.302 -0.010 43 *13 Todd Souza Central Coast Cabinets Chevrolet 28.847 124.796 10 30 -1.400 -0.098 44 37 John Graham Kick Butt Amped Energy Ballz Ford 28.849 124.788 12 49 -1.402 -0.002 45 *0 Eric McClure Hefty Chevrolet 28.897 124.580 6 31 -1.450 -0.048 46 *44 Jennifer Jo Cobb The Annexus Group Chevrolet 30.582 117.716 10 12 -3.135 -1.685 *Required to qualify on time Title: Re: Arizona Travel 200 at Phoenix Post by: Darnell99Fan on November 09, 2007, 03:43:50 pm ~Race2Win
Arizona.Travel 200 - Practice 2: Rookie Practice Pos. # Driver Team Time Speed Lap# #Laps -Fastest -Next 1 *00 Michael McDowell Aaron's/Best Western Toyota 27.640 130.246 5 5 ---.--- ---.--- 2 47 Kelly Bires Clorox/Bashas' Ford 27.708 129.926 10 14 -0.068 -0.068 3 *24 Landon Cassill National Guard 40th Infantry Brigade 27.777 129.604 4 16 -0.137 -0.069 4 88 Brad Keselowski # U.S. NAVY Chevrolet 27.855 129.241 3 17 -0.215 -0.078 5 6 David Ragan # Discount Tire Ford 27.931 128.889 5 18 -0.291 -0.076 6 42 Dario Franchitti Target Dodge 27.963 128.742 3 16 -0.323 -0.032 7 59 Marcos Ambrose # Kingsford/Bashas' Ford 27.971 128.705 4 17 -0.331 -0.008 8 41 AJ Allmendinger Imation Dodge 28.033 128.420 8 24 -0.393 -0.062 9 *56 Frank Kreyer Culver's Chevrolet 28.112 128.059 5 7 -0.472 -0.079 10 18 Brad Coleman # Carino's Italian Grill Chevrolet 28.167 127.809 5 13 -0.527 -0.055 11 25 Richard Johns freecreditreport.com Ford 28.327 127.087 3 20 -0.687 -0.160 12 14 Kyle Krisiloff # Lilly/Walgreens Ford 28.333 127.060 3 17 -0.693 -0.006 13 *13 Todd Souza Central Coast Cabinets Chevrolet 28.636 125.716 3 12 -0.996 -0.303 14 28 Blake Bjorklund Kibbles 'n Bits/U.S. Border Control 28.796 125.017 4 11 -1.156 -0.160 15 *44 Jennifer Jo Cobb The Annexus Group Chevrolet 29.668 121.343 3 8 -2.028 -0.872 # - Rookie * - Required to qualify on time Title: Re: Arizona Travel 200 at Phoenix Post by: Darnell99Fan on November 09, 2007, 06:05:39 pm Arizona.Travel 200 - Final Practice ~Race2Win Pos. # Driver Team Time Speed Lap# #Laps -Fastest -Next 1 6 David Ragan # Discount Tire Ford 27.518 130.823 24 24 ---.--- ---.--- 2 16 Greg Biffle 3M Scotch Tape Ford 27.545 130.695 33 33 -0.027 -0.027 3 10 Brian Vickers Fort McDowell Resort Destination Toyota 27.550 130.672 23 23 -0.032 -0.005 4 9 Kasey Kahne Wrigley's Doublemint Dodge 27.559 130.629 12 12 -0.041 -0.009 5 *17 Matt Kenseth Arby's Ford 27.619 130.345 25 25 -0.101 -0.060 6 38 Jason Leffler Great Clips/Comcast Toyota 27.667 130.119 32 33 -0.149 -0.048 7 41 AJ Allmendinger Imation Dodge 27.689 130.016 24 25 -0.171 -0.022 8 42 Dario Franchitti Target Dodge 27.718 129.880 35 35 -0.200 -0.029 9 *5 Kyle Busch Sta-Green/Lowe's Chevrolet 27.750 129.730 10 12 -0.232 -0.032 10 *24 Landon Cassill National Guard 40th Infantry Brigade 27.778 129.599 23 24 -0.260 -0.028 11 77 Ron Hornaday, Jr Dollar General Chevrolet 