NATIONWIDE Carquest Auto Parts 300
Final
for this game
Carquest Auto Parts 300 Preview
May 24, 2008 - 10:28 AMMay 24, 2008
Lowe's Motor Speedway
Concord, North Carolina
Race 13 of 35 on Nationwide Series circuit
Laps: 200
Track length: 1 1/2 miles
Race length: 300 miles
Qualifying record: Jimmie Johnson, Chevrolet, 187.735 mph, 2005
Race record: Mark Martin, Ford, 155.799 mph, 1996
DRIVERS TO WATCH
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Clint Bowyer
Team: Richard Childress Racing
Car: No. 2 Chevrolet Monte Carlo
2008 Earnings: $407,325
Scheduled to pull double duty in both the Sprint and Nationwide
series this season; took a gamble and stayed out during a rain
delay to win at Bristol; followed with second at Nashville and
third at Texas; sits atop the standings, 112 points ahead of
Kyle Busch after finishing ninth at Richmond and second at
Darlington; 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; finished third in this race
last season.
Carl Edwards
Team: Roush Fenway Racing
Car: No. 60 Ford Fusion
2008 Earnings: $389,655
Finished dead last at Darlington to drop to third in the
standings, 150 points behind Bowyer; ran 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; clinched last season's title at Texas,
three races before the end of the season; was the runner-up to
Kevin 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; finished 17th here in May last season;
plans to run "double-duty" slate again this season to defend his
title.
Jason Leffler
Team: Braun Racing
Car: No. 38 Toyota Camry
2008 Earnings: $383,211
Finished third in the overall standings last season; remains
eighth in the standings after running ninth at Darlington;
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
31st in this race last year.
David Ragan
Team: Roush Fenway Racing
Car: No. 6 Ford Fusion
2008 Earnings: $309,995
Another driver who is running both series this year; finished
27th at Darlington to drop to sixth in the standings; ran ninth
at Daytona and 12th at California to start the season, then
posted a 10th at Las Vegas, ran 16th at Atlanta and was
eighth at Bristol; was eighth at Texas and fifth at Phoenix;
finished fourth at Richmond to jump up two spots to fourth in
the standings; 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 25th in this event last season.
David Reutimann
Team: Michael Waltrip Racing
Car: No. 99 Toyota Camry
2008 Earnings: $358,085
Plans to run full "double-duty" schedule again in 2008 after
finishing second to Edwards in the standings last season; sits
fourth in the standings after running third at Darlington;
started season with a 14th at Daytona and ran fourth at
California; ran 25th at Las Vegas, 10th at Atlanta and third at
Bristol; 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;
finished last in this event last year.
2007 Top 10
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1. Kasey Kahne (9), Dodge
2. Casey Mears (24), Chevrolet
3. Clint Bowyer (2), Chevrolet
4. Jeff Burton (29), Chevrolet
5. Regan Smith (4), Chevrolet
6. Jimmie Johnson (48), Chevrolet
7. Matt Kenseth (17), Ford
8. Kyle Busch (5), Chevrolet
9. Scott Wimmer (21), Chevrolet
10. Stephen Leicht (90), Ford
Past Champions
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2007 Kasey Kahne
2006 Carl Edwards
2005 Kyle Busch
2004 Kyle Busch
2003 Matt Kenseth
2002 Jeff Green
2001 Jeff Green
2000 Jeff Burton
1999 Mark Martin
1998 Mark Martin
1997 Joe Nemechek
1996 Mark Martin
1995 Chad Little
1994 Phil Parsons
1993 Michael Waltrip
1992 Jeff Gordon
1991 Dale Earnhardt
1990 Dale Jarrett
1989 Rick Moroso
1988 Dale Jarrett
1987 Harry Gant
1986 Tim Richmond
1985 Tim Richmond
1984 Bobby Allison
1983 Dale Earnhardt
1982 Harry Gant
