Nationwide Series

The picture you see is of proud poppa Kerry Earnhardt, who will hopefully be watching his son Jeffrey start his very first race in NASCAR's top three series. Jeffrey Earnhardt will attempt his first start in the NASCAR Nationwide series on Saturday.

For those of you who keep up with such things, should young Jeffrey qualify for the Heluva Good! 200 at Dover, it will be the 1,394th start for a guy named Earnhardt in the top three series of NASCAR.

Ralph Earnhardt, the Originator, if you will, of the Earnhardt racing family, drove in 51 races in what was then known as the Grand National series.  

Ralph never won a race in that series, but he did have six top-fives, and 16 top-10 finishes. Ralph Earnhardt also won one pole and raced in the old convertible series, making two starts, with one top-five and two top-10 finishes.

For all his efforts, Ralph Earnhardt won a total of $23,553.00 in his lifetime driving for NASCAR.

Next came his son Dale Earnhardt. Dale, the Intimidator, won 76 Cup races, 21 Busch races (now known as the Nationwide series), and seven Cup championships.  

Dale won a total of $42,891,023 in his NASCAR career, between the old Busch series and Cup. Dale also won 21 races in 136 starts in the Busch series, and started 676 Cup races in his NASCAR career.

Next, of course, came Dale Earnhardt Jr. Dale Jr. is the only other racing champion in the Earnhardt family, having won the Busch Series championships in 1998 and 1999.

That compiles a total of nine NASCAR championships for the father and son. Dale Earnhardt Jr. has won 18 races out of 339 starts in his Cup career.

In the old Busch series, now known as the Nationwide Series, Dale Jr. has won 22 times out of 111 starts, and has now piled up $60,417,539 in total winnings as a driver in NASCAR.

A guy who's almost been an asterisk in the Earnhardt family is Kerry Earnhardt, half brother to Dale Jr. and father to Jeffrey.  

Kerry has also tried his hand at racing, but has often not had the support that his brother and son have been given. Kerry, who probably looks more like his famous father than any of his siblings has amassed $1,806,195 in NASCAR earnings thus far.

Kerry hasn't won a NASCAR race yet, but he still runs a race once in a while.

And now the season changes once again. Jeffrey is 19-years-old, and ready to break into the big time. We'll see how long the Earnhardt name lives on in NASCAR, but right now, the future looks bright.

Source: Racing-reference.info.com

This weekend could mark history in Dover, DE.

Jeffrey Earnhardt, the son of part time driver Kerry Earnhardt and nephew of Sprint Cup racer Dale Earnhardt Jr., will attempt to make the field for the Nationwide race in the Heluva Good! 200 on Saturday.

The 19-year-old grandson of NASCAR icon Dale Earnhardt will be driving the No. 31 Rick Ware Racing Chevrolet that his father Kerry has driven once this season. The team is co-owned by Stanton Barrett and has an affiliation with Dale Earnhardt, Inc.

He finished fifth in the points in NASCAR's Busch East Series in 2007 and won the Most Popular Driver Award at the end of the season.

Jeffrey realizes the challenges of having a lack of experience and having to race against some of the best drivers on the planet.

"I can't wait to make my start in the Nationwide Series and race at Dover," said Jeffrey Earnhardt. "Right now, I'm just working on getting comfortable in the car and getting some experience. I know there's some tough competition in Nationwide, so I'm looking forward to learning a lot from the guys in the field. I want to run a good race and get used to the car."

If you have missed it, or just plain overlooked it, a fourth generation of Earnhardts will attempt to make his series debut this weekend as Jeffrey Earnhardt, son of Kerry Earnhardt, grandson of Dale Earnhardt Sr., and nephew of Dale Earnhardt Jr., will attempt to qualify the No. 31 Chevy for Rick Ware Racing in the Heluva Good! 200 at Dover.

J. Earnhardt is scheduled to run seven races in the No. 31, which will all be prepared by Dale Earnhardt Inc. as they look to make their return to the Nationwide Series next year with the young Earnhardt.

J. Earnhardt finished fifth in the 2007 NASCAR Camping World Series East standings as a rookie and finished 15th last year.

Father and son will pair with former NASCAR champion crew chief Paul Andrews until they do battle at Atlanta Motor Speedway this fall. At that juncture, Clyde McCloud will serve as crew chief for the younger Earnhardt.

For more on the Atlanta Race, check out my article: Three Earnhardts to Attempt Atlanta.

J. Earnhardt, who remains a development driver for DEI, will also race in Montreal to become the first Earnhardt to race in one of NASCAR’s three national series in Canada.

