NASCAR Camping World Truck Series News & Rumors Archives
May 2010

  • Raybestos Rookie News & Notes – Texas:
    *Justin Lofton was the Raybestos Rookie of the Race in the May 21 North Carolina Education Lottery 200 at Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway. Lofton scored a 15th-place and grabbed top rookie honors for the second time this season.
    *Lofton leads Austin Dillon by two points (78-76) in the overall Raybestos Rookie standings entering the June 4 WinStar World Casino 400K at Texas Motor Speedway.
    *Johnny Sauter was the Raybestos Rookie of the Race in the 2009 WinStar World Casino 400, scoring a fifth-place finish. Sauter scored the best finish by a rookie in the June race at Texas since Chad McCumbee placed ninth in 2006.
    *Sauter won the pole position last June at Texas, his first NASCAR Camping World Truck Series pole.
    *Brendan Gaughan (2002) is the only Raybestos Rookie to win BOTH NASCAR Camping World Truck Series races in the same season at Texas.
    *Kenny Irwin won the inaugural WinStar World Casino 400 in 1997, edging out Boris Said and Rick Crawford for the win. Irwin went on to capture Raybestos Rookie of the Year that same season.
    *TwoRaybestos Rookies have won pole positions in 24 previous NASCAR Camping World Truck Series races at Texas: Sauter and Justin Marks (2008 spring race).(Raybestos PR)(5-31-2010)

  • Schrader back in KHI’s #2 at Texas: Twenty-six-year NASCAR veteran Ken Schrader will resume driving duties of the #2 Kevin Harvick Inc. Chevrolet this weekend at Texas Motor Speedway. The Fenton, Mo. native made his KHI debut in the Truck Series race at Kansas Speedway on May 2 where he qualified 12th and finished ninth. This weekend will mark Schrader’s second Truck Series start at Texas Motor Speedway. KHI knows what it takes to perform well at Texas Motor Speedway. Since its first race at the track in 2004, KHI has fielded entries for 16 Truck Series starts at TMS. The team has racked up six top-five and nine top-10 finishes, leading 463 of the 2,527 total laps in those 16 races. KHI’s most shining moment at the Texas track was in 2008 when four-time Truck Series champion Ron Hornaday swept the season, winning both annual visits to the speedway.(Kevin Harvick Inc. PR)(5-31-2010)

  • Jackson returns to #07 at Texas: Texas is the third of seven scheduled races for Tony Jackson with the SS Green Light #07 team this season. By running a seven-race schedule, Jackson will retain his status for NCWTS rookie of the year in 2011. Jackson’s first two starts in the SS Green Light Racing #07 have been very successful; in his debut at Martinsville, Tony finished 20th despite running out of fuel late in the race. In his second start in his home state of Kansas, Tony broke into the top-fifteen with an impressive performance.(SS Green Light Racing PR)(5-31-2010)

  • Lofton leads ROTY standings heading into Texas: Justin Lofton’s finish the last time out at the Charlotte Motor Speedway boosted him in the Raybestos Rookie of The Year point standings. Lofton has been the highest finishing rookie in the last two races (third in Dover, 15th in Charlotte), giving him a two-point advantage. This Friday’s start will be Lofton and his #7 Red Horse Racing Tundra’s first at Texas in Camping World Truck Series competition.(Justin Lofton PR)(5-31-2010)

  • Almirola promotes new Graceway product: The #51 Graceway Pharmaceuticals team’s track record at Texas Motor Speedway has Aric Almirola excited about competing in this week’s WinStar World Casino 400. The Billy Ballew Motorsports team has three top-two finishes in six starts at TMS, including one win (Kyle Busch, 2009). Aric Almirola will be piloting the same chassis that Kyle Busch drove to victory lane last season. Almirola is currently riding a streak of six consecutive top-10 finishes, and has finished no worse than seventh-place at the mile-and-a-half venues this season. The #51 truck will carry a different paint scheme this week. Zyclara, a new product from Graceway Pharmaceuticals which is FDA-approved for the treatment of actinic keratosis (AK), will be on Almirola’s truck for the remainder of the season. Zyclara can be used on large areas of skin, including the full face or balding scalp on a convenient, 6-week dosing cycle.(Billy Ballew Motorsports PR)(5-30-2010)

  • Piquet makes 2nd start for BBM at Texas: Nelson Piquet Jr. made his first NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) start at a 1.5-mile race track in May’s N.C. Education Lottery 200 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Piquet piloted his Qualcomm, ArcSight Toyota Tundra from his 23rd-place starting position to a 16th-place finish. Piquet hopes what he learned at Charlotte, combined with his knowledge of Texas Motor Speedway, will pay dividends in this week’s WinStar World Casino 400 at TMS. Piquet has competed in one prior event at TMS. In last April’s ARCA Series race, Piquet started in first-place and finished ninth driving for Eddie Sharp Racing. This week will mark Piquet’s second of three starts for Billy Ballew Motorsports.(Billy Ballew Motorsports PR)(5-30-2010)

  • Cobb riding momentum into first Texas start: Jennifer Jo Cobb scored her career-best NASCAR Camping World Truck Series finish in May’s N.C. Education Lottery 200. Her 18th-place performance has her optimistic for a banner outing at Texas Motor Speedway. Cobb’s #10 Driven Team plans on using the same setup and notes from the Charlotte event in hopes of picking up where they left off. Cobb is now 18th in overall driver standings, but more importantly the team sits 24th in owner’s points which means they are locked the WinStar World Casino 400.(Cobb Racing Team PR)(5-30-2010)

  • Theriault looking to run six races: Another driver hoping to move through the [NASCAR] ranks is Michelle Theriault. She also serves as communications manager for U.S. Legend Cars, which manufacturers the Legend cars many race and said she sees some females racing in younger divisions. The 24-year-old is hoping to put together a deal to run six truck races this season. She ran in three last year. “It’s what I want to do,” she said of why she continues competing. “You get to an age where you make that decision, ‘Is this what I really want to do? Or do we sacrifice and continue forward?’ There are certain things you sacrifice and but you didn’t look at it like that, you went and did it because that’s what I wanted to do.”(Virginia-Pilot)(5-29-2010)

  • FDA rule cost KHI #33 sponsor: New government regulations for smokeless tobacco sponsorships couldn’t have come at a worse time for two NASCAR teams. Ron Hornaday Jr. must remove Longhorn snuff from his [Camping] World Trucks Series Chevrolet. The Food and Drug Administration will have new rules that will further restrict the way tobacco companies can market their products. As of June 22, cigarette and smokeless tobacco sponsorships can’t be included in any athletic, musical, social, cultural or team-related event. evin Harvick owns Hornaday’s truck. The team learned 18 months ago of the new regulations. But even with a head start, it hasn’t been able to find a replacement. “Yeah, at the end of June, obviously, Longhorn comes off the truck. We have known that for about a year now, so they have about half of them sold, and the truck will run every week regardless, but [we’re] still looking for sponsorship for about half of those races for the second half of the truck series season,” Harvick said.(Jacksonville.com)(5-27-2010)

  • Charlotte images added: Added some images from Charlotte including: #18-Kyle Busch, Z-Line Designs Toyota; #2-Elliott Sadler, Best Buy/Insignia TV Chevy; #13-Johnny Sauter, In Country TV Chevy; #15-Nelson Piquet, Qualcomm Toyota; #31-James Buescher, Wolf Pack Rentals Chevy; #33-Ron Hornaday Jr., Longhorn Chevy; #60-Narain Karthikeyan, Safe Auto Insurance/Starbeast Motorsports Chevy; #88-Matt Crafton, McGuire-Nichols Chevy; #90-Brad Sweet, Great Clips Toyota, #6-JC Stout, Matthews Mobile Media Dodge. Check them out via the 2010 Paint Scheme Page.(5-26-2010)

