Notes: ORP action-packed in heart of Indy (cont'd)

Back-to-back races at ORP

At least six drivers, beginning with Kyle Busch, figure to do double-duty this week as the Camping World Truck Series and Nationwide Series join forces at ORP. Busch will be back in the No. 18 Toyota for the first time since Michigan at June when he finished third behind Aric Almirola and Todd Bodine. Busch will be looking for Truck victory No. 3 and Nationwide win No. 8.

Almirola also will be in Saturday's Nationwide race in JR Motorsports' No. 88 Chevrolet. Ron Hornaday will make twin starts for Kevin Harvick Inc. Hornaday won the 2000 Nationwide race. Nationwide regular Shelby Howard will be Hornaday's Truck teammate. David Starr and Dennis Setzer also have entered both weekend races at ORP. Setzer won the 2005 Truck race.

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Most Popular campaigns in high gear

Voting for the Camping World Truck Series' Most Popular Driver doesn't end until Nov. 13, but a pair of drivers who finished 1-2 in an earlier K&N Pro Series East balloting already are on the campaign trail.

Ricky Carmichael and Austin Dillon are serious about winning the prestigious award. Carmichael won last year's award in his first season.

"It was pretty cool to get invited to the [Champion's] banquet because I was not going to be attending because of performance reasons," he said. "It's going to be hard going up against Austin. His results [a victory at Iowa] are definitely helping him and it helps he is such a great person."

Dillon, runner-up to Carmichael in the East series in 2008, wants to return the favor.

"All drivers want to see how many fans they have and to become the Most Popular Driver," he said.

Truck Series Bulletin Board

• Kevin Harvick doesn't run many Truck races. But when he does ... Saturday's Gateway victory was his third of the season, seventh since 2008 and 12th consecutive top-five finish. And do those owners' points add up. Harvick's truck trails leader Todd Bodine's No. 30 Germain entry by just 10 points.

The economy may be tough but Harvick and his wife, DeLana, have managed to sell all of the remaining races for Hornaday's flagship No. 33 and the No. 2, as well.

"You just had to lower your overhead costs to make your company run more efficiently with the new [sponsorship] price point that everyone is willing to spend," Harvick said.

• With hiring of a permanent crew chief to replace Doug George a week away, Kevin Harvick Inc. will put Ernie Cope on the box this week at ORP. The two will pair for Saturday night's Nationwide race, as well.

Hornaday is winless in his past 22 starts matching his second-longest victory drought (1999). He has won 45 times with an unprecedented nine different crew chiefs. Cope picked up his seventh victory backing Harvick at Gateway.

• Florida late-model and Bandolero veteran Ryan Rust will drive Rick Ware Racing's No. 6 Chevrolet in his Truck debut at ORP. Narain Karthikeyan returns to the series after a month's absence.

Karthikeyan, splitting the No. 60 with Stacy Compton, finished a career-high 11th in his most recent start at Texas in June. Compton recently expressed hope of fielding a second, full-time truck for Karthikeyan in 2011.

Wayne's Words: ORP

"We've always opened the garage early at O'Reilly Raceway Park because it's a challenge to inspect, practice, qualify and run a 200-lap race in a single day.

"But even though the sun is just coming up, fans already are putting out their blankets on the hill overlooking Turn 1. It's a prime viewing place and you've got to get there early for the best spots.

"There's always plenty of action in Turn 1 and especially so since the track's resurfacing some years ago. It's a multi-groove track now with great, side-by-side competition that goes on from the first lap until the last.

"We've been fortunate over the years to see many last-lap passes for wins. None were more dramatic than Chad Chaffin's pass of Johnny Sauter in 2004.

"Getting on pit road without making a mistake is one of a driver's biggest challenges at O'Reilly Raceway Park -- especially if it's a green-flag pit stop. A great stop means great track position. The opposite is true and maybe more so.

"O'Reilly Raceway Park has been home to the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series since 1995. It is one of just three tracks to host a race in each of 16 seasons. We've visited Martinsville and will go back in October. Phoenix, which staged the first and final races of the 1995 inaugural season, is on deck for November.

"This is the final race of a three-week Midwest swing. The racing has been great and the fans' enthusiasm just fantastic. We couldn't ask for anything better."
-- Wayne Auton, Camping World Truck Series director