DEI still exists, K. Earnhardt said, and still owns Nationwide Series cars and equipment. Seven of those cars will be used by Ware’s team as part of the alliance between the two.

A sponsor has yet to be named, but I'm sure there will be no problem with a company putting its name next to Earnhardt.

Kevin Harvick Inc. has announced that Copart Inc. has expanded it's sponsorship program with the team to include seven Nationwide races where they'll sponsor the No. 33 car.

They already are a sponsor for Ron Hornaday in the Camping World Truck Series, where they sponsored him at Kansas and will be on board in four other races.

Copart Inc. is an online vehicle re-marketing company that allows buyers from all over the world to look on their website, featuring a myriad of vehicles from classics, early, and late model cars, trucks, SUV's, motorcycles, boats, snowmobiles, jet skis, and recreational vehicles.

Basically, if it drives they have it listed on their site, plus they sell vehicles for parts or just specific parts.

"Copart recently came on board the No. 33 Chevy Silverado with Ron Hornaday in the Truck Series, and I'm able to join Ron as a representative of the Copart colors with their expanded relationship at KHI to the No. 33 Nationwide Series car," said KHI co-owner Harvick.

"To be able to help bring new business into NASCAR is what we are all about. We've proven at KHI that we are competitive both on and off the track by bringing great opportunities to our sponsors."

They'll sponsor three different drivers with the seven race package: (of course) Harvick, Ryan Newman, and Kelly Bires.

"We are excited to expand our relationship with KHI and get the word out to the Nationwide Series fans, as well as the Camping World Truck Series fans, that Copart is the best place to find cars," said Copart President Jay Adair.

"NASCAR fans love cars and we have more than 50,000 cars each day for them to choose from. Copart and KHI are a winning combination!"

Here's the schedule when Copart will be on the No. 33 and who's driving.

May 30—Dover—Kevin Harvick
Jun. 13—Kentucky—Kelly Bires
Jun. 27—New Hampshire—Kevin Harvick
Aug. 8—Watkins Glen—Kevin Harvick or J.R. Fitzpatrick
Sept. 26—Dover—Ryan Newman
Oct. 24—Memphis—Kelly Bires
Nov. 21—Homestead—Ryan Newman

I'm excited to see my favorite NASCAR team, being KHI, land another sponsor to be on board on races that, until Copart, we'd have seen a black No. 33.

It's important since they are racing for the Owner's Championship in the Nationwide, and I'm hoping Happy and Delana can slay Goliath to get the hardware at Homestead.

Source: kevinharvickinc.com

It wasn't exactly the exciting finish we have come to expect from Lowe's Motor Speedway.

Unless you're Mike Bliss.

Bliss, who came from the rear of the field after an engine change on Thursday, benefited when rain started to fall at Lowe's Motor Speedway in Concord, NC, with 33 laps remaining in the event.

NASCAR brought the cars down pit road and threw the red flag with 30 laps remaining. NASCAR made repeated attempts to dry the track, but lost the track after persistent rains continued.

Bliss calls the first rain shortened Nationwide Series event at Lowe's Motor Speedway his second career win in the series.

Bliss and the No. 1 Miccosukee Indian Gaming & Resort Chevrolet team used fuel strategy and a carefully placed caution during green-flag pit stops to catch most of the field a lap down.

“We started at the back, we changed a motor,” said Bliss after the race in his post-race press conference. "We stayed out as long as we could, and it paid off. I knew we had a pretty good car in practice and kind of worked our way into the top 10. We stretched our fuel mileage quite a bit, and that's why I'm here, I guess."

Brendan Gaughan finished the race second as the highest finishing rookie of the race. Gaughan and Bliss battled back-and-forth for the lead just a few laps before the rain showers moved into the area. This is Gaughan's career best finish, improving his series career record to one top-five and four top-10s.

“I don't know how we did it," Gaughan said. "We had a decent 5-Hour Energy Chevy to start the race. I think we got into like 12th or 14th, in that range somewhere, and pitted and everything was fine. And came onto pit road under green and caught the caution while we were there, so we still stay on the lead lap.

“I'm not going to say we were a second-place Chevrolet tonight. I'm going to say we were an eighth to 12th-place race car. But you know what? It doesn't matter what we think it would have been. That board [the scoring pylon] shows that the 5-Hour Energy finished second.”

Kyle Busch, who also was sent to the rear of the field for the start of the race after changing an engine early on Thursday, finished third.

“It was very disappointing that the guys aren't able to get to a win and celebrate themselves in Victory Lane for putting together the fastest car out there,” said Busch. “The Nos Energy Drink Toyota was good, it was fast. Circumstances just didn't hit our way tonight.”

