While Bodine’s three Texas wins were not consecutive, he has won three of the four races he has attempted at the track. He finished 30th in June of 2005 after being knocked out of the race by transmission problems. If Bodine faces any kind of adversity this weekend, Benson will no doubt be ready to capitalize. Benson, the 1995 Busch Series champion, is no slouch at Texas himself. In four career Craftsman Truck Series starts there he has three top-five finishes. He finished runner-up in the Silverado 350K in 2004 – Bodine’s first win at the track – and in June 2005. With that in mind, don’t expect to see the championship resolved until the race at Homestead. The series championship has only been clinched before the last race of the season once.

Skinner Looks To Extend Record Pole Streak: Mike Skinner (#5 Toyota Tundra Toyota) has been collecting Budweiser pole awards since the second race in Craftsman Truck Series history (Tucson Raceway Park in 1995). He’s been racking them up at Texas since his second visit there in November of 2004. This weekend he will be attempting to start from the pole position for the fifth consecutive time at Texas, which would extend his series record. Skinner earned the pole at the June race at Texas to break a tie with Ron Fellows for most consecutive poles at a track. Fellows started from the pole position at Watkins Glen International from 1997 to 1999. In the process, Skinner happened to break the track record for fastest qualifying lap (183.206 mph/29.475 sec). It should come as no surprise that Skinner is the series’ leader in career poles. He has started first 31 times, including seven this season. He has won five races from the pole, including earlier this season at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. One more victory from pole would tie Skinner with Ron Hornaday Jr. (#33 AES Chevy) for most career wins from pole. Skinner has not won from the pole at Texas – he was the runner-up in each of the past two races. He previously finished fourth and 11th.

News & Notes – Part II:
Darnell extends rookie lead…Raybestos Rookie of the Year Candidate Erik Darnell (#99 Northern Tool & Equipment Ford) finished third for the second consecutive race to extend his lead in the rookie standings to 55 over Chad McCumbee (#08 GPS Store/Garmin Chevy). Darnell, who earned his seat through one of team owner Jack Roush’s “Gong Shows” titled Roush Racing: Driver X, has one pole and nine top-10 finishes this season. He was 10 laps away from winning Saturday’s race. The last rookie to win a race was Carl Edwards in 2003. Biffle clinched 2000 title at Texas…Greg Biffle clinched the 2000 Craftsman Truck Series championship at Texas, becoming the only driver in series history to clinch the title before the last race of the season. Biffle had built such a commanding lead over second-place driver Kurt Busch that a 25th-place finish at Texas was enough to claim the championship. Biffle finished the season with a 228-point lead, the second highest in series history. The championship was the first for Ford in the series and first for owner Jack Roush. Walker to Bill Davis Racing…Sprint Car standout Tyler Walker will drive the #36 360 OTC Toyota for Bill Davis Racing in 2007. Walker piloted the #7 truck for former team owner Jim Smith for three races in 2003. His highest finish was 21st at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. He also competed in 19 NASCAR Busch Series races in 2004 and 2005.

This Week’s Truck Series Leaders:(through 22 races of the 25-race season)
Points leader – Todd Bodine (3,285)
Winnings – Todd Bodine ($563,730)
Laps led – Mark Martin (522)
Miles led – Mike Skinner (768.95)
Victories – Mark Martin (5)
Budweiser Poles – Mike Skinner (7)
Top-five finishes – Johnny Benson (12)
Top-10 finishes – Johnny Benson, David Reutimann (16)
Raybestos Rookie Leader – Erik Darnell (55 over Chad McCumbee)
Races led – Mike Skinner (11)
Weeks in Top 10 – 3 drivers (22)

On the Right Track:
Bodine Ties Series Record…Todd Bodine has tied Ron Hornaday Jr. for the series record of consecutive weeks leading the point standings. Bodine has occupied the top position for 18 straight weeks. Hornaday accomplished the feat during his 1996 championship season…Terry Cook and Rick Crawford (#14 Circle Bar Truck Corral Ford) are the only drivers to compete in all 17 races at Texas Motor Speedway. Neither driver has won the event – Crawford’s best finish is second in Oct. 2001; Cook’s best finish is sixth in Oct. 1999…Dennis Setzer (#85 Flex Fuel E85 Silverado) leads all drivers with 12 top-10 finishes at the track. He is tied with David Starr and Jack Sprague (#60 Con-Way Freight) for most top fives with six.

