David Starr: Perhaps Gateway Lightning Will Strike Twice

Talk about catching lightning in a bottle. David Starr (#11 Red Horse Racing Toyota) is one of nine NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series winners at Gateway Int'l Raceway. Nothing special about that, right? Wrong.

Starr won the 2004 Camping World 200 presented by Honda Power Equipment leading just the final lap. Had it been 2005 or later, the Texan never would have gotten the chance. Starr won on a fourth green-white-checker restart — the final time a NASCAR national series used multiple green-white-checker finishes. "In typical truck series fashion, the race ended with a bang," said Starr, recalling the series of accidents that set up his pass of Chad Chaffin. "So much of a bang that it resulted in a rule change." Ironically, the 174th lap of the race is the only lap Starr has led in eight Gateway starts.

Returning for Saturday's race, Starr is battling for a spot in the top 10. He was riding a mini streak of sorts — three top 10s in four races, two of them top fives — until Bristol Motor Speedway worked its black magic on the Houston native. A multi-truck accident left Starr 29th and outside the top 10 in the standings — again.

The 40-year-old Starr is a big fan of Gateway, which he likens to Martinsville and Phoenix where he also counts victories."We need to just keep doing what we have been doing and our luck will eventually turn around," said Starr. Perhaps this week.

Patience And Focus Keys To Surviving First Gateway Experience

Experience would seem to be everything at Gateway Int'l Raceway where NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series champions have won six of the 10 races held at the 1.25-mile, egg-shaped layout.

The track has yet to produce a first-time series winner. That said, rookies and first-time competitors haven't been completely shut out. There are top fives and 10s to be had — 10 to be exact, for previous Raybestos Rookie of the Year contenders.

Erik Darnell (#99 Northern Tool + Equipment Ford) didn't get one. But the 2006 rookie of the year bounced back from a 31st-place debut to finish seventh a year ago. "Once you have raced there a couple of times and gotten over the mental challenges of the track, Gateway is a pretty cool place to visit," said Darnell. He has this advice for those coming to the track for the first time. "Being patient and staying focused will help get these drivers through their first Gateway experience," he said.

Darnell was among the fortunate, having competed previously at the track in another series. "I felt pretty relaxed my first go-round in a truck,"said Darnell, who was closing in on a possible top-five finish in 2006 before an accident ended his race. "The track will definitely take you by surprise if you don't do your homework."

Etc. & Quotable:

• Homecoming Time … It's the equivalent of "old home week" for Chrissy Wallace and two members of her #03 Toyota team. Wallace, of course, is a St. Louis native and the fifth member of the Wallace clan to compete at Gateway.
  
  Her crew chief, Mike Abner, and Brent Glastetter, a mechanic, hail from Oran, Mo., a small town between Cape Girardeau and Sikeston in the "boot heel" of the Show Me State. Abner's been to Gateway as a member of Wyler Racing and part of Jack Sprague's crew. "With the driver being a hometown person and Gateway being a hometown track to me, yeah, we want to run really well here," he said. "Our focus is getting Chrissy prepared for a full (season in 2009). Doing well in front of a hometown crowd would simply be a bonus."
  
  Glastetter and Abner have paired on area dirt tracks for a number of seasons. They competed in Monday's ARCA RE/MAX Series race at DuQuoin, Ill., with Glastetter behind the wheel. He finished 14th. "I got to race on the dirt again, then see family for a couple of days before we get up to Gateway," said Glastetter. "It will be a fun week."
  
  Said Wallace, "My dad (Mike) went to Fox High School. The Wallace family runs deep in the St. Louis community. There's always a good family turnout when a Wallace is racing (at Gateway)."
  
  And Marks Also … Germain Racing's Justin Marks (#9 crocs/Construct Corps Toyota) was born in St. Louis' BJC Hospital.
  
  
• One To Watch … T.J. Bell (#7 Home4theHolidays Chevy) has fashioned top-10 finishes in two of his past three starts for TRG Motorsports.
  
  
• Ganging Up On The Competition … Teammates have finished one-two at Gateway on two occasions, matching the most such performances on a single track. It last happened in 2006 when Todd Bodine outlasted then-teammate Ted Musgrave (#59 Team ASE/Harris Trucking Toyota). There have been two "sweeps" in 2008: Ron Hornaday Jr. (#33 Camping World Chevy/ Sprague) at Kansas and Benson/Michael Annett (#22 Pilot Travel Centers Toyota) at Kentucky.

Charting The Championship

The Camping World 200 is the 17th of 25 races on the 2008 schedule. The Race 17 leader has won the championship nine times but only in three of the past seven seasons.

