October 2008 Craftsman Truck Series Archive - Jayski's NASCAR Silly Season Site

October 2008 Truck Series News Archive

For winners of a race in Cup, Nationwide and Truck Series races: see the Misc Stats page for this and other statistical information.

Lawler to #15 in ’09? During the race broadcast Adam Alexander reported that Ryan Lawler is looking for sponsorship with plans to run either a full or partial schedule in the #15-Toyota for Billy Ballew Motorsports in 2009.(10-31-2008)
Goodyear Tires Notes – Texas: Teams in all three NASCAR series will run the same tire codes at Texas this weekend, though those for the Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series will be branded “Goodyear Eagle,” while those for the Truck Series will be branded “Goodyear Wrangler” . . . this is the same combination of left- and right-side tires that Goodyear brought for teams to run at Texas earlier this season — Cup and Nationwide in April and Truck in June . . . in addition to Texas, NASCAR teams have run this specific tire combination at Chicagoland earlier this summer . . . teams in all three of these series will run this set-up again at Homestead in two weeks . . . this left-side tire code (D-4134) has also been run with a different right-side code at Dover, Michigan and Kentucky in 2008 . . . as on all NASCAR ovals greater than one mile in length, teams will are required to run inner liners in all four tire positions at Texas . . . air pressure in those inner liners should be 12-25 psi greater than that of the outer tire. See codes, pressures and more on the Texas Race Page.(10-31-2008)
Fire damages BBM trucks & hauler UPDATE Help from Milburn; hoping to salvage #51: Two Toyota racing trucks, a toolbox, a pit box and a tractor-trailer car hauler were heavily damaged by fire on Interstate 20 on Tuesday. Biese [hauler driver] told deputies he ran over some debris on I-20 and stopped to check for damage, finding a small air leak. He drove approximately two miles, when smoke started coming from his trailer wheels and flames erupted, Baswell said. Biese was hauling the two Toyota trucks to the Texas Motor Speedway in Ft. Worth where one of them was to be driven by NASCAR’s Kyle Busch in Friday’s Chevy Silverado 350, part of the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. The equipment, which is valued at $1,000,000 and may end up being a total loss, is owned by Billy Ballew Motorsports out of Woodstock, Georgia. Investigators say overheated brakes may have caused the fire. No one was hurt in the blaze, Baswell said.(Shreveport Times)(10-29-2008)
UPDATE: Jeff Milburn a former NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series owner who is based in Texas graciously drove to Shreveport, Louisiana to pick up what was salvageable and transported it to the Texas Motor Speedway. The trailer arrived close to midnight and the crews off both the #15 and #51 Billy Ballew Motorsports teams worked late into the early hours cleaning and evaluating the #51 Miccosukee Resort Toyota. “The biggest thing on the truck is just the water damage from the fire department shooting water on it,” Wauters said. “It just ran down into the motor and everything. The fire itself made everything just black. The primary truck, everything was just nasty black from the fire. The motor, we had to take it all apart last night, take the intake off, and get all the water out of the cylinders. We got oil put down on the cylinders and got it running last night. It appears it might be all right. We’ll find out after we practice. This thing ain’t bad. The rest, the backup truck was brand new and it got melted. That was junk. And all the contents in the trailer – the springs, the radios and all the equipment got junked. Other than that, I think this truck is all right. There’s a lot of water damage and rust, but other than that, I think we’ll be all right. Chassis 11 is his favorite truck. We’ve run 12 races in it. He doesn’t want to give it up. We’re going to try (to use the engine). We’re going to try the first practice with it and see how it runs. And if it’s all OK, we’ll keep her in it. If not, we’ll have to change it up. With the help of many in the NASCAR community Busch will be able to race in Friday’s Silverado 350k for the Billy Ballew Motor Sports team. For more of this story visit: BillyBallewMotorsports.com.(10-30-2008)
Crew chief changes at the #21 UPDATE Confirmed: Hearing that #21 Crew Chief, John Monsam, parted ways on Monday with Wood Brothers Racing, where he’s worked for three years. In 2007, Monsam worked with five drivers, four of whom scored top-10 finishes, as the #21 was 11th in the owner standings. Monsam reportedly will be replaced for this weekend’s Atlanta race by Wood Brothers engineer Mike Smith, who earlier this season worked as the Woods’ #21 Sprint Cup crew chief before being replaced by David Hyder.(10-22-2008)
UPDATE: Mike Smith is listed as crew chief for the #21 on the final entry list, and also hearing that John Monsam is in the garage area at Atlanta looking for a new job.(10-24-2008)
UPDATE 2: Jon Wood in the #21 Wood Brothers Racing U.S. Air Force Ford F-150 will head to Texas Motor Speedway for the second time this season with a fresh outlook along with recently hired crew chief Gere Kennon. Kennon, a veteran crew chief of NASCAR’s top tier Sprint Cup and Nationwide series is now being welcomed back to the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series with the #21 team. He’s had two Nationwide Series Championships and currently holds the record for the most wins in a single season in that series. Most recently, he was crew chief in the ARCA RE/MAX Series with Spraker Racing and driver Dexter Bean finishing out the ’08 season.(Wood Bros. Racing PR)(10-29-2008)
