August 2006 Truck Series News Archive
- Winners of a race in Cup, Busch and Truck Series races: see my Misc Stats page for this and many others.
Florida native Aric Almirola (#75 Spears Manufacturing Chevy) has his eye on an eventual seat in the NEXTEL Cup Series. Almirola, 22, believes his time in the Truck Series will help him reach that goal – as it did for Greg Biffle, Kurt Busch and Kevin Harvick. Almirola, part of Joe Gibbs Racing’s driver development program, hopes to better last year’s eighth-place finish – his best in the series – when he visits New Hampshire International Speedway on Sept. 16. He’s logged a pair of top 10s in the season’s first 17 races, ranks third in Raybestos Rookie of the Year standings and 18th in overall points. The Gibbs team has entered Almirola in five NASCAR Busch Series races. He finished 11th at Dover International Raceway in June.
News & Notes Part II:
Mark Martin’s (#6 Scotts Ford) Aug. 23 victory at Bristol Motor Speedway marked the 41st time a Roush Racing truck has gone to Victory Lane in a Truck Series race. Martin, one of eight drivers to win in a Roush Ford F-150, captured the team’s first trophy in September 1996 during the final weekend of competition at North Wilkesboro (NC) Speedway. Roush Racing continues to add to its lead in all-time truck owner victories and is four clear of its closest rival, Ultra Motorsports. Bobby Hamilton Racing, with 19 wins, is closest among active owners in the series. The Jack Roush-owned team accounts for 54 percent of Ford’s 76 Truck Series victories and has competed in 266 consecutive races, seven short of Jim Smith’s series record. Ford’s sixth win of the season moves the truck maker to within five points of series manufacturer leader Toyota. Martin’s victory ended Toyota’s Tennessee win streak at five races.
This Week’s Truck Series Leaders…Through 17 races of the 25-race season:
Points leader – Todd Bodine (2,624)
Winnings – Todd Bodine ($492,260)
Laps led – Mark Martin (485)
Miles led – Mark Martin (619.872)
Victories -Mark Martin (4)
Budweiser Poles -Mike Skinner (4)
Top-five finishes – Todd Bodine, David Reutimann (9)
Top-10 finishes – Todd Bodine, David Reutimann (13)
Raybestos Rookie Leader – Erik Darnell (32 over Chad McCumbee)
Races led – Todd Bodine, Mike Skinner (9)
Weeks in Top 10 – 3 drivers (17)
Etc:
Martin’s fifth career victory – and fourth of 2006 – moved the 47-year-old veteran to 14th on the series career win list…Martin is the series’ fifth different short track winner in as many races in 2006 and seventh in succession dating to Richmond International Raceway’s event in September of last season. One short track race, the Oct. 21 Kroger 200 at Martinsville Speedway, remains on the schedule…David Starr (#11 Red Horse Racing Toyota) has been the season’s most consistent short track driver with four of five finishes among the top five. Starr, who finished fifth at Bristol, was one-for-43 in top fives prior to his victory in April at Martinsville. … Former ppc Racing crew chief Rick Gay joined Ted Musgrave’s #9 Team ASE/Germain Toyota team in the same role prior to Bristol’s O’Reilly 200 and backed the 2005 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series champion’s run to a third-place finish – Musgrave’s best since April 2 when he was runner-up to teammate Todd Bodine (#30 Lumber Liquidators Toyota) at Gateway International Raceway…Bodine’s second-place finish, his sixth of first or second, increased his championship lead to 154 points over Johnny Benson (#23 Exide Toyota), who was fourth…Bristol Motor Speedway continues to be inhospitable to rookie drivers. Raybestos Rookie of the Year leader Erik Darnell (#99 Roush Racing Ford) was the highest finishing freshman in 18th-place…Ron Hornaday Jr. (#33 AES Chevy) and David Reutimann (#17 Team Tundra Toyota) scored top-10 finishes in Saturday’s night’s Busch Series Food City 250. Hornaday’s third-place finish was his best in the series since his 2004 victory at The Milwaukee Mile.
