January 2008 Truck Series News Archive

• Foyt to drive #31 at Daytona: Larry Foyt will drive the #31-Brevak Racing Dodge at Daytona in the season opener. Primary sponsor will be announced at a later date.(Larry Foyt PR)(1-31-2008)
• Congrats to Phillip & Mandi McGilton: Bill Davis Racing driver Phillip McGilton and his wife Mandi have announced the arrival of their fourth daughter. Presley Jade McGilton was born January 30, 2008 at 9:20 CST. She weighed in at 8lbs and 1oz, 20 inches long. Presley joins the overjoyed couples three other children Kylie, Shealah and Trinity.(Bill Davis Racing PR)(1-31-2008)
• 2008 Broadcast Schedule announced: The 2008 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series schedule of 25 races has been revised. Kentucky Speedway’s previously announced race of Saturday, July 12 has been rescheduled for Saturday, July 19. The switch resolves a conflict with the July 12 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series event at Chicagoland Speedway that in past years was held on Sunday afternoon, but becomes a Saturday night race in 2008. The NCTS returns to SPEED for a sixth consecutive season, beginning with the season-opening race at Daytona International Speedway on Feb. 15 at 8:00pm/et. The season culminates at Homestead-Miami Speedway with the Nov. 14 running of the Ford 200 at 8:00pm/et. SPEED will carry 23 races this season. For the second consecutive season, FOX will broadcast two NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series events. The first will be at California Speedway on Feb. 23 at 3:00pm/et. The race is part of the first-ever NASCAR “double header” involving the Craftsman Truck Series and the Nationwide Series. Both series will race on Feb. 23 at California (the NNS race will be televised on ESPN2 at 7:00pm/et). FOX will also broadcast the March 29 NCTS race at Martinsville Speedway at 3:00pm/et.(NASCAR Media)(1-30-2008)
  [Revised schedule is posted on the 2008 Truck Series Schedule page.]
• Wood Brothers Racing partners with The Barnhill Group: Wood Brothers Racing is proud to announce it’s partnership with The Barnhill Group, LLC as a primary sponsor of the #21 for the Craftsman Truck for eight races commencing in February at Daytona International Speedway. Jon Wood, third generation driver for Wood Brothers, will be piloting The Barnhill Group, LLC Ford. The Barnhill Group, LLC (“TBG”), headquartered in Orlando, Florida, is a general contracting company that focuses its efforts on new construction and expansion of manufacturing plants, distribution centers, schools, and sport arenas among many other projects. In addition to the eight races as a primary sponsor, The Barnhill Group, LLC will also be an associate sponsor on the #21 Ford for all other 2008 Craftsman Truck Series races.(Wood Brothers Racing PR)(1-30-2008)
  Image added: Image of the #21-The Barnhill Group Ford being driven by Jon Wood at Daytona has been added to the 2008 Truck Series Schemes page.(1-30-2008)
• Lally finishes second in Rolex 24: Craftsman Truck Series driver Andy Lally and Team Owner Kevin Buckler kicked off the 2008 season on Saturday by competing in the 46th running of the Rolex 24 at Daytona International Speedway. Lally raced one of seven cars fielded by Buckler and his TRG team at the historic high banks of Daytona, producing a podium finish for the GT Porsche team and historic success for the team. Lally, who will compete for Raybestos Rookie of the Year honors in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series this year, helped drive the #66 Marquis Jet/Resorts International/Mitchell Rubber/Total Lubricants/IPC Porsche GT3 to second-place honors in the exhausting 24-hour event. Lally co-drove with Bryce Miller, Ted Ballou, and Porsche factory driver Richard Westbrook during the 24-hour race.(TRG Motorsports PR)(1-30-2008)
• Silas to compete in seven truck events with Hillenburg: UPDATE: Atlanta race confirmed; new crew chief for Silas in ’08: Andy Hillenburg’s attention this weekend has focused on his ARCA race team, the #11 Chevy driven by rookie contender Bryan Silas from Stuart [Fl]. Hillenburg stated Silas will do the full ARCA schedule and run seven NASCAR truck series races.(Daytona News Journal)(12-17-2007)
  UPDATE: Bryan Silas still plans to fit a limited Craftsman Truck Series schedule into the mix. When March rolls around, Silas expects to compete in the American Commercial Lines 200, officially making his inaugural debut at the ever-fast Atlanta Motor Speedway. Since adding Jeff McClure to the Fast Track Racing organization during the off-season, Silas has been spending time with the devoted and talented crew chief to improve both of the team’s programs for the year. With Silas’s 2008 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series schedule not entirely etched in stone, the sophomore-bound ARCA driver did hint that the series can expect to see him around this year. “We haven’t actually determined how many races we will run. There is a chance we can kick things off at Daytona or even California, but right now I can confirm that we’ll be at Atlanta and we’re looking forward to it.(Fast Track Racing PR)(1-29-2008)
• Kentucky race date changing: UPDATE 2 Speedway confirms: Hearing that the date for the Built Ford Tough 225 presented by the Greater Cincinnati Ford Dealers race at Kentucky Speedway has been changed from July 12 to July 19, 2008 at 7:15pm local time.(1-24-2008)