Year Leader                Champion
2001 Scott Riggs           Jack Sprague
2002 Terry Cook            Mike Bliss
2003 Brendan Gaughan  Travis Kvapil
2004 Bobby Hamilton     Bobby Hamilton
2005 Dennis Setzer        Ted Musgrave
2006 Todd Bodine          Todd Bodine
2007 Ron Hornaday Jr.   Ron Hornaday Jr. 

Davis To Make Gateway Debut For Moss Motorsports

Call it coming full circle.

At Bristol Motor Speedway, Randy Moss Motorsports employed arguably one of the most experienced NASCAR competitors, two-time Sprint Cup champion Jimmie Johnson.

This week's Camping World 200 will see 18-year-old Marc Davis make his series debut in the NFL All- Pro's #81 Howard University/WHUR Chevy. Davis will be the second youngest driver, at 18 years two months 14 days, to compete in the series since the age 18 minimum was established in 2002.

Davis, from Silver Spring, Md., has raced on two and four wheels since age six. He is on "loan" to Moss from Joe Gibbs Racing, which backs Davis in the NASCAR Camping World East Series. He's currently ranked fourth in Camping World East standings with three top-five and six top-10 finishes. "I've been preparing for it all my life," said Davis. "Randy Moss and (partner) David Dollar have given me a wonderful opportunity."

Benson Defends — Again

Johnny Benson (#23 Toyota Certified Used Vehicles Toyota) is the defending winner of the Camping World 200. If that sounds familiar, you're right.

This week marks the third time in the last seven races Benson has defended a 2007 victory. He's batting .500, winning at The Milwaukee Mile and finishing fourth on Aug. 20 at Bristol Motor Speedway.

A whopping seven former Gateway winners (with eight victories) are expected to participate in this week's race. Three are among Benson's championship rivals in the current top 10: Todd Bodine (#30 Lumber Liquidators Toyota); Jack Sprague (#2 American Commercial Lines Chevy) and Terry Cook (#60 Wyler.com Toyota).

NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Raybestos Rookie of the Year Standings after 17 races of the 2008 season:

1. Colin Braun       157
2. Donny Lia         144
3. Justin Marks     129
4. Brian Scott       120
5. Marc Mitchell    100
6. Scott Speed       80
7. Andy Lally          62
8. Phillip McGilton   38

Who Is The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series' Most Popular Driver?

Have you cast your vote yet? Don't forget to make it count. For the first time in series history, voting for the Series' Most Popular Driver is in the hands of the fans. Be sure to check out NASCAR.com and vote for your favorite. More than 36,000 votes have been cast since voting began July 5.
(NASCAR PR)(9-2-2008)

Rowdy Busch Back In Victory Lane

Kyle Busch hadn’t been in the #51 Miccosukee/NOS Energy Drink Toyota since O’Reilly Raceway Park at Indianapolis back in July but that didn’t seem to matter Aug. 20 at Bristol Motor Speedway.

Busch started strong rolling off third behind first- time Keystone Light polesitter Scott Speed (#22 Red Bull Toyota) and Johnny Benson (#23 EXIDE Batteries Toyota). He went on to lead 145 laps, capping the night off with a trip to Victory Lane.

The win marks the driver’s third in the series for the season as well as his first short-track win. No one driver has dominated the five short tracks on the circuit this year. Busch is the fifth different driver to win joining Dennis Setzer (#18 TAHOE Dodge), Donny Lia (#71 Nationrides.com Chevy), Ron Hornaday, Jr. (#33 Camping World Chevy) and Benson.

Busch also becomes the third driver with a Bristol win in all three national series (Mark Martin and Carl Edwards are the other two).

“Its fun to be able to win at any race track in anything,” Busch said. “But to be able to do the sweep here at Bristol, it’s pretty awesome.”

To say the least, Busch scored an immaculate performance. He was the second driver to post a perfect Driver Rating of 150.0 this season. Hornaday has accomplished the feat twice, in his wins at Kansas and Texas.

Return To The Windy City

The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series will be making a stop in the Windy City next season. The 2009 schedule released recently revealed that the series would be hitting Chicagoland Speedway for a night race Friday, Aug. 28. The addition was part of the schedule realignment, replacing the fall race in Atlanta with a night race at Chicagoland.

The series isn’t completely new to the area. The now defunct Chicago Motor Speedway hosted the trucks in 2000 and 2001. Joe Ruttman captured the checkered flag the first year and the following season Scott Riggs made the trip to Victory Lane. In an area where the number of NASCAR fans continues to grow each season, it’s an addition to the schedule everyone positively welcomes. “Getting back to Chicago is a great plus for the series,” said series director Wayne Auton. “It’s just one more avenue for fans to become NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series fans.”“The layout of the mile-and-a-half track is like no other that we currently race at,” Auton said. “And under the lights, it will all make for an exciting race.”

