Bobby Hamilton Racing on a roll since Dover The past six races, beginning with Chad Chaffins (No. 18 Dickies Dodge) June 1 victory at Dover International Speedway, have seen Bobby Hamilton Racing become the series strongest two-truck team. Hamilton (No. 4 Square D Dodge) won last weekends Built Ford Tough 225 at Kentucky Speedway to become the seasons first triple winner. BHR drivers have won three times and posted six top five and 11 top-10 finishes over the six-race span. Points-wise, Hamilton has moved from fifth to second his best ranking since June 28, 2003 and Chaffin from 13th to sixth, a career high. Hamilton led 133 of 153 laps at Kentucky, most laps led by any winner of 40 series races held on a 1.5-mile track.
Etc. Dennis Setzers (No. 46 Chevrolet Silverado Chevrolet) 34-point lead over Carl Edwards (No. 99 Superchips Ford) entering the Kentucky race, slipped to six over Hamilton following the event. Setzer has been atop the standings for eight consecutive races beginning May 16 at Mansfield, Ohio. There have been six different series winners at Gateway International Raceway. Three Terry Cook (No. 10 Power Stroke Diesel by International Ford), Ted Musgrave (No. 1 Mopar Dodge) and Jack Sprague (No. 16 Chevy Trucks Chevrolet) are entered in this weeks race. Steve Park (No. 62 Orleans Racing Dodge), drives last years winning truck of Brendan Gaughan. Ultra Motorsports counts four top-two finishes at Gateway, most by any team. The teams No. 2 Team ASE/Carquest Dodge, driven this season by Andy Houston, has been the runner-up in three consecutive years with Jason Leffler (twice) and Scott Riggs. Musgrave and Riggs finished one-two in 2001. St. Louis Rams guard Andy McCollum will be the honorary starter at Gateway International Raceway. The Missouri-Illinois Dodge Dealers Ram Tough 200 caps a run of seven consecutive weeks. After a week off the series moves to Michigan International Speedway where the July 31 Line-X Spray-On Truck Bedliners 200 marks the mid-point of the 2004 schedule of 25 races.
ON THE RIGHT TRACK
Musgrave, Sprague know their way around Gateway Jack Sprague and Ted Musgrave have led every race in which theyve competed at Gateway four and three respectively. Sprague has led the most laps/miles 252 and 315 while the pairs combined total miles led of 560 is 46.7% of 1,200 miles run.
Cook isnt one to overlook … The 2002 winner, Terry Cook also has a third-place finish at Gateway. He is the tracks leading money winner with $124,945. Cook, whose last victory came in August at Indianapolis Raceway Park, would like to end the series current second longest non-winning streak of 44 races. Cooks ppc Racing team won last years NASCAR Busch Series Charter Pipeline 250 with Riggs behind the wheel.
FROM THE ARCHIVES
In 14 combined NASCAR Busch Series and NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series events at Gateway International Raceway, only a single driver and owner have scored a victory in both divisions. Greg Biffle and Jack Roush won in NASCAR Craftsman Trucks in 1999 and on the NASCAR Busch Series in 2002. Among this weeks entered drivers, only Jack Sprague has finished among the top five at the track in each tour.
Fast Facts
What: Missouri-Illinois Dodge Dealers Ram Tough 200 (Race No. 12 of 25).
Where: Gateway International Raceway, Madison, Ill.
When: 8 p.m. ET, Saturday, July 17.
Track layout: 1.25-mile paved speedway.
Race length: 200miles/160 laps.
Posted awards: $558,714.
TV: SPEED Channel, 8 p.m. ET.
Radio: MRN, XM Satellite.
2003 winner: Brendan Gaughan.
2003 polesitter: Not held.
Pre-race schedule (all times local): Friday Practice 11:20 a.m. 1:20 p.m. Qualifying 3:30 p.m. Final practice 6:30 7:30 p.m., time permitting.(NASCAR PR)(7-15-2004)