  UPDATE: The Craftsman Truck Series race scheduled for July 12 at Kentucky Speedway has been moved to July 19 to avoid a conflict with the Sprint Cup race at Chicagoland Speedway, NASCAR spokesman Ramsey Poston confirmed. Last season, the Kentucky race was run on Saturday night and the Chicagoland race was Sunday. But Chicagoland will have lights this year and run on Saturday night. Both races were scheduled for July 12 this year. The new race date is an off week for Cup teams, while the Nationwide Series drivers will be competing at Gateway Int’l Raceway. The weekend was also an open week for ARCA, which runs Friday night as a support race for the trucks at Kentucky. “It was a quirk, and we’re grateful to Kentucky for working with us,” Poston said. “It was a good cooperative effort to find a solution that worked for everybody.”(SceneDaily.com)(1-25-2008)
  UPDATE 2: Kentucky Speedway has adjusted its 2008 schedule and will now play host to its ARCA RE/MAX Series “Kentucky 150” and NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series “Built Ford Tough 225 Presented by the Greater Cincinnati Ford Dealers” events July 18 and 19. The events were originally scheduled July 11 and 12. Dates were changed to best accommodate NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series broadcast agreements with SPEED Channel. All single-event and season tickets previously sold for both July races will be honored on the new dates. The ARCA RE/MAX Series “Kentucky 150” will take the green flag at 8:00 p.m., July 18 and the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series “Built Ford Tough 225 Presented by the Greater Cincinnati Ford Dealers” will begin at 7:00 p.m., the following evening.(Kentucky Speedway PR)(1-29-2008)
• Daytona purse announced: The 50th running of the Daytona 500 on Sunday, Feb. 17 – the most anticipated event in racing history – will carry a record purse of more than $18 million. The posted awards for “The Great American Race” on Sunday, Feb. 17 will be $18,689,238. The purse for the Chevy Silverado 250 Craftsman Truck Series race is set at $875,448.(Daytona Int’l Speedway PR)(1-28-2008)
• Sean Murphy with SS Racing win 2008 SPEEDFEST: Sean Murphy piloted the #32 ASILimited, Akzo Nobel, Spectrum Metal Finishing Late Model to Victory Lane today in the SPEEDFEST Crate Late Model 100 at USA International Speedway in Lakeland, Florida. Murphy started 5th but soon after the start cut down a tire and had to stop on pit road. It appeared Murphy and the SS Racing team was once again going to be bad-lucked out of winning. Murphy and the SS Racing crew were plagued all last year with unlucky mishaps and odd endings that kept them from a win. But Murphy drove with determination back through the field to take the lead and win. [Murphy is scheduled to run 6 races in the Truck Series for SS Greenlight Racing in ’08](SS Racing PR)(1-28-2008)
• Cunningham/Hartman/Scherer Motorsports announce truck team for ’08: Cunningham Motorsports team owner, Kerry Scherer, has announced that the newly formed entity of CHS Motorsports will compete in the Craftsman Truck Series for the 2008 season. Owners, Briggs Cunningham, Carl Hartman and Kerry Scherer will carry the Dodge Motorsports banner in the NCTS. The race team is located in Lexington, North Carolina and Scherer, a top competitor in the ARCA REMAX Series, will partner with Cunningham and Hartman to field Dodge Rams in the series this year. The formation of the CHS Motorsports NCTS team will allow for additional growth and opportunities for young drivers graduating from the Cunningham Motorsports Official Dodge Driver development program. The team is currently seeking sponsorship and drivers for the 2008 season.(truckseries.com)(1-28-2008)
• Willie Allen working on Nationwide ride for Daytona: Willie Allen has spent the past month looking for a new NASCAR ride for the start of the coming season. It was the last thing the Hickman County resident expected during the racing offseason after his 2007 campaign. Allen was 15th in the Craftsman Truck standings and was named the series’ rookie of the year. But any perception of job security ended in December when Thorsport Racing dropped him as its driver of the #13 truck and replaced him with 22-year-old Shelby Howard of Greenwood, Ind. “It was a big shock to me,” Allen said. “We had success. We achieved goals we had set. “But that’s racing, I guess.” Allen, 27, said he has been working on signing a one-race deal for the Feb. 16 Nationwide season opener at Daytona. An announcement on a deal could come as early as next week, he said.(Tennessean)(1-27-2008)
• Reary Racing & Sockwell team up in ’08: Hearing that Brian Sockwell will run at least five races in the #54-Chevy for Reary Racing beginning with the season opener at Daytona. Crew chief will be Steven Barfield; sponsor to be announced. A formal announcement is expected soon.(1-25-2008)
• Rule changes hot topic at Atlanta test: There were several hot topics during the January 22-23 [Atlanta] test, none caused a bigger stir than recent rule changes for the Craftsman Trucks.
  *Approved Spacer – New for 2008; NASCAR has implemented a cone-shaped spacer that sits between the intake manifold and carburetor, limiting air flow into the engine and resulting in a loss of approximately 60 horsepower. Both drivers and crew chiefs at the AMS test all agreed the recent addition has sent teams scrambling for more power. Hard Tires and Low Gears – It is estimated that the use of the approved spacer along with a harder Goodyear tire and a NASCAR mandated lower rear end gear ratio will create up to an 80 horsepower drop. These changes could help most internal parts of an engine last longer than one race, possibly saving teams hundreds of thousands of dollars each year.
