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BUSCH: RFR Nashville, Texas, Pocono preview

Roush Fenway Racing Pocono Raceway, June 8-10 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series: Pocono 500 Sunday June 10 12:30 PM Eastern on TNT/MRN Nashville Superspeedway, June 8-9 NASCAR Busch Series: Federated Auto Parts 300 Saturday June 9 6:30 PM Eastern -- ...

Roush Fenway Racing

Pocono Raceway, June 8-10
NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series: Pocono 500
Sunday June 10
12:30 PM Eastern on TNT/MRN

Nashville Superspeedway, June 8-9
NASCAR Busch Series: Federated Auto Parts 300
Saturday June 9
6:30 PM Eastern -- ESPN2/MRN

Texas Motor Speedway, June 8
NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series: Sam's Town 400
Friday June 8
8:30 PM Eastern -- SPEED/MRN

Roush Fenway Racing Fast Facts

* David Ragan competed at Pocono Raceway in the ARCA REMAX Series twice in 2005.

* Ragan started 11th in the Pocono 200 on June 11, 2005 and finished 26th.

* Ragan also competed in the Pennsylvania 200 on July 23, 2005 starting fourth and finishing fourth.

* Ragan is currently 26th in the NASCAR Nextel Cup Championship point standings.

* Ragan is currently second in the Nextel Cup Raybestos Rookie of the Year Race. He trails Juan Pablo Montoya by five points.

***

* Last Spring, Greg Biffle was running second when it was clear he had a tire going down. He pitted under caution and restarted 10th with five laps remaining. Biffle picked up four positions in the closing laps for a sixth place finish.

* Biffle's sixth place finish in Pocono last season was his fifth top-10 in a streak of seven top-10 finishes in a row.

* This weekend Biffle will pull his first double duty non-companion Busch and Cup race weekend, racing in both Pocono and Nashville. Biffle will be driving the No. 37 Brewco Motorsports entry in the Busch race.

* Biffle was the first driver ever to complete a full season in both series when he ran every Nextel Cup and Busch Series race in 2004.

* Biffle finished sixth last week in Dover and currently sits 18th in the point standings, 96 points out of the top 12.

* This weekend Biffle will run the black and red Dish Network paint scheme.

***

* Matt Kenseth is the only driver in the NEXTEL Cup Series that has completed every lap to this point in 2007, a total of 4,453.

* Kenseth's average finish in the NEXTEL Cup Series this season is 8.5, second only to Jeff Gordon.

* Kenseth's 8.5 average finish this year, makes 2007 tops among that category, so far. By comparison, Kenseth averaged a 9.8 finish in 2006 and a 10.2 finish in 2003, when he won the championship. For his career, Kenseth's average finish is 14.7.

* Pocono is one of 15 tracks (including North Carolina Speedway in Rockingham) where Kenseth has scored three or more top-five finishes in his career.

* Kenseth has led only 26 laps in 14 races at Pocono, the lowest total number of laps led at any track where Kenseth has eight or more starts.

* Kenseth will be one of the featured drivers this week on DirecTV's HotPass.

***

* With a 12.8-average starting position, Pocono Raceway ranks as the best qualifying track for Jamie McMurray.

* McMurray's average finish at Pocono Raceway is a 19.8.

* In eight starts at the 2.5-mile, tri-oval track, McMurray has one NEXTEL Cup pole and two top-10 finishes.

* McMurray will run the IRWIN Industrial Tools blue and yellow paint scheme in this weekend's Pocono 500 race.

* McMurray is currently 14th in the NEXTEL Cup point standings and only 24 points out of the "Chase."

***

* Carl Edwards is currently sixth in NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series point standings with 1,584 points, 475 points behind leader, Jeff Gordon

* Edwards win at Pocono in June 2005 marked the first win at the track for car owner Jack Roush. It was also the first time Edwards had raced at the track. He's the only driver to win at Pocono in his first attempt with the exception of Richard Petty who won in 1974 when the inaugural Cup event was held at the 2.5-mile tri-oval.