In the loop:
For Mike Skinner (#5 Toyota Tundra Toyota), the season-to-date Scoring Loop Data provides ample of evidence of what might have been. Skinner is 15th in current point standings despite being the #2 miles and lap leader in a season sabotaged by four DNFs. Skinner, however, is second to championship leader Bodine in Driver Rating – 102.5 vs. 108.2. He ranks Fastest Early in a Run, second in Laps in the Top 15 (2,371 of 2,877), third in number of Fastest Laps and third in Speed in the Turns. One additional clue to the 1995 champion’s 2006 woes: Skinner ranks #8 in Speed on Restarts and Speed Late in the Race.(8-24-2006)
1) #30-Todd Bodine, 2624
2) #23-Johnny Benson, 2470
3) #17-David Reutimann, 2394
4) #9-Ted Musgrave, 2380
5) #14-Rick Crawford, 2323
6) #11-David Starr, 2295
7) #10-Terry Cook, 2248
8) #60-Jack Sprague, 2246
9) #33-Ron Hornaday Jr., 2221
10)#16-Mike Bliss, 2201
For complete standings:
motorsportsone.com
truckseries.com
nascar.com(official)(8-24-2006)
Results for the O’Reilly 200:(Top ten)
1) #6-Mark Martin, Scott’s Ford
2) #30-Todd Bodine, Lumber Liquidators Toyota
3) #9-Ted Musgrave, Team ASE/Germain Motors Toyota
4) #23-Johnny Benson, Exide Toyota
5) #David Starr, Red Horse Racing Toyota
6) #15-Kyle Busch, Bowen Family Homes/Manheim Chevy
7) #5-Mike Skinner, Toyota Tundra Toyota
8) ##16-Mike Bliss, Xpress Motorsports Chevy
9) #18-Bobby Hamilton Jr., Fastenol Dodge
10)#17-David Reutimann, Team Tundra Toyota
1st Rookie (18th) #99-Erik Darnell, Roush Racing Ford
Bud Pole Award: David Ragan (109.838 mph)
Raybestos Rookie of the Race: Erik Darnell #99
Featherlite Most Improved Driver Award: Mike Bliss, #16 (22 Places)
Mobil 1 Oil Command Performance Driver of the Race: Todd Bodine
WIX Filters Lap Leader Award; Mike Skinner, #5 (36 Laps)
Sunoco Diamond Performance Award: Mark Martin
Checkers/Ralley’s Double Drive-Thru Challenge: Johnny Benson
For complete results:
espn.com
truckseries.com
nascar.com(official)(8-24-2006)
1) #6-Mark Martin, 125.248
2) #75-Aric Almirola, 124.873
3) #77-Brendan Gaughan, 124.841
4) #16-Mike Bliss, 124.226
5) #14-Rick Crawford, 124.202
6) #5-Mike Skinner, 124.130
7) #15-Kyle Busch, 123.833
8) #23-Johnny Benson, 123.778
9) #20-Marcos Ambrose, 123.754
10)#18-Bobby Hamilton Jr., 123.491
1st Rookie (2nd) #75-Aric Almirola, 124.873
Did not qualify: #89-Chuck Maitlen
For complete starting lineup:
truckseries.com
nascar.com(8-23-2006)
1) #16-Mike Bliss, 124.170
2) #17-David Reutimann, 123.618
3) #77-Brendan Gaughan, 123.594
4) #9-Ted Musgrave, 123.491
5) #15-Kyle Busch, 123.285
6) #5-Mike Skinner, 123.024
7) #33-Ron Hornaday Jr., 122.913
8) #60-Jack Sprague, 122.858
9) #23-Johnny Benson, 122.835
10)#18-Bobby Hamilton Jr., 122.764
1st Ford (11th) #14-Rick Crawford, 122.709
1st Rookie (18th) #20-Marcos Ambrose, 121.682
For complete final practice results:
truckseries.com
nascar.com(8-23-2006)
1) #4-Timothy Peters, 120.195
2) #6-Mark Martin, 120.120
3) #9-Ted Musgrave, 119.850
4) #11-David Starr, 119.813
5) #16-Mike Bliss, 119.581
6) #23-Johnny Benson, 119.447
7) #5-Mike Skinner, 119.410
8) #60-Jack Sprague, 119.395
9) #14-Rick Crawford, 119.239
10)#77-Brendan Gaughan, 119.202
1st Rookie (13th) #75-Aric Almirola, 119.003
For complete practice results:
truckseries.com
nascar.com(8-23-2006)
truckseries.com
nascar.com(8-22-2006)
Mike Skinner (#5 Toyota Tundra Toyota) has seen both extremes at Bristol Motor Speedway. In 1995, the inaugural season of the Truck Series, Skinner won the Budweiser Pole, missed the drivers’ meeting and – trying to battle his way back through the pack – wound up 20th. Last year, Skinner found redemption at the .533-mile track – breaking a series non-winning streak that began in 1996. The win also was the first for Bill Davis Racing, a charter Toyota team beginning in 2004. Obviously, Skinner is happy to be back in Thunder Valley for Wednesday night’s O’Reilly 200.
What he’s looking for this year is to regain that feeling by turning around some less -than-pleasant luck. Despite being among the series’ fastest competitors – tops in poles won and laps and miles led – Skinner enters the final nine races ranked 15th for the championship. Twice he’s led races with two laps remaining and come up short, most recently earlier this month at Nashville Superspeedway. A year ago, when he finished fifth in points, Skinner counted nine top fives and 13 top 10s. To date, the numbers are three and five. He’s also suffered four DNF’s. So the series’ only mid-week race couldn’t come at a better time. Skinner, a former Daytona 500 pole winner, always has taken a no-nonsense approach to racing. He says that Bristol fits that style.
News & Notes Part II:
It’s hardly news that Bristol Motor Speedway is one of NASCAR’s most difficult tracks. So it comes as no surprise that its list of Truck Series winners is star-studded, to say the least. The track’s six race winners boast a combined 101 victories. That’s 35.7% of the series’ 283 races – eight of which have been run on the .533-mile concrete track. Four Truck Series champions have won five times at Bristol. Ron Hornaday Jr. (#33 Kevin Harvick Inc. Chevy) is the only multiple winner with back-to-back victories in 1997-98. Jack Sprague (#60 Con-way Freight Toyota), Travis Kvapil and Skinner also are Bristol winners.
NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Champions Victories at Bristol Motor Speedway (8 races):
1. Ron Hornaday Jr. 2; 1997-98*
2. Jack Sprague 1; 1999*
3. Travis Kvapil 1; 2003*
4. Mike Skinner 1; 2005
* Won in championship season
The track definitely is a championship predictor. Three champions – Hornaday in 1998, Sprague in 1999 and Kvapil in 2003 – won the O’Reilly 200. Kvapil, in fact, would have been the championship runner-up had he not claimed the Bristol victory when Kevin Harvick suffered a tire failure on the next-to-final lap.
This Week’s NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Leaders…through 16 races of the 25-race season:
Points leader – Todd Bodine (2,454)
Winnings – Todd Bodine ($462,035)
Laps led – Mike Skinner (351)
Miles led – Mike Skinner (567.980)
Victories – Johnny Benson, Todd Bodine, Mark Martin (3)
Budweiser Poles -Mike Skinner (4)
Top-five finishes – Todd Bodine, David Reutimann (8)
Top-10 finishes – Todd Bodine, David Reutimann (12)
Raybestos Rookie Leader – Erik Darnell (26 over Chad McCumbee)
Races led – Todd Bodine (9)
Weeks in Top 10 – 3 drivers (16)
Four participate in Goodyear test at Las Vegas…Goodyear Tire & Rubber wrapped up a two-day test at the reconfigured Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Aug. 16. Four series drivers – Todd Bodine, #30 Lumber Liquidators Toyota), Rick Crawford (#14 Circle Bar Truck Corral Ford), Brendan Gaughan (#77 Orleans Racing Dodge) and Dennis Setzer (#85 FlexFuel E85 Chevy) – tested a variety of Wrangler combinations in preparation for the Sept. 23 Smith’s Las Vegas 350. “This ought to be called Las Vegas Superspeedway now,” said Crawford. “You’re going to see a lot of drafting, a lot of speed (and) a lot of excitement for the fans.” Gaughan, a former winner whose race shop is a few hundred yards from the track, said, “It all depends on what tire you put on…so I think you’ll definitely see at least a second faster.” Banking in the turns has been raised from 12 to 20 degrees. The backstretch banking has been increased from three to nine degrees – the same as the track’s frontstretch. Mike Skinner’s 2004 track record of 165.320 mph likely will be shattered by the entire qualifying field as unofficial lap speeds in excess of 170 mph were recorded during the test.
Chevy and Ford owned Bristol Motor Speedway, winning a combined seven times, until a year ago when Skinner’s Toyota visited Victory Lane. Dodge has yet to record a victory at BMS. Chevrolet’s track-leading five wins came in consecutive seasons – 1996 through 2003. Jack Roush and Bill Davis are the only active owners with Bristol victories. Roush’s Carl Edwards was the winner in 2004; Davis won with Skinner last year.
Etc:
Mark Martin (#6 Scotts Ford) dominated the season’s early stages with three victories but hasn’t competed since finishing second on June 17 at Michigan. Martin will make his first series start at Bristol, joined by fellow NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series competitor Kyle Busch (#15 Billy Ballew Motorsports Chevy). Busch won in May at Lowe’s Motor Speedway and finished fifth in last year’s O’Reilly 200…Skinner is the only repeat short track winner in the past 14 races. He followed his Bristol victory with a win at Richmond International Raceway…Hornaday is the career short track winner with 16, the most recent in May at Mansfield Motorsports Speedway. He led all 200 laps of the O’Reilly 200 in 1997…Six of eight Bristol races have been won from a start of third or better including both of Hornaday’s victories off the pole. Six former Bristol pole winners are expected to compete…Jay Sauter’s third place in 1996 is the best Bristol finish by a Raybestos Rookie of the Year candidate….Veteran teams K Automotive and Mittler Bros. Motorsports will join forces at Bristol to field the #63 Dave Porter Truck Sales Ford for Brad Keselowski…Kevin Harvick Inc. has announced a partnership with Pensacola, Fla.-based Allstates Employer Services (AES) as primary sponsor of the #33 Chevy driven by Ron Hornaday Jr. for the remainder of the 2006 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series season, and returning for the 2007 season.
On the Right Track:
Sprague solid in Thunder Valley…Sprague has competed in seven of eight series races at Bristol, missing only the 2002 season during which he competed on the NASCAR Busch Series. He’s the track’s laps completed leader with 1,330 run of a possible 1,356. His four top-five and six top-10 finishes also are tops among all competitors. Sprague leads in Bristol winnings with $110,665. Championship contenders should be okay…Here are the best Bristol finishes of the current top five: Bodine, 2nd, 2005; Johnny Benson (#23 Exide Toyota), 4th, 2005; David Reutimann (#17 Team Tundra Toyota), 11th, 2004; Ted Musgrave, (#9 Team ASE Toyota), 6th, 2005 and Crawford, 3rd, 2003.
