Mike Wallace (No. 7 GEICO Toyota) holds the eighth position, but Jason Leffler (No. 38 Great Clips Toyota) is nine points back in ninth. Wallace is looking for his first Top-10 final ranking while Leffler finished third last year, his first ranking in the final Top 10. He’ll be driving the same car that Kyle Busch (No. 18 NOS Energy Drink Toyota) drove to victory for Braun Racing in May.
Marcos Ambrose (No. 59 Kingsford Tailgate Ford) made his first foray into the Top 10 in 2007, his first year in the series. He comes to Lowe’s Motor Speedway in 10th, 34 points behind Leffler; it took him 24 races to finally climb into the Top 10 this year. But he’s forced to pay attention to Jason Keller (No. 27 Viva Ford), who is 72 points out in 11th.
Keller – who has been in the Top 10 in each of the previous nine years he’s competed full-time in the series – can’t solely concentrate on catching Ambrose, though. He’s got David Stremme (No. 64 Chevrolet) lurking only six points behind in 12th.
Final Open Week Highlighted By New Car Test At LMS
Following Friday night’s race, the final open week of the season will be up for the drivers and teams in the NASCAR Nationwide Series, but not before some head back to Lowe’s Motor Speedway Monday, Oct. 13- Tuesday, Oct. 14 for the second official test for the NASCAR Nationwide new car.
This also is the last scheduled test for each of NASCAR’s three national series in 2008.
The NASCAR Nationwide Series’ new car made its official debut at a test at Richmond International Raceway last month. The five teams representing the four series manufacturers were excited with the initial data.
Where Richmond was a manufacturer test, LMS will be an open test. Series Director Joe Balash anticipates six teams will participate. Drivers still are to be named.
In The Loop: Johnson Struggles In NNS Competition In “His House”
Something strange happens to Jimmie Johnson (No. 5 Lowe’s Chevrolet) when he climbs into a NASCAR Nationwide Series car at Lowe’s Motor Speedway. He becomes very un-Jimmie Johnson like.
Whereas Johnson has five LMS wins in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, he has zero – and only one top five – in 12 starts in the NASCAR Nationwide Series.
His Loop Data stats at LMS likewise fall well short of his lofty standards. In his last seven NNS races at the Concord track, Johnson has a Driver Rating of 78.2, an Average Running Position of 22.8, 20 Fastest Laps Run and a Laps in the Top 15 percentage of 43.9%.
Compare that to his NASCAR Sprint Cup stats at LMS over the same span: a Driver Rating of 116.5, an Average Running Position of 7.7, 260 Fastest Laps Run and a Laps in the top 15 percentage of 88.5%.
They’re not even close.
Then there’s the case of Kyle Busch, who’s won twice at LMS in the NASCAR Nationwide Series, but has yet to win there in NASCAR Sprint Cup competition (although he does have success there).
Busch, after winning in the No. 32 Toyota will be in the No. 18 Toyota this weekend, and boasts some of the top stats at LMS in the series.
In the seven LMS races since the inception of Loop Data in 2005, Busch has a Driver Rating of 107.4, an Average Running Position of 12.0, 87 Fastest Laps Run and a Laps in the Top 15 percentage of 73.5%.
For Busch to sweep, he’ll likely have to contend with Jeff Burton (No. 29 Holiday Inn Chevrolet), who is the defending champion of this race. In four of the last five races, Burton has finished in the top 10. Over that span, he has a Driver Rating of 103.7, an Average Running Position of 12.8, 61 Fastest Laps Run and a Laps in the Top 15 percentage of 74.0%.
The Director’s Take: Home Is Where The Competition Is
With 53 drivers — most of them from the Charlotte area — vying for 43 starting spots, Friday night’s race will carry a bit more drama than usual.
“The field is the largest we’ve had this season and obviously will be tougher to make,” said Joe Balash, the series director. “We’ve got a number of drivers who are working toward next year in the approval process so they need to be able to make this event (on time) and have a good run. That way they can continue that process as they make their way toward the 2009 season.”
One of those drivers is Justin Allgaier, 22, a seven-time winner this year in ARCA who recently signed to drive limited schedules for Penske Racing in the No. 12 Penske Truck Rental Dodge the remainder of this year and next year.
Balash also noted that of the five remaining tracks on the schedule, three – including LMS – are 1.5 miles.
“With all the testing done at these kinds of tracks, now it’s all up to good calls by the crew chiefs to make sure the cars are prepared. “They’ll practice and qualify during the day, yet race at night so every note they’ve taken is critical.”
Raybestos Rookie Of The Year Standings
Rank Driver Points
1 Landon Cassill 175
2 Bryan Clauson 174
3 Dario Franchitti 159
4 Cale Gale 137
5 Brian Keselowski 92
Results following the Kansas Lottery 300 at Kansas Speedway. Bryan Clauson (No. 40 Fastenal Dodge) is entered at Lowe’s Motor Speedway; Landon Cassill is not.
2008 Manufacturer’s Championship Standings
Although Toyota has clinched the 2008 Bill France Performance Cup and won the May race at Lowe’s Motor Speedway, Friday night’s event doesn’t seem to have a clear-cut favorite.
Chevrolet and Ford are tied with 15 wins at LMS but over the last five races, all four manufacturers have won at least once with Chevy winning twice in that span, including Jeff Burton capturing last year’s event.
Up Next: Open Week No. 5
Following the fifth and final open week of the season, the NASCAR Nationwide Series heads for its final four races of the year starting Saturday, Oct. 25 at Memphis Motorsports Park.
That event is also the last stand-alone event of the 2008 season.
David Reutimann (No. 99 Aaron’s Dream Machine Toyota) won the 2007 race at Memphis, the first of his series career.
The race is also scheduled to be the first series start for Marc Davis, another of the fine young drivers with Joe Gibbs Racing.
Davis, 18, made his NASCAR national series debut last month at Gateway International Raceway where he finished 18th in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series.
FAST FACTS
The Race: Dollar General 300
The Place: Lowe’s Motor Speedway
The Date: Friday, October 10
The Distance: 300 miles / 200 laps
Track Size: 1.5-mile oval
2007 Winner: Jeff Burton
2007 Polesitter: Greg Biffle
2008 Standings
1 Clint Bowyer 4,392
2 Carl Edwards 4,196
3 Brad Keselowski 4,124
4 Mike Bliss 3,906
5 David Ragan 3,886
6 David Reutimann 3,791
7 Kyle Busch 3,736
8 Mike Wallace 3,499
9 Jason Leffler 3,499
10 Marcos Ambrose 3,456
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