BUSCH: Roush Fenway Racing Loudon/Memphis preview

New Hampshire International Speedway, June 29-July 1

NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series: LENOX Industrial Tools 300
Sunday, July 1
2:30 PM Eastern on TNT/MRN

NASCAR Busch Series: Camping World 200 presented by RVs.com
Saturday, June 30
2:30 PM Eastern -- ABC/MRN

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Memphis Motorsports Park, June 30

NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series: O'Reilly 200
Saturday, June 30
8:30 PM Eastern -- SPEED/MRN

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Roush Fenway Racing Fast Facts

* David Ragan has made two starts at New Hampshire International Speedway. Both in the Craftsman Truck Series

* Ragan started 32nd in the truck series in 2004 and finished 21st.

* Ragan made his second start in 2006 when he started 25th and finished 11th.

* Ragan is currently 25th in the Nextel Cup Series Championship point standings.

* Ragan is currently second in the Raybestos Rookie of the Year race. He trails Juan Pablo Montoya by 15 points.

* Ragan has visited only two one-mile tracks in the Cup car so far this year with his highest finish being 14th at Dover in early June. This also marks Ragan's highest COT finish so far in the 2007 season.

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* Last season, Greg Biffle and the team went into the race with and followed a pit strategy that resulted in a top-five finish, much like last weekend at Infineon Raceway.

* Biffle's first race at the New England oval was a NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race in 1998. He started sixth and finished second.

* Biffle finished fifth last week at Infineon and currently sits 17th in the point standings, 199 points out of the top 12.

* This weekend, Biffle will run a black, blue and white Aflac paint scheme with the Aflac duck on the hood.

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* Matt Kenseth has an average finish of 10.8 at New Hampshire International Speedway; tops among active NASCAR NEXTEL Cup drivers with three or more starts at the track, and the fifth best track for Kenseth's career.

* Kenseth's nine top-10 finishes at NHIS is best among all drivers since 2000, Kenseth's rookie season.

* Kenseth has completed all but four laps in 14 races at NHIS; 4,084 of 4,088. The third best mark of any driver that has competed in those same 14 events (Mark Martin -- 4,086 and Jeff Gordon -- 4,085).

* The No. 17 Ford Fusion will carry the Carhartt colors this weekend for the third time in 2007. The Carhartt scheme will run once more at Charlotte in October.

* Kenseth will race in the NASCAR Busch Series at NHIS this weekend for the first time since July, 2005. For his career, Kenseth has raced six times in the NBS at NHIS, chalking up four consecutive top-10 finishes and winning this race in July of 2004.

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* Jamie McMurray scored his first NEXTEL Cup pole of the 2007 season last weekend at Infineon Raceway. This marks McMurray's third pole of his career.

* In nine starts at New Hampshire International Speedway, McMurray has one top-five and three top 10 finishes.

* McMurray will be back in his No. 26 IRWIN Industrial Tools Ford Fusion for this weekend's LENOX Industrial Tools 300.

* McMurray led 30 laps in last week's race -- this marks the second time McMurray has led laps this season. McMurray also led two laps at Talladega earlier this season.

* McMurray is currently 14th in the NEXTEL Cup point standings and only 129 points out of the "Chase."

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* Carl Edwards will make his sixth NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series start at New Hampshire International Speedway. In his previous starts, Edwards has achieved one top-five and five top 20 finishes.

* Edwards' best finish at Loudon is second place, captured in July 2006.

* Edwards is currently sixth in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series point standings with 2019 points, 519 points behind leader, Jeff Gordon.

* This weekend the No. 99 will run a special New England-themed paint scheme.

* Edwards and his Roush Fenway Racing teammates will participate in the pre-game ceremonies this Friday, June 29 at Fenway Park. All five drivers, along with team co-owners Jack Roush and John Henry will be on hand as the Boston Red Sox take on the Texas Rangers.

NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series:
Sunday, July 1

David Ragan
Team: No. 6 AAA Ford Fusion
Crew Chief: Jimmy Fennig
Chassis: RK-467 Previous ran at Richmond; finished 20th
     RK- 455 Previously ran at Martinsville; finished 15th

Ragan on racing at New Hampshire International Speedway:
"Loudon should be a pretty cool weekend for the Roush Fenway teams. It is the first race that we will have in the Boston area since Jack [Roush] and John Henry teamed up. We are actually going to the Red Sox game on Friday night, which should be pretty cool, so I am really looking forward to it. This weekend will be the eighth COT race so far this year and I think we have made some moves in the right direction since Bristol earlier this year. We went and tested at Milwaukee earlier this week so I think that will help even more going into this weekend. Montoya pulled ahead of us in the Raybestos Rookie points quite a bit last weekend but we are not going to get discouraged there are still plenty of races left."

