April 2008 Craftsman Truck Series Archive - Jayski's NASCAR Silly Season Site

April 2008 Truck Series News Archive

For winners of a race in Cup, Nationwide and Truck Series races: see the Misc Stats page for this and other statistical information.

Roush Fenway drivers testing at Caraway: Hearing that Roush Fenway Racing drivers Colin Braun and John Wes Townley are testing today (Wednesday April 30) at Caraway Speedway in Asheboro, N.C. Braun is driving the #6 Con-way Freight Ford. Townley, who will make his NCTS debut in Mansfield on May 24, is testing the #09 Zaxby’s Ford.(4-30-2008)
Wood to drive #21 at RIR: Jon Wood will drive the #21 Air Force Ford Fusion at this weekend’s Sprint Cup event at the Richmond International Raceway. The 26 year old driver will be attempting to qualify for his second start of the 2008 season, after qualifying 12th at Talladega Superspeedway last week.(Wood Brothers Racing PR)(4-30-2008)
Randy Moss starting truck team: UPDATE Official Announcement: During the prerace report on Speed/TV at Kansas Speedway, Rick Allen reported that New England Patriot wide-receiver Randy Moss is starting a new truck team with plans to race toward the end of the year. A formal announcement is expected some time next week.(4-26-2008)
UPDATE: Fresh off a record breaking NFL season, New England Patriots wide receiver Randy Moss announced today the formation of Moss Motorsports, LLC with its intended participation to begin in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. Moss anticipates that the team will debut at some point in the second half of the 2008 season and run selected races through the conclusion of the year. The partial schedule is a prelude to a full-time campaign in 2009. Sponsors and manufacturer alignments will be announced at a later date. Moss is a ten year veteran in the National Football League and was a first-round draft pick in the 1998 draft out of Marshall University. He has been a NASCAR fan for several years including sponsorship of a local dirt track program and recently made the decision to get involved with the ownership of a NASCAR team. He is also a Goodwill Ambassador for the Urban Youth Racing School and furthers his youth advocacy while holding the same honor with American Youth Football. A major component of the Moss Motorsports program will be the continued involvement and support of youth programs. “There are a lot of NASCAR fans in the locker room,” Moss said. “We’ve seen a lot of football players get involved – guys like Dan Marino and Troy Aikman to name a couple. I think it’s a good fit and gives some of the companies I am already working with an additional outlet. It’s a smart move on the marketing side of things but on the personal side of things I think it’s going to be a lot of fun.” Randy has kick started his efforts by contracting with Integrity Sports Marketing, LLC – a leading motorsports marketing company in NASCAR. “We know it takes time to build a team from the ground up, and we have some good people working with us to get that process started,” Moss said. “We are talking to the manufacturers, and we’re already evaluating some drivers. Eventually I’d like to be able to have our team work with some of the young guys that are working hard to make it up the ladder, but right now it might make more sense to find a driver with a lot of experience to get us started. But we really don’t have anyone in mind. We’ll look at who is available and find someone that can help us compete and win as quickly as we can.” Moss believes Moss Motorsports will give his current marketing partners another avenue to gain exposure and will open doors for new companies that want to work with him. “The companies I already work with now have a chance to get some exposure to another group of dedicated sports fans,” Moss said. “And we’ll have an opportunity to build some relationships with an entirely new group of companies as well. We’ll have a chance to do some pretty cool things between the football side and the racing side. That’s a part of the equation that most of the other teams don’t have, so we already have a competitive advantage over them. Once we get everything in place we look forward to competing on the race track too.”(Integrity Sports Marketing/Moss Motorsports PR)(4-29-2008)
Braun takes lead in rookie standings after Kansas: NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series rookie class experienced a shake-up in points as Colin Braun moved from fourth to first in the Raybestos Rookie of the Year battle. Braun’s third-place finish at Kansas gives him a five-point advantage over second-place Justin Marks. The third-place finish at Kansas was Braun’s first top five of the season.(Roush Fenway Racing)(4-29-2008)
Rick Allen signs to host ’08 HorsePower Tee Shot Tour season: Rick Allen, veteran announcer, has signed on as the Host for the 2008 HorsePower Tee Shot Tour season [televised on SPEED/TV]. The HorsePower Tee Shot Tour is a series of Power Golf events featuring NASCAR personalities and eight of the longest drivers of the golf ball in the world. Events take place during Sprint Cup race weeks at golf facilities located in close proximity to the race tracks. [Listed as involved; Kyle Petty, Elliott & Hermie Sadler, Brian Vickers, J.J. Yeley, Jeff Hammond.] For additional information concerning the 2008 HTST season, visit: HorsePowerTeeShotTour.com.(4-29-2008)
SS Greenlight Racing’s Murphy wins ASI Late Model race: Sean Murphy piloted the #32 ASI LIMITED; Akzo Nobel; Spectrum Metal Finishing Chevy Late Model to Victory Lane on Saturday night at O’Reilly Raceway Park in Indianapolis, Indiana. Murphy won the race in dominating fashion in front of the hometown crowd of primary sponsor ASI LIMITED.(SS Greenlight Racing PR)(4-28-2008)
