KENTUCKY SPEEDWAY NEWS AND NOTES - JUNE 30, 2008

FORD RACING IS CONDUCTING AN NCTS “BUILT FORD TOUGH 225 PRESENTED BY THE GREATER CINCINNATI FORD DEALERS” HONORARY STARTER SWEEPSTAKES

Ford Racing is offering you a chance to be the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series “Built Ford Tough 225 Presented by the Greater Cincinnati Ford Dealers” honorary starter July 19 through the “Wave the Flag Sweepstakes.” The winner and a guest will receive air transportation to Cincinnati, Ohio, two nights hotel accommodation, two race tickets, two hospitality suite tickets, a private VIP track tour and two Ford Racing apparel gift packages. Enter by visiting http://www.kentuckyspeedway.com. The sweepstakes ends July 10, 2008.

HORNADAY, JR. RETURNS TO NCTS CHAMPIONSHIP LEAD IN MEMPHIS WITH THIRD 2008 WIN

Former Kentucky Speedway NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race winner Ron Hornaday, Jr., rolled away from Memphis Motorsports Park with his third victory of the season and the lead in the series championship standings June 28. The showing marked his second victory, third top-five and fourth top-10 finish in his past five starts. His 36th career victory placed him in the all-time lead in series wins. He led the final 129 of 204 race laps, including three during a green-white-checkered flag finish, before crossing the finish line 0.269 of a second ahead of Roush Fenway Racing driver Erik Darnell. Matt Crafton finished third, Rick Crawford packed away a fourth-place finish and David Starr rounded out the race top five. Darnell moved from eighth to seventh in the series standings with his third consecutive top-five run that moved his season total in that category to five. Crafton climbed from his 16th starting position and moved from third to second in the standings with his second straight top-five effort. He has picked up a total of three top-five and four top-10 finishes in the past five series events. Crawford kept his grip on the fifth spot in the series standings with his second straight top-10 finish that also marked his first top-five run in his past six starts. Starr remained 12th in the series standings after netting his second top-five and third top-10 finish in his past six races. Johnny Benson, who started the Memphis race with the series championship lead and a 50-point cushion over second-place driver Todd Bodine, witnessed the engine in the No. 23 Bill Davis Racing truck give way on Lap 84 of 204. Benson suffered a season-worst 33rd-place finish that ended his top-three finish streak at three and his top-10 finish streak at five. The series will take two weekends off before rolling to Kentucky Speedway July 19 for the “Built Ford Tough 225 Presented by the Greater Cincinnati Ford Dealers.” Coverage of the ninth series appearance at the venue will begin at 6:30 p.m. on SPEED Channel. Motor Racing Network radio and Sirius Satellite Radio Channel 128 coverage will open at 7:00 p.m. Mike Skinner charged to a 2007 win at the track in a race Ryan Mathews started from the pole position. There has not been a repeat race or pole award winner at Kentucky Speedway. The top 10 drivers in the series standings going into race will be: Hornaday, Jr. (Leader: -1,742 points, Chevrolet, Kevin Harvick, Inc.); Crafton (Second: -27 points, Chevrolet, ThorSport Racing); Bodine (Third: -54, Toyota, Germain Racing); Benson (Fourth: -56, Toyota, Bill Davis Racing); Crawford (Fifth: -74 points, Ford, Circle Bar Racing); Skinner (Sixth: -113, Toyota, Bill Davis Racing); Darnell (Seventh: -137, Ford, Roush Fenway Racing); Jack Sprague (Eighth: -164, Chevrolet, Kevin Harvick, Inc.); Terry Cook (Ninth: -189, Toyota, Wyler Racing); and Chad McCumbee (10th: -228, Chevrolet, MRD Motorsports).

