NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series drivers are scheduled to test at Texas Motor Speedway on Thursday, May 6th and Friday, May 7th from 9am to 5pm, include Ultra Motorsports drivers #1-Ted Musgrave and #2-Andy Houston along with Orleans Racing driver #62-Steve Park.(TMS PR)(5-5-2004)
UPDATE: #62-Steve Park has enjoyed success at Texas Motor Speedway in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup and Busch Series. But it took just six laps around “The Great American Speedway” Wednesday in The Orleans Dodge NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series machine for Park to fall in love and know that Texas and trucks were made for each other. Park was among seven Dodge truck teams that kicked off a two-day test session Wednesday in preparation for the June 11 O’Reilly 400k. Joining Park were #1-Ted Musgrave, Mopar Dodge; #2-Andy Houston, Team ASE/Carquest Dodge; #4-Bobby Hamilton, Square D Dodge; #18-Chad Chaffin, Dickies Dodge; #8-Chase Montgomery, Gladiator Garageworks Dodge and #59-Mark McFarland, Harris Trucking Dodge. “This is the first time I’ve driven a Dodge truck around Texas Motor Speedway,” said Park of his experience. “I’m used to the cars here. I took the truck out, shook it down, made a small adjustment and went another three laps. I came off turn four and said, woo hoo, that’s a lot of fun! Trucks in Texas, this is a fast place, in just the six laps on the race track, I was having a ball. Man, this is a lot of fun. The most fun I’ve had here in Texas was doing the first six laps in the truck. We’ve raced cars here a few times and had some decent runs, but I’ll tell you what, the way the truck is handling and the aerodynamics, they’re made for Texas Motor Speedway. The fans are in a for a good show.” Park has a tall order to try to fill in the O’Reilly 400k. Brendan Gaughan has won the last four NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series races at Texas in The Orleans Dodge before moving to the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series this season.
AND Mark McFarland was involved in a fourth-turn incident during the final hours of Wednesday’s Dodge NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series test at Texas Motor Speedway. McFarland, driver of the Harris Trucking Dodge, was transported by ground to Harris Methodist Hospital in Fort Worth following the accident as a precautionary measure. McFarland made hard contact with the fourth-turn wall with his truck coming to rest on the apron. McFarland was out of the truck and walking around with safety personnel following the incident.(TMS PR)(5-7-2004)
