When you think Texas, you think cowboy hats, boots, Longhorns and shotguns. When you think Texas Motor Speedway, it’s about horses and having enough of them to win.
Historically, this is a track where Jack Roush’s team fares quite well, and they have to be feeling a little better after Jamie Mc Murray’s unexpected victory at Talladega. This is also where Dale Earnhardt Jr. got his first career Cup win, and this is also where four-time champion Jeff Gordon won for the first time last spring.
TRACK FACTS
Texas Motor Speedway, located in Fort Worth, Texas, 
debuted for NASCAR Winston Cup racing on April 6, 1997. Racing in a Ford for Jack Roush, Jeff Burton was a winner here in what is now Carl Edwards’ #99 ride.
TMS is one of several mile-and-a-half tracks built in the 1990s to accommodate stock and open wheel racing. There’s 24 degrees banking in the turns, and five on the straights.
The front stretch measures 2,250 feet. The back stretch is 1,330. The seating capacity in the grand stands is 159,585.
TOP PERFORMANCES
In the relatively short history of the track, there have been numerous winners- from champions like Terry Labonte, Jeff Gordon and Dale Jarrett- to journeymen such as Elliott Sadler and Jeff Burton. Carl Edwards holds the all-time record with 3 wins.
In fact, Ol’ Flipper holds the record for the fastest race run at TMS with a time of 3 hours and 19 minutes in the 2005 Dickie’s 500. His speed? 151.055 miles per hour.
The record for most poles is 2- shared among three active drivers: Dale Earnhardt Jr., Bobby Labonte and "Rocket" Ryan Newman. Brian Vickers has clicked off the fastest Texas qualifying lap with a speed of 196.235 miles per hour or, if you will, a time of 27.518 seconds.
The record for lead changes at Texas is 29, set in the 2000 DirecTV 500 won by Dale Earnhardt Jr. The fewest occurred in the November, 2008 race.
A record 12 caution flags have flown twice, the most recent being the 2006 Dickie’s 500 won by Tony Stewart on November 5. The fewest? 5 in the Fall race here last year.
On two occasions, 40 drivers finished the race, and one of them was the race last Fall. The record for fewest finishers is 29, in the April 5, 1998 Texas 500 won by Mark Martin.
WHEN AND WHERE TO TUNE IN
SPEED’S NASCAR Raceday gets underway at 12:30 pm Eastern, 9:30 AM Pacific. John Roberts, Jimmy Spencer and Kenny "The Hermanator" Wallace host.
ABC’S NASCAR Countdown gets underway at 2:30 PM Eastern, 11:30 AM Pacific. Allen Bestwick, Brad Daugherty, Rusty Wallace and Tim Brewer are in the studio.
Race coverage on ABC starts at 3:15 PM Eastern, 12:15 PM Pacific. Dr. Jerry Punch, Andy Petree and Dale Jarrett are trackside. Pit reporters are Vince Welch, Jamie Little, Shannon Spake and Dave Burns.
Green flag waves at approximately 3:31 PM Eastern, 12:31 PM Pacific.
WHO WILL WIN?
In most years, I ‘d look no further than Roush Fenway Racing- Carl Edwards in particular. This has proven to be no ordinary year as the Roush boys have generally struggled. Nonetheless, Greg Biffle has run a good car throughout the weekend and Edwards also sits near the top of the Happy Hour speed charts.
Denny Hamlin is an interesting driver, among others, to watch in this Chase. It’s feast or famine. If his car doesn’t fall apart he’s pretty stout. Another driver you might not think of right off the bat is David Reutimann. He made a pole run in the Spring, and he’s also looked good in practice. Clint Bowyer is another driver not in the championship who has shown promise in recent races.
Kurt Busch is running well, as are fellow chasers Kasey Kahne, Juan Pablo Montoya and the Hendrick Motorsports team- including non-chaser Dale Earnhardt Jr. who won his first Cup race here. There’s a load of choices to pick from, as you can see.
As tempted as I am to pick Jeff Gordon to sweep the year here, as tempted as I am to think that Kyle Busch may get the trifecta- I am going with Kurt Busch.
That’s right, Kurt Busch. He’s been pretty even throughout the weekend, and at least I get the sense he’s got a fire in his belly. Like a lot of other drivers, it almost seems futile to get into "points racing" mode with the lead Jimmie Johnson. It’s my opinion that Busch thrives in this mode where others may get a bit careless.
What the heck? I see this as a pretty open race with a number of possibilities.
Kurt Busch is my choice to win at Texas.
PHOTO CREDITS- Texas Motor Speedway by Chris Graythen/ Getty Images. Jeff Gordon by John Harrelson/ Getty Images for NASCAR.
