New Orleans Zephyrs signs agreement with Montreal Expos

DOVER, Del. Martinsville, Va., will lose its Busch Series race and Montreal will add one next season, according to a copy of the 2007 schedule distributed Saturday at Dover International Speedway.

An official announcement, including NASCAR's expansion to Canada, is expected Tuesday.

The Charlotte Observer reported last week that the date of the race at Montreal's Circuit Gilles Villeneuve should the deal be completed would be Saturday, Aug. 4. The 2007 schedule distributed Saturday confirms that date.

The move provides back-to-back road-course events; the week following Montreal the series will head to Watkins Glen, N.Y.

Martinsville hosted a Busch race this year for the first time since 1994. The event was not well attended.

The 2007 Busch season will open Feb.17 at Daytona, followed by races at California and the circuit's third consecutive visit to Mexico City. There will be five open weekends, with the season finale again at Homestead, Fla., on Nov.17.

October Cup race to have new tread

Based on test results from last month, Goodyear has decided to change the left-side tires to be used at the Oct.14 Bank of America 500 at Lowe's Motor Speedway.

"A new left-side tire, featuring a new tread compound, will be matched with the same right-side tire setup that was used in the May race," said Mark Keto, Goodyear's lead engineer for stock car tires.

Drivers Kurt Busch and Joe Nemechek participated in the Aug.29 test.

The change will make the left-side tires a little softer and should improve handling characteristics for drivers, Goodyear officials said.

After the speedway's $3.5million repaving this year, several drivers complained the tires used during the May race weekend were too hard and didn't offer enough grip.

Ragan in line for 1st Cup experience

David Ragan, 20, got off to a good start in his Nextel Cup Series debut, making Sunday's race on speed to line up 37th.

Ragan is among four young drivers being considered as Mark Martin's replacement in Roush Racing's No.6 Ford next season. Ragan had never been in a Cup car until he ran his first practice laps Friday.

"I wish we could have got to go test, but it was very last minute. I ran a lot of laps in my head and getting to run the Busch (race) really helped out a lot and gave me some good track experience because I had never been to Dover, either," Ragan, 20, said.

Ragan has also run most of the Truck series schedule for Roush this year.

Crew chief's son gets NASCAR win

Tim Andrews, the 23-year-old son of Nextel Cup crew chief Paul Andrews, won Friday's Busch East series race at Dover, passing then-leader Steve Park with two of the scheduled 150 laps remaining. Andrews held on despite a late green-white-checkered finish.

"Obviously, we're a team that is looking for things to unfold for next season. My father and everyone that works on this team, have put a lot of effort into getting us noticed," said Tim Andrews.