August 2007 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.

  • Free O.J. for ticket purchase at LVMS on Wednesday: Las Vegas Motor Speedway officials announced Monday a special reward for race fans who purchase tickets to an event at LVMS. Fans who stop by the speedway on Wednesday to purchase tickets will receive a free serving of orange juice. The promotion includes the purchase of tickets to any of the following upcoming events: Saturday night’s Smith’s Las Vegas 350, the Oct. 25-28 NHRA ACDelco Las Vegas Nationals or the 2008 NASCAR Weekend in March. The LVMS ticket office opens at 8:00am. The offer is available only on Wednesday, Sept. 19.(LVMS PR)(-18-2007)
  • Overstreet’s last race for Waltrip Racing: UPDATE: Overstreet at Gateway: Long-time Darrell Waltrip Motorsports crew chief Jason Overstreet will leave the #00 team after tonight’s race. By his own choice, Overstreet is moving on to pursue other opportunities within the sport. No replacement has been named, but we have heard through the grapevine that ARCA owner Eddie Sharp may serve as interim crew chief at the Gateway race next week. ARCA and the Truck Series will both be in action at Gateway, making it easy for Sharp to handle both his own teams and the Truck team as well. Expect a formal announcement on the replacement one way or the other in the coming days.(TruckSeries.com)(8-22-2007)
    UPDATE: While the Bristol race was supposed to be his final one with the team, Jason Overstreet is here this weekend with the #00 Toyota team for Michael Waltrip Racing. Overstreet will be assisted from the spotter’s stand by ARCA owner Eddie Sharp. Sharp will not only spot for Josh Wise, but he’ll also be involved in calling race strategy as well.(TruckSeries.com)(8-31-2007)
  • New paint scheme for Skinner at Gateway: UPDATE: Image added: Skinner and the #5 Toyota team will be sporting a new paint scheme this week at Gateway International Raceway. XM Radio will adorn the truck for this weekend’s race. XM is an entertainment company that offers more than 170 channels of commercial-free music, premier sports, news, talk radio, comedy, children’s and entertainment programming; and the most advanced traffic and weather information. Skinner remains the point’s leader after Nashville leading Ron Hornaday by 92 points.(Bill Davis Racing PR)(8-29-2007)
    UPDATE: Paint scheme is posted on the 2007 Paint Scheme Gallery.(8-30-2007)
  • Kenny Wallace in a Billy Ballew truck at Gateway: UPDATE 2: 1st time in trucks at Gateway: During NASCAR’s Raceday on SPEED/TV, Kenny Wallace said he would be running a truck for Billy Ballew at Gateway.[no word on whether the #15 or #51](8-20-2007)
    UPDATE: Kenny Wallace will race in the Missouri-Illinois Dodge Dealers Ram Tough 200 at Gateway Int’l Raceway driving the #51 Flanders Meat Patties truck for Billy Ballew Motorsports.(Gateway Int’l Raceway PR)(8-21-2007)
    UPDATE: This will be Wallace’s first NCTS start at the Gateway International Raceway. He has nine previous starts in the Craftsman Truck Series with two top-5 and four top-10 finishes. Wallace has nine previous starts at Gateway in the Busch Series at the 1.25 mile oval, with a best finish of sixth place in 2001.(Billy Ballew Motorsports PR)(8-30-2007)
  • Steadman Marlin searching for a ride: Steadman Marlin, currently running a full season in the late model division at Music City Motorplex [Nashville, TN] is still looking for an opportunity to compete in either the Truck or Busch Series for 2008. Marlin just recently picked up his first victory of the season after winning the 100 lap DryGDSI.com NASCAR Late Model feature on August 18th. Nextel Cup driver and father, Sterling Marlin was there to help with the victory lane celebrations. Marlin is currently fourth in driver points standings at Music City Motorplex.(8-30-2007)
  • Jukovic to drive #08 at Gateway: Joliet, IL native, Boris Jukovic has been named as the driver for the #08 Greenlight Racing Chevy for this week’s event at Gateway Int’l Raceway. Jukovic has one previous start in the Truck Series, also at Gateway, where he finished 25th in 2006.(8-30-2007)
  • Norris slated to drive #15 at Gateway: UPDATE: 1st truck start: J.R. Norris will be the driver of the #15 Flanders Beef Patties Chevy as the second Billy Ballew Motorsports entry. Flanders Beef Patties will be onboard both the #15 and the #51 being driven by Kenny Wallace this weekend at Gateway Int’l Raceway.(GM Racing PR)(8-29-2007)
