Dover 200 News and Notes

Driver to win the Dover 200

701 Matt Kenseth +300
702 Carl Edwards +400
703 Kevin Harvick +500
704 Tony Stewart +600
705 Denny Hamlin +600
706 Casey Mears +900
707 Greg Biffle +1200
708 Jamie McMurray +2000
709 Juan Montoya +2500
710 Elliot Sadler +2500
711 Reed Sorrenson +3500
712 Dave Blaney +4000
713 Scott Wimmer +4000
714 David Reutimann +5000
715 Jason Leffler +5000
716 JJ Yeley +5000

@TheGreek

Jeff Burton Returns to Dover International Speedway to Defend NASCAR Busch Series Win
May 30, 2007

Jeff Burton returns to Dover International Speedway this weekend to defend his NASCAR Busch Series win of a year ago. At that race, Burton flashed his veteran wile. Driving arguably only the third-best car in that race, he captured the checkered flag, nudging out Carl Edwards (No. 60 Dish Network Ford) and Clint Bowyer, who led 67 and 62 laps, respectively. Burton led 19.

Burton earned a Driver Rating of 122.1 in that event and also had an Average Running Position of 8.410, a race-high 41 Fastest Laps Run and a race-high 24 Fastest Laps Run. Overall at Dover, Edwards has a Driver Rating of 103.9 and an Average Running Position of 7.6.

Another driver to watch this weekend is Ragan Smith who made a charge up the point standings with a fifth-place finish last weekend at Lowe’s Motor Speedway. The performance, which matched his career-best finish, vaulted Smith from eighth to sixth place in the standings, another career mark.

He had the fourth-best Average Running Position (7.925), the fifth-best Driver Rating (105.7) and the eighth-fastest Green Flag Speed. Also, Smith spent only eight laps outside the top 15.

On the other hand, Bobby Hamilton Jr. has dropped from the top 10. Hamilton has struggled of late with finishes of 22nd, 20th and 33rd over his last three races. His fall peaked this past weekend in Charlotte, as he dropped from seventh to 12th in the standings.

Hamilton stats at LMS were below par as well. Hamilton had an Average Running Position of 36.315 and a Driver Rating of 38.1. Coming into the Lowe’s race, he had a season-to-date Average Running Position of 22.477 and a Driver Rating of 64.3.

There is light at the end of the tunnel for Hamilton, though, who finished second at Dover in 2003 and fourth in ‘04, the last time he raced at at The Monster Mile in NASCAR Busch Series competition.

Looks like Burton will be in the #29 car and not Wimmer ???

www.autoracingdaily.com

Dover Busch race three short of full field
SCENEDAILY.COM

Without some last-minute entries, the Dover 200 Busch Series race at Dover International Speedway this weekend could see the smallest field for a Busch race in nearly six years.

Only 40 cars are on the preliminary entry list at Dover, three short of a full field. The last time a field was that small was for the GNC Live Well 200 at Watkins Glen International on July 8, 2001, when 39 cars raced.

There have been two races with less than full fields this year, when 41 cars raced at California and 42 at Talladega.

Nineteen of the 40 drivers entered at Dover have Nextel Cup rides: J.J. Yeley (Phoenix Racing), David Ragan (Roush Fenway Racing), Kasey Kahne (Evernham Motorsports), Dave Blaney (Braun Racing), Greg Biffle (Roush Fenway), Matt Kenseth (Roush Fenway), Denny Hamlin (Joe Gibbs Racing), Mike Bliss (Fitz Motorsports), Casey Mears (Hendrick Motorsports), David Gilliland (Team Rensi Motorsports), Ward Burton (Brewco Motorsports), Jeff Burton (RCR), Tony Raines (Kevin Harvick Inc.), Jamie McMurray (Brewco), Reed Sorenson (Chip Ganassi Racing), Juan Pablo Montoya (Ganassi), Carl Edwards (Roush Fenway), Kevin Harvick (KHI) and David Reutimann (Michael Waltrip Racing).

Eleven teams that were entered last weekend at Lowe's Motor Speedway aren't at Dover, but all 11 are part-time teams.

Seventy-two-year-old James Hylton is entered in DDL Motorsports' No. 01 Chevrolet and is assured a starting spot unless at least four more cars are entered.

This entry list shows Kahne driving ???

NASCAR Busch Series News and Notes - Dover 200

Putting It Into “Dover-Drive:” Jeff Burton’s 2006 Win Started His Surge

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (May 29, 2007) – Jeff Burton (No. 29 Holiday Inn Chevrolet) had a good start to his 2006 season in both NASCAR Busch Series and NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series competition, but after winning last year’s Dover 200, both of his series seasons seemed to click.