  • Nead gone from RMM: UPDATE confirmed RMM & Nead part ways: Hearing that Gene Nead has left Randy Moss Motorsports and is no longer crew chief for the #5-Toyota driven by Mike Skinner.(5-24-2010)
    UPDATE: A team representative has confirmed that Randy Moss Motorsports and crew chief Gene nead have mutually agreed to part ways. RMM engineer, Stacy Johnson will serve as interim crew chief.(5-24-2010)

  • Racing Resources – Monday Rundown:
    *Kyle Busch won the North Carolina Education Lottery 200 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. It was Busch’s 18th series victory in his 74th start, tying Dennis Setzer for fourth all-time. It marked Busch’s 70th NASCAR win and third Truck victory at Charlotte.
    *Busch led four times for 69 laps, including the final 17.
    *Kyle Busch Motorsports posted its second series victory, both in 2010. The 18 team leads in owners’ points.
    *Toyota posted its first Truck win at Charlotte and fourth win in 2010.
    *Todd Bodine (second) scored his sixth top-5 of 2010. He took over the points lead by two over Aric Almirola.
    *Ron Hornaday (third) scored his fourth top-3 finish in the past four races.
    *James Buescher (fourth) scored his second consecutive top-5 finish.
    *Elliott Sadler (fifth) scored his best career Truck finish.
    *The highest-finishing rookie of the year contender was Justin Lofton (15th).
    *The top 10 consisted of six Toyotas, three Chevrolets and one Dodge.(ESPN.com)(5-24-2010)

  • NASCAR confiscates engines following Charlotte race: NASCAR confiscated six engines following the Camping World Truck Series race. Kyle Busch’s winning #18 engine from Triad along with the #17 Toyota, the Nos. 33 and 31 Chevrolets, the #10 Ford and #23 Dodge were taken back the NASCAR Research and Development Center and will be run on the dynamometer next week.(FoxSports)(5-24-2010)

  • Mystery surrounding loose lug nuts at Charlotte: UPDATE more info: During the race broadcast, SPEEDtv analyst, Ray Dunlap reported that the #18-Kyle Busch Motorsports team found eleven lug nuts loose on three wheels just prior to race start. On Lap 10, #3-Austin Dillon suddenly broke loose, veered right and hit the wall. It was later found that there were loose lug nuts on the left-rear of the #3-RCR truck.(5-22-2010)
    UPDATE: There was also concern before and early in the race about at least two trucks — including Busch’s — that mysteriously had loose lug nuts. “They just found that three of the wheels were loose,” Busch crew chief Eric Phillips said before the green flag. “We’ve just got to keep a better eye on our stuff, I guess.” Phillips refused to speculate if he thought someone intentionally loosened the wheels. But 20-year-old Austin Dillon — whose car was parked behind Busch’s in the impound area after qualifying — claimed his wreck on the 10th lap was caused by the same problem. “They left the left-rear lugs loose. We don’t know what happened,” said Dillon, grandson of NASCAR team owner Richard Childress. A NASCAR official said they were looking into the matter.(ESPN/AP)(5-22-2010)

  • Truck team financial burden for Busch: UPDATE More from Busch…Benson in #18 at Texas: For [Kyle] Busch, his pending nuptials and bride to be are the least of his financial worries. The price of owning a truck team is making Busch seriously reconsider if he should’ve ever become a NASCAR truck team owner. “The wedding, she’s got a budget, so she’s done a good job with that,” Busch said of his fiancée Samantha Sarcinella. “It’s all the truck team. They seem to not know what budgets mean.” Running a NASCAR truck team is an expensive proposition that many have tried and failed at. Busch knew starting a truck team would take a significant capital investment, but he didn’t realize just how expensive it would be. Had he known what he knows now, Busch didn’t hesitate to say he wouldn’t have done it. “No,” Busch said quickly, speaking during a break in a test at Daytona International Speedway. “No, I wouldn’t do it. Bad idea. I was kind of misled on some things and didn’t understand the financial burden of getting started,” Busch said. “The getting started costs have been way over what expectations were, so that set us back.” Recently contractors hired to work on a new building for the team filed a lien against KBM, saying they were owed hundreds of thousands of dollars by the company, according to a report in the Charlotte Observer. [See past news on the May News Archives Page.] It’s all part of a headache Busch wishes he avoided completely.(Orlando Sentinel)(5-19-2010)
    UPDATE: Busch has lined up some companies for single-race sponsorships and other smaller deals, but it hasn’t been nearly enough to cover the costs, even as Busch’s #18 team sits first in the owner’s standings. “Our trucks really run well, we’re fast,” Busch said. It just hasn’t paid the bills. The Charlotte Observer reported nearly a dozen companies involved in the construction of Busch’s race headquarters in Mooresville, N.C., have filed liens or intend to file liens because they are collectively owed about $1 million. Earlier this week, Brian Ickler, who was driving the #18 truck when Busch could not due to Sprint Cup conflicts, took a job driving a car for Roush Fenway Racing in the Nationwide Series. Busch will use Johnny Benson, who he had hoped to drive the scrapped third car he had planned, in Ickler’s place starting in two weeks at Texas. “I have no reason to hold Brian Ickler back. It’s all for his best interest,” Busch said. “I feel like I’ve done what I’ve needed to do to help him move up, so hopefully he can make a name for himself and a place for himself over there at Roush and do a good job.” But the satisfaction of helping Ickler — who has two top-five finishes in Busch’s truck — doesn’t ease the financial burden Busch is feeling. It’s led him to question his decision to become a boss. “Is it painful? Yeah, you work your whole life to make the money you make and do everything you do,” Busch said. “I’m not saying I’m throwing it away, but to see it all go away, it’s unfortunate. “What it all boils down to is if I get hurt. If I get hurt I can’t go forward. There’s disability and there’s this and that, but I don’t need to put my family in that position. I think that’s a bad idea. I’ve just got to stay healthy and keep going.”(ESPN/AP)(5-21-2010)

  • Goodyear Tire Notes – Charlotte: Teams in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series will run a slightly different tire set-up than those in the Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series during Charlotte Speed Weeks . . . teams in all three series will run the same right-side tire code (D-4234), but the trucks have a unique left-side code (D-4318) . . . this is the first time the Camping World Trucks have run this left-side code . . . compared to what was run at Charlotte last year, this new left-side features a minor construction change to help give trucks more grip . . . truck teams have run this right-side code with a different left-side twice in the past — at Las Vegas and Charlotte in 2009 . . . .these teams are also scheduled to run this right-side at Nashville (August 7), Darlington (August 14) and Las Vegas (September 25) later in 2010 . . . as on all NASCAR ovals greater than one mile in length, teams are required to run inner liners in all four tire positions at Charlotte . . . air pressure in those inner liners should be 12-25 psi greater than that of the outer tire. [Complete tire specs are posted on the Charlotte Race Page.](Goodyear PR)(5-21-2010)

  • Lack of sponsorship forces Hackett Racing cutback: Although Ray Hackett Racing originally had its sights set on a full season in the 2010 Camping World Truck Season the team has had to take time to regroup, keeping them out of last weekend’s race at Dover as well as this weekend at Charlotte. Although the team was able to piece together some last minute sponsorship deals for the first four races of the season as well as rent trucks out, money has been tough to come by for the last month. As team owner Ray Hackett puts it, “not being at the track these past few weeks has been tough. As Rick Crawford proved at Kansas as he was racing for the lead, we have really good equipment and we were really happy with the way things were going. We were growing and had been able to hire a few guys who previously worked for really good truck teams that have been out of work for a while now, but we have been forced to lay off some of those crew members because of the lack of money coming in.” The team is actively looking for sponsorship as well as seeking drivers looking to rent trucks.(Hackett Racing PR)(5-20-2010)

