JGR Busch Series Race Report - Indianapolis

Date: July 28, 2007
Event: Kroger 200 (Round 22 of 35)
Series: NASCAR Busch Series
Location: O’Reilly Raceway Park in Clermont, Ind. (.686-mile oval)
Winner: Jason Leffler of Braun Racing (Toyota)

JGR Finish: Aric Almirola (Started 1st, Finished 6th / Running, completed 200 of 200 laps)
Brad Coleman (Started 9th, Finished 31st / Running, completed 190 of 200 laps)

Aric Almirola, driver of the No. 20 Rockwell Automation Chevrolet, led the two-car Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) contingent at O’Reilly Raceway Park in Clermont, Ind., by finishing sixth in Saturday night’s Kroger 200 NASCAR Busch Series race. Almirola won the pole – his third this season and the fourth of his career – and led twice for 87 laps before posting his fourth career top-10 finish.

Brad Coleman, driver of the No. 18 Carino’s Italian Grill Chevrolet for JGR, finished 31st after being involved in an accident on lap 69.

There were eight caution periods for 36 laps, with nine drivers failing to finish the 200-lap race.

With 22 of 35 Busch Series races in the books, the No. 20 car is third in owner points, 455 points behind the leading No. 60 car of Roush Fenway Racing. The No. 18 car is 25th in owner points, 81 points outside the top-20.

Former JGR driver Jason Leffler scored his second career Busch Series victory and his first since Nashville (Tenn.) in 2004 by winning the Kroger 200. Greg Biffle, David Reutimann, Carl Edwards and Ron Hornaday secured the rest of the top-five. Almirola, Scott Wimmer, Kevin Hamlin, Mike Bliss and Brad Keselowski comprised the remainder of the top-10.

The next event on the Busch Series schedule is the Aug. 4 NAPA Auto Parts 200 at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve road course in Montreal. The race starts at 3:30 p.m. EDT with live coverage provided by ESPN2 beginning with its pre-race show at 3 p.m.