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THE RACE: ATLANTA MOTOR SPEEDWAY - American Commercial Lines 200

Truck Series Race #3 of 25 for the 2008 Season

Next Race - Martinsville Speedway
Last Race - Auto Club Speedway [California]

Race: Friday, March 7, 2008 at Atlanta Motor Speedway

Length: 130 Laps, 202.2 Miles

Track Layout: 1.54-mile banked paved speedway

2007 Winner: Mike Skinner

2007 Polesitter: Mike Skinner

TV: SPEED 9:00pm/et

Radio: MRN

Announcers: Rick Allen, Phil Parsons, Michael Waltrip

Pit Reporters: Ray Dunlap, Adam Alexander

Pre-race Host: Krista Voda

Practice Dates/Times

Practice: Friday, March 7, 2008; 9:00 - 10am/et and 11:20am - 12:50pm/et

Qualifying Date/Time

Qualifying: Friday, March 7, 2008; 4:45pm/et

Goodyear Tire Notes

Tire:
Goodyear Wrangler Speedway Radials

Number of Tires:
Left-side 400
Right-side: 400

Tire Codes:
Left-side -- D-4152
Right-side -- D-4156

Tire Circumference:
Left-side -- 87.4 in.
Right-side -- 88.6 in.

Technical Inspection Inflation:
Left Front -- 30 psi; Left Rear -- 30 psi
Right Front -- 50 psi; Right Rear -- 47 psi

Minimum Recommended Inflation:
Left Front -- 22 psi; Left Rear -- 20 psi
Right Front -- 48 psi; Right Rear -- 45 psi

Notes:
This is the first time that teams in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series will be racing on these particular tire codes . . . this combination was tested by Ron Hornaday at Atlanta in December, and run by all series teams at an open house test at the track in January . . . Craftsman Truck teams will be running the same left-side code (D-4152) as those in the NASCAR Sprint Cup and Busch Series this week, but they will be running a different right-side (D-4156) . . . the other difference is that the Craftsman Truck tires will be branded "Goodyear Wrangler," while Sprint Cup and Busch Series tires will be branded "Goodyear Eagle" . . . as on all NASCAR ovals greater than one mile in length, teams are required to run inner liners in all four tire positions at Atlanta . . . air pressure in those inner liners should be 12-25 psi greater than that of the outer tire.(Goodyear PR)(3-7-2008)

Entry, Practice, Qualifying and Race Information

Back to back wins for Kyle Busch: With just nineteen laps to go, rain brought out the caution. #51-Kyle Busch opted to pit forcing many, including then race leader, #33-Ron Hornaday to also pit. When racing resumed, Busch quickly overtook those trucks that stayed out to take over the lead. A second round of rain forced a red flag condition with seven laps still remaining. Busch restarted in first place, and maintained the lead to win the American Commercial Lines 200 at AMS over second place finisher #33-Ron Hornaday Jr. This was Kyle Busch's third series win at Atlanta; his eighth overall in 39 starts. This was also the third Craftsman Truck Series win for truck owner Billy Ballew at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Ron Hornaday Jr. set a new track record at Atlanta leading 81 Laps, the previous record was held by Mike Skinner at 67 Laps. Rounding out the top ten were #33-Ron Hornaday Jr. second, # 5-Mike Skinner third, #88-Matt Crafton fourth, #8-Chad McCumbee fifth, #2-Jack Sprague sixth, #59-Ted Musgrave seventh, #60-Terry Cook eighth, #30-Todd Bodine ninth, #21-Jon Wood tenth. There were 18 lead changes among 7 drivers with 4 cautions for 21 laps.(3-7-2008)

Race Awards:
Featherlite Most Improved Driver Award : Jon Wood, #21 (22 Places)
Keystone Light Pole Award: Ron Hornaday, Jr., #33 (175.571 mph)
Mahle Clevite Engine Builder of the Race: Ron Hornaday, Jr., #33
Mobil1 Command Performance Driver of the Race: Mike Skinner #5
Raybestos Rookie of the Race Award: Justin Marks, #9
Sunoco Diamond Performance: Kyle Busch, #51
Wix Filters Lap Leader Award: Ron Hornaday, Jr., #33 (81 Laps)(NASCAR PR)(3-10-2008)

NASCAR Race Number 3
OFFICIAL Race Results for the American Commercial Lines 200 - Friday, March 7, 2008 OFFICIAL
Atlanta Motor Speedway - Hampton, GA - 1.54 Mile Paved
Total Race Length - 130 Laps - 200.2 Miles - Purse: $552,521

