Texas Speedzone - More than half the Busch field at TMS this weekend to be Cup Regulars

Fort Worth, TX (April 10, 2007) – NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series “Buschwhackers” have thoroughly dominated the O’Reilly 300 Busch Series event, and the contingent apparently wants to ensure that their streak of success continues in the annual spring Busch Series race at Texas Motor Speedway.

Fort Worth, TX (April 10, 2007) – NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series “Buschwhackers” have thoroughly dominated the O’Reilly 300 Busch Series event, and the contingent apparently wants to ensure that their streak of success continues in the annual spring Busch Series race at Texas Motor Speedway. Twenty-four NEXTEL Cup regulars, more than half the 43-car field, are entered in Saturday’s O’Reilly 300 as the “Bushwhackers” chase their fifth consecutive victory and 10 of 13 overall in this event. In last season’s O’Reilly 300, 17 full-time Cup drivers were entered and the result was a sweep of the top six positions, led by a win by former NEXTEL Cup Series champion Kurt Busch. It was the fourth in a row for Cup regulars since Busch full-timer Jeff Purvis won in 2002. Streak aside, the moment was especially memorable for Busch as he scored the victory in his first NASCAR Busch Series start. “That was such a fun day and I look back on it as a true highlight of my career,” Busch said. “We’ve certainly had some good runs at Texas Motor Speedway and I’m excited about returning there this weekend. We’re taking the same car that I competed with in the Busch Series race earlier this year at Las Vegas. I’m ready to return to Texas with the Penske Truck Rental Dodge and attempt to make it two consecutive wins in the O’Reilly 300.” While Busch will be aiming to repeat, he will have to do battle with a strong contingent of “Buschwhackers.” Among those are Mark Martin and Kevin Harvick, who are tied for most Busch Series wins at Texas Motor Speedway with three each. Martin, who is driving for Ginn Racing in the NEXTEL Cup Series, will reunite with his former team when he climbs behind the wheel of the No. 06 entry for Roush Fenway Racing. Martin finished 24th in last season’s O’Reilly 300, but rebounded in the most recent Busch race at TMS – November’s O’Reilly Challenge – when he won the pole and finished fourth. Harvick won this event in 2001 and added a pair of O’Reilly Challenge wins in 2005 and ’06. In six career Busch starts at Texas Motor Speedway, he has not finished worse than ninth. He also leads all Busch Series drivers in laps led at Texas Motor Speedway with 404. Other prominent Cup drivers in the field include Kasey Kahne, Matt Kenseth, Carl Edwards, Bobby Labonte, Greg Biffle and Denny Hamlin. Kahne (2005) and Kenseth (‘04) are former O’Reilly 300 winners. The Busch Series regulars, however, have flexed their muscles in the early stages of this season. Five full-time Busch Series drivers are among the top 10 in the Busch Series point standings heading into the O’Reilly 300, led by rookie standout Marcos Ambrose. Ambrose (No. 59 Kingsford Ford for Wood Brothers/JTG Racing) currently sits sixth in NASCAR Busch Series points. The Launceston, Tasmania native has posted two top-10 finishes in his seven Busch Series starts this season. “I am very excited to return to Texas Motor Speedway,” Ambrose said. “We seem to be our best on the 1.5-mile speedways and we had a great run in the truck race there last fall, so I’m hoping for great things this weekend. To think that we’re the top-running Busch regular heading into the O’Reilly 300 is a little overwhelming. I’m still adjusting to these cars, but I have a great team behind me that keep giving me great cars to race with.” Ambrose has made two NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series start at Texas Motor Speedway, including a 10th-place finish last fall in the Silverado 350k. Bobby Hamilton Jr., Shane Huffman, Mike Wallace and Regan Smith round out the strong Busch Series contingent looking to steal the O’Reilly 300 victory from the stranglehold of the NEXTEL Cup regulars. Edwards, who won the Busch race at Nashville this past weekend, currently leads the NASCAR Busch Series point standings over Dave Blaney. The Dallas Morning News Qualifying Day for the NASCAR Busch Series’ O’Reilly 300 is set for 6:05 p.m. CT Thursday. The green flag waves Saturday on the O’Reilly 300 at 2:15 p.m. CT.