Burton had ended a national series winless streak that dated back to 2001 with a NASCAR Busch Series win at Atlanta Motor Speedway in March last season, but it’s the Dover win that truly launched his special year.

The 39-year-old South Boston, Va., native who is tied for fourth on the all-time series wins list with 24 – two of those wins came in succession this year at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and Atlanta – ran off four top fives and five top-10 finishes in the remaining nine NASCAR Busch Series races on his schedule after he won at Dover one year ago.

The resurgence was also evident in his NASCAR NEXTEL Cup ride as he surged in the point standings to not only claim a spot in the 2006 Chase for the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup, but took the lead after winning that series’ fall race at Dover. He held on to the top spot for the subsequent three races before eventually finishing seventh, his first foray into the Premier Series top 10 since 2001.

And the surge continues. In addition to the two NASCAR Busch Series wins this year, Burton is ninth in the points, the first time since 1999 he’s been in the top 10 more than once in the same season. He’s also fifth in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup standings with one win.

Top-10 Shuffle: Smith, Blaney Up; Reutimann, Hamilton Jr. Down
After 13 weeks of racing, the NASCAR Busch Series point standings are on either side of the lucky scale depending on which driver you talk to.

After seven consecutive weeks in the top 10 with a high ranking of fifth, Bobby Hamilton Jr. (No. 35 McDonald’s Ford) fell out of the standings after a season-worst 36th-place last Saturday at Lowe’s Motor Speedway. Hamilton is only four points out of finding his way back into the top 10, however.

David Reutimann (No. 99 Aaron’s Dream Machine Toyota) is also a bad-luck recipient as of late. After spending the last six weeks in the top 10, most recently ranked a career-high third following the event at Darlington Raceway, Reutimann is now fifth due to a 43rd place finish in Charlotte as a result of engine failure just four laps into the race. He’s still well within striking distance of spots within the top five, though.

Those who consider 13 lucky include Regan Smith (No. 4 Ginn Resorts Chevrolet) who has tied Reutimann with 1,393 points and is sixth in the standings, a career-best for the Cato, N.Y., native. He’s also the highest-ranked among series regulars and tied his career-best fifth-place finish at LMS.

Reutimann’s misfortune pushed Dave Blaney (No. 10 Fan1st.com Toyota) back into third place and within striking distance of reigning series champion Kevin Harvick (No. 77 Dollar General Chevrolet). Blaney comes to Dover 169 points behind second place Harvick.

In The Loop: Hamilton Jr.’s Dover History Could East Recent Slump

Jeff Burton returns to Dover International Speedway this weekend to defend his NASCAR Busch Series win of a year ago. At that race, Burton flashed his veteran wile. Driving arguably only the third-best car in that race, he captured the checkered flag, nudging out Carl Edwards (No. 60 Dish Network Ford) and Clint Bowyer, who led 67 and 62 laps, respectively. Burton led 19.

Burton earned a Driver Rating of 122.1 in that event and also had an Average Running Position of 8.410, a race-high 41 Fastest Laps Run and a race-high 24 Fastest Laps Run. Overall at Dover, Edwards has a Driver Rating of 103.9 and an Average Running Position of 7.6.

Another driver to watch this weekend is Ragan Smith who made a charge up the point standings with a fifth-place finish last weekend at Lowe’s Motor Speedway. The performance, which matched his career-best finish, vaulted Smith from eighth to sixth place in the standings, another career mark.

He had the fourth-best Average Running Position (7.925), the fifth-best Driver Rating (105.7) and the eighth-fastest Green Flag Speed. Also, Smith spent only eight laps outside the top 15.

On the other hand, Bobby Hamilton Jr. has dropped from the top 10. Hamilton has struggled of late with finishes of 22nd, 20th and 33rd over his last three races. His fall peaked this past weekend in Charlotte, as he dropped from seventh to 12th in the standings.

Hamilton stats at LMS were below par as well. Hamilton had an Average Running Position of 36.315 and a Driver Rating of 38.1. Coming into the Lowe’s race, he had a season-to-date Average Running Position of 22.477 and a Driver Rating of 64.3.

There is light at the end of the tunnel for Hamilton, though, who finished second at Dover in 2003 and fourth in ‘04, the last time he raced at at The Monster Mile in NASCAR Busch Series competition.

NBS ETC.