Marks to make second ARCA appearance at Rockingham UPDATE Joint venture between HRE & Germain: Justin Marks tested at Rockingham Speedway this past weekend in preparation for his second ARCA RE/MAX Series race of this year which will be at Rockingham. [Marks was third in overall speeds at 143.472 mph]. Mike Abner will call the shots for Marks at Rockingham.(Germain Racing PR)(3-24-2008)
UPDATE: Championship-winning racer Shigeaki Hattori has founded Hattori Racing Enterprises, HRE, a race team designed for developing young, talented drivers. Hattori, who earned the Formula Toyota title in Japan in 1994, will see HRE compete in its first race this weekend at Rockingham Speedway in the ARCA RE/MAX Series, the Carolina 500. NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series driver Justin Marks will drive the #01 AW North Carolina Camry in his second ARCA race this season. Marks will work with a familiar crew from the Germain Racing stable, including crew chief Mike Abner. The Hattori Racing Enterprises’ #01 AW North Carolina Camry is a joint effort between HRE and Germain Racing. HRE has plans which include more ARCA RE/MAX Series races this year. HRE will race at both Kentucky events, Michigan, Nashville, Duquoin, Salem and Talladega.(Germain Racing PR)(4-28-2008)
Harvick institutes Drug Testing Policy for KHI: Kevin Harvick’s voice was perhaps the loudest of anyone’s during the recent discussion about NASCAR drug testing. Harvick called for a series-wide random drug testing policy two weeks ago but admitted at the time that his own Kevin Harvick Inc. race team had no testing policy of its own. Upon returning home to North Carolina, Harvick fixed that. KHI’s Nationwide and Craftsman Truck Series drivers and crew chiefs have all since been tested, and an independent testing company has been retained to test the entire company.(SceneDaily.com)(4-25-2008)
Marks to raise awareness for The V Foundation at Kansas: Raybestos Rookie of the Year candidate Justin Marks will drive a special paint scheme this weekend at Kansas Speedway. The #9 Tundra will be in it’s familiar green and white, but the hood will carry a special message. Marks, of Rocklin, CA, enjoys sports and is a big fan of the late basketball coach Jimmy Valvano. This weekend, Marks’ Toyota will help raise awareness for The V Foundation for Cancer Research. “Truly it’s an honor to represent The V Foundation on our Germain Racing Tundra this weekend in Kansas. They have made an incredible impression in the fight against cancer in professional sports for so many years and playing a small part in spreading their message in our corner of the sporting world is humbling,” said Marks. The V Foundation’s website is jimmyw.org. Following his Kansas race, Marks take to the track at Rockingham Raceway Park driving the #01 AW North Carolina Toyota as part of a joint effort with Hattori Racing Enterprises.(Germain Racing PR)(4-25-2008)
Free day at Kansas Speedway: There may not be any such thing as a free lunch, but there is going to be free auto racing on Friday at Kansas Speedway. Free parking and free access to the Fan Walk area, too. Earlier this year, officials at Kansas Speedway announced that they are throwing open the gates for their annual ARCA Series race. Fans are invited to drive out and walk in. In addition to the ARCA activities, fans will also get to see a practice session for Saturday’s NASCAR Craftsman Truck series race.(Kansas City Star)(4-24-2008)
Gosselin plans to compete in Kansas truck series race UPDATE Image added: Mario Gosselin, a well-known driver from ARCA and the USAR Hooters Pro Cup Series, has bought trucks from now-defunct Spears Motorsports, and his DGM Racing team plans to compete this weekend at Kansas Speedway. The Quebec native, who has two Cup starts and three Busch Series starts in his career, said in a phone interview Saturday that he would also likely run the race at Lowe’s Motor Speedway next month and then put Hooters Pro Cup driver Scotty Crockett behind the wheel at Mansfield, Ohio, during Memorial Day weekend. The team will pick and choose races throughout the season. Gosselin, a two-time Pro Cup Series champion and three-time ARCA race winner, fields an ARCA car for 19-year-old Alli Owens in ARCA but has been itching to drive.Gosselin said he will be the #12 with sponsorship from crashedtoys.com for the Kansas race. His brother, Germain, will be his crew chief.(SceneDaily.com)(4-21-2008)
UPDATE: Mario Gosselin with be making his Craftsman Truck Series debut at Kansas in the #12-CrashedToys.com Chevy. Image of the truck can be seen on the 2008 Paint Scheme Gallery.(4-24-2008)
Derrike Cope Inc. to run handful of races beginning with two entries at Kansas UPDATE 3 Sponsorship announced for Cobb: “I [Derrike Cope] will probably be going to Kansas for the truck race where Derrike Cope Inc. will have two trucks entered. The one truck will be #74 with Jennifer Jo Cobb driving and the other one is still up in the air, although there is a strong possibility that it could be another female driver. I plan on taking the trucks to Charlotte, Mansfield, and Dover after that. The twins [nieces Amber and Angela Cope] are approved to drive at Mansfield so that is the plan right now. I will drive one of the trucks at Charlotte and Dover and we will make a decision on the other driver in the weeks to come. The seat can be rented by some other drivers that can bring some sponsorship. We will be doing some testing with my nieces in the next few weeks as well prior to the Mansfield Truck races.”(DerrikeCope.com)(4-14-2008)