  • Sweet set for first start at Charlotte:This weekend, open-wheel sensation, Brad Sweet, will make his first start at Charlotte Motor Speedway driving the No. 90 Great Clips Toyota Tundra for Stringer Motorsports. Sweet, who also competes in the USAC Sprint and Midget Car Series for Kasey Kahne Racing, will run a limited schedule this season for Stringer Motorsports in the Camping World Truck Series. This weekend’s race at Charlotte Motor Speedway will mark Sweet’s fourth-career start in the series and second of the 2010 season. The weekend will be a busy one for Sweet who has three races on his schedule. Following Friday night’s NCWTS race, he will fly straight to Iowa for the Silver Crown at Midget races at Iowa Speedway. (Stringer Motorsports PR)(5-20-2010)

  • SS Green Light adds Charlotte for Eggleston: Chris Eggleston originally signed to run three races in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series this season for SS Green Light Racing. Chris nearly cracked the top-ten in his first start and has earned the opportunity for another race in the SS Green Light Racing No. 21. The 2009 ASA Late Models North Division champion will make his fourth career start in the NCWTS Friday night in the North Carolina Education Lottery 200 at the Charlotte Motor Speedway. Pro Motor Engines will supply the horsepower for Chris on Friday night and ASI Limited will be on the hood of the #21.(SS Green Light Racing PR)(5-20-2010)

  • RWR promoting”Take Steps” at Charlotte: Rick Ware Racing is “Taking Steps” for a great cause this weekend at Charlotte Motor Speedway for the running of the North Carolina Education Lottery 200 in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series on Friday May 21st. The “Take Steps” for Crohn’s & Colitis logo will be displayed on Rick Ware Racing’s #6 truck driven by J.C. Stout this weekend. Each year, more than 30,000 Americans are diagnosed with Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis-serious, chronic illnesses that can disrupt a person’s life. For more information and to find a “Taking Steps” Walk in your area visit CCFA.org.(Rick Ware Racing PR)(5-20-2010)

  • DRM promoting “I AM A FOOT SOLDIER.COM camp at CMS: DRM in association with KOMA UNWIND ‘Chillaxation Drink ” will be promoting the I AM A FOOT SOLDIER.com camp at Charlotte Motor speedway in this Fridays North Carolina Lottery 200 to raise awareness for this great kids Camp. The Camp, developed by former Carolina Panther Mike Minter, was created to inspire hope and leadership in today’s youth. The focus of the camp is to teach kids that dreams can be realized through discipline and hard work. Koma Unwind drinks will be selling foot soldier packages at the speedway and on the web store (KOMADRINKS.com) with half of the proceeds going to the Foot Soldier’s camp.(Daisy Ramirez Motorsports PR)(5-20-2010)

  • CampingWorld.com to sponsor Gateway race: The July 16 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at Gateway International Raceway will be called the CampingWorld.com 200, the track has announced. Camping World was the title sponsor for this event in 2008 and has been a facility sponsor since that time. “We’re really excited to have CampingWorld.com sponsor the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series at the Gateway International Raceway,” said Marcus Lemonis, Chairman and CEO of Camping World, Inc. “CampingWorld.com is the ultimate convenience for camping and RVing families, allowing them to easily shop thousands of RV and outdoor products and accessories anytime, whether they are near one of our 75 nationwide SuperCenters or not. We have designed CampingWorld.com as a one-click online source for everything RV, from cleaners and chemicals to expert technical advice.”(Gateway Raceway PR)( 5-19-2010)

  • NASCAR suspends two TGR team members: Two crew members in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series – Clint Carter with the No. 46 team and Jeremy Wilbert with the No. 95 team – have been indefinitely suspended from NASCAR for violating the sanctioning body’s substance abuse policy. On May 17, both Carter and Wilbert were found to have violated Sections 12-1 (actions detrimental to stock car racing) and 19 (violation of the NASCAR substance abuse policy) of the 2010 NASCAR rule book.(NASCAR PR)(5-19-2010)

  • Z-Line to sponsor Busch at Charlotte, image added: Kyle Busch will be sporting a longtime sponsor of his from the NASCAR Nationwide Series for the North Carolina Education Lottery 200 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Z-Line Designs, the San Ramon, Calif.-based designer and import manufacturer of ready-to-assemble furniture, will adorn Busch’s #18 Kyle Busch Motorsports Toyota Tundra this week. Busch’s stats at Charlotte include two wins, one pole and no finish worse than 11th in five starts. Teammate Tayler Malsam, driver of the #56 Toyota Tundra for KBM will make his second start at Charlotte. In 2009, Malsam started 12th, completed all 134 laps event and brought home a then-career-best eighth-place finish at the track.(Kyle Busch Motorsports PR)
    [Image of the #18 Z-Line Designs Toyota being driven by Kyle Busch at Charlotte is posted on the #18 NCWTS Paint Schemes Page.](5-19-2010)

  • Bass Pro Shops #3 pays tribute to NWTF, image added: The National Wild Turkey Federation’s flying turkey logo will appear on the #3 Chevy Silverado driven by Austin Dillon in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. Bass Pro Shops salute to the NWTF is a part of the Conservation Fund’s “Racing for America’s Wildlife” program. The program is designed to engage the NASCAR community in conserving America’s hunting and fishing heritage through habitat protection, restoration, education, and outreach. Bass Pro Shops salute to the NWTF is a part of the Conservation Fund’s “Racing for America’s Wildlife” program. The program is designed to engage the NASCAR community in conserving America’s hunting and fishing heritage through habitat protection, restoration, education, and outreach. Bass Pro Shops founder Johnny Morris, a leading conservationist, announced the companies donation to an enthusiastic crowd of almost 50,000 at the at the annual NWTF Convention and Sport Show at the Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center in Nashville, Tenn in February.(Bass Pro Shops PR) [Rendering of the #3-Bass Pro Shops/NWTF Chevy is posted on the #3-NCWTS Paint Schemes Page.](5-19-2010)

  • Carmichael making Charlotte debut: Ricky Carmichael will be wearing his rookie stripe in the #4 Monster Energy Chevy in this weekend’s North Carolina Education Lottery 200 as he makes his on-track debut at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Carmichael scored his career-high finish of fourth in last weekend’s Dover 200, putting both Turner Motorsports trucks in the top-five. In addition to his top-five finish, Carmichael scored two top-10 finishes (Atlanta and Martinsville) in the first six races of the 2010 season. (Turner Motorsports PR)(5-19-2010)

  • Keselowski makes second start at Charlotte:UPDATE Image added: Brad Keselowski will make his second NASCAR Camping World Truck Series start of 2010 in the #29-Brad Keselowski Racing Dodge this weekend at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Keselowski has one career NCWTS start at the 1.5-mile Charlotte oval. More to Come… BKR plans to make two more starts in 2010 with Keselowski behind the wheel. Those races will be at Charlotte Motor Speedway, Gateway International Raceway and Bristol Motor Speedway, respectively.(Brad Keselowski Racing PR)(5-19-2010)
    UPDATE: Image of the #29-Brad Keselowski Racing Dodge is posted on the #29-NCWTS Paint Schemes Page.(5-19-2010)

  • Hardy designs TNA truck for Sadler: UPDATE Image added: Total Nonstop Action (TNA) Wrestling Superstar “The Charismatic Enigma” Jeff Hardy is considered one of the most creative professional wrestlers in history, and now he’s taking his art to the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. Hardy, a native of Cameron, North Carolina, will design a special paint scheme for driver Hermie Sadler’s truck [#48-Chevy] in the North Carolina Education Lottery 200 May 21 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. In addition to being one of the most unique and artistic professional wrestlers in the world, Hardy is also an avid painter and designer. “I’m thrilled that Jeff wanted to show his skills and design this truck,” Sadler said. “It will be cool to see what the NASCAR and TNA Wrestling fans think of the design, and hopefully Jeff’s large fan base in North Carolina will be in Charlotte pulling for us.” TNA fans will be able to purchase a special limited edition die-cast 1/24th scale replica of Hardy’s design this Fall at www.ShopTNA.com.(Charismatic-Enigma.net)(5-19-2010)
    UPDATE: Schematic for Fast Track Racing’s #48-TNA Wrestling Chevy truck being driven by Hermie Sadler at Charlotte Motor Speedway is posted on the #48 NCWTS Paint Scheme Page.(5-19-2010)

