May 2001 CTS Archive

• Harvick to own CTS team: Kevin Harvick is building a shop in Kernersville, N.C., and if everything works out, will run a full-time team for Rick Carelli in 2002. He also plans to make a few appearances on the truck tour himself next year. John Monsam will reportedly serve as the team’s crew chief, with ReMax a possible sponsor. ReMax backed Carelli for several years in various divisions.(in part from theWinston Cup Scene – sub needed)(5-31-2001)
• DGN Racing Sponsor: IHOP and DGN Racing unveiled the new IHOP NASCAR Craftsman Truck at the recent Darlington 200 and will continue this race partnership with the upcoming MBNA e-commerce 200 at Dover Downs International Speedway on June 1, 2001. The Washington and Baltimore IHOP restaurants together with DGN Racing are pleased to partner the IHOP NASCAR Craftsman Race Truck at the upcoming June 1st event. This exciting NASCAR program includes an exclusive IHOP 1:64 Scale Die Cast Truck available only in the Washington and Baltimore restaurants starting July 2001. Profits from the sale of these IHOP / Donnie Neuenberger NASCAR collectables will support The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society and The Kennedy Krieger Institute. Donnie Neuenberger is a local Maryland resident who made his debut in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series last year in the history making inaugural race of the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series at the Daytona International Speedway. Donnie finished 9th in this NASCAR history book entry and repeated his success in February 2001 with a 15th place finish in the Daytona 250 after starting in 36th position. Donnie recently earned his Darlington stripe with a successful 28th place finish in the Darlington 200. Go to www.ebay.com and check out Donnie’s charity auction located under Charity Auctions. You can listen from the website to our regular Monday morning show appearances on one of the leading radio stations in Baltimore, Maryland, FM 98ROCK via RealAudio at 9:45 a.m. EST and on KLOL Rock 101 in Houston, Texas at 7:30 a.m. CST.(DGN Racing)(5-29-2001)
• Officials Disciplined: Two NASCAR inspectors were disciplined for inappropriate conduct following an incident at the Craftsman Truck Series race at Darlington. NASCAR Director of Operations Kevin Triplett said he could not comment on the nature of the incident or if the officials were suspended but did confirm that disciplinary action had been taken. “Personnel issues within our company are confidential, so I can’t really discuss what they were,” he said. “But we did have some personnel issues we had to address, and we did address them. We had to take some disciplinary action, and that’s all I can say.” There were 28 officials working the truck race at Darlington.(Richmond Times Dispatch)(5-26-2001)
• #73 Assoc Sponsor for Texas: ABC will be a major associate sponsor for Lance Hooper driving the #73 and Tagsby Racing Team for the upcoming Texas race. The company was started in 1968 when Loyd Pyle opened ABC Auto Parts #1. One year later he expanded into the warehouse business and also opened his second retail store. The company now consist of a warehouse and 20 retail stores, and 2 automotive glass shops. The warehouse division, ABC Auto Distribution Center, services the ABC Auto Parts retail stores and other independent parts stores. The ABC stores services the do it youself market, garages, fleets and new car dealers. The owners of the company are brother and sister. Larry Pyle Is the company president and his sister Karen Maddox is the vice-president(Tagsby Racing PR)(5-26-2001)
• Hamilton Adds Dover: Bobby Hamilton has decided to enter the CTS race at Dover and may also add races at New Hampshire and Phoenix to his schedule. Hamilton is already scheduled to run at Richmond in September(Winston Cup Scene – need subscription)(5-24-2001)
• Ruttman wins at Pikes Peak: see results at That’s Racin’: Jelly Belly 200 results(5-21-2001)
• Bonifield in the BGN? Long-time CTS driver Phil Bonifield said at Pikes Peak on Sunday he planned to do his first double-dip weekend at Dover in two weeks. Bonifield tipped that he would run Friday’s truck race and Saturday’s BGN event at Dover(NASCAR.com Buzz)(5-21-2001)
• Qualifying Cancelled at Pikes Peak Because of Rain; Sunday¹s Starting Grid Based on Point Standings, see the starting lineup at That’s Racin’: NASCAR Truck series lineup(5-19-2001)
• Richardson Sponsor: Richardson Racing and Driver Loni Richardson have reached an agreement today with Blue Streak Industries Inc. General Manager Rickey Richardson tells us “Blue Streak is one of the countries largest drill bit manufactures selling drill bits all over the world and we’re just excited to have them coming on board beginning with the June 8th race at Texas Motor Speedway.. We look foreward to working with the great folks now an in the future.” Driver Loni Richardson says, ” Its just exciting to get the chance to work with a company like Blue Streak. I’m truley grateful they decided to come on board with us this year and look foreward to working with them in the future.”(Richardson Racing PR)(5-19-2001)
