Dover 200 - Stacy Compton Notes

Compton's Kingsford Sure Fire/Bush's Baked Beans Ford Rested, Ready to Tackle Monster Mile

DOVER, Del. - There was no Busch Series race last weekend, so Stacy Compton used the break to spend a few days at the beach.

The driver of the Kingsford Sure Fire/Bush's Baked Beans Ford returns to his high-speed job this Saturday for the Dover 200. He not only returns rested and tanned, his confidence already is in high gear.

"We've always been good on the concrete tracks, so this should be a great weekend for our Wood Brothers/JTG Racing Ford," Compton said. "The fact we had an extra week to prepare our car should only make it better."

The team spent the off-week refining their Ford Fusion. They brought a new suspension setup to Richmond, Va., two weeks ago and it proved to be a big step in the right direction. With extra time to work on it, Compton said the car should be even better.

"We've hit on something that's really promising," he said. "Race teams usually don't like to take time off because it gets you out of your rhythm. But in this case, the time away was good. I spent some time with my family; the team spent time working on the car. However, one week is enough. I'm ready to get back at it."

Compton is 17th in the Busch Series rankings, just two points from moving up another notch in the standings.

"Our goal since mid-season is getting into the Top 15," he said. "We're on target to do that. Now the goal is to see just how far we can push into the Top 15."

Compton started 30th at Dover last June and rallied to finish 12th. He now has five Top-20 finishes in his last six starts at the one-mile Dover International Speedway - a track known as The Monster Mile.

"Dover is a physically demanding track," Compton said. "It's really narrow and it's really fast. You have to make the car work coming off the second and fourth turns. The car has to roll through the corners so you can get on the gas coming off (Turns) 2 and 4 instead of working the brakes.

"There's no room for error there. If somebody spins in front of you, there's no room to miss it. The best way to stay out of trouble is to be up front. You need to be the guy setting the pace, not chasing it."

Now that he's rested from a few days at the beach, Stacy Compton is ready to resume his fast-paced work - if not set it - at Dover.

Qualifying for the Dover 200 is at 11:40 a.m. Saturday. The main event follows later that afternoon at 3:05 on TNT.

Stacy Compton Fast Facts