  • Zachry returns to #81 with Starr at Charlotte: Zachry will return to the hood of the Randy Moss Motorsports #81 Toyota Tundra for David Starr this Friday at Charlotte Motor Speedway. The family-owned business has more than 80 years of experience and has completed thousands of industrial projects across the World. David Starr is one of only four drivers to have started every NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Since the track made its debut on the circuit in 2003, Starr has completed 942 laps around the 1.5-mile speedway and has raced more than 1,400 miles around the tri-oval. As a result, Starr ranks third for all-time laps completed at CMS.(Randy Moss Motorsports PR)(5-19-2010)

  • Ickler to drive Nationwide race for RFR at Charlotte: Roush Fenway Racing has announced that Brian Ickler will join the organization for the Nationwide Series test this week at Daytona International Speedway. Ickler will share laps with Colin Braun in the #16 Roush Fenway Ford Mustang at the test that will be held on Tuesday and Wednesday. Ickler, who hails from San Diego, Calif., will also drive #No. 16 Roush Fenway Ford next weekend in the Nationwide Series race at Charlotte Motor Speedway. “We are in the fortunate position to have races available in the Nationwide Series, and we intend to use these races to continue our traditional commitment to the development of young drivers in NASCAR, such as Colin, Ricky (Stenhouse Jr.) and Brian. “Brian (Ickler) will race for us at the Daytona Mustang test and the upcoming race at Charlotte. Putting Brian in the Charlotte race gives us the rare opportunity to evaluate a young, talented driver while also helping to foster his development on the track,” added Roush. Roush said the organization will remain open to evaluating additional talent going forward. “We are keeping our options open for the future and are looking for the right fit for Roush Fenway Racing,” added Roush.(Roush Fenway Racing PR)(5-18-2010)

  • Exide back with RMM for 2010 season UPDATE Image added: Exide Technologies, a global leader in stored electrical-energy solutions, announced today a renewal of its partnership with Randy Moss Motorsports in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series for the 2010 season. The familiar blue and black colors will make their 2010 season debut on the #5 Toyota Tundra in Charlotte on May 21 where Exide will be hosting the winners of the Exide Extreme Race Weekend Sweepstakes, which ran from February 15 through March 21, 2010. Exide will return to Skinner’s Tundra for races in St. Louis, Bristol, New Hampshire, Talladega, and Texas. In addition, the Exide logo will adorn the hood of David Starr’s #81 Tundra for the race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Exide also will serve as a full-season associate sponsor for both teams.(Randy Moss Motorsports PR)(5-18-2010)
    UPDATE: Schematic for the #5-Exide Toyota being driven by Mike Skinner at Charlotte Motor Speedway is posted on the #5 NCWTS Paint Scheme Page.(5-18-2010)

  • Piquet Jr. makes first start with BBM UPDATE Image added: Nelson Piquet Jr. will make his inaugural start at Charlotte Motor Speedway this week. Although the Brasilia, Brazil native has never raced at the 1.5-mile oval, he was able to get a head start on learning his way around the track. Piquet volunteered as a guest driver at the Richard Petty Driving Experience while in Charlotte earlier this month. Piquet took several passengers for rides and received tips from the instructors on conquering the speedway. Piquet hopes his experience will give him a head start on a solid race performance in his #15 Qualcomm, ArcSight Toyota Tundra. The North Carolina Education Lottery 200 will mark Piquet’s second NASCAR Camping World Truck Series start, his first with Billy Ballew Motorsports. He raced at Daytona International Speedway earlier this season and finished sixth.(Billy Ballew Motorsports PR)[Prior news is posted on the April News Archives page.](5-18-2010)
    UPDATE: Schematic of the #15-Qualcomm/ArcSight Toyota being driven by Nelson Piquet Jr. at Charlotte is posted on the #15 NCWTS Paint Schemes Page.(5-18-2010)

  • Butler heads to 6th new track of season: Brett Butler, driver of the #47 Fuel Doctor Chevy, is once again getting a look at a new track. The Georgia native will be competing in his seventh race of the NACAR Camping World Truck Series race in 2010 and the sixth time at a track he has not competed at before. Practice, qualifying & the race will all take place on Friday, May 21st with the start time for the NC Education Lottery 200 at Charlotte Motor Speedway set for 8:00pm Eastern.(Rick Ware Racing PR)(5-18-2010)
  • Sad News – Harriet Hicks: Harriet Hicks [maiden name Harris], mother of Stringer Motorsports crew chief Trip Bruce and Beth Baldwin, wife of Sprint Cup Series team owner, Tommy Baldwin passed away last Saturday, May 15, 2100. Services will be held in Franklinton, North Carolina next Monday, May 24th at Hall-Wynne Funeral Home, time has not been announced. Address is; 504 East Mason Street, Franklinton, NC.

  • Raybestos Rookie News & Notes – Charlotte:
    *Justin Lofton was the Raybestos Rookie of the Race in the May 14 Dover 200 at Dover (Del.) International Speedway. Lofton scored a third-place finish, his best in six NASCAR Camping World Truck Series starts and his first top-five. Lofton scored the best finish by a Raybestos Rookie in the truck series this season.
    *Austin Dillon leads Lofton by two points (69-67) in the overall Raybestos Rookie standings entering the May 21 North Carolina Education Lottery 200 at Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway.
    *Tayler Malsam was the Raybestos Rookie of the Race in the 2009 North Carolina Education Lottery 200. Malsam scored an eighth-place finish, the best by a Raybestos Rookie in seven previous races at Charlotte.
    *The best start by a Raybestos Rookie in seven Camping World Truck Series races at Charlotte is second by Erin Crocker in 2006.
    *Rookie Point Standings: Austin Dillon, 69; Justin Lofton, 67; Brett Butler, 53; Jennifer Jo Cobb, 51; Chris Eggleston, 16; Landon Cassill, 7.
    (Raybestos PR)(5-18-2010)

  • Las Vegas and Miami Beach will again host Championship celebrations: NASCAR has announced dates and sites for its 2010 season-ending championship celebrations. Continuing a new tradition started last year, the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series will honor its champion at Wynn Las Vegas. This year, the awards ceremony is set for Friday, Dec. 3 and will feature the top 10 drivers in the final series standings. The event will culminate NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Champion’s Week in Las Vegas. In addition, the combined awards banquet for the NASCAR Nationwide Series and the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series will again take place in South Florida at the Loews Miami Beach Hotel. The date is Nov. 22, the Monday following Ford Championship Weekend at Homestead-Miami Speedway.(NASCAR PR)(5-17-2010)

  • Setzer returns with RBR at Charlotte: RBR Motorsports announced today they will be competing in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series event in Charlotte, NC with veteran driver, Dennis Setzer, behind the wheel. Setzer will pilot the #92 fleetHQ/BTS Tire & Wheel Distributors Chevrolet Silverado this Friday night at the Charlotte Motor Speedway. Setzer has 18 wins in the NCWTS. fleetHQ will be the primary sponsor on the #92 Truck. fleetHQ is a business solutions provider for commercial trucking fleets and servicing tire dealers all across North America. BTS Tire & Wheel Distributors and Black’s Tire Service will continue to serve as associate sponsors. (RBR Motorsports PR)(5-17-2010)