  * Smaller Fuel Cells and Extra Tires Mean More Pit Stops – The Craftsman Truck Series will be using a smaller, 18-gallon fuel cell for the 2008 season. The smaller fuel cell will result in more pit stops and NASCAR has allowed teams an extra set of tires to help with the added stops. “The smaller cells and extra set of tires could make things a little dicey there at the end,” [Rick] Wren said smiling. “If a caution comes out at the end, which is likely to happen at AMS, everyone is going to have new tires and be bunched up. If that happens, watch out because it’s is going to be a show.”(Atlanta Motor Speedway PR)(1-24-2008)
• Darnell & Braun to get seat time in Nationwide Series: UPDATE: Darnell to drive 6 races: CitiFinancial has announced it will be the primary sponsor on a variety of Roush Fenway Racing entries in all 35 Nationwide Series events in 2008. Biffle, Kenseth, McMurray, Erik Darnell, Colin Braun, and 2007 series champion Carl Edwards will split seat time in the CitiFinancial Ford Fusion – which will rotate among the Roush Fenway # 16, 17, and 60 Fords throughout the season. In addition to displaying the CitiFinancial logo on the quarter-panels, the Citi logo will adorn the hood.(Roush Fenway Racing PR)(1-18-2007)
  UPDATE: Craftsman Truck Series driver Erik Darnell said Thursday he will run six Nationwide Series races this season for Roush Fenway Racing, making his Nationwide debut at Mexico City on April 20. Darnell will drive Roush Fenway’s #17 Ford, normally driven by Matt Kenseth, in the Mexico road race. Darnell tested both cars at Daytona Int’l Speedway recently. His other races in the Nationwide car are scheduled to be at O’Reilly Raceway Park, the Milwaukee Mile, Gateway International Raceway, Daytona International Speedway in July and Montreal.(SceneDaily.com)(1-24-2008)
• Musgrave to Morgan-Dollar? UPDATE 3: Musgrave to #59 – it’s official: Hearing that Morgan Dollar Motorsports has a deal in place for one truck with an ‘all-star Cup driver line-up’ and that they are working on a deal to put Ted Musgrave in a second truck with the ASE sponsorship.(1-3-2008)
  UPDATE: Ted Musgrave does not have a full-time Craftsman Truck Series ride for 2008, but he’s testing at Daytona this weekend. The 2005 series champion is driving the #59 HT Motorsports entry in what he deems a helping-out role. He received a call from team owner Jim Harris a couple of days ago about driving the truck. Musgrave said that the team wanted a veteran to shake down the new truck and provide some insight. Musgrave says that he’s still considering his options for 2008. He admits he’s talked with Morgan-Dollar Motorsports about driving one of that team’s trucks. He says that his longtime sponsor, ASE, is going to help fund his effort wherever he goes, but that he still needs a little more sponsorship to run the full season. Musgrave does not seem inclined to start the season with partial funding and the hopes of picking up additional sponsorship in the coming weeks. For now, he seems more interested in trying to put together a full-season slate.(SceneDaily.com)(1-12-2008)
  UPDATE 2: Hearing Ted Musgrave will be the driver of the #59 HT Motorsports Toyota with sponsorship from ASE.(1-23-2008)
  UPDATE 3: Musgrave and Team ASE team up with HT Motorsports: Team ASE (Automotive Service Excellence), the longest running team sponsor in Craftsman Truck Series history and veteran NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Champion driver Ted Musgrave will join forces once again in 2008. Musgrave will pilot the #59 Team ASE Toyota Tundra fielded by HT Motorsports and led by champion crew chief Danny Rollins. Rollins led the late Bobby Hamilton to a Truck Series Championship in 2004. Musgrave won the NCTS title in 2005 with former series’ team Ultra Motorsports. Last season, Musgrave finished seventh in the driver standings behind the wheel of the #9 Team ASE Toyota. HT Motorsports is owned by Jim Harris, who has been involved in motorsports for many years. Harris, a Virginia resident, is CEO of Harris Trucking Co. and operates the team in a state-of-the-art facility in Martinsville, Virginia.(HT Motorsports PR)(1-23-2008)
• Mitchell to race trucks, not cars: UPDATE 3 Mitchell to BBM; Ergon to sponsor: Marc Mitchell is taking the truck route in hope of picking up a race car down the road. The Tallahassee driver began negotiating Tuesday with two finalists who are bidding for him to drive in the Craftsman Truck Series next season. More talks between Mitchell, his sponsors and the prospective teams are scheduled for Wednesday in Charlotte, NC. Mitchell is making the move to the Craftsman Series after driving in 12 ARAC races last season. A decision on which team he’ll race for could be made before the weekend, Mitchell said. Ergon, an oil refining company, also will continue to sponsor his ride, he said.(Tallahassee.com)(12-12-2007)
• UPDATE: Hearing that Marc Mitchell is headed to Billy Ballew Racing in the #15 Toyota. However, also hearing that the team may have to skip the first five races due to lack of engines from Toyota.(1-9-2008)
  UPDATE 2: Marc Mitchell said Thursday that he’s close to a deal, but he would not disclose with which team. “We are 99.9 percent sure the deal is going to go through,” said Mitchell, who said he spent the last two days reviewing terms of a contract. Mitchell also wouldn’t confirm that he’ll be teamed with Kyle Busch. However, that might be a possibility, said Jeff Dennison, a publicist for Mitchell’s sponsor, Ergon. “It just depends on the team (Mitchell) lands with,” Dennison said. “He is in a position where he could be teamed with some Nextel Cup veterans.” A deal could be finalized and announced in the next week, he said. That might not be under wraps much longer this the weekend.(Tallahassee.com)(1-12-2008)
  UPDATE 3: Continuing a solid foundation built last season, Ergon, Inc. will raise their level of awareness in motorsports in 2008. Maintaining their partnership with the young and impressive Marc Mitchell, Ergon Inc. has formed a relationship with Billy Ballew Motorsports to sponsor Mitchell in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. Billy Ballew Motorsports will enter the #15 Ergon Chevy for Marc Mitchell in 21 events this season beginning at the Chevy Silverado HD 250 at the Daytona Int’l Speedway. Ergon, Inc., a diverse brand with over 60 companies under their umbrella, continues their relationship with Mitchell that included 11 ARCA events in 2007 highlighted by a second place finish at the ARCA season kick-off at Daytona (Fla.) Int’l Speedway. Mitchell will also be competing for Raybestos Rookie of The Year honors. The 21-race schedule for the #15 Ergon Chevy will include every race on the schedule excluding both Martinsville events, Dover and New Hampshire. Mitchell will make his debut with the team this week testing at the 1.54-mile Atlanta (Ga.) Motor Speedway.(BBM/Breaking Limits PR)(1-23-2008)