UPDATE: Jennifer Jo Cobb will be piloting the #74 Dodge of former Daytona 500 winner, Derrike Cope, and his newly-founded Craftsman Truck Series team. “I couldn’t be more excited. I love racing at Kansas Speedway, and am looking forward to climbing behind the wheel in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, and kicking off Derrike’s new race team,” said Cobb. “We’re thankful for the continuing support of sponsors like Providence Medical Center and Saint John Hospital, who have been on board for more than four years, but we really need to turn some heads with this new program, and secure additional sponsorships that will allow us to race at more tracks this season.” Rick Markle will serve as her crew chief.(Diamond III/Cobb PR)(4-14-2008)
UPDATE 2: Hearing that Michelle Theriault is expected to compete in the O’Reilly Auto Parts 250 at Kansas Speedway in the second Derrike Cope entry. Theriault was 13th in NASCAR Camping World Series East standings in 2007.(4-21-2008)
UPDATE 3: Jennifer Jo Cobb and Derrike Cope Inc. are pleased to announce Scottsdale-based The Annexus Group will serve as the primary sponsor for the team’s #74 Dodge at this weekend’s NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race being held at Kansas Speedway. The race will serve as Cobb’s first in the NCTS, but her second with sponsor The Annexus Group on the hood.(Diamond Lee Sports Mgmt./DCI PR)(4-24-2008)
Chrissy Wallace signs deal for 2009; to run for ROTY? UPDATE Six more in ’08; possible full time in ’09: On Sirius Radio’s Morning Drive program, it was reported that Chrissy Wallace has signed an agreement with Germain Racing for the 2009 season and will run for Rookie of the Year.(4-21-2008)
UPDATE: Statement from Mike Hillman Sr., General Manager for Germain Racing: “We have built a schedule for Chrissy Wallace to run six more NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series races with us in 2008. Her next race is Milwaukee, followed by Kentucky, Nashville, Gateway, Atlanta and Homestead. We are looking at building some ARCA RE/MAX Series races into that schedule, if funding becomes available. And, ideally, we’d like to see Chrissy Wallace in a fully-sponsored campaign for Raybestos Rookie of the Year in a Tundra for Germain Racing in 2009. We’re very excited about working with Chrissy and I think we’re all looking forward to Milwaukee.”(Germain Racing PR)(4-23-2008)
Kansas Speedway and Univ. of Kansas Hospital partner for cancer screenings: Kansas Speedway and the University of Kansas Hospital announced today that they are partnering to offer free head, neck and oral cancer screenings on Saturday, April 26 as part of Kansas Speedway’s race weekend. Screenings will be offered starting at Noon on Saturday outside Gate B and each screening will only take about 15 minutes. The screenings were requested by Bobby Hamilton Racing, who lost their team owner, Bobby Hamilton, last year to head and neck cancer. Lori Hamilton, Bobby’s widow, is a spokesperson for Head, Neck and Oral Cancer Awareness Week, and the Univ. of Kansas Hospital doctors, nurses and support staff are volunteering their time for the screenings.(Kansas Speedway PR)(4-23-2008)
Cassill in #46 at Kansas for Morgan-Dollar Motorsports: Morgan-Dollar Motorsports will field Hendrick Motorsports development driver Landon Cassill in the #46 Chevy for the O’Reilly Auto Parts 250 at Kansas Speedway.(Chevy Racing PR)(4-23-2008)
Double-duty for Wood this weekend: UPDATE 2 Whitt to practice & qualify: On Sirius Radio’s Morning Drive program, it was reported that Jon Wood will be driving the #21 Wood Brothers Racing Ford at Talladega and will also run the truck at Kansas Speedway.(4-21-2008)
UPDATE: Jon Wood will make his 2008 Sprint Cup Series debut in the Wood Brothers Racing #21 Honey Buns Ford in the Aaron’s 499 at the famed Talladega Superspeedway on Sunday, April 27. Since the race was not a scheduled event for Bill Elliott, the team felt that Jon was a logical choice given his experience in the Nationwide and Craftsman Truck Series on superspeedways. Jon has a busy schedule this week as he is also entered to drive the #21 Air Force Ford in the O’Reilly Auto Parts 250 at the Kansas Speedway on April 26. The team is making every effort to make sure Jon participates in both events. An alternative driver is being considered to practice, qualify and possibly race the truck if arrangements cannot be made to get Jon to the Kansas Speedway. To start the week, Wood Brothers Racing and Jon Wood will be conducting a two day test at Iowa Speedway this Tuesday April 22 and Wednesday April 23.(Wood Brothers Racing PR)(4-21-2008)
UPDATE 2: A game plan has been put into place for both Wood Brothers race teams. Jon Wood will practice and qualify the Wood Brothers #21 Honey Buns Ford Fusion at Talladega Saturday morning. Following qualifying, Jon will catch a waiting plane to Kansas in hopes of making it on time for the 5:00pm/ct start of the Craftsman Truck Series O’Reilly Auto Parts 250 at the Kansas Speedway. The #21 Air Force Ford F-150 truck team has secured the driving services of Brandon Whitt to practice and qualify the truck.(Wood Brothers Racing PR)(4-23-2008)
