NNCS BCS (DAYTONA) - Busch Series News & Notes - Talladega

* DEI Goes For Five Straight at Talladega

*Two Juniors Look To Follow In Fathers Footsteps

* In The Loop: Truex A Talladega Terror

* Montoya Makes NASCAR Busch Series Debut at Talladega

DEI Seeks Five Straight, Truex Jr. Seeks Four Straight

Dale Earnhardt Inc. employees head to Alabama this week with a smile on their faces because in the past four Aaron’s 312 races at Talladega Superspeedway, no one but DEI drivers have tasted victory. The team heads into Talladega to see if it can make it five straight wins.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. (No. 8 Menards Chevrolet), a two-time NASCAR Busch Series champion, won the Aaron’s 312 event in 2003. Ever since no one has matched two-time series champion Martin Truex Jr. (No. 8 Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet) who has racked up three consecutive victories here. Currently Truex Jr. has a perfect score there, starting only three series races at Talladega, and winning all three.

The big question is can DEI and Martin Truex Jr. do it again? Truex Jr. has started only one series event this season, Daytona, where he finished sixth. Earnhardt Jr. has started two series events this season, finishing seventh at Daytona and sixth at Bristol. Earnhardt Jr. hasn’t raced at Talladega in the NASCAR Busch Series since 2004, where he finished second to Truex Jr.

No other team has gone for five consecutive wins at Talladega in NASCAR Busch Series competition. Truex Jr. will be going for four consecutive victories, and would be the first driver ever to do so in the series. DEI has a total of 16 victories at restrictor-plate tracks in the NASCAR Busch Series, 11 at Daytona and five at Talladega. The experience DEI drivers have accumulated will help them this weekend.

“When you finish a race at Talladega, you're almost never physically tired like if you had just raced at Bristol or Martinsville,” Earnhardt said. “But the mental strain and the concentration needed will wear you out mentally and emotionally. It's fun, but it's tough."

Two Juniors Looking To Make Fathers Proud

The last NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series victories earned by 7-time series champion Dale Earnhardt Sr. and 2004 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series champion Bobby Hamilton Sr. both were at Talladega Superspeedway. This weekend, sons Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Bobby Hamilton Jr. (No. 35 McDonald’s Ford) are entered in the Aaron’s 312, and look to make their fathers proud by taking home the checkered flag.

Dale Earnhardt Sr. won at Talladega in the fall of 2000 and holds the record for most wins there with 11 in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series and one in the NASCAR Busch Series. Bobby Hamilton Sr. followed up Earnhardt’s performance that next spring in 2001 with his final victory in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. has won at Talladega, once in the NASCAR Busch Series in 2004, and five times in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series, four of which were consecutive (a track record). Earnhardt Jr. also has followed in his father’s footsteps in becoming a car owner in the series. He started JR Motorsports in 2005, which fields Shane Huffman (No. 88 U.S. NAVY Chevrolet) in the NASCAR Busch Series.

Bobby Hamilton Jr. has never won at Talladega, but has posted a top-five finish in 2000. Hamilton Jr. returned to NASCAR Busch Series competition this season and heads into Talladega ninth in the series standings, with a Driver Rating of 64.9, and an Average Running Position of 22.1.

NASCAR Busch Series Leaders After 9 Of 35 Races:

Driver points – Edwards (1525) Owner points – Roush Fenway (No. 60) (1525) Victories – J. Burton, Edwards, and Kenseth (2) Money won – Edwards ($447,950) Races led – Ky Busch (7) Miles led – Ky Busch (760.03) Top-five finishes – Edwards (8) Busch Poles – Ky Busch (2) Top-10 finishes – Edwards (9) Season Driver Rating – Ky Busch (124.2) Raybestos Rookie – Ambrose (+ 2 over Montoya) Closing in on Top-10 – Hamlin 10th (917 pts.) - Smith (-23), Leicht (-51), Regan (-57)

Chevrolet Continues Atop The Standings

Chevrolet won last week’s race at Phoenix International Raceway and gained momentum in the Bill France Performance Cup standings.

Clint Bowyer captured his first win this season in the NASCAR Busch Series, moving Chevrolet further ahead of second-place Ford by four points. Chevrolet leads all manufacturers in victories at Talladega with 11.

Toyota tightened the race for third place in the manufacturer’s standings this week with Dave Blaney finishing 10th at Phoenix, putting Toyota two points behind Dodge.

In The Loop: Truex A Talladega Terror

It can’t be this easy. Can it?

In those three consecutive Talladega victories, Truex Jr. has earned some impressive Loop Data stats at the restrictor-plate track and has positioned himself as the series king of the famed 2.66-mile superspeedway.

Of any driver competing in Saturday’s Aaron’s 312, Truex has the top pre-race Driver Rating (113.4), the top Average Running Position (7.336) and Laps in the Top 15 (191).

If Truex is not atop the leader board in any one category, he’s close to the top. For instance, Truex has eight Fastest Laps Run which is tied for third most over the last two years at Talladega. His 311 Green Flag Passes are eighth most.

As inconceivable as it may seem, Truex Jr. isn’t the only force at Talladega. With last year’s runner-up finish, Kevin Harvick has also proven stellar at the track. Harvick has the second-best Driver Rating of anyone in Saturday’s race at 102.8 and a second-best Average Running Position of 9.965. Harvick also is the top “Closer” at Talladega in the NASCAR Busch Series – he has improved 14 positions in the last 10% of the races at Talladega.

This weekend, Jason Leffler could open eyes. Leffler has an Average Running Position of 14.094 (13th-best) and a Driver Rating of 89.8 (13th-best). Jon Wood, who finished second in 2005, could also be one of the NASCAR Busch Series regulars to post a solid finish. He has eight Fastest Laps Run at the track, tied for third most.

NBS ETC.

ESPN on ABC will have live coverage of Saturday’s 312-mile race beginning at 2:30 p.m. ET with NASCAR Countdown, the fourth of six series events on ABC this year. Jerry Punch will anchor the telecast from Talladega, joined in the booth by current NASCAR NEXTEL Cup driver Dale Jarrett, and two-time champion crew chief Andy Petree for analysis.

Juan Pablo Montoya (No. 42 Texaco Havoline Dodge) will be starting this weekend in the Aaron’s 312 at Talladega in his second NASCAR Busch Series restrictor-plate race. Montoya struggled in his first restrictor-plate event at Daytona, he finished 40th due to engine failure. He raced at Talladega in 2006 in the ARCA Series where he finished third.

Series Standings Leader Carl Edwards (No. 60 Scotts Ford) will be racing in the Aaron’s 312 this weekend. Edwards in his last three series starts at Talladega has posted three top 10s. Edwards leads the NASCAR Busch Series standings by 424 points over second-place Dave Blaney (No. 32 ABF U-PACK Toyota).

Top Rookie Marcos Ambrose (No. 59 Kingsford Ford) is listed as a rookie this season but has proven he has more experience than most. He leads the Raybestos Rookie of the Year standings by two points over second-place Juan Pablo Montoya. This will be Ambrose’s second restrictor-plate start; he finished 16th at Daytona earlier this season.

Double Duty Restrictor-plate races attract a lot of the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup drivers who pull double duty and Talladega is no exception. Out of the 41 drivers entered to race on Saturday, 20 of them are participating in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series this season.