Toyota Close To First Manufacturers’ Championship … Toyota will clinch its first Manufacturers’ Championship in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series if the top finishing Toyota finishes higher than the top finishing Ford this weekend. Toyota currently holds a 13-point lead over Ford (154-141) and must lead Ford by 13 points after the Silverado 350 to clinch. Nine points are awarded to the highest finishing manufacturer, six to second-place, four to third and three to fourth. Toyota leads all manufacturers with 11wins this season, its highest total in three years in the series. Ford has seven wins, Chevy has four and Dodge has 0. Dodge is in jeopardy of going winless for the first time since 1996. Todd Bodine, David Starr, Johnny Benson, Jack Sprague and Mike Skinner have all won races for Toyota this season.

Manufacturers’ Championship 2006 Point Standings following Atlanta:
Toyota, 154
Ford,141
Chevy,113
Dodge,76

In the Loop:
Mike Skinner, Johnny Benson and Jack Sprague lead several important pre-race Loop Data categories leading into Texas Motor Speedway. Despite not winning at the 1.5-mile track, Skinner leads all drivers in categories including Driver Rating (142.3), Fastest Laps Run (102) and Average Running Position (2.122). Skinner has led the most laps (309 – 64.1% of all laps) and has Run in the Top 15 in 476 of the 482 laps (98.8%). Despite winning two of the past three races, Todd Bodine is sixth with a driver rating of 105.1. He is second to Skinner in fastest laps run with 66. Sprague, who won in June 2005, has a driver rating of 108.5 and an average running position of 8.238.

Fast Facts:
The Race: Silverado 350K
The Place: Texas Motor Speedway
The Date: Nov. 3, 2006
The Time: 9:15 pm/et
Race Distance: 350 kilometers/220 miles (147 laps)
TV: SPEED, 9:00 pm/et
Track Layout: 1.5-mile oval
Race Purse: $566,979
2005 Winner: Todd Bodine
2005 Pole: Mike Skinner
Schedule: Thursday – Practice, 12:30 p.m. – 1:30 p.m., 2:00 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. Qualifying, 7:00 p.m.(10-30-2006)

Express Route To NASCAR’s Premier Division Isn’t Unprecedented…Two current Craftsman Truck Series competitors – David Reutimann (#17 Team Tundra Toyota), the series’ 2004 Raybestos Rookie of the Year and David Ragan (#50 Roush Racing Ford) – will go directly to the Nextel Cup Series in 2007. The move is a big one but not unprecedented. Kurt Busch, the 2004 Nextel Cup champion, spent a single season in trucks winning four times. Needless to say, owner Jack Roush gave him a battlefield promotion. Sometimes it works; sometimes it doesn’t. Mike Skinner (#5 Toyota Tundra Toyota), the series’ 1995 champion, received his promotion in 1997. He won the Budweiser Pole for the Daytona 500 in his first appearance for the Richard Childress Racing. Skinner says there’s no need to wait – if the opportunity is right. “The trucks continue to be a great starting place,” said Skinner. “If you can surround yourself with good people and are able to get into good equipment, moving up to Cup is an opportunity that shouldn’t be passed up.”

News & Notes – Part II:
Sprague wins in ‘lucky 13th’…Add another champion to the list of winners at Martinsville Speedway. Jack Sprague (#60 Con-way Freight Toyota), led 95 laps in winning the Oct. 21 Kroger 200 after 12 unsuccessful attempts to crack the .526-mile track’s Victory Lane. Sprague is one of only three champions to win on the Virginia short track – a series staple since 1995. He’s also the first driver in series history to lead 6,000 laps. Sprague’s total stands at 6,085. Air goes out of Bodine’s day…While challenger Benson was racing to a solid, fifth-place finish, championship leader Bodine was forced to pit to change a cut tire at mid-race. The latter gave up a probable top-five and wound up 14th. Nextel Cup drivers in the house at AMS … Martin has unfinished business after losing March’s race by a split second. Other campaigners from NASCAR’s premier division also will compete in the EasyCare Vehicle Service 200. Jeremy Mayfield will be at the helm of the #15 Quest Global Chevy that carried Kyle Busch to victory a year ago. Derrike Cope (#40 Key Motorsports Chevy) and Joe Nemechek (#46 Silverado Chevy) will reprise their Talladega drives. EasyCare 200 has international flavor… three foreign-born drivers are due to belt up for this week’s race headed by Australia’s Marcos Ambrose (#20 Team Australia/Aussie Vineyards Ford), who is locked in a tight battle for the #2 position among Raybestos Rookie of the Year candidates. Michel Jourdain Jr. returns to Roush Racing’s #50 Ford. Completing the international trio is John Mickel (#07 Dudman Group/DSI Group Chevy), a native of Cambridge, England in the United Kingdom.

