FORT WORTH, Texas: Former open-wheel stars Dario Franchitti and Jacques Villeneuve will continue their NASCAR apprenticeships this week on the 1.5-mile (2.4-kilometer) oval at Texas Motor Speedway.

Franchitti, who made his Busch Series debut in the crash-filled race last Saturday at Memphis, will attempt to qualify for the Saturday race at Texas, while Villeneuve will race in Friday's Craftsman Truck Series event.

It would be only the third stock car race for Franchitti, the 2006 Indianapolis 500 winner and IndyCar Series champion, who began his new career with an ARCA race at Talladega on Oct. 6.

Villeneuve, the 1995 Indy winner and champion in CART in 1995 and Formula One in 1997, already has four truck starts and a 21st-place finish in his Nextel Cup debut at Talladega.

Both plan to drive full-time in the Nextel Cup in 2008, Franchitti with Chip Ganassi Racing and Villeneuve with Bill Davis Racing.

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CHANGING CARS: Rusty Wallace Incorporated is making the switch from Dodge to Chevrolet.

Team owner Wallace will field a two-car team in NASCAR's Nationwide Series in 2008, and the former Nextel Cup champion also set his lineup of drivers: His son, Steven, will race in one team entry; 18-year-old rookie Chase Austin and current Cup regular David Stremme will share the share the second car.

Austin, who last Saturday in Memphis became the first African American to race on an oval in what is now the Busch Series, will drive 15 Nationwide races and a limited ARCA schedule for RWI, while Stremme, who is also looking for a 2008 ride in the Nextel Cup, will drive the other 20 in the NASCAR steppingstone series.

“Rusty's team has great equipment and resources and I really like working with younger drivers like Steve and Chase,” said Stremme, who will be replaced by former open-wheel star Dario Franchitti in his Cup ride at Chip Ganassi Racing at the end of this season.

“I'm negotiating with a couple of teams,” Stremme added. “I really belong at that level and I'm not going to just jump in any car. I want the right situation. If it doesn't work out, I'm sure there will be opportunities early next season.”

Wallace, who also works as a TV analyst for ABC/ESPN, said his Busch team is in good position to run two cars because it has picked up “some quality people” from Ginn Racing, which was absorbed earlier this season by Dale Earnhardt Inc.

“We're going to be a lot better team in 2008,” Wallace said. “I want to thank Dodge for all they've done for us, but Chevrolet has been very strong in investing in the Busch Series and we're looking forward to the future with them.”