    UPDATE: Billy Ballew Motorsports has announced that 2006 AutoZone Southeast Series Tour Champion and the team’s developmental driver, JR Norris will make his Craftsman Truck Series debut at Gateway. Norris has experience on and off the track of race cars and trucks. Part of Norris’s developmental program has been working at Billy Ballew Motorsports as the truck chief on the #15 Chevy. This will be his first Craftsman Truck Series start but has been a NASCAR Busch Series team test driver in Richmond and in Las Vegas Motor Speedway.(Billy Ballew Motorsports PR)(8-29-2007)
  • Schrader to give command to start engines: Fenton, Mo.- native Ken Schrader will have a busy Saturday. He is racing in the Missouri-Illinois Dodge Dealers Ram Tough 200 at Gateway International Raceway and following that up by heading to I-55 Raceway in Pevely, Mo., the track he co-owns with Ray Marler, and competing there immediately following the action at GIR. Schrader, a native of Fenton, Mo., will also give the command to start engines from the seat of his #18 Bobby Hamilton Racing Dodge.(Gateway Raceway PR)(8-28-2007)
  • Villeneuve to Bill Davis Racing? UPDATE 3: Seven in Trucks; Cup in 2008: hearing that there may be an announcement soon regarding Jacques Villeneuve joining the Craftsman Truck Series with Bill Davis Racing…stay tuned. No word yet on any sponsors or the team number.(catchfence.com)(8-23-2007)
    UPDATE: Following an invitation from Toyota NASCAR team Bill Davis Racing, former F1 World Champion Jacques Villeneuve will make his NASCAR debut behind the wheel of a Toyota Tundra truck on Monday, August 27 at Chicagoland Speedway in Illinois. Having won both the IndyCar series and the legendary Indy 500 event, Villeneuve is no stranger to oval racing, although he last did so in 1995. For a driver with an almost unequalled resumé, the 36-year-old father of one is fully accepting of his ‘rookie’ status, and is focused on learning as much as he can, as quickly as he can. Speaking from Bill Davis Racing’s High Point, N.C. HQ, Jacques Villeneuve commented, “We have spent the last few months considering a number of NASCAR options and were in agreement that the truck offers the closest reference point to the Car of Tomorrow. Bill Davis Racing was aware of my interest in NASCAR and approached my management team with a view to allowing me to test within its truck program. I’m glad we were able to work that out, and having spent the day with the team for my seat fitting, I am really looking forward to working with Bill and his staff.” Villeneuve’s long-term manager, Craig Pollock, added to the picture, stating, “There’s been a lot of speculation about when Jacques would arrive in NASCAR. Bill Davis’ kind invitation coincided with our decision to start within Craftsman Truck, so the fit was both timely and natural.”(BDR PR)(8-23-2007)
    UPDATE 2: Bill Davis Racing plans to field a full-time Sprint Cup entry for former Formula One world champion Jacques Villeneuve in 2008, team owner Bill Davis said Friday at Bristol Motor Speedway. Davis said the plan right now is to run Villeneuve in the #22 Craftsman Truck Series entry later this season, as well as test the Car of Tomorrow. BDR will also field a car for Villeneuve in the ARCA race at Talladega in October in preparation for the Daytona 500 in 2008, Davis said. Then? “And then we’ll go Cup racing next year,” Davis said. Davis said that Villeneuve’s jump to Cup doesn’t necessarily mean he’ll be in the #36 Toyota and that a three-car team “is a possibility.” Veteran Nextel Cup crew chief Slugger Labbe will lead Villeneuve’s team, Davis said. Villeneuve will debut in NASCAR during a CTS test at Chicagoland Speedway on Monday. The hope right now is debut him in a CTS race next month in Las Vegas. “It is an experiment, if you will,” Davis said. “But he’s pretty confident he can do it, and we are, too. I think it’ll work out just fine.”(ESPN.com)(8-25-2007)
    UPDATE 3: Villeneuve tests truck at Chicago, debut at Vegas, could run Cup race: Jacques Villeneuve, the 1997 Formula One champion and 1995 Indianapolis 500 winner, will drive seven races in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series for Bill Davis Racing in anticipation of racing full time next season. Villeneuve tested in a Craftsman truck [the #27 Toyota], which uses a stock-car chassis with a pickup body, in Chicago on Monday. He is expected to make his debut on the third-tier NASCAR circuit at Las Vegas Motor Speedway Sept. 22. “We’re planning on running him in the last seven truck races, starting in Vegas,” said Michelle Marckwardt of Bill Davis Racing. “It’s possible he may run a Nextel Cup car at the end of the year.”(Detroit Free Press)(8-28-2007)
