NASCAR Camping World Truck Series News & Rumors
May 2011 Archives

  • Busch making first Kansas truck start: Kyle Busch [driving the #18 Dollar General Toyota] will make his first NASCAR Camping World Truck Series start at Kansas Speedway in Saturday’s O’Reilly 250. Busch enters the event riding a three-race winning streak in the NCWTS and has collected four wins behind the wheel of his No. 18 Tundra in six starts this season. Busch staged a dramatic victory in the series’ last stop at Charlotte Motor Speedway on May 20. After spinning early in the race, the 26-year old rallied to take the lead from Clint Bowyer with seven laps remaining and held on for his 97th win in NASCAR’s top three series. The Las Vegas native had won the previous two NCWTS races in dominant fashion, leading 268 of the combined 334 laps at Dover International Speedway and Nashville Superspeedway.(Kyle Busch Motorsports PR)(5-31-2011)

  • Kansas Speedway & NASCAR personalities team up to fight hunger: This weekend, Kansas Speedway is partnering with Harvesters – The Community Food Network on their BackSnack program, an initiative that provides food to low income students in a 26-county area who are in danger of going hungry on the weekend. On Thursday June 2nd, NASCAR Camping World Truck Series competitors, Kansas Speedway staff and TV personalities will travel to a local Wyandotte County school to hand out backpacks with nutritious food options inside to approximately 75 students. Those expected to attend are Kansas Speedway President Patrick Warren, Kansas City, Kan. native and truck series driver, Jennifer Jo Cobb; 2010 Kansas Speedway O’Reilly Auto Parts 250 winner, Johnny Sauter and series competitors Matt Crafton and Timothy Peters. NASCAR TV personalities Ray Dunlap (SPEED) and Larry McReynolds (FOX) will also be on hand, along with representatives from Harvesters.(Kansas Speedway PR)(5-31-2011)

  • MB Motorsports picks up sponsor for Kansas: MB Motorsports returns to Kansas Speedway with a new marketing partner, Zap Payment Systems. 19 year old Nick Hoffman will once again be behind the wheel of the No. 63 Ford F-Series. The team always runs strong on 1.5 mile tracks and Kansas Speedway is home of MB Motorsports best finish. MB Motorsports is expecting good things for the Zap Payment Systems Ford. ZAP Payment Systems is proud to sponsor MB Motorsports and looks forward to a great race. ZAP is a credit and debit card payment processing company started by industry veterans with over 15 years of experience processing payments for thousands of merchants all across the country.(Mittler Brothers Motorsports PR)(5-31-2011)

  • Cobb returns at Kansas; Crawford to JJCR Nationwide car: Kansas City, Kan., native, Jennifer Jo Cobb will return to the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) in the Mark One Ford F-150 for the first time since her historic 6th place finish earlier this season at the Daytona International Speedway. Cobb ran a full season in the NCWTS in 2010 and finished 17th in the points standings. Her commitments to her home track and more importantly, her hometown sponsors, bring her to the Kansas Speedway leaving an opportunity for veteran NCWTS driver, Rick Crawford to go to Chicago with her #13 NASCAR Nationwide Series car. “It makes sense to have Rick take our car to Chicago and see if he can teach us anything to improve that car’s performance. He has shown our team a tremendous amount of support and this is a continuation of him taking time from his busy schedule to check out our Ford Mustang.” Mark One Electric, a locally owned Kansas City, Kansas/Kansas City, Missouri business is proud to be a returning for the third time as a primary sponsor for JJC Racing.(Jennifer Jo Cobb Racing PR)(5-31-2011)

  • Crafton & Sauter help out Red Cross tornado relief efforts: Matt Crafton, driver of the No. 88 Menards/Ideal Door Chevrolet Silverado, returns for his 11th NASCAR Camping World Truck Series start at Kansas Speedway on Saturday, June 4th with ThorSport Racing. With ten previous starts, four top tens and a career best fifth place finish here – the third place driver points leader is ready to show that consistency can still reign supreme with the No. 88 Sandusky, Ohio-based crew. Crafton, who last year visited the families of the Ronald McDonald House during his stay, will this year focus on the Tornado Relief Effort with the Red Cross. “We’re donating some of our previous firesuits and hoods, along with my teammate Johnny Sauter making donations, to the NASCAR Unites campaign for Tornado Relief,” he said. “It’s unbelievable, the devastation that this region has witnessed and suffered. It’s whatever we can do to help. We’re also going to have two families as our guests in Kansas who have been affected by the disaster, just to get their minds off any stress they might be facing in their day-to-day lives.”(ThorSport Racing PR)(5-31-2011)

  • Buescher & #31 mark one year anniversary at KS: Kansas Speedway marks the one year anniversary of the No. 31 team’s competition in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. The No. 31 Turner Motorsports team made their NASCAR debut at the 1.5-mile track in 2010. Since then the team has accumulated nine top-five and 18 top-10 finishes to go along with six front row starts. James Buescher and the No.31 Turner Motorsports Chevrolet team will sport the blue and black colors of Exide Batteries again on Saturday afternoon at Kansas Speedway. The 21-year-old Texas native has strong statistics in 2011 — Buescher has a driver rating of 100.2 which ranks him third behind Kyle Busch and series champion Ron Hornaday. He has an average finish of 9.28 which ranks him fourth overall. The Exide Batteries driver has also picked up thirteen positions in the NASCAR driver point standings over the last three races. He sits seventh only 30 points outside the top-five.(Turner Motorsports PR)(5-31-2011)

  • First trip to Kansas for RBR; 2nd for Rogers: RBR Enterprises will be making its first start at Kansas Speedway in the O’Reilly Auto Parts 250; Clay Rogers will be making his second career NASCAR Camping World Truck Series start at Kansas in the O’Reilly Auto Parts 250. Driver Clay Rogers and the RBR Enterprises BTS Tire and Wheel Distributors/ fleetHQ.com No. 92 Chevy Silverado team enter the O’Reilly Auto Parts 250 at Kansas Speedway in eighth place in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series driver standings following a 17th-place finish in the North Carolina Education Lottery 200 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.(RBR Enterprises PR)(5-31-2011)

  • Carmichael featuring local business at Kansas: Consentino’s Price Chopper and QT Kitchens will be featured on the lower-rear quarter panels of the No. 4 Monster Energy Silverado this weekend in Kansas. The Cosentino family opened their first market in 1948, located on Blue Ridge Boulevard in Kansas City. Since that time, the local family-owned grocer has aspired to provide excellent customer service in an exceptionally clean environment. Cosentino’s Food Stores currently operates 25 stores in the Kansas City area. The first generation is proud to watch the third generation of Cosentino’s Family members now taking part in the day to day operations and management of the company. QT Kitchens, located inside select QuikTrip locations, offers fresh sandwiches, wraps, fruit, salads and pastries. Carmichael has logged a pair of NCWTS starts at Kansas Speedway and has a 12th-place finish to call a career-best. Carmichael made his lone NASCAR Nationwide Series start at the 1.5-mile Kansas City oval where he started 12th and finished 18th.(Turn Motorsports PR)(5-31-2011)

  • Biffle to bring field to green at Kansas: 2000 NCWTS champion, Greg Biffle will pilot the pace vehicle to start the O’Reilly Auto Parts 250 In honor of the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series’ 400th start, the 1998 truck series rookie of the year and 2000 champion, Greg Biffle, will lead the 36-truck field to green on Saturday. The Washington native has earned two NSCS wins at Kansas (2007 & 2010) and will seek to become the first driver in Kansas Speedway history to pick up his third in Sunday’s STP 400 at Kansas Speedway.(Kansas Speedway)(5-30-2011)

  • Bowyer returns at hometown track; first truck start: For the second consecutive NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race, Clint Bowyer will be behind the wheel of the No. 2 Bad Boy Buggies Chevrolet Silverado as he returns to a hometown crowd to compete in the O’Reilly Auto Parts 250 at Kansas Speedway on June 4. The Emporia, Kansas native has yet to make a Truck Series start at his home track, but has had solid runs at the 1.5-mile D-shaped oval in NASCAR’s other two premier series. During the last seven seasons of his NASCAR racing career, Bowyer has competed in a total of 11 NASCAR Nationwide and Sprint Cup Series events at Kansas Speedway. Bowyer has earned four top-five and six top-10 finishes and has led a total of 44 laps.(Kevin Harvick Inc. PR)(5-30-2011)

  • New sponsor debuts with Hornaday at Kansas:Four-time champion Ron Hornaday is heading into Kansas Speedway with an extra bit of motivation. The Kevin Harvick Inc. driver is credited with one win (2008), three poles, three top-five and four top-10 finishes in six starts at the 1.5-mile D-shaped oval. Hornaday held an average position of 1.623 during last year’s race and will be hot to get to Kansas’s victory lane during Saturday’s O’Reilly Auto Parts 250. On board the No. 33 Chevrolet this weekend will be Anderson’s Maple Syrup from north woods Wisconsin. The third-generation family-owned and operated business built its foundation on pure American-made syrup. Anderson’s will make its debut for the team as primary sponsor at Kansas but will again join the team later this season on October 22 at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway. [Rendering of the #33-Anderson’s Pure Maple Syrup Chevrolet being driven by Ron Hornaday Jr. at Kansas & Talladega is posted on the #33 NCWTS Paint Schemes page.](Kevin Harvick Inc. PR)(5-30-2011)

