Hamilton seasons fifth different points leader Nashvilles Bobby Hamilton enters this weeks home game as the new NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series championship leader by five points over Dennis Setzer (No. 46 Chevrolet Silverado Chevrolet). The last time Hamilton led the standings was last season. Following the 2003 season opener at Daytona, Hamilton won the following week at Darlington and led the points for seven consecutive weeks. He finished sixth in last years final rankings. This year, Setzers reign ended after 10 consecutive races, beginning May 16 at Mansfield Motorsports Speedway. Edwards and Travis Kvapil (No. 24 Line-X Toyota) also have led the standings, giving each manufacturer at least one driver at the top. Chaffin latest to double up Chad Chaffin (No. 18 Dickies Dodge), who led only the final lap, en route to his Aug. 6 win at Indianapolis Raceway Park, is the fourth driver this season with two or more victories. There hasnt been a repeat winner, however, over the past six races.
Etc. At Nashville, Hamilton and son Bobby Hamilton Jr. (No. 04 Hyde Park Electronics Dodge) will face off for the first time in a NASCAR Craftsman Truck event. The younger Hamilton finished fourth in the 2002 event. … Nashville fans will have plenty of rooting interest in the Toyota Tundra 200. Four area drivers the Hamiltons, Chaffin and Chase Montgomery (No. 8 Gladiator Garageworks Dodge) will compete along with Deborah Renshaw (No. 29 K Automotive Ford), a former Music City Motorplex late model competitor. The defending winner, Carl Edwards is the only previous winner expected to compete in the Toyota Tundra 200. Scott Riggs (2001) and Mike Bliss (2002) won the race from the Bud Pole. Chaffin finished sixth from the top starting spot last year. James Hylton (No. 77 Dodge) is set to make his NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series debut in Nashville, 12 days shy of his 69th birthday. Hylton, the 1966 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series Rookie of the Year and 1972 Talladega 500 winner, is a veteran of 641 starts in NASCARs premier series. Morgan Shepherd, at age 62, is the oldest driver to have started a NASCAR Craftsman Truck race; he did it in November 2003. The Toyota Tundra 200 marks the 22nd time the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series has appeared in Tennessee, beginning with the June 1995 stop at Bristol Motor Speedway. Only Virginia, with 23 events, has hosted more series races. As many as 10,000 Toyota employees from assembly plants in Indiana, Kentucky and Alabama are expected to attend Saturdays race, a hospitality event believed to be one of the largest ever by a single company for a NASCAR event. The Tundra, on which the manufacturers race truck is based, is built in Princeton, Ind.. Saturdays pre-race activities will see Darrell Waltrip hand over the keys to his Toyota Tundra Double Cab to Michigan native Mike Slusarski, who bid $42,301 in an eBay charity auction benefiting the Victory Junction Gang camp. Kyle Petty will accept Slusarskis bid 100 percent of which goes to the camp.
ON THE RIGHT TRACK
Crawford, Musgrave perfect at Nashville Musgrave and Crawford never have finished off the lead lap or out of the top five in three Nashville Superspeedway starts. Musgrave has led all three races. Crawford has led two.
QUOTEBOOK
My track record is pretty decent at tracks that I have little or no experience on, so Im going into the race this weekend looking to bring home another good finish for my manufacturer and team. Mike Skinner, No. 42 Toyota Tundra Toyota, the only competitor among the top 12 in points without a NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series appearance at Nashville Superspeedway. We built a brand new in-house truck for Bristol and needed to have a test session with it. Bobby Junior drove a truck for me two years ago in Nashville and finished fourth . He gave us a lot of great input, so this is a natural fit for us again. Harold Holly (Hamilton Jr.s NASCAR Busch Series crew chief) and all the Marines guys are coming over to pit it, so were excited about the help. Bobby Hamilton, on racing with his son in the Toyota Tundra 200. I love any opportunity to race with my dad. Every time we race together it is a learning opportunity for me. I love the fact I can drive my dads stuff and bring my Team Marines guys in to pit the car. It reminds me of the Saturday night racing so many of us are familiar with in Nashville. Bobby Hamilton Jr., who out-raced his father he finished sixth, his father 16th in last weekends NASCAR Busch Series race at Indianapolis Raceway Park. Winning the first Bud Pole of my career in the NASCAR Busch Series and breaking the track record at Nashville is something I will always remember. We broke the track record at Michigan a few weeks ago in the truck but it didnt stand because qualifying was rained out right after my run. Shane Hmiel (No. 15 Earl Smalls Harley-Davidson Chevrolet), whose Pepsi 300 pole was clocked at a then-record speed of 161.440 mph.
FROM THE ARCHIVES
Jack Sprague is looking for his first series victory at the Nashville Superspeedway, but the three-time NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series champion remains the only competitor to have won a race at three different tracks in Tennessee. Sprague has victories at Bristol Motor Speedway (1999), Memphis Motorsports Park (2000) and Nashville Speedway USA (1997). Sprague also won a NASCAR Busch Series race at Nashville Superspeedway in 2002.
FAST FACTS
What: Toyota Tundra 200 (Race No. 15 of 25). Where: Nashville Superspeedway, Nashville, Tenn. When: 5 p.m. ET, Saturday, Aug. 14. Track layout: 1.333-mile banked concrete oval. Race length: 200 miles/150 laps. Posted awards: $424,074. TV: SPEED Channel, 5 p.m. ET. Radio: MRN, XM Satellite. 2003 winner: Carl Edwards. 2003 polesitter: Chad Chaffin. Pre-race schedule (all times local): Friday, Practice 11:00 a.m. until 1:25 p.m. Qualifying 4:00 p.m. Trucks impounded following qualifying.(NASCAR PR)(8-12-2004)
