NASCAR is back in Texas this weekend with the Busch Series O’Reilly’s 300 and the NEXTEL Cup Samsung/Radio Shack 500. Both races are the seventh of the season in their respective series.

The race is held at the Texas Motor Speedway in Ft. Worth. The track is a 1.5 mile oval with 24 degree banking in its four turns.

This is the tenth NASCAR NEXTEL Cup race held at the track, and there has never been a repeat winner. Roush Racing’s Greg Biffle took the checkered flag at last year’s race; one of his six wins in 2005. Roush Racing, the largest team in the cup series, has won five of the races at TMS, each time with a different driver.

During Thursday’s Busch series qualifying run, Denny Hamlin took the pole for Saturday’s race. Hamlin, who drives for Joe Gibbs racing, will pilot the No. 20 Home Depot Chevrolet in the Busch race and the No. 11 FedEx Chevy on Sunday’s cup race.

Hamlin said he wasn’t expecting to take the pole because he was not comfortable with the car’s handling during practice, but his crew chief was able to make the proper adjustments to make the car more manageable.

In Other Track News

Michael Waltrip will sport a special University of Texas football paint scheme on his No. 99 Busch Series car at Texas Motor Speedway this weekend.

“Texans love their football and they love their racing,” Waltrip said. “Aaron’s a great sponsor, they have a large presence here in Texas, and it’s great we could bring racing and football together like this.”

In addition to the Busch series paint scheme, UT head football coach Mack Brown will wave the opening green flag during Sunday’s cup race.