• Compton/Melling to run in CTS: Learnframe, the leading developer of e-Learning infrastructure technologies and KnowledgeE-commerce solutions, today announced their primary sponsorship of the Melling Racing #92 Dodge for the 2001 CTS with driver Stacy Compton. Learnframe also serves as associate sponsor of the Cup #92 Kodiak Dodge. “We are very excited to be involved with Melling Racing,” said Mike Memmott, Sr., Chairman and CEO of Learnframe. “They have a proven history of success. Learnframe is ready to support Melling Racing and Stacy Compton through a winning season.” “I am absolutely ecstatic about Learnframe joining us in our return to the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series,” said Compton, who moved to the Winston Cup ranks in 1999 after competing for three seasons in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. “I really miss the trucks and have been wanting to put a deal together for awhile. It finally all came together. We will run the remaining companion races, and hopefully can grow Melling Racing’s truck program into something bigger.” Compton has an impressive track record in the Craftsman Truck Series with two wins, eight pole positions, 24 top-5 and 35 top-10 finishes in 78 career starts. He will compete in the CTS races that run in conjunction with the NASCAR Winston Cup Series schedule, beginning with the MBNA e-commerce 200 at Dover Downs on June 1st(Melling Racing PR), see an image of the truck on my CTS Paint Scheme Gallery(5-17-2001)
• Treadway to buy some Menard Trucks: John Menard, who closed his Indianapolis-based CTS team last week, said it appears fellow IRL team owner Fred Treadway will buy the team. Bryan Reffner has been the team’s driver. Menard said he will keep a couple of the trucks in case his son, Paul, wants to drive them, but he said Paul first must conquer the ARCA/ReMax series he’s in. “We’ll probably test him in one of the IRL cars pretty soon so he’ll have some options,” Menard said. Treadway is interested in the team for the purpose of fielding his son, Ricky, as a driver. Ricky has been competing in the U.S. Auto Club(Indianapolis Star)(5-16-2001)
• Hamilton wins race at rain shortened Darlington: #4-Bobby Hamilton won the CTS race at Darlington. The race was shortened by 12 laps by rain. #52-Ken Schrader was 2nd. See the results at the Darlington Raceway site(5-12-2001)
• Sprague wins pole at Darlington: #24-Jack Sprague won the pole for the Darlington 200 CTS race with a speed of 162.878mph. Teammate #17-Ricky Hendrick is on the outside pole with a speed of 162.442mph. See That’s Racin’ for the Darlington 200 Starting Lineup. The race starts at 4:00pm/et on ESPN (5-11-2001)
• Cuppers: how did some Cup regulars and former Cup drivers do in qualifying? #4-Hamilton starts 3rd, #52-Schader starts 13th, #1-Musgrave starts 9th, #72-Hensley starts 22nd abd #21-Morgan Shepherd starts 28th(5-11-2001)
• Double Gibbs: Joe Gibbs’ two sons, J.D. and Coy, are racing Saturday in the Craftsman Truck Series 200-miler at Darlington Raceway.(Gaston Gazette). J.D. will be in the #48 HotRod Magazine Chevy and Coy in the #20 MBNA Chevy(5-10-2001)
• Hooper to the #73 UPDATE: The #73 Tagsby Racing team has announced that Lance Hooper will pilot #73 beginning with the Darlington Race, May 12. Tagsby Racing is the combined efforts of Joey Sonntag, who has been involved in racing for many years and Oklahoma Lumberman, Ron Crosby. Sonntag had this to say about having Hooper, “We are very happy to have Lance, he is a fine driver and we look forward to what he can bring to our race team.”(Tagsby Racing PR)(5-8-2001)
  UPDATE: Lance Hooper brings along major assoc. sponsor Ingles Markets to the #73 Tagsby team for Darlington. Ingles has 208 grocery stores located in NC, SC, and GA. Ingles has been a sponsor for Lance’s racing efforts in BGN, ARCA and now the CTS(5-9-2001)
• Race Delayed but Musgrave Wins: due to rain, the Truck Race at Gateway didn’t start until 7:30pm/et. But they finally got it in and #1-Ted usgrave got his 3rd win in five races. #2-Scott Riggs, Musgraves teammate was 2nd. See That’s Racin’ for the Craftsman Truck-Ram Tough 200 Results(5-7-2001)
• Musgrave on Pole at Gateway: #1-Ted Musgrave won his second Bud Pole Award this year. It was the fifth consecutive pole in five races for Dodge. Musgrave posted a lap of 129.971mph with #29-Terry Cook on the outside pole in a Ford, speed of 129.833mph. All 36 drivers who made an attempt got in the field. See Starting Lineup at: NASCAR.com. The race will start at 4:00pm/et and be televised on ESPN(5-6-2001)