In the Loop:
How do you dominate a race like Mike Skinner did in winning last year’s O’Reilly 200? Simple – just consult the Scoring Loop Statistics. Skinner, who led all but 10 laps and racked up a perfect, 150.0 Driver Rating, was first in a number key statistics. Here they are: Skinner turned 38 of the race’s fastest laps (19 percent), was fastest on restarts by nearly 1.5 mph over his closest competitors, was fastest early in a run at 119.873 mph and logged the fastest green flag speed. Toyota wasn’t the fastest truck at any point on the track but Skinner was solid all the way around the .533-mile concrete layout. Skinner was second fastest in Turns 1 and 2 and 3 and 4 and stood fourth quickest on both front and back stretches.
From the Archives:
Rick Carelli, a former NASCAR AutoZone West Series, Grand National Division and AutoZone Elite Division Southwest Series champion, won his first of four Truck Series races at Bristol Motor Speedway in 1996. Carelli is retired from competition but will return to Bristol this week as the general manager of Ron Hornaday Jr.’s Kevin Harvick Inc. Chevy team.
Fast Facts:
What: O’Reilly 200 (Race 17 of 25)
Where: Bristol Motor Speedway
When: 9:15 pm/et, Aug. 23
Track layout: .533 -mile banked concrete oval
Race length: 200 laps/106.6 miles
Posted awards: $481,962
TV: SPEED Channel, 8:30 pm/et
Radio: MRN, XM Satellite
2005 winner: Mike Skinner
2005 polesitter: David Reutimann
Pre-race schedule (all times local): Wednesday -Practice 11 am – noon. Rookie Practice 12:30 pm-1 pm Final Practice 1 p.m. -2 p.m. Qualifying 5:30 p.m. Trucks impounded after qualifying.
UPDATE: Four Truck Series teams conclude tire tests at LVMS: Four Truck Series teams concluded tire tests for Goodyear at Las Vegas Motor Speedway tonight. The next time they see the track will be Smith’s Las Vegas 350 on Saturday, Sept. 23. Each of the four participating manufacturers were represented: Dodge (Brendan Gaughan of Las Vegas), Chevrolet (Dennis Setzer), Toyota (Todd Bodine) and Ford (Rick Crawford). The track qualifying record of 165.320mph was set by Mike Skinner in 2004 [the Nextel Cup track record in 174.904mph, set in 2004], and the teams ran in the 170mph in race trim [reports from Tuesday had the speeds close to 180mph]. Tickets for the Smith’s Las Vegas 350 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race on Sept. 23 may be purchased by calling the LVMS ticket office at (702) 644-4444 or online at www.LVMS.com.(LVMS PR)(8-17-2006)
By some standards, 2006 could be seen as disappointing for Kerry Earnhardt (#13 National Pork Board/Thorsport Chevy) but the third-generation competitor prefers to take the more optimistic view of his first full season in the Truck Series. Earnhardt, who won the 2005 Budweiser Pole at Daytona International Speedway in his first series start, believes he’s making progress as teammate to Matt Crafton (#88 Menards/Energizer Chevy). Crafton is 12th in a tight battle for the series’ top 10 while Earnhardt stands 22nd in what arguably is the most competitive season top-to-bottom in the 12-year history of the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. Earnhardt has flirted with top-five and top-10 finishes and finally – last Saturday at Nashville Superspeedway – the stars aligned to put the driver in 11th-place at the checkered flag. The finish bettered by six positions the North Carolinian’s career-best in the series. In Nashville, Earnhardt and crew chief Lance Hooper, a former Truck Series driver, appeared close to finding the puzzle’s missing pieces. Where Earnhardt’s career goes from the Truck Series is anyone’s guess but for the moment he – and wife Renee and their four children – are pleased with his situation.
News & Notes Part II:
Jack Sprague (#60 Con-way Freight Toyota) became the Truck Series’ “Six Million Dollar Man” following his second-place finish in Saturday’s Toyota Tundra 200 at Nashville Superspeedway. Sprague, who shares the series’ total start mark of 238 races with Rick Crawford (#14 Circle Bar Truck Corral Ford), won $31,050 to reach a series high $6,013,695. That’s $1.5 million more than the next highest career winnings of $4,503,750 logged by Dennis Setzer (#85 FlexFuel E85 Chevrolet) Setzer has won $4,503,750 in 208 appearances.
NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Leading Money Winners:
1. Jack Sprague, 238 races, $6,013,695
2. Dennis Setzer, 208 races, $4,503,750
3. Ted Musgrave, 140 races, $4,075,914
4. Ron Hornaday Jr., 166 races, $3,954,170
5. Rick Crawford, 238 races, $3,751,655
(Through Nashville Superspeedway, Aug. 12, 2006 – 283 races.)
All of the current top five leading money winners are active drivers – and each occupies a spot in the 2006 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series championship chase. Ted Musgrave (#9 Team ASE Toyota) is highest ranked in fourth place. The top of the career money list contains three former champions – Sprague, Musgrave and Ron Hornaday Jr. (#33 Kevin Harvick Inc. Chevy) – counting a combined six titles.
