Speedway Set For Nascar Craftsman Truck, ARCA RE/MAX Series July 7-8
Kentucky Speedway extends Independence Day week festivities July 7-8 when it plays host to the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series "Built Ford Tough 225 Presented by The Greater Cincinnati Ford Dealers," the ARCA RE/MAX Series "WLWT-TV Channel 5 150" and the USAC Ford Focus Midwest Midget Car Series. The weekend begins Friday when speedway gates open at 3:00 p.m. The day features NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series practice sessions, ARCA RE/MAX Series qualifying and the "WLWT-TV Channel 5 150" at 9:00 p.m. Speedway gates will open at 1:00 p.m., Saturday with USAC Ford Focus Midwest Midget Car Series qualifying heats and feature races. NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series qualifying follows at 4:30 p.m., the Charlie Daniels Band will be in concert at 6:00 p.m., and a full field of 36 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series drivers will take the green flag for "The Built Ford Tough 225 Presented by the Greater Cincinnati Ford Dealers" at 8:15 p.m. Tickets for both days of race action and family fun are available at http://www.kentuckyspeedway.com, by phone at 888-652-RACE (7223), through all Meijer stores and Kentucky Speedway ticket offices at 2216 Dixie Hwy., Suite 200, in Ft. Mitchell, Ky., or Sparta, Ky., Fan Center located off of I-71 Exit 57 and Ky. Rte. 35 North. Tickets also will be available on race days beginning one hour prior to gate opening times.

FSN Ohio's Meijer Kentucky Speedway Racing Report Previews Big Kentucky Speedway Race Weekend July 3-4
Join Meijer Kentucky Speedway Racing Report co-hosts Tim Bray and Jim Day on FOX Sports Net Ohio July 3 and 4 at 7:00 p.m., for a 30-minute preview of the track's third of four race weekends this season. The all-new report takes a look back at Ford driver Terry Cook's near miss of his first Kentucky Speedway victory in 2005, a look at the top contenders for the 2005 "Built Ford Tough 225 Presented by the Greater Cincinnati Ford Dealers" title, a glance at the Arthritis Foundation Mini Grand Prix event coming to the speedway August 27 and another installment of Tech Talk with resident racing expert Dennis Neal.

Springfield, Ohio Resident to be Kentucky Speedway NCTS Race Honorary Starter
Betsy Shaw of Springfield, Ohio will be the honorary starter of the July 8 "Built Ford Tough 225 Presented by the Greater Cincinnati Ford Dealers." Shaw registered to win a Ford Racing contest through the official Kentucky Speedway Web site - http://www.kentuckyspeedway.com. The grand prize package also includes round-trip transportation for two, hotel accommodations, suite tickets to the "Built Ford Tough 225 Presented by the Greater Cincinnati Ford Dealers" race, a private VIP facility tour with a Ford Racing representative and Ford Racing apparel.

Speedway to Host Arthritis Foundation Mini Grand Prix August 27
Kentucky Speedway will play host to the 18th Annual Arthritis Foundation Mini Grand Prix Sunday, August 27. More than 30 mini Indy race cars will weave through a challenging infield road course. Employees from some of the region's finest corporations, including Procter & Gamble, COMAIR and General Electric will become drivers and pit crew members during the event. The race will begin at noon and conclude at 5:00 p.m., with an awards ceremony. Teams will take part in an entire weekend of activities including a practice session and Mini Grand Prix banquet on Saturday, August 26. The Richard Petty Driving Experience will partner with the foundation to offer three- and eight-lap ride along and driving experiences. RPDE will make a donation to the foundation for each package purchased. Children age 10 and under will be able to take part in the race day action by testing their skills in battery-operated cars on the challenging Kid's Course for a $1.00 donation. Local companies from Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana can enter teams by calling the foundation at (513) 271-4545 for more information.

Cook Leads Ford NCTS Kansas Top-Three Sweep
Ford backed NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series drivers gained momentum for their July 8 appearance at Kentucky Speedway by sweeping the top-three spots in a 250-mile event at Kansas Speedway July 1. Terry Cook led 41 race laps before cruising over the finish line 2.040 seconds ahead of Rick Crawford and Marcos Ambrose. Cook earned his first win since the 2002 season during which he collected four. He advances five positions in the series standings to sixth and enters the top-10 in the series standings for the fourth time this season with his third consecutive top-10 finish. Crawford advanced three positions in the championship chase with his second top-five and eighth top-10 performance of the season through 12 events. Ambrose earned his career-best series finish through nine starts. Mike Skinner set a new series record by earning his 26th career pole award. He led a race-high 59 laps before finishing fifth. Brendan Gaughan placed fourth and earned his first top-five finish of the season. Series leader Todd Bodine registered his ninth top-10 finish of the season with a seventh-place showing and will be the series points leader when 36 drivers take the green flag for "The Built Ford Tough 225 Presented by the Greater Cincinnati Ford Dealers" July 8 at Kentucky Speedway. Dennis Setzer is the defending race champion and Bill Lester started the race from the pole position. The top 10 in the series standings are: Todd Bodine (Toyota, Leader), David Reutimann (Toyota, Second, -138), Johnny Benson (Toyota, Third, -143), Ted Musgrave (Toyota, Fourth, -252), Rick Crawford (Ford, Fifth, -273), Terry Cook (Ford, Sixth, -307), David Starr (Toyota, Seventh, -309), Dennis Setzer (Chevrolet, Eighth, -316), Jack Sprague (Toyota, Ninth, -331), and Ron Hornaday, Jr., (Chevrolet, 10th, -349). SPEED Channel, MRN Radio and XM Radio Channel 144 will provide race coverage beginning at 8:00 p.m.

