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Federated Auto Parts 300 Preview

Jun 9, 2007 - 10:49 AM

June 9, 2007
Nashville Superspeedway 
Lebanon, Tennessee
Race 15 of 35 on the Busch Series circuit

Laps: 225 
Track length: 1.33 miles 
Race length: 300 miles

Qualifying record: Martin Truex Jr., Chevrolet, 166.515 mph, 2004
Race record: Jack Sprague, Chevrolet, 125.244 mph, 2002


DRIVERS TO WATCH
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Marcos Ambrose
Team: Woods Brothers/JTG Racing
Car: No. 59 Ford Fusion
2007 Earnings: $395,008

Circuit's top rookie registered a career-best sixth-place finish
last week at Dover and is eighth in the standings; ended a
string of nine consecutive finishes of 17th or worse; has three
top-10 finishes this season, including an eighth place at Mexico
City on March 4; did not run in this event last season.

Dave Blaney
Team: Braun Racing
Car: No. 10 Toyota Camry
2007 Earnings: $444,488

Ran 16th last weekend at Dover but remained third in the
standings, a whopping 672 points behind leader Carl Edwards; ran
11th two weeks ago at Charlotte; has recorded two top-five
finishes and five top-10s in 14 starts this season; the top
Toyota driver in the series thus far, a bright spot in a
disappointing debut season for the new manufacturer; did not run
in this race last season.

Clint Bowyer
Team: Richard Childress Racing
Car: No. 2 Chevrolet Monte Carlo
2007 Earnings: $348,195

Has been outstanding over his last five Busch starts, collecting
two checkered flags and a third-place finish two weeks ago in
Charlotte; is just 15th in the series standings, starting in
just nine of the 14 races this season; has six top-five finishes
and seven top-10s; did not race last week at Dover; was
runner-up to Edwards in this event last season.

Carl Edwards
Team: Roush Fenway Racing
Car: No. 60 Ford Fusion
2007 Earnings: $599,200

Has an overwhelming 472-point cushion in the series standings
and was the only driver on the circuit to register a top-10
finish in each of the first 10 races this season; rebounded from
a season-worst 17th in Charlotte by capturing his
series-leading third checkered flag of the campaign; is
threatening to turn series standings into a total runaway, much
the way Kevin Harvick did a year ago; was the series runner-up a
year ago to Harvick and has pounced with defending champion not
running a full series slate; also running a full schedule in
Nextel Cup Series; won this event last season.

Bobby Hamilton Jr.
Team: Team Rensi Motorsports
Car: No. 35 Ford Fusion
2007 Earnings: $377,613

Climbed three spots to ninth in the standings after running 10th
last weekend at Dover; struggled to a 33rd-place finish at
Charlotte and has recorded just two top-10 finishes over the
first 14 races this season; ran 12th at Talladega and has not
finished higher than ninth, which he accomplished at Nashville;
has not captured a checkered flag since 2003, when he won four
races; did not run in this race last year.

2006 Top 10
-----------
 1. Carl Edwards (60), Ford
 2. Clint Bowyer (2), Chevrolet
 3. Kevin Harvick (21), Chevrolet
 4. Denny Hamlin (20), Chevrolet
 5. Paul Menard (11), Chevrolet
 6. David Reutimann (99), Dodge
 7. Greg Biffle (66), Ford
 8. Jon Wood (47), Ford
 9. Ashton Lewis Jr. (25), Ford
10. Danny O'Quinn Jr. (50), Ford

Past Champions
--------------
2006  Carl Edwards
2005  Clint Bowyer
2004  Jason Leffler
2003  Scott Riggs
2002  Jack Sprague