• Go or Go Home Drivers to qualify together; NASCAR to provide tires for tests: UPDATE: Clarification NASCAR kicked off its annual media tour by announcing that those outside the top 35 in all three series — Sprint Cup, Nationwide Series and Craftsman Truck Series — will qualify at the end of their respective session. It also was announced that teams will be provided tires for testing at non-sanctioned NASCAR tests. Sprint Cup teams will be given 200 tires, Nationwide teams 160 and Craftsman Truck Series teams 120.(ESPN.com)(1-21-2008)
  UPDATE: According to a NASCAR Truck Series representative, the new rule applies to those outside the top 30 in points [not 35] for the Truck Series.(1-22-2008)
• NASCAR fine payments going to NASCAR Foundation: NASCAR announced that starting this season, all money collected from fines issued to drivers will go to the NASCAR Foundation for its charitable initiatives. “Now that the NASCAR Foundation is well established and supporting dozens of charitable organizations it is the logical place for fine money to be distributed,” said NASCAR Chairman and CEO Brian France. “We are excited to be able to work with our charities and help them develop a program that will maximize the impact they can have with their organizations,” said Sandy Marshall, executive director of the NASCAR Foundation.(NASCAR PR)(1-21-2008)
• Braun kicks off season with Rolex 24 race: Roush Fenway Racing driver Colin Braun is going to start Speedweeks at Daytona International Speedway a bit earlier than most of his fellow competitors in the Craftsman Truck Series. Braun will be racing this weekend in the Rolex 24 event which starts Saturday afternoon, and concludes Sunday. Braun will be driving for AIM Autosport in the #61 Exchange Traded Gold Ford-powered Riley. He will be teamed with Mark Wilkins, Brian Frisselle and Andrew Ranger. The four drivers will comprise one of the youngest teams in Rolex Sports Car Series competition. Wilkins and Frisselle are both 24 years old, Ranger is 21 and Braun is only 19. Braun raced in his first Rolex 24 at the age of 16 in 2005, and went on to set a record at Daytona when he won the Brumos 250 at Daytona. Braun helped co-driver Jorg Bergmeister claim the 2006 Daytona Prototype title. Braun will return to the Craftsman Truck Series in his #6 Con-way Freight Ford Daytona on Friday, February 15 for the season-opening race.(Roush Fenway Racing PR)(1-21-2008)
• Kittleson lands Hooters Pro Cup ride: Travis Kittleson will write a new chapter in his nomad journey through the ranks of stock car racing in 2008. The Merritt Island High graduate has landed a full-season ride on the Hooters USAR Pro Cup Southern Division circuit, piloting a Chevy for JCR3 of Charlotte. The car will be co-sponsored by Bob Steele Chevrolet of Cocoa and C & C Boilers, the business run by the owners of the JCR3 team. The season also could include a race or two in the ARCA stock car series but nothing is definite at this point. Either way, Kittleson is thrilled to be back in a full-time ride after bouncing around the NASCAR Craftsman Truck and then Busch Series over the past two seasons. He ran a total of nine races, eight in trucks and one in the Busch, now Nationwide Series. Speaking of doing something big, Kittleson said he is not giving up on landing a NASCAR ride. “Anytime that I have the opportunity to drive or fly to any of the NASCAR races to work the pits, I’ll still be doing it. I’m not going to give up on that.”(Floriday Today)(1-19-2008)
• Chaffin slated to drive #40 at Daytona: A representative from Key Motorsports told us that Chad Chaffin will be the driver of the #40 Key Motorsports Chevy for the season opener at Daytona Int’l Speedway and for at least the first four races of the season.(1-18-2008)
• Open Joist renews sponsorship with Arrington-BHR: NASCAR Craftsman Trucks will be a series that West Michigan fans follow closely in 2008. The mention of Stacy Compton’s #4 Open Joist Dodge truck should have a familiar ring to it, too. The Grand Rapids-based Universal Forest Products, Inc., has renewed its marketing alliance with [Arrington-] Bobby Hamilton Racing this season, and it will be promoting its Open Joist product on the truck. Open Joist is a versatile, open-web, all-wood floor truss. Universal broke into Craftsman Trucks last year with BHR, which lost its founder, Bobby Hamilton Sr., in January of 2007 to cancer. The team drove on despite losing Hamilton, who won the 2004 championship. Last year proved to be a year transitional season in which a handful of drivers took turns racing the Open Joist truck, but things are looking up in 2008. Compton has been hired to race full-time, and after clocking in fifth fastest last weekend in a Daytona test session, he said he is confident 2008 will be a competitive one for him and his team.(Grand Rapids Press)(1-18-2008)
• Key Motorsports volunteer, Chris Stidd earns NC State Special Olympics medal: Chris Stidd, a 27-year-old volunteer shop worker for the Key Motorsports NASCAR Craftsman Truck and Nationwide Series race organization, recently captured a bronze medal in skiing competition in the Special Olympics of North Carolina event held at the Appalachian Ski Mountain in Blowing Rock, NC. Competing in the slalom event on the intermediate level blue course, Stidd was third in the overall competition out of 12 competitors and earned a berth in Southeast Regional competition of the National Special Olympics. That event will also be held on the Appalachian Mountain course on February 3 and 4. Regional competition will feature more than 200 Special Olympic skiers from Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia and Florida.(Key Motorsports PR)(1-18-2008)
• Lawler & SS-Green Light Racing team up for 7-races: Ryan Lawler has officially joined the SS-Green Light Racing team for 7-races in the 2008 season. The 19-year old up-and-coming driver has been proving his talent from the southeast to the southwest. He earned two victories in his rookie year of the ASA Late Model Series and won a PASS race at the historic and challenging Hickory Motor Speedway. Lawler will debut in the NASCAR Truck Series this year, but it’s not the first time to the series for the Lawler family. His father (Patrick Lawler) raced in various truck series events from 2000-2003.(SS-Green Light Racing PR)(1-17-2008)
