(Top five)
1) #30 Todd Bodine
2) #9 Ted Musgrave
3) #17 David Reutimann
4) #60 Jack Sprague
5) #23 Johnny Benson
First Ford; 6th #10 Terry Cook
First Dodge; 7th #18 Bobby Hamilton Jr.
First Chevy, 9th #16 Mike Bliss
Raybestos Rookie of the Race: Aric Almirola #75
Featherlite Most Improved Driver Award: Steve Park
Mobile 1 Oil Comm and Performance Driver of the Race: Todd Bodine
Wix Filters Lap leader Award: Todd Bodine
Sunoco Diamond Performance Award: Todd Bodine
Checkers/Ralley’s Double Drive-Thru Challenge: Todd Bodine
For complete results:
espn.go.com
motorsportsone.com
truckseries.com
nascar.com(official)(5-1-2006)
Truck Series News & Notes
Crafton leads NASCAR Day Challenge Employees of the top company in North Carolina’s NASCAR Day Corporate Challenge will serve as honorary crew chiefs for Matt Crafton (#88 Menards/Energizer Chevrolet) during the May 19 Quaker Steak & Lube 200 at Lowe’s Motor Speedway. The winning firm will be drawn from the first 10 companies to sell 500 NASCAR Day pins. All 10 finalists will receive two tickets to the race, a VIP tour for two and a meet and greet with Crafton among other prizes. “NASCAR Day has received a great response from business communities across the state since we launched NASCAR Day, and we want to continue that momentum while also educating those companies not familiar with the program,” said Sandy Marshall, executive director of The NASCAR Foundation. “NASCAR Day gives organizations a fun way to celebrate the spirit of NASCAR at work, while also contributing to some great charitable initiatives that help so many in need.” Each truck will carry a NASCAR Day decal on its B post during the Lowe’s event.
Interest grows in Craftsman for a Cure Race fans will have the opportunity to meet, race or even have dinner with some of their favorite NASCAR drivers during this month’s Craftsman For a Cure event. Among those participating – in addition to Bobby Hamilton, Bobby Hamilton Jr. and up to a dozen NASCAR Craftsman Truck competitors – are NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series drivers Ken Schrader, Ryan Newman, Kyle Petty, Kenny Wallace and Michael Waltrip and former champion and FOX announcer Darrell Waltrip. The event will be held from 5 to 9 p.m. Tuesday, May 23 at the NASCAR SpeedPark in Concord (N.C.) Mills near Lowe’s Motor Speedway. Funds raised support the American Cancer Society Relay for Life and the Victory Junction Gang Camp. Tickets for Craftsman For a Cure are available by calling 866-227-3264. Tickets are limited and will be sold on a first come, first serve basis.
News & Notes Part II
Charting the owner standings’ top 30 Two in and two out describes the continuing drama as to which teams will gain guaranteed starting positions by virtue of ranking among the top 30 in championship owner standings. Solid performances by Kraig Kinser (17th) and Chad McCumbee (11th) moved David Dollar (#46 Centrix Auto Finance Chevrolet) and Dave Malcolmson (#06 MRD Motorsports Chevrolet) from 31st to 26th and 33rd to 30th, respectively. Dropped from the top 30 were Bill Davis’s #22 Waste Management Toyota driven by Bill Lester and Hamilton’s #4 Dodge Motorsports Dodge of Timothy Peters. With just 44 points covering positions 29 through 35, the drama is certain to continue.
ETC.
Toyota trucks finished first through fifth at Gateway International Raceway marking the first time the manufacturer swept the top five since joining the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series in 2004. Bodine is the 24th different driver to lead the series point standings. Three former champions with a total of five titles occupy top-10 positions: Musgrave, Sprague and seventh-place Mike Bliss (# 16 U.S. Graphix Chevy). Inclement weather cancelled Budweiser Pole qualifying at Gateway where the field was set via the series rule book. David Ragan (#6 Scotts Ford) was awarded the # 1 starting position by virtue of Jack Roush’s status in the truck owner standings. The last time the field was set without time trials was Aug. 5, 2005 at Indianapolis Raceway Park. A Gateway record 13 cautions consuming 50 laps resulted in the slowest of nine races at the 1.25-mile track. Winner Bodine averaged 84.966 mph. Justin Martz (#07 www.justinmartz.com Chevy) made his debut at Gateway. The first series starter from the state of Montana finished 20th. Aric Almirola (#75 Spears Manufacturing Chevrolet) finished 10th to end Erik Darnell’s (#99 Simply Wow Ford) four-race lock on Raybestos Rookie of the Race honors. He climbed to second in award standings, 13 behind Darnell, who suffered his first DNF of the year and dropped out of the overall top-10 rankings.
In the Loop
Johnny Benson (#23 Newbold Toyota Toyota) solidified his position among the top 10 while Bobby Hamilton Jr. (#18 Fastenal Dodge) made his first appearance of the season following the Ram Tough 200. Both drivers have proved to be fast when it counts. Benson is the series’ leading Closer with 11 positions improved during the last 10 percent of the five races – an average of 2.2. Hamilton is second best in the category with nine and 1.8. Mark Martin (#6 Scotts Ford) didn’t compete in the race at Gateway but continues to hold the season’s best Driver Rating of 138.1. Bodine, 120.9 and Musgrave, 112.9 are next best.(NASCAR PR)(5-1-2006)