Busch didn't take long to progress up through the field, taking the lead from Carl Edwards on lap 41, leading a field-most 98 laps in the event.

Brian Vickers finished fourth, with rookie Joey Logano rounding out the top-five.

Jason Leffler, David Ragan, Brad Keselowski, Jeff Burton, and Edwards rounded out the top-10.

The third car turned out to be a charm for Keselowski, who raced back from going to the rear of the field in his third car of the weekend, after wrecking the previous two on Thursday. The car was originally prepared for a short track.

Notes:

• Busch extended his lead from 43 to 73 points over Edwards.
  
• The race finished with 17 cars on the lead lap.
• The race contained five cautions for 26 laps.
• The race ran six laps under a green/yellow start after the start of the race was delayed for more than an hour due to rain. 
• Eight cars did not finish the event.

Ten laps into the Cup practice, the skies open and the rain poured down at Lowes Motor Speedway in Charlotte, NC. Unfortunately, the rains and wet track conditions also wreaked havoc with the Nationwide race, originally set to start after the finish of the Cup practice session.

After the rain ended and an extended stint of track drying ensued, the drivers were finally called to their cars, buckled in, and got ready to fire up their engines. 

One of the most interesting pre-race activities was watching Kyle Busch sprint to his race car, instead of running away from the car or out of the track as is his usual custom.

After a quick kiss and hug from his girlfriend, Busch shook hands with one of the NASCAR officials and climbed aboard his number 18 NOS Energy drink race car.  Busch unfortunately had to drop from the outside front row to the back of the pack due to an engine change.

After about an hour delay, those most famous words in racing were finally given by Bruce Schuetz and the drivers fired up their engines.

Carl Edwards had secured the pole position for the race and led the field to green.  There were a few surprises in qualifying, with Michael McDowell securing the sixth starting spot.

Stanton Barrett, part-time Nationwide racer and Indy car racer, qualified his way into the show.  Stuntman Barrett started in the 11th position.

Red Bull teammates Brian Vickers and Scott Speed also qualified well.  Vickers lined up in the fifth position and Speed in the fourteenth spot to start the race.

Brad Keselowski faced the biggest challenge of the evening.  Keselowski crashed both his primary and back up cars in practice and will start with a green race car, in addition to the green race track.

After finally getting out on the track, the drivers had to go single file to avoid the jet dryers, who were trying to get every patch on the track dry.  The race started under the yellow for safety's sake, again in order to address the remaining wet conditions on the track.

At lap seven of 200, the Nationwide racers finally took the green flag and set sail for the series' longest race of the season.  Carl Edwards led the first lap under green, while Greg Biffle and David Ragan battled for the second spot.

In the first lap, Kyle Busch raced his way from the back of the pack to pass nineteen cars.  After threading the needle several times, Busch rocketed up high on the track to the twenty-third spot, all after only one lap of green flag racing.

After sixteen laps, Busch passed Dale Earnhardt, Jr. to secure the 10th position.  Busch took it three wide to next move into the eighth spot.

On lap 23, Michael Annett hit the wall hard.  His car filled with smoke, caught fire, spun, yet Annett was able to quickly and safely exit his race car.

After the first pit stop of the evening, many cars took two tires only in order to gain track position.  Carl Edwards held onto the lead after his pit stop and Kyle Busch broke into the top five with his two-tire pit strategy.

Biffle had trouble on his pit stop, missing his pit by one stall. Biffle had to back up and ended up taking only fuel as a result.

Kenny Wallace did not pit during the first caution of the evening.  His No. 28 Border Patrol car got some valuable television time, before giving up the lead to attend to his own pit service.

A real battle ensued between Kyle Busch and Brian Vickers.  But after finally getting around Vickers, Kyle Busch then went on to snatch the lead from Carl Edwards on lap 41, after starting from the rear of the field.

Kyle Busch then set sail as his tradition, leading the race handily, with no pressure from second place Greg Biffle.  Also having a great run in this race segment were Jason Leffler and Mike Bliss.

On lap 76, Steven Wallace was the first car in for a green flag pit stop.  Unfortunately, Wallace's team did not get the second can of fuel into the car, which may cause him to have to come in again sooner than anticipated.

On lap 83, most of the leaders came to pit road for green flag stops.  Biffle had another problem on pit road, stalling the car after his service.

Most cars on this stop eagerly took four tires.  Carl Edwards also pulled a spring rubber and Kyle Busch made a wedge adjustment during their round of pit stops.