Premier Racing to build new facility: Premier Racing announced plans Tuesday to build a racing facility in Pittsylvania County’s Brosville Industrial Park on U.S 58 west of Danville. Premier Racing, which includes driver Timothy Peters, will build a NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series shop to compete for the championship in 2009. Peters competed in the 2007 Busch Series with Richard Childress Racing and 2007 Truck Series with Morgan Dollar Racing.(Star-Tribune)(10-29-2008)
Papis in third truck for Germain at Texas: UPDATE Correction – #07 fielded by SS-Greenlight Racing: When the Chevy Silverado 350K gets underway on Friday night in the Lone Star State, the fans in attendance will be treated to a show when 2006 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Champion Todd Bodine, 2003 Champ Car Champion Paul Tracy and 2004 Rolex Grand-Am Series Champion Max Papis hit the 1.5-mile quad-oval as teammates Fresh off of an announcement that finds him Sprint Cup Racing for the next four years with GEICO and Germain Racing, ‘Mad’ Max Papis will pilot the #07 GEICO Toyota Tundra. (PMI PR)(10-29-2008)
UPDATE: While Max Papis will be behind the wheel of the #13 GEICO Toyota NASCAR Sprint Cup Series entry for Germain Racing beginning this week in Texas, his #07 GEICO Toyota for the Chevy Silverado 350K at Texas Motor Speedway will be fielded by SS-Green Light Racing. (PMI PR)(10-29-2008)
Series TV ratings continue upward surge: The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race from Atlanta scored a Nielsen Household Rating of 1.00 (732,000 households), a dramatic 79-percent increase from last year’s .56 (410,000 households). As a growing number of race fans continue to tune in to the closest points race in all of NASCAR’s top three national divisions, the Atlanta race peaked at a rating of 1.17 (855,000 households), up 44 percent from last year’s peak of .81 (588,000 households). The Atlanta numbers mark the sixth time this season that Truck Racing on SPEED has hit or surpassed a full 1.00 rating and the 16th time Nielsen ratings have increased year-to-year on SPEED. Younger audiences continue to tune into NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series racing on SPEED, as ratings for Men 18-49 were up 84 percent from Atlanta and ratings for Men 18-34 were up 92 percent.(SPEEDtv.com)(10-28-2008)
Gale to drive #2 for KHI at Texas: Cale Gale, driver of the KHI #33 Nationwide Series entry, climbs behind the wheel of the #2 Kevin Harvick Inc. American Commercial Lines Chevy for the first time this season at Texas Motor Speedway. Gale will be making his sixth career start in the Truck Series but has never competed at TMS.(Kevin Harvick Inc. PR)(10-28-2008)
Mayfield to buy into Truck Team? Jeremy Mayfield told Sirius NASCAR Radio’s Sirius Speedway Monday that he is negotiating to purchase half of the Billy Ballew Motorsports Craftsman Truck Series team. “Billy and I have been talking for a while now,” said Mayfield. “He’s a great guy, and he has a great team. I’m not sure what’s going to happen on the Cup side yet, but (NASCAR has) the Truck Series sponsor worked out now, and I know it’s going to be around a while.” Mayfield said the plan is for him to purchase the #15 team, with the truck still being fielded out of the Ballew shops. “I would run the #15 truck as a teammate to Billy’s #51. Nothing’s done yet, there are no details done. But it would be fun to go Truck racing. I’ve always wanted to own my own team, and if something comes up on the Cup side of things, maybe I’ll do the deal anyway and put someone else in the Truck.”(Sirius Speedway)(10-27-2008)
Raybestos Rookie News & Notes – Texas Motor Speedway: Scott Speed was the Raybestos Rookie of the Race in the October 25 E-Z-GO 200 at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Speed scored a fifth-place finish, his fourth top-five and seventh top-10 in 13 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series starts. He claimed Raybestos Rookie of the Race honors for the fifth time in 2008. A Raybestos Rookie has scored a top-10 finish in each of the last 10 consecutive NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series races. Brian Scott scored a 10th-place finish at Atlanta, his fourth top-10 finish of the season. Colin Braun leads Donny Lia by 30 points (185-155) in the Raybestos Rookie standings entering the October 31 Silverado 350K at Texas Motor Speedway. Tim Sauter was the Raybestos Rookie of the Race in the 2007 Silverado 350K at Texas, scoring a 10th-place finish. A Raybestos Rookie has won two of the nine fall races at Texas: Travis Kvapil (2001) and Brendan Gaughan (2002). The best qualifying effort by a Raybestos Rookie in nine previous fall races at Texas is third by Ricky Hendrick (2001) and Carl Edwards (2003).(Raybestos PR)(10-27-2008)
Racing Resources says…
…Ryan Newman won the E-Z Go 200 at Atlanta Motor Speedway. It was his first career Truck Series start. He joins Mike Skinner (Phoenix, 1995), Robert Pressley (Daytona, 2002) and Kasey Kahne (Darlington, 2004) who also won in their first Truck Series starts.
…Ron Hornaday Jr. (second) led three times for 110 laps, the most of the day.
…Newman led three times for 11 laps.
…This was the third last-lap pass in 2008 (Mansfield and Talladega).
