Upcoming Nationwide Races

April 4 at Texas will kick off a string of six consecutive race weekends for the Nationwide series, this will be the longest running race string of the season thus far.
And all upcoming races will be on different types of tracks.

Following Texas, the last of three consecutive events, are races at the 1.33-mile concrete Nashville Superspeedway (April 11), the 1-mile Phoenix International Raceway (April 17), the 2.66-mile Talladega Superspeedway (April 25), the .75-mile Richmond International Raceway (May 1) and the 1.366-mile Darlington Raceway (May 8).

The series' next break will come during the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race weekend.

Nice... NBaP likes the Natiowide events... it breaks up that long weekend wait until Cup Sunday (Or Saturday) and they're short and fun races!!

source: NASCAR

Kerry and Jeffrey Earnhardt join Rick Ware Racing

NASCAR Bits and Pieces (NBaP) see's that Kerry and Jeffrey Earnhardt have joined Rick Ware Racing in the NASCAR Nationwide Series.

Kerry will debut April 4th at Texas Motor Speedway in the No 31 Chevrolet. His son Jeffrey, 19, is scheduled to make his NASCAR Nationwide Series debut May 30 at Dover International Speedway.

Kerry is the son of seven-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Dale Earnhardt. Kerry has 70 career starts in the NASCAR Nationwide Series, with three top fives and six top-10 finishes. He competed full time in 2002, finishing 22nd in points. He last raced in the series in 2008.

Jeffery has raced in the NASCAR Camping World Series East where he was fifth in the standings as a rookie in 2007 and finished 15th last year. NASCAR Bits and Pieces hopes that Jeffery has some of that fire that Dale Sr. has!

Both father and son will be paired with former NASCAR champion crew chief Paul Andrews until they do battle at Atlanta Motor Speedway this fall. At that juncture, Clyde McCloud will serve as crew chief for the younger Earnhardt.

Atlanta also will highlight three Earnhardts in series competition. Jeffrey's uncle, Dale Earnhardt Jr., a two-time series champion, also is slated to compete in the NASCAR Nationwide Series race there.

Jeffrey will race a progressive schedule this year, running seven events from a 1-mile track to a 2-mile oval as he prepares for the 2010 season and a Raybestos Rookie of the Year campaign.

The Earnhardts will be driving in events when Stanton Barrett will be competing in IRL races. The No. 31 will be the organization's primary car and the No. 41 Chevrolet will be the second car for races in which Barrett, Tim Andrews, Travis Kittleson, Tim Brown (seven-time NASCAR Whelen Modified track champion) or Jeffrey compete.

NBaP hopes that Kerry can do something this time around. We've liked Kerry and have pulled for Kerry but it just hasn't panned out. The last time we saw Kerry race was at Irwindale in the Allstar Race and we watched him get lapped, and lapped and well, it was a bummer.

Good luck to all the Earnhardt's and BRING IT JEFFREY!!!

Kenny Wallace Eyeing Top 5 In NNS

It may be the same old thing for some of the top 10 drivers in the NASCAR Nationwide Series point standings like Carl Edwards (No. 60 Scott�s/Save-A-Lot Ford) leading for the second straight week and into the series' next race at Texas.

But there are some new top 10 drivers who haven't been there in awhile.

Kenny Wallace (No. 28 U.S. Border Patrol Chevrolet) hasn't been in the top 10 since 2006. Currently, he's ninth. It's also the first time Jay Robinson Racing has had a driver crack the top 10 in its 10-year history.

Go Kenny!!! NBaP is rooting for you!

The 3's of Nationwide - Can We Make it Four?

So we all know I've been a respectful fan of the No. 3. It's a number set for eternity in many a fans mind, no matter what anyone else does with it. But here's a twist of the No. 3 from the Nationwide Series:

After three races, there have been three different winners:

1. Tony Stewart at Daytona;
2. Kyle Busch at Auto Club Speedway;
3. Greg Biffle at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

We've had three different pole winners:

1. Kevin Harvick at Daytona;
2. Carl Edwards at ACS and;
3. Scott Speed at Las Vegas.

We've had three different point leaders in the series:

1. Stewart after Daytona,
2. Busch after California and currently
3. Edwards after Las Vegas.

It's the first time Edwards has led the standings since his 2007 title.


Finally, there have been three different owner standings leaders:

1. The No. 80 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet after Daytona;
2. the No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Chevrolet following ACS and the current leader
3. the No. 60 Roush Fenway Racing Ford.

I hope their next race doesn't make this all 4's. I ain't got nothin' for ya if that happens.

- Bruce

source: NASCAR press release

2009 NASCAR NATIONWIDE SERIES SCHEDULE

The NASCAR Nationwide Series will have a 35-race schedule for 2009.

2009 NASCAR NATIONWIDE SERIES SCHEDULE
Date Site
Feb. 14 Daytona International Speedway
Feb. 21 Auto Club Speedway
Feb. 28 Las Vegas Motor Speedway
March 21 Bristol Motor Speedway
April 4 Texas Motor Speedway
April 11 Nashville Superspeedway
April 17 Phoenix International Raceway
April 25 Talladega Superspeedway
May 1 Richmond International Raceway
May 8 Darlington Raceway
May 23 Lowe’s Motor Speedway
May 30 Dover International Speedway
June 6 Nashville Superspeedway
June 13 Kentucky Speedway
June 20 Milwaukee Mile
June 27 New Hampshire Motor Speedway
July 3 Daytona International Speedway
July 10 Chicagoland Speedway
July 18 Gateway International Raceway
July 25 O’Reilly Raceway Park
Aug. 1 Iowa Speedway
Aug. 8 Watkins Glen International
Aug. 15 Michigan International Speedway
Aug. 21 Bristol Motor Speedway
Aug. 30 Circuit Gilles Villeneuve
Sept. 5 Atlanta Motor Speedway
Sept. 11 Richmond International Raceway
Sept. 26 Dover International Speedway
Oct. 3 Kansas Speedway
Oct. 10 Auto Club Speedway
Oct. 16 Lowe’s Motor Speedway
Oct. 24 Memphis Motorsports Park
Nov. 7 Texas Motor Speedway
Nov. 14 Phoenix International Raceway
Nov. 21 Homestead-Miami Speedway