After all of the green flag stops, Kyle Busch cycled back into the race leader position again.

On lap 90, Justin Allgaier spun to bring out the caution.  Although pit road was open, there were no takers and Kyle Busch remained the race leader, with Jason Leffler a close second.

David Gilliland received the "lucky dog" pass to get back onto the lead lap.  Nineteen cars remained on the lead lap at this stage of the race.

At the halfway point, the leader was Kyle Busch, with Brian Vickers in second, Greg Biffle in third, Joey Logano in fourth, and Jason Leffler rounding out the top five.

On lap 106, Stanton Barrett grazed the wall.  Unfortunately for Barrett, the race continued without a caution.

Greg Biffle's troubles continued to plague the No. 16 car.  On lap 125, Biffle had to come to pit road with a tire down.  His pit stop, with a four tire change, put him a lap down.

Surprisingly, Brian Vickers was able to wrest the lead away from Kyle Busch. After a four-tire change, Busch resumed the lead.

On lap 146, green flag pit stops started yet again, most likely making this the final stop of the evening.  On this pit stop, Dale Earnhardt, Jr. reported a ploughing condition and appropriate adjustments were made to the car to address his issues.

With 50 laps to go, Steve Wallace spun trying to get on pit road.  But Kevin Hamlin then proceeded to hit the wall and the caution flew.

Several drivers had not made their green flag pit stops so the running order was again shuffled.  Joe Nemechek's No. 87 LubePros' sponsored car started smoking, most likely with engine problems.

NASCAR then had to sort out the running order, with Mike Bliss shown not only as the leader but also the only car on the lead lap.  Bliss then proceeded to pit road under the yellow and took four tires.

With everyone having made green flag pit stops, most cars ended up being a lap down.  Brendan Gaughan got the lucky dog pass, so in essence there were now two cars on the lead lap.

Kevin Harvick received a penalty for removing equipment from his pit stall, carrying the catch can for a pit stall or two.  Harvick will have to start at the end of the line, which is long given those trapped a lap down.

Although Mike Bliss was the leader, a gaggle of cars started in front of him.  All of those cars were on the tail end of the lead lap.

Michael McDowell reported that so much sand was put down to absorb the oil on the caution that it was "like a beach down the backstretch." Kyle Busch was feeling like he had been on the track so long that surely there must already be a winner for the Indy 500.

With 40 laps to go, Mike Bliss took the green flag as the race leader.  Unfortunately, he had ten cars ahead of him on the lead lap and Brendan Gaughan right there behind him in the second spot.

With 36 laps to go, Brendan Gaughan and Mike Bliss were locked in a battle royal.  Gaughan prevailed and this "rookie" driver took the lead.

But Bliss would not be denied the lead.  He drove his car hard into the corner and took the lead away from Gaughan yet again.

On lap 32, the caution came out yet again, with rain drops falling on the track.  With Mike Bliss in the lead, 12 cars were now on the lead lap, with Dale Earnhardt, Jr. benefiting from the lucky dog this time.

The jet dryers again took to the track to try to dry it out for the final laps of the race.  Just when it looked like the cars were ready to take the track again, the rains began to fall again, this time requiring most of the plastic covers to come out on the cars.

Bliss climbed out of his race car, giving NASCAR every indication that he was the race winner.  He gave owner James Finch his second win, the first being Keselowski at the Talladega Race.

At 11:27 PM, NASCAR called the race and declared Mike Bliss the winner.  It has been 83 starts since Bliss' last win.

Brendan Gaughan dedicated his second place finish to his grandmother, who passed away recently.

The top five finishing order was as follows:

1.   Mike Bliss

2.   Brendan Gaughan

3.   Kyle Busch

4.   Brian Vickers

5.   Joey Logano

Just under a third into this year's NASCAR Nationwide Series racing season and already, it's looked like another one of those campaigns when the Cup guys steal the limelight from the regular runners.

One of the biggest and most oft-asked questions in stock car racing is if the Cup drivers have a right to compete in the Nationwide Series.

Perceived as the No. 2 series of the three prestigious touring series for NASCAR, it previously featured an array of upcoming talent from feeder series clashing against some of the best Cup drivers in the circuit.

However, that has changed in the past few years, with the likes of Kyle Busch, Carl Edwards, and Clint Bowyer basking in the success of besting their peers for the trophies in Victory Lane

Surefire Claims to Victory Lane

This weekend, it'll be more of the same at Lowe's Motor Speedway for Saturday's Carquest Auto Parts 300.

