May 2000 CTS Archive

  • #86 Driver: Impact Motorsports signed Scott Riggs to drive the #86 Royal Crown Racing CTS Truck for the remainder of the 2000 season today. Riggs, a former Slim Jim All-Pro Series stand out has driven the RC Cola Truck for the Impact team at the last two truck events. Charlie Long will crew chief the #86 RC Cola Dodge. Riggs finished the Memphis truck race in the 12th position with Impact. Most recently he finished 9th at the Pikes Peak International Raceway. David Hodson, owner of Impact Motorsports, is pleased with Riggs. “He’s been a contender at both of the events he has raced for us. He’s young and eager, and that can be a killer combination.” Riggs, a graduate of Louisburg College in Louisburg, N.C., not only raced in the Slim Jim All-Pro Series, but also in the NASCAR Late Model Stock Car Division. Piloting late models during the 1994-1997 seasons, Riggs accumulated numerous wins and reached 3rd in the Points Standings in the 1997 season. Aside from his NASCAR Craftsman truck starts with Impact Motorsports and the Royal Crown Racing truck, he registered a 5th place start followed by a 9th place finish at this season’s Martinsville event(in the #84 Truck)(PR)(5-30-2000)
  • #66 News: hearing that crew chief Roland Wlodyka has parted ways with the #66 Phelon Motorsports truck(5-28-2000)
  • #43 Crew Chief: Fred Wanke resigned as crew chief for the Petty Enterprises #43 truck series team for driver Steve Grissom. Truck chief Travis Owens and shop foreman Dale Smith will assume additional duties until a replacement is found(Roanoke Times)(5-24-2000)
  • Truck Race at Darlington? Amid all the speculation of whether Darlington Raceway will lose a race date(Cup), NASCAR’s oldest superspeedway is trying to add another one. Track president Jim Hunter said Monday that Darlington is pursuing a Craftsman Truck Series race for next year, with the lone remaining hurdle being whether the speedway can secure a favorable date. Hunter has offered three possible dates to NASCAR, although he declined to say when those dates are(Charleston Post and Courier)(5-23-2000)
  • New addition: Mike Wallaces crew chief on the CTS #2, Tim Kohuth and wife Heidi, had their first child at 11:58 pm May 22nd. She weighs 7lbs 6oz and is 19-1/2 inches long. Her name is Kendra Kohuth(5-23-2000)
  • RaceComm: Tolsma Anticipates Peak at Pikes Peak and Beyond by Tony Stevens(5-20-2000)
  • Sadler in Colorado: The #90 L&R Motorsports CTS team has hired Hermie Sadler to stand by as a relief driver Sunday for Norick, who suffered a fractured left wrist last Friday in Memphis, Tenn. The plan is for Norick to qualify and start the #90 Aventis Behring Chevrolet truck and turn the driving duties over to Sadler at the first opportunity during the race(NOL)(5-19-2000)
  • Debut: Steve Prescott will attempt to make his first CTS start on June 3rd in the SEARS 200 at the 5/8-mile Evergreen Speedway in Monroe, WA. Prescott will drive the #03 Chevy truck, owned by Peter Prescott and crew chiefed by Tom Pearl with sponsorship from the Everett J. Prescott Company (EJP), Healey and Associates, and PEP Transportation. Prescott, 32, a Maine native, is the 1998 and 1999 PRO Tour for Trucks Champion; he leads that series in races won (14), top five (27)and top ten (33) finishes. Prescott and Team EJP Racing will pursue a limited CTS schedule in the year 2000. Additional races will include Watkins Glen, NHIS, Indianapolis Raceway Park, and Dover Downs(Prescott PR)(5-18-2000)
  • #16 Sponsors: Driving the #16 Team Rensi Chevrolet, Jimmy Hensley celebrated his second-best top five finish (2nd place) of the 2000 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series’ season this past weekend at Gateway International Raceway. As it looks ahead to Memphis Motorsports Park, Team Rensi also proudly announces that it has acquired the sponsorship of Motient Corporation, formerly American Mobile Satellite Corporation, provides a wide range of two-way mobile and Internet communications services over its integrated satellite/terrestrial network. The company’s industry leading in-cab MobileMAX2TM fleet management system provides the transportation industry with mobile messaging, global positioning, and vehicle and driver monitoring services. For more information about Motient Corporation and MobileMAX2 visit their Web site at www.motient.com. The sponsorship starts at Memphis, and is for the entire year(Motorsports Management Group) AND Team Rensi Motorsports is teaming up with local, major, associate sponsor Jeff Wyler Automotive Family for the Kroger 225 at Kentucky Speedway(Stock Car Fans Newsletter)(5-13-2000)