Matt Alexander, president of Chicagoland Speedway, agrees adding the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series to the lineup, which includes the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, NASCAR Nationwide Series and the IRL, is a win-win situation for everyone, particularly the fans. “We’re excited about the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series coming to Chicagoland Speedway,” he said. “To meet the growing excitement of the motorsports fan base in the Chicago market … It bodes very well with our efforts to really continue to try to provide the best possible experience when our fans and guests come to Chicagoland Speedway.”

Etc. & Quotable

• Points Battle … With only nine races to go, points leader Benson has put a cushion between himself and defending champion Hornaday. While Benson failed to make it an unprecedented four wins in a row at Bristol, his fourth-place finish extended his lead to 119 points over Hornaday, the largest gap so far in the 2008 season.
  
  Matt Crafton in the #88 Menard’s Chevy is probably glad to have Bristol’s concrete bullring behind him. The driver maintained his third place spot in the championship points battle, but finishing 21st didn’t help distance himself from former series champion Todd Bodine (#30 Lumber Liquidators Toyota), who is now only 83 points behind him in fourth.
  
  Mike Skinner (#5 Toyota Tundra Toyota) and Rick Crawford in the #14 Circle Bar Truck Corral/Power Stroke Diesel by International Ford posted solid runs. While Skinner came in seventh, Crawford finished the night fifth which helped him close in on the Bill Davis Racing driver in the points. A mere seven separate Crawford from Skinner who is fifth.
  
  
• Don’t Forget To Vote … Every vote counts for Most Popular Driver. Be sure to visit nascar.com to cast your vote. Polls close Oct. 31.

In The Loop: Still A Contender, Bodine’s Closer Than You Think

Todd Bodine’s 239-point deficit may look daunting, but there’s no need to fret just yet.

Bodine has two truths on his side: success at the upcoming tracks and momentum.

With nine races – and nine tracks – left on the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series schedule, Bodine sits fourth in the points standings. Of the remaining nine tracks, Bodine has wins at seven of them.

Plus, Bodine has put together a couple of strong finishes in a row. At Nashville, Bodine finished third, posting a Driver Rating of 139.1 – his best Driver Rating of the season. Then last week, Bodine finished second and had a Driver Rating of 119.7.

Overall this season, Bodine has a Driver Rating of 100.7 (third-best), an Average Running Position of 8.7 (second), 124 Fastest Laps Run (tied for fourth), a Laps in the Top 15 percentage of 78.2 (fourth) and 358 Quality Passes (passes of cars in the top 15 under green), which is second only to Matt Crafton’s 383.

Only three drivers have a rating over 100: Bodine, Hornaday and Benson. Not surprisingly, Benson and Hornaday are one-two in the series points standings.

Hornaday leads the series in Driver Rating with a 113.3, while Benson is second with a 110.3.

Manufacturers’ Battle

Toyota’s still on top, slightly extending its lead over Chevy to 12 points. Dodge is the top manufacturer for Gateway International Raceway. 

NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series 2008 Manufacturers' Championship Point Standings Following Race 16 of 25 at Bristol Motor Speedway:
Toyota   114
Chevy    102
Ford        79
Dodge      57

NASCAR Raybestos Rookie of the Year Standings After 16 Races of the 2008 Season:
1. Colin Braun, 157
2. Donny Lia, 144
3. Justin Marks, 129
4. Brian Scott, 120
5. Marc Mitchell, 100
6. Scott Speed, 80
7. Andy Lally, 62
8. Phillip McGilton, 38

This Week’s NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Leaders through 16 races of the 25-race season:
Points leader – Johnny Benson (2,426)
Driver Rating – Ron Hornaday Jr. (113.3)
Laps led – Ron Hornaday Jr. (717)
Victories – Johnny Benson (4)
Keystone Light Poles – Johnny Benson, Mike Skinner (3)
Top-five finishes – Johnny Benson (10)
Top-10 finishes – Mike Skinner (13)
Raybestos Rookie Leader – Colin Braun
Races led – Ron Hornaday Jr. (13)
Weeks in Top 10 – Three drivers with 16

Up Next:

After a Labor Day weekend break the racing action will resume at Gateway International Raceway with the Camping World 200 presented by Honda Power Equipment on September 6.

Defending race winner and current points leader Johnny Benson will look to visit Victory Lane for the fifth time this season.
(NASCAR PR)(8-25-2008)