BUSCH DRIVERS READY FOR THE COMPETITION EIGHT CUP REGULARS TO PULL DOUBLE DUTY.Byline: Louis Brewster Staff Writer FONTANA - As a regular competitor in the NASCAR NASCAR (National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing), organization that sanctions American stock-car races, est. 1948. It held its first race in Daytona Beach, Fla. Busch Series The NASCAR Busch Series is a stock car racing series owned and operated by NASCAR. It is NASCAR's "minor league" circuit (often compared to Triple-A baseball), and is a proving ground for drivers who wish to step up to the organization's "big league" circuit, the Nextel Cup. , Stacy Compton Stacy Compton (born in Hurt, VA on 26 May 1967), is a NASCAR driver. He drives the 09 Zaxby's Ford F-150 for Wood Brothers/JTG Racing in the Craftsman Truck Series part-time, and is a racing analyst for ESPN full-time. doesn't care who else is in the field. That's a good thing this Saturday at California Speedway The California Speedway is a two-mile, low-banked, D-shaped oval superspeedway in Fontana, California, similar to that of "sister track" Michigan International Speedway. It is located approximately 40 miles east of Los Angeles on the site of the former Kaiser Steel mill. for the Stater stat·er 1 n. A resident of a particular state or type of state. Often used in combination: Lone Star staters; farm staters; the struggle between slave staters and free staters. Noun 1. Bros BROS Brothers BROS Benefits and Retirement Operations Section (King County, Washington) BROS Barnes and Richmond Operatic Society (London, UK) . 300 as a handful of Nextel Cup The NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series is NASCAR's top racing series. It was formerly known as the Strictly Stock Series (1949), Grand National Series (1950-1971), and the Winston Cup Series (1972-2003). Series drivers will be in the field in addition to eight teams that have ties to NASCAR's premier series. ``It doesn't make a bit of difference to me,'' said Compton, who finished third in the same race at Fontana in 2004. ``If they want to come play with us, that's fine. If those guys want to come run with us, and we can outrun out·run tr.v. out·ran , out·run, out·run·ning, out·runs 1. a. To run faster than. b. To escape from: outrun one's creditors. 2. them, it will make us look that much better.'' ``Those guys'' are the Nextel Cup regulars who drive in what many regard as NASCAR's Triple-A level. Saturday's race has Cup drivers Mark Martin, Dale Jarrett Dale Arnold Jarrett (born November 26, 1956 in Newton, North Carolina) is an American race car driver. Jarrett currently races in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series exclusively, driving the #44 Toyota Camry for Michael Waltrip Racing. , Kevin Harvick, Joe Nemechek, Jaime McMurray, Kasey Kahne, Robby Gordon, Carl Edwards and Michael Waltrip. Also in the field are Greg Biffle, who swept both Fontana Busch races in 2004, and Tony Stewart, winner of the season opener last week in Daytona driving a car owned by Harvick. Biffle and Edwards, both of whom drive for Jack Roush, are the only drivers who will compete full-time in both series. Cup regulars swept eight of the first 10 places last week at the Busch race at Daytona. Martin Truex Jr., the defending Busch champion, was fourth and rookie Reed Sorenson was ninth. Truex and Sorenson are running for Cup teams. Truex is with Dale Earnhardt Inc., while Sorenson is on the Chip Ganassi team. ``I think if we were all in equal equipment we could compete week in, week out,'' said Compton, 14th in the 2004 points standings. ``We have always seemed to have success at California. And this year we're in a lot better shape because (before) we switched to Ford, we were behind most of the season. ``I think we can run with these guys as good as anybody out there.'' That's the rub. Cup teams with Busch cars are usually better financed through Cup sponsorships and specific Busch deals. Jarrett is a case in point, driving a Robert Yates Racing Ford - that will carry the CitiFinancial logo - in the series for the first time since 1999. ``I look at this as an opportunity to learn,'' said Jarrett, whose 324 Busch starts are the fourth on the all-time list. ``I definitely believe there is something that can be learned by running the Saturday race. ``If I tried to tell you that I didn't need to do it because I know everything there is to know, I'd by lying and be a fool on top of that to think anything like that. I still feel there are a lot of things that I can learn and hopefully that translates into information for us on Sunday.'' Louis Brewster, (909) 483-9363 l-brewster(at)dailybulletin.com CAPTION(S): photo, 2 boxes Photo: (color) COMPTON Box: (1) NASCAR AUTO CLUB 500 (2) NASCAR AUTO CLUB 500 |
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