Mike Keon/NASCAR
Joey Logano (20) and Sean Caisse race for the lead at the NASCAR Busch East Series opener at Greenville-Pickens Speedway in South Carolina on April 28.Grand National gears up for East-West clashes
Point races to be held at Elko (Minn.), new Iowa Speedway
By Jason Christley, Special to NASCAR.COM
May 16, 2007
03:18 PM EDT
May 16, 2007
03:18 PM EDT
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Sean Caisse's first impression of Elko (Minn.) Speedway was one of analytical eagerness.
"If I stay out of trouble," Caisse said, "it's going to be pretty fun."
Caisse got his initial glance at Elko last week when several drivers traveled to the Midwest for a pair of news conferences hyping what may be the biggest weekend in the history of the Grand National Division.
Standings
Top 10
| Pos. | Driver | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Mike David | 520 |
| 2. | Tim Woods III | 450 |
| 3. | Jason Bowles | 419 |
| 4. | Johnny Borneman | 409 |
| 5. | Brett Thompson | 399 |
| 6. | Andrew Myers | 398 |
| 7. | Eric Hardin | 378 |
| 8. | Mike Duncan | 376 |
| 9. | Ryan Foster | 376 |
| 10. | Alex Haase | 371 |
• Series Page: click here
The two series that make up the Grand National Division, which serves as the top developmental step for drivers looking to make their way into NASCAR's top three series, will meet in the Midwest this weekend.
"You're going to have the best Grand National teams from across the states coming to it," said Mike David, the West Series points leader on the prospect of racing his counterparts from the Busch East Series. "You can't get much better racing than that."
While the Nextel Cup drivers run in their All-Star Challenge on Saturday, the Cup stars of tomorrow will race at Elko on Friday night and then will make NASCAR's debut at Iowa Speedway on Sunday afternoon.
It will be the first time the two series compete in the same race with points at stake. Previously, the only time the West Series and Busch East Series drivers ran at the same time was the postseason Toyota All-Star Showdown.
To add to the interest, Daytona 500 champion Kevin Harvick will return to the series that helped launch his career and run the Featherlite Coaches 200 at Iowa.
"I'm pretty excited," said Harvick, the 1998 West Series champion. "I've never been to Iowa, but I've heard a lot of good things about the track.
"I learned a lot in the West Series. ... I feel like it helped me prepare for my future in NASCAR's top series."
Harvick will have plenty of drivers looking for bragging rights that come with being able to outrun one of NASCAR's top stars. (Continued)
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Busch East-West Race Facts
Minnesota 150
| Where | Elko Speedway, Elko, Minn. |
| When | 9 p.m. ET Friday |
| Track Layout | .375-mile paved oval. |
| Distance | 150 Laps, 56.25 miles. |
| Posted Awards | $133,817 |
| TV | HDNet |
| Replay | SPEED, 12 p.m. ET May 30 |
| Practice | 1:15-3:15 p.m. ET Friday |
| Qualifying | 7 p.m. ET Friday |
Featherlite Coaches 200
| Where | Iowa Speedway, Newton, Iowa |
| When | 3 p.m. ET Sunday |
| Track Layout | 7/8-mile paved oval. |
| Distance | 200 Laps, 175 miles. |
| Posted Awards | $196,872 |
| TV | HDNet |
| Replay | SPEED, 12 p.m. ET June 6 |
| Practice 1 | 5-6 p.m. ET Saturday |
| Practice 2 | 9-10:30 a.m. ET Sunday |
| Qualifying | 1 p.m. ET Sunday |
Note: All times subject to change
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