…Points leader Johnny Benson (seventh) is now 31 points ahead of Hornaday with three races remaining. He had a 65-point lead coming into Atlanta, losing 34 points Sunday.
…Newman won from the 10th-place starting position in a field that was set by owners’ points.
…Sixteen of the 22 Truck Series races in 2008 have been won from the top 10.
…This is the 15th win for Kevin Harvick Inc., sixth of 2008. This is the second KHI 1-2 finish. Its other 1-2 finish came at Kansas with Hornaday first and Sprague second in April.
…Chevrolet posted its eighth win in 2008. Toyota has 12 and Ford and Dodge have one victory each.
…#7 T. J. Bell (ninth) scored his fifth straight top-10 finish, extending a streak that dates to New Hampshire in September.
…#5 Mike Skinner (26th) ended a six-race streak of top-15 finishes that dated to Bristol in August.
…Rookie of the Year contender #16 Brian Scott (10th) scored his sixth straight top-15 finish, extending a streak that began at Gateway in September.
…On Lap 37, #88 Matt Crafton, who was running third, was forced to the garage with engine issues and dropped from third to fifth in the standings. Crafton was credited with a 29th-place finish and now trails points leader Benson by 297.
…The race was slowed four times for 15 laps of caution.
…The race featured seven lead changes among three drivers.
…The top 10 consisted of six Toyotas, one Ford and three Chevrolets.
…The highest-finishing Raybestos Rookie of the Year candidate was #22 Scott Speed, who took fifth.(ESPN.com)(10-27-2008)
Lawler teams up with TRG at Texas: UPDATE To #15 with BBM instead: Ryan Lawler has teamed-up with TRG Motorsports for the Chevy Silverado 350K at Texas Motor Speedway on Friday, October 31st. We have some sponsorship backing now, and we are going to run a least the Texas event with TRG Motorsports” said Lawler. “Hopefully we can run another race in the #7 truck after that (for TRG)”.(Ryan Lawler PR)(9-19-2008)
UPDATE: Ryan Lawler has teamed up with Billy Ballew Motorsports to drive the #15 Ergon Toyota for the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Chevy Silverado 350K at Texas Motor Speedway on Friday, October 31st. Lawler had originally partnered with TRG Motorsports for the Chevy Silverado 350K at Texas Motor Speedway, but those plans were forced to change due to circumstances beyond Lawler’s control.(BL Mktg/Ryan Lawler PR)(10-27-2008)
Next step for Davis, trucks? UPDATE 3 Plans to run some races in 2009: Development driver, Marc Davis and the JGR team are unsure of his next step. He remains in one of NASCAR’s Class A leagues, the Camping World East series. The best and nearest hope for advancement team president J.D. Gibbs offers is perhaps the Craftsman Truck Series, NASCAR’s Double-A ball, beginning next year. [Brad] Daugherty had limited success as a Truck and Nationwide owner in the past, and just last month bought into another team that will field one car at the Cup level in 2009. The team already had three white drivers under contract for next year, one in Cup, two in Nationwide, so his hands are tied on improving diversity there. “But I’m looking at running, hopefully, an African-American driver in the Truck series,” he says. Daugherty wouldn’t confirm the likelihood that Marc Davis is his man, but also wouldn’t deny it, in a joint effort with the Gibbs team. For Marc, “I would say there’s a possibility he could run something [part-time] in Nationwide in the fall,” Gibbs says. “Next year, we’re trying to look at trucks as a great spot for him.” (Read more of this article at ESPN.com)(8-11-2008)
UPDATE: Joe Gibbs Racing development driver Marc Davis will make his Craftsman Truck Series debut driving for Randy Moss Motorsports in the Sept. 6 race at Gateway International Raceway. Randy Moss Motorsports co-owner David Dollar said Wednesday that Davis could run more than just one race this year. Davis, who just turned 18 in June, has competed in the NASCAR Camping World East Series for the last two years.(SceneDaily.com)(8-21-2008)
UPDATE 2: Randy Moss Motorsports has hired 18-year-old Marc Davis to drive in NASCAR’s Craftsman Truck Series beginning Sept. 6 at St. Louis, and for a total of “probably about six races this year,” Davis said Monday in a telephone interview. Davis is widely considered the African American driver nearest to making a major breakthrough in NASCAR. But his father, Harry Davis, said the deal as it came together “was never about diversity, as many would play it up to be. It’s about dollars.” Davis received special permission to drive for Moss from J.D. Gibbs, president of Joe Gibbs Racing, where Davis has been a development driver alongside Joey Logano for the past two years. Harry Davis said the deal came together quickly because Marc brought his own sponsorship, from Howard University-affiliated radio station WHUR in Washington, D.C. (ESPN.com)(8-26-2008)
UPDATE 3: During a post-race interview with ESPN’s Mike Massaro, Marc Davis was asked if he was planning on running any more races this year. Davis responded by saying that they are trying to put some races together for the remainder of this year, but that they were really trying to set down their 2009 schedule first. Davis said they plan to run some Truck Series Races as well as some Nationwide races in 2009.(10-25-2008)