This Week’s Truck Series Leaders: (through 21 races of the 25-race season)
Points leader – Todd Bodine (3,197)
Winnings – Todd Bodine ($555,740)
Laps led – Mark Martin (522)
Miles led – Mike Skinner (758.168)
Victories – Mark Martin (5)
Budweiser Poles – Mike Skinner (6)
Top-five finishes – Johnny Benson (12)
Top-10 finishes – Johnny Benson (16)
Raybestos Rookie Leader – Erik Darnell (52 over Chad McCumbee)
Races led – Todd Bodine, Mike Skinner (10)

Etc:
Bodine has occupied the #1 position in series standings for a record-extending 17 consecutive weeks. The number matches Sprague (1998) for #2 among times having led the championship in a season. If Bodine continues as the leader following this week’s race, he’ll tie Ron Hornaday Jr’s (#33 AES HR Solutions Chevy) record set in 1996…Sprague was the fourth driver in five races to win from the Budweiser Pole. He’s only the second to win from the pole in a series race at Martinsville. Rich Bickle was the first in 1997. The pole was Sprague’s 29th, one fewer than category record holder Skinner…The total margin of victory in four series races at Atlanta Motor Speedway is .920 second…A victory in Atlanta will clinch the 2006 manufacturer championship for Toyota.

On The Right Track:
Three have completed every Atlanta lap…Three competitors have run all 533 possible laps/799.5 miles in NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series events held at Atlanta Motor Speedway. They are Bobby Hamilton, Ted Musgrave (#9 Team ASE Toyota) and Dennis Setzer (#85 E85 FlexFuel Chevy). Skinner is the all-time laps/miles leader at AMS with 117 laps/180.18miles. Skinner and Bodine are the only drivers to lead three different races – Bodine the most recent three.

In the Loop:
Todd Bodine and Johnny Benson are co-joined at Atlanta Motor Speedway in several key Scoring Loop categories. Bodine’s average finish is 5.0 vs. Benson’s 5.7. Bodine is fractionally better in average running position – 6.118 vs. 6.208. Bodine and Benson boast the best Driver Rating among competitors running the most recent three races at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Bodine comes in with a rating of 115.8 vs. Benson’s 112.3. Mark Martin claimed the highest Driver Rating in March’s John Deere 200 – 144.5 – despite finishing second to Bodine. In March, Martin’s Ford was fastest in turns 1, 2 and 3 with a fastest speed among all drivers of 185.311 mph in Turn 3.

Manufacturers’ Championship; 2006 Point Standings Following Round 21 at Martinsville Speedway:
Toyota, 150
Ford, 135
Chevy, 102
Dodge, 73
Chevy won both Atlanta races in 2005. A Dodge was the inaugural race winner. Toyota won in March.

From The Archives:
Atlanta Motor Speedway has a history of close finishes, the first coming in the 2004 EasyCare Vehicle Service 200 when winner Bobby Hamilton and Mike Skinner exchanged the lead twice on the final lap. Those tight endings have sent Atlanta’s races into “overtime” on three of four occasions, most recently in March when Todd Bodine denied Mark Martin a record-matching third consecutive victory.

Fast Facts:
The Race: EasyCare Vehicle Service Contracts 200
The Place: Atlanta Motor Speedway
The Date: Oct. 28, 2006
The Time: 5:05 pm/et
Race Distance: 200 miles (130 laps)
TV: SPEED, 4:45 pm/et
Track Layout: 1.54-mile banked paved oval
Race Purse: $528,620
2005 Winner: Kyle Busch 2005
Pole: Mike Skinner
Schedule: Friday – Practice, 12:15 p.m. – 1:25 p.m., 1:40 p.m. – 2:10 p.m. and 2:25 p.m. – 3:25 p.m.; Saturday – Qualifying, 1:15 p.m. (NASCAR PR)(10-23-2006)

Entry list for the Kroger 200:
nascar.com
truckseries.com(10-20-2006)