* Kasey Kahne (No. 9 Wisk Dodge) goes for back-to-back wins this weekend. He captured last Saturday’s race in Charlotte. Jeff Burton and Carl Edwards have won consecutive races this season.

* Jason Keller (No. 11 CJM Racing Chevrolet) goes for start No. 404 at Dover. He’s chasing the all-time record of 417 set by Tommy Houston.

* Shane Huffman (No. 88 U.S. NAVY Chevrolet) is scheduled to visit Bethesda Naval Hospital and the Navy Investigative Services headquarters in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday prior to arriving in Dover.

* Keep an eye on Steve Wallace (No. 66 HomeLife Communities Dodge). The 19-year-old now has his uncle, NASCAR Busch Series veteran Kenny Wallace, spotting for him and the RWI team has traditionally done well at Dover. …

* James Hylton (No. 01 RACEGIRL Chevrolet), 72, and Morgan Shepherd (No. 89 Victory in Jesus Racing Dodge), 65, are entered at Dover. Shepherd won at Dover from the Busch Pole in 1986.

* In addition to Shepherd, there are five other former winners at Dover entered in the field including two-time victors and Roush Fenway teammates Greg Biffle and Matt Kenseth (No. 17 Arby’s Ford). Kenseth’s win in 1998 came one day before his NASCAR NEXTEL Cup debut. His seven top-five finishes are the most among all drivers in NASCAR Busch Series competition at the track and his 637 laps led are the most among active drivers at The Monster Mile.

WHAT TO WATCH FOR AT DOVER:

“Dover lives up to its “Monster Mile” nickname due to the loads that are placed on all of the chassis parts. The high banking and high speeds also place a lot of stress on all of the suspension parts.

“The concrete surface will be a factor, too. Teams will need to manage their tires since Dover is one of four tracks we go to this year where only five sets of tires can be used. The majority of our events utilize six sets for practice, qualifying and the race.

“Pit strategy plays a big part at this race. Pit road at Dover is tight with concrete boxes, so drivers need to have their cars under control and not slide the tires. This is key especially if they’re making a two-tire stop.

Lastly, teams may gamble on taking fuel only to gain track position.”

Rookie Spotlight: Ambrose Righting The Ship

• High Five: Ragan Ups Lead Over Montoya: increased his lead from two to five points over Juan Pablo Montoya following last Saturday night’s race in Charlotte. Ragan’s finish wasn’t sharp – 25th – but it was enough to pad his lead after Montoya’s 40th-place result due to an accident. That finish was his worst since the start of the season at Daytona when he was also saddled with 40th.

• Ambrose Regains Some Footing: Early-season surprise Marcos Ambrose (No. 59 Kingsford Ford) led the standings as recently as after Talladega but has lacked consistency since Atlanta where he finished 28th. Ambrose had four top-20 finishes in his first seven races – including two top 10s – but averaged a forgetful 26th over his next four events. But he’s picked up his performance over the last two races with finishes of 19th and 20th, respectively.

• Richardson Returns: Robert Richardson Jr. is scheduled to drive the No. 28 U.S. Border Patrol Chevrolet for Haas/CNC Racing at Dover. Richardson’s last race was at Talladega Superspeedway in April where he posted his career-best finish (19th).

Loop Data Statistics:

Driver Rating – Ky. Busch (113.2) Average Running Position – Edwards (7.516) Fastest Laps Run – Ky. Busch (242 fastest laps) Quality Passes – Edwards (599) Laps In Top 15 – Edwards (2,165 of a possible 2,389)

Chevrolet Rules In Manufacturer Standings And At Dover, But Dodge Could Factor In
Chevrolet remains solidly in the lead in the Bill France Performance Cup standings as the NASCAR Busch Series moves on to Dover. Chevy is also the leader in victories at The Monster Mile, having won 20 times at the track, including two in a row and six of the last eight races there.

Ford – second in the standings – broke into that streak with a Greg Biffle victory in this race in 2004. But it’s Dodge (third in the rankings) that snapped Chevy’s string most recently with a victory by Ryan Newman in the fall race in 2005, and it’s Dodge that may have an upper hand in once again challenging Chevrolet this weekend.

Kasey Kahne captured the manufacturer’s second win of the season last Saturday at Lowe’s Motor Speedway and first since Juan Pablo Montoya won in Mexico City in March. Dodge also had two cars in the top 10 in this event last year at Dover.

Toyota, 11 points behind Dodge in the standings, will make its debut at Dover.

