Shake-up in the points standings again Its looking like another exciting year in the battle for the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series championship. Setzer led 152 of 200 laps to win the Toyota Tundra Milwaukee 200, his second victory in six days. Setzer trailed Bobby Hamilton (#04 Dodge) by five points entering the event and heads to Kansas with a lead of 35. Setzers previous lead came after last years 22nd race at Martinsville Speedway. The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series championship has gone down to the final race in nine of its 10 seasons.
Points standings take two If this years title war has a feeling of dj vu, youre right. With Setzer, Hamilton and Ted Musgrave (#1 Mopar Dodge) ranked one-two-three, its a rerun of 2004, when Hamilton prevailed over Setzer and Musgrave the latter driver finishing third for the third consecutive season. Two-time series champion Ron Hornaday Jr. (#6 GM Goodwrench Chevrolet) is fourth, while Sprague, in search of title #3, continues his mid-year surge to seventh.
Orleans Racing back on track With Brendan Gaughan (#77 Jasper Engines & Transmissions Dodge) in the top five for the first time since his October 2003 win at Texas Motor Speedway, the Orleans duo of Gaughan and Steve Park (#62 Orleans Dodge) turned in the teams best combined performance at Milwaukee fifth and seventh. The finish was Parks best since mid-May when he was fifth and Gaughan eighth at Lowes Motor Speedway. Of course were not happy with fifth place, but it was a good night in the points and were headed in the right direction with runs like these, said Gaughan, The Milwaukee Miles 2003 winner.
ETC. Setzers victory erased Gaughan from The Milwaukee Mile record book as he averaged 109.907 mph for the 200-mile distance. Gaughan had set the tracks speed mark at 109.689. The difference was a single lap of caution four on June 24 vs. five in 2003. The field completed the first 143 laps of the race without a slowdown, the longest opening stretch among four series races with a single caution period. With 14 victories, Setzer is #6 on the all-time series win list. There have been no fewer than 10 lead changes in four series races at Kansas Speedway. The record is 14 set in 2001 and matched one year ago. No Kansas Speedway race has been won from the Bud Pole although two of the four winners started from the outside front row. This weeks Craftsman-sponsored win from the pole bonus is worth $14,000. Five of seven drivers who have started all four previous series races at Kansas are expected to compete this week. They are Setzer, Musgrave, Terry Cook (#10 Power Stroke Diesel by International Ford), Matt Crafton (#88 Menards Chevrolet) and Rick Crawford (#14 Circle Bar Truck Corral Ford). Crawford has led the most laps at Kansas Speedway 128. Crawfords best finish of third came in last years race.
ON THE RIGHT TRACK
Musgrave dominant but looking for some luck The only driver to lead all four series races at Kansas Speedway, Musgrave has been without good fortune especially in the past two seasons. He finished second in 2001 and fifth the following year but was 15th and 30th in 2003-04.
10 YEARS TOUGH
The first of nine NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series races held in Kansas took place on July 29, 1995 at the 1.8-mile Heartland Park Topeka road course. Ron Hornaday Jr. edged Joe Ruttman by .780-second with Terry Labonte, Todd Bodine and Mike Skinner completing the top-five finishers. Heartland Park was on the schedule through the 1999 season. The only year that a Kansas track wasnt a part of the schedule was 2000.
FROM THE ARCHIVES
Age and experience havent been the deciding factors in three of the first four NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series races at Kansas Speedway. Ricky Hendrick won the 2001 inaugural race at age 21. Jon Woods 2003 victory was the 22-year-olds first of three series wins and Carl Edwards was 24 when he won last years OReilly Auto Parts 250.
FAST FACTS
Next Event: OReilly Auto Parts 250 (Race 12 of 25).
Where: Kansas Speedway.
When: 3:15 p.m. ET, Saturday, July 2.
Track layout: 1.5-mile paved oval.
Race length: 250.5 miles/167 Laps.
Posted awards: $578,540.
TV: SPEED Channel, 3:15 p.m. ET.
Radio: MRN, XM Satellite.
2004 winner: Carl Edwards.
2004 polesitter: Not held.
Pre-race schedule (all times local): Friday Practice 9:40 a.m. to 10:40 a.m. and 12 noon to 1:00 p.m. Qualifying 5:00 p.m. Trucks impounded after qualifying.(NASCAR PR)(6-28-2005)