Upshaw-Adams Motorsports sign Mack to run select events: The #95 NRG Cases Ford will once again be making a return to the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series as Lloyd Mack will jump behind the wheel for a minimum of seven races during the 2008 season. Lloyd, who has participated in the NASCAR Drive for Diversity Testing & Evaluation Combine has spent the last couple of seasons competing in the Camping World Grand National West division. The current plan has Lloyd driving for at least seven races this season beginning with the Ohio 250 at Mansfield Motorsports Park on May 24th. From there the team will evaluate whether to stick with the seven race plan for Lloyd and run him for the Raybestos Rookie of the Year in 2009 or forgo the rookie title chase in favor of more seat time and the best opportunity at the overall title chase.(Upshaw-Adams Motorsports PR)(4-22-2008)
Raybestos Rookie News & Notes – Kansas: Donny Lia was the Raybestos Rookie of the Race in the March 29 Kroger 250 at Martinsville Speedway. Lia grabbed a ninth-place finish, his best in five career Craftsman Truck Series starts. He claimed top rookie honors for the first time this season. A Raybestos Rookie has scored top-10 finishes in three of the four Craftsman Truck Series races this season. Justin Marks and Phillip McGilton are tied for the lead (38-38) in the Raybestos Rookie standings entering the April 26 O’Reilly Auto Parts 250 at Kansas Speedway. Ricky Hendrick is the only Raybestos Rookie to win in seven previous Craftsman Truck Series races at Kansas. Hendrick captured the 2001 event by 2.841 seconds over Ted Musgrave.(Raybestos PR)(4-22-2008)
Mitchell returns to the #15: The O’Reilly Auto Parts 250 will be Marc Mitchell’s first race since the #15 team switched manufacturers from Chevrolet to Toyota. Mitchell’s last NCTS race was at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Mitchell has one prior start in the Kansas Speedway in ARCA competition. His day ended after mechanical failure. The #15 Ergon Hyprene Chevy will compete in 21 races in the Craftsman Truck Series in 2008.(Breaking Limits/BBM PR)(4-22-2008)
East makes first start in #09 at Kansas: Bobby East on racing at Kansas Speedway: “This is a great opportunity for me to drive the Zaxby’s Ford Chad (Norris) and the guys have been great to work with so far, and based on our Darlington test, this is the best equipment I’ve ever driven. Crew Chief Chad Norris on racing at Kansas Speedway: “We had a good test with Bobby at Darlington a couple weeks ago so I am expecting a strong run with him at Kansas this weekend. This will be his first of seven races with us so we hope to set the tone at Kansas. He’s spent a lot of time at the shop since he was added to the team a few months ago. He’s focused and ready to go.”(Roush Fenway Racing PR)(4-21-2008)
Sieg steps in for Busch at Kansas: Craftsman Truck Series driver Shane Sieg is slated to step in for Kyle Busch to pilot the #51 Miccosukee Resorts Billy Ballew Motorsports Toyota Tundra in Kansas. Busch, the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series superstar, has piloted the Tundra in the first four races of the season holding the championship points lead already scoring two wins (California, Atlanta). Sieg comes to Billy Ballew Motorsports with three starts for the team in 2007 posting a 10th place finish at Loudon. Sieg has 29 starts over four years and has two top-10 finishes with his prior start at the 1.5 mile tri-oval speedway finishing 16th. Sieg piloted the #07 Craftsman Truck in two of the four 2008 truck races. Ballew field two teams in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series with Marc Mitchell making his return after Denny Hamlin piloted the #15 at the Martinsville Speedway. Mitchell will be making his first start with Toyota as the manufacturer. (Billy Ballew Motorsports PR)(4-21-2008)
Speed to drive #24 for BDR: UPDATE 2 McGilton out;Speed in #22 at Kansas: Red Bull Racing Team development driver Scott Speed is going NASCAR trucking in the #24 Bill Davis Racing Toyota. Speed will take his direction from veteran NASCAR crew chief Richard “Slugger” Labbe, who coached the careers of Dale Jarrett, Michael Waltrip, and most recently, Jacques Villeneuve. Speed’s part-time run in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series starts with Kansas Speedway on April 26, followed by Charlotte, Dover, Michigan, Bristol, Talladega, Martinsville, Atlanta, Texas, Phoenix and Miami. The rookie scored big in his `08 teammate lineup pairing with former NCTS champion Mike Skinner and veteran Johnny Benson. Skinner’s relationship with Red Bull Racing Team dates back to 2006 as a test driver for the startup Cup team, and includes his current status as an interim driver in the #84 Red Bull Toyota, and mentor to AJ Allmendinger. Speed’s NCTS seat time is part of a driver development program aimed at getting the Red Bull driver ready for top-level competition in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. In addition to his Truck duties, Speed will continue to build his stock car resume racing the #2 Red Bull Toyota full-time in the 2008 ARCA RE/MAX Series.(Red Bull Racing PR)(4-1-2008)
UPDATE: Scott Speed will join the BDR truck-trio starting this weekend at the Kansas Speedway. Speed will remain in the truck throughout the year at a select number of events. Scott Speed will join the BDR truck-trio starting this weekend at the Kansas Speedway. Speed will remain in the truck throughout the year at a select number of events.(Bill Davis Racing PR)(4-21-2008)
UPDATE 2: According to NASCAR Media’s News & Notes, Phillip McGilton has left BDR and Scott Speed will be in the #22-Red Bull Toyota at Kansas.(NASCAR PR)(4-21-2008)
