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Carfax 250 Preview

Aug 18, 2007 - 10:28 AM

August 18, 2007 
Michigan International Speedway 
Brooklyn, Michigan 
Race 25 of 34 on the Busch Series circuit

TV: ESPN2, 3 p.m. EDT

Laps: 125 
Track length: 2 miles 
Race length: 250 miles

Qualifying record: Kasey Kahne, Ford, 186.490 mph, 2003 
Race record: Todd Bodine, Chevrolet, 162.749 mph, 2000


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

Carl Edwards 
Team: Roush Fenway Racing 
Car: No. 60 Ford Fusion
2007 Earnings: $923,335

Had consecutive poor showings on the road courses the past two
weeks, finishing 32nd at Watkins Glen after a 30th at Montreal
last week; has just one top-five and two top-10s over last six
races; despite recent struggles still maintains a commanding
766-point lead in the standings; has a series-best 17 top-10
finishes; has led in the standings for 22 consecutive weeks, and
has been in the top five following the last 51 Busch races; in
24 starts this season has four wins, trailing only Kevin
Harvick who has five; has posted 13 top-five finishes; finished
23rd at this race last year, but was third in 2005 and won the
Nextel Cup race here earlier this year.


Kevin Harvick 
Team: Richard Childress 
Racing Car: No. 21 Chevrolet Monte Carlo 
2007 Earnings: $808,730

Reigning series champion won at Watkins Glen for his third
straight victory and fourth in the last five races; also
finished second at Daytona over that dominant stretch; despite
racing in just 17 of 23 races, has a series-best five wins
(Daytona, New Hampshire, Chicago, Montreal, Watkins Glen) and is
third in the standings, 791 behind Edwards; worst finish in
2007 is 12th at Charlotte; only other finish out of top-10 was
an 11th at Texas; has six previous Busch starts at Michigan with
four top-10 finishes, including a win in 2003; was eighth here
last year.


Jason Leffler 
Team: Braun Racing 
Car: No. 38 Toyota Camry 
2007 Earnings: $797,797

Finished 27th at Watkins Glen a week after a 26th at Montreal;
the two poor showings on the road courses came after earning his
second career Busch series victory at Indianapolis, which gave
Toyota its first series victory; remains fourth in the
standings, 920 points behind Edwards; started the season with
four DNFs in the first six races, but has none since; over
recent ten-race stretch, has a pair of third-place finishes and
a fourth-place finish; has been inconsistent with eight finishes
of 30th or worse in 19 races this year; has four previous Busch
starts at Michigan with one top-10 finish, seventh in 2004; was
13th here a year ago.


David Ragan 
Team: Roush Fenway Racing 
Car: No. 6 Ford Fusion
2007 Earnings: $551,222

Remained fifth in the standings after finishing 21st at Watkins
Glen; finished fifth at Gateway four races ago; scored three
top-five and five top-10 finishes in 2007; best finish this year
was third at Talladega; won the pole and finished fifth at
Texas; also has five finishes of 30th or worse this season;
leads the Raybestos Rookie of the Year standings by 18 points
over Marcos Ambrose; has no starts at Michigan in the Busch
Series, but has two Craftsman Truck series starts here with a
best finish of 19th in 2006.


David Reutimann 
Team: Michael Waltrip Racing 
Car: No. 99 Toyota Camry 
2007 Earnings: $764,693

Finished 25th at Watkins Glen, remaining second in the
standings; gained 86 points on Edwards in the last two races and
trails by 766; had consecutive third place finishes at both
Indianapolis and Gateway; has nine top-10 finishes in 2007
including his career best finish of second place at the first
Nashville race; has also finished 30th or worse four times this
season; has one Busch series start at Michigan, starting second
and finishing sixth in 2003.


2006 Top 10
-----------
 1. Dale Earnhardt Jr. (8), Chevrolet 
 2. Casey Mears (42), Dodge
 3. Robby Gordon (88), Chevrolet 
 4. Matt Kenseth (17), Ford 
 5. Mark Martin (6), Ford 
 6. Denny Hamlin (20), Chevrolet 
 7. Reed Sorenson (41), Dodge 
 8. Kevin Harvick (21), Chevrolet 
 9. J.J. Yeley (18), Chevrolet 
10. Jeff Burton (29), Chevrolet


Past Champions
--------------
2006  Dale Earnhardt Jr. 
2005  Ryan Newman 
2004  Kyle Busch 
2003  Kevin Harvick 
2002  Michael Waltrip 
2001  Ryan Newman 
2000  Todd Bodine 
1999  Dale Earnhardt Jr. 
1998  Jeff Burton 
1997  Steve Park 
1996  Jeff Purvis 
1995  Mark Martin  
1994  Bobby Labonte 
1993  Mark Martin 
1992  Todd Bodine