Tracy testing with Germain at Chicagoland UPDATE 6 One race deal at Texas; sponsor Bombardier Learjet/Sport Clips: Open-wheeler Paul Tracy, who made his NASCAR debut in NASCAR’s #2 series in 2006, will return to the oval-track for a one-day test at Chicagoland Speedway on Wednesday, May 28th. While this will be Tracy’s first experience in a truck, he is known as one of the most cerebral wheelmen in the business and he will adapt quickly. Versatility is a trademark of the 2003 Champ Car World Series Champion, as Tracy has raced open-wheel cars, Grand-Am cars, NASCAR, and off-road trucks, all in the last two years. (Player Mgmt. PR)(5-26-2008)
UPDATE: Possibility for 09? It was just an engine test with a driver currently out of work, as the 40-year-old Canadian has been unsuccessful in attempts to land a ride in the new unified IndyCar Series. Then again, it’s perhaps the most interesting pairing of a former open-wheel driver with a truck team. “We haven’t talked about specifics — it’s been more about maybe trying to think about that next year,” team owner Bob Germain said. “Though if we saw something come together, you’re so much further ahead if you can run some races this year to get everybody familiar with each other. But realistically, we’ve got a lot on our plate right now. We won’t rule out the possibility we’d do that, but this process just started.” This week, Tracy’s goals were modest: namely, to get acclimated to a race truck and to provide some feedback for the #30 team. Bodine tested all day Tuesday and Wednesday morning, then got to pass the wheel and rest for Friday’s race at Dover.(ESPN.com)(5-30-2008)
UPDATE 2: A few weeks ago, Paul Tracy tested Todd Bodine’s truck at Chicagoland Speedway and impressed Bob Germain enough to get a one-off deal. Tracy will drive the Germain Racing Toyota on September 20 at Las Vegas. “Paul did a nice job so we got a little bit if support and decided it would be fun to run him in his hometown,” said Germain, who along with his two brothers owns 19 car dealerships in Ohio and Florida. “We’re going to run Chrissie full-time in the trucks next year and we’ve got another year for sure with Mike (sponsored by Geico),” said Germain. “I know Todd would like to run the Nationwide series and we’ve got about a dozen different possibilities we’ll be looking at. “And running Paul full-time in the trucks is one of those.”(Robin Miller- SPEED/TV)(6-19-2008)
UPDATE 3: Canadian open-wheel star Paul Tracy will drive a Germain Racing Toyota Oct. 31 at Texas Motor Speedway, not at his current hometown Las Vegas Motor Speedway as previously planned. A Texas-based sponsor was the catalyst behind the move.(ESPN.com)(9-12-2008)
UPDATE 4: During the Sirius Speedway radio program with host Dave Moody, Paul Tracy made the announcement that Texas-based Sports Clips and Learjet will be sponsoring the #9-Germain Racing Toyota that he will be driving at Texas Motor Speedway.(10-22-2008)
UPDATE 5 Image added: Image of the #9-Bombardier Learjet/Sport Clips Germain Racing Toyota is posted on the 2008 Paint Scheme Page.(10-23-2008)
UPDATE 6: Sponsor name clarification: The official name of the #9 Entry from Germain Racing is Bombardier Learjet/Sport Clips Tundra.(Germain Racing PR)(10-25-2008)
Rowe & Herd Racing set to go truck racing in 2009 UPDATE associate sponsor added: Driver Brett Rowe and the Herd Racing team will be in Louisville, Kentucky October 23-25 to participate in a sponsorship announcement for its planned 2009 entry in NASCAR’s Truck Series. Rowe, who has been tabbed to drive the #75 Ford F-150 in next year’s truck series, will sign autographs at the Green Industry and Equipment Expo at the Kentucky Fair and Exposition Center from 11:00am. – noon and 3: 00 – 4:00pm. on October 24. The team will conduct a press conference with its 2009 sponsors at 1:30pm at the Exposition Center to announce plans to compete in the 2009 Truck Series. As of right now they are looking at about 10 races based on this sponsorship projection. The team is working on other sponsorship as well with the goal being to run two fully funded teams next year in the truck series and run the Nationwide car in a handful of races as well.(Herd Racing PR)(10-23-2008)
UPDATE: Deist Industries, Inc., the Pennsylvania manufacturer of the Switch-N-Go detachable truck body system, the AmeriDeck hydraulic loading system for pick-up trucks, and Buck’s Fabricating roll-off containers, is announcing its associate sponsorship of Herd Racing’s #75 Ford F-150 truck, which plans to compete in the 2009 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series.(Herd Racing PR)(10-24-2008)
Darnell to NNS part-time in 2009 UPDATE: Northern Tool & Equipment to sponsor: Roush Fenway Racing plans to move current NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series driver Erik Darnell into the Nationwide Series next year, but the organization’s complete lineup is still being finalized, and some spots are dependent on sponsorship. Team owner Jack Roush said Wednesday that he expects to run four or five full-time Nationwide cars and at least one full-time truck. Carl Edwards, who drives for Roush in the Cup series, will also compete for the drivers’ championship in the Nationwide Series, and Colin Braun will do the same in Trucks. The rest of the Nationwide lineup likely will be a mix of drivers. Darnell, who is sixth in the Truck standings, likely will run in Nationwide, Roush said. “If a sponsor came and very much wanted to have Erik back in the Truck series, we would certainly think about that,” he said. “If Erik is going to advance – my understanding of his career goal wasn’t that he wanted to be a Truck driver for his career but to advance into Nationwide and into Sprint Cup. “We have got an opportunity. Although he’s not running for a championship, he’ll get a significant number of races in a Nationwide Fusion next year.”(SceneDaily.com)(10-22-2008)
