JGR Busch Series Race Report - Charlotte

Date: Oct. 12, 2007
Event: Dollar General 300 (Round 31 of 35)
Series: NASCAR Busch Series
Location: Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway (1.5-mile oval)
Winner: Jeff Burton of Richard Childress Racing (Chevrolet)

JGR Finish: Aric Almirola (Started 7th, Finished 4th / Running, completed 200 of 200 laps)
Denny Hamlin (Started 6th, Finished 5th / Running, completed 200 of 200 laps)

Aric Almirola, driver of the No. 18 Slim Jim Monster Stick Chevrolet, led the two-car Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) contingent at Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway by finishing fourth in Friday night’s Dollar General 300 NASCAR Busch Series race. It was Almirola’s second career top-five finish in 26 Busch Series races.

Denny Hamlin, driver of the No. 20 Rockwell Automation Chevrolet for JGR, finished fifth to score his 10th top-five finish in 19 Busch Series races this season.

There were 10 caution periods for 44 laps, with 16 drivers failing to finish the 200-lap race.

With 31 of 35 Busch Series races in the books, the No. 20 car is second in owner points, 116 points behind the leading No. 29 car of Richard Childress Racing, and 64 points ahead of the third-place No. 60 car of Roush Fenway Racing. The No. 18 car is 22nd in owner points, 15 points outside the top-20.

Jeff Burton scored his 26th career Busch Series victory, his fourth of the season and his third at Charlotte by winning the Dollar General 300. Future JGR driver Kyle Busch, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Almirola and Hamlin secured the rest of the top-five. David Ragan, Robby Gordon, Clint Bowyer, Kelly Bires and Kevin Harvick comprised the remainder of the top-10.

The Busch Series takes a weekend off before returning to action Oct. 27 with the Sam’s Town 250 at Memphis (Tenn.) Motorsports Park. 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.