Aarons 312 News and Notes

Aaron's 312 Preview

Start Time: 3:20 p.m. (et)

Site: Talladega Superspeedway, Talladega, Alabama

Track: 2.66-mile tri-oval

Laps: 117

Miles: 311.22

Capacity:

Total purse: $1,341,763 (2007 figure)

Payouts: 1st Place - $52,725; 2nd - $44,175; 3rd - $33,775 (2007 figures)

Year: 17th

On TV: ABC

Announcers: Jerry Punch, Dale Jarrett and Andy Petree

On Radio: MRN

Race record: 168.937 m.p.h. (Mike Martin, 1997)

Qualifying record: 193.517 m.p.h. (Joe Nemechek, 1997)

2007 Finish
Defending champion: Bobby Labonte (Not defending)

Runner up: Tony Stewart

Pole winner: Brad Coleman (184.299 m.p.h.)

Top 10:

1. Bobby Labonte (Start: 34)

2. Tony Stewart (37)

3. Casey Mears (4)

4. David Ragan (7)

5. Kyle Krisiloff (23)

6. Kevin Harvick (25)

7. Juan Pablo Montoya (20)

8. Ward Burton (5)

9. Brad Coleman (1)

10. Carl Edwards (9)

Average speed: 133.216 m.p.h.

Time of race: 2 hours, 23 minutes, 46 seconds

Margin of victory: 0.052 second

Caution flags: 8 for 30 laps

Lead changes: 36 among 20 drivers

Past winners
2007 Bobby Labonte, Chevrolet, 133.216 m.p.h.

2006 Martin Truex Jr, Chevrolet, 149.785 m.p.h.

2005 Martin Truex Jr, Chevrolet, 122.117 m.p.h.

2004 Martin Truex Jr, Chevrolet, 136.763 m.p.h.

2003 Dale Earnhardt Jr, Chevrolet, 141.768 m.p.h.

2002 Jason Keller, Ford, 157.691 m.p.h.

2001 Mike McLaughlin, Pontiac, 131.258 m.p.h.

2000 Joe Nemechek, Chevrolet, 153.859 m.p.h.

1999 Terry Labonte, Chevrolet, 150.793 m.p.h.

1998 Joe Nemechek, Chevrolet, 118.196 m.p.h.

1997 Mark Martin, Ford, 168.937 m.p.h. (race record)

1996 Greg Sacks, Chevrolet, 139.438 m.p.h.

1995 Chad Little, Ford, 122.904 m.p.h.

1994 Ken Schrader, Chevrolet, 167.473 m.p.h.

1993 Dale Earnhardt, Chevrolet, 146.801 m.p.h.

1992 Ernie Irvan, Chevrolet, 158.359 m.p.h.

Last race
Race: Corona Mexico 200 (April 20th)

Site: Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, Mexico City, Mexico

Miles: 201.44

Laps: 80

Finish line order: Kyle Busch, Marcos Ambrose, Scott Pruett, Carl Edwards, Patrick Carpentier

Time of Race: 2 hours, 57 minutes, 25 seconds

Average speed: 68.124 m.p.h.

Margin of victory: 0.737 second

Caution flags: 7 for 18 laps

Lead changes: 10 among 7 drivers

Lap leaders: C. Braun 1; S. Pruett 2-16; C. Braun 17; C. Edwards 18;C. Braun 1; S. Pruett 2-16; C. Braun 17; C. Edwards 18;P. Carpentier # 19; J. Keller 20; S. Wimmer 21-33; K. Busch34-46; C. Edwards 47-50; S. Pruett 51-71; K. Busch 72-80.

