Katie Loomis
NASCAR Analyst
 

NASCAR Busch Series @ The Milwaukee Mile

With the Nextel Cup Series in Sonoma this weekend, the NASCAR Busch Series regulars were given the chance to shine at the Milwaukee Mile:

In one of the strangest finishes in recent history, rookie Aric Almirola is credited with his first ever NASCAR Busch Series victory although he was not in the No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Chevrolet when it crossed the finish line. Almirola qualified on the pole and lead the first 42 laps of the event but was then pulled in favor of Cup regular Denny Hamlin. Hamlin took over the wheel and finished the race in the top spot. Since Almirola had started the race in the No. 20, he was credited with the win, per NASCAR rules.

With just 10 NASCAR starts under his belt, Brad Coleman is making his presence known in the Busch Series. After powering to a 2nd place finish in last week’s race at the Kentucky Speedway, Coleman came away with another top-five finish at Milwaukee. Coleman had a rock-solid fourth place car all night; he started and ended in the race in the same position.

Steve Wallace considered a relief driver in the early stages of the race, but battled through illness and on track troubles to finish 27th. Without regular spotter Kenny Wallace, he blew a left rear tire on lap 17 putting him almost two laps down early. On lap 120, the North Carolina native spun Robert Richardson. Kelly Bires then spun into the back of Wallace, leaving them both with damage. Bires would go on to finish 30th after an extended period in the garage area to work on the salvage the wrecked race car.

Coming off the first Busch Series win of his career, Stephen Leicht and crew took a chance with 100 laps to go and did not pit with the rest of the leaders, allowing them to re-start in 2nd.  The lead pack's fresh tires won out against his pit strategy and Leicht ended his night in the 15th spot.

Making his fourth NBS appearance in 2007, Kevin Hamlin started 22nd. The former Elite Northeast Series champion ran in the top-fifteen for most of the evening until he was spun by Mike Wallace on lap 231. Hamlin managed to rally and corral a 16th place finish.

Hamlin's Chip Ganassi Racing teammate, Scott Lagasse Jr., made his first Busch start of the 2007 season. After falling behind early, a heavy crash, triggered by Todd Bodine, gave his Dodge severe irreparable damage, resulting in a 35th place DNF.

Shane Huffman had a solid day, starting 5th and running in the top-ten in a typical Huffman short track race. The former Hickory Motor Speedway late model champ finished 10th, continuing the forward progress of his JR Motorsports team.

2006 Chili Bowl winner Tim McCreadie finished 28th in his first career series start for Richard Childress Racing. Bobby East, continuing his stint with Brewco Motorsports, finished 22nd.

NASCAR Truck Series @ The Milwaukee Mile

While the veterans sailed to top-five finishes, many of the young Craftsman Truck Series competitors made some waves of their own in West Allis, Wisconsin:

Ryan Mathews qualified in the 6th position, but started shotgun on the field after replacing a cracked oil line. He worked his way through traffic and rallied to 14th when the checkered flag fell. Fellow Minnesota native Blake Bjorklund also started from the rear of the field after making adjustments. Bjorklund finished 27th. 

Roush Fenway Racing development driver Erik Darnell's night can be summed up in one word: consistent. Darnell stayed in the top-five throughout the evening and hung on to finish 6th among a slew of veteran racers. Matt Crafton came away with a hard-earned top-ten finish. With 25 laps to go, he slipped from the 8th spot and nursed a sick engine to 9th place.

Running in the top-ten for most of the evening, Kraig Kinser showed that even with limited oval experience he is quickly becoming a contender. Kinser was relegated to a 17th place finish after a caution trapped him a lap down during a final green flag pit stop. Rookie of the Year leader Aaron Fike ran in the top-twenty, despite early cosmetic damage. Like Kinser, he too was caught making a green flag pit stop towards the end of the race, and fought back to finish 21st. Shane Huffman, making a quiet appearance in the Key Motorsports entry, started 19th and crossed the start-finish line 22nd.

Not all of the prospects had a night in Wisconsin worth remembering: after a mediocre run, Kelly Bires’ night ended on lap 75 when his truck got loose and collected Ted Musgrave, consequentially pounding him into the Turn 2 wall. ThorSport Racing's Willie Allen had a promising night turn sour in an instant. Starting 9th, he caused a caution on lap 2, pitted and restarted in the 36th. With 43 laps to go Allen blew his motor, sending him home finishing 31st.

Petty Enterprises development driver Chad McCumbee made wholesale adjustments to attempt to correct a very tight race truck, but nothing seemed to help. He soldiered home 23rd after sustaining heavy left rear damage when he was unable to avoid Bires as he was coasting to pit road. Open-wheel standout Josh Wise had a difficult night as well, starting in the rear of the field and going a lap down early. A cut left front tire on lap 87 sent him six laps down. He collected a 29th place finish in his third-ever Truck Series start.

June 25, 2007