Busch will be in the No. 51 Toyota for Friday's North Carolina Education Lottery 200, and everything points
to him being a serious contender at the 1.5-mile track in Concord, N.C.
Busch has wins at Atlanta Motor Speedway and Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, Calif., this season -- both
high-speed tracks similar to Lowe's -- in four starts. Busch also has been impressive at Lowe's. He
followed the 2005 win, his first in the truck series, with another victory in 2006. Busch had a wheel
problem last year and finished 11th.
With eight victories in 40 career races, Busch, 23, ranks first in CTS history in winning percentage (20)
among those with at least 25 starts.
Busch missed the fifth race of the truck season at Kansas Speedway because of a scheduling conflict with
the NASCAR Nationwide and Sprint Cup races at Talladega. His plan at the start of the season was to run
just more than half the 25-race schedule, but Busch says he may add to it.
"We are really out here to get Billy Ballew Motorsports an owners championship," Busch said. "If we can get
close enough with having to miss a few races, we have every intention of running for a drivers championship
as well. These guys every day are working so hard to bring this equipment to the track, and Bill has really
stuck in there for all those years. I would love to win a championship for them."
Ron Hornaday Jr.'s win at Kansas boosted him and Kevin Harvick Inc. into the points leads. Busch is sixth,
130 behind Hornaday, but Ballew is only 21 behind KHI in the owners' standings. Shane Sieg was 18th in the
No. 51 at Kansas.
Hornaday dominated at Kansas, driving a Chevrolet that the team said had improved aerodynamics. He led 136
of 167 laps. Hornaday, 49, a three-time CTS champion, ranks third in CTS winning percentage at 16.6 with 34
wins in 205 starts.
Hornaday won last year's race at Lowe's, leading 98 of 136 laps. He was fifth in 2006.
"We've had some good races at Lowe's the past couple of years," Hornaday said. "We had a top-five run in
2006 and won last year. That was the first win for me and (crew chief) Rick Ren both at that track. Lowe's
is a lot like Atlanta and Texas, where you can carry really good speed out of the turns. We have a lot of
momentum going into this race, and we're looking for another strong run."
Rick Crawford is second in points, 61 behind Hornaday. As with most of the CTS teams, Crawford's Circle Bar
Racing is based in the Charlotte area and that makes Lowe's a home track.
"A lot of history in NASCAR is built here in Charlotte and the Concord area with Lowe's Motor Speedway,"
Crawford said. "It is home for 90 to 95 percent of the race teams. It's important as far as history is
concerned. It's important as far as a win. It's just an important race. Each race is important, but
Charlotte is among those that are rated higher than others."
Fast facts
What: North Carolina Education Lottery 200.
Where: Lowe's Motor Speedway, Concord, N.C.
When: 8 p.m. ET Friday.
TV: Speed, 7:30 p.m. ET.
Radio: MRN/Sirius Satellite Ch. 128.
Track layout: 1.5-mile tri-oval.
Race distance: 134 laps/201 miles.
2007 winner: Ron Hornaday Jr.
2007 polesitter: Mike Skinner.
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