Entry list
#0 Dwayne Leik (Skyland, NC) Chevrolet/TBA

#1 Mike Bliss (Milwaukie, OR) Chevrolet/Miccosukee Resort

#01 Kertus Davis (Gaffney, SC) Chevrolet/RaceGirl

#2 Clint Bowyer (Emporia, KS) Chevrolet/BB&T

#4 Robert Richardson Jr (McKinney, TX) Chevrolet/JVC

#5 Dale Earnhardt Jr (Kannapolis, NC) Chevrolet/Delphi

#05 Brett Rowe (Barborsville, WV) Chevrolet/CertainTeed/31W Insulation

#6 David Ragan (Unadilla, GA) Ford/Discount Tire

#7 Mike Wallace (St. Louis, MO) Toyota/GEICO

#9 Patrick Carpentier (Joliette, CAN) Dodge/Lipton Tea

#11 Jason Keller (Greenville, SC) Chevrolet/America's Incredible Pizza

#16 Greg Biffle (Vancouver, WA) Dodge/CitiFinancial

#18 Kyle Busch (Las Vegas, NV) Toyota/Z-Line Designs

#20 Tony Stewart (Columbus, IN) Toyota/Old Spice

#21 Stephen Leicht (Asheville, NC) Chevrolet/TBA

#22 Reed Sorenson (Peachtree City, GA) Dodge/Supercuts

#24 Eric McClure (Chilhowie, VA) Chevrolet/Hefty

#25 Bobby Hamilton Jr (Nashville, TN) Ford/Smithfield

#27 Brad Coleman (Houston, TX) Ford/U.S. Post Office

#28 Kenny Wallace (St. Louis, MO) Chevrolet/U.S. Border Patrol

#29 Scott Wimmer (Wausau, WI) Chevrolet/Holiday Inn

#32 Denny Hamlin (Chesterfield, VA) Toyota/Haas Avacodos from Mexico

#33 Cale Gale (Mobile, AL) Chevrolet/Camping World

#38 Jason Leffler (Long Beach, CA) Toyota/Great Clips

#40 Dario Franchitti (Edinburg, UK) Dodge/Fastenal

#41 Kyle Krisiloff (Carmel, IN) Dodge/Polaroid

#47 Kelly Bires (Mauston, WI) Ford/Clorox

#52 Derrike Cope (Spanaway, WA) Chevrolet/TBA

#57 Justin Ashburn (Joelton, TN) Dodge/Dverve.net

#59 Marcos Ambrose (Australia) Ford/Kingsford Hickory Charcoal

#60 Carl Edwards (Columbia, MO) Ford/Save-a-Lot

#61 Kevin Lepage (Shelburne, VT) Ford/TBA

#64 David Stremme (South Bend, IN) Chevrolet/Arteus Homes & Communities

#66 Steve Wallace (Charlotte, NC) Chevrolet/Arteus Homes & Communities

#70 Mark Green (Owensboro, KY) Chevrolet/Foretravel Motorcoach

#75 Johnny Sauter (Necedah, WI) Chevrolet/TBA

#81 D.J. Kennington (St. Thomas, CA) Dodge/Mahindra

#84 Mike Harmon (Birmingport, AL) Chevrolet/Elite 2 Racing/Bartlett

#88 Brad Keselowski (Rochester Hls, MI) Chevrolet/U.S. Navy

#89 Morgan Shepherd (Conover, NC) Dodge/Victory In Jesus

#90 Johnny Chapman (Statesville, NC) Chevrolet/TBA

#91 Larry Gunselman (Snohomish, WA) Ford/TBA

#99 David Reutimann (Zephyrhills, FL) Toyota/Best Western/Aaron's

Notes

Bobby Labonte led for only two laps, the 58th and the last, but it wasgood enough for his 10th career Nationwide Series victory, as he clipped TonyStewart by less than a second. The win, in front of 75,000 at TalladegaSuperspeedway, was his first since winning at Darlington in March of 1998.With 36 lead changes among 20 drivers, Casey Mears was the most productive,leading nine times for 52 laps. Mears placed third, while pole sitter BradColeman, who led the first 14 laps, ended up ninth.In 2006, Martin Truex Jr made it three in a row, as he captured the Aaron's312 edging Kevin Harvick by less than a second. Truex reclaimed the lead onlap 99 and held on the rest of the way for his 13th career Nationwide Seriestitle. Truex, who started in the 12th position, led the race on sevenoccasions for 36 laps, as he crossed the finish line 0.086 of a second aheadof Harvick. Pole sitter J.J. Yeley failed to finish the race, as he placed34th. With the win, Truex became the first three-time winner of this race.In 2005, Truex started in the fourth position and led 46 of the scheduled 117laps en route to his second straight win at Talladega. Jon Wood, who began theday in the 31st spot, finished second, just 0.128 of a second behind Truex.The pole sitter has captured this race only once in the 16-year history, whenJoe Nemechek won back in 1998. Nemechek, who raced at Talladega 14 times, is afive-time pole sitter in this race and a two-time champion.Clint Bowyer owns a nine-point lead over Carl Edwards after nine races. Thisis the closest the drivers in first and second have been since 2001 when GregBiffle led Kevin Harvick by three points at this point in the season.Kyle Busch, winner of the last three Nationwide Series races, has his eyes seton a 25-year-old record. Busch, who tied Ryan Newman's feat of three straightin 2005, can equal Sam Ard's record streak set in 1983 with a win atTalladega. Busch is third on the points list, 66 shy of Bowyer.The NASCAR Nationwide championship moves to the Richmond International Racewayon May 2nd for the Lipton TEA 250, as Clint Bowyer defends his title.