  • Bell returns to drive #50 Ford at Gateway: T.J. Bell will return to the seat of Roush Fenway Racing’s #50 Heathcliff’s Cat Litter Ford F-150 this weekend at Gateway International Raceway. Bell has not raced since Michigan in June, but he has kept very busy in his time out of the cockpit. Bell has been at the racetrack each week, offering crew chief Matt Puccia and drivers Peter Shepherd and Danny O’Quinn a helping hand.(Roush Fenway Racing PR)(8-28-2007)
  • Rookie News & Notes – Gateway: Willie Allen was the Raybestos Rookie of the Race in the August 22 O’Reilly 200 at Bristol Motor Speedway. Allen claimed a 19th-place finish and took top rookie honors for the first time this season. Tim Sauter leads Allen by five points (126-121) in the Raybestos Rookie standings entering the September 1 Missouri/Illinois Dodge Dealers 200 at Gateway Int’l Raceway. Aric Almirola was the Raybestos Rookie of the Race in the 2006 Missouri-Illinois Dodge Dealers Ram Tough 200 at Gateway, posting a 10th-place finish. The best finish by a Raybestos Rookie in nine races at Gateway is fourth by Carl Edwards in 2003.(Raybestos PR)(8-27-2007)
  • Minnesota flood hits close to home with BHR sponsor, Fastenal: The Fastenal Company, who serves as the primary sponsor on the #18 BHR Dodge, has recently been affected by the horrendous floods in Southeastern Minnesota. The city of Winona, which is the home place for the Fastenal Headquarters, was one of the towns worst hit by the horrific flooding. Many Fastenal employees lost their homes and personal belongings. If you would like to help them with the recovery effort contact The Winona County Chapter of the American Red Cross at (507) 452- 4258 for more information.(Bobby Hamilton Racing PR)(8-27-2007)
  • Westerman Companies adds Gateway to sponsorship of #40: The Westerman Companies, the manufacturer of containers for storage and transit in the oil, gas and nuclear energy industries, has added the September 1 Craftsman Truck Series race at the Gateway International Raceway to its list of primary sponsorship of the #40 Key Motorsports Chevy. Making the announcement was Westerman Companies President/CEO Terry McGhee. The #40 Key Motorsports Chevrolet Silverado carried the colors and logos of the Westerman Companies for previous races at the Kentucky Speedway, O’Reilly Raceway Park in Indianapolis and the Nashville Superspeedway. The October 20th event at the Martinsville Speedway is also on the 2007 schedule making the Gateway addition the fifth race in which the Westerman Companies will have partnered with Key Motorsports this season.(Key Motorsports PR)(8-27-2007)
  • Roush truck plans for 2008: In the Craftsman Truck Series, Roush Fenway Racing will field at least two trucks, including one with sponsorship from Northern Tool. Erik Darnell, who is 10th in the truck standings, will be part of the Roush program somewhere, Smith said. “Darnell is definitely in our program next year,” Smith said. “He’s slated to continue in the truck series, but we are looking for opportunities to bring him to the next level. He has earned it and is proving every day and gaining the maturity.”(SceneDaily.com)(8-26-2007)
  • Bjorklund moving to Busch: Haas CNC Racing has announced that developmental driver Blake Bjorklund will race in selected Busch Series events during the remainder of the 2007 season. Through an existing partnership between Haas CNC Racing and Jay Robinson Racing, Bjorklund will drive the #28 Chevy. The targeted races are at California, Charlotte and Homestead-Miami, with the possibility of additional races. Bjorklund, who had been driving the #8 Chevy for MRD Motorsports in the Craftsman Truck Series, now will focus solely on preparation for his Busch Series schedule.(HaasCNC Racing PR)(8-24-2007)
  • Morgan Dollar Motorsports fielding two trucks at Bristol: Morgan Dollar Motorsports will field two trucks in the O’Reilly 200 at Bristol Motor Speedway. Back in the #47 Ginn Resorts Chevy for the second time this season will be Regan Smith. Timothy Peters will pilot the #46 Tahoe Smokeless Chevy.(GM Racing PR)(8-21-2007)
  • White & Pennington Motorsports sign sponsor for Busch Bristol event: Stock Car Steel & Aluminum, a metal service center specializing in the market, will sponsor Jason White’s #08 Pennington Motorsports Busch Series car at Bristol Motor Speedway this weekend, according to a news release. [White is also scheduled to compete in the Truck Series in the #7 Hooters Energy Drink Chevy for Pennington Motorsports.](Scene Daily)(8-21-2007)
