NATIONWIDE Sharpie MINI 300
Final
Sharpie Mini 300 Preview
Mar 15, 2008 - 10:20 AMMarch 15, 2008
Bristol Motor Speedway
Bristol, Tennessee
Race 5 of 35 on Nationwide Series circuit
Laps: 300
Track length: .533 miles
Race length: 159.9 miles
Qualifying record: Greg Biffle, Ford, 127.132 mph, 2004
Race record: Harry Gant, Buick, 92.929 mph, 1992
DRIVERS TO WATCH
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Clint Bowyer
Team: Richard Childress Racing
Car: No. 2 Chevrolet Monte Carlo
2008 Earnings: $136,035
Scheduled to pull double duty in both the Sprint and Nationwide
series this season; finished 19th at Atlanta after a third at
Las Vegas; started the year with a 25th at Daytona, then
rebounded with a ninth at California; ran a full Busch series
slate in 2005 and 2006, finishing second and third, respectively,
in the final standings; finished 12th last year after running
just 22 races, winning at Phoenix and Richmond; ran fourth at
this race last season.
Carl Edwards
Team: Roush Fenway Racing
Car: No. 60 Ford Fusion
2008 Earnings: $136,015
Finished fourth at Atlanta after being wrecked by Mark Martin at
Las Vegas and finished 14th; opened defense of his series title
with a 10th at Daytona and fifth at California; sits second in
the standings, 25 points behind Kevin Harvick who is not running
a full Nationwide schedule this season; clinched last season's
title at Texas, three races before the end of the season; was
the runner-up to Harvick two seasons ago; despite late struggles
still had a series-best 21 top-10 finishes and 15 top fives last
season; led in the series standings for 33 consecutive weeks
prior to Daytona; in 35 starts last season had four wins,
trailing only Harvick who had six; won this race last season;
plans to run "double-duty" slate again this season to defend his
title.
Kevin Harvick
Team: Kevin Harvick Inc.
Car: No. 33 Chevrolet Monte Carlo
2008 Earnings: $171,225
Took over the lead in the standings with a second at Atlanta;
started the 2008 season with a 21st at Daytona, third at
California and fourth at Las Vegas; absolutely dominated
throughout the 2006 campaign to earn his second career series
title, but did not defend his championship last season; despite
running only 26 races last year, still posted a series-high six
wins and finished fourth overall; had 11 top five and 20 top 10s
last year; will not run full slate again this season; ran eighth
at this race last year.
Jason Leffler
Team: Braun Racing
Car: No. 38 Toyota Camry
2008 Earnings: $112,344
Finished third in the overall standings last season; jumped up
to 12th in the standings after running eighth at Atlanta; opened
the season with a 19th at Daytona and 11th at California; took a
hit in Las Vegas, finishing 39th; earned his first career
Nationwide victory at Indianapolis last year, which gave Toyota
its first series victory; started the season with four DNFs in
the first six races, but had none after that; finished with
seven top fives and 11 top 10s; was inconsistent though with
eight finishes of 30th or worse in 35 races last year; finished
34th last season Bristol in March.
David Ragan
Team: Roush Fenway Racing
Car: No. 6 Ford Fusion
2008 Earnings: $119,475
Another driver who is running both series this year; finished
ninth at Daytona and 12th at California to start the season,
then posted a 10th at Las Vegas and ran 16th at Atlanta; had an
impressive rookie season finishing fifth overall and winning the
Raybestos Rookie of the Year by 27 points over Marcos Ambrose;
scored four top-five and eight top-10 finishes in 2007, but also
had eight finishes of 30th or worse; finished 13th in this event
last season.
David Reutimann
Team: Michael Waltrip Racing
Car: No. 99 Toyota Camry
2008 Earnings: $153,052
Plans to run full "double-duty" schedule again in 2008 after
finishing second to Edwards in the standings last season; started
season with a 14th at Daytona and ran fourth at California; ran
25th at Las Vegas and 10th at Atlanta; last year had better
finishes than Edwards in 10 of the last 15 races and scored the
most points in the series after the midseason point; earned his
first series win at the second Atlanta race; finished with five
top-fives and 12 top-10s; ran 33rd in this event last year.
2007 Top 10
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1. Carl Edwards (60), Ford
2. Matt Kenseth (17), Ford
3. Kyle Busch (5), Chevrolet
4. Ryan Newman (12), Dodge
5. Clint Bowyer (2), Chevrolet
6. Dale Earnhardt Jr. (8), Chevrolet
7. Greg Biffle (37), Ford
8. Kevin Harvick (21), Chevrolet
9. Scott Wimmer (29), Chevrolet
10. Mike Bliss (22), Dodge
Past Champions
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2007 Carl Edwards
2006 Kyle Busch
2005 Kevin Harvick
2004 Martin Truex Jr.
2003 Kevin Harvick
2002 Jeff Green
2001 Matt Kenseth
2000 Sterling Marlin
1999 Jason Keller
1998 Elliott Sadler
1997 Jeff Burton
1996 Mark Martin
1995 Steve Grissom
1994 David Green
1993 Michael Waltrip
1992 Harry Gant
1991 Bobby Labonte
1990 L.D. Ottinger
1989 Rick Wilson
1988 Dale Earnhardt
1987 Morgan Shepherd
1986 Morgan Shepherd
1985 Darrell Waltrip
1984 no race
1983 Morgan Shepherd
1982 Phil Parsons