Let’s take a moment to welcome the Nationwide Series back this week. I still will never understand taking so many weeks off in the start of the season. This is just the 6th race of the season and we’ve already had two off weeks. Think of how it would be if your favorite football team played three regular season games, then had a bye week, played two more, then had another bye week. It would cause your passion to cool for a bit. The good news is that we enter a nine week straight run of Nationwide races.
Nationwide Goes Big: The O’Reilly Auto Parts 300 Preview
Texas is a 1.5 mile asphalt quad-oval. It’s built similar to Atlanta and Charlotte, and owned by the same company as well. If you can run well here, you’re pretty set for the intermediate heavy Nascar schedules.
Texas became a regular Nascar track in 1997. Mark Martin won the first race here but ‘The Kid’ is not entered this week. In 2005 Texas was granted a Fall event as well.
We have a few past winners entered this week. The big one is of course, Kyle Busch. Busch has won 5 races here. He swept both races in 2008 and 2009 plus he won the Spring race in 2010!
Other Texas winners include, Carl Edwards who won the fall race, Joe Nemechek who won in 2003, and Kasey Kahne who won in 2005.
Texas isn’t known for many cautions, but it can get dicy for a win.
Entry List and More after the Jump!
| Ent. | Car # | Driver | Sponsor | Manu. | Owner |
| 1 | 1 | Mike Wallace | G&K Services | 11 Chevy | JD Motorsports |
| 2 | 2 | Elliott Sadler | OneMain Financial | 11 Chevy | Kevin Harvick Inc |
| 3 | 05 | David Starr(i) | Texas Farm and Ranches/ 31w Insulation | 11 Chevy | Wayne Day Racing |
| 4 | 6 | Ricky Stenhouse Jr | Easy Feet | 11 Ford | Roush Fenway Racing |
| 5 | 7 | Josh Wise | TaxSlayer.com | 11 Chevy | JR Motorsports |
| 6 | 09 | Kenny Wallace | 11 Toyota | RAB Racing | |
| 7 | 11 | Brian Scott | Shore Lodge | 11 Toyota | Joe Gibbs Racing |
| 8 | 12 | Sam Hornish Jr | Alliance | 11 Dodge | Penske Racing |
| 9 | 14 | Eric McClure | Hefty BlackOut / Reynolds | 11 Chevy | TriStar Motorsports |
| 10 | 15 | Timmy Hill | 11 Ford | Rick Ware Racing | |
| 11 | 16 | Trevor Bayne | 11 Ford | Roush Fenway Racing | |
| 12 | 18 | Kyle Busch(i) | Z-Line Designs | 11 Toyota | Joe Gibbs Racing |
| 13 | 19 | Mike Bliss | 11 Chevy | TriStar Motorsports | |
| 14 | 20 | Joey Logano(i) | GameStop | 11 Toyota | Joe Gibbs Racing |
| 15 | 22 | Brad Keselowski(i) | Discount Tire | 11 Dodge | Penske Racing |
| 16 | 23 | Robert Richardson Jr | Wildlife Conservation Society | 11 Dodge | R3 Motorsports |
| 17 | 24 | Kevin Lepage | 11 Ford | Rensi Motorsports | |
| 18 | 28 | Derrike Cope | Pouch Tech | 11 Chevy | Jay Robinson Racing |
| 19 | 30 | Jason Leffler | Wolf Pack Rentals | 11 Chevy | Turner Motorsports |
| 20 | 31 | Justin Allgaier | 11 Chevy | Turner Motorsports | |
| 21 | 32 | Reed Sorenson | Dollar General | 11 Chevy | Turner Motorsports |
| 22 | 33 | Paul Menard(i) | Menards | 11 Chevy | Kevin Harvick Inc |
| 23 | 38 | Kasey Kahne(i) | Great Clips | 11 Chevy | Turner Motorsports |
| 24 | 39 | Danny O'Quinn Jr | Heil Company | 11 Ford | Roush Fenway Racing |
| 25 | 40 | Scott Wimmer | 11 Chevy | Key Motorsports | |
| 26 | 41 | Jennifer Jo Cobb | 11 Ford | Rick Ware Racing | |
| 27 | 44 | Jeff Green | 11 Chevy | TriStar Motorsports | |
| 28 | 49 | Dennis Setzer | 11 Chevy | Jay Robinson Racing | |
| 29 | 51 | Jeremy Clements | www.racedaysponsor.com | 10 Chevy | JD Motorsports |
| 30 | 52 | Tim Schendel | My Three Sons Vending | 10 Chevy | Jimmy Means Racing |
| 31 | 55 | Brett Rowe | Imperial Bedding | 11 Chevy | Faith Motorsports |
| 32 | 60 | Carl Edwards(i) | Fastenal | 11 Ford | Roush Fenway Racing |
| 33 | 62 | Michael Annett | Pilot Travel Centers/Flying J | 10 Toyota | Rusty Wallace Racing |
| 34 | 66 | Steve Wallace | 5 Hour Energy | 10 Toyota | Rusty Wallace Racing |
| 35 | 68 | Johnny Chapman | 11 Chevy | Fleur-di-Lis Racing | |
| 36 | 70 | Shelby Howard | Racefuel Energy Drink | 11 Chevy | ML Motorsports |
| 37 | 74 | Mike Harmon | Riverwalk Cafe | 11 Chevy | Mike Harmon Racing |