This Week’s NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Leaders … Through 16 races of the 25-race season:
Points leader – Todd Bodine (2,454)
Winnings – Todd Bodine ($462,035)
Laps led – Mike Skinner (351)
Miles led – Mike Skinner (567.980)
Victories – Johnny Benson, Todd Bodine, Mark Martin (3)
Budweiser Poles -Mike Skinner (4)
Top-five finishes – Todd Bodine, David Reutimann (8)
Top-10 finishes – Todd Bodine, David Reutimann (12)
Raybestos Rookie Leader – Erik Darnell (26 over Chad McCumbee)
Races led – Todd Bodine (9)
Weeks in Top 10 – 3 drivers (16)
Toyota adds to truck maker lead…Johnny Benson’s (#23 Toyota Certified Used Vehicles Toyota) victory at Nashville Superspeedway is Toyota’s eighth of the 2006 season – one short of the nine the truck maker put into the win column a year ago. With nine races remaining, Toyota can come close to – but not reach – the record 18 wins posted by Chevrolet in 1996. The overall competition remains close with Toyota leading current runner-up Ford by eight points, three more than after race 15. Also, the manufacturer’s Tennessee win streak of five races continues heading into the Aug. 23 O’Reilly 200 where Mike Skinner (#5 Toyota Tundra Toyota) is the defending champion.
Etc:
Nashville winner Benson joined two clubs Saturday becoming the 33rd competitor to win a career $1 million in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. Benson is the ninth driver to win $1 million in each of NASCAR’s three national touring series. Thirty-three different drivers have won $100,000 or more so far this year – three more than in any previous full season…Raybestos Rookie of the Year candidates swept the front row starting positions in Nashville for just the second time in series history. Current freshman leader Erik Darnell (#99 Roush Racing Ford) posted a track record speed of 162.116 mph for a single lap around the 1.333-mile concrete oval. Chad McCumbee (#08 The GPS Store/Garmin Chevrolet) took the 2 position – the highest ever by a driver in a Green Light Racing truck…Several competitors logged series-best finishes at Nashville including McCumbee (seventh); Earnhardt, 11th; Boston Reid (#25 Woodard Racing Dodge), 14th and Ryan Moore (#40 Key Motorsports Chevrolet), 18th…With Nashville’s ninth caution extending the 150-lap scheduled distance there have been 62 green-white-checkered finishes representing 22 percent of the series’ 283 races…Todd Bodine (#30 Lumber Liquidators Toyota) is the NASCAR Craftsman Truck points leader for the 12th consecutive week. His 12 times atop the leader board ranks 10th in series history. The all-time leader is Sprague, who has topped the points 52 times. Bodine’s lead with nine races remaining is 144 points over Benson, who joined Bodine and Mark Martin ( 6 Scotts Ford) as three-time winners in 2006…SPEED’s expanded pre-race show will air prior to six of the final nine series events beginning with an 8:30 p.m. ET broadcast from Bristol Motor Speedway on Wednesday, Aug. 23…Four series drivers – Bodine, Crawford, Setzer and Brendan Gaughan (#77 South Coast Dodge) – will participate in a Goodyear tire test this week at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The Truck Series will be the first to compete on the reconfigured, 1.5-mile superspeedway on Sept. 23.
In the loop:
Points leader Bodine continues to dominate statistics with a leading Driver Rating of 107.7 (of 150.0). He’s put down the most fast laps among all competitors – 122. Standings runner-up Benson is seventh in Driver Rating (99.2) but with McCumbee, ranks third in series Closers with 19 positions.
Fast Facts:
What: O’Reilly 200 (Race 17 of 25)
Where: Bristol Motor Speedway
When: 9:15 pm/et, Aug. 23
Track layout: .533 -mile banked concrete oval
Race length: 200 laps/106.6 miles
Posted awards: $481,962
TV: SPEED Channel, 8:30 pm/et
Radio: MRN, XM Satellite
2005 winner: Mike Skinner
2005 polesitter: David Reutimann
Pre-race schedule (all times local): Wednesday -Practice 11:00 – noon. Rookie Practice 12:30 p.m.-1 p.m. Final Practice 1 p.m.-2 p.m. Qualifying 5:30 p.m. Trucks impounded after qualifying.
