2007 in NASCAR Busch Series
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This article documents a current sports-related event. Information may change rapidly as the event progresses. |
The 26th season of the NASCAR Busch Series opened February 17, 2007, at Daytona International Speedway and concludes November 17, 2007, at Homestead-Miami Speedway. The 2007 season will be the final season of the series under Anheuser-Busch's sponsorship, as they will put more focus on the the Budweiser Pole Award sponsorship in the NEXTEL Cup series through their NASCAR sponsorship as official brewery. It has been reported by Jayski's Silly Season Site that the right are expected to get $30 million (US) with over $100 million in exposure on TV with ESPN 2.
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[edit] Schedule
The official 2007 Busch Series schedule was announced on October 2, 2006. The only major schedule change is the addition of the first NASCAR race in Canada at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, which replaces the race at Martinsville. The order of races in July has also been shuffled. [1]
Note that the title sponsors for races may change. All races that are not specified are held in USA
[edit] Television
ESPN 2 will be covering the majority of the Busch Series in 2007 with ABC covering six races as part of the new television package. The primary commentators for ESPN/ABC will be Jerry Punch, Rusty Wallace, and Andy Petree. Dale Jarrett, Tim Brewer, Marty Reid & Allen Bestwick will also be in the booth for select Busch races (which have yet to be announced).
[edit] Full Time Teams in the Beginning of 2007
This was the list of full time Busch Series teams as the 2007 season began.
The Top 30 in points rule for the Busch Series states that any teams within the top 30 in points are guaranteed starting spots in every race. These teams must have attempted to qualify for every preceding race of the season as well. Due to this factor, some teams that finished outside of the top 30 in points are locked in for 2007. Teams not locked into the first five races are noted in Bold in the owner points column.
Notes:
- The term New Team describes both teams that are entirely new to the sport and teams that are going full time after running part time last year. Those that ran a partial schedule are noted by this: Notes:°.
[edit] Races
[edit] Orbitz 300
The Orbitz 300 was held February 16 at Daytona International Speedway. Aric Almirola won the pole. Kevin Harvick won a relatively quick race from the 31st starting position. There were two early cautions; the first one on lap 4 for a three-car incident, the second one for "the Big One" on lap 16 involving 12 cars. The race was clean afterward.
Top ten results:
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Car | Team |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | #21 |  Kevin Harvick |
Chevrolet | Richard Childress Racing |
| 2 | #32 |  Dave Blaney |
Toyota | Braun Racing |
| 3 | #60 |  Carl Edwards |
Ford | Roush Fenway Racing |
| 4 | #2 |  Clint Bowyer |
Chevrolet | Richard Childress Racing |
| 5 | #06 |  Mark Martin |
Ford | Roush Fenway Racing |
| 6 | #11 |  Martin Truex, Jr. |
Chevrolet | Dale Earnhardt Incorporated |
| 7 | #8 |  Dale Earnhardt, Jr. |
Chevrolet | Dale Earnhardt Incorporated |
| 8 | #33 |  Tony Stewart |
Chevrolet | Kevin Harvick Incorporated |
| 9 | #20 |  Denny Hamlin |
Chevrolet | Joe Gibbs Racing |
| 10 | #26 |  Greg Biffle |
Ford | Roush Fenway Racing |
Failed to qualify: Casey Mears (#24), David Stremme (#22), Justin Diercks (#70), J. J. Yeley (#1), Brad Keselowski (#23), Brad Teague (#52)
[edit] Stater Bros. 300
The Stater Bros. 300 was held February 24 at the California Speedway. Dave Blaney won the pole, the first pole for Toyota in the Busch Series. The race had a short field of only 41 cars.
