Notes: Wallace in a groove with consecutive top-fives

The race following an open week always brings extra energy. Drivers and teams are understandably antsy for their return to the track.

But this week, that vibe is wound just a little tighter since the Carquest Auto Parts 300 (Entry List) will be contested in Charlotte. It's considered a "home" event since the majority of competitors and organizations are based in the area even though their hometowns may be located elsewhere.

Fast facts

What	Carquest Auto Parts 300
When	Green, 7:46 p.m. ET Saturday
TV	ESPN2, 7 p.m. ET
Radio	PRN (Sirius Ch. 28), 7:30 ET

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The Wallace family built its racing legacy in St. Louis before brothers Rusty, Kenny and Mike made their way to the sport's hub in North Carolina.

Third-generation racer Steve Wallace was born in North Carolina. And 20 years later, in his second full season in the Nationwide Series, he's preparing for perhaps the most-anticipated race of his young career.

Last year, he collected his first two career poles but was inconsistent; his best finish was 12th. He also had nine DNFs -- including one race where he was parked by NASCAR for aggressive driving.

This year, Wallace has seemingly found his groove. He surprised many with his first top-10 finish at Mexico City and in his past two races has bettered that with career-best fifth-place finishes. He's currently 11th in the series standings.

He's been quick to credit his Rusty Wallace Racing teammate David Stremme as a mentor as well as a steadying influence on the team.

Stremme also is having a strong season. He's 10th in the standings and has two top-fives and seven top-10s in 11 races this year. He didn't race in Mexico; instead the team's road-course specialist, Max Papis, drove the No. 64 Chevrolet.

Will LMS end JGR streak?

The only thing to date that's interrupted the series record six-race winning streak of Joe Gibbs Racing is the just-completed open week.

But Saturday night's stop at Lowe's Motor Speedway could present a major bump in that record road.

The team -- led this week by Denny Hamlin in the No. 20 Toyota -- has only one series win at LMS. That was the 2004 fall race when Mike Bliss registered his first career victory in one of the most exciting races of the season.

Bliss made a daring late-race pass on the frontstretch that split Jimmie Johnson Matt Kenseth, carrying him to the win.

Bliss now drives the No. 1 Chevrolet for Phoenix Racing and has plenty of momentum of his own heading back to Charlotte.

The versatile veteran, who won the 2002 Craftsman Truck Series championship, is fifth in the standings. That ranking is the best among four other series-only regulars in the top 10 this week.

Three-car first for JR Motorsports

For the first time in its four-year history, JR Motorsports has three cars entered in a race.

Team owner and two-time series champion Dale Earnhardt Jr. will drive the organization's No. 83 Chevrolet, only the second time that car has been entered in a series event.

Brad Keselowski (No. 88), the team's series-only regular driver, is seventh in the standings heading to Charlotte.

Jimmie Johnson, the two-time defending Cup Series champion, also is entered under the JRM banner in the No. 5.

Johnson ran full time in the series from 2000-01. He has one win and two poles, the most recent of which came at the 2005 fall race at LMS.

Balash: Balance long and short of it

"Getting the car ready for both short and long runs will be the determining factor for the teams. Some drivers will have their cars balanced well early and will be stout during the short runs. They'll also be anticipating cautions.

"But if those cautions don't come, there will be quite a bit of passing throughout the field and you'll see new leaders emerge because their cars were set up especially for longer runs.

"As 1.5-mile tracks go, this is a very fast track.

"On top of all that, there's the added pressure of securing bragging rights with a win here. It's the home track for most of our racers, which makes it very important."
-- Nationwide Series director Joe Balash (Continued)