NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series competitors are closing in on a record thats stood for six years. With 12 different winners in the seasons first 17 races, the series is on track to eclipse the 14 who won in 1998. The record was in jeopardy last year when 13 drivers posted victories. Significant, perhaps, is that four competitors got their first win of the 2004 season during the final eight races the same number remaining on this years schedule. Three active winners from a year ago Rick Crawford (#14 Lilly Trucking of Virginia Ford), Chad Chaffin (#60 Jeff Wyler Racing Toyota) and David Starr (#75 Spears Manufacturing Chevrolet) have yet to visit victory lane in 2005, something each hopes to remedy with Thursdays Cheerios Betty Crocker 200 at Richmond International Raceway.
The .75-mile Richmond track has produced three first-time series winners. On four occasions, the race has added a name to that seasons list of winners, most recently in 2002 when Tony Stewart (#92 Kevin Harvick Racing Chevrolet) captured the first of back-to-back victories. Stewart and Jack Sprague (#16 Chevy Trucks Chevrolet) are the only drivers with multiple wins during the first 10 Cheerios Betty Crocker 200s. Both will compete in Thursdays race.
Its been a year of highs and lows for Chaffin, who recorded victories last season at Dover International Speedway and Indianapolis Raceway Park. He left the #30 Germain Motors Toyota in mid-June and caught on with a new team. Chaffin was in position to win last month at Bristol Motor Speedway until being put out of contention by tire trouble.
Starrs 2004 wins came at Gateway International Raceway and Phoenix International Raceway. Hes currently 10th in points but hasnt finished higher than fifth. Like Crawford and Chaffin, Starr also tested at Richmond and was pleased with the results.
NEWS & NOTES, PART II
Father-son entered in same race for first time in 05 The Hornaday family will have plenty of rooting interest in Thursdays Cheerios Betty Crocker 200 as Ron Hornaday Jr. (#6 GM Goodwrench Chevrolet) competes against son Ronnie III (#7 Ultra Motorsports Dodge) for a series record-extending sixth time. They last raced head-to-head on Oct. 8, 1999 at the old Louisville (Ky.) Motor Speedway. The most recent father-son battle, between Bobby Hamilton (#04 Baileys Dodge) and Bobby Jr., took place at Darlington Raceway on Nov. 13, 2004. Fathers and sons have competed against each other on 13 different occasions.
New faces in the field at Richmond Four competitors of note hope to debut in the Cheerios Betty Crocker 200. They include Bobby East, the 2004 U.S. Auto Club national midget champion whose Indianapolis Raceway Park drive in the #33 Roush Racing Ford was scuttled by inclement weather. Also entered are Jarit Johnson (#8 Levi Strauss Signature Chevrolet), younger brother of NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series star Jimmie Johnson; J. R. Norris (#32 Billy Ballew Motorsports Chevrolet), current points leader in the NASCAR AutoZone Elite Division, Southeast Series and Justin Hobgood (#9 Germain Motor Company Toyota), runnerup for the NASCAR Goodys Dash Series crown in 2001, the final year of the tour for compact cars.
Richmond race, as usual, is magnet for visiting stars Both Kevin Harvick and Tony Stewart will compete at Richmond with a twist. Stewart will drive the #92 GM Goodwrench Chevrolet owned by DeLana Harvick while Harvick is ensconced in Morgan-Dollar Motorsports #47 KISS/Ray-Sat Chevrolet the truck in which Stewart finished third in last years race. NASCAR NEXTEL Cup regulars Mike Bliss (#06 MRD Motorsports Chevrolet), Kyle Busch (#15 ditech.com Chevrolet) and Ken Schrader (#52 Federated Auto Parts Chevrolet) also are entered. Harvick, Stewart, Johnny Sauter (#43 Menards/Curb Records Chevrolet) and Mike Wallace (#12 Toyota Tundra Toyota) are doing the Richmond triple: NASCAR NEXTEL Cup, NASCAR Busch and NASCAR Craftsman Trucks. In addition, Hamilton will race in Thursdays Crown Royal International Race of Champions
California Speedway winner Kyle Busch joins club Busch is the 14th competitor to win a race in each of NASCARs three national touring series following Sundays victory in the Sony HD 500 at California Speedway. Busch, 20, is the third and youngest driver to complete the triple in the same season. Terry Labonte was the first in 1995. Harvick had been the most recent in 2003.
ETC. The preliminary entry list for the Cheerios Betty Crocker 200 includes 24 competitors who have won at least one NASCAR Craftsman Truck race. That includes Richmond winners Sprague, Stewart, Ted Musgrave (#1 Mopar Dodge) and Mike Skinner (#5 Toyota Tundra Toyota). The race marks the 27th time a NASCAR Craftsman Truck event has been contested in the state of Virginia most of any state. Musgraves 2004 victory was the most dominant in 10 series races at Richmond. Musgrave led 199 of 209 laps. Shawn Parker has been named crew chief for the #8 Heritage Dodge driven by Deborah Renshaw. Parker previously was the teams truck chief. Checkers will raise awareness of the Cure Autism Now Foundation through its association with Bill Lester (#22 SunTrust Toyota) and Bill Davis Racing.
ON THE RIGHT TRACK
Plenty of Richmond winners in field While Stewart is the only entered driver with NASCAR NEXTEL Cup and Craftsman Truck wins at Richmond – he has three, in 1999, 2001 and 2002 seven former NASCAR Busch Series winners expect to start on Thursday. They are Busch, Hamilton, Harvick, Sauter, Steve Park (#62 Orleans Dodge), Robert Pressley (#59 Harris Trucking Co. Dodge) and Jimmy Spencer (#2 Team ASE Dodge). Spencer won both races in 2001. Three team owners have wins at Richmond in all three of NASCARs national touring series: Richard Childress, Rick Hendrick and Jack Roush.
Sprague tops the Richmond record book The Michigan driver has failed to complete just three laps and 2.25 miles all in 1996 in eight appearances at Richmond International Raceway. The only competitor to win at Richmond in his championship year, Sprague has finished outside the top 10 just once. His average finish is 7.8.
10 YEARS TOUGH
In 1996, the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series scheduled two races during the same weekend. Competitors raced at Richmond International Raceway on Thursday night in an abbreviated, 124-lap event impacted by Hurricane Fran, then packed up and headed to New Hampshire International Speedway for a Sunday afternoon date. The double was repeated two more times, most recently with a Richmond-Memphis Motorsports Park combo on Thursday and Sunday, respectively, in 1998.
FROM THE ARCHIVES
Last years event was the first with a green-white-checkered finish at Richmond International Raceway. The race ended under caution, however, with an accident in Turn 3 on lap 209. There have been three yellow flag finishes at Richmond most of any series track. Races in 1996 and 1999 ended prematurely due to inclement weather. Only two tracks on the current schedule California and Michigan International Speedway havent seen a race extended past the scheduled distance.
Fast Facts
Next Event: Cheerios Betty Crocker 200. (Race #18 of 25)
Where: Richmond International Raceway.
When: 8:15 p.m. ET, Thursday, Sept. 9.
Track layout: .75-Mile paved oval.
Race length: 200 laps/150 miles.
Posted awards: $411,821.
TV: SPEED Channel, 8:00 p.m. ET.
Radio: MRN, XM Satellite.
2004 winner: Ted Musgrave.
2004 polesitter: Jamie McMurray.
Pre-race schedule (all times local): Thursday Practice 11:00 a.m. 11:00 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. 2 p.m. Qualifying at 5:00 p.m. Trucks impounded after qualifying.(NASCAR PR)(9-7-2005)