• Stremme to Ballew? UPDATE Billy Ballew Motorsports announces #51 drivers: Hearing David Stremme will drive 15 races for a second Billy Ballew Motorsports Truck Series team with Kyle Busch running a few other Truck Series races.(1-10-2008)
  UPDATE: Billy Ballew Motorsports officially announces the 2008 driver line up for the #51 Toyota Tundra. NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Driver Kyle Busch will run the majority of the companion 2008 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series races including the season opener February 15 at the Daytona International Speedway. Busch will be joined by another Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series driver, David Stremme who will pilot #No. 51 in several events. Another driver will be announced later for the events that are possible conflicts with both Busch and Stremme’s schedules. Billy Ballew Motorsports is still actively seeking sponsorship for the #51 Toyota Tundra team driven by Kyle Busch and David Stremme for 2008.(Billy Ballew Motorsports PR)(1-16-2008)
• Xpress Motorsports returns to Chevy; may run second truck at Daytona? Xpress Motorsports has returned to Chevy [Ford in 2007] as the associated manufacturer for 2008 for the #16 being driven by Brian Scott. Derrike Cope tested a second truck [#19] at Daytona. Cope has been working on getting sponsorship to be able to run the season opener at Daytona.(Xpress Motorsports PR)(1-14-2008)
• Johns to Wyler Racing in the #60? UPDATE 4 Cook now in #60; Church as Crew Chief: Rick Beaman, President of Technology Based Consulting – Internet Technologies has made it official by signing a two (2) year sponsorship contract with Wyler-Gaughan Racing [Wyler Racing] to sponsor the NASCAR Craftsman #60 Toyota to be driven by Richard Johns for the 2008 and 2009 race season. My Have Fun – America’s Family Internet Portal will be the primary sponsor the brand logo of Technology Based Consulting.(tbc.it.com)(12-12-2007)
  UPDATE: Richard Johns won’t be disappointed if there aren’t many gifts for him under the tree this holiday season – not after securing a seat in the #60 Craftsman Truck Series entry for the 2008-2009 seasons late last week. Johns got the opportunity to wheel the Wyler-Racing Toyota this season thanks to a solid NASCAR Nationwide Series campaign last year and a productive off-season that allowed the Lawrenceville, GA driver to bring sponsor MY HAVE FUN – America’s Family Internet Portal www.havfun.com to the table.(12-17-2007)
• UPDATE 2 Hearing that the deal between Wyler Racing and Richard Johns, along with sponsor havefun.com, has fallen through and that Johns will no longer be the driver of the #60 Toyota in 2008.(1-9-2008)
  UPDATE 3: Also hearing that #60 Crew Chief, Rick Gay, has left the team.(1-9-2008)
  UPDATE: 4: Terry admits that he feels the pressure of joining the Craftsman Truck Series team that is the defending winner of the season-opening race at Daytona. Last year, Jack Sprague won the event driving the #60 Wyler Racing truck. Sprague left the team for KHI and Cook joined it prior to testing. He says that he’s working with a revamped group. It’s hard to repeat year after year, especially with virtually a new crew [George Church]. We’re going to have a new crew chief, a new spotter, a new team manager and a lot of new crew guys. I think most of the over-the-wall guys will be new.(Scene Daily.com)(1-13-2008)
• Park has a ride: Steve Park announced today on Press Pass on Sirius NASCAR Radio 128 that he has signed to run the NASCAR Camping World East Series schedule with Waste Management as sponsor. He is in Daytona talking to numerous Craftsman Truck Series team owners as well and told hosts Alex Hayden and Steve Post “I just know in my heart that I can still win races.”(Sirius NASCAR)(1-13-2008)
• Lagasse signs truck deal? UPDATE 2 Wood Bros/JTG split stock-car operation; Lagasse to #20: Hearing that Scott Lagasse Jr. has signed a contract to drive full time in the Craftsman Truck Series in 2008. The official announcement is expected shortly after the New Year.(12-31-2007)
  UPDATE: Hearing that the deal for Scott Lagasse is with Wood Bros/JTG Racing driving the #20 Ford.(1-8-2008)
  UPDATE: Wood Brothers, JTG Split Stock-Car Operation: Wood Brothers Racing and JTG Racing have changed their business model, but the two are still working together in a marketing and technological partnership, JTG Racing owner Tad Geschickter said Saturday afternoon. Geschickter will still be responsible for finding sponsorships for both the teams he owns and the Wood Brothers teams. The teams will have separate directors of competition and separate budgets. The Wood Brothers will field the #21 Sprint Cup Ford (with multiple drivers likely including Ken Schrader, Jon Wood and Marcos Ambrose and Bill Elliott and the #21 truck with Jon and Keven Wood in the seat. JTG Racing will field a Cup car in four races for Ambrose as well as Nationwide Series cars for Ambrose (#59) and Kelly Bires (#47) and a truck for Scott Lagasse Jr. (#20). Geschickter said that he changed crew chiefs for Ambrose in the Nationwide Series as Walter Giles (a fellow Australian to Ambrose) has come over from his position as director for race engineering at DEI.(SceneDaily.com)(1-13-2008)
• Tough trip for Setzer; mom ailing: Craftsman Truck Series driver Dennis Setzer came to NASCAR Preseason Thunder testing on the red eye. It wasn’t an early-morning flight that had Setzer’s eyes red — Setzer actually got up at 4 a.m. Saturday to drive here from North Carolina. It was because of the emotions of leaving behind his ailing mother. The 11th-hour commute was necessitated by the illness of Tommie Setzer, who suffered a stroke Wednesday night during emergency surgery for kidney stones. “I’ve been with her all day and all night, and her mind’s very good right now. The next couple of days are really critical, but there’s no decline and she’s doing OK,” Setzer said. “Her left-side motor skills are paralyzed right now and we’ll see how that comes back. We don’t know how much the recovery will be or how long the term will be.” On Wednesday, Tommie Setzer went to work as supervisor of the sewing department in a furniture factory. That evening she was in surgery. He contemplated not coming to the test, but it was at his mother’s urging that he finely decided to come. “She told me, ‘You’ve got a job to do. You go do it,’ “Setzer said. “Being here may make it easier on her because she’s not there worrying about me having a job to do.” The test in Bobby Hamilton Racing-Virginia’s #18 Dodge is a new start for Setzer, a winner of 17 truck races during the last decade.(Daytona Beach News Journal)(1-13-2008)