  • Piquet looking to regain momentum at first visit to Kansas:Piquet Nelson Piquet Jr. will head to Kansas Speedway in the Kevin Harvick Inc. No. 8 Bozzano/Jontex Chevrolet Silverado this weekend for the eighth event of the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series season. Piquet will compete at the Kansas City, Kan. track for the first time in his career. Kansas Speedway, an intermediate track (one-to-two mile tracks), will be the second of four consecutive events held at 1.5-mile tracks. Earlier this season, Piquet finished a career-best second at the 1.333-mile intermediate track at Nashville Superspeedway. With 14 events at intermediate tracks in the 25-race schedule this season, Piquet hopes to regain momentum this weekend at Kansas. Bozzano/Jontex returns as primary sponsor.(Kevin harvick Inc. PR)(5-30-2011)

  • Raikkonen plans after Charlotte unknown: Kimi Raikkonen was vague Thursday about his NASCAR plans, indicating little more than he’d like to do a Sprint Cup race, maybe on the road course on Sonoma. The former Formula One world champion will run the Nationwide Series race Saturday at Charlotte Motor Speedway, and revealed nothing more about his schedule. The most telling update came from Kyle Busch, who said he has nothing else planned with Raikkonen after this weekend. That’s a change from when their deal was announced: Busch said Raikkonen would run three to five races for Kyle Busch Motorsports [reported as possible Martinsville & Homestead in trucks]. What’s changed? Money. “The contract states that we’re supposed to receive so much, and we have not. We’ve only received enough for these two races,” Busch said. “It’s either up to Kimi or up to the financial people that run Kimi’s business side of things and decide that they need to find the sponsorship funds in order to carry the experience for him further.” Raikkonen said he heads back to Europe on Saturday after the race. “I have other things to do,” he said. “After that, I don’t know when I will be back. I have rally in Greece and some other rallies.”(Associated Press)(5-27-2011)

  • Charlotte images added: UPDATE added 37 more images from Charlotte: added some truck photos from the Charlotte race;  #18-NOS Charged Citrus Toyota driven by Kyle Busch; #15-Perky Jerky Toyota driven by Kimi Raikkonen;  #15-Ollie’s Bargain Outlet Chevrolet driven by Clint Bowyer;  #33-Utz Snacks Chevrolet driven by Ron Hornaday Jr.;  #3- Bass Pro Shops/Nat’l Wild Turkey Federation Chevrolet driven by Austin Dillon;  #8-Bozzano-Jontex Chevrolet driven by Nelson Piquet Jr.; #13-Safe Auto / WSOC 103.7 / Carrier Chevrolet driven by Johnny Sauter;  #31-Exide Chevrolet driven by James Buescher;  #32-Great Clips Chevrolet driven by Brad Sweet;  #60-Red Bull Chevrolet driven by Cole Whitt. Click on individual link to view.
    UPDATE: Added photos of all trucks entered at Charlotte. Check them out via the 2011 NCWTS Paint Schemes page.(5-26-2011)

  • Hornaday, Long, Gale among entries at MIS during series off-week: “The Stars Continue to Fall on Alabama” for a special Memorial Day Tribute to Our Troops as four time NASCAR Camping World Series Champion Ron Hornaday filed an entry for the Miller Lite 100 at Mobile International Speedway. Hornaday joins an impressive field of drivers including his Truck Series teammate and Mobile native Cale Gale, fellow NASCAR drivers, Johanna Long (her Dad, Donald will be racing also), Jeff Fultz and Mike Garvey, former winners Bubba Pollard & Augie Grill along with local favorites, ARCA driver Grant Enfinger, Steven Davis, DJ VanderLey and Thomas Praytor.(Mobile International Speedway PR) [For more details, visit the Jayski Driver Appearance page.](5-25-2011)

  • Coulter testing ARCA car at Michigan: Joey, Coulter, who is running full-time in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series for Richard Childress Racing and the No. 22 Chevrolet, will be testing the No. 16 Rip It Energy Fuel Chevrolet for Coulter Motorsports in preparation for the RainEater Wiper Blades 200 on June 17. The race at Michigan International Speedway will mark the third start of 2011 for Coulter out of the five scheduled races with sponsorship from Rip It Energy Fuel.(ARCARacing.com)(5-25-2011)

  • NASCAR penalizes #33 & #3 teams for Charlotte infractions: UPDATE Statement from KHI: Two NASCAR Camping World Truck Series teams received penalties today as a result of rule violations last weekend at Charlotte Motor Speedway. The No. 33 truck was found to be in violation of Sections 12-1 (actions detrimental to stock car racing); 12-4-J (any determination by NASCAR officials that the race equipment used in the event does not conform to NASCAR rules) and 20B-10.6-B (unapproved final drive (rear end) gear ratio) of the 2011 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Rule Book. Crew chief Jeff Hensley has been fined $10,000, while team owner DeLana Harvick and driver Ron Hornaday Jr. have been penalized with the loss of 25 championship owner and 25 championship driver points, respectively. The infraction occurred during post-race inspection May 20. The No. 3 truck was found to be in violation of Sections 12-1, 12-4-J and 20B-10.4-K (shifter lever was not metal). Crew chief Gary Stockman has been fined $1,000. The infraction occurred during opening day inspection on May 19.(NASCAR Integrated Marketing Communications)(5-24-2011)
    UPDATE: NASCAR announced penalties today for the No. 33 Kevin Harvick Inc. team which competes in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series with driver Ron Hornaday. The penalties are a result of rule infractions found in post-race inspection following the May 20 event at Charlotte Motor Speedway. “This is an unfortunate situation but KHI respects NASCAR’s decision,” said KHI co-owner Kevin Harvick. “We receive the gears from an outside supplier which we trust and expect to be accurate according to the NASCAR rule book. It was not an intentional infraction by G-Force South and we are working to prevent any future incidents.” “This was a human error within G-Force,” said Roger Chilton, President of G-Force South. “A process was missed when double checking the gear ratio which unfortunately caused this issue. We have made immediate steps to remedy this to ensure it won’t happen again. We sincerely apologize to KHI and to their partners.”(Kevin Harvick Inc.PR)(5-24-2011)

  • Germain confirms ownership change: As has been reported in the media, Germain Racing has had a change in ownership. The change comes about as part of an ongoing Germain-family estate plan. Steve Germain and Rick Germain have effectively transferred their ownership interests in Germain Racing to their brother Bob Germain Jr. Bob Germain will continue his active role in the management of Germain Racing, LLC. “Being able to share the wins and championships we’ve earned to date with my brothers has been very special. Steve and Rick’s support of the team over the last seven years has helped us build a very strong foundation at Germain Racing. I am looking forward to the continued growth and success of this race team,” stated Bob Germain, President of Germain Racing. Germain Racing began in 2004 as a single-truck organization competing solely in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. The team has since earned two Truck Series championship titles and Germain Racing’s 22 victories have played a key role in Toyota ‘s five-year reign on the manufacturer’s championship in NCWTS.(Germain Racing PR)(5-23-2011)

  • Charlotte keeps TV ratings streak alive: SPEED coverage of the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race from Charlotte scored a Nielsen Household Rating of .98 (773,000 households), up 42 percent from last year’s rain-delayed .69 and the highest rating from Charlotte since 2008. Race coverage peaked at 1.30 (1,024,000 households) and averaged more than one million viewers. It marks the fourth consecutive NCWTS race to score a year-to-year ratings increase (Martinsville 4 percent, Nashville 18 percent, Dover 26 percent). Ratings for the series are up 7 percent overall versus last year at this point. Next up for the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series on SPEED – June 4 at Kansas Speedway, where the series will celebrate its 400th race.(SPEEDtv PR)(5-23-2011)

  • MAKE Motorsports planning to add more races this season: The MAKE Motorsports No. 50 team with driver TJ Bell is slated to contest their next race at Bristol in August, team ownership tells Frontstretch, though the team also noted that they are in talks with sponsors to add an undetermined race in July to their schedule. In addition to Bristol, the team is currently targeting to run races at Atlanta, Chicago, Las Vegas, Talladega and Texas later this season.(Frontstretch)(5-23-2011)

  • Monday Rundown – Racing Resources:
    *Kyle Busch won the North Carolina Education Lottery 200 at Charlotte Motor Speedway for his 28th Truck series victory in his 91st start, tying Mike Skinner and Jack Sprague for second all time in wins. It was Busch’s fourth series win at Charlotte, the most of all drivers.
    *Busch posted his 97th NASCAR National Touring Series win, tying Dale Earnhardt and Darrell Waltrip (Earnhardt had 76 Cup wins, Waltrip had 84 Cup wins and Busch has 21). It was Busch’s 11th NASCAR national series win in 2011 (five in Nationwide, four in Trucks, two in Cup).
    *Busch has finished first or second in 11 of the past 12 truck races he has entered.
    *Busch led once for seven laps. He recovered from a spin on Lap 51 while running fourth.
    *Kyle Busch Motorsports posted its 13th win overall and fifth victory of 2011.
    *Toyota posted its 86th win overall and second victory at Charlotte in the Truck series. The manufacturer has six wins in 2011, the most of all makes.
    *Clint Bowyer (second) has finished first or second in his past three starts. He led three times for a race-high 54 laps in his first Truck series Charlotte start.
    *Cole Whitt (third) has finished in the top 14 in all seven races this season. He leads the points by one over Johnny Sauter (first time a rookie of the year contender led the point standings).
    *James Buescher (fourth) rebounded from a battery issue on Lap 71 that brought him to pit road while running fifth.
    *Ron Hornaday Jr. (fifth) recovered from a Lap 19 spin while running ninth.
    *Johnny Sauter (sixth) has top-10 finishes in all but two races this season.
    *Austin Dillon (seventh) posted his fourth top-10 finish of 2011.
    *Parker Kligerman (eighth) posted his career-best finish in his eighth start.
    *Kimi Raikkonen (15th), the 2007 Formula One champion, made his Truck series debut.
    *Matt Crafton (26th) failed to finish on the lead lap, ending a 13-race streak of lead-lap finishes.(ESPN.com)(5-23-2011)

