A week after 2010 Nationwide Rookie, Ricky Stenhouse Jr got the first win for Nationwide this season we see twice the amount of Non-Nationwide drivers entered this week. Nine of the 46 drivers entered are not running for the Nationwide Championship. Six of those are Sprint Cup regulars - Carl Edwards, Kasey Kahne, Joey Logano, Kyle Busch, Brad Keselowski and Kevin Harvick join three Camping World Truck Drivers this week.
Sprint Cup and Camping World Invades Nationwide Again: Preview of the Top Gear 300 From Charlotte, NC
Jeffrey Earnhardt, Kimi Raikkonen, and Cole Whitt will make thier 2011 debuts, with Kimi making his first ever Nationwide Start. It will be Earnhardt’s first Nationwide start since 2009, where he qualifed and raced at both Road Course races that year.
Raikkonen is coming off a 15th place Nascar Debut with Vision Aviation Racing in the Truck Series. Raikkonen will drive Joe Nemechek’s car while Front Row Joe will be in a second NEMCO car, and could start and park.
Cole Whitt, the first ever Rookie to lead the Camping World Point Standings, will start for Pastrana Waltrip Racing. Whitt made the last two races of 2010 in the Nationwide Series and finished 15th, and 17th. With a great run this week, Whitt will set himself up nicely for a move up from Trucks if Red Bull feels he can race higher up. Many have speculated that Whitt will take over for Kasey Kahne at Red Bull Racing next year - it could be too quick of a move for the young phenom. Time will tell.
If Nemechek doesn’t start and park, he could be a threat to repeat his Spring 1997 win here at Charlotte. The same could be said for Jeff Green, who won in the Spring of 2001 and 2002. Carl Edwards won here in the Spring of 2006. He was followed in the Spring of 2007 by Kasey Kahne. The most recent winner at Charlotte came last fall by Brad Keselowski.
It’s no surprise who the big winner here is - Kyle Busch has six wins. The Spring races in 2004, 05, 08 and last years event. He also won in the Fall of 2008 and 2009.
The big surprise is that Mike Bliss is a two time winner here. In the Fall of 2004, Bliss won in the Joe Gibbs #20 car. 2009 was the bigger shock, as Mike Bliss took the Spring Race in a Phoenix Racing Chevy. Bliss has been running well with TriStar, and could be a dark horse pick this week.
Entry List and more after the JUMP!
| Ent. | Car# | Driver | Sponsor | Manu. | Owner |
| 1 | 01 | Mike Wallace | G&K Services | 11 Chevy | JD Motorsports |
| 2 | 2 | Elliott Sadler | OneMain Financial | 11 Chevy | Kevin Harvick Inc. |
| 3 | 04 | Kelly Bires (s) | 11 Ford | Go Green Racing | |
| 4 | 6 | Ricky Stenhouse Jr | Fastenal | 11 Ford | Roush Fenway |
| 5 | 7 | Josh Wise | Voodoo Ride | 11 Chevy | JR Motorsports |
| 6 | 09 | Kenny Wallace | Family Farmers | 11 Toyota | RAB Racing |
| 7 | 11 | Brian Scott | Shore Lodge | 11 Toyota | Joe Gibbs |
| 8 | 12 | Sam Hornish Jr | Alliance | 11 Dodge | Roger Penske |
| 9 | 13 | Jennifer Jo Cobb | DriverBoutique.com | 11 Ford | Jennifer Jo Cobb |
| 10 | 14 | Eric McClure | Hefty BlakOut/Reynolds | 11 Chevy | TriStar Motorsports |
| 11 | 15 | Timmy Hill | 11 Ford | Rick Ware Racing | |
| 12 | 16 | TBA | Fastenal | 11 Ford | Roush Fenway |
| 13 | 18 | Kyle Busch(i) | Z-Line | 11 Toyota | Joe Gibbs |
| 14 | 19 | Mike Bliss | 11 Chevy | TriStar Motorsports | |
| 15 | 20 | Joey Logano(i) | GameStop | 11 Toyota | Joe Gibbs |
| 16 | 22 | Brad Keselowski(i) | Discount Tire | 11 Dodge | Roger Penske |
| 17 | 23 | Robert Richardson | FunnyDanRaceCarMan.com | 11 Dodge | R3 Motorsports |
| 18 | 28 | Derrike Cope | Bubba Bear | 11 Dodge | Jay Robinson |
| 19 | 30 | Kasey Kahne(i) | Rexall | 11 Chevy | Turner Motorsports |
| 20 | 31 | Justin Allgaier | 11 Chevy | Turner Motorsports | |
| 21 | 32 | Reed Sorenson | Dollar General | 11 Chevy | Turner Motorsports |
| 22 | 33 | Kevin Harvick(i) | Rheem Tankless Water Heaters | 11 Chevy | Kevin Harvick Inc. |
| 23 | 38 | Jason Leffler | Great Clips | 11 Chevy | Turner Motorsports |
| 24 | 39 | Danny Efland | C3i Sports | 11 Ford | Roush Fenway |
| 25 | 40 | Charles Lewandoski | 11 Chevy | Key Motorsports | |
| 26 | 41 | Jeffrey Earnhardt (i) | Lilly Trucking of VA | 11 Ford | Rick Ware Racing |
| 27 | 44 | Jeff Green [PC1] (s) | 11 Chevy | TriStar Motorsports | |
| 28 | 46 | TBA (s) | 11 Chevy | Key Motorsports | |