Up Next: Federated Auto Parts 300 Presented By Dollar General At Nashville Superspeedway

The first portion of the summer’s “stand-alone” season begins June 9 at Nashville Superspeedway when the NASCAR Busch Series makes its second visit of the year to the 1.333-mile track for a Saturday night event.

Standings leader Carl Edwards won this race last year while Roush Fenway teammate Todd Kluever captured his first career Busch Pole. Edwards will seek his second consecutive victory at Nashville after also winning arguably the most coveted trophy in the series – the Gibson guitar custom-painted by famed NASCAR artist Sam Bass – this past April.

The Federated Auto Parts 300 presented by Dollar General is the first of three consecutive stand-alone events for the NASCAR Busch Series in the month of June; solo races at Kentucky Speedway (June 16) and The Milwaukee Mile (June 23) follow.

Schedule: Fri. 9–10:20 a.m. – Practice; 1:20–2:45 p.m. – Rookie Practice; 2–3:00 p.m. – Final Practice. Sat. 11:05 a.m. – Qualifying (Impound).

NASCAR - Busch - Dover 200 Preview
The Sports Network

Date: Saturday, June 2nd

Start Time: 3 p.m. (et)

Site: Dover International Speedway, Dover, Delaware

Track: 1-mile paved oval speedway

Laps: 200

Miles: 200

On TV: ESPN 2

Announcers: Dr. Jerry Punch, Dale Jarrett and Andy Petree

On Radio: MRN/XM Satellite

Race record: 130.152 m.p.h. (Dale Earnhardt Jr, 1998)

Qualifying record: 157.916 m.p.h. (David Green, 2004)

2006 Finish

Defending champion: Jeff Burton

Runner up: Carl Edwards

Pole winner: none due to inclement weather

Top 10:

1. Jeff Burton (Start: 36)

2. Carl Edwards (2)

3. Kurt Busch (32)

4. Clint Bowyer (3)

5. Ron Hornaday Jr (13)

6. Kyle Busch (7)

7. Denny Hamlin (4)

8. Greg Biffle (6)

9. J.J. Yeley (5)

10. Reed Sorenson (16)

Past winners

2006 Jeff Burton, Chevrolet, 103.791 m.p.h.

2005 Martin Truex Jr, Chevrolet, 97.258 m.p.h.

2004 Greg Biffle, Ford, 87.934 m.p.h.

2003 Joe Nemechek, Chevrolet, 104.651 m.p.h.

2002 Greg Biffle, Ford, 110.735 m.p.h.

2001 Jimmy Spencer, Chevrolet, 91.394 m.p.h.

2000 Jason Keller, Chevrolet, 99.709 m.p.h.

1999 Dale Earnhardt Jr, Chevrolet, 91.324 m.p.h.

1998 Dale Earnhardt Jr, Chevrolet, 130.152 m.p.h. (race record)

1997 Bobby Labonte, Chevrolet, 114.358 m.p.h.

1996 Randy Lajoie, Chevrolet, 96.308 m.p.h.

1995 Mike McLaughlin, Chevrolet, 102.887 m.p.h.

1994 Mike Wallace, Chevrolet, 96.013 m.p.h.

1993 Todd Bodine, Chevrolet, 116.694 m.p.h.

1992 Robert Pressley, Oldsmobile, 89.408 m.p.h.

1991 Todd Bodine, Buick, 118.323 m.p.h.

1990 Michael Waltrip, Pontiac, 108.091 m.p.h.

1989 Rick Wilson, Oldsmobile, 114.122 m.p.h.

1988 Bobby Hillin Jr, Buick, 112.236 m.p.h.

1987 Mark Martin, Ford, 101.408 m.p.h.

1986 Darrell Waltrip, Chevrolet, 107.914 m.p.h.

1985 Darrell Waltrip, Chevrolet, 108.926 m.p.h.

1984 Sam Ard, Oldsmobile, 111.888 m.p.h.

1983 Ricky Rudd, Oldsmobile, 118.285 m.p.h.

1982 Joe Ruttman, Pontiac, 111.679 m.p.h.

Notes
Last season, Jeff Burton raced across the finish line, 1.170 seconds ahead of Carl Edwards for his 22nd career Busch Series title. Starting from the 36th position, Burton worked his way to the front on lap 182 of the 200- lap race and held on for the win. Edwards led three times for a race-high 67 laps, while pole sitter Kevin Harvick led for six and placed 13th. Burton has increased his win total to 24, ranking him fourth on the all-time list.