UPDATE: Jack Sprague became the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series’ “Six Million Dollar Man” with his runner-up finish at Nashville Superspeedway in the Toyota Tundra 200 this weekend. The Series only three-time champion is the first driver in Series history to earn more than $6 million in winnings.(jacksprague.com(8-14-2006)
1) #30-Todd Bodine, 2454
2) #23-Johnny Benson, 2310
3) #17-David Reutimann, 2260
4) #9-Ted Musgrave, 2215,
5) #14-Rick Crawford, 2199
6) #60-Jack Sprague, 2152
7) #10-Terry Cook, 2148
8) #11-David Starr, 2140
9) #33-Ron Hornaday Jr., 2139
10)#85-Dennis Setzer, 2063
For complete driver standings:
truckseries.com
nascar.com(official)(8-14-2006)
1) #23-Johnny Benson, Toyota Certified Used Vehicles Toyota
2) #60-Jack Sprague, Con-way Freight Toyota
3) #20-Marcos Ambrose,Team Australia/Aussie Vineyards Ford
4) #9-Ted Musgrave, Team ASE, Germain Motorsports Toyota
5) #77-Brendan Gaughan, South Coast Hotel Dodge
6) #17-David Reutimann, Team Tundra Toyota
7) #08-Chad McCumbee, The GPS Store/Garmin Chevy
8) #30-Todd Bodine, Lumber Liquidators Toyota
9) #88-Matt Crafton, Menards/Energizer, Chevy
10)#10-Terry Cook, Ford Power Stroke Diesel by Int’l Ford<
Race Awards: Bud Pole Award: Erik Darnell # (162.116 mph)
Raybestos Rookie of the Race: Marcos Ambrose #20
Featherlite Most Improved Driver Award: David Reutimann
Mobil 1 Oil Command Performance Driver of the Race: Marcos Ambrose #20
WIX Filters Lap Leader Award: Mike Skinner
Sunoco Diamond Performance Award: Johnny Benson
Checkers/Ralley’s Double Drive-Thru Challenge: Johnny Benson
For complete results:
espn.com
truckseries.com
nascar.com(official)(8-14-2006)
1) #99-Erik Darnell, 162.116
2) #08-Chad McCumbee, 161.990
3) #60-Jack Sprague, 161.712
4) #4-Timothy Peters, 161.456
5) #22-Bill Lester, 161.050
6) #11-David Starr, 160.888
7) #5-Mike Skinner, 160.662
8) #16-Mike Bliss, 160.527
9) #21-Bobby East, 160.511
10)#33-Ron Hornaday Jr., 160.377
1st Rookie (1st) #99-Erik Darnell, 162,116
All entries qualified
For complete starting lineup:
truckseries.com(8-12-2006)
1) #60-Jack Sprague, 160.190
2) #22-Bill Lester, 160.093
3) #4-Timothy Peters, 159.487
4) #17-David Reutimann, 159.280
5) #11-David Starr, 159.074
6) #23-Johnny Benson, 158.843
7) #5-Mike Skinner, 158.675
8) #20-Marcos Ambrose, 158.497
9) #6-David Ragan, 158.147
10)#18- Bobby Hamilton Jr., 158.121
1st Chevy (14th) Kevin Grubb, 157.710
1st Rookie (8th) Marcos Ambrose, 158.497
For complete final practice results:
nascar.com
truckseries.com(8-11-2006)
1) #60-Jack Sprague, 159.976
2) #4-Timothy Peters, 159.982
3) #11-David Starr, 159.238
4) #5-Mike Skinner, 159.027
5) #18-Bobby Hamilton Jr., 159.006
6) #6-David Ragan, 158.838
7) #22-Bill Lester, 158.649
8) #15-Kevin Grubb, 158.512
9) #23-Johnny Benson, 158.486
10)#16-Mike Bliss, 158.355
1st Rookie; (14th) #25-Boston Reid, 157.731
For complete practice results:
truckseries.com
nascar.com(8-11-2006)
Preliminary Entry List for the Toyota 200 at Nashville Superspeedway:
truckseries.com
The 2005 season has not been kind to Bobby Hamilton Jr. (#18 Fastenal Dodge) or Bobby Hamilton Racing. This was supposed to be a season of redemption for the 28-year-old, second generation driver whose disappointing foray into Cup competition ended last November. Hamilton began the year with a seventh-place finish at Daytona and three top 10s in the team’s first five races. Shortly after the season began, his father, 2004 Truck Series champion Bobby Hamilton, was diagnosed with head and neck cancer. The younger Hamilton was tapped to finish the season his father’s ride, but so far, the results haven’t been what anyone might have anticipated. Hamilton hasn’t finished higher than 15th in his 10 most recent starts. Since late April, BHR, which has fielded up to three trucks in each event, has recorded just one top-five finish – Bobby Labonte’s third-place performance in a substitute role at Michigan International Speedway. Saturday’s Toyota Tundra 200, a hometown race for the Mt. Juliet-based team at nearby Nashville Superspeedway, is a welcome turn of the schedule. The elder Hamilton won the race in 2004 – after his son grabbed the Budweiser Pole. The pair fought for the victory throughout, trading the lead a number of times. Race week also allows Nashville fans to visit the Bobby Hamilton Racing shops, a celebration that’s grown exponentially from a low-key autograph signing a few years ago. This is the first time anyone other than the track’s season ticket holders has been invited. There is a $5 cover charge with proceeds going to the American Cancer Society.
News & Notes Part II:
Bodine extends lead, but rest of top 10 fluctuates…A seventh-place finish in last week’s Power Stroke Diesel 200 allowed Todd Bodine (# 30 Lumber Liquidators Toyota) to boost his standings lead to 182 points over Johnny Benson (# 23 Toyota Certified Used Vehicles Toyota). That margin might appear comfortable until one recalls that last year’s post-Indianapolis leader Dennis Setzer (# 85 FlexFuel E 85 Chevrolet) was up by 227 points and finished second in the title race. Bodine’s pursuers remain tightly bunched with only 120 points between second and ninth places. Memphis winner Jack Sprague (# 60 Con-way Freight Toyota) dropped from seventh to 11th following a finish of 28th.