  • Guerity debuts at Charlotte with DRM: Daisy Ramirez Motorsports announces a multi-race agreement with Mike Guerity to drive and compete in this season’s NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. Guerity will pilot the #01 Koma Unwind Chillaxation Drink Chevy beginning at Charlotte Motor Speedway on May 21st, as well as the June 12th event at Michigan International Speedway. Beyond making his debut with the team, Guerity will also be making his first career attempt in the Camping World Truck Series.(Daisy Ramirez Motorsports PR)(5-17-2010)

  • Sadler returns to #2 at Charlotte: Elliott Sadler returns to the #2 Best Buy/Insignia Chevy for Kevin Harvick Inc. at Charlotte. In 1998, Elliott Sadler made his first career NASCAR Sprint Cup Series start at Charlotte Motor Speedway with crew chief Butch Hylton atop the pit box. Twelve years later, Sadler returns to the 1.5-mile oval with 23 Cup Series starts and eight NASCAR Nationwide Series starts under his belt at the track, making his first start at Charlotte Motor Speedway in the Camping World Truck Series with crew chief Butch Hylton calling the race once again. (Kevin Harvick Inc. PR)(5-17-2010)

  • Bell to MAKE Motorsports for Charlotte: MAKE Motorsports continues its grassroots campaign as the newest team in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series by entering the race at Charlotte Motor Speedway in the May 21st N.C. Education Lottery 300 with a new car make & a “new” veteran driver, T.J. Bell & the #50 MAKE Motorsports Chevrolet Silverado. NC-based railroad repair company Twin Oaks Services South remains in the MAKE Motorsports NCWTS family as Associate Sponsor. Bell, a Nevada native who now resides in Mooresville, most recently ran 25 races in 2009 with Red Horse Racing.(MAKE Motorsports PR)(5-17-2010)

  • Charlotte Fast Facts – Ron Hornaday Jr:
    *Driving the #33 Longhorn Moist Snuff Chevrolet
    *In two of his five total starts at the hometown 1.5-mile track, Hornaday has recorded two victories. Ironically, each year he has taken home the hardware from CMS, he has also gone on to hoist the championship trophy at Homestead-Miami (Fla.) Speedway.
    *When it comes to this weekend at Charlotte Motor Speedway, Hornaday comes in second to Kyle Busch, where Hornaday has led 128 laps at the legendary 1.5-mile quad oval.
    *Hornaday and Busch are the only two Truck Series drivers who have ever won multiple races at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Hornaday will attempt to pass Busch and become the tracks only three-time winner this weekend.
    *Hornaday remains fourth in the Truck Series point standings 125 markers behind new leader Aric Almirola.(Kevin Harvick Inc. PR)(5-17-2010)

  • Racing Resources – Monday Rundown:
    *Aric Almirola won the Dover 200 at Dover International Speedway. It was Almirola’s first series victory in his 55th race and first win at Dover in two races. He is the 11th different winner in 11 Dover races.
    *Almirola came from two laps down, getting a wave-around and a “Lucky Dog” en route to Victory Lane. Almirola led just seven laps, the fewest by a Dover race winner. He became the fifth driver to get his first Trucks victory at Dover.
    *Billy Ballew Motorsports earned its 18th series victory and its second win at Dover.
    *Toyota posted its third straight series Dover victory and third win in 2010.
    *The top 10 consisted of six Toyotas and four Chevrolets.
    *Juston Lofton (third) scored his career-best finish and first top-10 finish. Lofton was the highest-finishing rookie of the year contender.
    *Ricky Carmichael (fourth) scored his career-best finish and third top-10 in six races in 2010.
    *Points leader Timothy Peters finished 25th and dropped to third in the standings. Almirola took the point lead for first time in his career by 27 over Bodine.
    *Kyle Busch (16th) led 172 laps and moved to fifth all-time in laps led. The 172 laps are the most led by any driver at Dover in 11 series races.(ESPN.com)(5-17-2010)

  • Rodenbeck to enter Iowa plus more: Paddy Rodenbeck has confirmed that he plans to attempt Iowa Speedway, Gateway and ORP hoping to get the okay from NASCAR to compete in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series event at Talladega Superspeedway in October. Rodenbeck will drive the #82 with Jeff Caudill as crew chief. The team attempted Martinsville Speedway in March, however missed the field when qualifying was rained out.(Catchfence.com)(5-15-2010)

  • Kyle Busch Motorsports shop dispute centers on green construction: A NASCAR driver’s interest in going green may end up costing some contractors. Nearly a dozen companies involved in building a new race shop for Kyle Busch say they have filed liens or intend to file liens because they are collectively owed about $1 million for work done on a high-tech headquarters built for Busch in Mooresville. The project’s general contractor, L.B. Builders Construction Group, owns the building and has been in mediation with Busch’s attorneys this week. Busch was supposed to buy the building but has delayed the purchase because the final price tag was more than expected. The subcontractors say that’s because the young multimillionaire NASCAR driver wanted a top-of-the-line, LEED-certified building and ordered upgrades during construction. L.B. Builders’ attorney, Robert Newkirk, said the groups have made “a lot of progress” in their meetings and are “hopefully moving toward a closing.” Busch’s attorney, David Senter, said both sides are optimistic the issue can be resolved within the next 30 days or so. But the subcontractors told the Observer they worry they’ll be asked to settle for less payment than they’ve been promised. While some have filed mechanic’s liens against L.B. Builders, they must file a lawsuit to enforce the lien, which takes more time and money. A lien attaches to the property and structures. Until the debt is paid, the property owner does not own a clear title.(Charlotte Observer)(5-15-2010)

  • Raybestos Rookie Post-Race Notes – Dover:
    *Justin Lofton in the #7 VisitPit.com Toyota was the top Raybestos Rookie at Dover
    *Lofton scored a third-place finish, his first top-five and best finish in six NASCAR Camping World Truck Series starts.
    *Lofton took Raybestos Rookie of the Race honors for the first time this season. Unofficially he trails Austin Dillon by two points (69-67) in the overall Raybestos Rookie standings.
    *Lofton scored the best finish by a Raybestos Rookie this season in today’s race at Dover.(Raybestos PR)(5-15-2010)

  • Crawford’s streak of Truck Series starts ends at Dover: This Friday at Dover will mark the first time since 2005 that Rick Crawford of Mobile won’t be starting in a NASCAR Camping World truck series race. Since 1997 Crawford has started 327 Truck races, missing just the one in 2005 at Kentucky after a hard crash during practice. But that streak comes to an end this week as his familiar No. 14 Ford has been parked for lack of a critical part — a logo on the hood. Crawford and Circle Bar Racing owner Tom Mitchell have soldiered through this season without sponsorship, footing the bills out of pocket and hoping a new sponsor deal would come through. But it hasn’t happened. Crawford isn’t calling it quits. He’s even considering the unthinkable — switching from his beloved Ford to another manufacturer. Rick Crawford in a Toyota? That’s one of those events often compared to the likelihood of ice skating in hell. And while it might cause heart flutters for fans of the Blue Oval, it should be remembered that Crawford hasn’t left Ford. Ford, when it cut its support of truck teams, left Crawford.(AL.com)(5-13-2010)

  • Goodyear Tire Notes – Dover: Teams in all three NASCAR series in action at Dover this weekend will be running the same tire codes, though the Sprint Cup and Nationwide tires will be branded “Goodyear Eagle,” while the Camping World Truck tires will be branded “Goodyear Wrangler” . . . this is the first time teams have run this left-side code (D-4394), while this right-side code (D-4272) was previously run by Sprint Cup and Nationwide teams at Dover last September . . . this left-side features a new mold shape versus what was run at Dover last year . . . the mold shape change has been rolled into several tire set-ups already this year . . . later this season, Sprint Cup teams will run this right-side code with a different left-side code at Michigan . . . Nationwide teams will run this exact combination of left-and right-side tires at Kentucky, while Camping World Truck teams will run this same combination at Michigan . . . unlike on other NASCAR ovals one mile or less in length, where teams do not run inner liners, teams are required to run liners in all four tire positions at Dover . . . air pressure in those inner liners should be 12-25 psi greater than that of the outer tire.(Goodyear PR)[Complete tire specs are posted on the Dover Race Page.](5-13-2010)