  • Whitt first rookie to lead truck points: Cole Whitt still more than a month from his 20th birthday, finished third Friday night and became the first rookie and youngest driver to lead the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series points standings. After his second consecutive top-three finish in Turn One Racing’s No. 60, Whitt leads Johnny Sauter by one point (260-259) entering race No. 8 of the season, the June 4 event at Kansas Speedway. Whitt is the only Truck Series driver to complete all 1,134 laps this season, and he’s yet to finish lower than 14th with five top 10s.(Red Bull Racing PR)(5-21-2011)

  • Qualifying procedure change starting at Kansas: Rick Allen reported during the qualifying broadcast on SPEEDtv that NASCAR has announced that the Camping World Truck Series will revert to the qualifying procedure that was in place at the end of least season. Trucks will qualify slowest to fastest based on practice speeds, regardless if locked-in or need to qualify on speed.(5-20-2011)

  • Whitt picks up ride for Charlotte NNS race: Red Bull Racing Team and Pastrana-Waltrip Racing have joined forces to put Cole Whitt in PWR’s No. 99 Toyota for the May 28 NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Charlotte Motor Speedway. The 19-year-old Whitt will make his third Nationwide start in the Top Gear 300, having competed in two events late last season. Whitt finished 15th in his Nationwide debut last November at Phoenix and followed up with a 17th-place showing a week later at Homestead. He currently ranks third in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series points standings with four top 10s in six races. He finished a career-best second May 13 at Dover.(Red Bull Racing USA PR)(5-20-2011)

  • Raikkonen’s future plans uncertain: UPDATE to run #87 NEMCO entry at Charlotte NNS: An interest in various forms of motorsports lured Kimi Raikkonen to NASCAR. Beyond that, the former Formula One world champion gave no indication Friday how much interest he has in America’s top racing series. “I want to try different things and this wasn’t the first time that I have been offered to come here. I had a good time to come and see how it is and learn and try to get better in it,” he said. “That’s really the only reason that I came. I was interested to see how it is and how it feels and how it is racing in NASCAR.” The Finn spent nine years in Formula One, driving for Sauber, McLaren and Ferrari. He totaled 18 wins, 62 podium finishes and won the 2007 championship. Raikkonen offered no details in what could be next for him, and indicated it’s not that uncommon for him to be unsure of his plans. He said he didn’t even decide to do the WRCC series until January. “I don’t have big plans. I don’t have any plans for next year or anything of what I do,” he said. “I see how it is because I didn’t have any expectations when I came here. It’s a bit like when I went to rally — I didn’t have much expectation, I wanted to see how it is. “It’s the same story here. For sure, it’s a different sport. Different type of racing than what we have in Europe. It’s very popular here and maybe it looks easy, but it’s not so easy to be fast. We’ll see how it goes and what the future will bring. We go step by step and see what happens.” He said NASCAR so far has been harder than it looks, and if he’s not good at adapting to the truck or the heavy stock-cars, he would be less inclined to continue the venture.[SPEED/tv’s Ray Dunlap reported during the NCWTS practice broadcast that Raikkonen was scheduled to run two more truck races; Martinsville and Homestead.](AP/ESPN.com)(5-20-2011)
    UPDATE: The pieces to the Kimi Raikkonen Nationwide Series puzzle are coming together. FOXSports.com has learned that the car is being assembled by Kyle Busch Motorsports but the owner points will come from Joe Nemechek’s #87 entry, registered under NEMCO Motorsports, which is currently 19th in the NASCAR Nationwide Series points standings. The crew will come from NEMCO with additional support from KBM employees. NEMCO will provide transporter, equipment and back up car for the race. Raikkonen finished 15th in his NASCAR Camping World Truck debut. The 2007 Formula One champion was approved to compete in next Saturday’s Nationwide Series race prior to Friday night’s event.(Fox Sports)(5-21-2011)

  • Goodyear Tire Notes – Charlotte: Teams in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series will run a different tire set-up than those in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series at Charlotte this weekend . . . this is the same left-side tire that Camping World Truck teams ran at Charlotte last season, though it will be paired with a different right-side tire . . . this right side, which Truck teams ran at Daytona in February, features a slight construction change compared to what was run at Charlotte in 2010 . . . Sprint Cup and Nationwide teams have also run this right-side tire code at Daytona, Talladega and Las Vegas this season . . . 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.(Goodyear PR) [Complete tire specs are posted on the Charlotte Race page.] (5-20-2011)

  • Former Formula One Champion Raikkonen makes debut at Charlotte; truck image added: UPDATE additional photo added: Perky Jerky the ultra-premium jerky flavored with a hint of guarana that’s quickly gaining fame around the world, unveiled today the paint scheme set to adorn Kimi Raikkonen truck for his NASCAR debut in the Camping World Truck Series race this weekend at Charlotte Motor Speedway. This race will mark the first time the 2007 Formula One world champion will compete in a NASCAR event.\Raikkonen’s self-owned operation, known as ICE1RACING, which also fields his World Rally Championship and motocross teams, has partnered with Kyle Busch Motorsports to assist in the move to NASCAR. KBM will field the No. 15 Toyota Tundra for Raikkonen to pilot Friday night. Known worldwide as “Iceman” for his surgical driving skills and calculated demeanor both on and off the track, Finnish race car driver Kimi Raikkonen is regarded as one of the world’s most successful professional athletes. His move to NASCAR has captured the attention of the global sporting media and the world is waiting to see how Räikkönen will adjust to the world of NASCAR. Kimi Raikkonen will drive the No. 15 Perky Jerky Toyota Tundra in the NC Education Lottery 200 at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Friday, May 20, 2011. The race will air on SPEED beginning at 8:00pm/et.(EON.BusinessWire.com) [Rendering of the #15-Perky Jerky is posted on the #15 NCWTS Paint Schemes page.] [Previous news on Raikkonen is posted on the April 2011 NCWTS archives page.] (5-18-2011)
    UPDATE: Added an additional photo of KBM’s #15-Perky Jerky Toyota being driven by Kimi Raikkonen at Charlotte. Check it out via the #15 NCWTS Paint Schemes Page.(5-19-2011)

  • Benson again helping Long learn new track: Former NCWTS championship driver Johnny Benson will again help the No. 20 Panhandle Motorsports team and Long at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Benson first came aboard to work with Long at Dover International Speedway, where he was instrumental in helping the 18-year-old learn the track. Long’s strong run at Dover International Speedway ended a few laps early when the No. 20’s driveshaft broke on lap 191. Despite her 22nd-place finish, the young driver was happy with her debut at the Monster Mile. She led the first laps of her NCWTS career and was competing for her top finish before the mechanical problem arose with nine laps to go.Panhandle Motorsports PR)(5-19-2011)

  • Turn One Racing drivers to showcase T.G.I.Friday’s: Two local T.G.I. Friday’s franchises are proud partners of Justin Marks [66 GoPro Chevrolet] and teammate Cole Whitt [#60-Red Bull/Fuel Doctor Chevrolet] this weekend at Charlotte Motor Speedway. The Concord Mills and University locations have signed on to support the team. Whitt is coming off a second-place finish at Dover, and has climbed to third in the driver standings, shaving off more than half his deficit on the top spot. He’s now just seven points behind leader Matt Crafton entering the May 20 race at Charlotte. Justin Marks was impressive at Dover International Speedway last Friday. In only his second career start at the tough one-mile oval, Marks’ claimed the Keystone Light Pole Award for the 200-lap battle at “The Monster Mile” and raced on to finish 10th.(Red Bull/Turn One Racing PR)(5-19-2011)

  • Silas partners with CMR for Charlotte: Officials of Chase Mattioli’s College Complete Race Team announced today that twenty-three year old Bryan Silas, with two recent top 5 finishes, will be piloting the CollegeComplete.com #99 Ford at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Friday, May 20th in the NASCAR Camping World Truck series event. Silas recently finished 4th in the USAR race at Rockingham, with another 4th at the ARCA Salem event.(Chase Mattioli Racing PR)(5-19-2011)

  • Two truck teams join forces with C2C to help tornado victims: Two truck teams are teaming with Community2Community, a South Carolina-based charity, to help victims of the tornados that ravaged the Southeast over the past month. On Friday, May 20, the C2C logo will be on Ricky Benton Racing’s No 92 fleetHQ.com/Black’s Tire Service Chevrolet Silverado, driven by Clay Rogers. The team is currently sitting eighth in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series point’s standings along with a third place finish at Daytona International Speedway earlier this year. SS Green Light Racing will support C2C this weekend as well in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race. The decal will be placed in-between the number and the rear tire of the No. 81 Zachry Toyota Tundra piloted by David Starr. SS Green Light Racing is currently 11th in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series point’s standings. For more information visit the Support C2C.com website.(C2C PR)(5-19-2011)