  • Hendrick 2nd Truck: Hendrick Motorsports, which fields the #24 GMAC Chevy for two-time CTS champ Jack Sprague, has entered a second Chevy for the May 21 Grainger.com 200 at Pikes Peak for Ricky Hendrick(NOL)(5-8-2000)
    UPDATE: The truck will be #17 and look similar to the #24 truck with GMAC. The truck Hendrick will drive, teammate Jack Sprague used to win last year’s race at I-70 Speedway in Odessa, MO(5-13-2000)
  • Ruttman Gas UPDATE: Improper gas was mistake, not cheating, Ruttman says by Cameron Hollway And Tom Timmermann of the St Louis Post Dispatch(5-8-2000)
    UPDATE: NASCAR announced Thursday that it had fined the #18 team of Joe Ruttman, owned by Bobby Hamilton, $15,000 for use of illegal fuel during the CTS race weekend at St. Louis just past. Also, NASCAR suspended #18 crew chief Danny Gill until June 7 for the same infraction. As a final slap, it took away 25 series points from driver Ruttman and car owner Hamilton(SpeedVision)(5-11-2000)
  • New Truck Team: Jim Inglebright, together with Jelly Belly, will be running a 7 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series schedule along with 11 NASCAR Tour events for 2000. The first truck event in Phoenix was a whirlwind…qualifying 20th and placing 18th. Some of his NASCAR touring notes: Inglebright set a new track record at Portland International Speedway in April. He took the pole and finished 3rd in the tour division. Inglebright goals for this year…finish top 10 in each tour race & be consistent and a challenging competitor in the truck events. In 1999, Inglebright took the pole position at Tucson Raceway Park and won the 23rd Copper Classic. Inglebright was the Winston Racing Series Champion along with Rookie of the Year. Inglebright progressed in 1993 to the Southwest Tour with wins at Bakersfield, Las Vegas, Tucson, Phoenix, Fountain and Altamont. The team’s planned seven truck events are: Phoenix, Pikes Peak, Evergreen, New Hampshire, Indianapolis Raceway Park, Chicago Motor Speedway and Richmond(Team PR)(5-11-2000)
  • #86 Driver: Hearing Scott Riggs will drive the #86 RC Cola Dodge at Memphis this weekend(5-10-2000)
  • Roush Testing: on the Thursday before the Ram Tough 200, former WKA kart racer Timmy Peters, 19; two-time 2000 ASA ACDelco Challenge Series winner Scott Wimmer, 24; and former Northeast Modified driver Chuck Hossfeld, 21 tested at Toledo for the seat in the #50 Ford Truck when Greg Biffle goes to the BGN in 2001. Peters had tested earlier in the first session at Toledo, when he was joined by NASCAR Late Model Stock Car veteran Scott Riggs, southeastern Modified and Late Model Stock Car driver Jason White and LMSC driver Jason York(NASCAR Online)(5-10-1000)
  • #99 Assoc: Nashville-based Tractor Supply Company will be an associate sponsor on the #99 Exide Ford and driver Kurt Busch for six of the remaining 17 CTS races. The first race will be at Memphis this weekend. THe other races: Texas(6/9), Kentucky(6/17), Michigan(7/22), Indianapolis Raceway Park(8/3) and Nashville(8/12)(Roush Racing)(5-10-2000)
