SPARTA, Ky. — If you are attending your first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race tonight at Kentucky Speedway, take this little piece of advice from a guy who has attended several Cup events in his life – enjoy the moment.

I still have great memories of my first Cup race, which I will cherish for the rest of my life.

My first Cup race was the inaugural Brickyard 400 in 1994 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

I barely got any sleep the night before the race because I was too excited. I could not wait to get to the track to see the drivers I idolized ever since I started like Dale Earnhardt Sr., Rusty Wallace, Bill Elliott and Harry Gant.

When the green flag dropped, the chills were running up and down my spine like crazy and my jaw dropped to the ground because I was extremely awestruck. I had to pinch myself several times and ask myself, “Am I actually watching a Cup race in person right now?”

The conclusion was even more special because my favorite driver, Jeff Gordon, claimed the checkered flag.

I had similar feelings when I went to Kentucky Speedway Friday to cover Cup practice and qualifying for today’s Quaker State 400.

I felt the same excitement that I experienced 17 years ago, while I saw the Cup cars making laps around the mile-and-a-half Kentucky track. And I was begging for somebody to kick me in the butt, knowing that a Cup race is finally taking place in our neck of the woods.

So if you are going to this special race tonight, soak up all the atmosphere and cherish every aspect of this night because you will remember it for the rest of your life.

I know I will.

 

TONIGHT’S QUAKER STATE 400

at Kentucky Speedway

TOP-FIVE CONTENDERS

1. KYLE BUSCH: This race is going to be very tough to predict because this is an inaugural race at a track where several of the drivers have never participated in a race at before.

So even though it pains me to make this selection, I’ve got to go with the hottest driver so far this weekend in Busch.

The Joe Gibbs Racing driver started from the rear in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race Thursday night and simply charged through the field to win. He then set the fastest time in the Cup Series’ lone practice on Friday, which enabled him to earn the pole for tonight’s race after qualifying was postponed because of rain.

If you want more food for thought on this pick, Busch has won at Kentucky in an ARCA Racing Series car, a Nationwide car and a truck.

And he has a good shot at adding a Kentucky Cup victory to that list unless he spins out like he did in Nationwide qualifying on Friday.

2. CARL EDWARDS: Another driver who has done well in NASCAR’s other two national series at Kentucky is Edwards.

He has won here in both the Nationwide and truck series, and finished second in last year’s Nationwide race at Kentucky.

Plus, Edwards’ specialty has always been mile-and-a-half tracks. He will bounce back from last week’s wreck at Daytona and be a strong contender tonight.

3. DENNY HAMLIN: Kentucky is different from your typical mile-and-a-half oval because it is relatively flat at 14-degree banking in the turns.

The best flat-track racer in Cup today is Denny Hamlin.

Sounds like a competitive combination to me.

4. JIMMIE JOHNSON: I would be remiss if I did not include a Hendrick Motorsports driver in my top five. So if I had to pick one of the four Hendrick drivers, then I’m going with Johnson.

First, Johnson is like Edwards. He has always run strong on intermediate tracks. In addition, Johnson has that special trait to go fast during inaugural races.

Finally, is it me or has the five-time defending series champion been really quiet as of late?

Johnson’s lone win this season was by a nose at Talladega and he dropped to sixth in the point standings after placing 20th at Daytona last week.

But my gut feeling is telling me that Johnson is ready to get on a hot streak.

5. JOEY LOGANO: Logano has been the dominant driver in Kentucky Nationwide races the past few years. Entering Friday night’s Nationwide race, the 21-year-old JGR driver had won the last three Nationwide races in the Bluegrass State, all coming from the pole.

But I’m not completely sold that Logano’s Nationwide prowess will translate to a victory tonight.

The main reason for my skepticism is that Logano is having a lackluster 2011 Sprint Cup campaign. Logano currently sits 20th in the point standings and has only four top-10 finishes this season.

However, I still think his past Kentucky success will enable him to finish at least in the top 10.

 

TONIGHT’S DARK HORSE

• BRAD KESELOWSKI: Someone told me in the Nationwide garage area Friday that tonight’s race has the potential to turn into a fuel-mileage affair.

If that turns out to be the case, then it could favor Keselowski.

He claimed the checkered flag at Kansas by doing a superb job of saving fuel in the final 57 laps, all under green, to claim his second career Cup victory.

That could happen again.

 

DRIVER MOST LIKELY TO STRUGGLE

• JAMIE MCMURRAY: Here is McMurray’s intermediate track record so far this season: 27th at Las Vegas, 23rd at California, 22nd at Texas, 37th at Charlotte, 29th at Kansas and 19th at Michigan. Plus he was 36th in practice Friday.

In other words, he has been lousy at intermediate tracks and I do not expect him to improve on that tonight.

Contact Kevin Harris at Kevin.harris@newsandtribune.com.

 

OLD KEV’S POWER POLL

1. Carl Edwards

2. Kevin Harvick

3. Jimmie Johnson

4. Kyle Busch

5. Kurt Busch

6. Matt Kenseth

7. Jeff Gordon

8. Dale Earnhardt Jr.

9. Denny Hamlin

10. Clint Bowyer

11. Tony Stewart

12. Ryan Newman

13. David Ragan

14. Greg Biffle

15. Kasey Kahne