  • Double-duty weekend on tap for Dillon: Austin Dillon will pilot chassis No. 019 from the Richard Childress Racing NASCAR Camping World Truck Series stable in the N.C. Education Lottery 200. This brand-new Chevrolet was built by the Bass Pro Shops team and will make its first paces at the track this weekend. The No. 3 Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet will sport the National Wild Turkey Federation’s flying turkey logo this weekend as part of the “Racing for America’s Wildlife” program, which is designed to engage the NASCAR community in conserving America’s hunting and fishing heritage through habitat protection, restoration, education and outreach. Following Friday’s N.C. Education Lottery 200 NCWTS race at Charlotte Motor Speedway, Dillon and his pit crew will fly to Newton, Iowa, where Dillon will drive the No. 33 Rheem Chevrolet for Kevin Harvick Inc. in Sunday’s NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Iowa Speedway. Dillon is a former NCWTS race winner at Iowa and has raced the No. 33 for KHI on one previous occasion, finishing sixth at Nashville Superspeedway in April.(Richard Childress Racing PR)(5-18-2011)

  • Bodine & Gaughan looking to capitalize on Germain’s 1.5-mile track record: Germain Racing has long been established as the benchmark for performance at 1.5-mile race tracks. The team has earned 22 victories, 21 of which are credited specifically to Todd Bodine and the No. 30 Germain.com crew. Of those victories, 17 fall within the ‘intermediate’ track or speedway category. Bodine has 47 NASCAR Career (Points-paying) starts at CMS, 7 in NCWTS,and has top-10 finishes in Cup, NNS and Trucks, and has led laps in each division. 2010 was Bodine’s best NCWTS finish at CMS—2nd place, with his best start in 2009 — 4th. Brendan Gaughan will go so far as to say he sees this stretch as an opportunity for Germain Racing to catch its stride and win some races. “Charlotte, Kansas, Texas, Kentucky are all coming up. I think it’s a big opportunity for this No. 62 South Point Hotel & Casino Tundra team, I think it’s a big opportunity for Germain Racing as a team, to win a bunch of races,” said Gaughan. Watch Gaughan’s No. 62 South Point Hotel & Casino Tundra on Friday night, May 20th, at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Gaughan’s truck will feature a local business, Lake Norman Scuba, on the tailgate, rather than the familiar South Point Hotel & Casino logo. Gaughan is active with the Lake Norman scuba group, including working as a Divemaster.(Germain Racing PR)(5-18-2011)
  • First Charlotte start for Coulter: Joey Coulter, driver of the No. 22 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet Silverado, will pilot chassis No. 009 from the RCR NASCAR Camping World Truck Series stable in the N.C. Education Lottery 200. Coulter has not previously competed at Charlotte, but like many NASCAR drivers, the Miami Springs, Fla., native has close ties to the area. He currently lives in Charlotte and is pursuing a Mechanical Engineering degree from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. In the last NCWTS race on the schedule, Coulter posted his best career finish (sixth) and his best career qualifying run (fifth), which helped him gain six positions in the driver championship point standings and move up to 15th.(Richard Childress Racing PR)(5-18-2011)

  • Richards joins KBM driver lineup; image added: UPDATE Teammate to Busch at Kentucky: Rising Star Management Group is pleased to announce a partnership between Joy Mining Machinery, Josh Richards and Kyle Busch Motorsports for select NASCAR Camping World Truck Series races for the 2011 season. Entering the sport with the reigning NCWTS owners’ champions, Joy Mining Machinery is excited to have 2009 and 2010 World of Outlaws Late Model Series champion Richards at the helm of their Joy Mining Machinery Toyota Tundra. Adding another esteemed brand to their already impressive list of sponsors, KBM is looking forward to partnering with Joy Mining Machinery in their highly successful NCWTS program. Slated to compete in select NCWTS events throughout the remainder of the 2011 season, 23-year-old Richards will make his debut in NASCAR’s Truck Series at Kentucky Speedway in a KBM Toyota Tundra on Thursday, July 7. Richards will continue to race the full season in the prestigious WoO LMS in an effort to win an unprecedented third consecutive championship, while at the same time contending as part of KBM’s drive to win the first ever back-to-back championship in the NCWTS. Joy Mining Machinery has over 90 years of experience as a global leader in the development, manufacture, distribution and service of underground mining machinery for the extraction of coal and other bedded materials. Headquartered in Warrendale, Pennsylvania, Joy Mining Machinery employs over 8,000 employees worldwide.(RisingStar/KBM PR)(5-18-2011)
    UPDATE: Image of the #18-Joy Mining Machinery Toyota to be driven by Josh Richards at Kentucky Speedway is posted on the #18 NCWTS Paint Schemes page.(5-18-2011)
    UPDATE: From KBM twitter note — For all asking, yes @KyleBusch will be racing the truck race @KySpeedway on July 7 with Josh Richards as his teammate.(Twitter-KyleBuschMS)(5-19-2011)

  • Anderson’s joins KHI partner lineup: UPDATE Image added: Sweet just got sweeter at Kevin Harvick Inc.with the addition of Anderson’s Pure Maple Syrup to its sponsorship lineup. The Wisconsin-based company will serve as primary sponsor for the No. 33 Chevrolet Silverado team with four-time NASCAR Camping World Truck Series champion Ron Hornaday at Kansas Speedway on June 4 and again at Talladega Superspeedway on October 22. Anderson’s will also share associate sponsorship of the No. 2 Chevrolet Impala with driver Elliott Sadler for the NASCAR Nationwide Series event on June 25 at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wis. Paul Anderson started Anderson’s Maple Syrup over 80 years ago as a hobby and today the third generation grandson, Steve Anderson, continues the family’s sugar making heritage.(Kevin Harvick Inc. PR)(5-16-2011)
    UPDATE: Rendering of the #33-Anderson’s Pure Maple Syrup Chevrolet being driven by Ron Hornaday Jr. at Kansas & Talladega is posted on the #33 NCWTS Paint Schemes page.(5-17-2011)

  • VAR scaling back; official announcement: UPDATE Crew chief Doug George & VAR part ways: Vision Aviation Racing has announced they will be scaling back their NASCAR Camping World Truck Series racing schedule. The team will compete in select events for the remainder on the 2011 season. VAR General Manger Tom Davis commented, “The goal from day one with Vision has been to build this into a long term venture. Our original plan was to run a limited schedule and use 2011 as a building year….We’ll scale back our current efforts in order to get a head start on 2012.” The owners of Vision Aviation Racing are committed to racing in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series and look toward to many years of competition. [For previous news on VAR, visit the May NCWTS News Archives page.](VAR PR)(5-15-2011)
    UPDATE: Have been informed that Doug George and VAR have parted ways due to the team’s economic uncertainty. Doug enjoyed working with Justin Johnson who had his best qualifying place of third at Nashville Motor Speedway and one top 10 in 4 starts.(5-17-2011)

  • Charlotte images: added a couple of renderings for new schemes at Charlotte; #18-NOS Energy Drink Toyota being driven by Kyle Busch; several renderings of the #8-Bozzano-Jontex Chevrolet being driven by Nelson Piquet Jr. Click on individual link to view or to see more schemes, visit the 2011 NCWTS Paint Schemes page.(5-17-2011)

  • Cooper calling shots for Sweet at Charlotte:Stewart Cooper will be calling the shots from a top of the No. 32 Great Clips pit box during Friday’s NCWTS event. Cooper will pull double-duty this weekend as he will head to Iowa Speedway following Friday evening’s race to reassume his crew chief duties for the No. 30 FOE Chevy which will be piloted by James Buescher. Brad Sweet has one NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) start at Charlotte Motor Speedway prior to this weekend’s North Carolina Education Lottery 200. The young Chevy driver competed in the NCWTS event last May where he qualified 20th and finished in the 21st position.(Turner Motorsports PR)(5-17-2011)

  • TV Ratings increase; three in a row: The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series continues to pick up steam on SPEEDtv, with the Dover race scoring a .93 (732,000 households) Nielsen Household Rating, up 26 percent from last season’s .74 (560,000 households). It marked the third NCWTS race in a row to score a year-to-year ratings increase (Martinsville 4 percent, Nashville 18 percent), and the series is now pacing up 5 percent from 2010. Race coverage, which peaked at 1.04 (818,000 households; 1,158,000 total viewers), was the highest-rated Trucks race from the Monster Mile since 2006, when it also scored a .93. The increase was driven in large part by a younger male audience, with ratings among Men 18-34 up 47 percent year-to-year. The popular Truck Series pre-race show, NCWTS Setup with Krista Voda, also enjoyed year-to-year ratings increase, scoring an average Nielsen Household Rating of .73, up 55 percent from last year’s .47. Next up for the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series — Friday night from Charlotte Motor Speedway, with NCWTS Setup at 7:30 p.m. ET and race coverage beginning at 8 p.m. ET.(SPEEDtv PR)(5-17-2011)

