BUSCH: Doug Reid Talladega debut

Reid Hopes Talladega Busch Debut is as Good as First ARCA Start

TALLADEGA, Ala. (April 9) -- Doug Reid of Hueytown, Ala. is hoping to make his first Talladega Superspeedway NASCAR Busch Series start in the Birmingham Auto Dealers 500K presented by EasyCare April 26 at 12 noon Central time, and he hopes he qualifies as well as he did for his first ARCA Bondo/Mar-Hyde Series event at the 2.66-mile track. In 1995, Reid made his debut at the "World's Fastest Speedway" and qualified second at 195.472 mph. He finished 43rd, however, after experiencing engine problems. "That was pretty exciting in '95," Reid said. "Doing that well so close to home always means a lot. "We're using this season as a learning year for us. We're only running a limited schedule this year with hopes of running a full schedule next year. We raced at Daytona and that was a learning experience. "It didn't really hit me until race morning. When I woke up, I thought to myself, Wow, I'm getting ready to race Daytona.' Then I get out there on the starting grid and I've got Mark Martin starting right behind me. Daytona was really a neat experience for me." Reid finished 28th in the season-opening Gargoyles 300 at Daytona International Speedway. It was his best finish in the season's first eight events, of which he ran five. "Track Attack Weekend" opens with Busch Pole Award Qualifying to set positions 1-25 for the Birmingham Auto Dealers 500K presented by EasyCare on Thursday, April 24 at 3:30 p.m. Central time. Second-round qualifying to fill the field of up to 43 cars is scheduled Friday morning at 10:30 as part of Advance Auto Parts Qualifying Day. Busch Pole Award Qualifying to set positions 1-25 in the Winston 500 is scheduled later that day. Both days of qualifying and practice are open to the public. Plenty of reserved tower grandstand seats remain for the Birmingham Auto Dealers 500K presented by EasyCare, scheduled for 12 noon Central time. It will be preceded by Busch Beer Second-Round Qualifying for the Winston 500, which will fill the field of up to 43 cars for round nine of the NASCAR Winston Cup Series. For tickets call the Talladega ticket office at (205) 362-9064. TALLADEGA NASCAR BUSCH SERIES NOTES ** In Dale Earnhardt's only NASCAR Busch Series victory at Talladega, he drove off and left the competition -- at least by Talladega standards. Earnhardt beat Randy LaJoie to the checkered flag by three car lengths, which is the largest margin of victory for the Birmingham Auto Dealers 500K presented by EasyCare. ** Since the inaugural NASCAR Busch Series event at Talladega in 1992, the combined margin of victory is less than a half-second.