Skinner & ESPN’s Jamie Little part of Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race: UPDATE: Little holds off Skinner for win: Mike Skinner and ESPN/ABC Pit Reporter Jamie Little are among the participants in the Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race on Saturday, April 19th as part of the 34th annual Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach, a 10-lap race for charity, which is conducted in race-ready Scion tCs on a 1.97-mile street circuit through the downtown streets of Long Beach in Southern California. Skinner won the Pro category in this race last year. Drew Lachey, the smooth-stepping second-season winner of Dancing With the Stars, and NASCAR pit reporter Jamie Little are among Las Vegas gaming expert Anthony Curtis’ celebrity picks to give the pros some heat in the Race.(ToyotaMotorsports.com)(4-11-2008)
UPDATE: ESPN pit reporter Jamie Little held off Mike Skinner by .324 seconds in race-modified Scion tCs to win the 32nd Annual Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race on Saturday. In a last-lap duel, Skinner made contact with Little coming out of the hairpin turn on the 1.97-mile street circuit through the downtown streets of Long Beach to pull side-by-side, Little was able to get back on the gas and pull in front of Skinner as the two came to the finish line. “You go into the event with everyone out here wanting to help raise money for charity and have fun,” said Little, who will give the $5,000 from Toyota to UCI Reeve/Irvine Center in California for spinal cord injury research. “But when the race starts, the competitive juices take over and everyone wants to win.” In the Professional category, Skinner never gave up the lead. After starting 30 seconds behind, he quickly made up ground and caught up with the tail end of the celebrities by lap 3. He then maneuvered through traffic, catching the leaders with just two laps remaining.(SceneDaily.com)(4-20-2008)
Colin Braun on Nationwide Series Pole in Mexico: #16-Colin Braun, making his 3rd career start in the Nationwide Series, grabbed the pole for the Corona 200 at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez with a top speed of 102.756mph. Braun is a rookie in the Craftsman Truck Series, where he is 20th in points. Complete starting lineup can be found on the Nationwide Mexico City Race Page.(4-19-2008)
Keven Wood readies for debut at Mansfield; tests at South Boston: Wood Brothers Racing and Keven Wood tested South Boston Speedway this week to prepare for Keven’s debut race in Mansfield, OH on May 24th. The test was the first time Keven Wood worked with the team as a driver, as the test was solely for him. After being on the track for most of the colder than normal spring day; Keven felt that this test gave him a boost of confidence as he learned to push the truck to the limit on qualifying runs. By doing this, he tied the track record lap time of 15.42 seconds that was set by Brendan Gaughan when the trucks ran there. Keven is also getting extra seat time by running a Late Model stock car at Motor Mile Speedway in Radford, VA set to run on Saturday, April 19th for the Hawkeye 150.(Wood Brothers Racing PR)(4-18-2008)
Wyler Racing to carry Autism Awareness Month logos in Kansas: With Autism Awareness Month winding down, the Wyler Racing #60 Wyler.com Toyota will carry special Autism Speaks logos during the O’Reilly Auto Parts 250 race weekend at Kansas Speedway on April 25 and 26. One of the team members that is affected personally by autism is driver Terry Cook. Cook’s son Cody has recently been diagnosed with Pervasive Developmental Disorder – Not Otherwise Specified, or PDD-NOS. “It is very personal for us because of our son Cody,” Cook said. “We are very fortunate because Cody’s diagnosis isn’t as severe as other cases. But when we heard the doctor tell us that he was on the autism spectrum, it was very scary. Like a lot of people in our generation, our only exposure to autism was the movie ” Rain Man. ” But we’ve done a lot of research and educated ourselves. The key thing for us was early intervention. Because of that the doctors and specialists we’ve seen say our son has a much better chance at living a ‘normal’ life. That’s part of the message we want to deliver. If you think there is the slightest issue with your child, please get it checked out. It could be that there’s nothing wrong, but if there is it’s not something that will get better by itself. Early intervention is very important.(Wyler Racing PR)(4-16-2008)
Hooper named as new crew chief for Key Motorsports: Curtis W. Key has announced that former driver and now Crew Chief Lance Hooper has been hired to assume that position with the Key Motorsports organization. Hooper succeeds veteran Gary Showalter who had held the Crew Chief’s position at Key Motorsports and the team’s #40 Chevy race trucks since May of last season. Hooper had been Crew Chief for the #13 ThorSport Motorsports team before being released just before the Martinsville race late last month. The first race for the Lance Hooper-led #40 Chevrolet will be the NCTS event at the Kansas Speedway on Saturday, April 26.(Key Motorsports PR)(4-16-2008)
Images added: A few images added from the Martinsville race including the #03-Geico/Mobile Delvac Toyota driven by Chrissy Wallace and the #71-AustismSpeaks.com Chevy driven by Donny Lia. To view visit the 2008 Paint Scheme Gallery.(4-15-2008)
Darnell to make Nationwide debut in Mexico City: Erik Darnell will make his Nationwide Series debut this weekend at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez in Mexico City. The 25-year-old NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series regular will pilot the #17 CitiFinancial Ford Fusion and will be led by crew chief Drew Blickensderfer. The Beach Park, Ill., native has two road course races under his belt; one at Infineon Raceway and one at Brainerd International Raceway. He also joined his Roush Fenway Racing teammates last month for a test session at Virginia International Raceway.(Roush Fenway Racing PR)(4-15-2008)