  • Crafton heads to Charlotte as points leader; featuring Mullican brand: Matt Crafton, driver of the No. 88 Menards/Mullican Great Lakes Flooring Chevrolet Silverado, returns for his ninth NASCAR Camping World Truck Series start at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Friday, May 20th with ThorSport Racing. With two top five finishes and seven top ten finishes here – capped off with a best finish win in 2008 – the current Series points leader is ready to return to the Queen City of Charlotte with his No. 88 Sandusky, Ohio-based crew. [Crafton currently holds a five point lead over teammate Johnny Sauter in the Driver Point Standings.] The No. 88 Menards/Mullican Great Lakes Flooring Chevrolet will sport a hood featuring the Great Lakes by Mullican brand. Offering an array of hardwood floor options for buyers, the line is available at Menards locations across the country.(ThorSport Racing PR)(5-17-2011)
  • NOS Energy Drink to sponsor Busch at Charlotte: UPDATE: Paying remembrance to Zahra Baker: Kyle Busch Motorsports announced today that NOS Energy Drink will be the primary sponsor on Kyle Busch’s No. 18 Toyota Tundra for the N.C. Education Lottery 200 at Charlotte Motor Speedway on May 20. The paint scheme on the defending race winner’s Toyota Tundra will promote Charged Citrus, the newest flavor from NOS that is formulated to help provide enhanced mental focus and high performance energy. Kyle Busch has partnered with NOS to promote their brand since 2008. NOS has served as a primary sponsor on Kyle Busch Motorsports late model and truck series entries for several races throughout the partnership and has held numerous events throughout the country to raise money for Busch’s charity, The Kyle Busch Foundation.(Kyle Busch Motorsports PR)(5-13-2011)
    UPDATE: Kyle Busch Motorsports in conjunction with Speedway Children’s Charities announced today that they will pay remembrance to Zahra Baker, the 10-year-old from Hickory, N.C. that was tragically murdered last September, during Friday’s N.C. Education Lottery 200. Zahra’s name and picture will adorn the area above the passenger side window of Kyle Busch’s No. 18 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series entry and Charlotte Motor Speedway will observe a moment of silence in her honor before the start of the race.(5-17-2011) (Kyle Busch Motorsports PR)

  • Wes Burton to drive for FDNY Racing at Charlotte: Wes Burton is set to drive the FDNY Racing #28 Chevrolet Silverado for the May 20th running of the NC Education Lottery 200 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. After the completion of the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series event at Charlotte, Burton will head over to Kershaw, SC to compete in the 24 Hours of LeMons event at Carolina Motorsports park, which is an endurance event for $500 cars. Also, visit FDNYRacing.com for information on how to donate to the UFA Widows’ & Children’s Fun which distributes donations directly to families of our Fallen Firefighters.(Wes Burton PR)(5-17-2011)

  • Long distance double-duty for Buescher; Exide back onboard truck: James Buescher and the No.31 Turner Motorsports Chevrolet team will sport the blue and black colors of Exide Batteries under the lights on Friday night at CMS. This will be the Georgia-based company’s second race as the primary partner on the No. 31 machine. James Buescher will be busy this weekend. After piloting the No. 31 Exide Batteries Chevrolet Silverado on Friday night at the 1.5-mile Charlotte Motor Speedway, he will board a plane and head to Iowa for Sunday’s NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Iowa Speedway. Brandon McRenyolds will practice the No. 30 Fraternal Order of Eagles Chevrolet on Friday at Iowa Speedway while Buescher is in Charlotte. This will be the 21-year-old’s fifth NASCAR Nationwide Series start of the 2011 season. He has a season best finish of eighth, which came last week at the one-mile Dover International Speedway.(Turner Motorsports PR)(5-16-2011)

  • Piquet picks up new sponsor for Charlotte: For only the second time this season, Nelson Piquet Jr. will compete at a track where he has had a previous race start. Piquet competed at Charlotte Motor Speedway in Concord, N.C. during the 2010 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series season, where he overcame an early-race incident to finish 16th. Piquet Jr. hopes to use the knowledge gained last season at the 1.5-mile track this weekend. The No. 8 Chevrolet Silverado will sport a new neon red, gray and white paint scheme this weekend with the new sponsors Bozzano and Jontex. Bozzano is a leading healthcare brand in Brazil and offers a full line of personal care products designed specifically for men, such as shaving cream, deodorant and hair care products. Jontex will also be on board the No. 8 Chevrolet Silverado at Charlotte Motor Speedway.(Kevin Harvick Inc. PR)(5-16-2011)

  • Bowyer in KHI’s #2; first Charlotte truck start: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Clint Bowyer will make his second NASCAR Camping World Truck Series appearance of the season in the No. 2 Ollie’s Bargain Outlet Chevrolet Silverado during the North Carolina Education Lottery 200 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. This race will mark Bowyer’s first Truck Series start at the track many drivers call home. This race may be Bowyer’s Truck Series debut at the 1.5-mile quad-oval, but he is no stranger to the track. Since his entrance to NASCAR Bowyer has made 21 career starts between the Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series. During those races he has earned one pole, four top-fives, 11 top 10’s and has led a total of 125 laps.(Kevin Harvick Inc. PR)(5-16-2011)

  • Peters marks 100th start at Charlotte: When 30 year-old Timothy Peters straps behind the wheel of the No. 17 Red Horse Racing Toyota Tundra at NASCAR’s home track Charlotte Motor Speedway, he will be doing so for the 100th time. Peters is slated to make is 100th Truck Series start this weekend marking a career-mile stone for the Danville, Virginia native. Peters racing career goes back as far as he can remember. 2009 proved to be Peters’ breakout year in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series as he earned his first pole win at NashvilleSuperspeedway and his first career Truck Series win at his home track Martinsville Speedway. This weekend at Charlotte Motor Speedway proud Red Horse Racing sponsor partner, APEX Tool Group will host 200 guests in a hospitality chalet outside the race track. Their support will be evident on and off the track as Peters carries the Crescent tools logo on the rocker panel of the No. 17 truck.(Red Horse Racing PR)(5-16-2011)

  • Build Your Future teams with Zachry & Starr: SS Green Light Racing is pleased to announce that the Build Your Future Campaign has agreed to join the Zachry No. 81 team of David Starr for five upcoming races in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. Initially developed by NCCER, the Build Your Future Campaign is a national education and recruitment campaign created to increase awareness of the rewarding careers available in the construction industry. The Build Your Future Campaign will share associate sponsorship on the SS Green Light Racing No. 81 Toyota Tundra with Zachry Industrial at the NCWTS races at Charlotte-May 20th, Chicago-September 16th, Talladega-October 22nd, Martinsville-October 29th and Texas-November 4th. The Build Your Future Campaign’s goal is to lead new potential construction industry candidates and incumbent workers to opportunities for training, job placement and rewarding careers in the construction industry.(SS Green Light Racing PR)(5-16-2011)

  • Monday Rundown – Racing Resources:
    *Kyle Busch won the Camping World Truck Series Lucas Oil 200 at Dover International Speedway on Friday, his 27th series win in his 90th start. It was his second series win at Dover, the first driver with multiple wins in the 12 series races at Dover.
    *Busch earned his 96th NASCAR national series (Sprint Cup, Nationwide, CWTS) win, which ties Mark Martin for fifth all time. This was Busch’s 10th NASCAR national series win in 2011 (5 NNS, 3 CWTS, 2 NSCS).
    *Busch has led the most laps in all three series wins this season, and he is the only driver with multiple series wins in 2011. He led three times for 128 laps, including the final 17. He has finished first or second in 10 of the past 11 truck races he has entered and has an average finish of 3.5 in his past 21 races. *This was the 12th series win for Kyle Busch Motorsports, and the fourth win of 2011. Kasey Kahne has the other team victory.
    *This was the 85th series win for Toyota, passing Ford for second all time. Toyota’s fourth win at Dover ties Dodge for the most. *Cole Whitt (finished second) got his career-best finish in his seventh start. His previous best finish was sixth (twice).
    *Matt Crafton (third) earned his best series Dover finish in his 11th start; his previous best was fifth in May 2008. He took the points lead.
    *Austin Dillon (fourth) got his best finish of 2011. His previous best finish was fifth at Phoenix.
    *Kevin Harvick (fifth) earned a top-5 finish despite a speeding penalty on Lap 157.
    *Joey Coulter (sixth) earned his best career finish.
    *Brendan Gaughan (seventh) scored his best finish of 2011.
    *Pole-sitter Justin Marks finished 10th, his best of the season.
    (ESPN.com)(5-16-2011)

  • Vision Aviation Racing closing up shop? UPDATE 2 regrouping; scaling back to one part-time team: Twitter from Ray Dunlap – “Hearing that Vision Aviation Racing laid off 95% of staff on Wed afternoon. [Note: #51 is entered at Dover as a Chevrolet with Chris Fontaine as driver.] (Ray Dunlap@truckpits)(5-12-2011)
    UPDATE:When asked this morning during Truck Series qualifying about how he ended up in the No. 51, Fontaine replied that he got a call while at a wedding in the Bahamas that he would be racing the No. 51 this weekend. Fontaine remarked that while he has heard all the rumors regarding layoffs at VAR, he is unaware of the details going on behind the scenes in that shop, and that his team was running the No. 51 as a favor to VAR for their support of his race team back at Daytona. The No. 51 truck Fontaine is racing this weekend is the same Chevrolet that he ran as the No. 84 at Darlington back in March. Fontaine’s next race will be at Charlotte this coming Friday; no word on which number the team will be running.(Frontstretch.com)(5-13-2011)
    UPDATE 2: Three weeks after Justin Johnson qualified third for his best effort as a rookie driver in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, he was left without a race truck to drive on Friday. The 25-year-old from Las Vegas was affected by major cutbacks this week at Vision Aviation Racing and was not entered in the race at Dover, Del. Team manager Tom Davis said Thursday team owners decided this week to make substantial cutbacks that included laying off 10 employees and scaling back to one part-time team. It is uncertain how many more races Johnson and teammate Dusty Davis, 18, also of Las Vegas, will enter this year. “We’ll put some drivers in our truck at high profile races like we did when we put Michael Waltrip in the (No.) 51 at Daytona,” Davis said.Johnson was replaced this week by Chris Fontaine and some reports put former Formula One champion Kimi Raikkonen in a Vision truck for the May 20 race at Charlotte Motor Speedway. “Justin and Dusty will get in some (truck) races at some time this year,” Davis said.”We’re fortunate to have good owners with good business acumen that realized we had to slow up and be prepared for the long haul,” said Davis, a former Las Vegas radio executive and father of Dusty, who has competed in three truck races this year for Vision. The team, funded by the owners of Vision Aviation, plan to continue developing the team. “Bottom line is we’re going back to our original plan,” Davis said. “We’re about the future so we had to slow up a bit and get caught up (financially). Davis said Vision chief operating officer Steven Acor, who lives in Las Vegas, decided to scale back the racing operation to compensate for the increased cost of aviation fuel and expansion plans for Vision Airlines, which has one of its four national offices in Las Vegas.(Las Vegas Review Journal)(5-13-2011)