Finish	Start	Trk #	Driver	Team	Laps	Points	Bonus	Award	Status
1	3	51	Kyle Busch	Miccosukee Resorts Toyota	130	190	5	$55,550	Running
2	1	33	Ron Hornaday	Camping World Chevy	130	180	10	$40,575	Running
3	12	5	Mike Skinner	Toyota Tundra Toyota	130	170	5	$27,645	Running
4	15	88	Matt Crafton	Menards/Energizer Chevy	130	160		$17,335	Running
5	2	8	Chad McCumbee	Malcolmson Construction Chevy	130	160	5	$15,960	Running
6	5	2	Jack Sprague	American Commercial Lines Chevy	130	155	5	$10,660	Running
7	4	59	Ted Musgrave	Team ASE/Harris Trucking Toyota	130	146		$12,390	Running
8	6	60	Terry Cook	Wyler.com Toyota	130	142		$12,290	Running
9	7	30	Todd Bodine	Lumber Liquidators Toyota	130	138		$12,160	Running
10	16	21	Jon Wood	The Barnhill Group Ford	129	134		$15,610	Running
11	19	14	Rick Crawford	Power Stroke Diesel by Int'l Ford	129	130		$11,635	Running
12	14	99	Erik Darnell	Northern Tool + Equipment Ford	129	132	5	$11,435	Running
13	8	18	Dennis Setzer	Melling Engine Parts Dodge	129	129	5	$11,335	Running
14	11	9	Justin Marks #	Crocs Toyota	129	121		$12,235	Running
15	24	10	Brendan Gaughan	Int'l MAXXFORCE Diesel	129	118		$12,485	Running
16	17	22	Phillip McGilton #	Three Wide Life Toyota	129	115		$11,035	Running
17	20	16	Brian Scott #	Shark Energy Drink/Albertsons	129	112		$10,985	Running
18	22	09	Travis Kvapil	Zaxby's Ford	129	109		$10,860	Running
19	10	4	Stacy Compton	Landmark Dodge Dodge	129	106		$10,810	Running
20	25	71	Donny Lia #	TRG Motorsports Chevy	128	103		$9,010	Running
21	21	11	David Starr	Red Horse Racing Toyota	128	100		$10,910	Running
22	23	7	Andy Lally #	TRG Motorsports/Adobe Road Winery	128	97		$9,410	Running
23	29	15	Marc Mitchell #	Hyprene Ergon Chevy	128	94		$8,360	Running
24	31	08	Jason White	GunBroker.com Dodge	128	91		$9,335	Running
25	26	40	Chad Chaffin	Key Motorsports Chevy	128	88		$8,310	Running
26	18	13	Shelby Howard	ThorSport Racing Chevy	128	85		$8,260	Running
27	28	46	Scott Speed	Red Bull Chevy	127	82		$8,235	Running
28	9	6	Colin Braun #	Con-way Freight Ford	126	79		$8,210	Running
29	27	20	Scott Lagasse Jr	Nicholson Group Ford	125	76		$8,185	Running
30	13	23	Johnny Benson	Toyota Certified Used Vehicles Toyota	110	73		$8,160	Running
31	30	07	Shane Sieg	ASI Limited Chevy	76	70		$8,135	Engine
32	32	0	Butch Miller	GunBroker.com Chevy	3	67		$8,110	Overheating

Race Comments:	Before an announced crowd of 25,000 - Kyle Busch won the American Commercial Lines 200 - his third NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series victory. Prior to the green flag no trucks dropped to the rear of the field.
Failed to Qualify:	N/A
Time of Race:	01 Hrs, 34 Mins, 10 Secs.
Average Speed:	127.561 MPH
Margin of Victory:	1.116 Seconds
Caution Flags:	4 for 21 laps: Laps: 20-26 (#23 accident frontstretch); 42-45 (#9 spun frontstretch); 112-115 (precipitation); 121-126 (precipitation - Red Flag [9 min. 51 sec]).
Lead Changes:	18 among 7 drivers: R. Hornaday (Pole); K. Busch 1-3; R. Hornaday 4-8; K. Busch 9-20; R. Hornaday 21-42; J. Sprague 43-45; R. Hornaday 46-47; K. Busch 48-50; R. Hornaday 51-52; K. Busch 53-58; R. Hornaday 59-89; J. Sprague 90; C. McCumbee 91; M. Skinner 92; E. Darnell 93; D. Setzer 94; R. Hornaday 95-113; C. McCumbee 114-115; K. Busch 116-130.

Busch leads driver point standings: #51-Kyle Busch leads the driver point standings following Atlanta with 555; 72 points ahead #30-Todd Bodine in second place. Rounding out the top ten are; #33 Ron Hornaday Jr. third, #8-Chad McCumbee fourth, #23-Johnny Benson fifth, #14-Rick Crawford sixth, #5-Mike Skinner seventh, #11-David Starr eighth, #18-Dennis Setzer ninth, #22-Phillip McGilton tenth.(3-7-2008)

Points Report
Atlanta Motor Speedway
American Commercial Lines 200
OFFICIAL Provided by NASCAR Statistics - Friday, 3/7/2008 @ 8:10 PM Pacific OFFICIAL