Kroger 200 Is ‘Do-Over,’ Especially For Raybestos Rookies…This week’s Kroger 200 is one of the season’s rare opportunities for a “do-over.” Martinsville Speedway is one of just three tracks hosting multiple races in 2006. That’s good news for nearly half the field – the majority of Raybestos Rookie of the Year candidates who tested the .526-mile track for the first time in April. No surprise, none of the freshman class finished among the top 10. Rookie leader Erik Darnell (#99 Northern Tool + Equipment Ford) turned in an 11th place performance to lead first-year drivers. One driver who’s looking forward to testing Martinsville Speedway a second time is Aric Almirola (#75 Spears Manufacturing Chevy). Almirola was 18th, a finish he’d like to improve upon this week. Sixteen additional races with the team likely are more important to the driver than lessons learned at any specific track.

News & Notes Part II:
Seven Consecutive Short-Track Winners…Skinner was the last driver to win back-to-back short track races in August-September 2005 at Bristol and Richmond. There have been seven consecutive different winners since the latter race – five in 2006. Sprague Adds To Short-Track Log…Saturday’s race will be Sprague’s 97th on a short track – tops among Craftsman Truck competitors. Skinner, however, owns the best winning percentage among series short trackers with 25 or more starts. The Susanville, Calif. native is 14-for-20, a winning percentage of .280. Martinsville Winners In The Field…Skinner, Rick Crawford (#14 Circle Bar Truck Corral Ford), Dennis Setzer (#85 E85 FlexFuel Chevy) and David Starr (#11 Red Horse Racing Toyota) look to add another win to their Martinsville records. For Setzer it would be the third. He’s the only driver to win more than once in 15 Martinsville events.

Cup Drivers In The Field…Most prominent is Mark Martin (#6 Scotts Ford), a five-time series winner in 2006. Martin finished fourth in April’s Kroger 250. Also entered are Kyle Busch (#15 SunTrust Chevy) and Denny Hamlin (#46 EconoLodge/Rodeway Inn Chevy). Hamlin will be making his first series start at the track in the Morgan-Dollar Motorsports-prepared truck driven to victory by Bobby Labonte in 2005.

Rookies Still Looking For First Martinsville Victory…Raybestos Rookie of the year candidates have come close to victory twice: Travis Kvapil (2001) and Carl Edwards (2003) finished in the runner-up spot. Twelve drivers participating in the Raybestos program qualified for April’s Kroger 250. Five of them finished among the top 20. Bodine Gained In April…Bodine’s 12th place finish in April netted 54 points over closest rival Johnny Benson (#23 NAPA Auto Parts Toyota), who wound up in the 30th spot.

Championship contenders; best Martinsville finishes:
Todd Bodine, 4th 2004
Johnny Benson, 3rd 1995
David Reutimann, 8th 2004
Ted Musgrave ,2nd 2003, 06
Rick Crawford, 1st 2004
Ron Hornaday Jr, 3rd 1998, 2005
David Starr, 1st 2006
Terry Cook, 3rd 2001
Dennis Setzer 1st 2002, 03
Mike Bliss, 2nd 2002

Etc:
Current or former NextelCup drivers have won nine times in 15 races at Martinsville Speedway. No driver, however, has managed to complete a NEXTEL Cup/Craftsman Truck weekend sweep at any series track…Just one Martinsville race has been won from the Budweiser Pole – by Rich Bickle in 1997…The most recent four winners have started 15th, ninth, fifth and 18th. Setzer won the 2002 race from 33rd – second-deepest in the field by any series winner…There has been just one first-time winner in the series in 2006 – fewest in any season. Martinsville Speedway has produced five first-time series winners: Ricky Craven, Bobby Hamilton, Bobby Labonte, Jamie McMurray and Scott Riggs.

On the Right Track:
Morgan-Dollar is tops among owners at Martinsville…David Dollar has scored three victories in Martinsville, two by Setzer and a third by Bobby Labonte. Three owners count two wins apiece. Setzer is statistical leader…Setzer, with 13 starts, has won $221,995 at the southern Virginia track aided by six top-five and eight top-10 finishes. All are statistical records at Martinsville. Setzer has completed 2,864 laps and 1,506.5 miles.