Top ten results:
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Car | Team |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | #17 |  Matt Kenseth |
Ford | Roush Fenway Racing |
| 2 | #24 | Casey Mears |
Chevrolet | Hendrick Motorsports |
| 3 | #5 |  Kyle Busch |
Chevrolet | Hendrick Motorsports |
| 4 | #60 | Carl Edwards |
Ford | Roush Fenway Racing |
| 5 | #16 | Greg Biffle |
Ford | Roush Fenway Racing |
| 6 | #33 | Kevin Harvick |
Chevrolet | Kevin Harvick Incorporated |
| 7 | #29 | Jeff Burton |
Chevrolet | Richard Childress Racing |
| 8 | #20 | Denny Hamlin |
Chevrolet | Joe Gibbs Racing |
| 9 | #4 |  Regan Smith |
Chevrolet | Ginn Racing |
| 10 | #10 | Dave Blaney |
Toyota | Braun Racing |
Failed to quailfy: none
[edit] Telcel-Motorola Mexico 200
The Telcel-Motorola Mexico 200 was held March 4 at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez. The race was simulcast on ESPN 2 (with the regular English-speaking announcers) and en español on ESPN utilizing ESPN Deportes announcers. Scott Pruett won the pole. Juan Pablo Montoya made contact with his leading teammate Scott Pruett on a restart after coming back from a fuel-filler problem, spinning Pruett and going on to win the race, becoming the first non-American to win a NASCAR race since Ron Fellows in 2001.
Top ten results:
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Car | Team |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | #42 |  Juan Pablo Montoya (R) |
Dodge | Chip Ganassi Racing |
| 2 | #20 | Denny Hamlin |
Chevrolet | Joe Gibbs Racing |
| 3 | #9 | Boris Said |
Dodge | Evernham Motorsports |
| 4 | #60 | Carl Edwards |
Ford | Roush Fenway Racing |
| 5 | #41 | Scott Pruett |
Dodge | Chip Ganassi Racing |
| 6 | #38 | Jason Leffler |
Toyota | Braun Racing |
| 7 | #27 |  Jorge Goeters |
Ford | Brewco Motorsports |
| 8 | #59 |  Marcos Ambrose (R) |
Ford | Wood Brothers/JTG Racing |
| 9 | #5 | Adrian Fernandez |
Chevrolet | Hendrick Motorsports |
| 10 | #47 | Jon Wood |
Ford | Wood Brothers/JTG Racing |
Failed to qualify: none
[edit] Sam's Town 300
The Sam's Town 300 was held March 10 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Kevin Harvick won the pole. In a challenging race that was held on a newly banked racetrack, many teams, especially cup teams with drivers racing on sunday, tried to find a setup that would work with their cars. Grip and aerodynamics became major issues as the race set a record for number of caution flags with 12 for 58 laps. This included a red flag with 10 laps to go for a hard crash into the wall by Reed Sorenson. Las Vegas natives, Kyle and Kurt Busch dominated the race, leading 123 of 200 laps, with 81 and 42 led respectively. However, Jeff Burton had been consistently quicker than the younger Busch and had taken the lead for 31 laps. Coming to the checkers, two-time Las Vegas winner Jeff Burton took his #29 Holiday Inn Chevy to the outside and banged fenders with Kyle who got loose under Burton and spun down on the apron and hit the outside wall after taking the second position.
Top ten results:
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Car | Team |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | #29 | Jeff Burton |
Chevrolet | Richard Childress Racing |
| 2 | #5 | Kyle Busch |
Chevrolet | Hendrick Motorsports |
| 3 | #33 | Tony Stewart |
Chevrolet | Kevin Harvick Incorporated |
| 4 | #12 | Kurt Busch |
Dodge | Penske Racing South |
| 5 | #22 | David Stremme |
Dodge | Fitz Motorsports |
| 6 | #60 | Carl Edwards |
Ford | Roush Fenway Racing |
| 7 | #21 | Kevin Harvick |
Chevrolet | Richard Childress Racing |
| 8 | #77 |  Bobby Labonte |
Chevrolet | Kevin Harvick Incorporated |
| 9 | #88 | Shane Huffman |
Chevrolet | JR Motorsports |
| 10 | #59 | Marcos Ambrose (R) |
Ford | Wood Brothers/JTG Racing |
Failed to qualify: none. NOTE: Kevin Lepage (#52) withdrew from the race prior to qualifying.
[edit] Nicorette 300
The Nicorette 300 was held March 17 at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Kyle Busch won the pole. From the drop of the green flag, it appeared as though Kyle Busch would walk away with an easy victory. He proved his dominance by leading 143 of 195 laps. However, a loose lugnut after the final pitstop forced Busch to go to the tail end of the longest line, handing the lead to Jeff Burton. Burton would hold off RCR teammate Kevin Harvick for the win while Kyle Busch rallied to third after his penalty.
