Busch Series races into St. Louis area

The list of winners on the NASCAR Busch Series this season looks an awful lot like a list of the top Nextel Cup drivers:

Dale Earnhardt Jr. Kevin Harvick. Greg Biffle. Matt Kenseth. Michael Waltrip.

The trend may continue this evening in the Charter 250 at Gateway International Raceway in Madison, Ill., just across the Mississippi River from St. Louis. The eighth annual NASCAR stop in the St. Louis area comes on a weekend when the Nextel Cup Series is off for Mother's Day.

The 10th race of the Busch season begins at 6:30 p.m. and is expected to include six full-time Nextel Cup drivers.

Waltrip, a former Daytona 500 winner, leads the Busch series in points while standing just 30th this year in the Nextel Cup standings.

Biffle, a 2002 Busch Series champion, has two victories on the circuit this season and stands 10th in this year's points race while also driving full-time on the Nextel circuit.

Robby Gordon, fifth in the Busch points race, is expected to be in the field along with Derrike Cope, Johnny Sauter and Nextel's leading rookie, Kasey Kahne.

The race will cover 200 laps on the 1.25-mile track.

Tickets remain and will be available at all entry gates on race day.