In 2005, Martin Truex Jr crossed the finish line two seconds ahead of Reed Sorenson for his third win of the 2005 season and the ninth of his Busch Career. Truex, who started in the fifth position on the grid, reclaimed the lead on lap 143 and held on the rest of the way. Overall, Truex led for a total of 70 laps. Pole sitter Carl Edwards finished 31st due to engine problems.

At last year's race, Burton earned a Driver Rating of 122.1 in that event and also had an Average Running Position of 8.410, a race-high 41 Fastest Laps Run and a race-high 24 Fastest Laps Run. Overall at Dover, Edwards has a Driver Rating of 103.9 and an Average Running Position of 7.6.

Jason Keller goes for start No. 404 at Dover. He's chasing the all-time record of 417 set by Tommy Houston.

In addition to Morgan Shepherd, there are five other former winners at Dover entered in the field including two-time victors and Roush Fenway teammates Greg Biffle and Matt Kenseth. Kenseth's win in 1998 came one day before his NASCAR NEXTEL Cup debut. His seven top-five finishes are the most among all drivers in NASCAR Busch Series competition at the track and his 637 laps led are the most among active drivers at The Monster Mile.

The NASCAR Busch championship moves to the Nashville Superspeedway for the Federated Auto Parts 300 on June 9th, as Carl Edwards defends his title.

Edwards Fastest in Busch Practice:

#60-Carl Edwards was the fastest of 38 drivers who took to the track Friday morning for the opening practice session at Dover. His top speed was 152.957mph. #90-Stephen Leicht was second, #20-Denny Hamlin third, #10-Dave Blaney fourth, and #77-Kevin Harvick fifth. The rest of the top 10 were #29-Jeff Burton, #24-Casey Mears, #33-Tony Raines, #16-Greg Biffle, and #9-Kasey Kahne.

Edwards Fastest in Busch Practice: #60-Carl Edwards was the fastest of 38 drivers who took to the track Friday morning for the opening practice session at Dover. His top speed was 152.957mph. #90-Stephen Leicht was second, #20-Denny Hamlin third, #10-Dave Blaney fourth, and #77-Kevin Harvick fifth. The rest of the top 10 were #29-Jeff Burton, #24-Casey Mears, #33-Tony Raines, #16-Greg Biffle, and #9-Kasey Kahne.

Hamlin Paces in Happy Hour: #20-Denny Hamlin's speed of 153.231mph was fastest in Happy Hour at Dover. #9-Kasey Kahne was second, #16-Greg Biffle third, #10-Dave Blaney fourth, and #21-Scott Wimmer fifth. Mark Martin practiced the #47 in place of Jon Wood, who is sick. There were 2 incidents during the session; a spin and contact with the wall by #14-Kyle Krisiloff. The team will repair the damage. And contact with the wall by #23-Brad Keselowski.

www.jayski.com

Wood Brothers/JTG Racing team officials confirmed that Travis Kvapil will substitute the driving duties for Jon Wood in the No. 47 Clorox Ford Fusion for the NASCAR Busch Series Dover 200 on Saturday, June 2nd. After completing the first Busch Series practice session Friday morning, Jon Wood complained of a severe headache. “We respect Jon’s decision to step aside while he’s not feeling well and look forward to having him back as soon as possible,” said team owner Tad Geschickter

Hamlin On Pole in Dover: #20-Denny Hamlin captured his third Busch pole in the last four races with a qualifying speed of 153.564mph. #21-Scott Wimmer will start second, #59-Marcos Ambrose third, #10-Davle Blaney fourth, and #4-Regan Smith fifth. The rest of the top ten are #16-Greg Biffle, #6-David Ragan, #60-Carl Edwards, #24-Casey Mears, and #37-Jamie McMurray. There were a few incidents during the session. #72-D.J. Kennington spun on his qualifying lap but didn't hit anything. #60-Carl Edwards scraped the wall while coming to the green, but only suffered minor sheetmetal damage. #76-Jerick Johnson spun but didn't hurt anything. With only 43 cars at the track, there were no DNQs.

www.jayski.com

Edwards dominates Monster Mile
June 2nd, 2007

Dover, DE (Sports Network) - Carl Edwards led 121 of 200 laps to win Saturday afternoon's Dover 200 at the Dover International Speedway. The No.60 Ford crossed the finish line under caution ahead of pole winner Denny Hamlin.

The victory was Edwards' third of the season and 12th of his Busch career.

After winning the pole earlier in the day Hamlin led the 43-car field to the green flag for 200 laps of racing around the famous "Monster Mile." The No.20 Chevrolet pulled away to a one-second lead early as Scott Wimmer followed behind in second.

