Andy Houston Texas preview

Though Andy Houston will make his Winston Cup debut at Texas Motor Speedway (TMS) this weekend, he enters the Harrah's 500 with a successful history at the 1.5-mile tri-oval.

From 1998-2000, Houston competed in five NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series races at TMS. He qualified and finished in the top 10 in each of the races and had the best finishing average of 4.6. His top finish at TMS was second -- in both 1998 and in last year's October race.

"I really like the track, it's fast and has a lot of grip," said        
Houston of Texas Motor Speedway. "I feel comfortable there and have     
always said it's a neat place to race at. The trucks flew there and I   
can only imagine what it's going to be like in a Cup car. I know the    
track really well and can't wait to get there."                         

Looking at the bright side: "We're going to turn this thing around," said Houston following last week's frustrating turn of events at Bristol Motor Speedway. Houston, who finished 39th, was one of the early victims in the demolition derby style of race. On lap 29 of the 500-lap event, Houston got hit from behind, sending the McDonald's Ford into the concrete wall. The incident caused Houston to be sidelined for approximately one hour while the Drive-Thru Crew worked nonstop to repair and replace parts to the left front and rear-end of the McDonald's car.

"I just got run over," said Houston after the race. "The hit was uncalled for. There's not much we can do now, but keep our chins up and go into Texas with a positive attitude."

-David Ferroni