Pos	Driver	BPts	Pts	Ldr	Starts
1	Kyle Busch	15	555	0	3
2	Todd Bodine	15	483	-72	3
3	Ron Hornaday	20	433	-122	3
4	Chad McCumbee	5	415	-140	3
5	Johnny Benson	10	413	-142	3
6	Rick Crawford	5	411	-144	3
7	Mike Skinner	10	393	-162	3
8	David Starr	0	384	-171	3
9	Dennis Setzer	10	383	-172	3
10	Phillip McGilton #	0	376	-179	3
11	Terry Cook	0	375	-180	3
12	Ted Musgrave	0	375	-180	3
13	Erik Darnell	15	372	-183	3
14	Matt Crafton	0	369	-186	3
15	Jack Sprague	5	358	-197	3
16	Stacy Compton	0	356	-199	3
17	Brian Scott #	0	344	-211	3
18	Justin Marks #	0	327	-228	3
19	Marc Mitchell #	0	321	-234	3
20	Brendan Gaughan	0	306	-249	3
21	Andy Lally #	0	303	-252	3
22	Shelby Howard	0	291	-264	3
23	Colin Braun #	0	287	-268	3
24	Jon Wood	0	283	-272	3
25	Scott Lagasse Jr	0	267	-288	3
26	Jason White	5	266	-289	2
27	Travis Kvapil	5	260	-295	2
28	Chad Chaffin	0	222	-333	3
29	Erin Crocker	0	203	-352	2
30	Donny Lia #	0	188	-367	2
31	Scott Lynch	0	185	-370	3
32	Shane Sieg	0	164	-391	2
33	Mike Bliss	0	155	-400	2
34	Wayne Edwards	0	112	-443	1
35	Larry Foyt	0	109	-446	1
36	Justin Hobgood	0	103	-452	1
37	Scott Speed	0	82	-473	1
38	Joey Clanton	0	67	-488	1
39	Butch Miller	0	67	-488	2
40	P J Jones	0	58	-497	1
41	A J Allmendinger	0	0	-555	1
42	Morgan Shepherd	0	0	-555	1
43	Brian Sockwell	0	0	0	0

Owner Points Following Race # 3
Atlanta Motor Speedway
American Commercial Lines 200
OFFICIAL Provided by NASCAR Statistics - Friday, 3/7/2008 @ 8:11 PM Pacific OFFICIAL

Pos	Owner	Trk#	Pts	Ldr	Attempts
1	Billy Ballew	51	555	0	3
2	Steve Germain	30	483	-72	3
3	Delana Harvick	33	433	-122	3
4	Dave Malcolmson	8	415	-140	3
5	Gail Davis	23	413	-142	3
6	Tom Mitchell	14	411	-144	3
7	Bill Davis	5	393	-162	3
8	Tom Deloach	11	384	-171	3
9	Lori Hamilton	18	383	-172	3
10	Bill Davis	22	376	-179	3
11	Jeffrey Wyler	60	375	-180	3
12	James Harris, Jr	59	375	-180	3
13	Jack Roush	99	372	-183	3
14	Rhonda Thorson	88	369	-186	3
15	Delana Harvick	2	358	-197	3
16	Lori Hamilton	4	356	-199	3
17	Joe Scott	16	344	-211	3
18	Jack Roush	09	327	-228	3
19	Bob Germain	9	327	-228	3
20	Billy Ballew	15	321	-234	3
21	Tom Mitchell	10	306	-249	3
22	Kevin Buckler	7	303	-252	3
23	Duke Thorson	13	291	-264	3
24	Jack Roush	6	287	-268	3
25	David Dollar	46	285	-270	3
26	Eddie Wood	21	283	-272	3
27	Tad Geschickter	20	267	-288	3
28	Bobby Dotter	08	266	-289	3
29	Ken Smith	07	255	-300	3
30	Kevin Buckler	71	252	-303	3
31	Curtis Key	40	222	-333	3
32	James Lynch	29	185	-370	2
33	Jim Rosenblum	28	112	-443	1
34	Shelly Brevak	31	109	-446	1
35	William Bishop	53	103	-452	1
36	Gene Christensen	0	67	-488	2
37	Michael Mittler	63	58	-497	1
38	Jerry Reary	54	52	-503	1
39	David Dollar	47	0	-555	1
44	Curtis Key	44	0	-555	1

Hornaday wins the pole: #33-Ron Hornaday Jr. was the fastest qualifier with a speed of 175.571 to win the pole for the American Commercial Lines 200 at Atlanta. Rounding out the top ten were; #8-Chad McCumbee second, #51-Kyle Busch third, #59-Ted Musgrave fourth, #2-Jack Sprague fifth, #60-Terry Cook sixth, #30-Todd Bodine seventh, #18-Dennis Setzer eighth, #6-Colin Braun ninth, #4-Stacy Compton tenth. The first rookie [9th] #6-Colin Braun.(3-7-2008)

Pit Stall Selections

Starting Lineup
Atlanta Motor Speedway
American Commercial Lines 200
Provided by NASCAR Statistics- Fri, March 07, 2008 @ 02:48 PM Pacific