  • NASCAR teams in all three series unite to support Autism Speaks: For the fifth consecutive year, Dover International Speedway has joined forces with Autism Speaks to create awareness for the special cause through the entitlement of the Monster Mile’s spring NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race, titled the “FedEx 400 benefiting Autism Speaks.” The NASCAR community has embraced the messaging of Autism Speaks, and throughout the May 13-15, 2011 race weekend in Dover, 29 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series cares, 15 NASCAR Nationwide Series cars and 20 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series trucks will sport the Autism Speaks blue puzzle piece logo as a sign of support for the nation’s leading autism science and advocacy organization. Camping World Truck Series teams participating include: #2-Kevin Harvick, #3-Austin Dillon, #4-Ricky Carmichael, #7-Miguel Paludo, #8-Nelson Piquet Jr, #9-Max Papis, #13-Johnny Sauter, #17-Timothy Peters, #22-Joey Coulter, #23-Jason White, #30-Todd Bodine, #31-James Buescher, #32-Brad Sweet, #33-Ron Hornaday Jr., #51-Chris Fontaine, #60-Cole Whitt, #62-Brendan Gaughan, #66-Justin Marks, #77-Justin Lofton, #88-Matt Crafton.(Dover International Speedway PR)(5-12-2011)

  • Carmichael & Dillon dirt trackin’ following Dover: Following Friday afternoon’s Lucas Oil 200 at Dover International Speedway, Ricky Carmichael & Austin Dillon are are scheduled to race dirt Super Late Models at the “Saturday Night Fever 40” event at Volunteer Speedway located in Bulls Gap, Tennessee on Saturday night.(Richard Childress Racing PR) [More details are posted on the Jayski Appearances page.](5-11-2011)

  • Whitt heads to Dover as ROTY leader: Rookie Cole Whitt ranks fifth in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series standings — he’s 12 points behind leaderJohnny Sauter based on his three top 10s in the five races this season. He ranks first in the Truck Series rookie standings. Parker Klingerman is the next-closest first-year driver, and he sits 10th in the standings — 39 points behind Whitt entering Friday’s Lucas Oil 200 at Dover International Speedway. In Turn One Racing’s No. 60 truck, Whitt has finishes of 14th, sixth, eighth, sixth and 12th. He hadn’t seen three of those tracks (Daytona, Darlington and Nashville) until he rolled off for practice, yet he has qualified in the top 10 four times, including a pole at tricky, slippery Darlington. Whitt heads to Dover this weekend, having driven the concrete high banks once before in September 2010 in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East Series race he put his Red Bull Toyota on the front row but suffered a blow tire resulting in contact with the wall and a 26th place finish. (Red Bull/Turn One Racing PR)(5-11-2011)

  • RBR & Rogers making first trip to Dover: Driver Clay Rogers and the RBR Enterprises BTS Tire and Wheel Distributors/fleetHQ.com No. 92 Chevy Silverado team enter the Lucas Oil 200 at Dover International Speedway in eighth place in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series driver standings; 43 points behind points leader Johnny Sauter. Rogers finds himself four points behind seventh-place Todd Bodine and two points ahead of ninth-place Max Papis. Both RBR Enterprieses will be making their first start at Dover International Speedway in Friday’s Lucas Oil 200.(RBR Enterprises PR)(5-11-2011)

  • NCWTS partners with Dover AFB to host service men & women: The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series has partnered with Dover Air Force Base to host 26 service men and women during the Lucas Oil 150 on Friday at Dover International Speedway. This is just a simple way to give back to the men and women who do so much for our country. Sixteen teams will have “Honorary Pit Crew Members” onboard for this weekend’s event, including:
    *Guest of the Joe Denette Motorsports No. 23 GunBroker.com Chevrolet with driver Jason White, will be 1SG Alfred E. Venham, a Joint Personal Effect Depot First Sergeant in the Army.(Joe Denette Motorsports PR)(5-10-2011)
    *ThorSport Racing’s No. 88 Menards/Certainteed Chevrolet with driver Matt Crafton will have three extra “honorary pit crew” on Dover weekend, as the ThorSport Racing team supports members of the Dover Air Force Base. Staff Sergeant Erik Chittick, the 436th Civil Engineer Squadron Crew Chief; Technical Sergeant Heather Michaud, the 436th Civil Engineer Squad Fire Inspector; and Technical Sergeant James Ellis of the 9th Airlift Squadron; will all get to “catch tires” with Mechanixwear gloves alongside the No. 88 crew.(ThorSport Racing PR)(5-10-2011)
    *Johnny Sauter & Thorsport Racing’s No. 13 Safe Auto/Curb Records/Carrier Chevrolet pit stall will have three extra “honorary pit crew” on Dover weekend, as the ThorSport Racing team supports members of the Dover Air Force Base. Colonel Joan Garbutt, 436th Mission Support Group Commander; A1C Brian Berns, 436th Mission Support Group Administrative Assistant; and Staff Sergeant William Harrington, 436th Mission Support Group Food Service Supervisor; will all get to “catch tires” with Mechanixwear gloves alongside the No. 13 crew.(Thorsport Racing PR)(5-10-2011)
    *Captain Jonathan Brasfield will join the ESR No. 46 Greenville Toyota of North Carolina Toyota crew with driver Craig Goes on Friday afternoon and watch all 200 laps of action from the pit box.(Eddie Sharp Racing PR)(5-10-2011)
    *Germain Racing’s No. 77 Lofton Cattle Toyota team, with driver Justin Lofton, will host two servicemen from the nearby Dover Air Force Base on Friday. Sgt. Gregory L. Hanner and Sgt. Louis Orville Hess will be joining the team, serving as Honorary Pit Crew Members for the Lucas Oil 200, which will begin just after 4:30pm/et.(Justin Lofton PR)(5-10-2011)
    *RCR welcomes a total of six honorary pit crew members to the No. 3 and No. 22 teams this weekend. Representing the Dover Air Force Base are TSgt Jason R. Smith Sr. (436th Maintenance Squadron Aerospace Maintenance Craftsman), A1C Alex Marshall Taylor (436th Maintenance Squadron Aerospace Maintenance Craftsman), SSgt Todd Joseph Sherman Jr. (436th Maintenance Squadron Aerospace Maintenance Craftsman), TSgt Jimmy Heaterr (436th Logistics Readiness Squadron Vehicle Operations Craftsman), SrA Ashley Depuy (436th Logistics Readiness Squadron Vehicle Operations Journeyman) and 2nd Lt. Ryan Chylewski (436th Aerial Port Squadron TRO Flight Commander).(Richard Childress Racing PR)(5-11-2011)
    *Friday night SSgt Eric D. Swanson and A1C Charles D. Wilson will join SS Green Light Racing’s [#81-Zachry Toyota with driver David Starr] Crew Chief Jason Miller on top of the pit-box for the 200-mile event.(SS Green Light Racing PR)(5-11-2011)
    *The Turner Motorsports No. 32 Great Clips Chevrolet team with driver Brad Sweet will have extra muscle this Friday afternoon on the No. 32 Great Clips pit box with Dover Air Force Base 436th Airlift Wing Public Affairs Officer Lt. Jennifer Guerrero on hand to support the team during the annual Lucas Oil 200.(Turner Motorsports PR)5-11-2011)
    *Turn One Racing hosts two honorary crew members: Senior Airmen Josef Ward, 436th Security Forces Squadron Deputy Raven Assistant Scheduler, and Staff Sergeant Raphael Simmons, 436th Security Forces Squadron Deputy Raven Program Manager, will be given duties behind pit wall as honorary pit crew members during the Lucas Oil 200!(Turn One Racing PR)(5-11-2011)

  • Bowyer returns to series at Kansas: Competing in two Sprint Cup races at Kansas Speedway won’t be enough for Clint Bowyer. Bowyer, of Emporia, Kan., said he will compete in the O’Reilly Auto Parts 250 in the Camping World Trucks Series on June 4 at Kansas Speedway, the day before the June 5 STP 400 Sprint Cup race. Bowyer has made just nine career starts in the trucks series, winning the fall race at Phoenix last year and the fall race at Texas in 2006. He’s made one start this season, winning the pole and finishing second at Phoenix for Kevin Harvick, Inc.(KansasCityStar.com)(5-11-2011)

