Bill Davis Racing has announced that Napa Auto Parts will serve as the primary sponsor of the Craftsman Truck Series Championship contending #23 Toyota Tundra driven by Johnny Benson at two upcoming races. The leader in auto parts will join the #23 Bill Davis Racing team at both Martinsville Speedway and Atlanta Motor Speedway in October. “We are excited to be a part of this championship run as Johnny Benson and Bill Davis Racing continue to close in on the points lead. Bill Davis Racing has been instrumental in the development of Toyota in the Truck Series and we look forward to the NAPA Toyota Tundra running up front” said NAPA President, Bob Susor.(Bill Davis Racing PR)(10-2-2006)
GOODYEAR TIRE NOTES
Tire:
Goodyear Wrangler Superspeedway Radials (Craftsman Truck)
Number of Tires:
Craftsman Truck: Left-side — 325, Right-side – 325
Tire Codes: Left-side — D-4046; Right-side — D-4068
Tire Circumference: Left-side — 87.9 in.; Right-side — 88.4 in.
Technical Inspection Inflation:
Left Front — 30 psi; Left-Rear – – 30 psi;
Right Front — 55 psi; Right Rear — 50 psi
Minimum Recommended Inflation:
Left Front — 27 psi; Left-Rear — 27 psi;
Right Front — 50 psi; Right Rear — 45 psi
Notes: This is the first time that Goodyear has brought this combination of left- and right-side tires to the track because the track surface at Talladega has been repaved since the Nextel Cup Series last visit to the track in April, Goodyear needed to change its tire recommendation from that racethis tire set-up was tested with six drivers — David Gilliland, Travis Kvapil, Ryan Newman, David Stremme, Martin Truex Jr., and Brian Vickers – at Talladega last month . . . teams in both NASCAR series will run the same tire codes at Talladega this weekend, though the Nextel Cup tires will be branded “Goodyear Eagle” and the Craftsman Truck tires will be branded “Goodyear Wrangler” . . . as on all NASCAR ovals greater than one mile in length, teams are required to run liners in all four tire positions at Talladegaair pressure in those inner liners should be 12-25 psi greater than that of the outer tire.(10-6-2006)
Becoming the first winner of Saturday’s John Deere 250 at Talladega Superspeedway, figures to be the high point of any driver’s 2006 season – and possibly his or her Truck Series career. The week’s $753,800 event marks the first superspeedway race added to the schedule since Atlanta in March 2004. Bobby Hamilton won that race in a final turn, last-lap dustup with Mike Skinner (#5 Toyota Tundra Toyota). Mike Wallace (#15 Geico Chevy) will be making just his second start of the year this week but the St. Louis native figures to be a favorite to etch his name onto the Talladega trophy. Since 2000, seven tracks measuring longer than a mile have been added to the schedule. Talladega, at 2.66-miles the longest track on which the series competes, is the eighth. Wallace, a veteran of 24 Nextel Cup and Busch Series events at Talladega and Ted Musgrave (#9 Team ASE Toyota), are the only first-time winners on that group of tracks expected to compete Saturday. “For the fans, it’s an awesome show at Talladega. They’re on the edge of their seats the whole race,” said Musgrave, first-time series winner at Lowe’s Motor Speedway in 2003. “We’ll have to see how it goes. It may be the greatest race in the world.”
John Deere 250 should reward experience:
In real estate, it’s location, location, location. At Talladega Superspeedway, the key word is experience. No driver in this week’s lineup has raced a truck at the 2.66-mile track but virtually all have Talladega credentials in Nextel Cup and Busch Series or competed in February’s GM FlexFuel 250 at Daytona International peedway. Mark Martin (#6 Scotts Ford) won in Daytona – the first of four victories in 2006. He’s the only entered driver with wins in two national touring series at Talladega. Martin has two wins and a pair of Budweiser Poles in 41 Nextel Cup starts alongside one Busch Series win. Seventeen entered drivers have started at least one NASCAR national touring series race at Talladega. The top two Truck Series championship contenders have solid Talladega credentials. Todd Bodine (#30 Lumber Liquidators Toyota) has three top-five NASCAR Busch finishes. Johnny Benson (#23 NAPA Auto Parts Toyota), has three Nextel Cup top 10s.