Pos	Trk#	Driver	Team	Time	Speed
1	33	Ron Hornaday	Camping World Chevy	31.577	175.571
2	8	Chad McCumbee	Malcolmson Construction Chevy	31.727	174.741
3	51	Kyle Busch	Miccosukee Resorts Toyota	31.728	174.735
4	59	Ted Musgrave	Team ASE/Harris Trucking Toyota	31.806	174.307
5	2	Jack Sprague	American Commercial Lines Chevy	31.820	174.230
6	60	Terry Cook	Wyler.com Toyota	31.866	173.979
7	30	Todd Bodine	Lumber Liquidators Toyota	31.898	173.804
8	18	Dennis Setzer	Melling Engine Parts Dodge	31.908	173.750
9	6	Colin Braun #	Con-way Freight Ford	31.926	173.652
10	4	Stacy Compton	Landmark Dodge Dodge	31.937	173.592
11	9	Justin Marks #	Crocs Toyota	31.952	173.510
12	5	Mike Skinner	Toyota Tundra Toyota	31.961	173.461
13	23	Johnny Benson	Toyota Certified Used Vehicles Toyota	31.994	173.282
14	99	Erik Darnell	Northern Tool + Equipment Ford	31.999	173.255
15	88	Matt Crafton	Menards/Energizer Chevy	32.038	173.045
16	21	Jon Wood	The Barnhill Group Ford	32.085	172.791
17	22	Phillip McGilton #	Three Wide Life Toyota	32.109	172.662
18	13	Shelby Howard	ThorSport Racing Chevy	32.153	172.426
19	14	Rick Crawford	Power Stroke Diesel by Int'l Ford	32.218	172.078
20	16	Brian Scott #	Shark Energy Drink/Albertsons Chevy	32.270	171.800
21	11	David Starr	Red Horse Racing Toyota	32.287	171.710
22	09	Travis Kvapil	Zaxby's Ford	32.299	171.646
23	7	Andy Lally #	TRG Motorsports/Adobe Road Winery	32.315	171.561
24	10	Brendan Gaughan	Int'l MAXXFORCE Diesel Ford	32.317	171.551
25	71	Donny Lia #	TRG Motorsports Chevy	32.355	171.349
26	40	Chad Chaffin	Key Motorsports Chevy	32.549	170.328
27	20	Scott Lagasse Jr	Nicholson Group Ford	32.606	170.030
28	46	Scott Speed	Red Bull Chevy	32.621	169.952
29	15	Marc Mitchell #	Hyprene Ergon Chevy	32.649	169.806
30	07	Shane Sieg	ASI Limited Chevy	32.857	168.731
31	08	Jason White	GunBroker.com Dodge	33.000	168.000
32	0	Butch Miller	GunBroker.com Chevy	33.403	165.973
DNQ: None

One abbreviated practice session for trucks; Hornaday quickest: The trucks took to the track at approximately 1:05pm for their only practice session for the American Commercial Lines 200. Fastest on track, #33-Ron Hornaday with a speed of 176.915 followed by #2-Jack Sprague second, #8-Chad McCumbee third, #59-Ted Musgrave fourth, #60-Terry Cook fifth, #99-Erik Darnell sixth, #30-Todd Bodine seventh, #5-Mike Skinner eighth, #51-Kyle Busch ninth, #23-Johnny Benson tenth. The first rookie [11th] #6-Colin Braun; first Dodge [15th} #4-Stacy Compton. One incident right at the close of session; #15-Marc Mitchell, slight damage to the left front. There were 32 trucks on track for the session.(3-7-2008)

NCTS Final Practice
Atlanta Motor Speedway
American Commercial Lines 200
Provided by NASCAR Statistics - Fri, March 07, 2008 @ 10:01 AM Pacific

Pos	#	Driver	Team	Time	Speed	# Laps
1	33	Ron Hornaday	Camping World Chevy	31.337	176.915	28
2	*2	Jack Sprague	American Commercial Lines Chevy	31.372	176.718	20
3	8	Chad McCumbee	Malcolmson Construction Chevy	31.451	176.274	21
4	59	Ted Musgrave	Team ASE/Harris Trucking Toyota	31.474	176.145	18
5	60	Terry Cook	Wyler.com Toyota	31.522	175.877	20
6	99	Erik Darnell	Northern Tool + Equipment Ford	31.558	175.677	30
7	30	Todd Bodine	Lumber Liquidators Toyota	31.678	175.011	14
8	5	Mike Skinner	Toyota Tundra Toyota	31.686	174.967	23
9	51	Kyle Busch	Miccosukee Resorts Toyota	31.743	174.653	21
10	23	Johnny Benson	Toyota Certified Used Vehicles Toyota	31.793	174.378	12
11	6	Colin Braun #	Con-way Freight Ford	31.854	174.044	37
12	7	Andy Lally #	TRG Motorsports/Adobe Road Winery	31.947	173.537	26
13	88	Matt Crafton	Menards/Energizer Chevy	31.950	173.521	24
14	22	Phillip McGilton #	Three Wide Life Toyota	31.954	173.499	22
15	4	Stacy Compton	Landmark Dodge Dodge	32.004	173.228	24
16	14	Rick Crawford	Power Stroke Diesel by Int'l Ford	32.039	173.039	27
17	11	David Starr	Red Horse Racing Toyota	32.049	172.985	16
18	9	Justin Marks #	Crocs Toyota	32.147	172.458	22
19	20	Scott Lagasse Jr	Nicholson Group Ford	32.193	172.211	24
20	40	Chad Chaffin	Key Motorsports Chevy	32.241	171.955	23
21	08	Jason White	GunBroker.com Dodge	32.252	171.896	24
22	13	Shelby Howard	ThorSport Racing Chevy	32.262	171.843	22
23	21	Jon Wood	The Barnhill Group Ford	32.264	171.832	20
24	*15	Marc Mitchell #	Hyprene Ergon Chevy	32.277	171.763	25
25	16	Brian Scott #	Shark Energy Drink/Albertsons Chevy	32.329	171.487	24
26	07	Shane Sieg	ASI Limited Chevy	32.392	171.153	20
27	18	Dennis Setzer	Melling Engine Parts Dodge	32.413	171.042	18
28	09	Travis Kvapil	Zaxby's Ford	32.459	170.800	20
29	*71	Donny Lia #	TRG Motorsports Chevy	32.562	170.260	29
30	10	Brendan Gaughan	Int'l MAXXFORCE Diesel Ford	32.742	169.324	23
31	46	Scott Speed	Red Bull Chevy	32.817	168.937	32
32	*0	Butch Miller	GunBroker.com Chevy	0.000	0.000	0
*Required to qualify on time

