By Tom Groeschen
The Cincinnati Enquirer

SPARTA, Ky. - Kentucky Speedway bills tonight's NASCAR Busch race as the most star-studded event in track history.

For sheer "name" power, that will be true.

Jamie Mosley, of London, Ky., slams into the wall in turn 2 at the Kentucky Speedway during practice for the Meijer 300. (Patrick Reddy photo)

Two-time Daytona 500 winner Michael Waltrip is the top attraction for the sold-out Meijer 300 (8 p.m., FX), which also could feature an appearance by Nextel Cup superstar Dale Earnhardt Jr. as a team owner.

Earnhardt's driver, Martin Truex Jr., won the pole in qualifying Friday.

The race will mark the first time more than two drivers from NASCAR's premier series, Nextel Cup, will compete in Kentucky's Busch field. Cup regulars Waltrip, Greg Biffle, Robby Gordon and Kasey Kahne all are in tonight's field and will pull the weekend "double" at Michigan for Sunday's Cup race.

"People want to see the Cup drivers, and that's one reason we'll have 70,000 fans (tonight)," Kentucky Speedway general manager Mark Cassis said. "We've gotten people here before with things like good music and aggressive marketing. This year, all these Cup drivers put a new twist on it."

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The Speedway announced Friday that tonight's event (capacity 66,089) is sold out. About 3,500 standing-room-only seats ($30 each) will go on sale at the track today at 9 a.m.

This is Kentucky's fourth annual Busch event, and about a dozen other former Nextel regulars also will race here tonight.

The list includes Johnny Benson, Kenny Wallace, Mike Wallace, Robert Pressley, Jason Leffler and Casey Atwood.

Johnny Sauter, a Nextel Cup rookie who had been driving for Richard Childress Racing until being replaced this week by Dave Blaney, also is here tonight.

Nextel star Rusty Wallace and Joe Nemechek also might be here, as both also own cars in tonight's field.

Kentucky's standalone Busch status - no accompanying Cup race - sometimes makes it a logistical nightmare for Nextel drivers to race here. Kentucky's Busch date usually falls on the same weekend as the Michigan or Pocono (Pa.) Cup races.

This time, the Earnhardt connection continued its successful season with the Kentucky pole.

Earnhardt Jr., 29, leads the Nextel Cup points race. Truex Jr., his 23-year-old protÈgÈ, is leading the Busch points chase and shattered Kentucky's Busch qualifying record Friday with a lap of 180.102 mph.

In all, 13 drivers topped last year's Kentucky pole mark of 176.384 set by Stacy Compton, another former Cup regular.

Kyle Busch and Bobby Hamilton Jr., qualified Nos. 2-3, respectively. Hamilton, son of NASCAR veteran driver Bobby Hamilton Sr., is the defending race champion.

Busch, 19-year-old brother of Nextel Cup regular Kurt Busch, must use a backup car tonight after crashing in "Happy Hour" practice Friday night. Busch, under NASCAR rules, must drop to the back of the field on the final pace lap.

"It was a rookie mistake," said Busch, who spun coming out of Turn 3 and hit the wall.

Gordon (fifth) and Biffle (seventh) arrived in time from Michigan to qualify their cars.

Waltrip and Kahne, because of scheduling conflicts, were unable to make it to Kentucky for qualifying and had backup drivers get them into the field.

Because of that, Waltrip and Kahne also must drop to the back of the field for tonight's race.

Meijer 300
Today at the track
3 p.m. - Speedway gates open
5:30 p.m. - Tracy Byrd concert, WUBE-FM (105.1) Country Soundstage, Turn 1 concourse
7:30 p.m. - NASCAR Busch Series Meijer 300 Presented by Oreo festivities
8 p.m. - Meijer 300 green flag (200 laps)
Midnight* - Speedway gates close
*Or one hour following the completion of the final event

Busch lineup
MEIJER 300
Friday's qualifying; Saturday's race
At Kentucky Speedway, Sparta, Ky.
Race distance: 300 miles, 200 laps
 1. (8) Martin Truex Jr., Chevrolet, 180.102 mph.
 2. (5) Kyle Busch, Chevrolet, 179.832
 3. (25) Bobby Hamilton Jr., Ford, 179.605
 4. (00) Jason Leffler, Chevrolet, 178.992
 5. (55) Robby Gordon, Chevrolet, 178.903
 6. (23) Kenny Wallace, Chevrolet, 178.089
 7. (60) Greg Biffle, Ford, 177.591
 8. (37) David Green, Chevrolet, 177.573
 9. (20) Mike Bliss, Chevrolet, 177.369
10. (27) Johnny Sauter, Chevrolet, 177.229
11. (21) Clint Bowyer, Chevrolet, 176.881
12. (22) Jason Keller, Ford, 176.759
13. (32) David Stremme, Dodge, 176.667
14. (18) J.J. Yeley, Chevrolet, 176.309
15. (59) Stacy Compton, Ford, 176.188
16. (87) Blake Feese, Chevrolet, 176.028
17. (66) Billy Parker, Dodge, 175.976
18. (2) Ron Hornaday Jr., Chevrolet, 175.650
19. (44) Justin Labonte, Dodge, 175.570
20. (02) Hermie Sadler, Chevrolet, 175.536
21. (47) Robert Pressley, Ford, 175.416
22. (74) Tony Raines, Chevrolet, 174.916
23. (50) Regan Smith, Chevrolet, 174.803
24. (35) Kenny Hendrick, Chevrolet, 174.701
25. (12) Tim Fedewa, Chevrolet, 174.695
26. (4) Mike Wallace, Ford, 174.695
27. (14) Casey Atwood, Chevrolet, 174.402
28. (88) Jeff Fuller, Chevrolet, 174.115
29. (38) Tyler Walker, Dodge, 174.076
30. (46) Ashton Lewis Jr., Chevrolet, 173.784
31. (97) Stanton Barrett, Chevrolet, 173.712
32. (17) Johnny Benson, Ford, 173.550
33. (36) Travis Geisler, Chevrolet, 173.216
34. (99) Paul Menard, Chevrolet, 172.822
35. (1) Buckshot Jones, Dodge, 172.430
36. (75) Jay Sauter, Chevrolet, 172.359
37. (10) Gus Wasson, Chevrolet, 172.210
38. (39) Mark Green, Ford, 171.810
39. (49) Clint Vahsholtz, Ford, Provisional.
40. (72) Jamie Mosley, Chevrolet, Provisional.
41. (51) Stan Boyd, Chevrolet, Provisional.
42. (77) Jimmy Kitchens, Ford, Provisional.
43. (24) Steve Grissom, Chevrolet, Provisional.

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E-mail tgroeschen@enquirer.com