On lap 11 the first of 11 caution flags over the afternoon came out for a Brent Sherman crash.

During the restart Hamlin continued to show the way. Meanwhile Nextel Cup drivers Kevin Harvick and Matt Kenseth continued to make their way to the front of the field. They started the race in 29th and 19th, respectively.

On lap 37 the second caution flag came out when Shane Huffman went flying into the wall due to a blown right-front tire. This caution allowed the leaders to make their first pit stops of the race.

Hamlin was able to maintain the first position when the stops were complete. A slow stop by Wimmer dropped him to the 10th spot. Harvick and Kenseth drove in 11th and 12th after the stops.

On lap 45 the No.20 Chevrolet led Greg Biffle, Edwards, Casey Mears and Jeff Burton to the restart.

The youngster led the first 46 laps before Biffle used the outside lane to pass for the lead. Hamlin would take back the lead just two laps later.

The No.20 Chevrolet continued to lead despite heavy pressure from the points leader, Edwards. On lap 52 Edwards passed Hamlin to take the first position. The No.60 Ford quickly built a two-second margin. Hamlin and Biffle battled for second as Edwards started to take over the race.

Edwards was still the leader when Robert Richardson brought out the caution flag on lap 85. This allowed for another round of pit stops for the leaders.

The race off pit road was won by Edwards. Hamlin, Burton, Wimmer and Kasey Kahne followed behind the leader. Kahne gained six spots on the stop.

Edwards held onto the first spot when the race got restarted on lap 90. A few laps into the race Biffle unfortunately ran over some debris on the track. His right-rear tire went down causing him to have to make an unscheduled pit stop. Biffle was involved in a couple more incidents later in the race.

After 100 laps of racing, the halfway point, the top-five read: Edwards, Hamlin, Burton, Wimmer and Kahne.

On lap 109 another unscheduled stop occurred when Burton had concerns of a tire going down.

Meanwhile the No.60 Ford continued to show the way. Wimmer and Hamlin battled behind him for second place.

The next caution flag came out due to debris on the track. Under the caution period Edwards led the field down pit road for service.

Once again Edwards was the winner off pit road. He was followed by Hamlin, Kahne, Jason Leffler and Mike Bliss.

The No.60 Ford led the field to the restart. But another caution was quick to come out due to a Stephen Leicht spin out. Mike Wallace and David Ragan couldn't avoid Leicht and they both received damage to their cars.

The red flag came out on lap 126 to allow for all the debris to be cleaned up.

On lap 130 the race finally got back underway. Edwards pulled away from the field and continued to increase his lead. The margin reached over three seconds by lap 145. Hamlin and Wimmer continued their battle for second while Mears drove in the fourth spot.

With 40 laps to go the sixth caution flag of the afternoon came out. The last pit stops for the leaders took place under the caution period.

The top-two spots belonged to Kenseth and Marcos Ambrose when they chose not to stop. Hamlin found himself in the third spot after he won the race off pit road. Wimmer, Edwards, Mears and Kenseth followed behind the leader.

On the restart Hamlin and Edwards used their fresh tires to pass Ambrose. But their march to the front was halted quickly when some back markers got together to bring out the caution flag again. With 33 laps remaining the red flag came out to allow for the track to be cleaned for the second time.

The race got back underway with 29 laps to go and Kenseth leading Hamlin, Edwards, Ambrose and Wimmer. Not even a lap was completed before the next caution flag came out for a Biffle spin out.

When the race got restarted with 25 laps to go Kenseth was able to hold onto the lead. Edwards took over the second spot when he used the inside lane to pass Hamlin.

The ninth caution flag came out when Jason Keller spun out.

With 17 laps remaining Kenseth led the field to the restart. Kenseth received heavy pressure from Edwards, who was running on fresher tires. Fourteen laps to go Edwards and took the inside lane to take over the lead. Kenseth fell all the way to fourth.

The 10th caution flag came out with 10 laps remaining when Brad Keselowski crashed.

With only five laps left in the race Edwards led Hamlin, Wimmer, Kenseth and Mears to the restart.

The No.60 Ford was able to pull away as Hamlin, Wimmer and Mears battled for second. After seeing the white flag Edwards had comfortable lead when some back markers crashed to bring out final caution flag of the day.

Edwards crossed the finish line under the caution for the win. Hamlin, Wimmer, Mears and Kenseth completed the top-five.

The next race in the Busch Series is set for Saturday, June 9th at the Nashville Superspeedway.