Active Drivers with Victories in Consecutive Seasons:
1. Dennis Setzer 8, 1998-2005
2. Ron Hornaday Jr. 6, 1995-1999, 2001*
& Jack Sprague 6, 1996-2001
4. Mike Bliss 5, 1995-1999
& Ted Musgrave 5, 2001-2005
6. Rick Crawford 4, 2003-2006
* Did not compete in 2000
Crawford adds to consecutive win total…Rick Crawford (#14 Circle Bar Truck Corral Ford) became the 10th different winner at O’Reilly Raceway Park on Aug. 4 and moved to sixth among active drivers with victories in four consecutive seasons. The irony is that four winless seasons followed Crawford’s initial triumph in 1998 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Dennis Setzer (# 85 FlexFuel E85 Chevrolet) is the career leader in the category. Setzer has won in every year since 1998 – an eight-season streak he hopes to extend during this year’s final 10 races.
This Week’s NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Leaders…through 15 races of the 25-race season:
Points leader – Todd Bodine (2,307)
Money won – Todd Bodine ($452,160)
Laps led – Mark Martin (321)
Miles led – Mark Martin (532.46)
Victories – Todd Bodine, Mark Martin (3)
Budweiser Poles -Mike Skinner (4)
Top-five finishes – Todd Bodine (8)
Top-10 finishes – Todd Bodine, David Reutimann (11)
Raybestos Rookie Leader – Erik Darnell (32 over Chad McCumbee)
Races led – Todd Bodine (8)
Weeks in Top 10 – 3 drivers (15)
Toyota on a roll in Tennessee…In addition to leading NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series manufacturer standings – 102 to 97 over Ford – Toyota is four-for-four in Tennessee wins since Brandon Whitt’s July 2005 victory at Memphis Motorsports Park. David Reutimann (#17 Team Tundra Toyota) will defend this week at Nashville Superspeedway. Mike Skinner (#5 Toyota Tundra Toyota) won last year’s event at Bristol Motor Speedway with Sprague the winner last month in Memphis. That’s four different drivers and four teams.
Etc:
Benson is poised to become the series’ 33rd different $1 million career winner when he takes the green flag in Nashville. Benson will be the ninth competitor to win $1 million in each of NASCAR’s three national series. … Sprague can become the first NASCAR Craftsman Truck driver to win $6 million in a career by finishing third or higher in this week’s race. Sprague’s series-leading money totals $5,982,645…Nashville Superspeedway is the second of three concrete-surfaced tracks on this year’s schedule. Mark Martin (#6 Scotts Ford), who isn’t entered in Nashville…won at Dover International Speedway in early June. The schedule’s next event – at Bristol Motor Speedway on Aug. 23 – also is run on concrete. Drivers who have won on concrete and one expected to compete are Reutimann, Skinner, Sprague, Mike Bliss (#16 Xpress Motorsports Chevrolet), Chad Chaffin (#59 Eaton Corporation Ford), Ron Hornaday Jr. (#33 Kevin Harvick Inc. Chevrolet) and Ted Musgrave (#9 Team ASE Toyota). Hornaday is the only double winner with both victories scored at Bristol…The Toyota Tundra 200 twice has been won from the pole – Scott Riggs in 2001 and Bliss the following year. Bobby Hamilton started 16th in 2004, deepest in the field by a race winner…Sammy Sanders, a Bobby Hamilton Racing employee, will make his first start of the season in the # 04 Dodge with sponsorship from Camp Courageous, a medical camping facility under construction in Scottsville, Ky. When open in 2008, Camp Courageous will provide free, year-round camping sessions for children battling life threatening illnesses from Kentucky, Tennessee and surrounding area.
On the right track:
Musgrave solid at Nashville… Musgrave has five finishes of second or third at Nashville Superspeedway including last year’s runner-up performance. Ironically, the 2005 race marked the first time the defending series champion has failed to lead a lap. “I’m not sure if it’s because of the concrete surface or if it’s something else,” Musgrave said.
In the loop:
Mike Skinner finished fourth in last year’s Toyota Tundra 200 but wound up with the highest Driver Rating – 140.3 – of the race. He out-rated winner David Reutimann, whose performance rated at 138.2. Seven drivers posted Driver Ratings of 100 or higher on a scale of 150.Reutimann and Skinner led a combined seven times and here’s why. The pair combined for the 14 fastest laps of the race – Skinner with eight and Reutimann with six. Looking at speed in traffic, Toyota drivers posted four of the five fastest laps with Skinner topping the charts at 153.639 mph. Brendan Gaughan’s Dodge, at 152.970, was fourth and the only non Toyota among the five. Half of Reutimann’s Quality Passes – seven of 14 – came on the backstretch. Bodine was the #1 driver when it came to holding position. He went 24 consecutive laps without being passed.