Entry List
Atlanta Motor Speedway
American Commercial Lines 200
Provided by NASCAR Statistics - Thu, March 06, 2008 @ 02:51 PM Pacific

Entry	Trk#	Driver	Team	Owner	Crew Chief
1	*0	Butch Miller	GunBroker.com Chevy	Gene Christensen	Mike Davis
2	*2	Jack Sprague	American Commercial Lines Chevy	Delana Harvick	Ernie Cope
3	4	Stacy Compton	Landmark Dodge Dodge	Lori Hamilton	Bryant Frazier
4	5	Mike Skinner	Toyota Tundra Toyota	Bill Davis	Jeff Hensley
5	6	Colin Braun #	Con-way Freight Ford	Jack Roush	MIke Beam
6	07	Shane Sieg	ASI Limited Chevy	Gene Christensen	Mike Davis
7	7	Andy Lally #	TRG Motorsports/Adobe Road Winery	Kevin Buckler	Butch Hylton
8	08	Jason White	GunBroker.com Dodge	Bobby Dotter	Doug Howe
9	8	Chad McCumbee	Malcolmson Construction Chevy	David Malcolmson	Steve Genenbacher
10	09	Travis Kvapil	Zaxby's Ford	Jack Roush	John Quinn
11	9	Justin Marks #	Crocs Toyota	Bob Germain	Jason Overstreet
12	10	Brendan Gaughan	Int'l MAXXFORCE Diesel Ford	Tom Mitchell	Bryan Berry
13	11	David Starr	Red Horse Racing Toyota	Tom DeLoach	Jamie Jones
14	13	Shelby Howard	ThorSport Racing Chevy	Duke Thorson	Lance Hooper
15	14	Rick Crawford	Power Stroke Diesel by Int'l Ford	Tom Mitchell	Kevin Starland
16	*15	Marc Mitchell #	Hyprene Ergon Chevy	Billy Ballew	Doug George
17	16	Brian Scott #	Shark Energy Drink/Albertsons Chevy	Joe Scott	David Fuge
18	18	Dennis Setzer	Melling Engine Parts Dodge	Lori Hamilton	Marcus Richmond
19	20	Scott Lagasse Jr	Nicholson Group Ford	Tad Geschickter	Gary Cogswell
20	21	Jon Wood	The Barnhill Group Ford	Eddie Wood	John Monsam
21	22	Phillip McGilton #	Three Wide Life Toyota	Bill Davis	Doug Wolcott
22	23	Johnny Benson	Toyota Certified Used Vehicles Toyota	Gail Davis	Trip Bruce
23	30	Todd Bodine	Lumber Liquidators Toyota	Steven Germain	Mike Hillman
24	33	Ron Hornaday	Camping World Chevy	Delana Harvick	Rick Ren
25	40	Chad Chaffin	Key Motorsports Chevy	Curtis Key	Gary Showalter
26	46	Scott Speed	Red Bull Chevy	David Dollar	Eric Phillips
27	51	Kyle Busch	Miccosukee Resorts Toyota	Billy Ballew	Richie Wauters
28	59	Ted Musgrave	Team ASE/Harris Trucking Toyota	James Harris	Danny Rollins
29	60	Terry Cook	Wyler.com Toyota	Jeff Wyler	George Church
30	*71	Donny Lia #	TRG Motorsports Chevy	Kevin Buckler	Jason Miller
31	88	Matt Crafton	Menards/Energizer Chevy	Rhonda Thorson	Bud Haefele
32	99	Erik Darnell	Northern Tool + Equipment Ford	Jack Roush	Matt Puccia
*Required to qualify on time

Truck Series News & Notes

News & Notes - Atlanta Motor Speedway

Hot Racing n Hotlanta:

Two races into the season, Atlanta Motor Speedway, a 1.54 mile "intermediate" track, could be pivotal for one's championship run. The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series champion has won at least one race on an intermediate track in six of the last eight seasons (including 2006-07).

Todd Bodine (#30 Lumber Liquidators Toyota) is off to a strong start after winning the season opener at Daytona International Speedway and a runner-up finish at Auto Club Speedway. "First place one week, second the next - that's how you win championships," he said. Bodine has visited Victory Lane at AMS, the same year he won the series championship in 2006.

Reigning series champion Ron Hornaday Jr. (#30 Camping World/VFW Chevy) and former series champion Mike Skinner (#5 Toyota Tundra Toyota) have both snagged the checkered flag at Atlanta. Skinner, with an average starting position of second in seven starts at Atlanta, is looking to end his current six-race winless streak and add another series title to his resume.