Crew Chief Jimmy Fennig on racing at New Hampshire International Speedway:
"We are taking the same car to Loudon that we ran in Richmond where we finished 20th. David's performance in the Car of Tomorrow is definitely improving and so far this year we have our best finish at a one-mile track in the COT which is what we will be going to this weekend in Loudon. We just need to get out there and finish in the top-10 or 15 so we can work our way up into the points. We have one more week to the halfway point in the season and if the second half goes by as quickly as the first the end will be here before we know it. It is important that we finish these races and get the points right now."

Greg Biffle
Team: No. 16 Dish Network Ford Fusion
Crew Chief: Greg Erwin
Chassis: RK-472 Raced at Dover '07 finish sixth

Biffle on racing at New Hampshire International Speedway:
"I always enjoy racing at New Hampshire. It's a flat track and those are always fun for a driver because it requires a lot of throttle and brake input. The keys to New Hampshire are getting the car to rotate in the corner and have lots of forward bite exiting. If you can hit both of those things with the setup then it's generally a good day. This will be our first race with Aflac on the car and it would be cool to get the duck up front on its debut."

Crew Chief Greg Erwin on racing at New Hampshire International Speedway:
"We're taking the same car we raced earlier this year at Dover and finished sixth. Right now we feel that this is our best COT car. We tested a car similar to this at Milwaukee and feel that this is our best bet for this weekend. We had a good run last weekend at Infineon and if we can keep it up for the next few weeks, we'll be able to gain some ground on the top 12."

Matt Kenseth
Team: No. 17 Carhartt/DEWALT Ford Fusion
Crew Chief: Robbie Reiser
Chassis: RK-451 Last outing: Richmond, May '07 -- finished 10th. Also: Phoenix, Apr. '07 -- finished fifth; Bristol, Mar. '07 -- finished 11th
     RK-458 Backup at Martinsville and Richmond; yet to race

Kenseth on racing at New Hampshire International Speedway:
"Well, the last couple of weeks have been pretty rough for us. At Michigan, I thought we had at least a top-five car, but we got caught up in a wreck. Then last week-- well, last week is behind us. It was frustrating to say the least, to spin out twice then run out of gas right before the last lap; Sonoma is always tough for us and it seemed like if it could go wrong, it did last Sunday.

"But, this week is a new week and we're going to a track that's been pretty good to us over the years. We really haven't had too many cars capable of winning at Loudon, but we've usually been good enough to run in the top 10 to top 15. This weekend, it's going to be important for us to get some of the momentum back that we've lost in the past couple of weeks."

Crew Chief Robbie Reiser on racing at New Hampshire International Speedway:
"We're bringing a car that's performed pretty good so far, but not as good as we'd like it. But, we've done some testing since the last time this car has run, plus we've had, really about two months of data collecting, whether from testing or actual racing that we feel will help the car.

"After the past two weeks, we need to get out there and hopefully run an uneventful race. It's funny how this sport works. We had a wreck at Daytona on the last lap, but other than that, we ran the next 13 races, 14 if you count the All-Star race without getting into any trouble on the track. Now, in the past two weeks, we've definitely gotten our fill. Hopefully, we're finished with all of that and can get back to doing what this team does best, and that's running in the top 10 and competing for wins. New Hampshire is as good of a place as any to get back on track."

Jamie McMurray
Team: No. 26 IRWIN Industrial Tools Ford Fusion
Crew Chief: Larry Carter
Chassis: RK--463: Last raced at Richmond, May 2007; Finished 41st
     RK--462: Tested at Richmond, April 2007

McMurray on racing at New Hampshire International Speedway:
"I'm looking forward to another run this weekend in Loudon. Last year we just weren't very good up there, but I think with the new car we are taking, it should be a pretty good weekend for us. So far this season we've done pretty well with the COT and especially in qualifying. Larry (Carter) has done a great job with learning the aspects of this new car and making it work for me. In preparation for this weekend, we are testing the car at Milwaukee on Tuesday and Wednesday. It should help us unload a little bit better and know what we need to work on immediately into practice on Friday.

"This is also the first race since having the Red Sox along with us. On Friday night we are going to a game over at Fenway Park, which should be pretty exciting for everyone.

"Last weekend in Sonoma was tough for the whole No. 26 team. I hate that we had to run that well the entire race and then finish like we did. It's one of those deals where you take the gamble and hope for the best. The gamble didn't pay off for us in the end. Hopefully, this weekend we can put ourselves in a better position, where it isn't such a gamble at the end."

Crew Chief Larry Carter on racing at New Hampshire International Speedway:
"The No. 26 IRWIN team excited about Loudon this weekend. First of all, we get to go to the Red Sox game on Saturday night, which should be a good time for everyone. On top of that, I really do feel like we have a good car for this weekend. We are taking it up to Milwaukee this week to shake it down and try a few different things before we head on to Loudon. Hopefully, we can figure out exactly what we need to do to make that car turn better, which has seemed to be the problem all season long with the COT. Hopefully the test session pays off for us this week and we can have a great run this weekend in Loudon."

