Rusty Wallace is scheduled to make his 700th Nextel Cup Series start this weekend. Credit: Autostock

Notes: Wallace zeroing in on laps led plateau

Chase contender Rusty Wallace will make his 700th career Nextel Cup Series start this weekend at Kansas. Six days later at Lowe's Motor Speedway, he's expected to make his 701st start, to tie Buddy Baker for ninth on the all-time starts list.

The number is a testament not only to Wallace's longevity in the sport, but also to the high level at which he's competed. Wallace has led 19,940 laps in Cup competition.

Wallace has led 140 laps at Kansas, but 117 of them came in the inaugural 2001 race, when he finished fourth behind Jeff Gordon.

Wallace and crew chief Larry Carter have earned their Chase spot with consistency, as Wallace has scored 23 top-15 finishes in 29 races in 2005, the most of any driver.

The team will use a virtually new No. 2 Dodge in the Banquet 400.

"It's almost brand new -- only raced her once," Carter said. "We tested the car at Indy, but decided not to race it there. We ran her back through the body shop, slicked her up and took her through the wind tunnel.

"We finally raced it for the first time out at California back during Labor Day weekend. We finished 15th out there, but the car was a lot stronger than that.

"We got lapped while in the pits and spent a lot of the race trying to get the lap back. We did, but there really weren't enough laps left to show how strong the car was."

Kennon joins Akins Motorsports

Akins Motorsports has moved to improve its 21st-place spot in the Busch Series owner standings by replacing Jon Wolfe in the crew chief's position with veteran mechanic Gere Kennon.

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Earlier this season, Kennon had served a dual role as crew chief for Busch and Cup cars out of the Michael Waltrip Racing shop. The No. 38 Dodge has used a variety of drivers and has a victory, by Kasey Kahne, but only three top-five finishes in 29 races.

Kennon has led two Busch Series championship teams and has 31 career victories in NASCAR's three national tours. This reunited with driver Mike Wallace at Akins. The pair worked together previously at High Line Racing.

"I'm looking forward to reuniting with (Gere)," Wallace said. "He was my first crew chief in NASCAR after I moved to Charlotte. I think he's very talented and he'll fit in well at Akins Motorsports."

Newman keeping pace

Ryan Newman is the only driver to score top-five finishes in the first three races in the Chase. Newman, who has been the Bud Pole Qualifying standard setter since he joined the series in 2002, has posted 24 top-10 starts in 29 races this season, the most of all drivers.

Harvick on hot streak

Despite losing crew chief Todd Berrier for the second time this season, prior to last weekend's UAW-Ford 500, GM Goodwrench Chevrolet driver Kevin Harvick again proved he and his Richard Childress Racing team could respond to adversity.

Harvick finished 10th at Talladega and continued his climb in the standings that has seen him move from 16th to 11th in the last five races. Harvick, who will be without Berrier for the next two races, is 11th in the Nextel Cup Series standings

Wallace expanding Busch horizons

Rusty Wallace spent Tuesday helping his son Steve test one of Rusty Wallace Inc. Dodges at Memphis Motorsports Park, where the younger Wallace, 18, will make his Busch debut in two weeks.

"We unloaded and the car was real close right off the bat," Rusty said at midday. "Steve will be driving the black Top-Flite car that Jamie McMurray normally drives. Since I'm at Martinsville and Jamie is at Martinsville we won't be able to drive it and that'll give Steve a great opportunity to drive his first Busch race at a track this size that he's real familiar with."

Rusty Wallace, who has spent more time in his No. 64 Busch car to give him additional track time for his Chase aspirations, said he would continue to expand his Busch team's horizons.

"I'll be driving the Miller High Life Lite Busch car at Kansas City, Texas and also at Homestead," Wallace said. "In Texas, I'll be fielding a second Busch car for Bell Helicopter, which Jamie McMurray will drive."