  • #19 News: After failing to qualify for the innaugral 2000 truck race at Daytona, despite practicing fast enough for the top 20, the #19 Lefturn Motorsports Team began focusing on the Martinsville Race in April following its pre-season plan to run five races in 2000. “We looked at the Daytona experience and realized that renting motors was not thebest program for us,” said Jim Murphy, Lefturn’s owner. “We needed more flexibility for testing, more time to prepare the race truck with the motor in it and easier logistics for the shop.” As a result, Lefturn has acquired motors from Cornet Machine, built by Jack Cornet. Because a test motor wasn’t ready in time for a Martinsville shake- down, the team withdrew from Martinsville. “Our plan for five races included Daytona, Martinsville, Memphis, Texas and Kentucky,” Murphy said. “By dopping Martinsville, we plan to add a race in the second half of the season.” Former Crew Chief, Bucky Gregory took a full-time position with Billstein Schock Absorbers and has been replace by Todd Griffen, a long time Gregory Associate. “Todd worked with us at both the Daytona test and the qualifying attempt,” said Ricky Sander’s, the #19 Ford entry driver, “he proved to be super at race preparation and has worked with Bucky at major events in all Nascar classes. We are real comfortable with him and confident that he will direct a first class race effort.” Griffen coordinated a track test for Martinsville at Peachstate Speedway the week of May 1. “The test gave us a chance to shake the Memphis truck down, learn to communicate and, most important, gave Ricky a lot of seat time,” Griffen said. The #19 Lefturn Motorsports entry at Memphis will again carry its 2000 sponsors with TruckTrix.com as the primary, supported by The Brushguard Warehouse, www.pitboxes.com and Billet Race Products.(StockCarFans Newsletter)(5-10-2000)
  • Cope Released UPDATE driver for Gateway: Mike Cope was released Friday as the driver of the #86 Royal Crown Cola Dodge Truck. Impact Motorsports released Cope just prior to the team’s departure for the Ram Tough 200 to be held at Gateway International Raceway in St. Louis. Most of Cope’s Royal Crown Cola crew quit as a result of the decision including Crew Chief Bryan Berry. Cope replaced Stacy Compton as the driver of the Impact Motorsports entry after Compton left for the NASCAR Winston Cup Series. Berry replaced Kevin Cram as Crew Chief when Cram also left for Winston Cup competition. Also see another story on this at NASCAR Online: Cope released by Impact Motorsports. No word on who will replace Cope or Berry(5-5-2000)
    UPDATE: Doug George has been picked to run the #86 Royal Crown / Impact Motorsports Dodge for this weekends Dodge Ram Tough 200 at Gateway International Raceway(5-6-2000)
  • #72 Sponsor: The #72 Chevy truck, driven by Randy MacDonald in the CTS will now carry TraderOnline.com as an official sponsor. TraderOnline.com, the nation’s largest source for online classifieds has signed on as an associate sponsor for the Ram Tough 200 by Pepsi, to be held on Sunday May 7th at Gateway International Raceway. Launched in 1996, TraderOnline.com houses the world’s largest database of used vehicles available on the Internet, with over twenty websites covering collector car, RV, cycle, truck, heavy equipment, aircraft, boat and general merchandise categories. Updated daily, the sites have become the place for the enthusiast to buy, sell or just dream. TraderOnline.com ranks in the top 750 of the most popular site on the Web, and is a multi-award-winning network of websites devoted to providing the consumer with the most recent information(Team PR)(5-5-2000)
  • Who is Scott Riggs? UPDATE: wondered myself and had a few readers ask so here is some info: Scott Riggs is a 29-year-old Late Model Stock driver who grew up in Bahama(NC) and is trying to use this opportunity to catch the eye of some unsuspecting team owner. Pole-sitter Mike Wallace, Rick Carelli and Jack Sprague, along with Winston Cup regular Bobby Hamilton, were the only drivers who qualified faster than Riggs who qualified the #84 Ford 5th at Martinsville. Riggs is looking for an opportunity for a full-time ride in the truck series or a BGN. Charlie Long, who builds engines for his real job, serves as the crew chief. Last year, the team of volunteers went to Indianapolis Raceway Park with Riggs for the truck race there, which they made. They plan to run at Nashville in August(News and Observer)(4-8-2000)
    UPDATE: good story about Riggs and his aspirations at the News and Observer – Riggs makes case for ride, not trophy(5-5-2000)