UPDATE: Roush Fenway Racing driver Erik Darnell and his Craftsman Truck Series sponsor Northern Tool + Equipment will continue their partnership next season in the NASCAR Nationwide Series. The 2009 season will be Northern Tool + Equipment’s fourth year with Darnell and Roush Fenway Racing. Darnell and Northern Tool will share the #6 Ford Fusion with David Ragan and Discount Tire Company during the 2009 Nationwide season. The team’s full schedule will be announced at a later date.(Roush Fenway Racing PR)(10-24-2008)
Image added: Image of the #48-DirecTV Hot Pass/TNA Wrestling Chevy driven by Hermie Sadler at Martinsville is posted on the 2008 Paint Scheme Gallery.(10-24-2008)
Johns in the #89 at AMS: Richard Johns will get his second crack at the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series when he pilots the #89 Lafferty Performance Chevy in the EZ GO 200 at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Johns made his Truck Series debut earlier this month at Talladega.(Richard Johns PR)(10-24-2008)
Kobalt withdraws sponsorship bid: UPDATE 4 Camping World as title sponsor; announcement today: Kobalt Tools, the Lowe’s brand that was considered the leader to be the title sponsor of the NASCAR truck series, has withdrawn from the bidding, sources say. Craftsman is in its final season as the title sponsor. With Kobalt stepping away, the door is open for Craftsman to renew its status as the official tool of NASCAR, which the brand had hoped to retain even though it was not renewing title sponsorship of the series.(Sports Business Daily), hearing Craftsman may return as the sponsor of the Truck Series.(8-8-2008)
UPDATE UPS? NASCAR isn’t back to square one in its search, but it is finding the proceedings slow in the current economy. Its asking price for entitlement is believed to be in the $5 million to $7 million range per year. “There is strong interest in title sponsorship of the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, and we are meeting with potential partners. NASCAR is focused on finding the best partner to continue to grow a series that’s important to the sport and our fans,” said Andrew Giangola, NASCAR’s director of communications.” “I don’t read anything into that from a sign of the sport, it’s just the economy’s bad. It’s not the world’s greatest time to be the marketplace looking for a long-term, multimillion-dollar deal,” said Zak Brown, CEO and founder of Just Marketing, an Indianapolis-based marketing group with various motorsports clients. “All they can do, which is what I know they’re doing, is just keep their head down and keep trying. With that platform, marketers say, NASCAR is eager to land a sponsor, but the lack of one so far doesn’t raise a black flag on the series. Where might that deal lead? Brown said the likely candidates remain companies that would fit the rugged, masculine image of the Truck Series, not unlike the current sponsor, Craftsman. One of his clients — UPS, a company famous for its trucks — is said to be intrigued and looking at the series. Yet an announcement appears to still be weeks away, leaving fans, teams and manufacturers in a wait-and-see mode to discover which company will carry the Truck Series into the next decade. “Our assumption is that there will be a replacement sponsor contracted within the next two to three months, that’s the assumption we’re operating under,” said Les Unger, national motorsports manager for Toyota. “The series is still extremely popular. I think there are opportunities for a potential sponsor to jump in with both feet.”(ESPN)(8-14-2008)
UPDATE 2 Camping World? Saying his company has enjoyed its first year as an official NASCAR sponsor, Camping World Director of Motorsports Kurt Hunt says that it wouldn’t be “outside the realm of possibility” that his company would replace Craftsman as sponsor of NASCAR’s truck series beginning in 2009. Camping World is in its first year of sponsoring the NASCAR East and NASCAR West series. “It has been a great experience,” Hunt said in a phone interview about Camping World’s involvement in NASCAR. “[The truck series] is something we have looked at. … Companion races are great [and] there are some markets where it is the top show in a market where we have a large concentration of fans and customers.” Hunt said there is no timetable and he wouldn’t characterize the talks as in the negotiation phase. Camping World sponsors a truck and Nationwide Series car at Kevin Harvick Inc. as well as serving as an associate sponsor of a Richard Childress Racing Nationwide car. It also has entered into a variety of race entitlements. If Camping World became the sponsor of the trucks, the company would have to consider whether to continue sponsoring the East and West series, Hunt said.(Scene Daily)(8-16-2008)