From the archives:
There have been 10 races run in Music City since the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series’ debut at the then-Nashville Speedway USA in 1996. There have been no repeat winners. Four Nashville winners are expected to compete this week: Jack Sprague (USA, 1997), Dennis Setzer (USA, 1999), Mike Bliss (Speedway, 2002) and defending Toyota Tundra 200 winner David Reutimann.
Fast Facts:
What: Toyota Tundra 200 (Race 16 of 25)
Where: Nashville Superspeedway
When: 5:15 p.m. ET, Aug. 12
Track layout: .1.333-mile banked concrete oval
Race length: 200 miles/150 laps
Posted awards: $458,186
TV: SPEED Channel, 4:30 pm/et
Radio: MRN, XM Satellite
2005 winner: David Reutimann
2005 polesitter: Mike Skinner
Pre-race schedule (all times local): Friday-Practice 2:15 p.m. – 3:15 p.m. Rookie Practice 4:15 – 5:15 p.m. Final Practice 4:15 – 5:15 p.m. Saturday – Qualifying 12 noon. Trucks impounded after qualifying(8-7-2006).
1) #30-Todd Bodine, 2307
2) #23-Johnny Benson, 2125
3) #14-Rick Crawford, 2120
4) #17-David Reutimann, 2110
5) #33-Ron Hornday Jr., 2070
6) #9-Ted Musgrave, 2055
7) #11-David Starr, 2037
8) #10-Terry Cook, 2014
9) #85-Dennis Setzer, 2005
10)#16-Mike Bliss, 198
For complete driver point standings:
motorsportsone.com(official)
nascar.com
truckseries.com(8-4-2006)
1) #14-Rick Crawford, Circle Bar Truck Corral Ford
2) #85-Dennis Setzer, FlexFuel E85 Chevy
3) #33-Ron Hornaday, KHI Chevy
4) #11-David Starr, Red Horse Racing Toyota
5) #16-Mike Bliss, Xpress Motorsports Chevy
6) #10-Terry Cook, Power Stroke Diesel by Int’l Ford
7) #30-Todd Bodine, Lumber Liquidators Toyota
8) #9-Ted Musgrave, Team ASE/Germain Motors Toyota
9) #6-David Ragan, Scotts Ford
10)#99-Erik Darnell, FinishMaster Auto & Industrial Paint Ford
Race Awards:
Bud Pole Award: David Ragan (109.838 mph
Raybestos Rookie of the Race: Erik Darnell #99
Featherlite Most Improved Driver Award: Kraig Kinser, #46 (14 Places)
Mobil 1 Oil Command Performance Driver of the Race: Rick Crawford
WIX Filters Lap Leader Award: Rick Crawford, #14 (87 Laps)
Sunoco Diamond Performance Award: Rick Crawford
Checkers/Ralley’s Double Drive-Thru Challenge: Erik Darnell #99
For complete race results:
espn.com
motorsportsone.com
nascar.com
truckseries.com(official)(8-7-2006)
1) #6-David Ragan, 109.838
2) #75-Aric Almirola, 109.381
3) #14-Rick Crawford,109.154
4) #11-David Starr, 109.149
5) #77-Brendan Gaughan, 109.023
6) #10-Terry Cook, 108.942
7) #85-Dennis Setzer, 108.846
8) #5-Mike Skinner, 108.807
9) #60-Jack Sprague, 108.793
10)#33-Ron Hornaday, 108.769
1st Rookie (2nd), Aric Almirola, 109.381
Going home: #89, Chuck Maitlen
For complete starting lineup:
nascar.com
truckseries.com(8-4-2006)
1) #60-Jack Sprague, 109.555
2) #14-Rick Crawford, 109.202
3) #85-Dennis Setzer, 109.023
4) #9-Ted Musgrave, 108.971
5) #10-Terry Cook, 108.942
6) #11-David Starr, 108.793
7) #6-David Ragan, 108.478
8) #18-Bobby Hamilton Jr., 108.435
9) #75-Aric Almirola, 108.397
10)#77-Brendan Gaughan, 108.311
1st Rookie (9th), Aric Almirola, 108.397
For complete final practice results:
nascar.com
truckseries.com(8-4-2006)
1) #9-Ted Musgrave, 108.903
2) #23-Johnny Benson, 108.145
3) #60-Jack Sprague, 108.145
4) #88-Matt Crafton, 108.107
5) #75-Aric Almirola, 108.088
6) #33-Ron Hornaday, 107.928
7) #59-Chad Chaffin, 107.805
8) #10-Terry Cook, 107.622
9) #13-Kerry Earnhardt, 107.575
10)#4-Timothy Peters, 107.533
1st Rookie (5th) #75-Aric Almirola, 108.088
For complete practice results:
nascar.com
truckseries.com(8-4-2006)
For complete entry list for O’Reilly Raceway Park:
(nascar.com)(7-31-2006)
UPDATE: Reutimann shines in “Night of Stars” and wins first Shootout: David Reutimann won the first of two 10-lap Dirt Modified shootouts during Ken Schrader’s annual M&M’s Night of Stars at I-55 Raceway Wednesday night. Reutimann finished fifth in the second race to Kenny Wallace.(David Reutimann)(8-3-2006)
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