  • Zecol on the #88 at Dover: Zecol will be in the hood of the #88 Menards Chevrolet with driver Matt Crafton this week at Dover. Zecol produces de-icers, including Incredible Orange Anti-Ice kit which is sprayed onto surfaces prior to a storm to prevent snow and ice build up and is rated to -27 degrees Fahrenheit, radiator sealers, anti-freeze, and Purple Power windshield washer fluid. Crafton has nine previous NCWTS starts at Dover International Speedway with one top-five finish and four top-ten finishes.(ThorSport Racing PR)(5-13-2010)

  • Teams preparing for Pocono test: UPDATE first trip to Pocono for White: After taming Dover International Speedway, one of the most unique tracks on the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series schedule on May 14, four teams will head to Pocono Raceway to test prior to the series’ first visit to the triangular track on July 31 [Monday, May 17th – closed to public]. Germain Racing, Kyle Busch Motorsports, Richard Childress Racing and SS Green Light Racing have confirmed they will attend the test at the 2.5-mile track in northeastern Pennsylvania. The track is unique in and of itself, as it has one of the longest straight-aways in any NASCAR series (3,740 feet) and boasts only three turns. July’s race will be 50 laps or 125 miles. Pocono and Darlington Raceway are the only two tracks not on last year’s NASCAR Camping World Truck Series schedule that are on this year’s schedule.(NASCAR PR)[More NASCAR Camping World Truck Series News & Notes are posted on the Dover Race Page.(5-3-2010)
    UPDATE: Following Friday night’s race, White and the GunBroker.com team will travel to Pocono Raceway for a NASCAR test session at the two and a half mile tri-oval in preparation for the NCWTS race in July. “I’ve never been to Pocono so it’s going to be a learning experience for myself and the crew. We’ll be working on set-ups and getting the truck comfortable,” White added. “There’s going to be four trucks, so it should be cool to see what they all do. For me it’s great to be able to get the extra track time.”(SS Green Light Racing)(5-11-2010)

  • RCR making first Dover truck start: UPDATE #3 to honor Earnhardt’s Hall of Fame induction – image added: Although RCR has a long history in the NCWTS, this weekend’s Dover 200 marks the organization’s first NCWTS appearance at Dover International Speedway. Austin Dillon will pilot the #3 Bass Pro Shops Chevy in this weekend’s Dover 200. This weekend marks Dillon’s first NCWTS appearance at Dover but he has one previous Dover start in the NASCAR K&N Pro East Series, where he finished ninth after starting 17th in September 2008. Richard Childress Racing’s #3 Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet team will honor a legend during this weekend’s Dover 200 NCWTS race [special announcement will be made on Wednesday, May 12th]. Five races into the 2010 NCWTS season, Dillon is tied for eighth with Ricky Carmichael in the series’ point standings, just 155 markers outside of the point lead. (Richard Childress Racing PR)(5-11-2010)
    UPDATE: Richard Childress Racing will further honor the legendary Dale Earnhardt’s induction into the NASCAR Hall of Fame with special paint schemes in races over the next two weekends. The #3 Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet Silverado, driven by Austin Dillon, will pay tribute to the seven-time Cup Series champion in the May 14 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Dover 200 at Dover International Speedway. Jeff Burton and the #31 Caterpillar team will honor the legendary driver of the #3 in the May 22 Sprint Showdown at Charlotte Motor Speedway.(Richard Childress Racing PR)[Image of the #3 Bass Pro Shops/Hall of Fame Chevy is posted on the #3 Paint Schemes Page.](5-12-2010)

  • Buescher returns to series full-time: James Buescher and Phoenix Racing [NNS] have parted ways effective immediately. Buescher, a 20-year-old Texas native, will compete full-time in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series for the remainder of the 2010 season, piloting the #31 Turner Motorsports Chevrolet Silverado. “It was a great opportunity presented to me to drive for Phoenix Racing and I appreciate everything that we were able to do at the beginning of this season,” said Buescher. “Unfortunately, things didn’t mesh as smoothly as we had hoped and I wish them nothing but the best. I feel that it is better for me to concentrate on my Truck Series opportunity with Turner Motorsports and I’m really excited to be back in the series full-time. We had an awesome Chevrolet in Kansas a couple weeks ago and were able to run up front which felt great. I’m confident that we can go to the track for the rest of the year and be in contention for wins.” Buescher returns to the driver’s seat of the #31 Wolf Pack Rentals Chevrolet this Friday at Dover Int’l Speedway.(James Buescher PR)(5-12-2010)

  • Kyle Busch – Dover Fast Facts:
    *Busch will be competing in all three series this weekend at Dover Int’l Speedway.
    *Busch, driver of the #18 KBM Toyota Tundra, scored the second of his 17 career Truck Series victories in June 2005 at Dover
    *The #18 Toyota is competing for the Truck Series owner’s title, and it is second in points, just nine points behind the No. 2 truck of Kevin Harvick, Inc.
    *Teammate, #56 Tayler Malsam is competing in all 25 races and is 12th in points, 194 markers behind series leader Timothy Peters.(Kyle Busch Motorsports PR)(5-12-2010)

  • Carmichael making first Dover Truck Start: Ricky Carmichael has made one career start at Dover International Speedway, as the Florida native competed in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East event in September 2008, and brought home a seventh-place finish. Carmichael, driving the #4 Monster Energy Chevy for Turner Motorsports, has scored two top-10 finishes (Atlanta and Martinsville) in the first five races of the 2010 season. Last season he competed in 18 Truck Series events and scored two top-10 finishes during his first season of NASCAR competition at the elite level. (Turner Motorsports PR)(5-12-2010)

  • Starr & PC*Miler team up once again at Dover: PC*MILER Navigation will again adorn the sides of the # 81 machine during this Friday’s event at the Monster Mile. The Minnesota based company specializes in the latest navigation technology available to consumers. As a veteran of the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, Starr is tied with Rick Crawford to lead the series with top-10 finishes at Dover International Speedway where both drivers currently have six finishes inside the top 10.(Randy Moss Motorsports PR)(5-11-2010)

  • Lia returns to #07 at Dover: After several weeks away from the track, Donny Lia returns to the SS Green Light Racing #07 again this Friday a the Monster Mile of Dover International Speedway. The Dover 200 will be the fourth start of the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series season for the New York native. The 2007 and 2009 Whelen Modified Series Champion has one previous NCWTS start at the fast concrete Mile. Lia is a huge supporter of Autism Speaks, a national organization dedicated to the public awareness and advocacy of the learning disorder that affects one in 110 children born each day. Lia will sport the Autism Speaks logo on his SS Green Light #07 Chevy this weekend. Lia and the SS Green Light team have been working hard with several potential sponsors for the balance of the 2010 season, Donny is upbeat about the prospects, “I thought we might have a deal put together in time for this week at Dover, but there are lots of details to works out. We’re real close and I’m confident we will have a deal done in a very short time.”(SS Green Light Racing PR)(5-11-2010)
  • Timothy Peters – Dover Fast Facts:
    *The Dover 200 will mark Timothy Peters’ fourth start at Dover International Speedway.
    *In Peters first race at Dover in 2005, he started from the fourth spot and finished sixth, earning his first top-10 finish in just his fourth NASCAR race.
    *In his three previous Dover starts, Peters has completed 99.7% of all laps.
    *Crew Chief, Jeff Hensley has also experienced success at the “Monster Mile.” He and driver Brian Scott earned a trip to Victory Lane at Dover in 2009.
    *Peters leads the Camping World Truck Series driver point standings by 22 over the second place driver. The #17 RHR Tundra fell to third in Owner’s Point Standings, 46 points back from the lead.
    *Timothy Peters and Justin Lofton will be carrying a special decal this Friday night. Both the #17 and the #7 Toyota Tundras will have an Autism Speaks puzzle piece onboard.
    (Red Horse Racing PR)(5-11-2010)

