Show me the money Setzer will become the series No. 3 career money winner when he takes the green flag in Saturdays The Built Ford Tough 225. Setzer, a veteran of 152 events, has won $3,070,138 and trails Ron Hornaday Jr. by $9,715. Last weeks race saw Travis Kvapil (No. 24 LINE-X Toyota) become the 10th driver to win $2 million or more ($2,013,753) while Hamilton ($998,200) at Kentucky is due to be the 26th member of the divisions $1 million club.
Etc. Carl Edwards (No. 99 Superchips Ford), winner of the July 3 OReilly Auto Parts 250, is the third driver in four races to post his second victory of the season. Setzer won at Texas Motor Speedway and Hamilton in Memphis events also sponsored by OReilly. Matt Crafton (No. 6 GM Goodwrench Chevrolet) and Jon Wood (No. 50 Roush Racing Ford) led their first laps of the year at Kansas Speedway. Crafton, advancing to fifth in the point standings, hadnt led a field since June 21, 2003 at Memphis while Wood, the defending Kansas winner, last led on Nov. 14, 2003 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. There have been five different Raybestos Rookie of the Race Award winners in the last five races with Kevin Love (No. 67 Fiddle Back Racing Ford) the latest with an 11th-place, career-best effort in Kansas. The Fourth Annual Craftsman-sponsored softball challenge, pitting series drivers against SPEED Channel talent and staff, is set for 5:30 p.m. Thursday at Champion Window Field, home of the Frontier Leagues Florence (Ky.) Freedom. Driver team coach Rick Crawford (No. 14 Circle Bar Motel & RV Ford) will toss out the first pitch for the Freedom-Kalamazoo Kings game that follows. Bang Racings two-week swap of crews and crew chiefs has ended with Eric Phillips returning to Kvapils Toyota and Rick Ren back with Mike Skinner (No. 42 Toyota Tundra Toyota). Two drivers, Greg Biffle (2000) and Mike Bliss (2002) won both The Built Ford Tough 225 and the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series championship in the same seasons. No Kentucky Speedway race has been won from the Bud Pole. In fact, no Bud Pole winner has a victory in any previous or subsequent series event at the track. Every pole starter, however, has finished fifth or better and on the lead lap. By starting this weeks event, Deborah Renshaw (No. 29 Motion Dealer Services Ford) will be the seventh different female to compete in a NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series event and fourth of 2004. There have been 57 races (of 227) in which at least one female competitor has participated.
ON THE RIGHT TRACK
Kentucky victory opened door for Edwards Last years Kentucky Speedway victory was the first of five for Carl Edwards, the most wins by any series driver over the one-year span three in 2003 and two this season. Setzers Kentucky record nearly spotless Although he gave back most of a 131-point championship lead with last weeks 25th-place finish at Kansas Speedway, Dennis Setzer figures to regain his momentum this week. Setzer, the only driver with three top-five finishes (2001-03) at Kentucky Speedway, has completed all 600 laps/900 miles contested at the 1.5-mile track and is the venues top money winner with $118,315.
FROM THE ARCHIVES
A virtually caution-free Kentucky Speedway event in 2002 saw Mike Bliss win the fifth-fastest race in NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series history at an average speed of 143.515 mph. Greg Biffles 2000 winning pace of 98.385 remains the slowest of 39 series events contested on a 1.5-mile track.
Fast Facts
What: The Built Ford Tough 225 presented by the Greater Cincinnati Ford Dealers (Race No. 11 of 25).
Where: Kentucky Speedway, Sparta, Ky.
When: 8 p.m. ET, Saturday, July 10.
Track layout: 1.5-mile paved speedway.
Race length: 225 miles/150 laps.
Posted awards: $731,384.
TV: SPEED Channel, 8 p.m. ET.
Radio: MRN, XM Satellite.
2003 winner: Carl Edwards.
2003 polesitter: Jon Wood.
Pre-race schedule (all times local): Friday Practice 2 p.m. 4 p.m. Qualifying 6 p.m. Final practicefollowing ARCA race, time permitting.(NASCAR PR)(7-8-2004)