Once dubbed by this generation's dean of motorsports, Ken Squier, as the "Prelude to the 600," the 300-miler often produces some of Memorial Day weekend's most exciting action on the asphalt.

Busch made the Concord, NC-based track into his personal playground, sweeping both races for the Joe Gibbs Racing contingency. Always a stout contender in the Cup and Nationwide cars, it may be another runaway show for the 24-year old Vegas native.

Bowyer knows a thing or two about getting around this racetrack. With finishes of sixth and fourth last year, he may be Chevrolet's best chance to return to the winner's circle in the Nationwide side of NASCAR.

Edwards placed 13th and fifth last season at LMS as one of the leading Ford drivers at the famed 49-year old racing facility.

Winless in '09, but just 39 markers back from the points lead, Saturday's race may be the perfect opportunity for a "double-win" with a trip to Victory Lane and first place in the championship standings.

Why these three drivers and not say, a Nationwide regular? Of the 20 chances (the total number of slots comprising the top-10 in each Nationwide race at Lowe's) that a regular had to crack the top-10, only Kelly Bires and Mike Wallace led the charge for the "true insurance agents."

That's not to say that an upset is not in the cards for the 300-miler. In the October 2006 race, "The Buckeye Bullet," aka Dave Blaney, dueled against Matt Kenseth in a who-blinks-first to the last corners for the race victory.

In a race that has been reflected as bizarre with the high attrition count and demolition derby action that made the inaugural Texas Cup event of 1997 look tame, the unexpected happened.

Kenseth, in attempt to defend his lead position, got loose in Turn Three and lost control of his No. 17 Ford. Blaney, showing some of his racing prowess, held on to the throttle and went on to score his first and only NASCAR triumph in his career.

And oh by the way...

Just because the Carquest Auto Parts 300 is not exactly in the same vein of awe like the Coca-Cola World 600 or the Indianapolis 500, the race itself has been conducive to competitive, side-by-side action and a showcase of today's stars versus tomorrow's winners.

Some guy named Jeff Gordon swept the races at Lowe's in 1992, driving Bill Davis' No. 1 Baby Ruth Ford for two of his three victories in that season's memorable championship hunt.

The race has also served as a barometer in terms of how competitive or how dull the action will be in the 600. Sure, the All-Star Race is often a shootout and hotly-contested event where there are virtually no limits.

But in the 300, it is a "conservative" short-distance race. We will learn which pit strategies are advantageous, which will result in certain failure and some that are simply indescribable.

While he may not be a contender for the win, keep an eye on Stanton Barrett. A regular in the Indycar series, the stunt actor looks to make his mark on Memorial Day racing weekend of 2009 with a successful appearance in the 300.

Fast Notes...

The Race: Carquest Auto Parts 300
The Place: Lowe's Motor Speedway
The Date: May 23, 2009
The Time: 7:30 PM, EDT
The Distance: 200 laps/300 miles
TV: ESPN2 (Prerace at 7 PM, EDT)
Radio: Sirius NASCAR Radio/PRN
2008 Race Winner: Kyle Busch
2008 Pole Sitter: Brian Vickers

Event Schedule (All Times EDT): Saturday : Qualifying: 3:45 PM

Keeping tabs with the Rookie-of-the-Year points standings, Justin Allgaier leads the freshman class of 2009 with 102 points, followed by Brendan Gaughan with 95 points, a two-way tie for third place with Michael McDowell and Scott Lagasse, Jr. at 94 points, and Michael Annett with 75 points in a distant fifth spot.

Driver Standings

     Driver                    Points
1)  Kyle Busch             1539
2)  Carl Edwards           1502
3)  Jason Leffler            1386
4)  Joey Logano            1340
5)  Brad Keselowski      1331
6)  Jason Keller             1181
7)  David Ragan             1139
8)  Scott Lagasse Jr.      1095
9)  Justin Allgaier           1089
10) Steve Wallace           1088

Up Next:

After a grueling 300-miler at Lowe's Motor Speedway, the Nationwide agents head to Dover, Delware at the "Monster Mile" for the Heluva Good! 200.

Outside pole-sitter Denny Hamlin dominated the spring race at Dover International Speedway, leading 131 of 200 circuits. Hamlin bested pole-sitter Edwards by 1.072 seconds.

Kevin Harvick returns to driving the No. 33 KHI Chevrolet at Lowe's Motor Speedway, for the Carquest Auto Parts 300 on Saturday night.

Happy will be looking for his first Nationwide win at Lowe's this weekend. He has had some great runs, even started on the pole, but has yet to win at the Beast of the Southeast.