  • Kvapil to run Busch race at Bristol: Craftsman Truck Series champion and Roush Fenway Racing driver Travis Kvapil will make his fourth career start in the Busch Series at Bristol Motor Speedway this Friday in the #16 3M Ford Fusion. Kvapil is currently running a full-season in the #6 K&N Ford F-150 for Roush Fenway in the Truck Series but is looking forward to the opportunity to showcase his talent in the Busch Series. Previously at Bristol, Kvapil stats include a truck win in 2003 at the .533-mile oval and three top-10 and five top-20 finishes in six career starts at the track (two truck and four Nextel Cup races).(Roush Fenway Racing PR)(8-21-2007)
  • Martin returns in the #21 at Bristol: UPDATE: Bires to cover practice Tues: Mark Martin is scheduled to be the driver of the #21 Bush’s Baked Beans/Bubba Burgers Ford for Wood Bros./JTG Racing for the O’Reilly 200 at Bristol Motor Speedway. Martin will try to become the third driver to successfully defend a win from last season.(Mark Martin.com)(8-20-2007)
    UPDATE: Rain at MIS created several postponements of the Nextel Cup Series race. That forced Martin to stay in Michigan as the Bristol Motor Speedway opened for business on Tuesday. Bires, who’s scheduled to race Friday night in the Busch Series race, will drive the #21 Bush’s Baked Beans/Bubba Burgers Ford during Tuesday’s practice session.(Wood Bros/JTG Racing PR)(8-21-2007)
  • Lester steps out, Monteith in at Bristol: UPDATE: Possibly full season in ’08? Billy Ballew Motorsports has announced that Nate Monteith will take the wheel of the #15 Billy Ballew Motorsports Chevy Wednesday, August 22, 2007 at Bristol Motor Speedway. Monteith, 26, whose hometown is Bristol, Tenn., has made two previous starts in the Busch Series (Nazareth and IRP), both coming in 2001. Monteith has one previous qualifying attempt at Bristol Motor Speedway in the NASCAR Busch Series in 2001. Bill Lester, who had piloted the #15 Craftsman Truck since Daytona, will be stepping out of the truck due to a temporary lack of sponsorship. Monteith is bringing to Billy Ballew Motorsports a new sponsor, which will be announced in the near future.(Billy Ballew Motorsports PR)(8-20-2007)
    UPDATE: Nate Monteith to run Bristol truck race and possibly full season in 2008 with BBM in the #15 truck.(Monteith Racing)(8-20-2007)
  • McCumbee signs with MRD for remainder of year: Bjorklund out? UPDATE: McCumbee in the #8: MRD has announced that they have signed Chad McCumbee for the remainder of the 2007 truck series season. After running a partial schedule in 2006 with their best run coming at Gateway with an 11th place finish, MRD and McCumbee will reunite for the remainder of this season. With all of the new changes to the team TheGPSstore.com and Garmin will also come aboard for the remainder of the season supplying primary sponsorship for the truck.(Chad McCumbee PR)(8-20-2007)
    UPDATE: Hearing that McCumbee will be driving the #8; status of Haas CNC development driver, Blake Bjorklund is unknown.(8-20-2007)
  • Raybestos Rookie Notes – Bristol: Joey Clanton was the Raybestos Rookie of the Race in the August 11 Toyota Tundra 200 at Nashville Superspeedway. Clanton scored a 10th-place finish, his fourth top-10 in nine starts this season. He took top rookie honors for the fourth time this season. Tim Sauter leads Willie Allen by eight points (123-115) in the Raybestos Rookie standings entering the August 22 O’Reilly 200 at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway. Erik Darnell was the Raybestos Rookie of the Race in the 2006 O’Reilly 200 at Bristol, coming away with an 18th-place finish. The best finish by a Raybestos Rookie in nine previous races at Bristol is third by Jay Sauter in 1996. Sauter is the only Raybestos Rookie to score a top-five finish at Bristol.(Raybestos PR)(8-20-2007)
  • First time at Bristol for Matthews: UPDATE: Sponsor on board: This Wednesday night will mark Ryan Matthews’s first race at Bristol. Even though it will be his first time racing there, it will not be his first time on the track. Mathews and his #22 team tested very well at the half-mile track in July and are looking forward to the mid-week race. The Bristol race will be Matthews’s 10th start in the Craftsman Truck Series for Bill Davis Racing.(Bill Davis Racing PR)(8-20-2007)
    UPDATE: Ryan Mathews and the #22 Craftsman Truck Series team will have a new sponsor for Wednesday night’s race under the lights at Bristol Motor Speedway. The logos of Chimney Rock Cattle Company will adorn the sides and hood of the #22 Toyota Tundra. Chimney Rock Cattle Company was purchased from the estate of Julian and Shelley Martin in 1999 by NASCAR owners Bill and Gail Davis. The Davis’ will host their first annual Chimney Rock 500 cattle sale Oct. 5 and 6, in the brand-new 50,000-square foot sales facility in Concord, Ark. The sale will include a registered female sale on Friday, followed by the sale of commercial females and bulls on Saturday. Friday’s festivities in the “cow palace” will also include the Chimney Rock Celebration, which will include appearances by NASCAR personalities.(Bill Davis Racing PR)(8-20-2007)