Three-time series champion Jack Sprague (#2 American Commercial Lines/RVs.com Chevy) is chasing his first win at AMS, one of eight tracks on the series schedule where the driver has yet to take the checkered flag. NASCAR Preseason Thunder testing at Atlanta gave the team confidence going into this weekend. Sprague posted top-five speeds both days. "I think we are going back to Atlanta even better than we tested," he said. The driver added, "We need to begin to get the ball rolling in the right direction this season and I think this weekend is the perfect place for us to do that."

Experienced Newcomers:

TRG Motorsports may be new the new kid on the NASCAR block, but experience is something the team has. Since its inception in 1993, TRG (The Racer's Group) has competed in and dominated the top level of sports car racing. In the spring of 2007, owner and CEO Kevin Buckler made the decision to enter the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. On the decision to enter the series, Buckler said, "The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series is extremely competitive. The guys are like gladiators out there." With the rookie duo of Andy Lally (#7 TRG Chevy) and Donny Lia (#71 TRG Chevy, Buckler and crew feel they have put together two teams that will hold their own in the series. The first three-time Grand Am Rolex Series champion, Lally is competing in his first full NASCAR season and is on a mission to win in the series. Lia joins TRG following an impressive 2007 season in the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour, which culminated with the series championship. "I'm excited to be racing for TRG Motorsports. I know that we have good equipment and good people so I am confident heading into the season," he said.

Etc:

All Eyes On Busch … Kyle Busch will pilot the #51 Toyota again for Atlanta businessman Billy Ballew. Busch is the only driver expected to compete in the trucks, NASCAR Nationwide Series, and the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at Atlanta. Busch, winner of the 2005 and 2007 fall races at the track, looks to extend his winning streak this weekend and stay atop the drivers' point standings. Busch looks forward to running again with the series. "It is great racing and it is fun to be able to go out there and run with these guys in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series," he said.

Top of The winning chart … The five drivers with the most victories in the series' five most recent seasons (2004-2008) will compete in the American Commercial Lines 200. Of the five drivers, all but Johnny Benson have won five of the seven races at Atlanta.

NCTS top five Winners:
Todd Bodine, 133, one win each season
Johnny Benson, 9
Mike Skinner,8
Ron Hornaday Jr, 7
Kyle Busch, 7

Competitive Track … Atlanta Motor Speedway holds the record for the closest finish on a superspeedway. Ron Hornaday, Jr. edged Bobby Labonte back in March 2005 by .008 second to take the win. On the flip side, Hornaday finished second to Kyle Busch last October by a margin of .971 second - the widest margin in the track's seven series races.

The race's final lead change has taken place with 12 or fewer laps to go in all seven races held in Atlanta. There were last lap passes for the win on two occasions: Bobby Hamilton and Mike Skinner (2004) and Kyle Busch and Jack Sprague (fall 2005).

Home Again … Tucker, Ga., native Shane Sieg (#07 Chevy) will make his third start at Atlanta Motor Speedway this weekend where his best finish is 13th (2004).

The #13 ThorSport Racing Chevy team of driver Shelby Howard has a fellow Georgia native on its crew as well. Kevin Gravitte, who hails from Conyers, is the team's jackman. Gravitte played basketball for Mount Vernon Christian School in two state championship seasons and was named team and title game's Most Valuable Player.

Championship team Kevin Harvick Inc. will have crew members making a homecoming as well. Austin Walker, the rear tire carrier and mechanic for the #2 ACL/RVs.com Chevy team, hails from Lawrenceville. effrey Roth, rear tire carrier for Hornaday's team, calls Washington, Ga., home. Roth will be pulling double duty for the weekend performing his duties for both the truck team and the #33 Camping World/RoadLoans.com/Rheem Chevy NASCAR Nationwide Series entry driven by Kevin Harvick.

Speed On Track … F1 driver Scott Speed is slated to race for Morgan-Dollar Motorsports at Atlanta and Martinsville speedways. Speed made his ARCA stock car debut last October with a seventh-place finish at Talladega Superspeedway. Speed will drive the #46 Red Bull Chevy in Atlanta.

Scott is not the first Speed in NASCAR. Former NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Lake Speed (no relation) made his mark in the sport with 402 series starts (1980-1998) and one win at Darlington in 1988. Both are former karting champions.

Double Duty … Bill Davis Racing drivers Skinner and Benson have stepped in to help pilot the #27 Toyota entry into the top 35 owners points of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. Skinner ran the car last weekend at Las Vegas Motor Speedway where he had a strong qualifying run, placing the car fifth. Benson, winner of AMS' NASCAR Nationwide race in 1995, will take over this weekend.

Rookies holding their own:

The seven Raybestos Rookie of the Year candidates are eager to take the green flag at Atlanta. And for good reason. Right out of the gate, the class is showing strength. Colin Braun (#6 Con-way Freight Ford) and Phillip McGilton (#22 3Wide Life Toyota) held steady in the top 10 at Auto Club Speedway.

Fellow rookie classmates Justin Marks (#9 Crocs Toyota) and Brian Scott (#16 Shark Energy Drink/Albertsons Chevy) rounded out the top 10 the previous week in Daytona.

The 20-year-old Scott took the rookie points lead after California. But the competition is tight with only a single point separating he, Braun, Marks and McGilton. The driver sits 13th in the series point standings and is a mere 18 points out of 10th. This weekend will not be his first time to race at Atlanta. He made his fourth series start last fall at the track where he finished on the lead lap in the 19th position, three spots higher than McGilton.