John Deere 250 News & Notes–Part II:
First race winners also have won titlesTwice since 2000 drivers winning inaugural races have captured the Truck Series championship as well. (See chart below). Bobby Hamilton’s Atlanta victory in 2004 aided his title drive as did Greg Biffle’s win at Kentucky Speedway in 2000. Raybestos rookies count pair of inaugural winsKurt Busch took the checkered flag at Dover International Speedway in 2000 following up his second-place finish at Daytona. The following season Ricky Hendrick was Kansas Speedway’s first Craftsman Truck winner. Six have Daytona-Talladega connectionSix drivers who participated in the first series race at Daytona International Speedway are expected to compete this week in the John Deere 250. They are Wallace, Terry Cook (#10 Ford Power Stroke Diesel Ford), Dennis Setzer (#85 Shell Rotella Chevy), Jack Sprague (#60 Con-way Freight Toyota), Rick Crawford (#14 Circle Bar Truck Corral Ford) and David Starr (#11 Red Horse Racing Toyota). Bodine watched and learned from the masterThe current series point leader can’t wait to take the green flag at Talladega where he’ll be making his 18th national touring series start. Bodine says he learned drafting from the master – Dale Earnhardt. “Me watching him race taught me a lot about this type of racing. Being sent to the back of the pack isn’t a problem when you’re running in a race at Talladega. I have a lot of fun running these races – in traffic or at the front.” Ambrose, East among first-timersJTG Motorsports teammates Marcos Ambrose (#20 Team Australia/Aussie Vineyards Ford) and Bobby East (#21 State Fair Corndogs Ford) will be making their first “super track” starts. Neither Raybestos Rookie candidate was approved to compete at Daytona in February.
First NASCAR Craftsman Truck Race Superspeedway Winners: (Since 2000)
Atlanta, Bobby Hamilton, 2004
Daytona, Mike Wallace*, 2000
Dover, Kurt Busch, 2000
Kansas, Ricky Hendrick, 2001
Kentucky, Greg Biffle, 2000
Lowe’s, Ted Musgrave*, 2003
Nashville, Scott Riggs , 2001
*Expected to compete at Talladega
Racing at Home–finally:
Rick Crawford has competed just about everywhere in a career of late model barnstorming and his 241 Craftsman Truck starts. Until this week, however, the Mobile, Ala. veteran only could dream of racing at one of his home state’s most famous sports stadiums. “The Truck Series gave me the opportunity to fulfill a lot of dreams – racing and winning at Daytona and now racing at Talladega,” said Crawford. Circle Bar team member Tommy Praytor – who also hails from Alabama – will cook breakfast for a number of media members on Saturday.
This Week’s Truck Series Leaders: (through 19 races of the 25-race season)
Points leader-Todd Bodine (2,911 points)
Winnings-Todd Bodine ($522,775)
Laps led-Mark Martin (485)
Miles led-Mike Skinner (783.292)
Victories-Johnny Benson, Mark Martin (4)
Budweiser Poles-Mike Skinner (6)
Top-five finishes-Johnny Benson (11)
Top-10 finishes-Todd Bodine, Johnny Benson, David Reutimann (14)
Raybestos Rookie Leader-Erik Darnell (39 pts. over Chad McCumbee)
Races led-Mike Skinner (10)
Weeks in Top 10-3 drivers (19)
On The Right Track:
Brief But Solid For HornadayRon Hornaday Jr. (#33 AES HR Solutions Chevy) has made only four Busch Series starts at Talladega but two resulted in top-five finishes. Hornaday finished second in 2004. Ditto For Brendan GaughanGaughan (#77 South Point Dodge) competed in NASCAR NEXTEL Cup races at Talladega twice in 2004 and led seven laps en route to a fourth-place finish in the track’s fall event. Excellent CredentialsJoe Nemechek will drive Morgan-Dollar Motorsports’ #46 U.S. Army Chevy in his first series start since January 1998. “Front Row Joe” has lived up to his nickname at Talladega scoring eight Budweiser Poles. Nemechek won NASCAR Busch Series races in 1998 and 2000.
Manufacturers’ Championship 2006 Point Standings
Toyota, 135
Ford, 120
Chevy, 94
Toyota, 67
From The Archives:
The Truck Series was conceived as a short-track series – with never a thought of scheduling events at Daytona and Talladega. The first-year schedule in 1995 contained three mile-track races at The Milwaukee Mile and Phoenix International Raceway. Mike Skinner won all three. Ironically, Skinner didn’t win another speedway race until two weeks ago when he captured the Smith’s Las Vegas 350 to mark his 19th career victory.
Fast Facts:
The Race: Talladega 250
The Place: Talladega Superspeedway
The Date: Oct. 7, 2006
The Time: 3:15 pm/et
Race Distance: 250.04 miles (94 laps)
TV: SPEED, 2:30 pm/et
Track Layout: 2.66-mile banked oval
Race Purse: $753,800
2005 Winner: First event
2005 Pole: First event
Schedule: Thursday – Practice, 12:10 – 1 p.m., 1:50 – 2 p.m. and 2:20 – 3:20 p.m. Friday – Qualifying, 11:15 a.m.(NASCAR PR)(10-2-2006)