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Matt Kenseth and Greg Biffle have three California victories apiece.By the Numbers: NBS Stater Bros. 300
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For this weekend's trip out West for a Saturday night special in the Busch Series, not all the RSVPs were returned.
Only 40 cars are entered in the Stater Bros. 300 (7 p.m. ET, ESPN 2), the smallest entry list since there were 39 cars at Watkins Glen in 2001. In fact, the 2001 season had six races that did not have a full field, including the New Hampshire race in May that fielded only 37 cars.
It's just the fifth race since the end of the 2001 season that is short of having a full 43-car field:
• 2006 Milwaukee (41)
• 2003 Gateway (41)
• 2003 Darlington (42)
• 2002 New Hampshire (41)
Interesting Fact
17 Drivers of the 40 entered in Saturday's race that do not drive in the Nextel Cup Series full time, or 42.5 percent of the starting grid.
Fun Fact
2,404.93 Miles from Concord, N.C., to Fontana, Calif. By comparison, the Busch Series will not surpass that many miles until Lap 48 at Talladega (Race No. 10).
All the Facts
0 Busch Series starts California native David Gilliland has at California Speedway. Gilliland is from Riverside, about 20 miles from Fontana.
1 Driver who ran the inaugural Busch race at California in 1997 and is also entered in Saturday's race: Matt Kenseth. He finished third in the '97 event.
2 Drivers who have multiple victories at California: Greg Biffle (3) and Matt Kenseth (3). Only two other former winners are entered: Carl Edwards and Scott Riggs.
4 Drivers in Saturday's race who are from California: David Gilliland (Riverside), Kevin Harvick (Bakersfield), Jason Leffler (Long Beach) and Casey Mears (Bakersfield).
4.537 Average running position for Tony Stewart in his two California races over the past two years. He finished 29th in this race in 2005 and was sixth last fall. He will be driving Joe Gibbs Racing's No. 18.
5 Busch Series victories for owner Jack Roush at California, collected by Greg Biffle (3), Mark Martin (1) and Carl Edwards (1). Matt Kenseth's three victories came while driving cars owned by Robbie and John Reiser.
5.5 Average finish for Carl Edwards in the last four California races, with finishes of sixth, first, third and 12th. He has led 101 laps and has the highest driver rating among those entered, 118.1.
8 California races since a Chevrolet has won at the speedway. Hank Parker Jr. has the manufactuer's last victory, in 2001. Chevrolet has four total victories at the track, while Ford leads with seven. Dodge and Pontiac have one each.
10.31 Average starting position for California winners, with the winner starting inside the top 10 in eight of the 13 races. The last four winners have started either third or fourth.
17.0 Average finish for Jon Wood at California Speedway, the best among Busch-only drivers. His only top-10 at the track came last fall when he finished eighth.
18.7 Percent of laps led by Greg Biffle in the last four races at California, the most among drivers entered in Saturday's race.
104 Laps led by Kevin Harvick, the most by a driver entered in Saturday's race who has not won at the track. His average finish in eight races at California is 5.6.
245 Number of laps in which Jack Roush-owned cars of Mark Martin (84), Carl Edwards (80), Greg Biffle (61) and Matt Kenseth (20) were the fastest.
Stats at a Glance
California Busch Series winners
| Year | Winner | Make |
|---|---|---|
| 1997 | Todd Bodine | Pontiac |
| 1998 | Dale Earnhardt Jr. | Chevrolet |
| 1999 | Matt Kenseth | Chevrolet |
| 2000 | Matt Kenseth | Chevrolet |
| 2001 | Hank Parker Jr. | Chevrolet |
| 2002 | Scott Riggs | Ford |
| 2003 | Matt Kenseth | Ford |
| 2004 | Greg Biffle | Ford |
| Greg Biffle | Ford | |
| 2005 | Mark Martin | Ford |
| Carl Edwards | Ford | |
| 2006 | Greg Biffle | Ford |
| Kasey Kahne | Dodge |
Nationwide News
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- Strategic pitting makes for runners-up race in Iowa
- Dillon's day obscured by clouds
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