12 Cup drivers enter Talladega Nationwide race
SceneDaily.com

Forty-three cars are on the Nationwide Series entry list for this weekend's Aaron's 312 at Talladega Superspeedway, ensuring a full field.

Included on the list are 12 Sprint Cup drivers. Four of those drivers run full time in the Nationwide Series: Clint Bowyer (Richard Childress Racing), David Ragan (Roush Fenway Racing), Carl Edwards (Roush Fenway) and David Reutimann (Michael Waltrip Racing).

The other eight Cup drivers entered at Talladega: Dale Earnhardt Jr. (JR Motorsports), Patrick Carpentier (Gillett Evernham Motorsports), Greg Biffle (Roush Fenway), Kyle Busch (Joe Gibbs Racing), Tony Stewart (JGR), Reed Sorenson (Fitz Motorsports), Denny Hamlin (Braun Racing) and Dario Franchitti (Chip Ganassi Racing).

Part-time drivers entered with full-time teams are Dwayne Leik (Davis Motorsports), Robert Richardson (Jay Robinson Racing), Stephen Leicht (RCR), Scott Wimmer (RCR), Cale Gale (Kevin Harvick Inc.), Kyle Krisiloff (Chip Ganassi Racing), Derrike Cope (Means Racing), David Stremme (Rusty Wallace Racing) and Johnny Chapman (MSRP Motorsports). Johnny Sauter, who started the season with Phoenix Racing, is entered in a Schacht Motorsports Chevrolet.

Stewart on Nationwide pole at Talladega

Talladega, AL (Sports Network) - Apparently Tony Stewart hasn't been bothered by all the talk of him possibly leaving Joe Gibbs Racing as he captured the pole for Saturday's Aaron's 312 Nationwide Series race at the giant 2.66-mile Talladega Superspeedway. Over the past two days, there have been reports that Stewart was looking at his options after his contract at JGR was up (following the 2009 season).

The No.20 JGR Toyota driver circled the huge tri-oval in 51.676 seconds (185.308 m.p.h.). The pole victory was Stewart's second of the season and sixth of his Nationwide career. His other pole this year was also at a superspeedway - at Daytona in the Nationwide season opener which he won.

"This is the same car that I won Daytona with so I hope we're looking at the same kind of weekend," said Stewart.

Starting alongside Stewart will be Mike Bliss who posted a second-best time of 51.745 seconds. It is Bliss' fifth career front-row start.

Jason Leffler (51.768) and Dario Franchitti (51.809) will make up row two.

After winning his third straight race, this one on the road course in Mexico City, Kyle Busch has pulled to within 66 points of series leader Clint Bowyer. "Rowdy" could easily have notched six Nationwide wins in 2008.

Busch and Stewart were the two fastest cars in the season opener at Daytona and the veteran Stewart edged his Joe Gibbs Racing teammate. At Atlanta, Busch led 153 laps and was the best on the track but with 25 laps to go Busch's right-front tire went flat causing him to crash into the first-turn wall to ruin another great performance. In Nashville, Busch led 125 laps when he spun his Toyota.

Busch, starting eighth in tomorrow's race, will try for a record-tying fourth straight win, matching Sam Ard's streak which he established in 1983.

"I feel like we'll have a decent shot at it," said Busch. "I tend to have a tough time finishing races here, so if any track would kill the streak it's going to be here."

Bowyer, the points leader will start sixth. He is the only driver in the series to start in the top-10 for all 10 races in 2008.

The race is schedule to drop the green flag on Saturday at 3:00 p.m. (et).