Series competitors have busy Easter weekend slate including racing
Martin to step aside but Roush Racings #6 remains title contender
Easter is a time for religious observances and family activities but not every Truck Series competitor will be away from the track this week. The NASCAR Busch Series first visit of the season to Nashville Superspeedway will draw at least two crossover drivers David Reutimann (# 17Team Tundra Toyota) and Erin Crocker (#98 Cheerios/Betty Crocker Dodge). Reutimann hopes to become the second to win both the Pepsi 300 and Truck Series Toyota 200 at the 1.33-mile concrete-surfaced facility. Scott Riggs won the inaugural truck race in 2001 and captured back-to-back Pepsi 300 events in 2002-03. Crocker will get a double-dose of Nashville as she competes in both Pepsi 300 and supporting ARCA RE/MAX PFG 150. Crocker won the pole and finished third in the ARCA event a year ago. Greg Pollex, owner of Terry Cooks #10 Power Stroke Diesel by International Ford, will be in Nashville where his NASCAR Busch Series driver Kenny Wallace will compete in the Pepsi 300. But hell go home for a big celebration. Relaxation is on Kerry Earnhardts (#13 ThorSport Chevrolet) agenda. We may head down to Durhamtown Plantation Resort in Georgia with a big group of people to go four-wheelin, he said. Its a really neat place with all kinds of stuff to do for the kids, too. Itll be nice to be with family and friends and just kind of relax a bit. David Starr (#11 Red Horse Racing Toyota) is looking forward to spending some time with his new nephew, his sister Melissas son Matthew, whose arrival on April 1 coincided with the teams victory at Martinsville Speedway.
News & Notes Part II:
David Ragan will take the controls of the #6 Scotts Ford when competition resumes April 29 at Gateway International Raceway, effectively ending Mark Martins four-race reign as the championship leader. Martin wont resume his 14-race schedule until May 19 at Lowes Motor Speedway. The Cup Series veteran wont win this years title hes planning a fulltime assault in 2007 but the Martin/Ragan combination could give owner Jack Roush a championship nonetheless. Driver and owner points are scored separately and Roushs tabulation will continue regardless of which driver is in the seat of the #6 truck. Should this occur, it would mark the third time in NASCAR national touring series history that different teams win the driver and owner championships. In 1963, Joe Weatherly captured the Cup crown while the Wood Brothers scored the owner title. More recently, in 2003, Richard Childress #21 team won the NASCAR Busch Series owner championship as Brian Vickers became the driver champion. The # 6 truck, however, will have to outscore a number of rivals including its sister entry. Martins teammate Erik Darnell (#99 Simply Wow Ford) is 68 points back in sixth position.
No green-white-checker for this one Todd Bodine (#30 Lumber Liquidators Toyota), fourth overall and first in the pro category, wanted a green-white-checker finish to Saturdays Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race at the Long Beach (Calif.) Grand Prix which ended a lap early due to a blocked course. It didnt happen and pro skateboarder Bucky Lasek collected the hardware. Bodine, who started from the pro pole with a 30-second handicap, wasnt sure he could have caught and passed former shifter kart racer Lasek anyway. Hes as good as the pros, said Bodine. I had a great time. It was really cool. I never thought Id have to opportunity to come here. Reutimann finished fourth among the pro drivers after having a meeting with Boston Legals William Shatner in Turn 1. I wanted to get out of there without turning anybody especially William Shatner, he said. It was a blast and a phenomenal deal. Im hoping to get invited back. SPEED will air event highlights at 2:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, April 22.
Etc.
Pit Instruction and Training (PIT) was featured on ABCs Good Morning America this past weekend. The enterprise is owned by Tom DeLoach, head of Red Horse Racing that fields the #11 Toyota for Starr. Its corporate clients include United Airlines, which uses PITs methods to more effectively direct baggage handling operations. United Airlines is coming out of bankruptcy so they cant buy more airplanes, DeLoach said. They need to have faster turns what we call faster pit stops in racing to have more planes in the sky during the day. Our classes help get their average turn-around time down. Former Boston Red Sox outfielder Mike Greenwell will make his NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series debut at Mansfield Motorsports Speedway on May 27. The Florida native has competed in late model cars in Florida since 1999, scoring 37 victories. Hell drive for Gene Christensens Green Light Racing. Kurt Buschs victory in Saturdays NASCAR Busch Series OReilly 300 made him the 16th driver to win in all three of NASCARs national touring series. Kurt and Kyle Busch are the second set of brothers to complete the sweep. The Labontes Terry and Bobby finished the triple in 2005Woodard & Sharp Racing, which fields the # 25 Dodge for Raybestos Rookie Boston Reid, has reorganized with partner Eddie Sharp departing the team, which has been renamed Woodard Racing. Owner Rick Woodard said, Eddie has been a big part of this team (and) although we hate to lose him, I think its going to be better for both sides. We have good people here at the shop and a rookie driver that has the potential to take this team to the top.
In the Loop:
Raybestos Rookie of the Year leader Darnell is having a sensational freshman season both in the point standings and Driver Ratings, which are based upon eight different statistical categories. Darnell, with a pair of top-10 finishes and an average finish of 9.0 carries a rating of 90.3. Thats 12th overall in the series and tops by more than 12 points among Raybestos rookie contenders. Darnell rates more than 24 points higher than his closest Raybestos rival Kyle Krisiloff (# 15ditech.com/Krud Kutter Chevrolet). A perfect score is 150. Martin is the series leader after four races at 138.1.(NASCAR PR)(4-10-2006)