It's only fitting with it being Memorial Day weekend, that he has the Veterans of Foreign War's paint scheme and let's hope he honor's our troops both past and present with a win.

In 16 races at the track, he's compiled two top fives, nine top 10 finishes, won three poles, led 125 laps, and completed 99.3 percent of attempted laps—that's 3,183 of 3,205 laps.

Coming into the weekend, the No. 33 KHI team sits a top the NASCAR Nationwide Series Owner's Points Standings, and with Happy driving they should leave Lowe's leading the standings.

"I think for KHI, the mile-and-a-half tracks like Texas, Las Vegas, and Atlanta have been good to us," said Harvick. The No. 33 Nationwide Series team has really stepped up this year, consistently running upfront and contending for the wins each week. That's all I can ask for."

"Hopefully this week will be no different and we can get the VFW in Victory Lane to celebrate Memorial Day weekend and recognize the sacrifices the men and women of this great country have made in the past and continue to make for us everyday so we can live the way we do."

Happy will be racing chassis No. 042 this weekend, twice this season it's been raced. First at Fontana where it finished second, then at Vegas leading 42 laps before being wrecked out in a multi-car crash.

Lowe's marks the first of two races that we'll see the VFW sponsorship in the Nationwide Series, they'll also be on the No. 33 at Daytona July 3.

The No. 33 paint scheme will be a little different at Lowe's, while it will still have the red, white, and blue—the colors of the VFW—it also will have the Buddy Poppy logo on the hood.

The VFW is one of my favorite sponsors in NASCAR, my dad spent a lot of time working with them, helping veterans find employment and they are a great organization to support.

Taken from VFW.org. The Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United State is a non-profit organization dedicated to honoring the sacrifices and ensuring the rights of American's veterans through advocacy, support, and community service, while promoting patriotism.

The VFW offers a wide array of services to support veterans and their families throughout their military career, from active duty to the honorably discharged.

The VFW has been doing the Buddy Poppy program for over 75 years, they've raised millions of dollars that goes to supporting veteran's and their families.

When your out shopping this weekend, don't forget to support the Buddy Poppy program this Memorial Day weekend. As the VFW members will be out at most chain stores collecting donations.

Source: kevinharvickinc.com

Photo Credit: Motorsports.com

Jeff Burton has come a long way since he made his first start in the Nationwide Series. That race wasn't a fair indicator of the Nationwide Series success that has brought him 27 wins, 88 top-fives, and 147 top-10s heading into what will become his 300th Nationwide Series career start.

Burton's Nationwide Series debut came in 1988 at the Martinsville race in the No. 64 car owned by his father, John. Burton went two laps into the race after qualifying 16th, before an engine failure sent him to a last place finish in then what was a 28 car field.

Burton's history in the Nationwide Series is just as spectacular as his career at Lowe's Motor Speedway. Burton holds six career victories at the track, three each of the Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series.

Burton also holds 14 top-10s, which is the most in Nationwide Series competition, in his 30 career starts at the track.

“We’ve definitely run well at Charlotte in the Holiday Inn/Holiday Inn Express Chevrolet,” Burton said of his past runs in the Holiday Inn Chevrolet at Lowe's Motor Speedway. “We’re bringing a brand new car with us this weekend and I’m excited to see how it performs.

"Our season has not gone the way we have wanted it to thus far, but Charlotte is a place where we can get back to where we need to be. Everyone in the Nationwide shop is working hard and we’ve been improving our program week by week.”

Burton and the No. 29 team will be working with their new crew chief Doug Randolph for the first time. Randolph is taking over for former crew chief Dan Deeringhoff who has moved over to Richard Childress Racing's developmental driver program to become the crew chief for Austin Dillion.

Randolph has spent nine years in NASCAR as a crew chief, most recently at Earnhardt-Ganassi Racing with Aric Almirola. His career also includes stints at Chip Ganassi Racing, ppc Racing, MB2 Motorsports, Petty Enterprises, and Dale Earnhardt Inc.

“I’m excited to be working with our new crew chief Doug Randolph this weekend and I feel he will play a major role in helping us run consistently the rest of the season,” Burton said of the new crew chief.

“I’m honored to be a part of Richard Childress Racing and their No. 29 program,” said Randolf of his new opportunity at RCR. “This organization has a history of performing well in the NASCAR Nationwide Series and I definitely have big shoes to fill.

"I’m excited to get to the track this weekend and work with our team. I feel with the data we acquired from wind tunnel testing and the information Jeff (Burton) will give us in practice, we should have a strong showing in qualifying and during the race.”