Braun stays busy; running Nationwide race in Mexico UPDATE More info: Later this month, Colin Braun is off to Mexico City where he will drive in his third-career Nationwide Series race [Sunday, April 20th – Corona 200 at the Autodrome Hermanos Rodriguez in Mexico City]. “I’ll be driving the #16 3M Ford in Mexico for my second Nationwide race of the season,” said Braun. “I’ve raced there before in the Grand Am cars, so I am really looking forward to going back. It will be the first time this year that we’re going to a track where I probably have more experience than some of the other Nationwide drivers.”(Roush Fenway PR)(4-3-2008)
UPDATE: The 19-year-old has five years of road course racing experience including two starts at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez in Rolex Grand AM Daytona Prototype races. He finished second in 2006, and started on the pole and finished second in 2007. This will be Braun’s first start on the track in a stock car. Braun has one Nationwide Series start this season. He qualified ninth and finished 15th at Nashville Superspeedway last month. (Roush Fenway Racing PR)(4-15-2008)
Hornaday in first Nationwide race of 2008 at Mexico: Ron Hornaday will jump behind the wheel of the #33 Kevin Harvick Inc. Camping World Chevy for the first time this season when the Nationwide Series travels to Mexico City for Sunday’s running of the Corona 200. Hornaday has one previous start at the track in 2005, driving for KHI. He started the race from the 21st position and finished the day 12th.(KHI PR)(4-14-2008)
WrapItUpVehicleWraps.com to sponsor #40 at Kansas: Key Motorsports has inked a partnership with the Shawnee, Kansas-based vehicle wraps/large format printing company for the 2008 and 2009 racing seasons that will begin with the Kansas truck event. WrapItUpVehicleWraps.com will serve as sponsor of various Key Motorsports race vehicles in varying degrees beginning with the NCTS race at the track closest to the company’s corporate headquarters. The #40 Key Motorsports race truck, to be driven by Chad Chaffin, will feature a special wrap from WrapItUpVehicleWraps.com in hopes of attracting attention to its workmanship and quality that can lead to added business for the company from within the NASCAR motorsports community. In addition,WrapItUpVehicleWraps.com will provide major associate sponsorship support of the Key Motorsports #31 Chevy when it makes its 2008 NASCAR Nationwide Series season debut at the Richmond International Raceway on Friday night, May 2.(Key Motorsports PR)(4-11-2008)
Teams testing at Pocono during off-week: During this week off from racing, several teams were testing at Pocono Raceway over the past two days. Participating were the Germain Racing teams of #9-Justin Marks, #30-Todd Bodine, & #03-Chrissy Wallace; Circle Bar Racing with #10-Brendan Gaughan & #14 with Tony Raines subbing for Rick Crawford, [Crawford was attending a Ford Event in Las Vegas]; Red Horse Racing, #11-David Starr; HT Motorsports, #59-Ted Musgrave; and BHR-Virginia with #4-Stacy Compton & #18-Dennis Setzer.(Pocono Raceway PR)(4-9-2008)
Former racer Fike admits using heroin on race days: Suspended NASCAR driver Aaron Fike now admits that he not only secretly struggled with drug addiction for years but also shot up heroin on some race days. In his first in-depth interview since being arrested for heroin possession last summer, the 25-year-old said he had been using heroin for eight months and suffered from a dependency on painkillers for six years before that. In the weeks prior to his arrest, his once-a-week experiment with heroin had become a daily routine, including the days he was competing in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. NASCAR officials, when informed of Fike’s admission, said the league has kept an eye on the more proactive random drug testing policies recently ramped up by the “Big Four” major league sports but point to the list of recent suspensions as proof that the current policy is working. “No system is perfect,” said Jim Hunter, NASCAR vice president of corporate communications. “Our current policy has served us extremely well. We do have discussions from time to time regarding possible alternatives, so I wouldn’t rule those out. But I think what our policy has allowed us to do up to this certain point in time, it has served us well.” Fike said he hopes that his admissions will force NASCAR officials to rethink their current drug testing policy. Fike has returned to USAC’s Midget series, where he is tested upon arrival at the track. He is currently serving a two-year probation and continues rehabilitation and counseling. Later this month he will launch www.onthewinningtrack.com as part of his court-agreed youth drug education program. He has also talked briefly with NASCAR officials about beginning the arduous reinstatement process, but realizes that his once-promising stock car career may be over.(ESPN)(4-9-2008)