| 29 | 49 | David Green [PC2] (s) | 11 Chevy | Jay Robinson | |
| 30 | 51 | Jeremy Clements | Co-ops USA | 10 Chevy | Jeremy Clements |
| 31 | 52 | Kevin Lepage | TRX Alliance | 11 Chevy | Jimmy Means |
| 32 | 60 | Carl Edwards(i) | Fastenal | 11 Ford | Roush Fenway |
| 33 | 62 | Michael Annett | Pilot Travel Centers-Flying J | 10 Toyota | Rusty Wallace |
| 34 | 66 | Steve Wallace | 5 Hour Energy | 10 Toyota | Rusty Wallace |
| 35 | 68 | Matthew Carter (s) | 11 Chevy | Fleur-De-Lis | |
| 36 | 70 | Dennis Setzer | 11 Chevy | ML Motorsports | |
| 37 | 72 | John Jackson (s) | crashclaimsR.US | 10 Toyota | James Carter |
| 38 | 74 | Mike Harmon (s) | IPT Grills | 11 Chevy | Mike Harmon |
| 39 | 75 | Carl Long (s) | 11 Ford | Rick Ware Racing | |
| 40 | 79 | Tim Andrews (s) | Mooresville Ford | 10 Ford | Second Chance |
| 41 | 81 | Blake Koch | DAYSTAR.com | 11 Dodge | MacDonald |
| 42 | 87 | Kimi Raikkonen(i) | Perky Jerky | 11 Toyota | NEMCO |
| 43 | 88 | Aric Almirola | Hellmann's | 11 Chevy | JR Motorsports |
| 44 | 89 | Morgan Shepherd | 11 Chevy | Faith Motorsports | |
| 45 | 97 | Joe Nemechek [PC3] | 11 Chevy | NEMCO | |
| 46 | 99 | Cole Whitt(i) | Red Bull | 11 Toyota | Pastrana Waltrip |
| Must Qualify on Time | |||||
| (i)- Not Running for Championship | |||||
| Past Champion-[Order locked in] | |||||
| (s)- Known to Start and Park |
46 teams entered at this time, which means 3 teams will go home. Just a few notes this week:
- #04- Kelly Bires, once a JR Motorsports prospect, is entered this week in a second Go Green Racing Ford. Bires will probably be a start and park if he can qualify for the race.
- #6, #16, #60- The Roush Fenway sluggers will all carry Fastenal colors this week. From last week’s winner Ricky Stenhouse, to the #16, which is being driven by (TBA) as well as regular Fastenal spokeman Carl Edwards. I’m not sure if all three cars will be identical or if they will have seperate paint schemes. Trevor Bayne will return next week at Chicagoland.
- #12- Sam Hornish Jr is back this week. Hornish has run well, but his finishes haven’t shown that. Charlotte should be a good race for Hornish as long as he can qualify for the event.
- #13- Jennifer Jo Cobb is back. She will need to qualify on time, and needs to run better if she hopes to stay alive in the Nationwide Series.
- #22- Brad Keselowski has decided he will not run the full 35 races. That leaves just Carl Edwards as the only full time driver not running for the Championship. Jacques Villeneuve will race at Road America and Montreal for the #22 Dodge.
- #30- Turner Motorsports must read my articles, because Kasey Kahne is in the #30 this week instead of Jason Leffler’s #38 Chevy.
- #33- Kevin Harvick returns to Nationwide Racing this week.
- #40- Charles Lewandowski returns to Key Motorsports this week. And Scott Wimmer is not entered this week in any ride.
- #41- Jeffrey Earnhardt is back with Rick Ware Racing, but this time in the Nationwide Series. This whole ordeal has been very strange. Earnhardt gave up a chance to run for Truck Rookie of the Year and now has to qualify on time.
- #46- The second Key Motorsports team is without a driver right now, and will probably withdraw. When teams can’t find a driver it’s because they will force a driver to start and park. True drivers do not want to leave a race even with a broken and busted car.
- #49- Former Champ David Green joins his start and park brother to try to start and park. Green will make the race if Jeff Green qualifies on time or if David qualifies on time himself.
- #87- What an exciting debut this could be; Kimi Raikkonen, who’s name is not easy to spell or say, will make just his second Nascar Start, and his first Nationwide Start. Raikkonen did a great job of racing his truck to a 15th place finish last week. He is locked in and ready to go.
- #99- Cole Whitt makes his 2011 debut, and his Pastrana Waltrip debut as well. Whitt is truly a shining star in the Truck Series, and it’s gonna be great to see Whitt and Raikkonen both in the same race. Whitt is locked into the field.
Wow, That’s a heck of an entry list. I sure hope you tune into ABC at 2pm eastern for the Live showing of the Top Gear 300 from Charlotte Motor Speedway. While you’re watching the race, be sure to join us here at Nascar Ranting and Raving for an open race thread. Enjoy!
See More:
