Raybestos Rookie News & Notes - Charlotte:
*Justin Lofton was the Raybestos Rookie of the Race in the May 14 Dover 200 at Dover (Del.) International Speedway. Lofton scored a third-place finish, his best in six NASCAR Camping World Truck Series starts and his first top-five. Lofton scored the best finish by a Raybestos Rookie in the truck series this season.
*Austin Dillon leads Lofton by two points (69-67) in the overall Raybestos Rookie standings entering the May 21 North Carolina Education Lottery 200 at Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway.
*Tayler Malsam was the Raybestos Rookie of the Race in the 2009 North Carolina Education Lottery 200. Malsam scored an eighth-place finish, the best by a Raybestos Rookie in seven previous races at Charlotte.
*The best start by a Raybestos Rookie in seven Camping World Truck Series races at Charlotte is second by Erin Crocker in 2006.
*Rookie Point Standings: Austin Dillon, 69; Justin Lofton, 67; Brett Butler, 53; Jennifer Jo Cobb, 51; Chris Eggleston, 16; Landon Cassill, 7.
(Raybestos PR)(5-18-2010)
Las Vegas and Miami Beach will again host Championship celebrations: NASCAR has announced dates and sites for its 2010 season-ending championship celebrations. Continuing a new tradition started last year, the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series will honor its champion at Wynn Las Vegas. This year, the awards ceremony is set for Friday, Dec. 3 and will feature the top 10 drivers in the final series standings. The event will culminate NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Champion's Week in Las Vegas. In addition, the combined awards banquet for the NASCAR Nationwide Series and the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series will again take place in South Florida at the Loews Miami Beach Hotel. The date is Nov. 22, the Monday following Ford Championship Weekend at Homestead-Miami Speedway.(NASCAR PR)(5-17-2010)
Setzer returns with RBR at Charlotte: RBR Motorsports announced today they will be competing in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series event in Charlotte, NC with veteran driver, Dennis Setzer, behind the wheel. Setzer will pilot the #92 fleetHQ/BTS Tire & Wheel Distributors Chevrolet Silverado this Friday night at the Charlotte Motor Speedway. Setzer has 18 wins in the NCWTS. fleetHQ will be the primary sponsor on the #92 Truck. fleetHQ is a business solutions provider for commercial trucking fleets and servicing tire dealers all across North America. BTS Tire & Wheel Distributors and Black's Tire Service will continue to serve as associate sponsors. (RBR Motorsports PR)(5-17-2010)
Guerity debuts at Charlotte with DRM: Daisy Ramirez Motorsports announces a multi-race agreement with Mike Guerity to drive and compete in this season's NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. Guerity will pilot the #01 Koma Unwind Chillaxation Drink Chevy beginning at Charlotte Motor Speedway on May 21st, as well as the June 12th event at Michigan International Speedway. Beyond making his debut with the team, Guerity will also be making his first career attempt in the Camping World Truck Series.(Daisy Ramirez Motorsports PR)(5-17-2010)
Sadler returns to #2 at Charlotte: Elliott Sadler returns to the #2 Best Buy/Insignia Chevy for Kevin Harvick Inc. at Charlotte. In 1998, Elliott Sadler made his first career NASCAR Sprint Cup Series start at Charlotte Motor Speedway with crew chief Butch Hylton atop the pit box. Twelve years later, Sadler returns to the 1.5-mile oval with 23 Cup Series starts and eight NASCAR Nationwide Series starts under his belt at the track, making his first start at Charlotte Motor Speedway in the Camping World Truck Series with crew chief Butch Hylton calling the race once again. (Kevin Harvick Inc. PR)(5-17-2010)
Bell to MAKE Motorsports for Charlotte: MAKE Motorsports continues its grassroots campaign as the newest team in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series by entering the race at Charlotte Motor Speedway in the May 21st N.C. Education Lottery 300 with a new car make & a "new" veteran driver, T.J. Bell & the #50 MAKE Motorsports Chevrolet Silverado. NC-based railroad repair company Twin Oaks Services South remains in the MAKE Motorsports NCWTS family as Associate Sponsor. Bell, a Nevada native who now resides in Mooresville, most recently ran 25 races in 2009 with Red Horse Racing.(MAKE Motorsports PR)(5-17-2010)
Charlotte Fast Facts - Ron Hornaday Jr:
*Driving the #33 Longhorn Moist Snuff Chevrolet
*In two of his five total starts at the hometown 1.5-mile track, Hornaday has recorded two victories. Ironically, each year he has taken home the hardware from CMS, he has also gone on to hoist the championship trophy at Homestead-Miami (Fla.) Speedway.
*When it comes to this weekend at Charlotte Motor Speedway, Hornaday comes in second to Kyle Busch, where Hornaday has led 128 laps at the legendary 1.5-mile quad oval.
*Hornaday and Busch are the only two Truck Series drivers who have ever won multiple races at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Hornaday will attempt to pass Busch and become the tracks only three-time winner this weekend.
*Hornaday remains fourth in the Truck Series point standings 125 markers behind new leader Aric Almirola.(Kevin Harvick Inc. PR)(5-17-2010)
Racing Resources - Monday Rundown:
*Aric Almirola won the Dover 200 at Dover International Speedway. It was Almirola's first series victory in his 55th race and first win at Dover in two races. He is the 11th different winner in 11 Dover races.
*Almirola came from two laps down, getting a wave-around and a "Lucky Dog" en route to Victory Lane. Almirola led just seven laps, the fewest by a Dover race winner. He became the fifth driver to get his first Trucks victory at Dover.
*Billy Ballew Motorsports earned its 18th series victory and its second win at Dover.
*Toyota posted its third straight series Dover victory and third win in 2010.
*The top 10 consisted of six Toyotas and four Chevrolets.
*Juston Lofton (third) scored his career-best finish and first top-10 finish. Lofton was the highest-finishing rookie of the year contender.
*Ricky Carmichael (fourth) scored his career-best finish and third top-10 in six races in 2010.
*Points leader Timothy Peters finished 25th and dropped to third in the standings. Almirola took the point lead for first time in his career by 27 over Bodine.
*Kyle Busch (16th) led 172 laps and moved to fifth all-time in laps led. The 172 laps are the most led by any driver at Dover in 11 series races.(ESPN.com)(5-17-2010)
Rodenbeck to enter Iowa plus more: Paddy Rodenbeck has confirmed that he plans to attempt Iowa Speedway, Gateway and ORP hoping to get the okay from NASCAR to compete in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series event at Talladega Superspeedway in October. Rodenbeck will drive the #82 with Jeff Caudill as crew chief. The team attempted Martinsville Speedway in March, however missed the field when qualifying was rained out.(Catchfence.com)(5-15-2010)
Kyle Busch Motorsports shop dispute centers on green construction: A NASCAR driver's interest in going green may end up costing some contractors. Nearly a dozen companies involved in building a new race shop for Kyle Busch say they have filed liens or intend to file liens because they are collectively owed about $1 million for work done on a high-tech headquarters built for Busch in Mooresville. The project's general contractor, L.B. Builders Construction Group, owns the building and has been in mediation with Busch's attorneys this week. Busch was supposed to buy the building but has delayed the purchase because the final price tag was more than expected. The subcontractors say that's because the young multimillionaire NASCAR driver wanted a top-of-the-line, LEED-certified building and ordered upgrades during construction. L.B. Builders' attorney, Robert Newkirk, said the groups have made "a lot of progress" in their meetings and are "hopefully moving toward a closing." Busch's attorney, David Senter, said both sides are optimistic the issue can be resolved within the next 30 days or so. But the subcontractors told the Observer they worry they'll be asked to settle for less payment than they've been promised. While some have filed mechanic's liens against L.B. Builders, they must file a lawsuit to enforce the lien, which takes more time and money. A lien attaches to the property and structures. Until the debt is paid, the property owner does not own a clear title.(Charlotte Observer)(5-15-2010)
Raybestos Rookie Post-Race Notes - Dover:
*Justin Lofton in the #7 VisitPit.com Toyota was the top Raybestos Rookie at Dover
*Lofton scored a third-place finish, his first top-five and best finish in six NASCAR Camping World Truck Series starts.
*Lofton took Raybestos Rookie of the Race honors for the first time this season. Unofficially he trails Austin Dillon by two points (69-67) in the overall Raybestos Rookie standings.
*Lofton scored the best finish by a Raybestos Rookie this season in today's race at Dover.(Raybestos PR)(5-15-2010)
Crawford's streak of Truck Series starts ends at Dover: This Friday at Dover will mark the first time since 2005 that Rick Crawford of Mobile won't be starting in a NASCAR Camping World truck series race. Since 1997 Crawford has started 327 Truck races, missing just the one in 2005 at Kentucky after a hard crash during practice. But that streak comes to an end this week as his familiar No. 14 Ford has been parked for lack of a critical part -- a logo on the hood. Crawford and Circle Bar Racing owner Tom Mitchell have soldiered through this season without sponsorship, footing the bills out of pocket and hoping a new sponsor deal would come through. But it hasn't happened. Crawford isn't calling it quits. He's even considering the unthinkable -- switching from his beloved Ford to another manufacturer. Rick Crawford in a Toyota? That's one of those events often compared to the likelihood of ice skating in hell. And while it might cause heart flutters for fans of the Blue Oval, it should be remembered that Crawford hasn't left Ford. Ford, when it cut its support of truck teams, left Crawford.(AL.com)(5-13-2010)
Goodyear Tire Notes - Dover: Teams in all three NASCAR series in action at Dover this weekend will be running the same tire codes, though the Sprint Cup and Nationwide tires will be branded "Goodyear Eagle," while the Camping World Truck tires will be branded "Goodyear Wrangler" . . . this is the first time teams have run this left-side code (D-4394), while this right-side code (D-4272) was previously run by Sprint Cup and Nationwide teams at Dover last September . . . this left-side features a new mold shape versus what was run at Dover last year . . . the mold shape change has been rolled into several tire set-ups already this year . . . later this season, Sprint Cup teams will run this right-side code with a different left-side code at Michigan . . . Nationwide teams will run this exact combination of left-and right-side tires at Kentucky, while Camping World Truck teams will run this same combination at Michigan . . . unlike on other NASCAR ovals one mile or less in length, where teams do not run inner liners, teams are required to run liners in all four tire positions at Dover . . . air pressure in those inner liners should be 12-25 psi greater than that of the outer tire.(Goodyear PR)[Complete tire specs are posted on the Dover Race Page.](5-13-2010)
Zecol on the #88 at Dover: Zecol will be in the hood of the #88 Menards Chevrolet with driver Matt Crafton this week at Dover. Zecol produces de-icers, including Incredible Orange Anti-Ice kit which is sprayed onto surfaces prior to a storm to prevent snow and ice build up and is rated to -27 degrees Fahrenheit, radiator sealers, anti-freeze, and Purple Power windshield washer fluid. Crafton has nine previous NCWTS starts at Dover International Speedway with one top-five finish and four top-ten finishes.(ThorSport Racing PR)(5-13-2010)
Teams preparing for Pocono test: UPDATE first trip to Pocono for White: After taming Dover International Speedway, one of the most unique tracks on the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series schedule on May 14, four teams will head to Pocono Raceway to test prior to the series' first visit to the triangular track on July 31 [Monday, May 17th - closed to public]. Germain Racing, Kyle Busch Motorsports, Richard Childress Racing and SS Green Light Racing have confirmed they will attend the test at the 2.5-mile track in northeastern Pennsylvania. The track is unique in and of itself, as it has one of the longest straight-aways in any NASCAR series (3,740 feet) and boasts only three turns. July's race will be 50 laps or 125 miles. Pocono and Darlington Raceway are the only two tracks not on last year's NASCAR Camping World Truck Series schedule that are on this year's schedule.(NASCAR PR)[More NASCAR Camping World Truck Series News & Notes are posted on the Dover Race Page.(5-3-2010)
UPDATE: Following Friday night's race, White and the GunBroker.com team will travel to Pocono Raceway for a NASCAR test session at the two and a half mile tri-oval in preparation for the NCWTS race in July. "I've never been to Pocono so it's going to be a learning experience for myself and the crew. We'll be working on set-ups and getting the truck comfortable," White added. "There's going to be four trucks, so it should be cool to see what they all do. For me it's great to be able to get the extra track time."(SS Green Light Racing)(5-11-2010)
RCR making first Dover truck start: UPDATE #3 to honor Earnhardt's Hall of Fame induction - image added: Although RCR has a long history in the NCWTS, this weekend's Dover 200 marks the organization's first NCWTS appearance at Dover International Speedway. Austin Dillon will pilot the #3 Bass Pro Shops Chevy in this weekend's Dover 200. This weekend marks Dillon's first NCWTS appearance at Dover but he has one previous Dover start in the NASCAR K&N Pro East Series, where he finished ninth after starting 17th in September 2008. Richard Childress Racing's #3 Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet team will honor a legend during this weekend's Dover 200 NCWTS race [special announcement will be made on Wednesday, May 12th]. Five races into the 2010 NCWTS season, Dillon is tied for eighth with Ricky Carmichael in the series' point standings, just 155 markers outside of the point lead. (Richard Childress Racing PR)(5-11-2010)
UPDATE: Richard Childress Racing will further honor the legendary Dale Earnhardt's induction into the NASCAR Hall of Fame with special paint schemes in races over the next two weekends. The #3 Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet Silverado, driven by Austin Dillon, will pay tribute to the seven-time Cup Series champion in the May 14 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Dover 200 at Dover International Speedway. Jeff Burton and the #31 Caterpillar team will honor the legendary driver of the #3 in the May 22 Sprint Showdown at Charlotte Motor Speedway.(Richard Childress Racing PR)[Image of the #3 Bass Pro Shops/Hall of Fame Chevy is posted on the #3 Paint Schemes Page.](5-12-2010)
Buescher returns to series full-time: James Buescher and Phoenix Racing [NNS] have parted ways effective immediately. Buescher, a 20-year-old Texas native, will compete full-time in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series for the remainder of the 2010 season, piloting the #31 Turner Motorsports Chevrolet Silverado. "It was a great opportunity presented to me to drive for Phoenix Racing and I appreciate everything that we were able to do at the beginning of this season," said Buescher. "Unfortunately, things didn't mesh as smoothly as we had hoped and I wish them nothing but the best. I feel that it is better for me to concentrate on my Truck Series opportunity with Turner Motorsports and I'm really excited to be back in the series full-time. We had an awesome Chevrolet in Kansas a couple weeks ago and were able to run up front which felt great. I'm confident that we can go to the track for the rest of the year and be in contention for wins." Buescher returns to the driver's seat of the #31 Wolf Pack Rentals Chevrolet this Friday at Dover Int'l Speedway.(James Buescher PR)(5-12-2010)
Kyle Busch - Dover Fast Facts:
*Busch will be competing in all three series this weekend at Dover Int'l Speedway.
*Busch, driver of the #18 KBM Toyota Tundra, scored the second of his 17 career Truck Series victories in June 2005 at Dover
*The #18 Toyota is competing for the Truck Series owner's title, and it is second in points, just nine points behind the No. 2 truck of Kevin Harvick, Inc.
*Teammate, #56 Tayler Malsam is competing in all 25 races and is 12th in points, 194 markers behind series leader Timothy Peters.(Kyle Busch Motorsports PR)(5-12-2010)
Carmichael making first Dover Truck Start: Ricky Carmichael has made one career start at Dover International Speedway, as the Florida native competed in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East event in September 2008, and brought home a seventh-place finish. Carmichael, driving the #4 Monster Energy Chevy for Turner Motorsports, has scored two top-10 finishes (Atlanta and Martinsville) in the first five races of the 2010 season. Last season he competed in 18 Truck Series events and scored two top-10 finishes during his first season of NASCAR competition at the elite level. (Turner Motorsports PR)(5-12-2010)
Starr & PC*Miler team up once again at Dover: PC*MILER Navigation will again adorn the sides of the # 81 machine during this Friday's event at the Monster Mile. The Minnesota based company specializes in the latest navigation technology available to consumers. As a veteran of the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, Starr is tied with Rick Crawford to lead the series with top-10 finishes at Dover International Speedway where both drivers currently have six finishes inside the top 10.(Randy Moss Motorsports PR)(5-11-2010)
Lia returns to #07 at Dover: After several weeks away from the track, Donny Lia returns to the SS Green Light Racing #07 again this Friday a the Monster Mile of Dover International Speedway. The Dover 200 will be the fourth start of the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series season for the New York native. The 2007 and 2009 Whelen Modified Series Champion has one previous NCWTS start at the fast concrete Mile. Lia is a huge supporter of Autism Speaks, a national organization dedicated to the public awareness and advocacy of the learning disorder that affects one in 110 children born each day. Lia will sport the Autism Speaks logo on his SS Green Light #07 Chevy this weekend. Lia and the SS Green Light team have been working hard with several potential sponsors for the balance of the 2010 season, Donny is upbeat about the prospects, "I thought we might have a deal put together in time for this week at Dover, but there are lots of details to works out. We're real close and I'm confident we will have a deal done in a very short time."(SS Green Light Racing PR)(5-11-2010)
Timothy Peters - Dover Fast Facts:
*The Dover 200 will mark Timothy Peters' fourth start at Dover International Speedway.
*In Peters first race at Dover in 2005, he started from the fourth spot and finished sixth, earning his first top-10 finish in just his fourth NASCAR race.
*In his three previous Dover starts, Peters has completed 99.7% of all laps.
*Crew Chief, Jeff Hensley has also experienced success at the "Monster Mile." He and driver Brian Scott earned a trip to Victory Lane at Dover in 2009.
*Peters leads the Camping World Truck Series driver point standings by 22 over the second place driver. The #17 RHR Tundra fell to third in Owner's Point Standings, 46 points back from the lead.
*Timothy Peters and Justin Lofton will be carrying a special decal this Friday night. Both the #17 and the #7 Toyota Tundras will have an Autism Speaks puzzle piece onboard.
(Red Horse Racing PR)(5-11-2010)
Raybestos Rookie News & Notes - Dover:
*Austin Dillon was the Raybestos Rookie of the Race in the May 2 O'Reilly Auto Parts 250 at Kansas Speedway. Dillon scored a sixth-place finish, his second top-10 and took top rookie honors for the FOURTH consecutive race.
*Dillon leads James Lofton by 11 points (59-48) in the Raybestos Rookie standings entering the May 14 Dover 200 at Dover (Del.) International Speedway.
*Dillon is ninth-place in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series championship standings, best of any Raybestos Rookie.
*Johnny Sauter was the Raybestos Rookie of the Race in the 2009 race at Dover, claiming a fifth-place finish.
*Kurt Busch (2000) is the only Raybestos Rookie to win a pole position in 10 races at Dover.
[Complete Rookie Point standings are posted on the Dover Race Page.](Raybestos PR)(5-10-2010)
Double-duty for Neuenberger at Dover: Donnie Neuenberger will behind the wheel of the #6 EZ-Slider Cylinder Liners in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series and the #31 Plan B Technologies in the NASCAR Nationwide Series, both for Rick Ware Racing. The Maryland native is set for action in the Dover 200 at Dover International Speedway in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, a track which he refers to as "home".(Rick Ware Racing PR)(5-10-2010)
Sneak preview of Sadler Dover truck: UPDATE: Sadler makes first Dover truck start: From Best Buy Racing Facebook page - Best Buy Racing, Insignia & Elliott Sadler joining forces for the Dover 200 truck race. Sadler is set to drive the #2-Chevy truck for Kevin Harvick Inc. Schematic is posted on the #2 Camping World Truck Series Schemes Page.(5-8-2010)
UPDATE: Elliott Sadler returns to Kevin Harvick Inc. to pilot the #2 Best Buy/Insignia Silverado for the second time this season. Elliott Sadler and the #2 KHI team will sport the bright green colors of Insignia this weekend at Dover International Speedway. The Insignia brand of electronics, which is sold exclusively at Best Buy, is making its first ever appearance in the Truck Series. Despite the fact that Sadler has been competing in NASCAR's top-3 series for over 15 years, he has never made a Truck Series start at Dover International Speedway. Sadler has, however, made a total of 27 combined starts in the Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series at the one-mile concrete track. This Friday at Dover International Speedway, both KHI entries will sport the Autism Speaks puzzle piece logo in support of the non-profit organization. This weekend, which culminates with Sunday's NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race, the Autism Speaks 400 presented by HERSHEY'S Milk & Milkshakes, marks the fourth consecutive year of the track's relationship with Autism Speaks.(Kevin Harvick Inc. PR)(5-10-2010)
Benson returns to #15 at Dover: Johnny Benson will make his third start with Billy Ballew Motorsports this week at Dover International Speedway. His relationship with BBM has proven to be a successful one, as the Grand Rapids, Mich., native drove the #15 Red Top Auto Auction Toyota to a fifth-place finish in each previous event. Dover was the site of Benson's first Nationwide Series win in 1994. Although he hasn't visited victory lane at the "Monster Mile" in NASCAR Camping World Truck Series competition, he has finished in the top-10 on three occasions. BBM's #15 team has one win at Dover, which came in 2005 with Kyle Busch behind the wheel.(Billy Ballew Motorsports PR)(5-10-2010)
FRAXA joins Fontaine for Dover race: Chris Fontaine will be making his 18th NASCAR Camping World Truck Series start at Dover International Speedway. Fontaine will be racing the Glenden Enterprises/FRAXA #84 blue body with flames on the hood. The FRAXA Research Foundation is devoted to funding and finding a cure for Fragile X Syndrome, the most common inherited cause of mental impairment and the most common known cause of autism. For more info on FRAXA go to fraxa.org.(Chris Fontaine PR)(5-9-2010)
Crafton enters Toledo ARCA race: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series veteran Matt Crafton has filed an entry to compete in the Sunday, May 23 ARCA Racing Series "Menards 200 Presented by Federated Car Care" at Toledo Speedway. Crafton, who drives the No. 88 Menards-sponsored truck for ThorSport Racing, will attempt to officially qualify for his first career ARCA Racing Series race on Saturday, May 22, less than 18 hours after racing in the Truck Series race at North Carolina's Charlotte Motor Speedway. One year ago, Crafton made the trip from Charlotte to Toledo after racing in the Truck Series on Friday night, to practice and qualify an ARCA car for Paul Menard. Qualifying was rained out, but Crafton enjoyed the ARCA experience. "I'm really looking forward to racing at Toledo," Crafton said from his home in Mooresville, N.C. "Last year, practicing the car for Paul was fun. In fact, I really wanted to race the car last year!" Crafton will race the same car Menard drove a year ago, fielded by Kimmel Racing. The #88 Ford Fusion will be decorated fluorescent red and carry co-primary sponsorship from Messina Wildlife Management and his NASCAR Camping World Truck Series sponsor, Menards, also the Toledo race sponsor. Spectator gates and ticket sales for the Menards 200 will open at 10:30 a.m. on Sunday, May 23, and an on-track autograph session featuring the entire starting ARCA Racing Series field is scheduled to take place from noon-1 p.m. The green flag will drop on the Menards 200 at 2 p.m.(ARCARacing.com)(5-7-2010)
Kansas images added: Added a few images following the Kansas race; #2-Ken Schrader, E-Z-GO Chevy; #81-David Starr, PC*Miler Toyota; #15-Johnny Benson, Red Top Collector Car Auction Toyota; #10-Jennifer Jo Cobb, MarkOne.com Ford, #63-Jack Smith, MB Motorsports Ford, #29-Brad Keselowski Dodge [from Nashville]. Check them out via the 2010 Camping World Truck Series Paint Scheme Page.(5-6-2010)
Crafton busy during open-week: With a one-week break from racing in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, ThorSport Racing driver Matt Crafton is keeping himself busy by helping out with worthy charitable causes. On Tuesday May 4, Crafton and a number of other motorsports personalities and many race fans gathered at Ray Evernham's shop to play poker for B.R.A.K.E.S. (Be Responsible And Keep Everyone Safe), the foundation drag racer Doug Herbert started in memory of his two children, Jon and James, who perished in an automobile accident in 2008. On Saturday May 8, Crafton will participate with fellow NASCAR Camping World Truck Series driver and close friend T.J. Bell in Moms on the Run benefiting breast cancer awareness and research. Crafton will travel to Reno, Nevada to participate in Moms on the Run. Crafton and the #88 Menards Chevy return to action on Friday May 14 in the Dover 200 at Dover International Speedway.(ThorSport Racing PR)(5-6-2010)
