BUSCH: Charlotte: Stacy Compton preview

The Team: #59 Kingsford/Johnsonville Chevrolet, NASCAR Busch Series

The Race: Saturday, May 25, 2002 -- Carquest 300 at Lowe's Motor Speedway in Concord, N.C -- 200 laps/300 miles

The Track: Lowe's Motor Speedway is a charter member of the NASCAR Busch Series and has hosted two races a year since the formation of the series. The track is a 1.5-mile oval with 24 degrees banking in the corners and 5 degrees on the straights.

TV/Radio: FOX 1:00 pm ET / PRN 12:15 pm ET

Compton at Charlotte: This is Compton's first visit to Charlotte as a Busch Series driver. He has three starts at Lowe's Motor Speedway as a NASCAR Winston Cup driver. His best finish was 32nd in 2001 at the UAW-GM Quality 500 in October.

Compton on Charlotte: "We're taking a good car to Charlotte this weekend and hope to run at the front. The surface at Charlotte can be unpredictable and sensitive to temperature changes. It's not uncommon to have long green flag runs at this track, so fuel management could also come into play."

Compton's Season: With 12 races completed, Compton is 7th in the point standings. He has two top-5 finishes and five top-10 finishes.

Crew Chief's Comments: "We're taking the car we ran 11th with at Texas and 9th with at Nashville. It's a good intermediate track car and Stacy likes the way it handles. At Charlotte you have to be tight at one end of the track and loose at the other. Since that's not possible, we look for a happy medium." Steve Plattenberger, Crew Chief

Last Year at Charlotte: Jeff Green won last year's race at Lowe's Motor Speedway with a .055 second margin of victory over Matt Kenseth. The Bud Pole Award went to Kevin Harvick. The race had eight cautions for 35 of the 200-lap event. There were nine lead changes among six drivers.

Double Duty: In addition to his Busch Series ride, Compton is also running the full NASCAR Winston Cup Series schedule in the No. 14 Conseco Pontiac owned by A.J. Foyt Racing. He will be racing in the Coca-Cola 600 on Sunday, May 26 at Lowe's Motor Speedway in Concord, N.C.

-stm-