27.818 129.413 22 22 -0.300 -0.040 12 33 Tony Raines RoadLoans Chevrolet 27.855 129.241 31 31 -0.337 -0.037 13 88 Brad Keselowski # U.S. NAVY Chevrolet 27.868 129.180 24 25 -0.350 -0.013 14 90 Stephen Leicht citifinancial Ford 27.883 129.111 34 34 -0.365 -0.015 15 *2 Clint Bowyer BB&T Chevrolet 27.895 129.055 3 18 -0.377 -0.012 16 29 Scott Wimmer Holiday Inn Chevrolet 27.900 129.032 4 30 -0.382 -0.005 17 18 Brad Coleman # Carino's Italian Grill Chevrolet 27.923 128.926 25 25 -0.405 -0.023 18 27 Robby Gordon Huggies/Bashas' Ford 27.994 128.599 20 20 -0.476 -0.071 19 20 Denny Hamlin Rockwell Automation Chevrolet 28.004 128.553 4 33 -0.486 -0.010 20 21 Kevin Harvick AutoZone Chevrolet 28.010 128.526 3 20 -0.492 -0.006 21 *00 Michael McDowell Aaron's/Best Western Toyota 28.018 128.489 4 31 -0.500 -0.008 22 22 Mike Bliss SuperCuts Dodge 28.025 128.457 4 36 -0.507 -0.007 23 14 Kyle Krisiloff # Lilly/Walgreens Ford 28.026 128.452 2 27 -0.508 -0.001 24 99 David Reutimann Aaron's Dream Machine Toyota 28.117 128.036 12 25 -0.599 -0.091 25 60 Carl Edwards World Financial Group Ford 28.131 127.973 3 24 -0.613 -0.014 26 35 Bobby Hamilton Jr. McDonald's Ford 28.234 127.506 11 36 -0.716 -0.103 27 *26 Jamie McMurray Dish Network Ford 28.255 127.411 5 35 -0.737 -0.021 28 37 John Graham Kick Butt Amped Energy Ballz Ford 28.263 127.375 29 29 -0.745 -0.008 29 *30 Stanton Barrett Phytter Phone/Interush Chevrolet 28.333 127.060 22 22 -0.815 -0.070 30 59 Marcos Ambrose # Kingsford/Bashas' Ford 28.333 127.060 3 15 -0.815 -0.000 31 47 Kelly Bires Clorox/Bashas' Ford 28.377 126.863 13 14 -0.859 -0.044 32 *12 Sam Hornish Jr. Kodak Dodge 28.383 126.836 7 21 -0.865 -0.006 33 1 J.J. Yeley Miccosukee Resorts Chevrolet 28.387 126.819 5 29 -0.869 -0.004 34 *11 Jason Keller InvestLinc Chevrolet 28.396 126.778 4 25 -0.878 -0.009 35 *56 Frank Kreyer Culver's Chevrolet 28.490 126.360 2 22 -0.972 -0.094 36 7 Mike Wallace GEICO Chevrolet 28.528 126.192 10 22 -1.010 -0.038 37 *01 Kertus Davis RACEGIRL Chevrolet 28.615 125.808 7 11 -1.097 -0.087 38 66 Steve Wallace HomeLife Communties Dodge 28.628 125.751 11 20 -1.110 -0.013 39 *89 Morgan Shepherd Victory In Jesus Dodge 28.630 125.742 3 9 -1.112 -0.002 40 25 Richard Johns freecreditreport.com Ford 28.631 125.738 2 33 -1.113 -0.001 41 *72 D.J. Kennington Northern Provincial Pipeline Dodge 28.637 125.711 15 21 -1.119 -0.006 42 *0 Eric McClure Hefty Chevrolet 28.669 125.571 7 8 -1.151 -0.032 43 *13 Todd Souza Central Coast Cabinets Chevrolet 28.772 125.122 25 28 -1.254 -0.103 44 28 Blake Bjorklund Kibbles 'n Bits/U.S. Border Control 29.183 123.359 4 11 -1.665 -0.411 45 *44 Jennifer Jo Cobb The Annexus Group Chevrolet 29.236 123.136 16 19 -1.718 -0.053 46 *34 Brian Pannone Superstition Trailers Ford 29.999 120.004 28 28 -2.481 -0.763 # - Rookie * - Required to qualify on time |