UPDATE 3 Harvick comments: Kevin Harvick said he’ll understand if Camping World decides to take its money from his team and sponsor what is now the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series next year. Harvick’s Kevin Harvick Inc. truck and Nationwide Series teams currently have a relationship with Camping World. In the past, Harvick has criticized NASCAR for stealing sponsors from race teams, but he said Friday that this situation is different. Harvick noted that Camping World’s race sponsorships – several races have been named for Camping World this year, including consecutive Sprint Cup races at Dover and Kansas – have helped that company reach more potential customers. NASCAR officials say nothing has been decided yet and Camping World is simply in the mix as one of the potential sponsors for the truck series. Harvick said Camping World is signed through 2009 to remain as the sponsor of Ron Hornaday’s #33 truck and that will not change. However, he said KHI will likely need to fill a 14-race sponsorship hole on its Nationwide team if Camping World departs. “Camping World has been involved in a lot of entitlements and things, and I want them to do what’s best for them as a sponsor,” Harvick said. “Understanding where everything comes from and how it works, it sounds for them like they think that’s a better avenue. So that’s OK.”(SceneDaily.com)(9-26-2008)
UPDATE 4 Announcement soon: Hearing that Camping World will be named as title sponsor for the Truck Series and that an announcement could come at any time.(10-23-2008)
UPDATE 5 Announcement today: Camping World will be named as the new sponsor for NASCAR’s Truck Series Thursday afternoon. NASCAR announced it would hold a teleconference with the media at 2 p.m. ET featuring NASCAR chairman and CEO Brian France and Camping World Chairman and CEO Marcus Lemonis. The sponsorship is a multiyear deal, but no other details about the partnership have been released. Camping World — which sells and services recreational vehicles and outdoor camping accessories — will continue as primary sponsor of the #33 through the 2009 season, but will end its sponsorship of a KHI Nationwide Series car. It also will continue its title sponsorship of the lower-level NASCAR development series, Camping World Series East and Camping World Series West, through 2009.(ESPN.com)(10-23-2008)
SS-Green Light Racing, one team with Goede in ’09? UPDATE 3 White looking at other options for 2009: Hearing that SS Greenlight Racing is working on putting something together to run the 2009 Truck Series as a one truck team with current ASA Challenge Point Leader, Jacob Goede and Butch Miller as crew chief. Goede will also run for the Rookie of the Year.(8-28-2008)
UPDATE Denied: SS-Green Light Racing is currently planning their 2009 season. However there are no talks going with Jacob Goede. 2009 plans will be announced soon and will come directly from the organization. Current focus is on primary drivers Sean Murphy – 2007 Rookie of the Year, currently 3rd in ASA Championship Points and going after the Triple Crown Title and full time driver of the #08 GunBroker.com Dodge Jason White.(SS-Green Light Racing PR)(8-28-2008)
UPDATE 2 SS-Greenlight Racing cutting back to one team in 2009: SS-GLR today executed a reduction in workforce to better prepare for the slowing economic times in 2009. This workforce reduction is in preparation of reducing from two teams in 2008 to one team in 2009. The team currently operates the #08 GunBroker.com Dodge and the #07 ASILIMITED Chevrolet in 2008. ASILIMITED will return for the 3rd year with the team in 2009. The Team’s future goal is to move up the competition ladder one step at time. This year was building a foundation and bringing the resources of two teams together. 2009 will be to strengthen a single team and continue to build on that foundation. Like any business, learning and adapting to changes needed to be successful. SSGLR will continue to exist and build year to year.(SS-Greenlight Racing PR)(10-20-2008)
UPDATE 3 White looking at options for ’09 NNS or Trucks: NASCAR driver Jason White and sponsor GunBroker.com are searching for opportunities for the 2009 NASCAR season. The team has enjoyed success with SS-Greenlight Racing in 2008 competing in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series but the duo will not reunite for a second season. White and his long-term sponsor are looking at opportunities in both the NASCAR Nationwide Series and NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series.(GunBroker.com PR)(10-22-2008)
Sad News – Earl Small Jr: Long-time friend and sponsor of Billy Ballew Motorsports, Earl Small, Jr. was killed in a helicopter crash late last week. Earl Small Harley-Davidson was the primary sponsor for Ballew in many of the 2004 NCTS races. Decals will adorn the Billy Ballew Motorsports #15 and #51 this weekend in remembrance of Earl. The funeral will be 2:00pm Sunday, October 26th, at McEachern United Methodist Church in Powder Springs. Mayes Ward-Dobbins Funeral Home in Marietta, Georgia is handling arrangements.(Billy Ballew Motorsports PR)(10-22-2008)
Chrissy Wallace in the #9 Toyota at AMS: Germain Racing driver Chrissy Wallace worked her way into the NASCAR ranks starting with Legends Racing. She captured her first win, driving a Bandelero car, at Atlanta Motor Speedway on the small oval course. When she graduated to Legends cars, she also won at Atlanta. Wallace is looking forward to driving the Germain.com Tundra in NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series competition in Saturday’s E-Z-GO 200. This weekend, Wallace will work with #9 Germain.com Toyota crew chief Jason Overstreet.(Germain Racing PR)(10-21-2008)