* In four starts at Pocono, Edwards has one win, two top-five and two top-10 finishes

* Edwards has led a total of 47 laps at the 2.5-mile Pennsylvania track

* This is the first of three consecutive weekends that Edwards will travel to complete both the Cup and Busch races. Next weekend Edwards travels between Michigan and Kentucky and following that he will travel between Sonoma and Milwaukee. This is not new for Edwards, as he has competed full time in both series since 2005

NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series:

David Ragan
Team: No. 6 AAA Ford Fusion
Crew Chief: Jimmy Fennig
Chassis: RK-447 Brand new car
    RK-405 Previously ran at Texas, finished 35th

Ragan on racing at Pocono Raceway:
"Pocono is unlike any of the other tracks I have raced on so far this year. It is a two and a half mile triangular track which means there is a lot of speed, but there are also some pretty tight turns. This will be my first NASCAR Series race at the track and I will also be traveling to Nashville over the weekend racing the Busch car so I definitely have my hands full. The way I look at it though, the more seat time I can get, no matter where it is, the better off I will be."

Crew Chief Jimmy Fennig on racing at Pocono Raceway:
"Pocono should be a good track for David. He has done well on the larger tracks that we have been to so far this year and although there are some major differences between Pocono and Talladega or Daytona, there are also similarities. David is coming off of a pretty good finish at Dover last weekend so hopefully the entire team will be able to carry that into this weekend. Pocono will be the first non-companion weekend of many for the Busch and Cup Series so David will be pulling some serious double duty. We are just going to have to take advantage of every second we have out on the race track and do all we can to help him pick up on the characteristics of the track."

Greg Biffle
Team: No. 16 Dish Network Ford Fusion
Crew Chief: Greg Erwin
Chassis: RK-440 Last Raced Atlanta '07, finished 41st

Biffle on racing at Pocono Raceway:
"Pocono can be a lot of fun if you have a good car but it can drag on when the cars get stretched out. I'd have to say it was more fun when we shifted but it can still be challenging because there are three completely different turns. Pocono is a little different than most of the tracks we go to just because you can get so much speed in the straight-a-ways but the corners are so flat that you've got to be able to slow down and control the car almost like a road course. Corner exit is very important, so that is something we'll focus on early in practice."

Crew Chief Greg Erwin on racing at Pocono Raceway:
"We're taking a car that Greg raced earlier this year at Atlanta. These guys tested it at Charlotte and feel pretty confident about taking it to Pocono. Since we lost chassis 439 in the wreck at Charlotte, 440 is probably our best down force car right now. It has wind tunnel numbers very similar to the car Greg finished sixth with at Pocono last year. We'll just go there with what we know about the car's characteristics and work on it from there."

Matt Kenseth
Team: No. 17 DEWALT Ford Fusion
Crew Chief: Robbie Reiser
Chassis: RK-317 Last ran at Texas, Apr. '07, finished second. Won at Fontana, Feb. '07, yet to finish worse than fourth in four races in 2007
    RK-340 Tested Las Vegas, Jan. '07. Last ran: Pocono, Jun. '06, finished fifth

Kenseth on racing at Pocono Raceway:
"Pocono is a very challenging track and one that we haven't had too much success at. It's definitely unique. The three different corners present a unique challenge that you aren't going to find anywhere else except on a road course.

"We're taking a car that's had a lot of success this year and hopefully that will translate into a good finish this weekend. But, just because it's ran good on mile-and-a-half tracks and at Fontana doesn't really mean it's going to be that good at Pocono. I hope so, but we'll have to wait until Friday to see how good it's going to be there.

"It's a busy and short week this week, racing on Monday and then turning around and racing at Eldora on Wednesday night. We have a couple other things going on this week, so it's going to be extremely busy, but Eldora should be a good time. It'll be fun watching everybody race on dirt. I'm not too good at it, but I'll be real curious to see how (Juan Pablo) Montoya does, since he's probably never even seen a dirt track before Wednesday. That should be interesting."

Crew Chief Robbie Reiser on racing at Pocono Raceway:
"The car we're taking this week has been a good one for us this year. It actually ran Pocono last July, but didn't do as good as we hoped. We think we've got some things figured out and hopefully we'll have a better result this weekend. This is actually the car than ran a lot for us down the stretch in 2005.

"We've put ourselves in a pretty good spot in the points right now, but we're only halfway to the Chase and can't let off by any means. We're still playing catch up a little with some of our cars, but we can see that we're gaining on them. Hopefully we can keep this up, keep working hard and keep getting better as the season goes along."