  • O’Quinn pulling triple duty at Bristol: Danny O’Quinn will make his first Craftsman Truck Series start in the #50-Northern Tool & Equipment Ford at Bristol Motor Speedway on Wednesday night. In addition to the Craftsman Truck Series race, O’Quinn will also be competing in the USAR Hooters Pro Cup and NASCAR Busch Series races at Bristol.(Roush Fenway Racing PR)(-8-20-2007)
    Image: Image of the #50 Northern Tool & Equipment Ford can be found on the 2007 Paint Scheme Gallery.(8-20-2007)
  • Allmendinger returns to the #00 at Bristol: AJ Allmendinger returns to the #00 Aaron’s Lucky Dog Toyota Tundra for the Craftsman Truck Series O’Reilly 200 at Bristol Motor Speedway (BMS) Wednesday night. Allmendinger and the Aaron’s Lucky Dog Toyota Tundra team participated in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series test session at the newly resurfaced .533-mile oval. “The Bristol truck test back in July went well,” said Allmendinger. “We worked on the setup all day and ended up finishing in the top-5. I am really excited about this race because of the new surface and I know we have a truck capable of winning.”(Michael Waltrip Racing PR)(8-20-2007)
  • Sprague to make special presentation to Con-way Truckers: Just before Jack Sprague climbs behind the wheel of his Con-way Freight Toyota Tundra for the O’Reilly 200, 52 Con-way Freight truck drivers will be arriving in Minneapolis, Minn. to compete in the 2007 National Truck Driving Championships. Sprague will make a special presentation during pre-race ceremonies to the group of 52 Con-way Freight truckers who will be gathered at The Library in Minneapolis [MN].(Wyler Racing PR)(8-20-2007)
  • Germain Racing running Busch Race at Michigan: UPDATE: Finishes 8th: In Saturday’s Carfax 250 at Michigan, Germain will run their second Busch Series race. Todd Bodine, the defending Truck Series champion, will again be behind the wheel of the #03 Germain Toyota and the team wants more than just a top-ten finish like they grabbed in their debut last month in St. Louis.(Germain Racing PR)(8-13-2007)
    UPDATE: Todd Bodine picked up his second top-ten in as many starts finishing 8th in the Carfax 250 at Michigan. In a post-race interview, Bodine said he is scheduled to run six more Busch series events in 2007.(8-20-2007)
  • Congrats to Brendan Gaughan & new wife Tatum! Brendan Gaughan, the driver of the #77 South Point Hotel & Casino Chevy comes to Bristol a newlywed, having just married fellow Las Vegas-native Tatum Hayes. Gaughan, 32, and Hayes, 31, were married on Saturday, Aug. 18th in a small ceremony in Vail, CO.(South Point Racing PR)(8-19-2007)
  • Benson wins “The Chet” at Berlin: In his first visit to Berlin Raceway this season, Johnny Benson proved that he still knows his way around the historic race track, edging out Billy Shotko to claim victory in the $5,000-to-win “The Chet”. [It was the third time Benson has won the annual race in the seven years that Berlin has hosted it in honor of the track founder, the late Chester Mysliwiec.](Berlin Raceway)(8-16-2007)
  • Honorary crew member for Skinner: Shira Hartsook will be joining the #5 Tundra team this Wednesday night for the O’Reilly 200 at Bristol Motor Speedway. Hartsook is the Executive Producer for WJHL News Channel 11 in Johnson City, TN. (Bill Davis Racing PR)(8-16-2007)
  • Exide back on board #23 at Bristol: The Exide Batteries logos will again adorn the hood and the sides of the #23 Toyota Tundra this week at the O’Reilly 200 race. This will be the third of the four Exide sponsored races this year. Benson has accumulated four top-five finishes and six top-10 finishes at “Thunder Valley” throughout his career.(Bill Davis Racing PR)(8-16-2007)
  • Kyle Busch to run truck event in the #51 at Bristol: UPDATE Triple duty for Busch: Kyle Busch is scheduled to enter the #51-Billy Ballew Motorsports Chevy in the truck race at Bristol Motor Speedway on Wednesday, August 22, 2007.(KyleBusch.com)(8-15-2007)
  • UPDATE: Busch is the lone driver competing in all three night races at BMS. The fact that Busch will be cruising BMS for a total of 950 laps is of no concern to him. What he wants is more time on the track… and that Truck Series win. “Bristol is one of the most fun tracks we go to,” said Busch. “Now that I have a Cup and Busch win, I want a Truck Series win too. Running all three races will give me a bunch more track time to get used to the new surface.(Bristol Motor Speedway PR)(8-16-2006)
