Milestone race comes in Cooks backyard Terry Cook (#10 Power Stroke Diesel by International Ford) and his team chose the right time to hit their stride. Cook, on a three-race string of top-10 finishes and eighth in championship standings, will make his 200th NASCAR Craftsman Truck start in Saturdays Paramount Health Insurance 200. The Sylvania, Ohio native made his competitive debut in nearby Toledo and considers Michigan his home track. Cook is just the third series driver to reach the 200-race plateau following Rick Crawford (#14 Circle Bar Truck Corral Ford) and Jack Sprague (#16 Chevy Trucks Chevrolet). Crawford has appeared in a record 207 consecutive races. Cook ran his first series race at The Milwaukee Mile on July 6, 1996.
Renshaw a top qualifier in Texas A ninth-place effort at Texas made Deborah Renshaw (#8 EasyCare Vehicle Services Contracts Dodge) the first female driver to qualify among the top 10 since 1997. Tammy Jo Kirks third-place start at Portland (Ore.) Speedway, also in 1997, is the best on the series. Kelly Sutton (#02 Team Copaxone Chevrolet) hopes to break Kirks female driver series start record of 32 this week in Michigan. Finally, Allison Duncan of San Rafael, Calif., became the first NASCAR Drive for Diversity winner with her victory in Saturdays Western Late Model feature at Stockton (Calif.) Speedway. Duncan drives for a team jointly owned by Bill McAnally and Richard Childress. Childress was the inaugural NASCAR Craftsman Truck owner champion in 1995. McAnally owned the cars of current NASCAR Craftsman Truck driver Brendan Gaughan (#77 Jasper Engines & Transmissions Dodge), winner of the 2000-01 NASCAR Grand National Division, West Series championship.
Schrader to drive Waltrip-owned truck in Michigan Ken Schrader (#11 Toyota Tundra Toyota) will drive an R&D entry for Darrell Waltrip Motorsports in the Paramount Health Insurance 200. Kyle Busch (#15 Billy Ballew Motorsports) looks to add to back-to-back victories at Lowes Motor Speedway and Dover International Speedway. The last of three drivers to win three consecutive starts was Greg Biffle in 2000. NASCAR NEXTEL Cup competitors Bobby Labonte (#47 Chevrolet Silverado Chevrolet) and Harvick (#92 GM Goodwrench Chevrolet) also are among drivers entered in the seasons 10th of 25 races.
ETC. Bobby Hamilton (#04 Dodge) would become the 11th driver in the series to reach the $2 million mark in career winnings by starting Saturdays Michigan event. Hamilton has won $1,999,908 in 83 series appearances. Last years Michigan race saw a series track record 18 lead changes. Twenty-four finishers completed all 100 laps, also a track high. Gaughan and Robert Pressley (#59 Melling Systems Dodge) are the only MIS winners among this years entered drivers. Pressley won in 2002; Gaughan in 2003. Ricky Cravens #99 Superchips Ford will carry a special Batman-themed paint scheme in Saturdays race as promotion for this weeks premier of the film Batman Begins. Spragues Chex 400K victory on June 10 was the 25th of the three-time champions NASCAR Craftsman Truck career two behind all-time leader Hornaday. Sprague is the third two-time winner of the race joining Gaughan and Setzer. The final fulltime driver to have a perfect laps-completed record in 2005 fell off the chart when Craven finished 13th at Texas, one lap behind Sprague.
ON THE RIGHT TRACK
Toyota nailed first NASCAR national win at Michigan Toyota, winless since last October, returns to the scene of the manufacturers first NASCAR Craftsman Truck victory. Travis Kvapil, now a NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Raybestos rookie of the year contender, recovered from an engine change and rear-of-the-field start. Mike Skinner (#5 Toyota Tundra Toyota) and Johnny Benson (#23 Toyota Certified Used Cars Toyota) took third and fourth.
Points leaders have been consistent at Michigan With form as a measure, the top-five championship contenders look forward to Saturdays race. Leader Ted Musgrave (#1 Mopar Dodge) was the runnerup finisher in 2003-04. Hornaday, Hamilton and Dennis Setzer (#46 Chevrolet Silverado Chevrolet) all have logged top-10 finishes. Setzer has run 10th or better in four of his five starts at MIS. Although Craven will make his NASCAR Craftsman Truck debut at the track, Roush Racings lead driver counts three NASCAR NEXTEL Cup top fives including a second in 2001.
10 YEARS TOUGH
Michigan drivers have finished one-two in two of 251 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series events. Jack Sprague beat Johnny Benson by .406 of a second at Phoenix International Raceway on Oct. 26, 1996. The Grand Rapids area veterans were first and second in last Fridays Chex 400K at Texas as Sprague became the first series driver to win in eight different seasons.
FROM THE ARCHIVES
The fastest race in NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series history was run at Michigan International Speedway on July 26, 2003. Brendan Gaughan averaged 154.044 mph in an event that saw a single caution period and three laps run under the yellow flag. There has never been a caution-free race in the series 10-plus seasons.
Fast Facts Next Event: Paramount Health Insurance 200 (Race 10 of 25).
Where: Michigan International Speedway.
When: 3:15 p.m. ET, Saturday, June 18.
Track layout: 2.0-Mile Paved Speedway.
Race length: 200 Miles/100 Laps.
Posted awards: $571,810.
TV: SPEED Channel, 3:15 p.m. ET.
Radio: MRN, XM Satellite.
2004 winner: Travis Kvapil
2004 polesitter: None. Field set by Rule Book.
Pre-race schedule (all times local): Friday Practice 12 noon to 1:10 p.m. and 2:50 p.m. to 3:50 p.m. Saturday – Qualifying 1:00 p.m. Trucks impounded after qualifying.(NASCAR PR)(6-15-2005)