Ford re-ups with Roush BUT no support for Trucks UPDATE 2: Roush may close some teams; Circle Bar sticking with Ford: Ford Racing has reinforced the importance of NASCAR’s Sprint Cup Series to the manufacturer under tough economic times by reaching a five-year deal to remain with Roush Fenway Racing. BUT Ford will pull its financial support in the Craftsman Truck Series beginning next season. Team owner Jack Roush assured that Ford has not pulled support from the Cup program. “Ford has made us a commitment for five years going into the future that we feel is adequate to our needs for the support that comes from manufacturers,” Roush said before Sunday’s race at Martinsville Speedway. Roush has been with Ford since he got into NASCAR in 1988. His organization owns five of the eight Cup teams currently funded by the manufacturer and has an alliance with two more at Yates Racing. The single-car team [#21] of the Wood Brothers is the only other one that runs fulltime in NASCAR’s premiere series, although Yates plans to expand to three teams [#28,#38 and Paul Menard] in 2009. The withdrawal of financial support in the Truck Series was purely an economical decision. It is the second big hit for that series, which lost Dodge support earlier this year. Unlike Dodge, Ford will continue to provide technical support and engineering. “We remain positive about the performance of our teams and their dedication to the company during these challenging times,” said Brian Wolfe, the director of Ford Racing Technology.(ESPN.com)(10-19-2008) Comment here
UPDATE: Sources close to Roush Fenway Racing say the decision could result in the closure of at least two of the team’s three Truck Series teams. Roush currently fields Erik Darnell’s Northern Tool and Equipment #99, the #6 Con-Way Freight Ford driven by rookie Colin Braun, and the #09 Zaxby’s Ford driven last weekend at Martinsville Speedway by Jamie McMurray. Ford also supports three other Truck Series entries for Circle Bar Racing (Rick Crawford and Brendan Gaughan) and the Wood Brothers (Jon Wood)(Motorsports Soapbox)(10-21-2008
UPDATE 2: NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series driver Rick Crawford told Sirius NASCAR Radio’s Sirius Speedway Monday that the Circle Bar Racing Team will remain with Ford Motor Company next season, despite Ford’s decision to cut its support to the series. After 17 years with team owner Tom Mitchell and Ford, Crawford said there is no doubt in his mind that both the #14 and #10 trucks will be Ford-powered again next season, though there will be differences in the way business is done with the manufacturer.(Motorsports Soapbox)(10-21-2008)
Racing Resources says…
…Johnny Benson won the Kroger 200 at Martinsville Speedway, his 14th Truck victory in his 109th race. This is Benson’s fifth win in 2008, tying Ron Hornaday Jr. for the most. It is Benson’s third career short-track win.
…Benson led once, the final 46 laps. He won from the fifth starting position, the 16th of the 20 races won from the top-10 at Martinsville.
…This is the 24th win for Bill Davis Racing, seventh of 2008 — five by Benson, one apiece by Mike Skinner and Scott Speed.
…Toyota posted its 12th win of the 2008 season. Chevrolet has seven wins and Ford and Dodge have one each.
…Hornaday, the points leader coming into the race, ran out of fuel while running second with three laps to go. Hornaday finished 29th.
…Benson scored 104 more points than Hornaday and is now the leader by 65 points.
…Hornaday led a track-high 154 laps from the start of the race.
…Sam Hornish Jr. (ninth) scored his best NASCAR finish.
…Hornish, J.R. Fitzpatrick (20th), Sean Caisse (36th), Ben Stancill (19th) and Dustin Skinner (34th) made their Truck Series debut.
…The race was slowed nine times for 44 laps of caution.
…The race featured one lead change among two drivers.
…The top 10 consisted of four Toyotas, one Ford, three Dodges and two Chevrolets.
…The highest-finishing Raybestos Rookie of the Year candidate was No. 22 Scott Speed (seventh).(ESPN.com)(10-21-2008)
Six Cup drivers to appear in E-Z-GO 200 at AMS: Kyle Busch, a three-time NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series winner at Atlanta Motor Speedway, highlights a six-member list of Sprint Cup drivers set to compete in Saturday’s E-Z-GO 200. In addition to Busch in the #51 Billy Ballew Motorsports Miccosukee Resorts/NOS Energy Drink truck, his Cup teammate, Denny Hamlin, will also race for Ballew in the #15 Ergon Hypren truck. With a win in the E-Z-GO 200, Busch would improve to a perfect four-for-four in NCTS races at Atlanta and also tie the mark for the most truck wins at any one track. In addition to Busch and Hamlin, noteworthy Cup entrants in the E-Z-GO 200 include #2-Ryan Newman and #09-Travis Kvapil, the 2001 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Rookie of the Year. Rising stars #22-Scott Speed and #8-Chad McCumbee will also compete in both the NCTS and Sprint Cup races.(Atlanta Motor Speedway PR)(10-21-2008)
Gardner named Grand Marshall for E-Z-GO 200: Glen M. Gardner, Jr. has been selected as the Grand Marshal for Saturday’s E-Z-GO 200 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race. Gardner, who served in the U.S. Marine Corps from 1966-1970, was recently selected as the Commander-in-Chief for the Veterans of Foreign Wars at the VFW 109th National Convention.(Atlanta Motor Speedway PR)(10-21-2008)
