Johnson Favored To Win Sunday
Even though he ended up second in the NASCAR NEXTEL All-Star Challenge, Station Casinos in Las Vegas has listed Jimmie Johnson as a 4 to 1 favorite to win the Coca-Cola 600 Sunday evening at Lowe's Motor Speedway.

"In the Coca-Cola 600, most of the drivers will be using different cars than what they used in the NEXTEL All-Star Challenge," said Micah Roberts, director of race and sports for Station Casinos-Las Vegas. "Despite the chassis being different, those who were top performers in the non-points race should fare equally well in the longest race of the Cup season."

Driving the No. 48 Lowe's Chevrolet, Johnson will be chasing his fourth Coca-Cola 600 victory in five years when the green flag is waved Sunday evening at 5:40 p.m.

Jeff Gordon, Johnson's Hendrick Motorsports teammate, is second on the odds chart at 5 to 1. Gordon ran upfront for much of the Challenge, but slipped back in the closing laps and ended up 11th. Matt Kenseth, who saw his hopes for a $1 million victory dashed by a pit road speeding penalty, is listed at 9 to 1 for the Coca-Cola 600.

Joe Gibbs Racing teammates Tony Stewart and Denny Hamlin are next on the odds chart, both shown at 10 to 1.

Surprisingly, NASCAR NEXTEL All-Star Challenge winner Kevin Harvick is 11th on the odds chart at 18 to 1.

"The belief behind the big odds on Harvick is that over 600 miles he's likely to be closer to what he's shown over the long haul at Texas, Las Vegas and Atlanta than what he showed in the final 20-lap segment of the Challenge," Roberts explained. "His average finish on those three similar tracks this year is 27th."

Since Sunday is such a big day for auto racing enthusiasts with the Coca-Cola 600 and Indianapolis 500, Station Casinos has tied the two races together, taking bets on which driver will finish higher-Johnson in the 600 or Helio Castroneves in the 500.

"Castroneves is the slight favorite despite all of Johnson's accomplishments at Lowe's Motor Speedway," Roberts said. "The math of only having 33 cars starting at Indy to 43 at Charlotte, coupled with the large gap between the cars at Indy where it appears only five cars have a real shot at winning, give the Penske Racing driver the edge."

At the betting windows, Roberts expects the Coca-Cola 600 to out-write the Indy 500 in dollar amounts by a ratio of nearly 3 to 1.

Nashville Superspeedway Signs Dollar General
The Federated Auto Parts 300 NASCAR Busch Series race, scheduled for Saturday Evening, June 9, continues to develop into an exciting race weekend. Nashville-based Dollar General has signed on as the presenting sponsor.

Tickets for the race can be purchased by calling toll-free 1-866-RACE-TIX or (www.nashvillesuperspeedway.com).

The partnership between Nashville Superspeedway and Dollar General will ensure the second NASCAR Busch Series race in Nashville will receive more local promotional opportunities and see the addition of higher ticket sales. Dollar General will host a large pre race hospitality for the racing program’s vendor partners.

“Partnering with Dollar General on this scale is one more example of local companies recognizing the significance of motorsports in Middle Tennessee,” Nashville Superspeedway Vice President & General Manager Cliff Hawks said. “Having major partners like Pepsi, Federated Auto Parts, Firestone, Toyota and now Dollar General continues to provide the Superspeedway with a solid foundation for the future.”

Dollar General has been involved in the NASCAR Busch Series since 2005. Dollar General turned to Kevin Harvick, Inc. in 2006 to sponsor the No. 77 Busch Series entry. For the 2007 season, Dollar General is represented by drivers Kevin Harvick, Labonte, and Kertus Davis. The first Dollar General victory came at Talladega this year with Labonte passing Tony Stewart with less than 100 feet to go to the finish line.

“The communities in this area are very important to Dollar General and to partner with the Nashville Superspeedway only makes sense for us,” Dollar General Motorsports Manager Monty Bailey said. “It gives us a great platform to expose employees and vendors to the Nashville Superspeedway and the NASCAR Busch Series right here in our own back yard.”

Dollar General has more than 250 stores in Middle Tennessee, Southern Kentucky, and Northern Alabama.

"I'm really honored to come back to Nashville Superspeedway in my Dollar General Chevrolet. I'll make my fourth Busch Series start for Kevin and DeLana Harvick this season,” Kertus Davis said. “With all the Dollar General employees and vendors that will be out at the track, I'm really looking forward to making my second race this season at Nashville. With the strong presence that Dollar General will have at the track, I'm honored to represent Dollar General."

The Federated Auto Parts 300 presented by Dollar General is a one-day schedule allowing race fans a full day of racing and music. The schedule for Saturday, June 9 is:

 8:00 am  Parking Lots Open
 1:00 pm  Gates & Fanwalk Open
 2:05 pm  NASCAR Busch Qualifying
 4:00 pm  Concert at south end of grandstands
 5:30 pm  Driver Introductions
 6:00 pm  Federated Auto Parts 300 
           presented by Dollar General NASCAR Busch Series Race

Fort Campbell Screaming Eagles are set to perform a pre race Ariel demonstration before driver introductions.

Tickets for the race can be purchased by calling toll-free 1-866-RACE-TIX or (www.nashvillesuperspeedway.com). .

Mansfield Transporter Parade ~ Autograph Session
As has been the case every year since the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series has visited Mansfield Motorsports Park for the Ohio 250, the transporters that haul all of the race teams’ equipment and race trucks will parade through downtown Mansfield leading up to the Downtown Motorsports Street Festival on Thursday May 24.

This year, the big rigs will stage at the Sears store at the Richland Mall in Ontario prior to kicking off their move to downtown. From there, they will make their way up Lexington-Springmill Road before making the turn onto Park Avenue West. The transporters will come to a stop at the intersection of Park Avenue and Main Street, where they will be on display from 4 P.M. until 8 P.M.

As she has done for each of the NASCAR parades, Mansfield Mayor Lydia Reid will ride shotgun with NASCAR’s Joey Hollar in the lead truck. Sears general manager Phil Brille will ride in the Sears Craftsman display unit, and other local dignitaries will participate as well.

A limited number of transporters, parked on Park Avenue East between Diamond and Main, will be open for public tours starting shortly after 4 P.M. Those included in the tours include rigs for defending series champion Todd Bodine, defending race winner Ron Hornaday, Ken Schrader, and Rick Crawford.

Starting at 5 P.M. and running through 7 P.M., several drivers will appear for autographs and pictures with fans. Drivers will appear in two one-hour shifts. The first group, from 5 P.M. until 6 P.M., includes Willie Allen, defending series champion Todd Bodine, Kevin Hamlin, and NASCAR Nextel Cup Series veteran Ken Schrader. The 6 P.M. shift will include Matt Crafton, Rick Crawford, Brendan Gaughan, and David Starr. Kelly Bires and Joey Clanton will also participate, but times for those drivers are yet to be determined. The autograph session will take place at the Gazebo located in the town square at Main and Park Avenue.