Carl Edwards
Team: No.99 Roush Fenway Racing Ford Fusion
Crew Chief: Bob Osborne
Chassis: RK-453 previously raced Richmond -- started second, finished 12th

Edwards on racing at New Hampshire International Speedway:
"I like New Hampshire; it's one of my favorite tracks. It's flat and fast and it puts a lot of things in the driver's hands. Unfortunately we didn't have the best finish last weekend at Sonoma, so it will be really important for us to run well at Loudon. We had a really strong run there last year in the summer, so hopefully we'll be able to repeat that success.

"This weekend we are also running a special New England-themed paint scheme. I can' t say just yet what it is, but I know the fans will get a real kick out the No. 99 new look for the weekend."

Crew Chief, Bob Osborne on racing at New Hampshire International Speedway:
"New Hampshire is a great track that really suits Carl's driving style. It's flat; it's fast and is really a driver's track. Over the past few weeks the team has really improved so much and we've started running up front and contending for wins. This weekend should be no exception.

"Loudon is sort of another home track for us at Roush Fenway Racing. It would be really awesome to get a win for our team there."

NASCAR Busch Series:
Saturday, June 30

David Ragan
Team: No. 6 Discount Tire Ford Fusion
Crew Chief: Mike Kelley
Chassis: RK-217 ran at Phoenix this year

Ragan on racing in the NBS at New Hampshire International Speedway:
"I am anxious to get in the car this weekend. Although we had a major jump in the points this week I felt like we should have done better then a 12th place finish at Milwaukee. I saw a lot of other young drivers finish ahead of me and it really motivated me this week. We have the equipment and the personnel to be in the top 10 every week. I enjoyed racing on this track in the truck series and I am sure that experience will come in handy on Saturday. I am going to race hard and let everything else fall into place. We believe a win and a championship are well within reach this year. It is going to take a monster effort every week to achieve our goals, but I think this team has the talent to pull it off."

Crew Chief Mike Kelley on racing at New Hampshire International Speedway:
"This is a big weekend for the Discount Tire team. We are in a good position in the standings right now but there are a lot of good teams on our heels. We must continue to improve on our finishes and limit the amount of mistakes made during races. Our car is setup exactly the same as last weekend because Loudon is similar to the Milwaukee Mile. David has some good experience on the track, which is always a plus when running on the short tracks. I am glad we will have David in the car for all three practice sessions this weekend. It is critical that we get him acclimated to the setup so we can make adjustments accordingly. The guys have been working extremely hard on our Discount Tire Ford Fusion and I believe the march for a championship is in motion. Loudon is a great track and it will definitely be a challenge, but with good preparation and patience, good things will happen for us."

Todd Kluever
Team: No. 16 3M Ford Fusion
Crew Chief: Eddie Pardue
Chassis: RK-190 -- Kluever raced this car at Milwaukee last year

Kluever on racing in the NBS at New Hampshire International Speedway:
"New Hampshire is a lot like Milwaukee, where we raced last weekend. I think we learned a lot about what our set-up needs, and what didn't work at Milwaukee which we can use at New Hampshire. As I've said before, I'm not a fan of flat tracks, but I think we could have had a top-10 finish at Milwaukee if we didn't have to pit out of sequence to fix the fender. Restarting at the end of the lead lap followed by the longest green-flag run of the race put us a lap down which we could never get back. If we can have a good, clean race at New Hampshire than I believe we can get a good finish."

Eddie Pardue on racing at New Hampshire International Speedway:
"We're taking chassis 190 to New Hampshire this weekend. Todd raced this car at Milwaukee last year, and then it went to one of our other Busch teams for a while, and now we have it back. I think it's a good car and with the information we learned at Milwaukee last week we should have a good showing on Saturday."

Matt Kenseth
Team: No.17 Roush Fenway/F.W. Webb Ford Fusion
Crew Chief: Drew Blickensderfer
Chassis: RK-395 last ran Richmond -- finished second

Kenseth on racing in the Busch Series at New Hampshire International Speedway:
"This should be a good weekend for us in New Hampshire. I've had some success at this track in the past and it will be fun to carry the Roush Fenway Racing logo on the hood of our car. Plus with New Hampshire being so close to Boston we will have a lot of the Fenway people there to support us. I've had a few weeks off from Busch racing so it will be good to get back out there and hopefully earn a solid finish."

