Busch Series Nashville Notes

Joining Opryland USA as co-sponsor of the 320 lap Busch Series Grand National race is BellSouth Mobility. Opryland, the Official Destination of NASCAR, will hold the second annual TNN Salute to Motorsports June 26-30 at Opryland Theme Park.

BellSouth is the Official Cellular Service Provider of Nashville Speedway USA.

Joe Nemechek has entered the Andrea Nemechek owned BellSouth Mobility sponsored Chevrolet Monte Carlo in the BellSouth Mobility/Opryland USA 320. Nemechek's previous visit to the Music City was a October 15, 1989 All American 400 start for the NASCAR Slim Jim All Pro Series. Nemechek started 19th, completed 300 laps but dropped out with a broken rocker arm and finished 22nd.

The recent paving of Nashville Speedway USA was completed in a 2 week period. APAC of Nashville and MACAsphalt of Winter Haven, FL, laid in excess of 3,000 tons of asphalt to the .596 mile - 18 degree oval, the flat .250 mile inner oval, and the entire length of pit lane. An oil based sealer was applied to the garage area of the speedway as well as the center of the inner track.

The last race contested on the old surface was the October 15, 1995 running of the 15th Annual - Manheim Auctions All American 400 - for the NASCAR Slim Jim All Pro Series cars won by Clarksville, Tennessee's Jeff Purvis.

The day prior to the 400, a 200 lap Late Model Stock Car race was contested with Chad Chaffin the winner in that race. Both Chaffin and Purvis are entered in the BellSouth Mobility/Opryland USA 320.

If Jeff Purvis wins the 320 he should have no trouble finding his way to victory lane at Nashville. Purvis is the only 3 time winner (1991-92 & 1995) of the All American 400. As well, Chaffin claimed 15 Late Model Stock Car wins in '95 along with his second division championship (1993 was the first).

Qualifying records are expected to fall in both the Slim Jim 200 and BellSouth Mobility/Opryland USA 320. Jason Keller, driver of the Slim Jim Chevrolet Monte Carlo, participated in pre-season Goodyear Tire testing for the Busch cars and cut un-official laps in the 18.9 second bracket, but more consistently in the 19.0 to 19.1 second range. The Busch Series qualifying record was set during the 1988 event by Larry Pearson in a Chevrolet at a time of 19.895 @ 107.846 mph.

Darrell Waltrip was the pole winner for the '95 race with a time of 20.084 @ 106.831 mph. David Green's race-winning time was 2 hrs. 26 min. with an average speed of 78.217 and margin of victory of 1.32 secs. over Chad Little.

Winston Cup drivers entered in the BellSouth Mobility/Opryland USA 320 include 2 time Daytona 500 winner Sterling Marlin in the McDowell Enterprise sponsored Fred Turner owned Chevrolet Monte Carlo. Marlin finished 36th in the inaugural running of this event.

Joe Nemechek will make his first Busch start at Nashville, driving the BellSouth Mobility Monte Carlo.

Terry Labonte returns in the Actron/Bayer Aspirin sponsored Chevrolet Monte Carlo. Labonte finished 3rd here in 1995.

Bobby Labonte in the Shell Oil Monte Carlo will return to Nashville, only this time as a driver. Bobby was the winning car owner for defending race winner David Green.

Michael Waltrip will return to Nashville to drive his own M&W Windows Ford Thunderbird, he finished a disappointing 38th last year.

Jeremy Mayfield will make his first Busch Series start at Nashville. Mayfield was a top Late Model Stock Car competitor in the early 90's at Nashville. He will drive the NorthStar Motorsports Ford Thunderbird.

The FilMar race team comes back to Nashville with driver Kenny Wallace. At the conclusion of the 1995 season the Nashville based team relocated to Charlotte, NC, area to better focus their Winston Cup efforts. Wallace will drive the Red Dog Beer sponsored Ford Thunderbird.

Bobby Hamilton driver of the Richard Petty owned STP Pontiac is scheduled to compete in the Saturday Slim Jim 200. Hamilton is a former Nashville Champion having won the Late Model title in 1987-88. Hamilton's last All Pro start was the 1993 All American 400 where he started eight and finished twenty-ninth after being involved in an accident in the late stages of the race.