Can Bowyer Become Third Homecoming King Of 2009?
Reigning NASCAR Nationwide Series champion Clint Bowyer (No. 29 Holiday Inn Chevrolet) comes to the Kansas Lottery 300 on a bit of a hot streak. He won the July race at Daytona International Speedway and last weekend’s Dover 200 at Dover International Speedway. He has only competed in nine races this season.
But if Bowyer – who has averaged an 8.6 finish this season and completed all but three laps in his nine starts – wants to keep atop the result sheets, he’ll have to do it at a place where there may be a little extra pressure to do well. Kansas Speedway is Bowyer’s home track. Bowyer is from Emporia, Kan., about 100 miles southwest of the track. Bowyer has never won at Kansas Speedway, but he did register a second-place finish last season, which was his third consecutive top-five finish at Kansas Speedway. His Richard Childress Racing team won there in 2006 with Kevin Harvick behind the wheel.
“It’s my home track and I wanted to race everything there is to race there,” Bowyer said. “We’ve been close to winning the Nationwide race at Kansas before and it’s been one of my better tracks. We always run up front, in the top three at least, about every time we’ve run there. Kansas is the place where I want to put on a good show and try to win in front of my hometown crowd.”
If Bowyer does win at the 1.5-mile oval this weekend, however, he’ll join two drivers that already have home state victories this season. Brad Keselowski (No. 88 Delphi Chevrolet) won at Michigan International Speedway, while Denny Hamlin won at Richmond International Raceway. One potential hang-up – Bowyer has never earned back-to-back Nationwide Series victories.
Also calling the Kansas Lottery 300 a home race is Carl Edwards, who was born in Columbia, Mo., which is about a two-hour drive from the track. Kyle Davis, the car chief for the No. 15 Toyota driven by Michael Annett, is from Savannah, Mo., about an hour drive from Kansas Speedway.
Points Battles Still Close Heading To Kansas
Kyle Busch (No. 18 NOS Toyota) continues to show consistency in his run for his first NASCAR Nationwide Series title. Already with six victories – all on different track configurations – Busch looks to add to his point total and keep Carl Edwards (No. 60 Save A Lot Ford) from gaining any more ground. Edwards calls Kansas Speedway his home track, as he was born in Columbia, Mo., just under two hours away from the 1.5-mile track.
As Busch adds to his lead, others behind him continue to fight for position. Closest again this week are Steve Wallace (No. 66 US Fidelis Chevrolet) and Justin Allgaier (No. 12 Verizon Wireless Dodge), who swapped the fifth position after last weekend’s Dover 200 at Dover International Speedway. Only 19 points separate the two drivers as they battle to secure the final honorary position for December’s season-ending banquet.
Behind Wallace and Allgaier – two drivers relatively new to the NASCAR Nationwide Series – are two veterans fighting for seventh. Jason Keller (No. 27 Scott Tissue Ford), the series’ all-time leader in starts (485), has a five-point advantage over Mike Bliss (No. 40 StopRepairBills.com Chevrolet) for the seventh position.
Former Kansas Winners, Beware: Repeating Is Tough
It is never easy to win two consecutive races, be it in one season, or at one track. In the case of Kansas Speedway, it has yet to happen in the NASCAR Nationwide Series.
In eight races at the 1.5-mile track, there have been eight different race winners. Jeff Green was the first to win, while drivers Jeff Burton, David Green, Joe Nemechek (No. 87 NEMCO Motorsports Chevrolet), Kasey Kahne, Kevin Harvick (No. 33 Jimmy John’s Chevrolet), Kyle Busch (No. 18 NOS Toyota) and Denny Hamlin have followed suit. However, none have been able to score a second victory.
Harvick will have one of the best chances of any of the three entered drivers this weekend. Harvick is bringing the same car with which he won in early September at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
Meanwhile, all six of Busch’s victories this season have come on different configurations. Busch’s only victory at a 1.5-mile track came in April at Texas Motor Speedway. He is driving the No. 18 Toyota, the same number that Denny Hamlin took to victory lane at Kansas a year ago.
Only two other tracks lack repeat winners: New Hampshire Motor Speedway (23 different winners) and Circuit Gilles Villeneuve (three).
Youth Served In Top 10, Throughout Nationwide Series Field
The NASCAR Nationwide Series has always been a place where young drivers can showcase their talents. In Saturday’s Kansas Lottery 300, youth is definitely served, as a third of the field is under the age of 25.