• #02 News: Don’t be surprised to see Jim Inglebright break his career best finish this weekend at the Gateway International Raceway. Since finishing 15th in Bakersfield, Calif., Inglebright has tested twice; once in a truck and the other in a Southwest tour car. The Fairfield, Calif. native spent two days testing at the Irwindale Speedway gaining critical seat time in his #02 Jelly Belly Chevrolet. Inglebright, along with the entire Roadrunner Motorsports Inc crew have devoted countless hours toward preparing for this race. “It was the first time I’ve ever tested in a truck,” said Inglebright. “I needed the seat time real bad. I have to admit I was at a great advantage. Rick Carelli flew in to help me out!” Carelli, a former driver for Phelon Motorsports on the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series brings many years of experience and knowledge racing trucks. He was recently released from his driving duties when Phelon Motorsports closed its doors due to lack of sponsorship. Rodney Haygood, crew chief for the #02 Jelly Belly Chevrolet is no stranger to Carelli’s presence. Both Carelli and Haygood have worked together in the past, producing two truck series wins in 1999. Between the two, Inglebright has learned a lot about the truck. Inglebright is not the only one preparing for this weekend’s race. The pit crew has been practicing pit stops and developing strategies the past few weeks. They put forth a great effort at the Mesa Marin Raceway earlier in March as pit strategy and quick pit stops placed Inglebright as high as second before a cut tire forced him to pit. The 39-year-old Southwest Tour veteran is excited to get back to racing. Inglebright, in particular, is looking forward to the Pikes Peak race in Fountain, Colo., where the Jelly Belly Candy Co. will sponsor the truck race.(Roadrunner Motorsports PR)(5-4-2001)
• Reffner Leaves The #3 UPDATE: The #3 Menard Racing Chevrolet of Bryan Reffner has withdrawn from Sunday’s race at Gateway. Team sources say Reffner has left the team and they have yet to name a replacement(Daytona Beach News Journal)(5-2-2001)
  UPDATE: Unable to find a major sponsor and frustrated at battling multi-truck teams with a single-truck operation, team owner John Menard has closed his NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series program based in Indianapolis. Menard said through a spokesman that he would “take the rest of this season off to regroup” and said he plans to do “something in NASCAR next year, but it won’t be trucks.” Menard purchased Richard Childress’ truck team at the end of the 1999 season. Driver Bryan Reffner scored Menard’s first truck victory at Texas Motor Speedway last October(NASCAR.com Buzz)(5-3-2001)
• Ruttman goes for Pole Record: #18-Joe Ruttman, the series’ oldest driver at 56, will seek his 16th pole Saturday in qualifying for Sunday’s Ram Tough 200 in Madison, Ill. He matched Mike Skinner’s series record last month in Martinsville, Va., then finished fourth. “The pole would be especially cool just because the guys really want me to have the record,” said Ruttman, who won the season-opening race at Daytona from the pole for his 11th series victory. “They make it easy to run fast with the trucks they build.”(That’s Racin’/AP)(5-3-2001)
• Hensley in the #72: Jimmy Hensley is driving for Randy MacDonald in the #72 Truck for the next two and possibly three CTS races. Leftbehind.comrenewed its sponsorship for the next thee races(Team PR)(5-2-2001)
• Carelli in the #52 but CORRECTION: TruckSeries.com is reporting that Rick Carelli, driver of the closed the #66 CTS team, will practice and qualify the #52 Chevy at Gateway this weekend. Ken Schrader owns (and sometimes runs) the truck – it does not say who will DRIVE the truck. But the Schrader Racing site lists Schrader as scheduled to drive the truck(5-2-2001)
• #46 Hires Crew Chief: The Morgan/Dollar Motorsports team announced the hiring of Danny Gill as the new crew chief for the #46 Chevrolet on Monday. Gill started the 2000 season as crew chief for Truck Series driver Joe Ruttman, helping lead the team to three consecutive poles and a win in only four starts. In July, Gill assumed the crew chief role for the #4 Winston Cup ride of Bobby Hamilton. Gill finished the last three events of the 2000 season with Andy Petree Racing and driver Joe Nemechek as crew chief of the #33 Winston Cup Series entry. The Morgan/Dollar team started the 2001 season with veteran crew chief Bill Ingle at the helm, but after only two races the team parted ways with Ingle. TKO(#41) Motorsports crew chief Todd Myers filled in for the team on an interim basis(Daytona Beach News Journal)(5-2-2001)
• ARCA Champ to run #73: Tagsby Racing is pleased to announce that 2 time ARCA Champion, Frank Kimmel, will drive the #73 at Gateway Speedway. .Owner Joey Sonntag said, “We are excited that a driver the caliber of Frank will be driving for us. .We feel with this combination that we will have a good run.”(Tagsby Racing PR)(5-1-2001)