  • Raybestos Rookie News & Notes – Dover:
    *Austin Dillon was the Raybestos Rookie of the Race in the May 2 O’Reilly Auto Parts 250 at Kansas Speedway. Dillon scored a sixth-place finish, his second top-10 and took top rookie honors for the FOURTH consecutive race.
    *Dillon leads James Lofton by 11 points (59-48) in the Raybestos Rookie standings entering the May 14 Dover 200 at Dover (Del.) International Speedway.
    *Dillon is ninth-place in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series championship standings, best of any Raybestos Rookie.
    *Johnny Sauter was the Raybestos Rookie of the Race in the 2009 race at Dover, claiming a fifth-place finish.
    *Kurt Busch (2000) is the only Raybestos Rookie to win a pole position in 10 races at Dover.
    [Complete Rookie Point standings are posted on the Dover Race Page.](Raybestos PR)(5-10-2010)

  • Double-duty for Neuenberger at Dover: Donnie Neuenberger will behind the wheel of the #6 EZ-Slider Cylinder Liners in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series and the #31 Plan B Technologies in the NASCAR Nationwide Series, both for Rick Ware Racing. The Maryland native is set for action in the Dover 200 at Dover International Speedway in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, a track which he refers to as “home”.(Rick Ware Racing PR)(5-10-2010)

  • Sneak preview of Sadler Dover truck: UPDATE: Sadler makes first Dover truck start: From Best Buy Racing Facebook page – Best Buy Racing, Insignia & Elliott Sadler joining forces for the Dover 200 truck race. Sadler is set to drive the #2-Chevy truck for Kevin Harvick Inc. Schematic is posted on the #2 Camping World Truck Series Schemes Page.(5-8-2010)
    UPDATE: Elliott Sadler returns to Kevin Harvick Inc. to pilot the #2 Best Buy/Insignia Silverado for the second time this season. Elliott Sadler and the #2 KHI team will sport the bright green colors of Insignia this weekend at Dover International Speedway. The Insignia brand of electronics, which is sold exclusively at Best Buy, is making its first ever appearance in the Truck Series. Despite the fact that Sadler has been competing in NASCAR’s top-3 series for over 15 years, he has never made a Truck Series start at Dover International Speedway. Sadler has, however, made a total of 27 combined starts in the Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series at the one-mile concrete track. This Friday at Dover International Speedway, both KHI entries will sport the Autism Speaks puzzle piece logo in support of the non-profit organization. This weekend, which culminates with Sunday’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race, the Autism Speaks 400 presented by HERSHEY’S Milk & Milkshakes, marks the fourth consecutive year of the track’s relationship with Autism Speaks.(Kevin Harvick Inc. PR)(5-10-2010)

  • Benson returns to #15 at Dover: Johnny Benson will make his third start with Billy Ballew Motorsports this week at Dover International Speedway. His relationship with BBM has proven to be a successful one, as the Grand Rapids, Mich., native drove the #15 Red Top Auto Auction Toyota to a fifth-place finish in each previous event. Dover was the site of Benson’s first Nationwide Series win in 1994. Although he hasn’t visited victory lane at the “Monster Mile” in NASCAR Camping World Truck Series competition, he has finished in the top-10 on three occasions. BBM’s #15 team has one win at Dover, which came in 2005 with Kyle Busch behind the wheel.(Billy Ballew Motorsports PR)(5-10-2010)

  • FRAXA joins Fontaine for Dover race: Chris Fontaine will be making his 18th NASCAR Camping World Truck Series start at Dover International Speedway. Fontaine will be racing the Glenden Enterprises/FRAXA #84 blue body with flames on the hood. The FRAXA Research Foundation is devoted to funding and finding a cure for Fragile X Syndrome, the most common inherited cause of mental impairment and the most common known cause of autism. For more info on FRAXA go to fraxa.org.(Chris Fontaine PR)(5-9-2010)

  • Crafton enters Toledo ARCA race: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series veteran Matt Crafton has filed an entry to compete in the Sunday, May 23 ARCA Racing Series “Menards 200 Presented by Federated Car Care” at Toledo Speedway. Crafton, who drives the No. 88 Menards-sponsored truck for ThorSport Racing, will attempt to officially qualify for his first career ARCA Racing Series race on Saturday, May 22, less than 18 hours after racing in the Truck Series race at North Carolina’s Charlotte Motor Speedway. One year ago, Crafton made the trip from Charlotte to Toledo after racing in the Truck Series on Friday night, to practice and qualify an ARCA car for Paul Menard. Qualifying was rained out, but Crafton enjoyed the ARCA experience. “I’m really looking forward to racing at Toledo,” Crafton said from his home in Mooresville, N.C. “Last year, practicing the car for Paul was fun. In fact, I really wanted to race the car last year!” Crafton will race the same car Menard drove a year ago, fielded by Kimmel Racing. The #88 Ford Fusion will be decorated fluorescent red and carry co-primary sponsorship from Messina Wildlife Management and his NASCAR Camping World Truck Series sponsor, Menards, also the Toledo race sponsor. Spectator gates and ticket sales for the Menards 200 will open at 10:30 a.m. on Sunday, May 23, and an on-track autograph session featuring the entire starting ARCA Racing Series field is scheduled to take place from noon-1 p.m. The green flag will drop on the Menards 200 at 2 p.m.(ARCARacing.com)(5-7-2010)

  • Kansas images added: Added a few images following the Kansas race; #2-Ken Schrader, E-Z-GO Chevy; #81-David Starr, PC*Miler Toyota; #15-Johnny Benson, Red Top Collector Car Auction Toyota; #10-Jennifer Jo Cobb, MarkOne.com Ford, #63-Jack Smith, MB Motorsports Ford, #29-Brad Keselowski Dodge [from Nashville]. Check them out via the 2010 Camping World Truck Series Paint Scheme Page.(5-6-2010)

  • Crafton busy during open-week: With a one-week break from racing in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, ThorSport Racing driver Matt Crafton is keeping himself busy by helping out with worthy charitable causes. On Tuesday May 4, Crafton and a number of other motorsports personalities and many race fans gathered at Ray Evernham’s shop to play poker for B.R.A.K.E.S. (Be Responsible And Keep Everyone Safe), the foundation drag racer Doug Herbert started in memory of his two children, Jon and James, who perished in an automobile accident in 2008. On Saturday May 8, Crafton will participate with fellow NASCAR Camping World Truck Series driver and close friend T.J. Bell in Moms on the Run benefiting breast cancer awareness and research. Crafton will travel to Reno, Nevada to participate in Moms on the Run. Crafton and the #88 Menards Chevy return to action on Friday May 14 in the Dover 200 at Dover International Speedway.(ThorSport Racing PR)(5-6-2010)