Brad Keselowski, who is starting his fourth Nationwide Series race at Lowe's Motor Speedway for JR Motorsports this weekend, earned some respect from the entire Nationwide Series field after standing up to Denny Hamlin in the last year's Carquest Auto Parts 300.

During the race, Hamlin felt that Keselowski didn't give him enough racing room, especially in the closing laps.

Keselowski held his ground firm, saying that, “I race one day a week, not two. I have 200 laps to prove myself, not 400. I have to make the most of every lap.”

That comment, which proved to be one of the most memorable quotes of the season, seemed to spring board Keselowski into a more competitive status for the remainder of the season.

After his third-place finish in the race at Lowe's, Keselowski earned two wins, 13 top-fives, and 21 top-10s in the 2008 Nationwide Series season.

Keselowski says that between the spring race at Lowe's and this season's Talladega Cup race, he has shown that neither he or his team will back down to anybody.

“The spring race at Lowe’s last year was a race that stands out in my mind for a few different reasons,” Keselowski said. “For one, it proved to a lot of people that my team and I were not going to back down to anyone—Cup driver, Nationwide driver or otherwise—and I think that was evident during the race.

“I knew my team and team owner, who was also my teammate that night, were behind me. It was kind of the same situation as this year at Talladega, with me holding my ground against Carl [Edwards] to win the race. In both situations, I feel that I made the right decision.”

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• Choice USA, holding company of Sun Drop, President Jay Falls on the return of Sun Drop as a sponsor in NASCAR. “This is a great opportunity for Sun Drop to get back in racing. We loved racing and teaming up with Dale Sr., but JD Motorsports and Danny will represent our brand well. We couldn’t be more excited about it.”

• Justin Allgaier said about driving at Lowe’s Motor Speedway. “I am excited about this weekend. We are racing the same car that ran really well at Bristol in March. We know we have a package that can get around these kinds of tracks, we just have to fine tune it. [Crew chief] Chad [Walter] and all the guys on the Verizon Wireless team have been busting their tails trying to find that bit of speed that will take us to Victory Lane. How cool would it be to win our back yard? We just need to keep riding this wave of momentum. We had a great run two weeks ago in Darlington and now we just need to continue to make good decisions.”

More Weekend Headlines:

• Kyle Busch is going for his third consecutive Nationwide Series win at Lowe's Motor Speedway this weekend at the Carquest 300. Busch, who holds four career wins at Lowe's Motor Speedway in Nationwide Series competition, is just two wins away of tying Mark Martin's record of six wins in the Nationwide Series.

• A total of 14 drivers will be performing "double-duty" this weekend. The list is composed of Greg Biffle, Mike Bliss, Jeff Burton, Kyle Busch, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Carl Edwards, Kevin Harvick, Joey Logano, Paul Menard, Joe Nemechek, David Ragan, Tony Raines, Scott Speed, and Brian Vickers.

• The No. 19 Stellar-Quest Racing team will attempt their season debut this weekend at Lowe's Motor Speedway. The team, a purely volunteer team, will partner with J.C. Stout to qualify for one of the 43 spots, out of the 51 cars that have entered this weekend's race. Stout has two Nationwide Series starts this season for Johnny Davis.

• Brandon Knupp, driving the No. 75 Schacht Motorsports Chevrolet, will be making his Nationwide Series debut this weekend. He has nine starts in the Camping World Truck Series since the 2007 season, earning a career best finish of 23rd. Knupp raced in his fifth start of the year last weekend at this track in the Camping World Truck Series, coming home to a 28th place finish.

Weekend at a Glance:

What: CARQUEST 300

Where: Lowe’s Motor Speedway

When: Saturday, May 23 at 7:30 PM ET

Length: 300 miles / 200 laps

TV: ESPN2, 7 PM ET

Radio: PRN / Sirius-XM NASCAR Radio

2008 Winner: Kyle Busch

2008 Pole: Brian Vickers

Comin' Up Next:

Next up for the Nationwide Series drivers is Dover International Speedway on May 30. Last season, Joey Logano finished sixth in his career debut in NASCAR's top-three national touring series.

Jeffrey Earnhardt is also scheduled to make his series debut for Rick Ware Racing. The Heluva Good! 200 will be broadcast on ABC beginning at 2 PM ET for the network's third race of four this season.

One look at the picture and you will instantly recognize it as that of the late Adam Petty, whose life was tragically cut short in a practice crash at the New Hampshire International Speedway on May 12, 2000.

The son of Kyle and Pattie Petty, Adam looked to be the next in the line of the great Petty racing dynasty, one that competed in NASCAR for virtually the sport's existence.