Five teams test at Darlington: Five Craftsman Truck teams began a two-day test Tuesday at newly repaved Darlington Raceway, according to track officials, even though the series hasn’t raced there since 2004 and is not on the schedule this season. Could the test mean trucks are returning to “The Lady In Black?” “I sure hope so,” said Johnny Benson, whose Bill Davis #23 Toyota Tundra took part in the test Tuesday. Darlington held truck events from 2001 to 2004. The last one, won by Kasey Kahne, was the track’s first race to finish at night after lights were added to the facility. Browning, who became president in the middle of 2004, said a scheduling conflict with Darlington’s Mother’s Day weekend slot prevented the trucks from coming back. Also participating Tuesday were Benson’s Bill Davis teammates, Mike Skinner and Phillip McGilton, and the Roush Fenway Racing teams of Joey Clanton and Erik Darnell. The trucks debuted in Darlington in 2001 with the late Bobby Hamilton winning the rain-shortened race. Benson remembers those past races at Darlington, and how challenging it can be. “It’s always a great race because this is such a unique place,” Benson said.(ESPN/AP)(4-8-2008)
Bill Davis Racing sues sponsor 360 OTC for non-payment: Bill Davis Racing alleges that Rockford-Montgomery Labs has paid only $25,000 of the $14 million it was supposed to pay for sponsorship of the No. 36 Cup entry last season, according to a lawsuit filed April 2 in North Carolina Superior Court in Winston Salem, NC. RML is the maker of 360 OTC, a line of hangover and headache medicine. The sponsorship was a three-year deal that was scheduled to increase to $14.5 million in 2008 and $15 million in 2009. There was a sponsor’s option for 2010 for $15.5 million. According to the lawsuit, RML also did not pay any of the $3 million it owed as a primary sponsor for the #36 truck and $1 million it owed to be primary sponsor for 10 races of the #23 truck. This is the latest in a series of lawsuits against RML, which has been sued by Just Marketing, which was handling the NASCAR sponsorship, as well as by the World of Outlaws and World Wrestling Entertainment. An attorney who represents RML in the World of Outlaws and the WWE case did not immediately return a request for comment.(SceneDaily.com)(4-8-2008)
Crafton & Menard help the community: NASCAR drivers Matt Crafton and Paul Menard are taking part in the construction of a Habitat for Humanity home today in Fort Wayne, Indiana. The drivers will help by installing insulation donated by Johns Manville. Menard and Crafton will be in Fort Wayne to give of their time and help raise awareness for the organization, while shining a light on the first green build home in Fort Wayne Habitat for Humanity history. In addition to their volunteer efforts, Menard and Crafton will sign autographs for fans in celebration of the grand opening of a new Menards store location in Fort Wayne. Menard heads to Indiana on the heels of a 17th place run in yesterday’s Sprint Cup race at Texas Motor Speedway. Crafton is coming off his career best finish of second place in last weeks Craftsman Truck Series event at Martinsville Speedway. Both drivers represent Menards in their respective series.(Co-Pilott Motorsports Marketing)(4-7-2008)
Gaunt leaves TRG Motorsports? UPDATE 2 Gaunt joins Bill Davis Racing: Hearing that Marty Gaunt has left his position as general manager for TRG Motorsports. Also hearing that some crew members are no longer with the team as well. [TRG fields teams for #7-Andy Lally and the #71-Donny Lia](4-5-2008)
UPDATE: A representative from TRG confirmed that Marty Gaunt has resigned and that Butch Hylton [#7 crew chief] has assumed the role of general manager for TRG Motorsports.(4-5-2007)
UPDATE 2: Bill Davis, President of Bill Davis Racing (BDR), announced today a reorganization of the company’s management team. Davis, who with wife Gail has fielded teams in NASCAR for over 20 years, has added several key personnel and shifted several others within the organization. All changes are effective immediately. NASCAR veteran Marty Gaunt has been named Vice President of Bill Davis Racing. Gaunt,a native of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, began his tenure in NASCAR in 1996 and has held similar positions at Penske Racing and Team Red Bull. Gaunt was also part owner of Red Horse Racing. Mark Chambers, who previously served as team manager of BDR’s highly successful NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series effort, will now assume the role of the general manager of Bill Davis Racing. Chambers, who has been with the team since 2006, takes over the GM role from Mike Brown, who will move into the position of Chief Financial Officer. In addition, Davis has hired Jim Thomas as the organization’s Director of Marketing. Thomas, a Florida native, has been the Director of Business Development for Sullivan Worldwide Marketing Group, a leading strategic marketing and planning agency to the United States motorsports industry. Prior to that, he spent several years within the financial arm of Southeast Toyota.(Bill Davis Racing PR)(4-7-2008)
Lia being honored at Thompson’s 23rd Annual Icebreaker: Preceding the start of the 23rd Annual Icebreaker’s main event [April 6th], NASCAR and Thompson Speedway [Thompson, CT] will pay tribute to three of the “Tour’s” past champions. Among them, Donny Lia, the reigning Tour Champion, will be honored for his incredible 2007 campaign title.(ThompsonSpeedway.com)(4-4-2008)
Busch to miss Kansas race: Richie Wauters [crew chief for #51] confirmed that Kyle Busch will miss the Series next race at Kansas, consequently giving up the points lead. The team looked at every possible scenario in which Busch could drive his Sprint Cup and Nationwide cars at Talladega, Ala., and also travel to Kansas, but nothing appeared feasible. Either Johnny Sauter or David Green will drive the #51 at Kansas.(ESPN.com)(4-3-2008)
