Press Snoop: Biffle races Mears for Busch win.

the latest news from around the world, courtesy of press snoop Lynne Huntting

GREG BIFFLE won the Target House 300 NASCAR Busch Series Race at California Speedway on Saturday afternoon in front of an estimated crowd of 50,000. His margin of victory over runner-up, pole sitter CASEY MEARS, was 0.356secs. Third was KEVIN HARVICK. All three were running different marques.

The two leaders battled back and forth throughout the entire 150-lap race, and raced side-by-side for the chequered flag. It was a clean and close race. Biffle said "I bet the fans got their money's worth on that one." Mears said "What a fun day. I had an absolute blast. Biffle raced me clean all day. Probably one of the best times I've had in a race car in a long time."

It was Biffle's 16th Busch win, and earned him $86,360 out of the $1million plus purse. He also won the Busch race at California Speedway earlier this year.

KASEY KAHNE was fourth, followed by JAMIE McMURRAY. The top five finishers were Buschwhackers, and there were ten Buschwhackers in all, nine finishing in the top 14, and one DNF. Without them, the field would have only started 34 cars.

Busch Points leader MARTIN TRUEX Jr finished sixth, the first Busch regular. He is 95 points ahead of rookie KYLE BUSCH, who finished ninth. Truex has six poles, four victories, and 18 finishes tenth or higher out of 25 races. Busch finished behind BOBBY LABONTE and JOE NEMECHEK. Tenth overall was JASON LEFFLER.

The weather was warm and sunny, with the grandstands - which hold 92,000 - appearing to be half full.

There were 18 lead changes among seven drivers. Biffle led eight times for 72 laps, and Mears led six times for 45 laps. The other five drivers each led once, during pit stops. They were Kahne-15; Bobby Labonte-13; RON HORNADAY Jr-2; Leffler-2; and Truex for one lap.

Fifteen of the 33 finishers were on the lead lap. Ten drivers retired, one for an accident-SHANE HALL; one for being too slow-TINA GORDON; and the rest mechanical, including STERLING MARLIN who said "It blew up, just blew up." That was the second caution of the four in the race. Three of the four cautions were for track conditions.

Bobby Labonte raced against his son, JUSTIN, who finished 28h after starting 16th.

The average race speed was 147.844mph, the race ran 2hr 01min 45secs and there were 13 caution laps. There were actually four marques represented in the race: 23 Chevrolets, 12 Fords, seven Dodges and one lone Pontiac.

Who said NASCAR doesn't change results after the race? NASCAR moved STACY COMPTON from 26th place with 148 laps completed up to 24th with 149 laps completed. NASCAR admitted that an official "inadvertently held Compton in the pits for one lap" for a violation of the tyre allotment rule. After the fact, Compton was given back his lap.

During the race, the film crew working on the new Walt Disney movie, Herbie: Fully Loaded, was in the pits filming. There were one overhead camera at the pit entrance and two overhead cameras at the pit exit, with assorted crew members. The Herbie car was on display in the Cup garage - the familiar beige Volkswagen with the circle #53.

Behind the Busch garage area, next to the media parking lot, there is a fine display of vintage stock cars. There are nearly a dozen, with some raced by Cup drivers here at the track, including DERRIKE COPE, RUSTY WALLACE, and two cars driven by JIMMY SPENCER. The display is sponsored by Victory Lane magazine and Vintage Oval Racing magazine. The cars, Legends, toured the track after Busch Happy Hour practice Friday afternoon and again after the Busch race.

Historic stock car racing has become a big deal, especially on the West Coast which now has its own off-shoot organisation of the original Historic Stock Car Racing Group started by Trans-Am racer, GENE FELTON. The West group, started by JOHN DAVIS in 1997, has strict rules about those who can run with them. The cars must have documented historical valued, made between 1972 and 1994, and meet the NASCAR rules for the year they were raced. The group has six races a year, mostly on the West Coast, including Infineon Raceway and Thunderhill Raceway Park.