In the Loop:
If dominance in three key categories is the measure, Kyle Busch will win his first Craftsman Truck Series short track race this week at Martinsville Speedway. Busch has the best speed in traffic (91.973 mph) and average running position (4.575) among entered drivers measure over Martinsville’s past three races. Busch ranks #2 in quality passes (15) behind Ron Hornaday Jr. (22). Among drivers with multiple starts at the track in 2005-06, Ted Musgrave owns the best Driver Rating (112.7). Mike Bliss is next at 105.7 with Hornaday third at 99.3. Dennis Setzer (75), Terry Cook (74) and Hornaday (73) have recorded the most green flag passes. Cook has recorded the most passes in three of the tracks four turns – 42 in Turns one, two and four while Hornaday has executed the most straightaway passes – 43.

Manufacturers’ Championship 2006 Point Standings:
Toyota,141
Ford,129
Chevy, 98
Toyota,70

From the Archives:
Martinsville Speedway’s first series race in 1995 was run at a 150-lap distance and held on a Monday after the Saturday-scheduled event was postponed by inclement weather. The race became a 250-lapper the following year and was shifted to the spring in 1999. A second date, this week’s Kroger 200, was added in 2003.

Fast Facts:
Fast Fact: David Starr’s April victory in the Kroger 250 made Toyota the fourth manufacturer to win a series race at Martinsville Speedway.
The Race: Kroger 200
The Place: Martinsville Speedway
The Date: Oct. 21, 2006
The Time: 1:05 pm/et
Race Distance: 105.2 miles (200 laps)
TV: SPEED, 12:25 pm/et
Track Layout: .526-mile paved oval
Race Purse: $434,105
2005 Winner: Ricky Craven
2005 Pole: Rick Crawford
Schedule: Friday – Practice, 9 a.m. – 10 a.m., 10:10 a.m. – 10:40 a.m. and 10:55 a.m. – 11:55 a.m. Qualifying, 5 p.m.(NASCAR PR)(10-16-2006)

Kroger 200 Last Chance For 2006 Short-Track Victory: With the majority of competitors having short track roots, it’s always nice to revisit the past with a victory on one of NASCAR’s “bullrings.” Craftsman Truck teams will have the sixth and final chance to make that connection in the Oct. 21 Kroger 200 at .526-mile Martinsville Speedway. Winning a short track race isn’t easy – or repeatable. Only Setzer has two wins at Martinsville. The track’s roster of winners totals 14 but only two of them, Bobby Hamilton and Mike Skinner (#5 Toyota Tundra Toyota), are Craftsman Truck Series champions. No champion has won at the southern Virginia track in his title season. So far in 2006, it’s been five races and five faces. David Starr (#11 Red Horse Racing Toyota) captured Martinsville’s Kroger 250. Other short track winners are Hornaday, Martin, Jack Sprague (#60 Con-way Freight Toyota) and Rick Crawford (#14 Circle Bar Truck Corral Ford). The series has had seven consecutive different short track winners dating to Richmond in September 2005. Skinner is the only back-to-back winner since 2003.

News & Notes Part II:
Northern Tool + Equipment Joins Series…Erik Darnell, this season’s Raybestos Rookie of the Year leader, will carry new sponsorship on his #99 Roush Racing Ford for the remainder of the season and in 2007. Northern’s president Chuck Albrecht (center below) joined Darnell and team owner Jack Roush in making the announcement during the Talladega weekend. Martin Eighth To Win Five Or More…Martin is the eighth series driver to win at least five times in a season and fifth in the last six seasons. The record is nine by Greg Biffle in 1999. Bodine’s Lead Expands … A fourth-place finish in the John Deere 250 boosted Todd Bodine’s (#30 Lumber Liquidators Toyota) title lead to 113 points over Johnny Benson (#23 Exide Batteries Toyota). The margin is third largest with five races remaining.

This Week’s Truck Series Leaders; through 20 races of the 25-race season:
Points leader – Todd Bodine (3,076)
Winnings – Todd Bodine ($546,650)
Laps led – Mark Martin (522)
Miles led – Mike Skinner (758.168)
Victories – Mark Martin (5)
Budweiser Poles – Mike Skinner (6)
Top-five finishes – Johnny Benson, Todd Bodine (11)
Top-10 finishes – Johnny Benson, David Reutimann, Todd Bodine (15)
Raybestos Rookie Leader – Erik Darnell (41 over Chad McCumbee)
Races led – Todd Bodine, Mike Skinner (10)
Weeks in Top 10 – 3 drivers (20)