Marc Mitchell (#15 Hyprene Ergon Chevy) competed in an American Speedway Association race at AMS several years ago.

In the Loop: Kyle Busch leads the pack

Kyle Busch likely won't relinquish his stranglehold on the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series points lead this weekend. Not if he keeps up his startling numbers at Atlanta. Busch is 2-for-2 there, checking into Victory Lane in both 2005 and last season. And he did it in dominating fashion. His stats are incredible. In the two wins, Busch has a Driver Rating of 141.2, an Average Running Position of 2.3, an average Green Flag Speed of 176.067 mph (which is almost a full mph faster than second-fastest Jon Wood, #21 The Barnhill Group Ford), and spent all but one of the 260 laps in the top 15.

Two drivers - one a youngster and one a veteran champion - could steal Busch's glory. Wood, 26, had a strong sixth-place run the last time he raced at Atlanta (2006). In that top-10 finish, Wood scored a Driver Rating of 107.9, an Average Running Position of 7.4, had 13 Fastest Laps Run and spent 126 of the 130 laps in the top 15.

Also watch for 2006 series champion Todd Bodine, winner of this year's opener at Daytona, to contend for the Atlanta win. Bodine won there in 2006 and has two runner-up finishes at the 1.54-mile track. In his six Atlanta appearances, Bodine has a Driver Rating of 109.5, an Average Running Position of 8.6, a series-high 80 Fastest Laps Run and 663 Laps in the Top 15 (83.9 percent).

This week's NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series leaders: (through two races of the 25-race season)
Points leader - Kyle Busch (365)
Driver Rating - Todd Bodine (130.6)
Winnings - Todd Bodine ($141,400)
Laps led - Todd Bodine (74)
Victories - Todd Bodine, Kyle Busch (1)
Keystone Light Poles - Erik Darnell (1)
Top-five finishes - Three drivers with two
Top-10 finishes - Three drivers with two
Raybestos Rookie Leader - Brian Scott (1 point over 3 drivers)
Races led - Mike Skinner (18)
Weeks in Top 10 - Nine drivers tied with 19

Director's take: expect competitive racing

NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Director Wayne Auton is pleased. So far, so good he said. "The American Commercial Lines 200 should be another exciting race, as AMS always seems to have." "With a test earlier this year at AMS, teams are really geared up for this event. With the new rules packages in place for 2008 and a California race under their belts, teams are working on figuring out the aero along with the horsepower these engines are producing and how it will impact the racing. I expect, and people will agree, it will be a very competitive race."

Auton also has compliments for the season's Raybestos Rookie of the Year class. "With two races under our belt, the rookie class has proven why this year may be the best rookie class in years in the NCTS." He added, "With a small point difference separating the rookie class from top to bottom and a variety of teams all having a good start to the 2008 season, it is really anyone's guess who will be the Raybestos Rookie of the Year in 2008."

Toyota on a roll, Chevy tops for Atlanta:

Toyota is off to a strong start in 2008. The manufacturer claimed not only the #1 spot at Auto Club Speedway but six of the remaining top-10 positions. Toyota has won five consecutive races beginning with Ted Musgrave's (#59 Team ASE Racing Toyota) victory at Texas Motor Speedway Nov. 2, 2007 but only two of seven races at Atlanta.

Chevy holds the most wins by a manufacturer for Atlanta with four.

2008 Manufacturers' Championship Point Standings:
Toyota, 18
Ford, 10
Chevy, 9
Dodge, 7

Up next:

Testing at Martinsville Speedway is scheduled for March 12-13, with March 14 as a rain date if necessary. The season will continue with the Kroger 250 at Martinsville March 28-29.

Mike Skinner is the defending winner of last year's Kroger 250. Skinner, who won from the pole, captured the coveted starting position, setting a track record qualifying run of 19.728 seconds, 95.985 mph. Skinner also won last October's race at the track, becoming the first driver to sweep both races in the same seaso
(NASCAR Media)(3-3-2008)

News & Notes - February 25, 2008

For Billy Ballew Motorsports, it's one (good) race at a time: Atlanta businessman Billy Ballew has his team exactly where he hopes it will be at the conclusion of the season - atop the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Owners Championship standings. It won't be easy despite having the services, at least for part of the season, of Auto Club Speedway winner Kyle Busch (#51 San Bernardino County 200). Busch won for the seventh time in a Ballew truck and in just the team's second start with a Toyota. Ballew is what in another era would be called an independent. He puts together sponsorship on a race-by-race basis and pays Busch out of his own pocket. To win a title against the giants of the series would be the classic David defeating Goliath. Ballew, however, believes it can be done. Up next is Atlanta Motor Speedway on March 7 where Busch has won twice including last fall's race.

NASCAR Craftsman Trucks a series for all ages: Experience may pay dividends in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series in which each of the past four champions had passed their 40th birthdays. But don't look now: Youth is gaining. Three members of the current top 10 - including championship leader Busch - are in their twenties. Todd Bodine (#30 Lumber Liquidators Toyota) won the Daytona season opener at age 43. Busch turned the tables in Fontana at age 22.