  • TJ Bell & MAKE Motorsports return at Charlotte: MAKE Motorsports, a hometown, grassroots team in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, is currently busy preparing to make their third start of the 2011 season. The team will next compete at the upcoming N.C. Education Lottery 200 at the 1.5-mile Charlotte Motor Speedway on Friday, May 20. First, however, the team has made special plans to help the community they live, work and race in the Charlotte area. Looking to raise awareness for the Children’s Miracle Network, the team will make two different appearances the week leading into the races at Charlotte. First, on Tuesday, May 17, team driver T.J. Bell will visit and sign autographs at the Levine Children’s Hospital, which is a part of the CMN. MAKE Motorsports will then have driver T.J. Bell and an ambulance from the Carolina’s Medical Center at the Concord, N.C. Wal-Mart on Thursday, May 19 to help promote their efforts to raise awareness and funds for the CMN. The team will also continue to raise awareness during the race weekend by placing the Children’s Miracle Network and the Levine Children’s Hospital logos on the quarter panels of the No. 50 race truck.(Make Motorsports PR)(5-11-2011)

  • Lafferty picks up Charlotte sponsor: UPDATE Whisky River joins as associate at Charlotte: Lafferty Motorsports announced Wednesday that it has joined forces with “The Official Family Fun Park of NASCAR”. NASCAR SpeedPark will serve as primary sponsor of Camping World Truck Series driver Chris Lafferty’s No. 89 entry in the N.C. Education Lottery 200 at Charlotte on May 20, 2011. NASCAR SpeedPark locations offer a variety of family entertainment including miniature golf, rock wall climbing, arcades, family and thrill rides, NASCAR-branded merchandise stores, and more. NASCAR SpeedPark has four locations in the United States and one in Canada.(Lafferty Motorsports PR)(5-5-2011)
    UPDATE: Whisky River joins as an associate sponsor for Chris Lafferty’s No. 89 entry in the N.C. Education Lottery 200. Whisky River will join primary sponsor NASCAR SpeedPark and associate sponsor Blue Ox for the Camping World Truck Series race at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Friday night, May 20, 2011.(Lafferty Motorsports PR)(5-11-2011)

  • Kvapil tests at Gresham in preparation for Dover: With a three-week break since the last race, Travis Kvapil and the Randy Moss Motorsports #5-International Trucks/Monaco RVs team spent Monday and Tuesday at Gresham Motorsports Park in Jefferson, Ga., testing at the half-mile oval. Kvapil is tied among active drivers for the most top-five finishes (3) at Dover and has completed all but 10 laps of competition in his six previous races (1190 of 1200 laps).(Randy Moss Motorsports PR)(5-11-2011)

  • Carmichael making 2nd trip to Dover; introduces new free Motorcross App: Ricky Carmichael, driving the No. 4 Monster Energy Chevrolet Silverado finished fourth in his first and only NCWTS race at Dover and recorded his career-best showing in truck series competition last May. The Tallahassee, Fla., resident also made one NASCAR K&N Pro Series East start at the “Monster Mile” where he started 16th and finished seventh in a Chevrolet fielded by Ken Schrader Racing. Ricky Carmichael’s Motocross Matchup….Twist the throttle and get ready to hit the dirt, because 2XL Games has revealed that Ricky Carmichael’s Motocross Matchup, the first mobile game featuring Ricky Carmichael is available now in the iTunes App Store. Players can download the gas-powered, adrenaline-infused dirt bike racing game for free and jump into the world of professional motocross.(Turner Motorsports PR)(5-10-2011)

  • Olivia Barnett “Riding Shotgun” with Busch: UPDATE 2 Traxxas making first 2011 sponsorship appearance; image added: Kyle Busch Motorsports (KBM) is pleased to announce that 10-year-old Olivia Barnett of Dover, Del. has been selected as the winner of the “Riding Shotgun With Kyle Busch Motorsports” essay contest for the Greater Dover area. Barnett’s name and picture will adorn the area above the passenger side window of Kyle Busch’s No. 18 Traxxas Toyota Tundra for the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Lucas Oil 200 at Dover International Speedway this Friday, May 13. In addition, Dover International Speedway has provided Barnett and her parents with passes to attend Friday’s race. Barnett, a student at Holy Cross School in Dover had her essay chosen among submissions from children age 5-12 in the Greater Dover area.(Kyle Busch Motorsports PR)(5-9-2011)
    Traxxas, the leading manufacturer of hobby-class radio-controlled (R/C) vehicles, returns as the primary sponsor of Kyle Busch’s No. 18 Toyota Tundra for the Lucas Oil 200 Friday, the first of three races they will sponsor in 2011 — May 13 at Dover International Speedway, Aug. 20 at Michigan International Speedway and November 4 at Texas Motor Speedway – with driver-owner Kyle Busch behind the wheel for each event.The partnership has proven to be a perfect fit on and off the track. Busch, an R/C enthusiast, was three-for-three in races sponsored by the Plano, Texas-based company in 2010 – winning the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) races at Chicagoland, Talladega and Homestead-Miami.(Kyle Busch Motorsports PR)(5-10-2011)
    UPDATE: Rendering of the #18-Traxxas Toyota being driven by Kyle Busch at Dover is posted on the #18-NCWTS Paint Schemes page.(5-10-2011)

  • Harvick making first Dover truck start: UPDATE image added: The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series heads to the Northeast for the Lucas Oil 200 at Dover International Speedway. Kevin Harvick Inc. co-owner Kevin Harvick is scheduled to pilot the No. 2 Bad Boy Buggies Chevrolet Silverado at the Monster Mile. This will be Harvick’s first Truck Series start at the one-mile oval. During his career Harvick has made several appearances at Dover in both the NASCAR Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series. Between the two series Harvick has gathered 36 starts at the track and has posted five top-five and 16 top-10 finishes. Harvick still searches for his first win in any series at the Monster Mile.(Kevin Harvick Inc. PR)(5-9-2011)
    UPDATE: Rendering of the #2 Bad-Boy Buggies Chevrolet being driven by Kevin Harvick at Dover is posted on the #2 NCWTS Paint Schemes page.(5-10-2011)

  • Carrier onboard with ThorSport & Sauter; image added: Johnny Sauter, driver of the No. 13 Safe Auto/Curb Records/Carrier Chevrolet Silverado, makes his third NASCAR Camping World Truck Series start in as many years for ThorSport Racing at Dover International Speedway on Friday, May 13th. With one top five and one top ten under his belt at Dover so far, the current driver points leader feels thinks he has the momentum to tackle Miles the Monster and tame that Monster Mile. Carrier, the world leader in air conditioning, heating and refrigeration systems, has joined forces as the Official Heating, Ventilation & Air Conditioning provider for ThorSport Racing. ThorSport Racing will also proudly display the Carrier logo on the No. 13 Safe Auto/Curb Records/Carrier Chevrolet Silverado, piloted by NASCAR Camping World Truck Series points leader Johnny Sauter, in Dover, De. at the Lucas Oil 200 on May 13th.(ThorSport Racing PR) [Rendering of the No. 13 Safe Auto/Curb Records/Carrier Chevrolet is posted on the #13 NCWTS Paint Schemes page.](5-10-2011)

  • Buescher to feature Space Coast Center at Dover: UPDATE 2 Double-duty weekend; truck image added: Turner Motorsports and the Space Coast Center for Mothers with Children have formed a joint partnership which will feature the Melbourne, Florida organization as the primary sponsor on James Buescher’s No. 31 Chevrolet Silverado in next Friday’s Lucas Oil 200 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at Dover International Speedway. The Space Coast Center for Mothers with Children is a residential facility in Brevard County that helps homeless single mothers and their children transition from being without many of life’s basic needs to becoming self-sufficient. Dedicated to providing mental, spiritual and physical guidance, the Space Coast Center is an 18-24 month fully supported residential transition program for single-homeless mothers and their children who are focused on rebuilding their lives. The program provides assistance with mental and physical health care, higher educational needs, vocational training, as well as shelter to its participants. The Space Coast Center also has a special place in the heart of driver James Buescher. Lila Buescher is his aunt from his father’s side and has served as an inspiration for the 21-year-old wheelman. Buescher is currently 16th in the NCWTS point standings and is coming off his second top-five finish of the season.(Turner Motorsports PR)(5-4-2011)
    UPDATE: James Buescher will race in both the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series and the NASCAR Nationwide Series events at Dover International Speedway. The 21-year-old driver, who is competing for the NCWTS driver’s championship for Turner Motorsports, will pilot the No. 31 Space Coast Center Chevrolet Silverado in Friday night’s NCWTS event and the No. 30 ABF Chevrolet Impala in Saturday’s 5-Hour Energy 200.(Turner Motorsports PR)(5-10-2011)
    UPDATE: Rendering of the #31-Space Coast Center Chevrolet being driven by James Buescher at Dover is posted on the #31 NCWTS Paint Schemes page.(5-10-2011)

  • Piquet carries momentum into Dover debut: Nelson Piquet Jr. will head to Dover International Speedway in the No. 8 Autotrac Chevrolet Silverado as the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series hits the sixth event of the season. Piquet Jr. will face the one-mile oval for the first time, his fifth-consecutive track this season in which he has no previous starts. The track, coined as the “Monster Mile” for the it’s toughness on man and machine, features an all-concrete surface, comparable to the surface at Nashville Superspeedway. Piquet Jr. is coming off his career-best finish of second at Nashville Superspeedway, besting his sixth-place finish in his Truck Series debut at Daytona International Speedway in 2010. Piquet Jr. is also coming off his career-best qualifying effort of fourth at Nashville. The No. 8 Autotrac team hopes to keep their momentum going as the Truck Series heads to Dover, a similar track to the 1.366-mile concrete oval of Nashville.(Kevin Harvick Inc. PR)(5-10-2011)