  • McCumbee to sub for Petty at MIS: Chad McCumbee will substitute for Kyle Petty in the #45 Marathon American Spirit Motor Oil Dodge for Sunday’s 3M Performance 400 at the Michigan. Petty completed a successful surgery on his hand on Tuesday in North Carolina. [Petty suffered a broken hand as a result of hitting the butt of his hand on a door inside the hauler after a lap 69 incident in Sunday’s Centurion Boats at The Glen.] Petty is expected to return to the driver’s seat for next week’s Sharpie 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway.(Petty PR)(8-15-2007)
  • Bodine not returning full time next year? Ray Dunlap reported during the pre-race activities on Speed/TV that it appeared that Todd Bodine would not be back full time in the #30 Germain Racing Toyota and that he would be moving to the Busch Series. Dunlap reported that Germain Racing tested a number of young drivers in anticipation of Bodine’s leaving the #30-team.(8-11-2007)
  • McCumbee to Petty Busch ride in 2008? Ray Dunlap also reported during the race on Speed/TV that Chad McCumbee is expected to be in a Petty Enterprises Busch Series ride for the 2008 season. Dunlap also said that McCumbee will not finish out the 2007 season with Greenlight Racing and that he and his sponsor will be moving to another team before the next race at Bristol. [Also hearing from sources that McCumbee will fill in for Kyle Petty in his Cup car one more time this season – no word on which race.](8-11-2007)
  • Schrader entered in ARCA dirt-track event at Springfield: Ken Schrader, is entered in the #66 Hendren Motorsports Ford for the Sunday August 19th ARCA dirt-track Allen Crow 100 at the Illinois State Fairgrounds. Bob Strait was originally scheduled to drive the car; however, the Mokena, Illinois veteran driver was involved in a motorcycle accident back on June 1st and broke his right hand and injured his left hand and knee. The 16-time ARCA RE/MAX Series winner is doing well and continues to mend.(arcaracing.com)(8-13-2007)
  • Chrome Shop Mafia partners with Key Motorsports: Bryan “Bossman” Martin from the Chrome Shop Mafia and members of his crew have established a marketing partnership with Key Motorsports Truck Series race team. The Chrome Shop Mafia is featured on national cable television as the group of seven unique personalities and talents that “makeover” big rigs for lucky truckers in need. The plan would feature the #40 Chrome Shop Mafia Chevy competing in up to five races over the remainder of the 2007. Under consideration are the races scheduled for the Gateway International Raceway on September 1, Las Vegas on September 22, Talladega, AL on October 6, Atlanta on October 27 and the Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth on November 2.(Key Motorsports PR)(8-10-2007)
  • Xpress Motorsports teams up with business development group: In an effort to maximize its’ exposure to potential teams, drivers, sponsors and marketing firms Xpress Motorsports’ team owner Dave Fuge has announced that Connection Motorsports Group has come aboard to conduct its’ business development activities. “I think that in today’s motorsports market it is difficult or one person to concentrate on both the business development and performance development without compromising results on-track, and for those reasons I have elected to retain CMGs’ services” stated Fuge. “First and foremost I am 100% racer and my success in the past has come from focusing on staying ahead of the competition and now I will be able to concentrate on that again.” Fuge has enjoyed a successful career in motorsports that spans thirty-seven years and includes ownership of a Nextel Cup Team in the 1990’s guiding Bobby Hamilton to the “1991 Rookie of the Year” honors and Loy Allen to the “1994 Daytona 500 Pole”. Additionally, he has developed Xpress Motorsports that claimed two championships in 2002 and 2003 in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series with Mike Bliss and Travis Kvapil.(CMG/Xpress Motorsports PR)(8-9-2007)
  • O’Quinn in the #50: Danny O’Quinn will make his first Craftsman Truck Series start at Nashville Superspeedway on Saturday afternoon in the #50 Roush Fenway Racing Ford. O’Quinn has competed at Nashville before, running in three Busch Series races. The #50 will once again carry the colors of Northern Tool + Equipment this weekend, in a reverse scheme of teammate Erik Darnell’s #99 Ford.(Roush Fenway Racing PR)(8-8-2007)