Hornaday, Bodine & Skinner to take part in Hall of Fame ceremony UPDATE 2 Add Johnny Benson to the list; also, Jack Sprague: Three former NASCAR Camping World Truck Series champions are among those who will represent the trucks in the Grand Opening of the NASCAR Hall of Fame May 11 in Charlotte. Ron Hornaday Jr., Todd Bodine (#30 Toyota) and Mike Skinner, three of the series' original drivers, will participate in the opening ceremonies. Joining them will be Ricky Carmichael (# 4 Monster Energy Chevrolet), who will sign autographs at the event. ornaday's day will be full. Along with Richard Petty and Junior Johnson, as well as other NASCAR national defending champions Jimmie Johnson and Kyle Busch, Hornaday will officially open the NASCAR Hall of Fame between 9:30 and 9:50am. The group will then be the first to enter the building after its official opening and each driver will participate in a five-minute meet-and-greet session with fans. Skinner, the 1995 champion, will be in attendance for the opening ceremony and participate in a media event at 10 a.m. He will also take part in fan activities from 10:30-11:30am. Bodine, the 2006 series champion, is also scheduled to take part in the opening ceremonies, media event and fan activities throughout the day.(NASCAR PR)[For more info on the Hall of Fame Grand Opening, visit the Jayski Appearances Page.](5-4-2010)
UPDATE: Have confirmed that former Camping World Series Champion, Johnny Benson will also be in attendance for the Grand Opening Ceremony of the NASCAR Hall of Fame.(5-4-2010)
UPDATE 2: Also hearing that three-time Truck Champion Jack Sprague will be attending.(5-5-2010)
Bodine back with Gunselman Motorsports in Cup: After starting-and-parking at Richmond, an interesting pairing returns to the entry list at Darlington, with driver Todd Bodine getting back behind the wheel of the No. 64. The duo had initially partnered in February, 2009 along with brother Geoff, planning to build a full-time Cup team over the long haul. But by Memorial Day, just three starts combined with seven DNQs caused the partnership to run out of money and patience. All parties parted ways, and the Gunselman team only qualified for three more races the rest of the year, finishing none of them. Now, Bodine is back behind the wheel, although sponsorship has yet to be secured for Saturday night's race. Should he qualify, it'll be the 232nd Cup start for the 46-year-old, who has seven top 5s and 21 top 10s at the Cup level. (Frontstretch.com)(5-5-2010)
Ellis to manage NCWTS Public Relations: NASCAR has announced that Amanda Jones Ellis has been named communications manager for the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. Ellis brings a solid public relations background in NASCAR racing to the position. Most recently, she was public relations account manager for Turner Motorsports, where she coordinated the publicity for NASCAR Camping World Truck Series driver Ricky Carmichael, former motocross legend and holder of a record 15 AMA Pro Racing titles. Ellis also worked one season as media relations manager for NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Martin Truex Jr. Ellis began her public relations career in NASCAR racing in 2004, where she worked as a public relations account manager for Bobby Hamilton Racing. In her first season with that organization, Hamilton captured the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series championship. Ellis was named the 2007 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Public Relations Representative of the Year. A native of Paris, Tenn., Ellis holds a bachelor's degree in public relations from Union University in Jackson, Tenn. She and her husband, Jonathon, reside in Mooresville, N.C.(NASCAR PR)(5-4-2010)
Bruce to serve as interim crew chief for three NNS races with Braun: In an effort to optimize on-track performance, Braun Racing is making structural changes to its #38 Nationwide Series team. Trip Bruce will serve as interim crew chief of the team with driver, Jason Leffler, for the next three races to include events at Darlington Raceway, Dover International Speedway and Charlotte Motor Speedway.(Braun Racing PR)(5-4-2010)
Racing Resources - Monday Rundown:
*Johnny Sauter won the O'Reilly Auto Parts 250 at Kansas Speedway. It was his second series victory in his 41st start. He became the 10th different winner in 10 races at Kansas.
*Thorsport Racing posted its fourth series victory and first win in 2010.