Consider that drivers representing five different decades of age placed among the top 10 of Saturday's San Bernardino County 200. Colin Braun (#6 Con-way Freight Toyota) was the youngest at age 19 and is believed to be the first teenager to record a top-10 finish in the series since Busch - at age 16 years four months - placed ninth at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in October 2001. Two competitors who have celebrated their 50th birthdays had solid days, as well. Ted Musgrave (#59 Team ASE Toyota) finished sixth to record his seventh consecutive top 10 at Auto Club Speedway. Musgrave is 52. Mike Skinner (#5 Toyota Tundra Toyota) finished eighth. Among the top 10, teens had one finisher; 20s two; thirties, one; forties four and fifties two. Drivers finishing in the top 10 of last Saturday's San Bernardino County 200 represented five different decades in age.

Etc:

Kvapil Snaps Streak … Perhaps it was fitting that Travis Kvapil (#09 Zaxby's Ford) would finish seventh to end a six-race streak during which no Roush Fenway Racing entry had finished among the top 10. Kvapil had posted the organization's last top 10, a victory in September at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

Tapered Spacer Gets A-OK … The San Bernardino County 200 marked the first time that a tapered spacer between carburetor and intake manifold had been required in a non-Daytona/Talladega event. Ron Hornaday Jr., who finished fourth in the #33 Camping World Chevy, had praise for the device that reduces horsepower as a cost-cutting initiative. "These things are fun to drive," said the 2007 champion. "It's back in the driver's hands again."

Busch Sets Several Records … The Busch brothers, Kyle and Kurt, now are the only siblings to win series races at two tracks. The pair previously counted victories at Dover Int'l Speedway. Busch's seventh victory matched Mark Martin's record for series wins by a current NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver.

Cook Clicks With Wylers … Terry Cook had gone seven races without a top five but finished fourth at Fontana in his second ride in the #60 Wyler.com Toyota. His best Auto Club Speedway finish, sixth, came in 2001.

In The Loop:

Thus far in the young NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series season, two drivers stand out among the rest - Kyle Busch and Todd Bodine. The two flip-flopped first and second positions in the first two races of the season with Busch turning in a dominating performance last Saturday at the Auto Club Speedway.

Busch scored a near-perfect Driver Rating of 148.6, an Average Running Position of 2.7, had 39 Fastest Laps Run and ran 98 of the 100 laps in the top 15. With the dominating performance, Busch took the overall series points lead.

But statistically, NASCAR Craftsman Truck mainstay Todd Bodine has been a shade better than the NASCAR Sprint Cup regular. Bodine holds the top marks in Driver Rating (130.6), Average Running Position (2.7) and Laps Led (74).

Busch holds the edge in Fastest Laps Run (44) and Laps in the Top 15 (197 for a percentage of 98.5). Busch's season Average Running Position is 4.9 and his Driver Rating is 124.2.

Within striking distance of the season's first two winners is Johnny Benson (#23 Toyota Certified Used Vehicles Toyota). Benson, who leads the series with 109 Green Flag Passes, has an Average Running Position of 7.6 (third best), a Driver Rating of 101.8 (third), eight Fastest Laps Run (third) and has run 85 percent of the laps in the top 15.

This Week's NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Leaders: (through two races of the 25-race season)
Points leader - Kyle Busch (365)
Driver Rating - Todd Bodine (130.6)
Winnings - Todd Bodine ($141,400)
Laps led - Todd Bodine (74)
Victories - Todd Bodine, Kyle Busch (1)
Keystone Light Poles - Erik Darnell (1)
Top-five finishes - Three drivers with two
Top-10 finishes - Three drivers with two
Raybestos Rookie Leader - Brian Scott (1 point over 3 drivers)
Races led - Mike Skinner (18)
Weeks in Top 10 - Nine drivers tied with 19
Freshman Class Continues To Roll

Raybestos Rookies:

Raybestos Rookie of the Year candidates occupied two spots in the top 10 at Auto Club Speedway as they did the previous week in Daytona. This time it was Colin Braun and Phillip McGilton (#22 3Wide Life Toyota) leading the way. Braun, ninth, bounced back from an accident-related 31st-place finish while McGilton, 10th, posted his second performance of 12th or better.

Both drivers and Justin Marks (#9 Crocs Toyota) trail Raybestos leader Brian Scott (#16 Shark Energy Drink/Albertsons Chevy) by a single point.

Seven drivers comprise the current rookie of the year field. Donny Lia (#71 TRG Racing Chevy) joined the field at Auto Club Speedway.

Two-For-Two For Toyota:
Toyota won back-to-back for the first time at Auto Club Speedway and for the second time in 2008. The truck maker holds an eight point lead over Ford in a quest for a third Manufacturers' Championship.

2008 Manufacturers' Championship Point Standings:
Toyota,18
Ford, 10
Chevy, 9
Dodge, 7

Up Next:

Atlanta Motor Speedway hosts the first of two 2008 events on March 7. The race kicks off the third NASCAR national series "tripleheader" of the season.

Mike Skinner is the defending winner of last year's American Commercial Lines 200, the second leg of a three-victory streak to begin the 2007 season.

Atlanta is one of the series' fastest tracks with Rick Crawford holding the one-lap record at 182.735 mph.
(NASCAR PR)(2-25-2008)

Additional Atlanta Truck Series Race Info at:
atlantamotorspeedway.com
espn.go.com
NASCAR.com
truckseries.com

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