Finally Official: Harvick, Childress On Center Stage Saturday

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Nov. 15, 2006) – Kevin Harvick’s (No. 21 U.S. Coast Guard Chevrolet) march to the NASCAR Busch Series championship effectively began following the second race of the season at California Speedway when he took over the standings lead.

Thirty-five races later – having never surrendered that lead and after clinching the title with four races remaining, faster than any other driver – Harvick can claim the 2006 title on Saturday at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

Richard Childress, Harvick’s team owner, also will be crowned the series owner champion for the third time.

Titles aside, Harvick still has history-making goals to accomplish at the season finale.

One of two drivers competing full-time in both the NASCAR Busch Series and in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series who qualified for the Chase for the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup – Kyle Busch (No. 5 Lowe’s Chevrolet) is the other – Harvick can become the first driver in NASCAR history to win both series titles in the same season. He enters Sunday’s Ford 400 in third place in the Chase, 90 points behind leader Jimmie Johnson.

The two-time champion also can tie the all-time mark for wins in a season with a Saturday victory. Sam Ard holds the record with 10 wins in 1983; Harvick enters this race with nine, now second all-time.

Wallace’s Top-10 Streak, Rookie Race On The Line At Homestead
Kenny Wallace (No. 22 AutoZone Ford) doesn’t know what it’s like to finish outside the final top 10.

In his previous nine full-time seasons in the NASCAR Busch Series, Wallace has an average finish of fifth in the series standings. But entering Homestead, he needs help in order to keep that streak intact.

Wallace, who is scheduled to move to the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series next season, is 11th in the standings, 92 points behind 10th-place Reed Sorenson (No. 41 Discount Tire Co. Dodge). Sorenson is only 27 points behind Johnny Sauter (No. 00 Yellow Transportation Chevrolet) in the final battle for ninth.

The Raybestos Rookie of the Year competition also comes down to the final race for the second consecutive year. Carl Edwards (No. 60 Ameriquest Ford) narrowly won over Sorenson in 2005.

This is also the first time in the history of NASCAR’s three national series that the rookie points have been deadlocked heading into the last event of the year.

John Andretti (No. 10 ppc Racing Ford) and Danny O’Quinn Jr. (No. 50 Stonebridge Life Ford) each have 199 points and literally need to save their best effort for last to claim the award, first won by Wallace in 1989.

NASCAR Busch Series Leaders Through 34 Of 35 Races:
Driver points – Harvick (5,493)*
Owner points – Childress (No. 21) - (5,422)*
Victories – Harvick (9)
Money won – Harvick ($1,311,305)
Races led – Harvick (19)
Miles led – Harvick (1,289.18)
Laps led – Harvick (1,156)
Busch Poles – Hamlin (6)
Top-five finishes – Harvick (23)
Weeks in Top 10 – Bowyer, Harvick, Yeley (34)
Top-10 finishes – Harvick (31) *Clinched Driver / Owner Championship
Raybestos Rookie – Andretti, O’Quinn Jr. tied (199 pts.)
Closing on Top 10 – Sorenson (10th – 3,633 pts.) –K. Wallace (11th; -92)

Big Week For Ford At Homestead-Miami As Host Of Championship Weekend
Ford not only snapped Chevrolet’s six-race winning streak last week at Phoenix International Raceway, courtesy of Matt Kenseth’s (No. 17 Pennzoil Ford) win, but now carries momentum into the season finale at Homestead-Miami for Ford Championship Weekend.

Although the final rankings for the Bill France Performance Cup are set for the 2006 season, still to be decided are the final tallies for wins and points among the three competing manufacturers.

Chevrolet (260 points) is the champion for the 13th time and fourth-consecutive year, and seeks its 23rd win of the season which would tie the mark for second.

Ford (203 points) reclaimed second place this season after finishing third in 2004 and aims for its eighth win of the year and second consecutive for the first time since May 2005.

Dodge (183 points) is third with five wins, and is the defending race winner. Ryan Newman won from the Busch pole last year.

On The Right Track
Joe Nemechek (No. 87 NEMCO Motorsports Chevrolet) is the all-time leader in series wins at Homestead-Miami with three. No other driver has more than one victory; other winners include Kevin Harvick (2004), Kasey Kahne (No. 9 Snuggle Dodge – 2003) and Scott Wimmer (No. 66 Yard Man-Duraflame Ford – 2002). Kahne’s win was the first of his career.

Four former Busch Pole winners at Homestead-Miami are entered. Greg Biffle (No. 16 Ameriquest Ford – 2003), Casey Atwood (No. 27 Kleenex Ford – 1998), Bobby Labonte (No. 77 Dollar General Chevrolet – 1996) and Nemechek in the 1995 inaugural race.

Nemechek’s five top-five finishes are second all-time at Homestead-Miami. He leads all drivers with seven top 10s in 11 races there. His next start will give him the all-time lead in that category with 12.

ETC.

From The NASCAR Busch Series ‘25 Seasons Running’ Archives
The NASCAR Busch Series’ debut at Homestead-Miami Speedway came in 1995 and marked the first time the series competed in South Florida.

A field of 43 cars took the green flag with 1992 series champion and Florida native “Front Row Joe” Nemechek sitting in the pole position. Nemechek led the first 67 laps before being passed by series regular Johnny Benson.

Phil Parsons, Kenny Wallace and Tim Fedewa swapped the lead with Benson throughout most of the event, which was slowed by 13 cautions for 60 laps.

Dale Jarrett, one of the charter members of the NASCAR Busch Series, took the lead from Wallace with two laps remaining to pick up his 11th – and most recent –career series victory.

On Deck: NASCAR Jackson-Hewitt Preseason Thunder At Daytona International Speedway
NASCAR Busch Series drivers and teams make their next on-track appearance beginning Jan. 19 at Daytona International Speedway, when the first of four test sessions for the 2007 seasons begin.

NASCAR Jackson-Hewitt Preseason Thunder for the NASCAR Busch Series is scheduled to kick off from Jan. 19-21 when odd-numbered cars per the 2006 owner points, are on track.

The second session takes place Jan. 21-23 when the even-numbered cars, per the 2006 owner points, take to the track.

Other series tests will be conducted at Las Vegas Motor Speedway (Feb. 5-6), Richmond International Raceway (March 26-27) and Lowe’s Motor Speedway (May 14-15).