Drivers won't bow from pressure to be next David (cont'd)

The ARCA experience will be beneficial for Coleman. But there are others who have much more time on the track in larger, heavier stock cars -- or trucks.

"Having raced in a truck at Kentucky will help me, but the vehicles are totally different," said Timothy Peters, who will drive RCR's No. 21 Chevrolet for the seventh time this season.

Aric Almirola is in the same position.

"I don't have a lot of experience at Kentucky, other than the Truck race last year, but I really like the track," said Almirola, who will be Coleman's JGR teammate in the No. 20 Chevrolet.

Kertus Davis has one Kentucky Busch race under his belt, but he said, as in Gilliland's case last year, experience can sometimes have too much emphasis. Most of the success depends on the team, which for him is Kevin Harvick Inc.'s No. 77 Chevrolet, and on the driver's fitness.

"I don't have a whole lot of experience at Kentucky, I've only competed in one Busch Series race at the speedway in 2005," he said. "I'm trying to stay as focused as possible this week, on my normal routine of working out and eating right."

Whether it's experience, fitness or equipment, all the Busch regulars are still going to have one hurdle to overcome: Cup drivers. Seven will be making the flight from Michigan to Kentucky and compete in both races. It's been proven over and over -- including last week when Carl Edwards won at Nashville -- that the traveling doesn't bother the Cup guys.

But it's also been proven the Cup guys can be beaten, particularly at Kentucky.

"Even though the Nextel Cup is in Michigan, we expect to see a lot of Cup drivers making the trek to Kentucky," said Dave Rogers, Almirola's crew chief. "I am confident that Aric and his team can run with them."

Added Coleman's crew chief Jason Ratcliff of his young driver: "I would like to see him win for a number of reasons, and one of them is because I want to see how he jumps out of the car before the smoke clears and do that bow thing he does."