In the NFL, you have the Manning family. In the MLB ranks, you have the Griffey family. The open wheel ranks are the home of the Andretti and Unser clans.

For stock car enthusiasts, the Petty name is synonymous as the sport and its history, with nearly every NASCAR memory associated with this family from High Point, NC.

But something is different in the air in 2009. In case you may have not noticed, there has not been a Petty in the racing fields in any of the NASCAR top three racing tiers.

Sure, "King" Richard still struts along the garage area, but almost as an ambassador and icon for his eponymous team, and Kyle does television commentary on Speed TV.

However, in the garage area, much less, on the track, none of the cars on the track are piloted by a Petty.

As a fan, I do wonder what the sport's complexion would be like if Adam were still here, racing in the high banks of Lowe's Motor Speedway or on the winding turns of Infineon Raceway.

Some racing fans and scouts believed that the fourth-generation driver had the potential to have the prowess his famous grandfather had during his illustrious 43-year career.

Others believed he just needed some additional years to harness his potential into one with polished driving tactics and the calculative skills to make his own mark in the sport.

Sadly, the mark that Adam Petty left in his brief life as a driver was on that tragic Friday on May 12 of 2000. There are stories that the young man was jubilant and in a giddy mood that week, as sister Montgomery Lee had cut his hair.

Petty's 2000 Nationwide season was turning the corner for the good, and the 19-year-old made his debut in the Cup ranks, running a spirited race at Texas until his motor expired in his No. 45 Sprint Chevrolet.

His father Kyle pressed on for seven painful years behind his late son's car, urging his machines around the track to keep the spirit and essence of Adam around on the track across America.

Though the No. 45 is no longer a fixture on the circuit and the original Petty team dissolved last year to become Richard Petty Motorsports, which is really the Gillette Evernham team, the presence of Adam can still be felt in some ways.

The Victory Junction Gang Camp opened in the summer of 2004 in honor of Adam, a charity group that the young man had planned to pursue in catering to children with terminal ailments or chronic illnesses.

A bit of Adam is at the camp, from the likeness of his No. 45 car at the facility, to all his values and love for the people around him being felt with the children at the hospitable location.

It strikes me to realize that I outlived a driver who I can honestly say was one of my heroes, even if he was just an up and coming driver.

Sure, you could say his last name had some help in his rise to the top.

That is not to say that Adam Petty did not work hard and diligently in his efforts to reach the Cup series.

He competed in the American Speed Association in 1998 with a win at I-70 Speedway in Missouri and gained national attention later that year with his Automobile Racing Club of America victory at Lowe's Motor Speedway in the EasyCare 100.

Adam looked like he was on his way to become the next great Petty. But his racing dreams were dashed and cut short.

I realized as this Tuesday passed by that it marked the nine-year anniversary of Adam Petty's tragedy at a track that was nearby me in neighboring New Hampshire.

In one of those moments where you can be asked, "Where were you?", I could honestly say that I came home from school, tuned into ESPN 2 as I had usually done to read the ticker and then came the news that had me literally standing still for hours.

It was devastating. I felt like all the happiness I had that day was gone by just reading the ticker of Adam Petty's death.

Days later, I wondered how the Petty family held up. And to this day, I wonder how they hold it together individually and as a family.

While fans may dig on Kyle Petty not having a truly successful Cup career, you have to admire the perseverance of this 49-year-old man who keeps his son's legacy alive through his commentary and his duties tending to the VJGC in North Carolina and soon to open in Kansas.

You have to wonder how little brother Austin, who now is in his early 20s, and sister Montgomery Lee, who is now married, carried on without their cheerful older brother who had that patented Petty smile.

Or how his mother Pattie even had the strength to go to the track, including the one that took her son's life away.

For older fans, the tragic deaths of '92 Cup titlist Alan Kulwicki and superstar racer Davey Allison resonate loudly. The sport lost two of its greatest and most fiercest competitors in 1993.

But for me, the death of Petty still shocks me after all these years.

Unfortunately, I never got to meet him nor did I truly reflect on his accomplishments until the tragic accident in Loudon, N.H.

Racing has never been the same without Adam Petty or a Petty on the track in 2009.

In a time when money may be hard to come by, if not a donation to the Victory Junction Gang Camp, keep the Petty family in your hearts and mind as this week comes to a close.

While the festivities of the All-Star Race will garner attention, I hope you will at least take the time to remember this young man, whose racing dreams were dashed, but whose heart still remains in our world with his unselfishness and care to those who may not have it all made in life.

God speed to the Petty family!