BUSCH Emerson Radio 250
Final
for this game
Emerson Radio 250 Preview
Sep 7, 2007 - 10:48 AMSeptember 7, 2007
Richmond International Raceway
Richmond, Virginia
Race 28 of 34 on the Busch Series circuit
TV: ESPN2, 8 p.m. EDT
Laps: 250
Track length: 3/4-mile
Race length: 187 miles
Qualifying record: Kyle Busch, Chevrolet, 129.348 mph, May 2004
Race record: Dale Jarrett, Ford, 104.928 mph, September 1995
DRIVERS TO WATCH
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Carl Edwards
Team: Roush Fenway Racing
Car: No. 60 Ford Fusion
2007 Earnings: $1,000,910
Continues to struggle, running 26th at California, his fifth
consecutive finish outside the top-10; lead in the standings has
been cut to 654 points over Kevin Harvick, down from 852 after
Indianapolis six races ago; finished 11th at Bristol and 28th at
Michigan following consecutive poor showings on the road
courses where he ran 32nd at Watkins Glen after a 30th at
Montreal; has just one top-five and two top-10s over last nine
races; despite recent struggles still has a series-best 17
top-10 finishes along with Harvick; has led in the standings for
25 consecutive weeks, and has been in the top five following
the last 54 Busch races; in 27 starts this season has four wins,
trailing only Harvick who has five; has posted 13 top-five
finishes; finished 13th here in May, and was ninth in this race
last year.
Kevin Harvick
Team: Richard Childress Racing
Car: No. 21 Chevrolet Monte Carlo
2007 Earnings: $905,370
Reigning series champion finished seventh at California after a
16th at Bristol - his worst finish of 2007; moved up to second
in the standings and is now 652 behind Edwards; has 17 top-10
finishes, tying him with Edwards for the series most despite
seven less starts; won at Watkins Glen for his third straight
victory and fourth in the last eight races; also finished second
at Daytona over that dominant stretch; despite racing in just
20 races, has a series-best five wins (Daytona, New Hampshire,
Chicago, Montreal, Watkins Glen); previous worst finish was 12th
at Charlotte; only other finish out of top-10 was an 11th at
Texas; has won the past three September Busch races at Richmond
and has 10 top-10s in 13 previous starts here; was fourth here
in May.
Jason Leffler
Team: Braun Racing
Car: No. 38 Toyota Camry
2007 Earnings: $923,786
Finished 14th at California, following a second place showing at
Bristol after leading a race-high 81 laps; remains fourth in
the points standings; placed 12th at Michigan after running 27th
at Watkins Glen and 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; started the season with four DNFs in the first
six races, but has none since; over recent ten-race stretch, had
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 nine previous Busch starts at Richmond with
only two top-10 finishes; finished 37th here earlier this year.
David Ragan
Team: Roush Fenway Racing
Car: No. 6 Ford Fusion
2007 Earnings: $620,997
Remained fifth in the standings after finishing 10th at
California - his second straight top-10 after a sixth at
Bristol; struggled prior to that with a pair of 21st showings at
Michigan and Watkins Glen; finished fifth at Gateway seven
races ago; scored three top-five and seven 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 27 points over Marcos Ambrose; has one Busch start
at Richmond, finishing 14th earlier this year
David Reutimann
Team: Michael Waltrip Racing
Car: No. 99 Toyota Camry
2007 Earnings: $864,552
Dropped to third in the standings, three points behind Harvick
after finishing 15th at California; ran third at Bristol two
weeks ago to jump into second place in the standings ahead of
Harvick; has better finishes than leader Edwards in each of the
last eight races, yet still trails by 657 points; had
consecutive third place finishes at both Indianapolis and
Gateway; has 10 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 three
Busch starts at Richmond, with a best finish of ninth in coming
earlier this year.
2006 Top 10
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1. Kevin Harvick (21), Chevrolet
2. Greg Biffle (16), Ford
3. Matt Kenseth (17), Ford
4. Paul Menard (11), Chevrolet
5. Reed Sorenson (41), Dodge
6. Denny Hamlin (20), Chevrolet
7. Dave Blaney (32), Chevrolet
8. Scott Wimmer (66), Chevrolet
9. Carl Edwards (60), Ford
10. Scott Riggs (9), Dodge
Past Champions
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2006 Kevin Harvick
2005 Kevin Harvick
2004 Robby Gordon
2003 Johnny Sauter
2002 Dale Earnhardt Jr.
2001 Jimmy Spencer
2000 Jeff Burton
1999 Dale Earnhardt Jr.
1998 Dale Earnhardt Jr.
1997 Steve Park
1996 Kenny Wallace
1995 Dale Jarrett
1994 Kenny Wallace
1993 Mark Martin
1992 Robert Pressley
1991 Harry Gant
1990 Rick Mast
1989 Bobby Hamilton
1987 Mark Martin
1986 Dale Earnhardt
1985 Tommy Ellis
1984 Tommy Ellis
1983 Morgan Shepherd
1982 Butch Lindley