  • Almirola will make second 2007 series start: Aric Almirola will make his second NCTS start of 2007, this time behind the wheel of the #47 Ginn Resorts Silverado fielded by Morgan-Dollar Motorsports. Saturday’s race will mark Almirola’s fourth start at the concrete track. His first start came in the NCTS last season and in two Busch Series starts in 2007, the Tampa, FL native notched a top-10 finish.(GM Racing PR)(8-8-2007)
  • Schrader to make first series start at NSS: Ken Schrader will be making his first career NASCAR start at Nashville Superspeedway when he pilots the #18 Fastenal Dodge in the Truck Series on Saturday. Schrader competed at Nashville Superspeedway in the ARCA Series scoring a victory in the first ever ARCA event at the speedway.(BHR PR)(8-8-2007)
  • Skinner on course to make history: After 14 races, Mike Skinner’s 2007 is a season full of big numbers – four wins, seven pole positions, top 10s in all but one race, and series-leading marks by wide margins for miles-led, laps-led, races-led, best running position, average finish and driver rating as driver of the #5 Toyota Tundra from the dominant Bill Davis Racing NCTS three-team stable. But it’s that chronological number – his championship year (1995) – that is most significant. Should he win the 2007 NCTS title, Skinner would join what is perhaps NASCAR’s most exclusive club, joining Terry Labonte as the only drivers to go as long as 12 seasons between championships in any major series. Mike and Terry. That would be the list, a very short list, considering that almost 4,000 drivers have started at least one race in the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series, the NASCAR Busch Series, the NCTS and their preceding permutations dating back 59 seasons to the race-on-the-beach, Bowman Gray Stadium days of the late 1940’s.(Bill Davis Racing PR)(8-7-2007)
  • Matthews & TRD team up for Nashville: Ryan Mathews and the #22 team continue to seek permanent sponsorship, but the outfit will receive sponsorship this weekend at the Nashville Superspeedway from Triad Racing Development. Triad Racing Development is the primary supplier of engines, chassis and bodies for all nine full-time Toyota Tundra teams.(Bill Davis Racing PR)(8-7-2007)
  • Congrats! Congratulations go out to Mark Chambers, Bill Davis Racing’s truck team manager. He and his wife Kim welcomed a beautiful baby girl named Lydia Rae on Friday, August 3rd. She weighed in at 8 pounds, 5 ounces.(Bill Davis Racing PR)(8-7-2007)
  • Raybestos Rookie News & Notes – Nashville: Tim Sauter was the Raybestos Rookie of the Race in the July 27 Power Stroke Diesel 200 at O’Reilly Raceway Park. Sauter took Raybestos Rookie of the Race honors for the second time in 2007. Sauter leads Willie Allen by seven points (119-112) in the Raybestos Rookie standings entering the August 11 Toyota Tundra 200 at Nashville (Tenn.) Superspeedway. Marcos Ambrose was the Raybestos Rookie of the Race in the 2006 Toyota Tundra 200, claiming a third-place finish. Carl Edwards is the only Raybestos Rookie to win at Nashville in six Craftsman Truck Series races. He took the checkered flag by 1.209 seconds over Ted Musgrave in 2003. Edwards is also the only Raybestos Rookie to lead the most laps at Nashville, holding the top spot twice for 76 of the 150 laps.(Raybestos PR)(8-6-2007)
  • Truck Series to Canada someday? Cup may be a long way off, there’s talk of a Craftsman Truck Series race in Calgary, possibly tied to the city’s Stampede, and rumours of a NASCAR event in the Toronto area, perhaps spearheaded by Molson. “We look at a market like Ontario and it’s the fifth largest in North America and aside from being a great opportunity, how do you not look at it?” said NASCAR’s international director, Robbie Weiss. “A long-term strategy will take time, but let’s see where this goes. But I think we will continue to look at ways to bring the sport closer to fans across the country.”(Globe and Mail, Canada)(8-6-2007)
  • Gale to run ARCA event at Nashville: Cale Gale will drive the #33-Chevy for Kevin Harvick Inc. in four ARCA races this season to give him a total of 16 events, including this weekend’s race, the Toyota ARCA 150 at the Nashville Superspeedway. The last time Gale ran in the ARCA race at Nashville he turned in a second place finish. Gale will be back in the #2-Camping World Chevy for the O’Reilly 200 at Bristol Motor Speedway.(KHI PR)(8-6-2007)