Etc:
The Drive for Diversity program will be holding its fourth annual Driver Testing and Evaluation Combine on Oct. 16-17 at South Boston (Va.) Speedway. Twenty up-and-coming drivers from throughout the United States have been invited to the combine to showcase their skills for established team owners. The drivers will complete a series of on-track and off-track activities in hopes of being selected for one of the eight available positions…In 2007, eight Drive for Diversity teams will compete in either the NASCAR Grand National Division – which includes the Busch East and AutoZone West Series – or the NASCAR Dodge Weekly Series.(10-9-2006)

Starting lineup for the John Deere 250 at Talladega Superspeedway:(Top ten:)
1) #6-Mark Martin, 182.320
2) #50-David Ragan, 181.770
3) #18-Bobby Hamilton Jr., 181.494
4) #30-Todd Bodine, 180.829
5) #23-Johnny Benson, 180.441
6) #99-Erik Darnell, 180.193
7) #60-Jack Sprague, 180.132
8) #22-Bill Lester, 180.058
9) #11-David Starr, 179.834
10)#14-Rick Crawford,179.753
First Rookie: (6th) #99-Erik Darnell, 180.193
For complete starting lineup:
espn.com
truckseries.com
nascar.com(10-6-2006)

GOODYEAR TIRE NOTES
Tire:
Goodyear Wrangler Superspeedway Radials (Craftsman Truck)

Number of Tires:
Craftsman Truck: Left-side — 325, Right-side – 325

Tire Codes: Left-side — D-4046; Right-side — D-4068

Tire Circumference: Left-side — 87.9 in.; Right-side — 88.4 in.

Technical Inspection Inflation:
Left Front — 30 psi; Left-Rear – – 30 psi;
Right Front — 55 psi; Right Rear — 50 psi

Minimum Recommended Inflation:
Left Front — 27 psi; Left-Rear — 27 psi;
Right Front — 50 psi; Right Rear — 45 psi

Notes: This is the first time that Goodyear has brought this combination of left- and right-side tires to the track …because the track surface at Talladega has been repaved since the Nextel Cup Series last visit to the track in April, Goodyear needed to change its tire recommendation from that race…this tire set-up was tested with six drivers — David Gilliland, Travis Kvapil, Ryan Newman, David Stremme, Martin Truex Jr., and Brian Vickers – at Talladega last month . . . teams in both NASCAR series will run the same tire codes at Talladega this weekend, though the Nextel Cup tires will be branded “Goodyear Eagle” and the Craftsman Truck tires will be branded “Goodyear Wrangler” . . . as on all NASCAR ovals greater than one mile in length, teams are required to run liners in all four tire positions at Talladega…air pressure in those inner liners should be 12-25 psi greater than that of the outer tire.(10-6-2006)

John Deere 250 should reward experience:
In real estate, it’s location, location, location. At Talladega Superspeedway, the key word is experience. No driver in this week’s lineup has raced a truck at the 2.66-mile track but virtually all have Talladega credentials in Nextel Cup and Busch Series or competed in February’s GM FlexFuel 250 at Daytona International peedway. Mark Martin (#6 Scotts Ford) won in Daytona – the first of four victories in 2006. He’s the only entered driver with wins in two national touring series at Talladega. Martin has two wins and a pair of Budweiser Poles in 41 Nextel Cup starts alongside one Busch Series win. Seventeen entered drivers have started at least one NASCAR national touring series race at Talladega. The top two Truck Series championship contenders have solid Talladega credentials. Todd Bodine (#30 Lumber Liquidators Toyota) has three top-five NASCAR Busch finishes. Johnny Benson (#23 NAPA Auto Parts Toyota), has three Nextel Cup top 10s.

