Emerson Radio 250 - Boston Reid Notes

REID TO MAKE FIRST BUSCH SERIES START: Driving the No. 87 ditech.com Chevrolet, Boston Reid will enter his first career NASCAR Busch Series event on Friday at Richmond. The Logansport, Ind., native joined the Hendrick Motorsports driver development program in April, earning three top-10 finishes in as many ARCA Series races this season.

REID'S BEEN THERE BEFORE: While Reid will be making his Busch Series debut at Richmond, Friday's 250-lapper will not be the first action he's seen on the .75-mile oval. Driving in USAC's Silver Crown division at RIR on June 26, the 21-year-old was running in the fifth position before being sidelined by an accident with four laps remaining, finishing a disappointing 21st. Reid leads Aaron Pierce by one point in the USAC Silver Crown Rookie of the Year standings heading into the final three races of the season.

GETTING EXPERIENCE: Reid will be making just his fourth-ever start in a stock car race on Friday. A veteran sprint car competitor, his stock experience consists of three ARCA events and five separate test sessions. The No. 87 ditech.com team visited Richmond Aug. 24-25 in preparation for this week's event.

HMS & NEMCO: Hendrick Motorsports has formed a developmental alliance with NEMCO Motorsports that will allow Reid to drive the organization's No. 87 Busch Series entry at RIR, Lowe's Motor Speedway and Atlanta Motor Speedway. In 2003, NEMCO assisted with the progression of current Busch Series championship contender Kyle Busch, who posted two runner-up results, three top-10 finishes and five top-10 qualifying efforts in seven races driving the No. 87 Chevrolets.

BOSTON REID, DRIVER OF THE NO. 87 DITECH.COM CHEVROLETS: (ON TESTING AT RICHMOND.) "We had a good test. The first day was just getting me used to the cars and adapted to the race track in a different type of car. I ran Silver Crown at Richmond in the spring, so we concentrated on getting me used to the different line, the car turning quicker and being heavier. We were able to do that, then come back the second day and get in a good rhythm."

REID: (HOW DIFFERENT IS IT TO RUN A SILVER CROWN CAR AND THEN COME BACK IN A STOCK CAR?) "They're two different race cars, but it's still a race car. The Silver Crown has much wider right-side tires, so you can really lean on them and abuse them. If you mess up -- overdrive the corner or something like that -- you can make that up pretty easily. With the stock cars, you're limited to such a small right-side tire that the room for error is much less, plus you've got a lot more weight on those tires. But the transition is pretty easy. Silver Crown is usually a little bit quicker around Richmond than the Busch cars, so I'm used to the speed. It's more about getting accustomed to the bigger car."

REID: (DOES IT HELP TO HAVE ALREADY RACED AT RICHMOND, EVEN THOUGH IT WAS A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT TYPE OF CAR?) "Very much. No matter what kind of car, there's an advantage to just being on the race track. You've got that mental picture, so you know where the passing opportunities are and know what the groove does. It's helped already because I had that picture in my head before we went to test It's a huge advantage to be able to run any kind of car at a race track before running there in a Busch car."

REID: (ON HIS FIRST EXPERIENCE IN A BUSCH SERIES CAR.) "When we tested, I felt really comfortable by the end of the first day. I felt like I could move around on the race track and the car responded well. What I like about these cars, as opposed the open-wheel cars, is you can really feel the weight and the rollover in the chassis. With Busch Series cars, you really have to be smooth and finesse it. When you do that, you can feel every bit of the chassis -- if it's loose, if it's tight. So these cars really give good feedback."

REID: (GOING INTO YOUR FIRST BUSCH SERIES RACE, WHAT KIND OF EXPECTATIONS DO YOU HAVE?) "I like to set goals high, but I want to be realistic. I'd like to qualify well, maybe in the top-20. My hope is to finish every possible lap. If we can accomplish that, I think everything else will iron itself out."

REID: (WHAT ARE YOUR FEELINGS GOING INTO YOUR FIRST-EVER NASCAR RACE?) "It's awesome to finally have this opportunity to compete at such an elite level. I've always thought about it and pictured it, and now it's finally happening. I just want to go out and have a good showing. Yeah, there's pressure, but I have a great supporting cast in Hendrick Motorsports and NEMCO (Motorsports), so I know the equipment will be great. It's a dream come true."