Top ten results:
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Car | Team |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | #29 | Jeff Burton |
Chevrolet | Richard Childress Racing |
| 2 | #21 | Kevin Harvick |
Chevrolet | Richard Childress Racing |
| 3 | #5 | Kyle Busch |
Chevrolet | Hendrick Motorsports |
| 4 | #60 | Carl Edwards |
Ford | Roush Fenway Racing |
| 5 | #24 | Casey Mears |
Chevrolet | Hendrick Motorsports |
| 6 | #2 | Clint Bowyer |
Chevrolet | Richard Childress Racing |
| 7 | #9 | Kasey Kahne |
Dodge | Evernham Motorsports |
| 8 | #42 | Juan Pablo Montoya |
Dodge | Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates |
| 9 | #17 | Matt Kenseth |
Ford | Roush Fenway Racing |
| 10 | #20 | Tony Stewart |
Chevrolet | Joe Gibbs Racing |
Failed to qualify: Jay Sauter (#34)
[edit] Sharpie Mini 300
The Sharpie Mini 300 was held March 24 at Bristol Motor Speedway. Steve Wallace won his first career pole. This would be the last Busch Series race before Bristol would be repaved with new concrete and progressive banking. For the second consecutive week, Kyle Busch again proved he had the car to beat. He and series points leader Carl Edwards proved they had the cars to beat. The biggest controversey of the race came after a crash at lap 182 by David Reutimann. At the point of the crash, some of the leaders elected to come down pit road for tires and some gas on lap 188. Although the electronic light was green, signaling that pit road was open, the flagman near the light was still waving the pit road closed flag. The pit crews of Ryan Newman, Carl Edwards, and Dale Earnhardt Jr. argued with NASCAR officials about the call. Eventually, Nascar controversially decided to let all of the cars pit and maintain their position in the field. After the confusion was sorted out, Busch took of with Edwards in pursuit. However, Mike Wallace, running on the tail end of the lead lap (Mike was in front of the leader), jumbled up the 9th restart. Mike's mistake forced Edwards into the rear bumper of Kyle Busch. Edwards would inherit the lead and would hold off teammate Matt Kenseth for his first win since Gateway in 2006.
Top Ten Results
| Pos. | Car No. | Driver | Team | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 60 | Carl Edwards |
Ford | Roush Fenway Racing |
| 2 | 17 | Matt Kenseth |
Ford | Roush Fenway Racing |
| 3 | 5 | Kyle Busch |
Chevrolet | Hendrick Motorsports |
| 4 | 12 | Ryan Newman |
Dodge | Penske Racing |
| 5 | 2 | Clint Bowyer |
Chevrolet | Richard Childress Racing |
| 6 | 8 | Dale Earnhardt Jr. |
Chevrolet | Dale Earnhardt Inc. |
| 7 | 37 | Greg Biffle |
Chevrolet | Brewco Motorsports |
| 8 | 33 | Kevin Harvick |
Chevrolet | Kevin Harvick Inc. |
| 9 | 29 | Scott Wimmer |
Chevrolet | Richard Childress Racing |
| 10 | 22 |  Mike Bliss |
Dodge | Fitz Motorsports |
Failed to qualify: none (43 entries)
[edit] Pepsi 300
The Pepsi 300 was held April 7 at Nashville Superspeedway. David Stremme won the pole. From the drop of the green flag, it appeared as though new manufacturer Toyota would steal the show and walk off with its first Busch Series win. However, Carl Edwards spoiled the party, coming back from a loose wheel penalty to pass Busch regular Jason Leffler with 25 laps to go to win his second consecutive race and extend his points lead.
Top ten results
| Car # | Driver | Team |
|---|---|---|
| 60 | Carl Edwards | Roush Fenway Racing |
| 99 | David Reutimann | Michael Waltrip Racing |
| 10 | Dave Blaney | Braun Racing |
| 38 | Jason Leffler | Braun Racing |
| 4 | Regan Smith | Ginn Racing |
| 88 | Shane Huffman | JR Motorsports |
| 29 | Scott Wimmer | Richard Childress Racing |
| 90 | Stephen Leicht | Robert Yates Racing |
| 35 | Bobby Hamilton Jr. | Team Rensi Motorsports |
| 22 | Mike Bliss | Fitz Motorsports |
failed to qualify: none (43 entrants)
[edit] O'Reilly 300
The O'Reilly 300 will be held April 14 at Texas Motor Speedway.
[edit] See also
| Preceded by 2006 in NASCAR Busch Series |
NASCAR seasons 2007 |
Succeeded by 2008 |