Crew Chief Drew Blickensderfer on racing at New Hampshire International Speedway:
"The whole team is excited to have Matt back with us this weekend. This is the same car that we took to Richmond and had a real strong run with. We finished second in Richmond, but definitely had a car that could have won. Matt has had success at this track in the past so hopefully we can get the car handling well so Matt has a chance to earn another win a New Hampshire."

Danny O'Quinn Jr.
Team: No.26 Dish Network Ford Fusion
Crew Chief: Chad Norris
Chassis: RK- 345 last raced Nashville with Carl Edwards -- finished first

O'Quinn on racing in the NBS at New Hampshire International Speedway:
"Running Talladega and Kentucky with the #17 team was fun, but now I'm excited to get behind the wheel of the #26 Dish Network Ford Fusion this weekend in New Hampshire. I really like New Hampshire and I think we will have a good run there. Plus we are taking the same car that Carl Edwards won Nashville with so I'm excited to see how it handles for us."

Crew Chief Chad Norris on racing at New Hampshire International Speedway:
"The Dish Network team is looking forward to running with Danny this week. He had a pretty good run going at Kentucky before getting taken out of the race. We have a really good car for this weekend and everyone is excited and looking for a top-10 finish for the team and Danny."

Carl Edwards
Team: No.60 Scotts Ford Fusion
Crew Chief: Pierre Kuettel (P.K.)
Chassis: RK- 461 Last ran at Milwaukee; finished 8th

Edwards on racing at New Hampshire International Speedway:
"It'll be great to have the Cup and Busch races in the same location for the first time in three weeks. My No. 60 team has been doing such a great job, but we haven't had the finishes to benefit the hard work. We feel Loudon's a great place to turn this around and go for a win. We won last year and our strong performance at Milwaukee gives us a lot of momentum. I love racing at NHIS. It should be awesome."

Crew Chief Pierre Kuettel (P.K.) on racing at New Hampshire International Speedway:
"We've had a couple of frustrating finishes over the past two weeks after leading the majority of those races. We're taking our car from last week and I feel confident that we'll have a very dominating Scotts Ford Fusion. We won the race last year and we're hungry for another win. We have the driver, the team and the car. Now all we need to do is make it happen."

NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series:
Saturday, June 30

Travis Kvapil
Team: No. 6 K&N Filters Ford F-150
Crew Chief: Mike Beam
Chassis: RK-359-46, last raced at Martinsville where Kvapil started second and finished 14th

Kvapil on racing at Memphis Motorsports Park:
"I've won at Memphis in the past, so it's always fun to go back there. It's a great three-quarter mile racetrack that's got a great combination of a short track and speedway in one. It's hard to pass so track position is important. Qualifying well is important, as well as the guys on pit road doing their job to help keep you towards the front of the field."

Crew chief Mike Beam on racing at Memphis Motorsports Park:
"We're heading to another track where Travis has a stellar record. He has won here in the past, so he knows what it takes to get the job done. Our team has run pretty well the last couple of years here as well, so we feel like we've got a great chance at running up front on Saturday night."

Peter Shepherd
Team: No. 50 Northern Tool + Equipment Ford F-150
Crew Chief: Matt Puccia
Chassis: RK308-42, last raced at Dover where Erik Darnell started 21st and finished 18th

Shepherd on racing at Memphis Motorsports Park:
"Memphis is a very special place for me, it's where I made my first Craftsman Truck Series start. We had a good race here last year, managed to keep ourselves out of trouble and raced to the finish. We had a rough go of things last week, so we'll be looking to redeem ourselves. We've got Northern Tool + Equipment on our F-150 this weekend, and I'm very happy to be representing them."

Crew Chief Matt Puccia on racing at Memphis Motorsports Park:
"Peter ran his first race for us here last year and did a great job. He is so accustomed to running on short tracks, but for him this is a little more like a speedway. We've got the same goals this week as we had for Milwaukee last week, to finish all the laps and keep out of trouble."

Erik Darnell
Team: No. 99 Northern Tool + Equipment Ford F-150
Crew Chief: John Quinn
Chassis: RK245-35, last raced at Mansfield where Darnell started seventh and finished 15th

Darnell on racing at Memphis Motorsports Park:
"Memphis is a great racetrack, I really enjoy racing there. We nearly won this race last year, so we feel like we'll be contenders again this time around. John Quinn and everyone on this team have worked hard to get things turned around, and coming off our sixth place finish at Milwaukee, we've got some momentum on our side."

Crew chief John Quinn on racing at Memphis Motorsports Park:
"We had a great race here last year, finishing second to Jack Sprague. Erik really likes this place. His confidence heading in here is pretty high. We had a good race last week, so we come in feeling like we've got a little momentum. Erik did some testing in a Busch car at Richmond earlier this year, and with the similarities between the tracks, some of what he learned up there might benefit us this week. We're looking forward to this weekend, we feel like we've got a shot at getting our second win of 2007."

-credit: rfr