  • Paludo making rare “return” track visit at Dover: UPDATE Lucas Oil/K&N onboard as sponsors; image added: As a Rookie-of-the-Year contender in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series in 2011, Miguel Paludo [No. 7 Lucas Oil / K&N Filters Toyota Tundra] will be seeing the majority of the tracks on the schedule for the first time. However, Dover International Speedway will not be one of them. Last season Paludo completed a partial schedule in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East, running his final series event at “The Monster Mile” last September. Paludo started 27th and moved up to a 14th place finish. Racing to raise awareness: When Paludo was 19 years of age he discovered that he had Type I diabetes. Diabetes is a disease in which the body does not produce insulin, which inhibits the body from converting sugar, starches and other food into energy. Paludo is not only racing to prove his talent and win a race in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series and beyond, but he is racing to bring awareness to diabetes and show children of all ages that no matter what life throws your way, you too can be a champion.(Red Horse Racing PR)(5-9-2011)
    UPDATE:This will be the first time Lucas Oil adorns the hood of the No. 7 Red Horse Racing Toyota Tundra. K&N Filters will return for their second co-primary sponsor venture of 2011 on the No. 7. K&N Filters partnered with Miguel Paludo and Red Horse Racing earlier this season at Phoenix International Raceway.(Red Horse Racing PR)[Rendering of the #7-Lucas Oil/K&N Filters Toyota is posted on the #7 NCWTS Paint Schemes page.](5-9-2011)

  • Utz Snacks Hornaday sponsorship starts at Dover; image added: The Utz brand will be kicking off their partnership with KHI this weekend at Dover International Speedway. Utz Snacks will also serve as the primary sponsor for the No. 33 truck next weekend at Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway and again at Pocono (Pa.) Raceway on August 6th. [See prior KHI announcement on the April News Archives page.] Dover History: Hornaday led nearly half of the 200-lap event at the one-mile track back in June of 2007, while running for KHI’s first Truck Series championship. The No. 33 Chevrolet spent 196 laps inside the top-15 and made 17 green-flag passes to bring home the team’s second of four wins for the season.(Kevin Harvick Inc. PR) [Image of the #33-Utz Snacks Chevrolet is posted on the #33-NCWTS Paint Schemes page.](5-9-2011)

  • Benson signs on with Super Late Model series: A new racing class featuring a star-studded lineup is scheduled to make its debut at Berlin Raceway on Saturday [May 7]. Former NASCAR Sprint Cup driver and 2008 Camping World Truck Series champion Johnny Benson has signed up for the summer points chase of the Premier Boyne Machine Super Late Model series. The series will compete six more times throughout the year at Berlin Raceway. They will also make an appearance at Kalamazoo Speedway at the Kalamazoo Klash XVIII.(HollandSentinel.com)(5-6-2011)

  • Fitzpatrick to sub for Mattioli at Dover: With finals at Fordham University in full swing, Chase Mattioli Racing has asked JR Fitzpatrick, driver of the #67 Go Canada Racing Nationwide Ford, to do double-duty at Dover and drive the #99 College Complete.com Ford in the May 13th Lucas Oil 200 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race. He will also be competing in the 5-hour ENERGY 200 NASCAR Nationwide Series race on Saturday, May 14th. Fitzpatrick is no stranger to Dover, having driven to an 11th place finish in the 2009 Camping World Truck event.(Chase Mattioli Racing PR)(5-5-2011)

  • Long testing at Mobile during off-week: UPDATE: Test notes: Johanna Long’s NASCAR Camping World Truck Series team is scheduled to test at Mobile International Speedway on Wednesday May 4th. Long’s #20 Panhandle Grading & Paving Toyota team will be testing from 10:00 am – 4:00pm. “We hope this is the beginning of more NASCAR teams utilizing Mobile International Speedway as a test facility. Our track surface is very smooth saving money on tires and the banking simulates a number of NASCAR tracks around the country,” said Rick Crawford Manager/Promoter of Mobile International Speedway. Grandstands will be open to the public free of charge.(Mobile International Spedway PR)(5-3-2011)
    UPDATE: Driver Johanna Long, an 18-year-old newcomer on the national scene, spent the day testing at the Rick Crawford Performance Track with her NASCAR Camping World Truck Series team. Crawford, the longtime truck series driver who’s the manager and promoter at MIS, would like Long’s outing to be the first in a series of NASCAR tests at the high-banked, half-mile oval. Long’s Panhandle Motorsports team will be at one-mile Dover International Speedway on May 13 for the next Camping World Truck Series race. NASCAR prohibits extra practices at tracks that host races. But Long didn’t come to MIS to prepare specifically for Dover. Instead, her crew traveled from North Carolina to test on a track that, unlike the far-flung speedways of the truck circuit, the Pensacola teen knows intimately. “I’m really used to running late models in Pensacola and Mobile,” Long said. “I’ve been racing these racetracks forever — well, four years as compared to a few races. I’m not used to the big mile-and-a-half tracks yet, and Daytona was a big swing for me. “And there’s a difference with the trucks. They’re so much heavier than a late model. The competition in the truck series is crazy. We just need some top-10, top-15 finishes to keep on going with our team. We’ve just got to keep on digging. Hopefully, we can find the sponsorships to run all 25 races. If we can do that, I think we can be really competitive.”(AL.com) [During a break in the session, witnessed Rick Crawford spending some time giving rookie Johanna Long some pointers on what he considers the best way to get around Dover International Speedway and how to gain the most momentum coming off the corners. Long is currently competing in her rookie season in the Camping World Truck Series and is still hoping to pick up additional sponsorship to enable the team to run all events this season.(Nancy/Jayski)](5-5-2011)

  • Arpin & Mike’s Hard Lemonade to debut with Turner; image added: Turner Motorsports is pleased to announce the addition of Steve Arpin to their all-star driver line-up for the 2011 season. The organization is also delighted to welcome Mike’s Hard Lemonade to their 2011 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series program. The 2010 Canadian Racer of the Year will pilot the No. 32 Mike’s Hard Lemonade Chevrolet Silverado in a multi-race deal and is scheduled to make his NCWTS debut at Texas Motor Speedway in June. Arpin’s first race with Turner Motorsports will be in June at Texas Motor Speedway, the site of his second ARCA Racing Series victory in 2010. Additionally, Arpin will pilot the No. 32 Mike’s Hard Lemonade Chevrolet Silverado at Kentucky Speedway, Iowa Speedway, Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis and Chicagoland Speedway. Mike’s Hard Lemonade and Arpin will continue the relationship they have built in recent years as they progress into the NCWTS ranks. In 2010, the pair partnered for 14 events in the ARCA Racing Series, with Arpin scoring three wins, six top-five and eight top-10 finishes with the organization.(Turner Motorsports PR) [Images of the #32-Mike’s Hard Lemonade Chevrolet are posted on the #32 NCWTS Paint Schemes page.](5-4-2011)

  • Crafton running ARCA Toledo event: UPDATE official announcement: Seeing Matt Crafton on the ARCA Series Entry List for the Menards 200 at Toledo Speedway on Sunday, May 15, 2011. The race is scheduled to go off at 2:00pm/et. Crafton is listed as driving the #88-Messina/Menards Ford with owner, Bill Kimmel.(ARCARacing.com)(5-3-2011)
    UPDATE: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series driver Matt Crafton will compete in the Menards 200 presented by Federated Car Care at Toledo Speedway on Sunday, May 15. The race is the fourth of the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards season, and will be Crafton’s third appearance in ARCA. Crafton, who drives the No. 88 Menards Chevrolet Silverado for ThorSport Racing in the NCWTS, will attempt to qualify for the race less than 24 hours after competing in the Truck Series race at Delaware’s Dover International Speedway. Crafton will drive the No. 88 Messina Wildlife Management/Menards Ford Fusion, out of the Kimmel Racing stable of ARCA cars. The opportunity to run in the ARCA Racing Series is a result of the overall Menards Racing program in ARCA, and the business relationship between Messina Wildlife Management and Menards. Two years ago, Crafton made the journey from Charlotte to Toledo after racing the Truck Series in order to practice and qualify an ARCA car for Paul Menard. Last year, he had the chance to race – flying in just after the May 22 Charlotte Motor Speedway Truck Series race to qualify seventh and finish fifth at the checkers.(ThorSport Racing PR)(5-4-2011)

  • Oliver to make first 2011 start at Charlotte: UPDATE Cause-driven sponsorship added: Bowling Green KY driver Dillon Oliver has teamed up with Chuck Tuck Motorsports to compete in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. They have set their debut for Charlotte on May 20th.(Middle TN Racing Scene)(3-28-2011)
    UPDATE: The North Alabama Disaster Response and Recovery Race team will function as a cause-driven sponsorship and participate in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. To maximize the exposure for the response and recovery efforts, the truck sponsorships and logo for T.N.A.D.R.R. will be prominently displayed on the highly visible areas usually reserved for primary sponsorships. Having been involved his entire life in the sport of NASCAR, Tuck will test the pilot program at the Charlotte NASCAR All-Star Weekend race on May 20. Piloting the Tuck Motorsports entry will be Dillon Oliver, a 20 year old who will drive the Rousch/Yates Ford powered F-150 race truck.(NewsCourier.com)(5-10-2011)

Camping World Truck Series News & Rumors Archives
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April 2011
March 2011
February 2011
January 2011
December 2010
November 2010

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