Jamie McMurray
Team: No. 26 IRWIN Industrial Tools Ford Fusion
Crew Chief: Larry Carter
Chassis: RK 428: Last raced at Charlotte, May 2007; Finished 19th
     RK 403: Last tested at Las Vegas, Jan. 2007

McMurray on racing at Pocono Raceway:
"After our run last weekend in Dover, I'm really looking forward to Pocono this weekend. I've run well at Pocono, although my results don't really show it. Pocono is a track that I really enjoy running at, mainly because it's different than any of the other tracks we run. A couple years ago I sat on the pole, and with the success the No. 26 team has had with qualifying this season, I expect we will post a pretty good effort again this weekend in Pocono. Our No. 26 IRWIN Industrial Tools Ford Fusion should have a good run.

"Last weekend wasn't the effort we wanted; we missed a couple of adjustments throughout the race. It was just one of those weekends that you need to put behind you and focus on the upcoming week."

Crew Chief Larry Carter on racing at Pocono Raceway:
"Pocono is a challenging track to set up for because of how complex the track is and how tough it is on our engines. You have to set up for high speed runs down the backstretch and then figure out how to get your car to turn through the flat corners of Pocono. The track is challenging on both the engine, as well as the driver. It's a long race. Hopefully, we'll take this No. 26 Ford Fusion and post another top-10 finish at Pocono this weekend. I know all the guys are looking forward to another run this weekend, as last weekend wasn't our best foot forward. The guys were strong in the pits, but it wasn't enough to move us up the leader board. Needless to say, we are all looking forward to Pocono."

Carl Edwards
Team: No.99 Office Depot Ford Fusion
Crew Chief: Bob Osborne
Chassis: RK-270 previously raced the NEXTEL Open; started from the pole and led all but three laps before finishing third

Edwards on racing at Pocono Raceway:
"I'm excited to go to Pocono. A couple of years ago I had a lot of success there and I feel confident that we have what it takes to run well there. We struggled some at Pocono last year, but I feel I've grown a lot as a person and a driver and I am really eager to redeem myself."

"This is also the first weekend I'll be traveling between the Busch and Cup Series so I'm looking forward to that too. It would be awesome to give Dish Network another win in Nashville then follow that up with a strong run in Pocono for the Office Depot team. I think we are capable of that. As long as the rain stays away in Pocono and we get our practice sessions in we will be fine."

Crew Chief Bob Osborne on racing at Pocono Raceway:
"Pocono is a challenging race track, but I enjoy racing there. With three different turns, there is a fine line between being good and being good enough to win. I know Carl has what it takes to be successful there. Hopefully we'll give him the car to go and do it."

"The Office Depot team has been pretty consistent so far this year. I am looking forward to building on that and making strides towards better finishes."

NASCAR Busch Series:

David Ragan
Team: No. 6 Discount Tire Ford Fusion
Crew Chief: Mike Kelley
Chassis: RK-378 Ran at Texas this year, won the pole & finished fifth

Ragan on racing in the NBS at Nashville Superspeedway:
"I am hungry for a good finish this week. I made a mistake last week that cost us a top-10 finish. The Discount Tire team will be ready to compete from the outset of the race. It will be a little tricky this weekend because the race is a stand-alone event. The Cup Series is in Pocono, so I will have to travel back and forth to each event. The key to success will be taking care of our equipment and racing a little smarter than the two previous weeks. We are bringing a really fast car that sets up nicely for this track. It is very important to get back on the right foot this weekend. We have a great sponsor in Discount Tire and a strong team that yearns for a win. I am determined to climb back in the hunt for a championship."

Crew Chief Mike Kelley on racing at Nashville Superspeedway:
"We are bringing an extremely fast car to Nashville. The Discount Tire Ford Fusion will be among the fastest cars in the field on Saturday. The whole team has to concentrate on righting the ship and digging out of the hole we put ourselves in the last two weeks. The key for us is to stay in the front and avoid the trouble in the back of the field. We got caught up in some foolishness the last time we were here, so we are looking to improve on our finish this time around. If every guy does their job we should be fine. A top-10 finish is the only remedy for our struggles. I know we are capable of magical things on this track, but we have to believe that in order to be successful. I am confident we will run well and get back in the top 10 in points."

Todd Kluever
Team: No. 16 3M Ford Fusion
Crew Chief: Eddie Pardue
Chassis: RK-365 Kluever raced this car at Nashville in April and recently at Lowe's Motor Speedway.

