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Busch 200 preview

Winston Cup | Busch Series | Craftsman Trucks

NASCAR Busch Series - Busch 200

When: Saturday, May 13th, 2000 - 12:30 pm ET on TNN
Where: New Hampshire Speedway
Distance: 211.6 Miles / 200 Laps
Posted Awards: $704,230

The Field:
43 Cars. Fastest 36 cars through time trials. Seven provisional starting positions, including either six or seven based on 2000 NASCAR Busch Series owner points and possibly one provisional position for a former champion of the circuit.

The Schedule:
Friday, May 12
10:00am Practice until 10:55 am
12:00pm Practice until 1:00pm
2:00pm Qualifying (pos. 1-36; 2 laps)
TBA Final practice following qualifying
Saturday, May 13th
12:30pm Start of the Busch 200

Track Facts
Operated by the Bahre Family, New Hampshire International Speedway opened in 1990, hosting a NASCAR Busch Series event for the first time. The track hosted two races a season until 1992 and has held a single event every year since 1993, when a NASCAR Winston Cup Series date was granted.

Busch 200 Notes
  • In 13 previous NASCAR Busch Series events at New Hampshire International Speedway, only Ricky Craven has won from the top qualifying position. Craven won the Busch Pole Award for the fall New England Chevrolet 250 in 1991 after qualifying at 121.800 miles per hour and then moved his SpeeDee Oil Change Chevrolet into victory lane. He and Jimmy Hensley (1990 and 1991 Budweiser 300) are the only drivers to gain multiple pole positions. The track has hosted 10 spring events and three fall races.
  • Interestingly, there has never been a repeat winner of a NASCAR Busch Series race in Loudon, N.H. Of the 13 previous event winners, only two drivers, Joe Nemechek in 1992 and Randy LaJoie in 1996, have gone on to win a series championship the same season.
  • Jeff Green, who posted the past two Bud Pole Awards at California Speedway and Richmond International Raceway, set the series qualifying record at New Hampshire International Speedway last season while rounding the 1.058-mile facility at 128.637 miles per hour. Hensley's speed in the inaugural Budweiser 300 in 1990 was clocked at 123.410 miles per hour.
  • Although Buicks won the first two events at New Hampshire International Speedway, Chevrolets hold the all-time advantage at the facility. Chevrolets have taken the checkered flag five times, while Ford (3 wins), Buick (2 wins), Pontiac (2 wins) and Oldsmobile (1 win) have each won races in Loudon, N.H.

Series Notes
  • After capturing his second straight Bud Pole Award in Richmond on Friday afternoon, point leader Jeff Green beat Matt Kenseth to the stripe to record his first victory in 2000. Green finished ahead of the top NASCAR Winston Cup Series rookie by the narrow margin of .105 second. The 11-season veteran now holds five career wins and a 73-point advantage over Todd Bodine (1623 pts. to 1550 pts.) in the chase for the championship.
  • Raybestos Rookie of the Year candidate Kevin Harvick, currently second in the rookie point standings behind leader Ron Hornaday, posted a career-best third-place finish in the Hardee's 250 at Richmond International Raceway last weekend. The 1998 NASCAR Winston West Series champion trails Hornaday 138 points to 127 points in the hunt for the top rookie award.
  • Mark Martin, the all-time series win leader with 44 victories, had his sights set on win number five for the season on Friday evening but finished fourth despite leading 147 of 25. Martin has four wins and six top-five finishes in six events in 2000. Lyndon Amick and Phil Parsons, who finished the Hardee's 250 in ninth place and 10th place, respectively, reached season-best finishes with their performances.