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Orbitz 300 Preview

Feb 17, 2007 - 11:25 AM

February 17, 2007 
Daytona International Speedway 
Daytona Beach, Florida 
Race 1 of 35 on Busch Series circuit

Laps: 120
Track length: 2 1/2 miles 
Race length: 300 miles

Qualifying record: Tommy Houston, 194.389 mph (1987)
Race record: Geoffrey Bodine, 157.137 mph (1985)


DRIVERS TO WATCH
----------------

Carl Edwards
Team: Roush Racing
Car: No. 60 Ford Fusion
2006 Earnings: $1,093,470

Stands to gain the most with reigning champion Kevin Harvick
opting against running the full Busch Series schedule in 2007;
defending series runner-up was second only to Harvick in
victories (4), top-five finishes (15) and top-10 finishes (25);
also finished third in the series in 2005; one of just five
Nextel Cup drivers who plan to run "double-duty" slate this
season; placed 39th in this event last season and has struggled
in Busch races here, finishing no higher than 12th in his four
career starts.

Kevin Harvick
Team: Richard Childress Racing
Car: No. 21 Chevrolet Monte Carlo
2006 Earnings: $1,345,380

Absolutely dominated throughout the 2006 campaign to earn his
second career series title; paced the series with nine checkered
flags, 23 top-five finishes and 32 top-10s; failed to place
inside the top 10 in just three races last season; will not
defend his championship this season, opting to share driving
duties with rookie Timothy Peters; has placed inside the top
five in all five career starts in this event, including a
fifth-place finish last season.

Juan Pablo Montoya
Team: Chip Ganassi Racing
Car: No. 42 Dodge Charger
2006 Earnings: $79,205

Former Indianapolis 500 winner brings instant drawing value to
the Busch Series; open-wheel star left Formula One last July to
join Chip Ganassi Racing and plans to run the full Nextel Cup
schedule this season; started four Busch races last season but
failed to record a top-10 finish; delivered his best performance
in his debut at Memphis, where he placed 11th in the Sam's Town
250; closed the campaign with a 14th-place finish at
Homestead-Miami in the Ford 300; won the Indy 500 in 2000 and
captured seven checkered flags in F1.

David Ragan
Team: Roush Racing
Car: No. 6 Ford Fusion
2006 Earnings: $56,555

Rookie in both the Nextel Cup and Busch series will run
"double-duty" schedule in 2007; started in three Busch races
last season but failed to place inside the top 15; enjoyed a
successful rookie campaign on the Craftsman Truck Series in
2006, recording one top-five finish and eight top-10s in 19
starts; has not started a race at this track in a stock car.

David Reutimann
Team: Michael Waltrip Racing
Car: No. 99 Toyota Camry
2006 Earnings: $360,990

Plans to run full "double-duty" schedule in 2007, his first year
at Michael Waltrip Racing; one of four Toyota drivers entered
in this event; enjoyed success in his limited Busch experience
last season, registering four top-10 finishes in just 15 starts;
has participated in Busch events in each of the past five
seasons, collecting two top-five finishes and seven top-10s in
31 career starts; finished third in the NCTS standings last
season, recording seven-top five finishes and 19 top-10s in 25
starts.

Tony Stewart
Team: Kevin Harvick Inc.
Car: No. 33 Chevrolet Monte Carlo
2006 Earnings: $393,395

Two-time Nextel Cup champion has won this event each of the past
two seasons; started 2007 season in grand fashion with a
victory here in the Budweiser Shootout, a non-points race; along
with his victory in this event, recorded four other top-10
finishes in this series last season, including a runner-up in
the O'Reilly Challenge at Texas; has participated in Busch
events in parts of seven seasons, collecting 15 top-five
finishes and 18 top-10s in 65 career starts.

J.J. Yeley
Team: Joe Gibbs Racing
Car: No. 1 Chevrolet Monte Carlo
2006 Earnings: $954,604

Enjoyed outstanding 2006 campaign with 22 top-10 finishes, the
fourth-highest total on the circuit; also registered three poles
and nine top-five finishes en route to fifth place in the
series standings; one of five "double-duty" drivers who joins
Edwards as preseason championship favorites; captured the pole
in this event last season and finished eighth, his best career
performance in this race; delivered his best outing last season
at Kentucky, placing second behind David Gilliland in the Meijer
300; full-time Nextel Cup driver had three top-10 finishes last
season, his rookie campaign in NASCAR's premier circuit.

2006 Top 10
-----------
 1. Tony Stewart (33), Chevrolet
 2. Burney Lamar (77), Chevrolet
 3. Clint Bowyer (2) Chevrolet
 4. Jon Wood (47), Ford
 5. Kevin Harvick (29), Chevrolet
 6. Jason Leffler (32), Chevrolet
 7. Todd Kluever (06), Ford
 8. J.J. Yeley (18), Chevrolet
 9. Reed Sorenson (41), Dodge
10. Mark Green (4), Dodge
 
Past Champions
--------------
2006  Tony Stewart 
2005  Tony Stewart
2004  Dale Earnhardt Jr. 
2003  Dale Earnhardt Jr.
2002  Dale Earnhardt Jr.
2001  Randy LaJoie
2000  Matt Kenseth
1999  Randy LaJoie
1998  Joe Nemechek
1997  Randy LaJoie
1996  Steve Grissom
1995  Chad Little
1994  Dale Earnhardt
1993  Dale Earnhardt
1992  Dale Earnhardt 
1991  Dale Earnhardt
1990  Dale Earnhardt
1989  Darrell Waltrip
1988  Bobby Allison
1987  Geoffrey Bodine
1986  Dale Earnhardt
1985  Geoffrey Bodine
1984  Darrell Waltrip
1983  Darrell Waltrip
1982  Dale Earnhardt