  • Hornaday, Bodine & Skinner to take part in Hall of Fame ceremony UPDATE 2 Add Johnny Benson to the list; also, Jack Sprague: Three former NASCAR Camping World Truck Series champions are among those who will represent the trucks in the Grand Opening of the NASCAR Hall of Fame May 11 in Charlotte. Ron Hornaday Jr., Todd Bodine (#30 Toyota) and Mike Skinner, three of the series’ original drivers, will participate in the opening ceremonies. Joining them will be Ricky Carmichael (# 4 Monster Energy Chevrolet), who will sign autographs at the event. ornaday’s day will be full. Along with Richard Petty and Junior Johnson, as well as other NASCAR national defending champions Jimmie Johnson and Kyle Busch, Hornaday will officially open the NASCAR Hall of Fame between 9:30 and 9:50am. The group will then be the first to enter the building after its official opening and each driver will participate in a five-minute meet-and-greet session with fans. Skinner, the 1995 champion, will be in attendance for the opening ceremony and participate in a media event at 10 a.m. He will also take part in fan activities from 10:30-11:30am. Bodine, the 2006 series champion, is also scheduled to take part in the opening ceremonies, media event and fan activities throughout the day.(NASCAR PR)[For more info on the Hall of Fame Grand Opening, visit the Jayski Appearances Page.](5-4-2010)
    UPDATE: Have confirmed that former Camping World Series Champion, Johnny Benson will also be in attendance for the Grand Opening Ceremony of the NASCAR Hall of Fame.(5-4-2010)
    UPDATE 2: Also hearing that three-time Truck Champion Jack Sprague will be attending.(5-5-2010)

  • Bodine back with Gunselman Motorsports in Cup: After starting-and-parking at Richmond, an interesting pairing returns to the entry list at Darlington, with driver Todd Bodine getting back behind the wheel of the No. 64. The duo had initially partnered in February, 2009 along with brother Geoff, planning to build a full-time Cup team over the long haul. But by Memorial Day, just three starts combined with seven DNQs caused the partnership to run out of money and patience. All parties parted ways, and the Gunselman team only qualified for three more races the rest of the year, finishing none of them. Now, Bodine is back behind the wheel, although sponsorship has yet to be secured for Saturday night’s race. Should he qualify, it’ll be the 232nd Cup start for the 46-year-old, who has seven top 5s and 21 top 10s at the Cup level. (Frontstretch.com)(5-5-2010)

  • Ellis to manage NCWTS Public Relations: NASCAR has announced that Amanda Jones Ellis has been named communications manager for the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. Ellis brings a solid public relations background in NASCAR racing to the position. Most recently, she was public relations account manager for Turner Motorsports, where she coordinated the publicity for NASCAR Camping World Truck Series driver Ricky Carmichael, former motocross legend and holder of a record 15 AMA Pro Racing titles. Ellis also worked one season as media relations manager for NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Martin Truex Jr. Ellis began her public relations career in NASCAR racing in 2004, where she worked as a public relations account manager for Bobby Hamilton Racing. In her first season with that organization, Hamilton captured the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series championship. Ellis was named the 2007 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Public Relations Representative of the Year. A native of Paris, Tenn., Ellis holds a bachelor’s degree in public relations from Union University in Jackson, Tenn. She and her husband, Jonathon, reside in Mooresville, N.C.(NASCAR PR)(5-4-2010)

  • Bruce to serve as interim crew chief for three NNS races with Braun: In an effort to optimize on-track performance, Braun Racing is making structural changes to its #38 Nationwide Series team. Trip Bruce will serve as interim crew chief of the team with driver, Jason Leffler, for the next three races to include events at Darlington Raceway, Dover International Speedway and Charlotte Motor Speedway.(Braun Racing PR)(5-4-2010)

  • Racing Resources – Monday Rundown:
    *Johnny Sauter won the O’Reilly Auto Parts 250 at Kansas Speedway. It was his second series victory in his 41st start. He became the 10th different winner in 10 races at Kansas.
    *Thorsport Racing posted its fourth series victory and first win in 2010.
    *Chevrolet posted its fourth series Kansas win.
    *Ron Hornaday Jr. (second) has finished in the top three in the past three races.
    *Todd Bodine (third) scored his third top-5 in 2010, moving up to second in the point standings.
    *Timothy Peters finished 23rd, six laps down after having power trouble, but he remains the points leader.
    *Terry Jones (18th) and Jesse Smith (29th) made their series debuts.
    *Austin Dillon (sixth) scored his career-best finish. He was also the highest-finishing rookie of the year contender.
    *The top 10 consisted of six Toyotas and four Chevrolets.(ESPN.com)(5-3-2010)

  • Skinner looking for more Moss involvement: Mike Skinner had hoped his victory in the NASCAR Camping World Trucks Series last year at Kansas Speedway would have grabbed the attention of his high-profile team owner. The victory was the first for Randy Moss Motorsports, the team co-owned by the New England Patriots’ star wide receiver, and Skinner won two more races, cleaning up the Midwest with victories at St. Louis and Iowa. While Skinner realizes Moss has a day job working for Bill Belichick, he expressed disappointment in Moss’ lack of involvement with the two-truck team that also includes David Starr. “Randy’s a great guy, but he’s not involved as much. … I’d love to see him get involved more. Maybe if we can win us a couple of races before football season starts …” Skinner, the inaugural NASCAR trucks champion in 1995 and a veteran of 245 Sprint Cup races, joined Randy Moss Motorsports last season with the hope of establishing a long-term relationship. “I was hoping Randy was setting the stage for something when he retires from playing, that this could be one of his businesses that could be a lot of fun and be productive,” said Skinner. “I would love to run his race team for him or help him with it. I hope that he gets back into it. We have not seen much interest from him lately.”(Kansas City Star)(5-2-2010)

  • Conractors say Kyle Busch owes them: A subcontractor who helped build NASCAR driver Kyle Busch’s new multi-million-dollar headquarters has filed a lien against the project, and four others also say they’re owed money. Collectively, the contractors say they are owed hundreds of thousands of dollars by the building’s owner and general contractor. As small business owners, they said, they can’t afford to go for months without being paid. Paul Davis of Creative Carpets LLC said he filed a mechanic’s lien against the general contractor Friday. Davis said he is owed $60,000 for installing roughly 18,000 square feet of carpet and flooring. “As a business, I can’t function,” he said, adding his suppliers won’t give him more materials until he pays them. “I’m spending more of my time chasing my money than making it. And in this economy, I can’t do that.” Davis said he filed the lien because he’d grown worried that he might not get paid the full amount he is owed. He said Busch’s attorney told him “one group was going to walk away unhappy.” The building is owned by L.B. Builders Construction Group, which also is overseeing construction. It is being built for KB Investments, a Kyle Busch-related entity. The subcontractors said they’ve been told by L.B. Builders that they haven’t been paid because Kyle Busch owes nearly $3 million. On Friday, a blue tarp was taped over a sign outside the building that says KBM. Attorneys representing Busch and L.B. Builders confirmed a “construction dispute” over the building’s cost, and said the groups are working to resolve it. A meeting to discuss the issue is set for mid-May, they said.(See full story at the Charlotte Observer)(5-1-2010)

  • New track for Dillon: Excerpt from Austin Dillon’s Diary: The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series has been off for a solid month and I think every single driver and crew member is ready to get back on the track this weekend at Kansas Speedway. I know I am. Kansas is our first stop and it will be a learning experience for the #3 Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet Silverado team. Richard Childress Racing never has fielded a Truck team at Kansas, so we don’t have a notebook for this track specific to our series. That will be tough on the Bass Pro Shops team, but RCR has a lot of NASCAR Sprint Cup Series experience under its belt and we’ll lean on the Cup guys for information. My crew chief, Danny Stockman, has been to Kansas the past two years, as well, and should be a huge help to me. Atlanta was our first top-10 finish of the year and probably is the track closest in characteristics to Atlanta that I’ve run this season. They’re both fast but Kansas has its own character. There is a lot more room coming off of turn four at Kansas and it’s wider but without the banking you find at Atlanta. Kansas seems to be a cool and fast speedway and we’re hoping I adapt quickly when I get some laps under my belt. (Read entire Diary on SPEEDtv,com)(5-1-2010)

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