• Crocker to run two races for MDM: UPDATE More annoucements soon for MDM: Erin Crocker will drive the first two Craftsman Truck Series events in 2008 for Morgan-Dollar Motorsports. The 26-year-old driver, who was 25th in points in 2006, did not compete in any NASCAR national series in 2007 while running a 12-race ARCA schedule. “There’s a possibility of running a partial schedule and there’s a possibility of running a full schedule,” Crocker said Saturday during a break in testing at Daytona International Speedway. “We’ll see how things play out in the next few weeks. “We can confirm that we’re running the first two races. It will be sponsored.”(SceneDaily.com)(1-12-2008)
  UPDATE: A marketing partnership for Erin’s two-race effort will be announced prior to the start of Speedweeks at Daytona. But equally as exciting for MDM in 2008, are the other programs we are putting the final touches on for the season. We [MDM] will be full steam ahead with the #46 at all 25-races this season. If all the puzzle pieces fall in place as they are currently proposed, we could have a second truck at a number of races as well, and we are hoping that Erin is a part of those plans going forward.(MDM PR)(1-12-2008)
• Accident creates controversy between Busch & Clanton: In the final hour of the first of three days of testing there were two multiple accidents, including one that brought out some finger-pointing between Kyle Busch, driver of the #51 Ballew Motorsports Toyota, and Clanton, driver of the #09 Zaxby’s Ford. “It’s a veteran out there taking advantage of a rookie. It’s the same old thing we hear all the time. It’s Friday, the first day of practice and you don’t bump draft, especially a rookie that’s never done it before,” said Clanton. “(Busch) got into Colin and got him upset through the tri-oval and that ain’t the place to do it. He shoved him up the race track and we got together.” Busch tried to make light of the situation by putting a neon “X’ on the right-rear quarter-panel of his #51 Toyota that read, “Stay Off, Clanton,” which a NASCAR official made the team remove at the end of the day.(truckseries.com)(1-12-2008)
• Lally switches to Chevy; changes to #7: TRG Motorsports team hit the high banks of Daytona International Speedway for the first round of NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Preseason Thunder posting impressive lap times and running among the top-five all day. Lally closed out the day second on the time sheets and was the fastest Chevy overall. Lally, who will be contending for the 2008 Raybestos Rookie of the Year award in the #7 TRG Motorsports Chevy [changed from Toyota].(TRG Motorsports PR)(1-12-2008)
• Ballew Motorsports to run second team with Chevy engine: Ray Dunlap reported during the Preseason Thunder Daytona testing recap on SPEED/tv that Billy Ballew Motorsports is expected to announce their driver for a second team on Monday. Kyle Busch will be running a number of races in the #51-Toyota; the new team will be using Chevy engines.(1-11-2008)
• Cook not returning to #59 in ’08 UPDATE 2: Lia’s plans not firmed up: During the qualifying broadcast on Speed/TV, Ray Dunlap reported that Terry Cook will not be returning to the #59-Harris Trucking Toyota in 2008. An announcement is expected in the near future as to who will be driving the #59 along with a new sponsor announcement. Terry Cook has nothing lined up yet for 2008.(11-9-2007)
  UPDATE: Ray Dunlap reported during race coverage on SPEED/tv that Northeastern Modified star Donny Lia has been signed as the driver for the #59 Harris Trucking Toyota in 2008 with a sponsorship announcement to follow shortly.(11-9-2007)
  UPDATE 2: Hearing that Lia is still working on his 2008 racing plans and will announce those plans soon.[Musgrave testing the #59 at Daytona](1-11-2008)
• Image added: Image of the #2-American Commercial Lines Chevy being driven by Jack Sprague has been added to the 2008 Truck Series Schemes page.(1-11-2008)
• Allen will NOT return with Thorsport next season UPDATE 4: Howard named as driver – it’s official: Craftsman Truck Series Rookie of the Year Willie Allen will return with Thorsport next season and has already set his sights on improving on his inaugural truck season. “Definitely finish in the top-10 in points and compete for a win,” he said of his goals for 2008. “We’ve got to get more competitive. It’s not from lack of effort. Everyone is trying, just figure out what we’re lacking. I know the guys are already starting to work hard for next year and just continue to do that and take what we learned from this year and go to the winter testing and hopefully go and compete in the top-10 next year.”(RacingOne.com)(12-10-2007)
  UPDATE: Being told that Willie Allen will not drive the #13 Chevy in 2008 but that Shelby Howard will get the #13 ride.(12-13-2007)
  UPDATE 2: Willie Allen, the 2007 Craftsman Truck Series (NCTS) Rookie of the Year, will not return to the #13 ThorSport Racing truck for the 2008 NCTS season. ThorSport Racing has terminated their agreement with Allen for 2008. “We are currently looking for other opportunities for next season,” explains Allen. “We had a successful year with ThorSport Racing but I’m hearing another driver is bringing in a substantial amount of money. I have a letter exercising ThorSport’s option on my contract for 2008, so I don’t know how this could happen. I hope that we can put something together with a team in one of NASCAR’s top three divisions very soon.” For more information on Willie Allen, visit www.willieallen.com.(Modern Management PR)(12-14-2007)
• UPDATE 3: Hearing that Thorsport Racing, #13 and #88 in the Truck Series, will run some Nationwide Series races with Shelby Howard.(12-18-2007)
  UPDATE 4: ThorSport Racing has named Shelby Howard as a driver for the team in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series in ’08, the organization has announced. Howard, 22, hails from Greenwood, Indiana, a short-track lap from the hallowed ground of Indianapolis Motor Speedway. He came onto the big-time racing scene in ’02 as the youngest driver to lead laps in an ARCA Series race, and became the youngest winner of an ARCA superspeedway race when he triumphed at Kansas the following year. Howard has also tasted NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series and Busch Series competition.(Thorsport Racing PR)(1-11-2008)
