After struggling to reach the minimum 43 e🌟ntries for some of its earlier races this year, NASCAR will have no such problem this weekend as the lure of the longest race on the Nextel Cup schedule has attracted a season-high entry of more than 50 cars.

No less than 52 teams have made provisioꦇnal entries for this weekeওnd's 400-lap race around the 1.5-mile Lowe's Motor Speedway, making the fight for the seven remaining places behind NASCAR's 37 full-time Nextel Cup teams even more intense than ever.

Regular outfits Dale Earnhardt Inc,﷽ Hendrick Motorsports, Bill Davis Racing, and Richard Childress Racing have all entered extra cars for John Andretti (#1), Kyle Busch (#84), Dave Blaney (#23), and Kerry Earnhardt (#33) respectively while former full-time team Ultra Motorsport looks set to give Ste🎃ve Park (#7) his first Nextel Cup outing since being dropped by Childress at the end of 2003.

While the above named all have the technical back-up and experience to, on-paper at least,' successfully qualify for Sunday night's prestigious Coca Cola 600, none have the luxury of prov🧸isional🌳 starting spots or race attempts and so one slip during Bud Pole qualifying could be the end of their weekend.

Should any of the 'big guns' fail, the small group of drivers unkindly christened as field-fillers but who have been plugging awa✅y week after week could get a chance to shine.

Hermie Sadler's Score Motorsports team have qualified for eight of eleven races so far in 2004 and the team owner will attempt to make it nine in qualifying while Phoenix Racing's recent upsurge in competitiveness thanks to Bobby Hamilton J🌞r should ensure that they continue their 100 per cent qualification record this season.

NASCAR's favourite underdog Carl Long will attempt to qualify the #46💙 Glenn Racing Dodge that showed some sparkle during the Nextel Open while Kirk Shelmerdine and Andy Hillenburg in Stan Hover's #80 machine will also continue their near-100 percent attendance record.

Morgan Shepherd and Stanton Barrett have both shown flashes of speed in their self-owned entries and will be out for a slice of the action while William Edwards steadily improvin🗹g #98 Lucas Oil team will once again benefit from Geoffrey Bodine's expertise after a clean (and lucrative) outing in the Nextel All Star Cha⛎llenge.

Veterans Kevin Lepage and Jeff Fultz complete the 52 car entry, both with new teams and it will be interesting to see if both the #51 Competitive Edge Motorsportsꦑ outfit and the #78 BC Motorsports team make it into Bud Pole qualifying. Lepage did it last year with his own under funded Matrix Motorsports outfit, although he withdrew from a potential ride in the Coca Cola 600 late last week citing a lack of preparation.