By the Numbers: Kentucky

Stand-alone weekends are special in the Nationwide Series as it gives an opportunity for series-only drivers to steal the spotlight, if only for a week. And history shows Kentucky Speedway, host of Saturday night's Meijer 300 (8 p.m. ET, ESPN2), is the perfect occasion for an unexpected driver to visit Victory Lane.

Kentucky Speedway has hosted just seven races, but in five of those, a driver won his first, second or third Nationwide Series event, with the last two winners -- David Gilliland and Stephen Leicht -- earning their first NASCAR victory.

Another interesting fact about Kentucky is there has yet to be a repeat winner at the track. There are only five current Nationwide Series tracks without a two-time winner and Kentucky has the second-longest streak.

Bobby Hamilton Jr., Kyle Busch and Carl Edwards are the three drivers entered this week hoping to be the first to repeat in the Bluegrass State, but more importantly, 31 of the 47 drivers entered are searching for their first Nationwide victory -- and mixed in that group is an impressive list of young, up-and-comers.

Hendrick Motorsports youngster Landon Cassill will make his 13th career Nationwide start this weekend at Kentucky, and he hopes to build on the positives that came out of last week's race in Nashville.

"I've tested at Kentucky several times in 2007 and also earlier this year, but I've never raced competitively there," Cassill said. "Obviously in a race situation you've got other cars around. I've never had to pass anybody at Kentucky so that's one thing I'll be learning now.

"It should be similar to a lot of the tracks I've been to like Kansas or Nashville. You know the pit stops and stuff like that -- they'll probably have a green-flag pit stop at Kentucky. I just need to go there and have a smooth race and use everything I've learned in the past."

Unlike Cassill, Brad Coleman has raced other cars at the 1.5-mile track, and he's been nothing but successful.

In three races at Kentucky, Coleman has two ARCA wins and he was runner-up to Leicht in the Nationwide race last season. Needless to say, Coleman is ready to make the leap from second to first.

"I've had good success here in the past and I remember how close I came to winning last year," Coleman said. "I am hungry for that first win and know I am capable of getting it at Kentucky."

Just the facts ma'am