Country music star Chely Wright performed a pre-race concert at Kentucky Speedway. (Michael Keating photo) | ZOOM |

        SPARTA, Ky. — Kentucky Speedway officials predict another sellout for their NASCAR Busch race, which will be held June 15 at 8 p.m.

        Last year's Busch race drew 70,338 fans, billed as the largest crowd ever to attend a sports event in the extended Greater Cincinnati area. Kentucky Speedway is 38 miles southwest of downtown Cincinnati.

        “We're approaching 50,000 tickets sold for the Busch race,” said Mark Cassis, Kentucky Speedway general manager. “They'll start going quicker now, with only a month to go.”

        The speedway seats 66,089, with last year's Busch a standing-room-only affair. The Busch is NASCAR's No. 2 series to Winston Cup, with several former and future Cup drivers again expected to race. Last year's Kentucky Busch race was won by Kevin Harvick, who now races full-time in Winston Cup.

KY SPEEDWAY SCHEDULE

The schedule of races at Kentucky Speedway this summer:     8 p.m. June 14    • NASCAR Gatorade All-Pro series Kentucky 150; NASCAR Busch series pole night     8 p.m. June 15    • NASCAR Busch series, the Kroger 300 (TV: FX); • NASCAR dash series, Kentucky 100 (following Busch race)     9 p.m. July 12    • ARCA series Blue Grass Quality Meats 200     8 p.m. July 13    • NASCAR Craftsman truck series, the Kroger 225 (TV: ESPN)     2 p.m. Aug. 10    • NASCAR All-Pro series, the 84 WHAS 150; Indy Racing League pole day     1:30 p.m. Aug. 11    • Indy Racing League Belterra Casino Indy 300 (TV: ABC)     Tickets: www.kentuckyspeedway.com

        This year, the Cup racers will be at Michigan the weekend of Kentucky's Busch race. Last year, the Cup racers were in Pocono on Kentucky's Busch weekend and Harvick jetted between venues.

        HARVICK RETURNS: Harvick won't drive in this year's Kentucky Busch race, but he will be here. The speedway announced Saturday that Harvick would be grand marshal of its Busch race, officially “The Kroger 300, Presented by Oreo.”

        LATE FRIDAY: Darren Jones (Fairfield) finished eighth in Friday night's late ARCA Lincoln Welders Truck feature at Kentucky Speedway. Brett Oakley (Middletown) finished 11th and Jeff Wichmann (Mason) finished 19th. The winner was Joe Wormcastle of Fort Wayne, Ind.

        In Friday's late USAC Midget race, the winner was Michael Lewis of Noblesville, Ind. There were no Greater Cincinnati drivers in the Midget race.

        ARCA GLANCE: ARCA (Automobile Racing Club of America) was founded 50 years ago and is based in Toledo. It races primarily in the Southeast and Midwest areas of the United States.

        ARCA is a feeder for the NASCAR Winston Cup and Busch stock car series, but some drivers such as reigning ARCA champion Frank Kimmel make it their living. Kimmel won just under $500,000 last season.

        Winston Cup drivers Mark Martin, Kyle Petty, Jeremy Mayfield and Ken Schrader are all ARCA alums.

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