  • Mom’s going Over-the-Wall for her son in Nashville: JC Stout’s #91 Craftsman Truck Series team will be without their rear tire carrier, Joe Szwaczkowski, Sr., for the August 11th Toyota Tundra 200 at Nashville Super Speedway due to emergency surgery performed Saturday. Intent on going over the wall in his place will be his sister Patricia “Tree” Stout, who also happens to be the #91 driver’s mother. Mrs. Stout volunteered to fill the position. She wasted no time in preparing for her new role during the team’s pit practice today. Patricia, commonly known as “Tree”, has always been very supportive of her son’s dreams and career. Normally she’s the team’s mom away from home who makes sure the team is well fed and hydrated. “I’ll still make sure everyone has what they need this weekend. “There’s nothing I wouldn’t do for my son and this team. I’m no different than any other mother in that regard.”(JC Stout PR)(8-6-2007)
  • Craftsman celebrates 80th Anniversary with special bonus: As Craftsman celebrates its 80th anniversary in August, the Official Tools of NASCAR will offer a special bonus for teams competing in the Craftsman Truck Series. For both Craftsman Truck Series races run in that month, at Nashville Superspeedway on August 11 and Bristol Motor Speedway on August 22, the team leading the race on lap 80 will receive an additional $8,000 prize. Trucks participating in the races will carry a distinctive Craftsman 80th Anniversary decal. The winners will be acknowledged during the race broadcasts, and the special awards will be given during drivers’ introductions at the following race. For the Nashville and Bristol races, Craftsman is providing special 80th Anniversary logo caps for the teams in Victory Circle.(Sears Craftsman PR)(8-5-2007)
  • Smith’s Food & Drug Stores, Las Vegas Events to return as cosponsors of race at LVMS: The Craftsman Truck Series event at Las Vegas Motor Speedway will continue to have cosponsorship from Smith’s Food & Drug Stores and Las Vegas Events. Smith’s joined with longtime Truck race sponsor Las Vegas Events last year and both have elected to return to their title roles for the Sept. 22 Smith’s Las Vegas 350 on the superspeedway’s high-banked oval. This will mark Las Vegas Events’ sixth consecutive year as a sponsor of the Truck race.(Las Vegas Motor Speedway PR)(8-3-2007)
  • Hamilton to be remembered at Nashville: The late Bobby Hamilton will be remembered during the pre race show before the Toyota Tundra 200 Craftsman Truck Series race on Saturday, August 11. Race fans are encouraged to wear their Bobby Hamilton paraphernalia. Bobby Hamilton played a major role at the Nashville Superspeedway, having participated in the groundbreaking ceremonies in 1999, being honored with a street named after him at the inaugural race in 2001, and winning the coveted Sam Bass designed trophy guitar in August 2004.(Nashville Superspeedway PR)(8-1-2007)
  • BHR hosts annual Open House: UPDATE: Bobby Hamilton Racing will once again host its Open House on Thursday, August 9th. The event will run from 5:00 – 8:00pm. It will include an autograph session, pit crew competition, racing games and much more. There will be a $5 charge per person at the door; children five and under are free. All proceeds benefit the American Cancer Society.(Bobby Hamilton Racing PR)(7-24-2007)
    UPDATE: Since Bobby Hamilton Sr. passed away in January after an intense battle with Head and Neck Cancer, BHR invited the Vanderbilt Ingram Cancer Center in conjunction with the Yul Brynner Foundation to offer free Head and Neck Cancer Screenings to fans that attend the event. Another fan favorite, the autograph session, will begin at 6:00 p.m. Ken Schrader, Mike Bliss, Joe Ruttman, Brendan Gaughan, and Jack Sprague will participate in the autograph session. Following the autograph session the IR Pit Stop Challenge will begin at 7:00 p.m. on the front driveway. BHR is located at 220 Industrial Dr. in Mt. Juliet, TN. Fans are asked to park at Mt. Juliet Church of Christ located at 1940 N. Mt. Juliet Rd. Shuttle buses will transport you to the shop from this location. For more information call: 615-754-6868.(Bobby Hamilton Racing PR)(8-1-2007)
  • Preseason testing dates at DIS announced: Testing dates at Daytona International Speedway have been finalized. Dates are January 11-13, 2008 for the Craftsman Truck Series in preparation for the Feb. 15 Chevy Silverado 250. The Craftsman Truck Fan Fest is scheduled for January 12, 2007. The Fan Fest events start at 5:00pm but fans may enter the SPRINT FANZONE beginning at 9:00am to watch all of the testing action. Also included in NASCAR Preseason Thunder Fan Fests will be bands, show cars, pit stop demonstrations, displays, a silent auction and hot laps around DIS (additional charge).(Daytona Int’l Speedway PR)(8-1-2007)

 

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Born On Date: August 1, 2007

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