*Chevrolet posted its fourth series Kansas win.
*Ron Hornaday Jr. (second) has finished in the top three in the past three races.
*Todd Bodine (third) scored his third top-5 in 2010, moving up to second in the point standings.
*Timothy Peters finished 23rd, six laps down after having power trouble, but he remains the points leader.
*Terry Jones (18th) and Jesse Smith (29th) made their series debuts.
*Austin Dillon (sixth) scored his career-best finish. He was also the highest-finishing rookie of the year contender.
*The top 10 consisted of six Toyotas and four Chevrolets.(ESPN.com)(5-3-2010)
Skinner looking for more Moss involvement: Mike Skinner had hoped his victory in the NASCAR Camping World Trucks Series last year at Kansas Speedway would have grabbed the attention of his high-profile team owner. The victory was the first for Randy Moss Motorsports, the team co-owned by the New England Patriots' star wide receiver, and Skinner won two more races, cleaning up the Midwest with victories at St. Louis and Iowa. While Skinner realizes Moss has a day job working for Bill Belichick, he expressed disappointment in Moss' lack of involvement with the two-truck team that also includes David Starr. "Randy's a great guy, but he's not involved as much. ... I'd love to see him get involved more. Maybe if we can win us a couple of races before football season starts ..." Skinner, the inaugural NASCAR trucks champion in 1995 and a veteran of 245 Sprint Cup races, joined Randy Moss Motorsports last season with the hope of establishing a long-term relationship. "I was hoping Randy was setting the stage for something when he retires from playing, that this could be one of his businesses that could be a lot of fun and be productive," said Skinner. "I would love to run his race team for him or help him with it. I hope that he gets back into it. We have not seen much interest from him lately."(Kansas City Star)(5-2-2010)
Conractors say Kyle Busch owes them: A subcontractor who helped build NASCAR driver Kyle Busch's new multi-million-dollar headquarters has filed a lien against the project, and four others also say they're owed money. Collectively, the contractors say they are owed hundreds of thousands of dollars by the building's owner and general contractor. As small business owners, they said, they can't afford to go for months without being paid. Paul Davis of Creative Carpets LLC said he filed a mechanic's lien against the general contractor Friday. Davis said he is owed $60,000 for installing roughly 18,000 square feet of carpet and flooring. "As a business, I can't function," he said, adding his suppliers won't give him more materials until he pays them. "I'm spending more of my time chasing my money than making it. And in this economy, I can't do that." Davis said he filed the lien because he'd grown worried that he might not get paid the full amount he is owed. He said Busch's attorney told him "one group was going to walk away unhappy." The building is owned by L.B. Builders Construction Group, which also is overseeing construction. It is being built for KB Investments, a Kyle Busch-related entity. The subcontractors said they've been told by L.B. Builders that they haven't been paid because Kyle Busch owes nearly $3 million. On Friday, a blue tarp was taped over a sign outside the building that says KBM. Attorneys representing Busch and L.B. Builders confirmed a "construction dispute" over the building's cost, and said the groups are working to resolve it. A meeting to discuss the issue is set for mid-May, they said.(See full story at the Charlotte Observer)(5-1-2010)
New track for Dillon: Excerpt from Austin Dillon's Diary: The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series has been off for a solid month and I think every single driver and crew member is ready to get back on the track this weekend at Kansas Speedway. I know I am. Kansas is our first stop and it will be a learning experience for the #3 Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet Silverado team. Richard Childress Racing never has fielded a Truck team at Kansas, so we don't have a notebook for this track specific to our series. That will be tough on the Bass Pro Shops team, but RCR has a lot of NASCAR Sprint Cup Series experience under its belt and we'll lean on the Cup guys for information. My crew chief, Danny Stockman, has been to Kansas the past two years, as well, and should be a huge help to me. Atlanta was our first top-10 finish of the year and probably is the track closest in characteristics to Atlanta that I've run this season. They're both fast but Kansas has its own character. There is a lot more room coming off of turn four at Kansas and it's wider but without the banking you find at Atlanta. Kansas seems to be a cool and fast speedway and we're hoping I adapt quickly when I get some laps under my belt. (Read entire Diary on SPEEDtv,com)(5-1-2010)