In fact, there are 19 drivers who are 25 years or younger entered, and five of those drivers are currently in the top 10 in the points standings. Kyle Busch (No. 18 NOS Toyota) leads, Brad Keselowski (No. 88 Delphi Chevrolet) is third, Steve Wallace (No. 66 US Fidelis Chevrolet) is fifth, Justin Allgaier (No. 12 Verizon Wireless Dodge) is sixth and Michael McDowell (No. 96 Dodge) is 10th.
The newest driver to the Nationwide Series entry list under the age of 25 is still a teenager. Penske Racing development driver Parker Kligerman (No. 22 Penske Truck Rental Dodge) is set to make his NASCAR Nationwide Series debut Saturday as a teammate to Allgaier, also a Penske development driver. At 19 years of age, the Westport, Conn. native Kligerman is currently second in the ARCA Re/Max points standings. If he is to win the ARCA title, he will join Allgaier as a series champion.
Other drivers 25 years or younger are Brad Coleman (No. 1 Miccosukee Indian Gaming & Resort Chevrolet), John Wes Townley (No. 09 Zaxby’s Ford), Brian Scott (No. 11 Ridemakerz Toyota), Michael Annett (No. 15 Dodge), Joey Logano (No. 20 GameStop Toyota), Brian Vickers (No. 32 Dollar General Stores Toyota), Danny O’Quinn Jr. (No. 44 Dynamic Technology Inc. Chevrolet), Shelby Howard (No. 70 ForeTravel Motorcoach Chevrolet) and Patrick Sheltra (No. 81 Dodge).
IN THE LOOP
NASCAR Nationwide Success Has Harvick Looking At Bright Side
Though Kevin Harvick’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season hasn’t come close to expectations, his NASCAR Nationwide Series campaign must be considered a success.
What makes this season even more special for Harvick: Each triumph is in his own Kevin Harvick, Inc. equipment.
Harvick nabbed his first series win as a driver-owner at Bristol earlier this season, and added another victory in Atlanta three races ago. His team had three previous victories, but none with Harvick behind the wheel.
This season, Harvick has run 18 of the 28 series races, and has finished in the top 10 in all but six of them.
The current streak he’s on makes him a certain favorite at Kansas this weekend.
Harvick has finished in the top five in each of his last five starts, racking up some impressive statistics during the streak. Over the last five races, he has an average finish of 3.2, a Driver Rating of 124.0, an Average Running Position of 5.5, 259 Laps Led, a Laps in the Top 15 percentage of 98.3 and 184 Fastest Laps Run.
Count on another top-five run this weekend. Harvick is strong at Kansas, boasting some of the top statistics in the series.
In the four Kansas races since the inception of Loop Data in 2005, which includes a win in 2006, Harvick has a Driver Rating of 109.2, an Average Running Position of 8.4, a Laps in the top 15 percentage of 86.1, 85 Fastest Laps Run and 108 Laps Led.
On the other end of the Kansas success spectrum lies Brad Keselowski. Keselowski has uncharacteristic struggles at Kansas, owning a Driver Rating of 67.9 that makes Kansas his fourth-worst track.
In his Kansas career, Keselowski has an Average Running Position of 21.6, seven Fastest Laps Run, no Laps Led and a Laps in the Top 15 percentage of 33.8%.
His last visit there was a promising one, though. He scored a sixth-place finish with a Driver Rating of 95.9 and an Average Running Position of 11.6.
NNS Etc: Kansas Edition
* Owners Seeking Second Win, Too
Like the drivers, no car owner has ever won twice in NASCAR Nationwide Series competition at Kansas. Rick Hendrick has Scott Wimmer (No. 5 Fasternal Chevrolet) entered, Jack Roush has drivers Greg Biffle (No. 16 CitiFinancial Ford) and Carl Edwards (No. 60 Save A Lot Ford), Joe Gibbs has drivers Kyle Busch (No. 18 NOS Toyota) and Joey Logano (No. 20 GameStop Toyota) and Richard Childress has Clint Bowyer (No. 29 Holiday Inn Chevrolet). Other Kansas owner winners are Clarence Brewer, Ray Evernham, Joe Nemechek and Greg Pollex.
* NNS Raybestos Rookie Standings
Driver Team Points
1. Justin Allgaier Penske 216
2. Brendan Gaughan RWR 200
3. Michael McDowell K-A 187
4. Michael Annett Germain 172
5. Scott Lagasse Jr. N/A 154
6. Erik Darnell RFR 133
7. John Wes Townley RAB 166
8. Ken Butler III R3 82
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