• Familiar names to share #21 ride in 2008: Wood Brothers Racing is proud to announce the United States Air Force will not only be the primary sponsor for nine Sprint Cup Series races in 2008, but will also play a role in the Wood Brothers’ upcoming campaign in the Craftsman Truck Series as an associate sponsor. The United States Air Force is entering its eighth year of marketing, recruiting and sponsorship of the Wood family-based team. Third-generation drivers-and cousins-Jon Wood and Keven Wood will share the Wood Brothers Racing No. 21 Ford F-150 entry in the Craftsman Truck Series for the 2008 season. Jon is the 26-year-old son of Eddie Wood; Keven is the 23-year-old son of Len Wood. When the team shows up in Daytona for testing on Friday, January 11, the #21 Ford F-150 driven by Jon Wood will feature the Air Force logo on the hood. John Monsam will return as the crew chief.(Wood Bros/JTG Racing PR)(1-11-2008)
• Compton to drive for BHR: UPDATE: Dodge Dealers to sponsor: Stacy Compton will drive the #4 Bobby Hamilton Racing Dodge in the Craftsman Truck Series this season, team spokesman Amanda Jones confirmed Thursday. Compton, a co-owner of BHR partner Arrington Manufacturing, and Dennis Setzer will drive for the organization in 2008. Compton, who drove for Wood Brothers/JTG Racing in the trucks last season, in addition to working for ESPN, has two career wins in the series.(SceneDaily.com)(1-10-2008)
  UPDATE: During an interview by Dave Moody on Sirius Radio, Stacy Compton said that Dodge will be heavily involved with the team and sponsorship will be provided by Dodge Dealers on the #4 Dodge. Compton is one of five owners of the team. Compton also said that there is a possibility of adding a third team if sponsorship falls into place. Compton also stated that he would not be returning as as analyst for ESPN as he plans to run the full season in the Truck Series.(1-10-2008)
• KHI announces sponsor of #2; Ernie Cope as crew chief: Kevin Harvick Inc. has announced a new partnership with American Commercial Lines (ACL), a leader in the marine transportation and manufacturing business. ACL will join KHI as primary sponsor of three-time Truck Series champion Jack Sprague’s #2 Chevy for the 2008 NASCAR Truck Series season. ACL will begin their sponsorship of the #2 Chevy with the season opener at Daytona International Speedway. This will be the first of 15 races ACL will sponsor throughout the 2008 season. An additional partner announcement for the remaining 10 Truck Series races will come at a later date. Georgia Boot, the Official Boot Supplier of KHI, will come on board the #2 Chevy as an associate sponsor. Veteran Crew Chief Ernie Cope will be at the helm of the #2 Chevy for 2008. Cope brings years of experience to KHI, having worked with such drivers as Ken Schrader, Jon Wood and Stacy Compton.(Kevin Harvick Inc PR)(1-10-2008)
• Wise schedule cut back? Hearing that lack of sponsorship has Michael Waltrip Racing cutting back on development driver, Josh Wise. The plan was to run select Nationwide and Truck Series races and maybe even a Cup race or two in the #00 Toyota.(1-10-2008)
• Connor joins Thorsport Racing as Competition Director: Dennis Connor has joined ThorSport Racing as Director of Competition, the team announced on Wednesday. Connor, winner of three Craftsman Truck Series championships as a crew chief [formerly with Circle Bar], is among the most-respected figures in NASCAR. He served as a consultant to ThorSport in ’04 and ’05, and anticipates a successful return. Connor is a native of Sylva, NC and has worked with many of NASCAR’s most popular names during three-plus decades in the sport, including Mark Martin, Neil Bonnett and Tim Richmond.(Thorsport Racing PR)(1-10-2008)
• Murphy to run six events with SS-Green Light Racing: 2007 ASA Late Model Series Rookie of the Year Sean Murphy, will return to SS Racing in 2008 under the new team joint-venture SS-Green Light Racing. Murphy will focus on the ASA Late Model Series – Challenge Division Championship. In addition the team has promoted Murphy to their NASCAR Craftsman Truck Team, where he’ll race six events. Murphy will pilot the group of strategic sponsors for six-races in the #07 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series [no word on which races].(SS-Green Light Racing)(1-10-2008)
• Gaughan to the #10? UPDATE2 Confirmed: Hearing that Brendan Gaughan may be talking to Circle Bar Racing about picking up the ride in the #10 Ford that opened up following David Starr’s recent departure.(11-29-2007)
  UPDATE: It has been confirmed that Brendan Gaughan will be the driver of the #10 Int’l MaxxForce Diesel Ford for Circle Bar Racing in 2008. Bryan Berry also joins Circle Bar Racing as crew chief for the #10. Berry was Gaughan’s crew chief at South Point Racing during the 2007 season. Formal announcement from the team is due out some time today.(1-9-2008)
  UPDATE 2: Circle Bar Racing has announced the selection of Brendan Gaughan as the driver of the #10 International MaxxForce Diesel Ford F-150 for the 2008 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series season. With continued sponsorship from International Truck and Engine Corporation of the two-truck effort at Circle Bar Racing, Gaughan will team with 11-year series veteran Rick Crawford. Bryan Berry, who led Gaughan’s truck series effort in 2007, will assume crew chief duties for the #10 entry. “We couldn’t be prouder to have Brendan representing Circle Bar Racing, International and Ford,” said Lisa Mitchell, Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Circle Bar Racing. “He brings a wealth of knowledge and leadership from his previous role, and he knows what it takes to race for wins and a championship. We feel with the combination of Rick Crawford and Brendan Gaughan, Circle Bar Racing will not only be one of the toughest competitors on the track, but one of the most entertaining off the track as well.” Circle Bar Racing was established in 1978 and has been synonymous with Ford Motor Co. since becoming involved in the motor sports, having competed in nothing but Ford products in that time. The organization, which has competed in the Indianapolis 500, CART and NASCAR, was formed by Tom Mitchell and is headquartered in Ozona, Texas.(Circle Bar Racing PR)(1-9-2008)
