NASCAR unveils 2006 Busch Series schedule

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- Celebrating its 25th anniversary with series sponsor Anheuser-Busch in 2006, the NASCAR Busch Series will begin its 35-race season on Saturday, Feb. 18 at Daytona International Speedway and end on Saturday, Nov. 18 at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

LIGHTS AT MARTINSVILLE For the first time since 1994, the Busch Series will return to Martinsville Speedway in 2006 with a race under the lights on July 22.  The lights will be temporary, the same kind the speedway brought in in September when it hosted a Modified race, track president Clay Campbell said.  The race is not expected to have any companion events running with it, and will be a two-day event with qualifying held on Friday and the race on Saturday night.  "We have high expectations for it," Campbell said. "Obviously, with the purse of a Busch race, with everything involved, we've got to have a good crowd to make it a successful venture. We think we'll have a great weekend being in the middle of summer like it is, under the lights, Busch Series back here for the first time in over a decade. I think that combination will provide for an exciting weekend of racing."  •   -- Associated Press

The schedule again will include a visit to the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez road course in Mexico City on March 5, site of last year's historic trip that resulted in the first points race for the series held outside the United States.

Also, the NASCAR Busch Series makes its return to Martinsville (Va.) Speedway after previously racing at the .526-mile track from 1982-94. The race on July 22 will be run under the lights. The event replaces Pikes Peak International Raceway on the schedule.

The 2006 schedule features races at 26 tracks in 21 states and Mexico. The NASCAR Busch Series will join the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series 27 times this season for "combination events," and will race together with the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series twice. The series will stage six "stand-alone" events.

Bristol Motor Speedway's spring race will be held on March 25, with the first of two visits to Nashville Superspeedway set for April 15.

Held this year on April 15, the Texas Motor Speedway spring race next season will be on April 8.

Next season, Richmond International Raceway's spring race will be held on May 5, with Darlington Raceway's event on May 12.

Kansas Speedway's 2006 event will be held Sept. 30, followed by an off-week.

The final stand-alone event of the season at Memphis Motorsports Park is scheduled for Oct. 28.

2006 NASCAR Busch Series schedule

• Feb. 18: Daytona International Speedway
• Feb. 25: California Speedway
• March 5: Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez
• March 11: Las Vegas Motor Speedway
• March 18: Atlanta Motor Speedway
• March 25: Bristol Motor Speedway
• April 8: Texas Motor Speedway
• April 15: Nashville Superspeedway
• April 21: Phoenix International Raceway
• April 29: Talladega Superspeedway
• May 5: Richmond International Raceway
• May 12: Darlington Raceway
• May 27: Lowe's Motor Speedway
• June 3: Dover International Speedway
• June 10: Nashville Superspeedway
• June 17: Kentucky Speedway
• June 24: Milwaukee Mile
• June 30: Daytona International Speedway
• July 8: Chicagoland Speedway
• July 15: New Hampshire International Speedway
• July 22: Martinsville Speedway
• July 29: Gateway International Raceway
• Aug. 5: Indianapolis Raceway Park
• Aug. 12: Watkins Glen International
• Aug. 19: Michigan International Speedway
• Aug. 25: Bristol Motor Speedway
• Sept. 2: California Speedway
• Sept. 8 Richmond International Raceway
• Sept. 23: Dover International Speedway
• Sept. 30: Kansas Speedway
• Oct. 13: Lowe's Motor Speedway
• Oct. 28: Memphis Motorsports Park
• Nov. 4: Texas Motor Speedway
• Nov. 11: Phoenix International Raceway
• Nov. 18: Homestead-Miami Speedway