Kluever on racing at Nashville Superspeedway:
"I love racing at Nashville. I got my first Busch pole there at this race last year and we always have strong runs. It just seems as though we never get the finishes to show for it. In the spring we were running in the top five for much of the race, but then got a really loose set of tires on our last pit stop with about 40 laps to go and finished 13th. I've got my favorite car again this weekend which is what we ran in the spring and at both Nashville races last year, so I'm hoping we can finally get the top-five finish we deserve, or even a win."

Eddie Pardue on racing at Nashville Superspeedway:
"We should have had at least a top-five finish in the spring. Todd really likes this track and always runs well there. This team has had a lot of bad luck lately with flat tires so hopefully we can get through Nashville without any glitches, and get a strong finish to move us back up in the points."

Carl Edwards
Team: No.60 Dish Network Ford Fusion
Crew Chief: Pierre Kuettel P.K.
Chassis: RK-357 Last ran at Nashville June 10, 2006; Won race

Edwards on racing in the NBS at Nashville Superspeedway:
"Without a doubt, Nashville's one of my most rewarding and favorite tracks. We've had phenomenal results on the concrete tracks this year and we've won the last two Nashville Busch races. I also won a truck race there. Nashville Superspeedway is just awesome and it's a blast to race on. Our Dish Network team's on a roll and we're coming off a huge win in Dover. We'll carry this momentum into Nashville and our goal is to collect another Gibson guitar."

Crew Chief Pierre Kuettel on racing at Nashville Superspeedway:
"Our Dish Network team just won a big race in Dover this past weekend and we're very focused on collecting a great finish in Nashville. We've had great success there and we're bringing chassis 357, the same one we won with there last year. This team is pumped and can't wait to race again. This is a championship caliber team and we are going to race to win it."

NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series: Sam's Town 400

Travis Kvapil
Team: No. 6 K&N Filters Ford F-150
Crew Chief: Mike Beam
Chassis: RK253-36, last raced at Texas last November where David Ragan started 21st and finished sixth.

Kvapil on racing at Texas Motor Speedway:
"Texas is a very special place to me. It's where I won my first race back in 2001, and the fans are always so supportive of us. The truck series always puts on a good show there. Like Charlotte and Atlanta, it's a high-speed track where the draft will come into play. It's one of my favorite places to race, and I always look forward to going back to Texas."

Crew Chief Mike Beam on racing at Texas Motor Speedway:
"We finished third last week at Dover which tied our best finish of the year. We feel like we've got our intermediate stuff running a lot better, so we expect to be a contender. Travis has won here before, and we ran well last year in both races. It should be a good race for the K&N Filters team."

T. J. Bell
Team: No. 50 Heathcliff's Cat Litter Ford F-150
Crew Chief: Matt Puccia
Chassis: RK 225-33, last raced at Bristol Motor Speedway last August where David Ragan started 33rd and finished 15th

Bell on racing at Texas Motor Speedway:
"Texas is a great racetrack, I really enjoy racing there. We had a great run at Lowe's Motor Speedway in the Heathcliff's Cat Litter Ford a few weeks back, hopefully we can do the same in Texas. The racetracks are similar, but different in a lot of ways. We're looking forward to seeing what we can do this weekend."

Crew Chief Matt Puccia on racing at Texas Motor Speedway:
"We took a hard hit last week in Dover, but T.J. made it out alright and we're ready to go on to Texas. We ran well in this race last year with Michel Jourdain, and we hope to do the same this time around with T.J. at the wheel. We scored a top-10 finish at Charlotte a few weeks ago, and with the similarities between there and Texas, we have high expectations for another good finish."

Erik Darnell
Team: No. 99 Northern Tool + Equipment Ford F-150
Crew Chief: John Quinn
Chassis: RK303-41, last raced at Kansas where Darnell started 10th and won his first career NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race

Darnell on racing at Texas Motor Speedway:
"Texas is one of my favorite places to race. We had a tough finish in this race last year, but rebounded well in the fall race. I always look forward to racing at the mile-and-a-half tracks. We're bringing my favorite truck, the one we scored the win at Kansas with. We've not had much luck since then, hopefully we can end that streak in Texas this week."

Crew Chief John Quinn on racing at Texas Motor Speedway:
"The last few weeks, it seems like nothing can go our way. We've been wrecked the last three races in a row. Texas could not come at a better time for us. We had a great run there last fall, so we know we've got something to go off. We've run very well at these intermediate tracks, so we're all looking forward to getting back to where we feel most confident."

-credit: rfr

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