KANAAN CRUISES TO INDYCAR SERIES RICHMOND VICTORY

Driver Tony Kanaan led 166 of 300 IndyCar Series race laps at Richmond International Speedway June 28 en route to capturing his first win of the season. The triumph was his first since Belle Isle, Mich., Sept. 2, 2007 and his first on an oval track since his August 11, 2007 Kentucky Speedway win. The Andretti Green Racing veteran led the closing 95 race laps and successfully plotted his way through nine race caution periods that consumed 102 total laps before wheeling across the finish line 4.7691 seconds ahead Penske Racing driver Helio Castroneves. Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates teammates Scott Dixon and Dan Wheldon placed a respective third and fourth while newcomer Oriol Servia took fifth. Kanaan remained in the fourth spot in the series standings, but did gain 18 points on Dixon in the championship standings. Kanaan has now posted top-five finishes in three of his past five races and owns six top-five and seven top-10 finishes through nine events this season. Castroneves finished second for the fourth time this season and maintained his hold on the second spot in the championship standings. He has finished in the top-five in all but one of the series events this season. Dixon remained the championship leader after posting his seventh straight and eighth top-five finish of the season. Wheldon clicked off his fourth consecutive top-five finish and his seventh of the season. He continues to control the third spot in the championship standings. Servia moved into the ninth spot in the series standings by generating his second top-five and fourth top-10 finish of the season. He has taken top-10 finishes in two of his last four starts. Series drivers will take on the 3.4-mile Watkins Glen International road course July 6. Race coverage will begin at 3:30 p.m., on ABC and 3:00 p.m., on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Radio Network and XM Radio Channel 145. Castroneves took the pole for the 2007 event at the track and Dixon took the win. The top 10 drivers in the series standings going into the race will be: Dixon (Leader: 351 points, Chip Ganassi Racing); Castroneves (Second: -43 points, Penske Racing); Wheldon (Third: -52, Chip Ganassi Racing); Kanaan (Fourth: -82, Andretti Green Racing); Danica Patrick (Fifth: -131, Andretti Green Racing); Hideki Mutoh (Sixth: -135, Andretti Green Racing); Marco Andretti (Seventh: -140, Andretti Green Racing), Ryan Briscoe (Eighth: -141, Penske Racing); Oriol Servia (Ninth: -157, KV Racing Technology) and Ed Carpenter (10th: -166, Vision Racing).

STEWART SAILS TO NNS NEW HAMPSHIRE WIN

Tony Stewart visited New Hampshire Motor Speedway June 28 and scored his fifth NASCAR Nationwide Series win in the No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing machine. He earned the No. 20 team’s eighth win of the season and led the closing 64 laps to become the 22nd different driver to win an NNS race at the track through the same number of events. He has now claimed a win in five of his seven series starts this season. Denny Hamlin crossed the finish line behind Stewart during a debris caution period in the No. 32 Braun Racing machine and Kyle Busch placed third in the No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing ride. Kevin Harvick claimed fourth is his self-owned No. 33 car and defending series champion Carl Edwards secured fifth. Hamlin moved from 24th to 21st in the series standings by scoring his fifth top-five and seventh top-10 finish in his ninth start of the season. Busch remained in control of the seventh position in the standings with his eighth top-five finish of the campaign. Harvick moved from 18th to 16th in the standings with his sixth top-five and seventh top-10 run of the season in his 12th start. Edwards moved up one position in the standings to third with his eighth top-five and 10th top-10 effort of the year. He has registered top-five finishes in three of the last five races. Clint Bowyer maintained the top spot in the series standings with a ninth-place finish that pushed his streak of top-10 finishes to eight. He has posted a win, six top-five and 13 top-10 finishes in his past 14 series starts. The series will celebrate America’s birthday at Daytona International Speedway July 4. ESPN2 coverage begins at 7:30 p.m. Motor Racing Network (MRN) radio and Sirius Satellite Radio Channel 128 will open coverage at 8:00 p.m. Stewart won the Feb. 16 Daytona race from the pole position. Kyle Busch claimed the July 2007 win at the speedway in a race Jason Leffler started from the pole position. The top 10 drivers in the series standings entering the race are: Bowyer (Leader: 2,649 points, Chevrolet, Richard Childress Racing); David Reutimann (Second: -182, Toyota, Michael Waltrip Racing); Edwards (Third: -188, Ford, Roush Fenway Racing); Brad Keselowski (Fourth: -197, Chevrolet, Jr. Motorsports); David Ragan (Fifth: -298, Ford, Roush Fenway Racing); Mike Bliss (Sixth: -315, Chevrolet, Phoenix Racing); Kyle Busch (Seventh: -386, Toyota, Joe Gibbs Racing / Braun Racing); Mike Wallace (Eighth: -478 points, Toyota, Germain Racing); David Stremme (Ninth: -560, Chevrolet, Rusty Wallace, Inc.); and Jason Keller (10th: -601, Chevrolet, CJM Racing).