| 38 | 75 | Matthew Carter | 11 Ford | Rick Ware Racing | |
| 39 | 79 | Tim Andrews | 11 Ford | Second Chance Racing | |
| 40 | 81 | Blake Koch | daystar.com | 11 Dodge | MacDonald Motorsports |
| 41 | 87 | Joe Nemechek | 11 Toyota | NEMCO Racing | |
| 42 | 88 | Aric Almirola | Hellmann's | 11 Chevy | JR Motorsports |
| 43 | 89 | Morgan Shepherd | Imperial Bedding | 11 Chevy | Faith Motorsports |
| 44 | 99 | David Reutimann(i) | 11 Toyota | Pastrana-Waltrip Racing | |
| Red Text-Outside Top 30 in Owner Points | |||||
| Blue Text-Past Champion |
#05-Texas native David Starr makes his second attempt of the 2011 season. Starr is a full time truck driver, so will not recieve points. He must qualify on time.
#12-Sam Hornish makes his second attempt of the 2011 season. Hornish is no longer locked into the race and will have to qualify on time. Hornish is trying to prove he belongs in Stock Car racing. Hornish is fully funded for about 10-12 races this year.
#27-Baker Curb Racing is not entered in the event this week. They fell outside the top 30 in owner points after starting and parking in two of the first five races. Baker Curb has yet again been the center of for sale rumors. Driver J.R. Fitzpatrick has joined a new Canadian owned race team that will make it’s debut at Nashville. The new team will try to go full time in 2011 with Fitzpatrick and hopes to move him up to the Sprint Cup series in 2013.
#30-Jason Leffler moves to the #30 team this week with Kahne taking his team. I’ve gone in depth about how weird it is to displace your full time drivers for part time drivers when you have a full time fourth team.
#33-Paul Menard has been running much better in the Cup Series thanks to improved equipment with Richard Childress Racing. He makes his first 2011 start with Kevin Harvick Inc this week. KHI is one of the top teams, and Menard may just take the #33 team to victory lane this weekend.
#38-Kasey Kahne makes another start for Turner Motorsports. Kahne is a former winner here, and should be a favorite to repeat this week.
#39-Former Roush developmental driver Danny O’Quinn returns to the Nationwide Series this week filling in for Josh Wise who is in the #7 Chevy this week. O’Quinn is largely considered a bust with Roush, and is still trying to find full time work.
#49-Dennis Setzer takes control of the second Jay Robinson Chevy this week. Expect Setzer to park this car after a few laps.
#68-Johnny Chapman was replaced at Faith Motorsports with Brett Rowe this year. Chapman has found at least a one race deal with Fleur-di-Lis Racing and will have to qualify on time.
#70-Shelby Howard returns to ML Motorsports this week with one goal in mind, returning to the top 30 in owner points. Howard worked his tail off getting the #70 Chevy in the top 30 last season, but hard luck has cause the team to fall outside the safe zone. Howard will have to qualify on time, but a good run here will lock him into Talladega.
#74-Mike Harmon returns this week with his own team. Harmon will have to qualify on time.
#75-Matthew Carter makes his 2011 debut this week, as long as Rick Ware doesn’t withdraw this team again. Carter raced last season in a second MacDonald Motorsports entry in a few races. Carter will have to qualify on time.
#99-Ryan Truex broke his wrist and will be sidelined this week. Truex is first in Rookie Points, and this will definetly hurt his chances. David Reutimann steps in for him. Reutimann is making his 2011 debut in Nationwide.
With all this being said, you may still see a few teams heading to Fort Worth, Texas this week with one thought in mind, “Next week is Talladega”! And some teams may lose that edge this week thinking about next week because ‘Dega will probably cost a lot of teams money - but that’s next week. Get a better finish at Texas to pay for the damage that will happen at ‘Dega!
Join us for some Friday Night Nationwide Racing! Texas goes under the lights, so tune into ESPN2 at 8pm Eastern this Friday Night for the O’Reilly Auto Parts 300 from Fort Worth, Texas! Enjoy!
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