  • #28 News: Tim Murphy former crew chief for Rob Morgan has been hired as the crew chief for Nessa Motorsports based in Little Rock, AR. Also, Ron Barfield has been hired as the driver. Both will start at the Memphis race in May 2000. Eddie Provence has stepped back for new as driver so his team can grow and become a top ten team. Eddie plans to run some asphalt late model events to acquire more skills and return next season as a second team driver(Nessa Motorsports PR)(5-5-2000)
  • #23 News: Morgan Shepherd will be driving the #23 CTS entry for Phil Bonifield at St.Louis. An agreement will have Shepherd in the Red Line Oil Chevy for other selected races this season(Team PR)(5-4-2000)
  • #79 Truck News: R.D. Smith, the driver of the RDS Motorsports Dodge truck, has cleared a tremendous hurdle in major league stock car racing. Smith who participates in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, received word that his team has been accepted as a member of the Dodge Motorsports “Run with the Ram” program. Smith’s #79 truck was one of the ten Dodge Rams that arrived at the Martinsville Speedway last week to qualify for the NAPA 250. Each of the ten Dodge teams made the event on the time they posted during qualifying. The Martinsville race was a landmark for the most Dodge Rams ever in a NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series event, and Smith was also the youngest driver to secure a spot in the starting lineup. Several personnel changes have also taken place at Smith’s RDS Motorsports team this season. The new crew chief is Ralph Wingfield Jr. Ed Blair has come on board as the team manager, and Mike Congdon is now the Director of Marketing and Public Relations. Smith’s father, Rodney, owns the team and is a real estate mogul in the Burlington, NC and Myrtle Beach, SC areas. “I’m excited about the potential of this team and the factory backing from Dodge. We have great people in place, our goals are mutual and our equipment is excellent. We are now at a point where we can show what we’re made of,” he said.(RDS Motorsports PR)(5-3-2000)
  • Drivers Visit Kids: As the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series descends upon St. Louis for the Ram Tough 200 at Gateway International Raceway, there is a special reason a few drivers will head into town a little early. Craftsman Truck Series drivers Greg Biffle, Rick Carelli, Carlos Contrerras, Terry Cook, Mike Cope, Ryan McGlynn, Dennis Setzer, Randy Tolsma, and John Young along with ESPN commentary personalities Dave Burns, Amy East, and Marty Reid are slated to share quality time with approximately 200 children at St. Louis Children’s Hospital Friday afternoon. See full story and info se the full PR at: Craftsman Truck Drivers to Visit St. Louis Children’s Hospital(5-3-2000)
  • Testing: #25-Randy Tolsma and #16-Jimmy Hensley tested at Greenville Pickens Speedway(SC) on Tuesday(5-3-2000)
  • Memphis Race News: Quaker State Motor Oil will become the title sponsor of the May 12-13 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race at Memphis Motorsports Park and Memphis-based AutoZone will become presenting sponsor of the event. The race will be officially called The Quaker State 200 Presented by AutoZone(Memphis Business Journal)(5-1-2000)
  • No race at Evergreen? UPDATE: Looks like the CTS race at Evergreen Speedway in Monroe, WA may not take place as scheduled. NASCAR’s Owen Kearns, publicity director for the series, said yesterday he could “neither confirm nor deny” that the race will be dropped. Any announcement would come from NASCAR headquarters in Daytona Beach, Fla. Such an announcement is expected as soon as today. Although Craftsman Truck Series schedules show the Evergreen race set for June 3, the track’s general manager, Mickey Beadle, said the event never has been finalized officially beyond “to be announced” status(Seattle Times)(3-23-2000)
    UPDATE: I hear the truck race is on and Sears will sponsor the race, to be known as the Sears 200(5-1-2000)

Born On Date is July 9, 2000

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