KURT BUSCH TAKES RAIN-SHORTENED NSCS NEW HAMPSHIRE WIN

Penske Racing driver and 2004 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Kurt Busch earned his first win of this season at New Hampshire Motor Speedway June 29 in a race shortened 17 laps by rain. The finish marked his second top-10 showing in his past four starts and his first top-five finish since his second-place performance in the season-opening Daytona 500. Busch led a top-five group that all grabbed season-best finishes in the race. Michael Waltrip placed second, Hall of Fame Racing driver J.J. Yeley took third, Dale Earhardt, Inc. (DEI) driver Martin Truex, Jr., claimed fourth and Gillett Evernham driver Elliott Sadler finished fifth. Waltrip scored his first top-10 finish since the Oct. 13, 2007 event at Lowe’s Motor Speedway where he placed 10th. His previous best finish of the season was 23rd at Michigan International Speedway June 15. Yeley snared his first top-five finish since his second-place showing in the May 27, 2007 600-mile race at Lowe’s Motor Speedway. He also took his first top-10 finish since his 10th-place run on the New Hampshire oval on Sept. 16 last season. Truex, Jr., picked up his second top-five and third top-10 finish in his past eight starts. He gained three spots in the series standings and enters the week 14th in the series standings and 71 points behind 12th-place driver Kevin Harvick with nine races remaining before the Chase for the Sprint Cup. Sadler picked up his first top-five finish of the season as well as his second top-10 finish in his past three races. He did not move out of the 25th spot in the standings, but has placed in the top-10 in three of the past six races. The top six drivers in the series standings maintained their positions. The only new member of the top 12 is Harvick, who finished 14th at New Hampshire and replaced Matt Kenseth in 12th in the slot in championship standings. Kyle Busch maintained the series championship lead with his 25th-place finish that marked the third time in his past four starts he has finished outside a race top 10. The series will make its second and final appearance of the season at Daytona International Raceway July 5. TNT will open its coverage at 6:30 p.m. Motor Racing Network (MRN) radio and Sirius Satellite Radio Channel 128 will start coverage at 7:00 p.m. Ryan Newman won this season’s Daytona 500 that defending series champion Jimmie Johnson started from the pole position. Jamie McMurray took the July 2007 win at the track in a race Jeff Gordon started from the pole position. The top 12 drivers in the series standings entering the event are: Kyle Busch (Leader: 2,496 points: Toyota, Joe Gibbs Racing); Jeff Burton (Second: -64 points, Chevrolet, Richard Childress Racing); Dale Earnhardt, Jr., (Third: -144, Chevrolet, Hendrick Motorsports); Carl Edwards (Fourth: -234, Ford, Roush Fenway Racing); Jimmie Johnson (Fifth: -276, Chevrolet, Hendrick Motorsports); Jeff Gordon (Sixth: -325, Chevrolet, Hendrick Motorsports); Denny Hamlin (Seventh: -346, Toyota, Joe Gibbs Racing); Greg Biffle (Eighth: -377, Ford, Roush Fenway Racing); Tony Stewart (Ninth: -454, Toyota, Joe Gibbs Racing); Kasey Kahne (10th: -465, Dodge, Gillett Evernham Motorsports); Clint Bowyer (11th: -475, Chevrolet, Richard Childress Racing); and Kevin Harvick (12th: -480, Ford, Richard Childress Racing).

ALLGAIER CLAIMS ARCA RE/MAX SERIES TO CANADIAN WIN

Justin Allgaier claimed his second ARCA RE/MAX Series win and sixth top-five finish of the season on the .625-mile oval track at Cayuga Speedway Park in Burlington, Ontario June 29. The race was the series first in Canada since July 11, 2002. Allgaier, who spun his No. 16 Chevrolet near the midpoint of the race, survived two late-race restarts and charges from Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. and Frank Kimmel before securing the victory. Allgaier led 57 of 257 race laps including the closing 42 before crossing the finish line 1.166 seconds ahead of Kimmel. Stenhouse, Jr., took third, Dexter Bean nailed down fourth and Canadian native Peter Shepherd took fifth. Stenhouse, Jr., held on the lead in the series championship with his sixth top-five and eighth top-10 performance of the season. Kimmel registered his fifth top-five and sixth top-10 finish of the campaign to remain within striking distance of his 10th career series championship. Bean moved from 11th to 10th in the standings with his second top-five and fourth top-10 finish of the season while Shepherd scored his top-five in his first series start of 2008. The series races next at Kentucky Speedway in a 150-mile battle July 18. The top 10 drivers in the series standings entering the race will be: Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. (Leader: 2,490 points, Ford); Scott Speed (Second: -130, Toyota); Matt Carter (Third, -150, Ford); Frank Kimmel (Fourth: -175, Ford); John Wes Townley (Fifth: -290, Ford); Justin Allgaier (Sixth: -330, Chevrolet); Tom Hessert III (Seventh: -370, Ford); Tayler Malsam (Eighth: -405, Dodge); Patrick Sheltra (Ninth: -420, Chevrolet); and Dexter Bean (10th: -445, Chevrolet).