Kimmel Notches ARCA RE/MAX Series Kansas Win
Frank Kimmel registered his second win of the 2006 ARCA RE/MAX Series campaign July 1 at Kansas Speedway. The victory was his third at the track and gives him the all-time wins lead at the facility. Kimmel led the final eight of 134 race laps and crossed the finish line 2.214 seconds ahead of Erin Crocker. The win helped Kimmel gain 30 points on series leader Bobby Gerhart, who finished the race sixth and charted his sixth top-10 finish of the season. Kimmel will begin the week second in the series standings as he makes his bid to become the first five-time race winner in Kentucky Speedway history. Brad Coleman was third in Kansas, Brett Rowe turned in a fourth-place finish and Steve Wallace was fifth. The series will make its 13th all-time start at Kentucky Speedway in the "WLWT-TV Channel 5 150" July 8 at 9:00 p.m. Chad Blount won the 2005 July race in Kentucky that Crocker started from the pole position. The top 10 in the series standings entering the race are: Bobby Gerhart (Chevrolet, Leader), Frank Kimmel (Ford, Second, -90), Damon Lusk (Dodge, Third, -260), Ken Weaver (Dodge, Fourth, -345), Billy Venturini (Chevrolet, Fifth, -365), Chuck Weber (Ford, Sixth, -400), Ryan Foster (Ford, Seventh, -410), Ryan Howard (Chevrolet, Eighth, -445), Brett Rowe (Chevrolet, Ninth, -465) and Mario Gosselin (Chevrolet, 10th, -480).

Harvick Continues Busch Series Domination in Daytona
Inaugural Kentucky Speedway NASCAR Busch Series race winner Kevin Harvick extended his lead in the championship standings by 44 points with a third-place finish at Daytona International Speedway June 30. Harvick now owns a robust 388-point lead over second-place driver two-time Kentucky Speedway race winner Carl Edwards. Harvick owns a series-high 10 top-five and 15 top-10 finishes through 18 races this season. Dale Earnhardt, Jr., dominated the Daytona race by leading 88 of 103 race laps. The two-time NASCAR Busch Series champion brought home his first series win of the season and 21st of his career to tie Harry Gant for seventh on all-time win list. Brian Vickers closed out the Daytona race second, J.J. Yeley placed fourth and Edwards came home fifth. The series continues its season at Chicagoland Speedway July 8 at 4:00 p.m. Turner Network Television, MRN Radio and XM Radio Channel 144 will provide the race coverage. Harvick claimed the 2005 victory at the track. Johnny Sauter started from the pole position. The current top 10 drivers are: Kevin Harvick (Chevrolet, Leader), Carl Edwards (Ford, Second, -388), Clint Bowyer (Third, Chevrolet, -423), Denny Hamlin (Chevrolet, Fourth, -431), J.J. Yeley (Chevrolet, Fifth, -452), Greg Biffle (Ford, Sixth, -639), Paul Menard (Chevrolet, Seventh, -645), Kyle Busch (Chevrolet, Eighth, -658), Kenny Wallace (Ford, Ninth, -830) and Johnny Sauter (Chevrolet, 10th, -854).

Stewart Visits NNCS Daytona Victory Lane
Defending NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series champion Tony Stewart moved to fifth in the championship standings after driving to his second consecutive 400-mile win at Daytona International Speedway July 1. Stewart has generated two wins, five top-five and six top-10 finishes in his past seven starts the track and has collected two top-five finishes in his past four starts. He trails series leader Jimmie Johnson by 299 points. Johnson, who has led the series standings following 15 of 17 races this season, finished a season-worst 32nd in Daytona Beach, Fla., but still holds an eight-point lead over second-place driver Matt Kenseth. Kenseth earned a fifth-place finish at Daytona and registered his fifth top-five finish in his past seven races. Overall, four top-10 drivers gained positions following the Daytona race. Former Kentucky Speedway NASCAR Busch Series race winner Kyle Busch was the largest mover in the group. He advanced four positions to eighth in the series standings with his season-best second-place performance. Kurt Busch placed third in Daytona and race pole sitter Boris Said drove to a fourth-place finish to complete the top five. The series continues its season at Chicagoland Speedway July 9 at 3:00 p.m., on Turner Network Television, MRN Radio and XM Radio Channel 144. Dale Earnhardt, Jr., took a 2005 win at the track and Johnson started on the inside of the front row. The top 10 series standings going into the event are: Jimmie Johnson (Chevrolet, Leader), Matt Kenseth (Ford, Second, -8), Dale Earnhardt, Jr., (Chevrolet, Third, -267), Kasey Kahne (Dodge, Fourth, -292), ), Stewart (Chevrolet, Fifth, -299), Mark Martin (Ford, Sixth, -324), Jeff Burton (Chevrolet, Seventh, -349), Kyle Busch (Chevrolet , Eighth, -406), Kevin Harvick (Chevrolet, Ninth, -413) and Denny Hamlin (10th, Chevrolet, -453).