John Deere 250 News & Notes–Part II:
First race winners also have won titles…Twice since 2000 drivers winning inaugural races have captured the Truck Series championship as well. (See chart below). Bobby Hamilton’s Atlanta victory in 2004 aided his title drive as did Greg Biffle’s win at Kentucky Speedway in 2000. Raybestos rookies count pair of inaugural wins…Kurt Busch took the checkered flag at Dover International Speedway in 2000 following up his second-place finish at Daytona. The following season Ricky Hendrick was Kansas Speedway’s first Craftsman Truck winner. Six have Daytona-Talladega connection…Six drivers who participated in the first series race at Daytona International Speedway are expected to compete this week in the John Deere 250. They are Wallace, Terry Cook (#10 Ford Power Stroke Diesel Ford), Dennis Setzer (#85 Shell Rotella Chevy), Jack Sprague (#60 Con-way Freight Toyota), Rick Crawford (#14 Circle Bar Truck Corral Ford) and David Starr (#11 Red Horse Racing Toyota). Bodine watched and learned from the master…The current series point leader can’t wait to take the green flag at Talladega where he’ll be making his 18th national touring series start. Bodine says he learned drafting from the master – Dale Earnhardt. “Me watching him race taught me a lot about this type of racing. Being sent to the back of the pack isn’t a problem when you’re running in a race at Talladega. I have a lot of fun running these races – in traffic or at the front.” Ambrose, East among first-timers…JTG Motorsports teammates Marcos Ambrose (#20 Team Australia/Aussie Vineyards Ford) and Bobby East (#21 State Fair Corndogs Ford) will be making their first “super track” starts. Neither Raybestos Rookie candidate was approved to compete at Daytona in February.

First NASCAR Craftsman Truck Race Superspeedway Winners: (Since 2000)
Atlanta, Bobby Hamilton, 2004
Daytona, Mike Wallace*, 2000
Dover, Kurt Busch, 2000
Kansas, Ricky Hendrick, 2001
Kentucky, Greg Biffle, 2000
Lowe’s, Ted Musgrave*, 2003
Nashville, Scott Riggs , 2001
*Expected to compete at Talladega

Racing at Home–finally:
Rick Crawford has competed just about everywhere in a career of late model barnstorming and his 241 Craftsman Truck starts. Until this week, however, the Mobile, Ala. veteran only could dream of racing at one of his home state’s most famous sports stadiums. “The Truck Series gave me the opportunity to fulfill a lot of dreams – racing and winning at Daytona and now racing at Talladega,” said Crawford. Circle Bar team member Tommy Praytor – who also hails from Alabama – will cook breakfast for a number of media members on Saturday.

This Week’s Truck Series Leaders: (through 19 races of the 25-race season)
Points leader-Todd Bodine (2,911 points)
Winnings-Todd Bodine ($522,775)
Laps led-Mark Martin (485)
Miles led-Mike Skinner (783.292)
Victories-Johnny Benson, Mark Martin (4)
Budweiser Poles-Mike Skinner (6)
Top-five finishes-Johnny Benson (11)
Top-10 finishes-Todd Bodine, Johnny Benson, David Reutimann (14)
Raybestos Rookie Leader-Erik Darnell (39 pts. over Chad McCumbee)
Races led-Mike Skinner (10)
Weeks in Top 10-3 drivers (19)

On The Right Track:
Brief But Solid For Hornaday…Ron Hornaday Jr. (#33 AES HR Solutions Chevy) has made only four Busch Series starts at Talladega but two resulted in top-five finishes. Hornaday finished second in 2004. Ditto For Brendan Gaughan…Gaughan (#77 South Point Dodge) competed in NASCAR NEXTEL Cup races at Talladega twice in 2004 and led seven laps en route to a fourth-place finish in the track’s fall event. Excellent Credentials…Joe Nemechek will drive Morgan-Dollar Motorsports’ #46 U.S. Army Chevy in his first series start since January 1998. “Front Row Joe” has lived up to his nickname at Talladega scoring eight Budweiser Poles. Nemechek won NASCAR Busch Series races in 1998 and 2000.

Manufacturers’ Championship 2006 Point Standings
Toyota, 135
Ford, 120
Chevy, 94
Toyota, 67

From The Archives:
The Truck Series was conceived as a short-track series – with never a thought of scheduling events at Daytona and Talladega. The first-year schedule in 1995 contained three mile-track races at The Milwaukee Mile and Phoenix International Raceway. Mike Skinner won all three. Ironically, Skinner didn’t win another speedway race until two weeks ago when he captured the Smith’s Las Vegas 350 to mark his 19th career victory.

Fast Facts:
The Race: Talladega 250
The Place: Talladega Superspeedway
The Date: Oct. 7, 2006
The Time: 3:15 pm/et
Race Distance: 250.04 miles (94 laps)
TV: SPEED, 2:30 pm/et
Track Layout: 2.66-mile banked oval
Race Purse: $753,800
2005 Winner: First event
2005 Pole: First event
Schedule: Thursday – Practice, 12:10 – 1 p.m., 1:50 – 2 p.m. and 2:20 – 3:20 p.m. Friday – Qualifying, 11:15 a.m.(NASCAR PR)(10-2-2006)