Quinn assumes crew chief role at Wyler Racing: John Quinn has assumed the role of crew chief at Wyler Racing, effective immediately. George Church had started the season as crew chief for driver Terry Cook but left the team following the Martinsville race to pursue other opportunities. Quinn now assumes the crew chief role for the #60 Wyler.com Toyota heading into the next series race at Kansas Speedway on April 26. Quinn’s engineering expertise was put to use first as a shock specialist with several teams including DEI and Richard Childress Racing. He joined Roush in 2003 and was promoted to crew chief for Ricky Craven in 2005. He led Craven to one victory before leading Darnell to Raybestos Rookie of the Year honors in 2006. He and Darnell combined for one victory at Kansas. He joined Wyler Racing in the off season and served as team engineer and shock specialist.(Wyler Racing PR)(4-3-2008)
Congrats to Hillman family: Germain Racing is proud to announce that general manager Mike Hillman Sr. is a grandfather again. Tuesday’s latest addition to the ranks of Hillman’s grandchildren brings to a pause the recent “grandbaby mania” that began last year. In 2007, each of Hillman Sr.’s three sons announced their wives were expecting children. Matt Hillman, who does not work at the race shop, headed up the recent wave of grandbabies when he and wife Brooke gave birth to their first son, Hayden Alexander, in October. Matt’s twin brother, Mark, who serves as truck chief for the #30 Lumber Liquidators Tundra at Germain Racing, along with his wife, Jessica, became the proud parents of daughter Kaylin Elizabeth on February 26th. Mike Hillman Jr., crew chief for the #30 Lumber Liquidators Tundra, and wife Jennifer completed the grandbaby-trifecta on Tuesday, April 1, introducing their third child, Mylee Caroline, to the Hillman ranks. Hillman Sr. and wife, Sandy , now have a half-dozen grandchildren, including Jake, Trey and Lily. Hillman Sr.’s daughter, Melanie, a student at UNC Charlotte, makes time away from studies to be sure she spoils her nieces and nephews.(Germain Racing PR)(4-3-2008)
No penalties from Martinsville truck incident: NASCAR will not levy penalties against Bill Davis Racing or Billy Ballew Motorsports for the crews’ shoving match that followed the Kroger 250 Craftsman Truck Series race Saturday at Martinsville Speedway, a NASCAR spokesman confirmed Tuesday. The BDR crew paid a visit to the pit stall where the Ballew crew was located after Ballew’s Kyle Busch attempted a pass on the inside for second against BDR’s Johnny Benson on the final lap – a move that was unsuccessful and resulted in Busch’s truck tapping Benson’s and sending both into a spin.(SceneDaily.com)(4-2-2008)
McCumbee to race #45 Dodge at Texas for Petty: Quotes from Kyle Petty: “Chad McCumbee is going to step into the #45 Marathon American Spirit Motor Oil Dodge this weekend at Texas. Texas is a good track for him. He had a strong run going in the truck race there last year. At Pocono, he did a great job filling in for me when I went into the booth. Everyone at Petty Enterprises believes in Chad and his abilities. Texas gives us a chance to get another good look at Chad without throwing him to the wolves. He should be relaxed because he knows he can get the job done there.”
Quotes from Chad McCumbee: “I feel comfortable around the #45 team. Billy Wilburn and I work well together. We had a great race last year at Pocono. I’m hoping for more of the same this weekend. Kyle is going to be there, giving me advice and pointers. That means a lot to me. I’ve learned a lot from him already. I’m anxious to do my part to help this team. We’re planning on going to Kentucky Speedway on Wednesday for a test. Just to help me get used to the new car. The two races last year were in the old car, so there will be a little bit of an adjustment period there. I don’t have a lot of experience in the old car either, so maybe that will be a positive.”
In 2007, McCumbee competed in two Sprint Cup Series races for Petty Enterprises, with a high finish of 25th coming in the “spring” race at Pocono. McCumbee is currently 13th in the Craftsman Truck Series point standings. McCumbee, 23, won an ARCA event last June at Pocono Raceway on the same weekend that he made his Sprint Cup Series debut in the #45 Petty Enterprises Dodge. In the Truck race at Texas Motor Speedway last fall, McCumbee started second and led four laps but finished thirteenth after an accident forced him out of the race.(MCG Sports/Petty Racing PR)(4-1-2008)
BBM #15 to stay with Toyota: In his first year behind the wheel of the Billy Ballew Motorsports’ #15 Ergon truck, [Marc] Mitchell and the team announce they will race Toyota’s for the remainder of the 2008 Craftsman Truck Series season. Prior to Martinsville Speedway, the team ran Chevy’s. Team owner Billy Ballew is excited to have both of his teams in the Toyota camp. “We’ve had a lot of success with our #51 team this year,” commented Ballew. “Kyle (Busch) won at Atlanta (Ga.) and California in a Toyota this year. Switching the Ergon team to Toyota will allow both of our teams to share setup information and streamline what they’ve learned. I think it will benefit both teams at Billy Ballew Motorsports.”(BL Marketing/BBM PR)(4-1-2008)
Mansfield next race for Chrissy Wallace: During an interview with Dave Moody on the Sirius Speedway radio program, Mike Wallace announced that daughter, Chrissy Wallace’s next race in the #03-Germain Racing Toyota truck will be May 24th at Mansfield Motorsports Park.(4-1-2008)

2008

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Born On Date: April 1, 2008