• SPEED shakes up coverage in 2008: For the first time ever, NCTS fans will witness Truck Series racing in High Definition beginning with the Feb. 15 race at Daytona. NCTS Setup, hosted by Krista Voda, will return for its second season to bring fans up to speed before the green flag waves. A special version of the popular pre-race show will kick off the 2008 season prior to the Daytona race. Rick Allen will provide play-by-play with race analysis from Phil Parsons and Michael Waltrip. Adam Alexander and Ray Dunlap will cover pit road. Additionally, as in 2007, two NCTS races will be broadcast on FOX (Fontana, Martinsville), with the remainder of the events live and exclusive to SPEED. SPEED will air a Jan. 11 (7 p.m. ET) NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series test session recap from Daytona. John Roberts will host the special with analysis from Dunlap and Parsons. SPEED will broadcast 100 hours of Speedweeks coverage beginning with its HD debut Feb. 7, an all-time high over the previous 75 hours. Furthermore, for any fan who missed the live action on television. SPEEDtv.com will re-launch in widescreen format with several new features Feb. 6.(SPEED/tv.com)(1-9-2008)
• White joins SS-Racing/Green Light Racing for 2008 season: Officials from SS-Racing-Green Light Racing and GunBroker.com have announced that veteran Craftsman Truck Series driver Jason White will pilot the team’s #08 Dodge Ram for the full 2008 NCTS season beginning with NASCAR Preseason Thunder (testing) at Daytona International Speedway this weekend. White, who returned to the Craftsman Truck Series circuit full-time in 2007 will continue his long-standing relationship with GunBroker.com. GunBroker.com is the world’s largest online auction of firearms and accessories. Founded in 1999, GunBroker.com promotes responsible gun ownership.(SS-Racing/Green Light Racing PR)(1-8-2008)
• Circle Bar announcement soon: Hearing that Circle Bar Racing will be announcing the driver of their second truck [#10 Ford] some time this week.(1-8-2008)
• Shepherd looking: Hearing that Pete Shepherd has been released from his Roush Fenway Racing contract and is looking for rides in Busch, Trucks, or ARCA.(1-8-2008)
• New series, ride for Lester: Bill Lester is leaving NASCAR this year to return to his racing roots — sportscars. Lester has joined Southard Motorsports of the Grand-Am Rolex Series to share the #3 Lexus Riley with fellow driver Shane Lewis. Lester knows not to expect miracles at Southard, which finished 15th last year in the Daytona Prototype team standings. But after getting dropped from his Craftsman Truck Series ride with 10 races left on the schedule last year, he’s excited about this new opportunity. “I did not like watching the Craftsman Truck Series from the sideline after 15 races of 25,” Lester said during the third and final day of Grand-Am testing Sunday at Daytona International Speedway. “I really want to race for a championship. I want to race a whole year.” Team owner Steve Southard is giving him that chance. While Lester has been getting acclimated to his new team, he’s once again forced to fight stereotypes. In NASCAR, he was known primarily for becoming the first black driver in 20 years to qualify for a Cup race in 2006. Now he’s destined to be known as a stock-car driver running Daytona Prototypes. “I kind of see myself as a race car driver, period,” said Lester, 46, who actually started his racing career in the mid-1980s in sportscar road races sanctioned by the Sports Car Club of America and the International Motor Sports Association. “I’m a race car driver who happens to be black.”(Daytona Beach News Journal)(1-7-2008)
• NASCAR Preseason Thunder Fan Fest: The 2008 Craftsman Truck Season gets under way with the season’s first testing session at Daytona International Speedway from Jan. 11 – 13. The NASCAR Preseason Thunder Fan Fest for the Truck Series, [which will coincide with NASCAR Nationwide Series testing sessions] will be held on Jan. 12.The Fan Fest event starts at 5 p.m. but fans may enter the Sprint FANZONE beginning at 9 a.m. to watch all of the exciting testing action that day. Admission for the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Fan Fest is $10. Fans can watch all of the January testing sessions free from the Oldfield Grandstands located just outside of Daytona 500 Experience. For ticket information visit the Daytona Int’l Speedway website.(NASCAR PR)(1-6-2008) [For complete Fan Fest schedule visit the Jayski Appearances Page]
• Edwards tapped to drive #28 at Daytona: Wayne Edwards is scheduled to drive the #28 Kissin’ Kuzzins Construction Chevy for FDNY Racing and owner, Jim Rosenblum in the season opener at Daytona Int’l Speedway, however the team is still awaiting sponsorship for the balance of the season. Edwards will also be participating in the upcoming test session at Daytona.(FDNY Racing PR)(1-4-2008)
• Gaughan filling in for Robby Gordon at testing: Brendan Gaughan will fill in for Robby Gordon in the #7 Robby Gordon Motorsports Ford during the upcoming Sprint Cup test session at Daytona Int’l Speedway. Gordon is in Africa to compete in the Dakar Rally, which runs Jan. 5-20. With Gordon tied up, the #7 team opted to go with a substitute driver for the session, which begins Monday. Gaughan will fill that role, a team spokesman said Wednesday. Gaughan is currently without a NASCAR ride after his South Point Racing team in the Craftsman Truck Series closed down after a failed merger with Wyler Racing in the offseason.(SceneDaily.com)(1-2-2008)
• Sad news – Ed Sutton: Ed Sutton, father of NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series driver, Kelly Sutton, passed away December 30 in Crownsville, MD at the age of 61. Sutton followed in his father’s footsteps into the world of Motorsports, racing locally in Maryland. Sutton began drag racing, but quickly moved into Figure 8 racing and eventually oval tracks in the early 1980s throughout the east. Sutton passed his racing legacy on to his daughter, Kelly, in 1991, establishing Capitol City Motorsports and launching her racing career. In 2003, Sutton built Sutton Motorsports and took his daughter’s career to one of the top levels of NASCAR – the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. Viewing for Ed Sutton will be held on Thursday, January 3rd from 2:00pm — 4:00pm and from 7:00pm — 9:00pm at Hardesty Funeral Home at 851 Annapolis Road in Gambrills, Maryland. Funeral services will be held at 11:00am on Friday, January 4th at South Shore Baptist Church at 725 Herald Harbor Road in Crownsville, Maryland. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Kelly Sutton Let it Shine Foundation for Multiple Sclerosis.(Billy Ballew Motorsports)(1-2-2008)