Raybestos Rookie News & Notes – Atlanta Motor Speedway: Scott Speed was the Raybestos Rookie of the Race in the October 18 Kroger 200 at Martinsville Speedway. Speed scored a seventh-place finish and claimed his sixth top-10 finish in 11 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series starts. He claimed Raybestos Rookie of the Race honors for the fourth time in 2008. A Raybestos Rookie has scored a top-10 finish in each of the last NINE consecutive NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series races. Two Raybestos Rookies have finished inside the top-10 SEVEN times in 21 Craftsman Truck Series races this season. Colin Braun leads Donny Lia by 31 points (184-153) in the Raybestos Rookie standings entering the October 25 E-Z-GO 200 at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Only once in eight races at Atlanta have TWO Raybestos Rookies finished in the top-10. In the 2007 spring race, Joey Clanton placed ninth ahead of 10th-place Kelly Bires. Joey Clanton was the Raybestos Rookie of the Race in 2007 at Atlanta, scoring a sixth-place finish. The best finish by a Raybestos Rookie in eight Craftsman Truck Series races at Atlanta is third by Erik Darnell (2006 fall race) and David Reutimann (2004 spring race).(Raybestos PR)(10-20-2008)
Hamlin to pilot #15 at AMS: Denny Hamlin will pilot the #15 Ergon Toyota at the Atlanta Motor Speedway when the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series takes to the track for the E-Z-GO 200 Saturday, October 25, 2008.(Billy Ballew Motorsports PR)(10-20-2008)
Newman to drive for KHI at Atlanta: UPDATE Series debut; American Commercial Lines to sponsor: Ryan Newman’s website appearance schedule shows Newman running the truck series race for Kevin Harvick Inc. at Atlanta Motor Speedway on October 25, 2008.(RyanNewman.org)(10-18-2008)
UPDATE: Ryan Newman, known as “The Rocket Man,” slides in behind the wheel of the #2 Kevin Harvick Inc. American Commercial Lines Chevy for the first time at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Newman has never driven in the Truck Series, but has an astounding pole record in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series with seven poles in thirteen Sprint Cup starts at AMS.(Kevin Harvick Inc. PR)(10-20-2008)
Stancill hoping to run full time in ’09: Hearing that Ben Stancill is looking to run the full season in the truck series in 2009. They are currently working on potential sponsors and hope to have something finalized within the next few weeks. If the funds are available, Stancill also would like a limited ARCA schedule as well.(10-20-2008)
Raymer returns to series at AMS: Brent Raymer will be making his fourth career start in the Craftsman Truck Series at Atlanta Motor Speedway. VehiCare Fleet Maintenance Solutions will sponsor his #85 Ford. Raymer is also going to be supporting the McCain/Palin campaign for Presidency.(BRM PR)(10-20-2008)
Image added: Scheme for the #85-VehiCare Ford is posted on the 2008 Paint Scheme Page.(10-20-2008)
Lia to the #81 for remainder of season: UPDATE 2 Lia hoping for more in 2009: During the race broadcast on SPEED/TV, Ray Dunlap reported that Donny Lia is expected to drive the #81-Randy Moss Motorsports Chevy for the remainder of the season.(10-4-2008)
UPDATE: Randy Moss Motorsports announces that Donny Lia will take over the driving duties for the #81 RMM Chevy in the five remaining races of the 2008 Craftsman Truck Series season. NationRides.com will also return as sponsor for the remaining races on the schedule.(Moss Motorsports PR)(10-12-2008)
UPDATE 2: Rookie Donny Lia is running the last five races of the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series season with Randy Moss Motorsports, but he hopes more races with the team are in his future. Like much of the garage area, the team co-owned by New England Patriots wide receiver Randy Moss is seeking primary sponsorship for 2009. The group currently has an associate sponsorship from Nationrides.com on the side of Lia’s #81 Chevy. “It’s a good opportunity for me – actually it’s a great opportunity for me,” Lia said Saturday at Martinsville Speedway. “I’m just real excited for us to get going together and help build our chemistry and getting to know everybody a little bit better hopefully so when we go racing next year, we’re just a little bit ahead of the game. “I know [co-owner] David [Dollar] and Randy are kind of working on some sponsor stuff.”(SceneDaily.com)(10-20-2008)
Bean headed to trucks in 2009? During Sunday night’s Speed Report on SPEED/TV, Ray Dunlap reported that Dexter Bean may go truck racing in 2009. [Bean has been competing full time in the ARCA Series since 2006, and in 2008 drove the #37 Chevy with Team Glock Racing.](10-20-2008)
Smaller fields in NASCAR’s future; trucks to 28? UPDATE denied: Another sign of the times is the rumor [Bob Margolis] heard in the Cup garage that NASCAR has floated the possibility of a change in the field size for the Craftsman Truck and Nationwide Series to 28 vehicles and the Cup field down to 36 sometime in the future.(Yahoo Sports)(10-13-2008) Comment here
UPDATE: Q: There was a report last week about NASCAR looking at trimming the fields of truck races to 28 and Cup fields to 36. Is this accurate?
A: “First of all it wasn’t a report, it was somebody’s opinion from the garage area and it was not a NASCAR opinion. We’re not looking at reducing the fields. If circumstances warranted it, then a field less than 43 cars … a reasonable size field under 43 cars does not, I think, impair the quality of a NASCAR race. But there is no thought process today to shorten the field of a Cup or Nationwide series or Truck series.”(Roanoke Times)(10-19-2008) Comment here
Ford re-ups with Roush BUT no support for Truck teams: Ford Racing has reinforced the importance of NASCAR’s Sprint Cup Series to the manufacturer under tough economic times by reaching a five-year deal to remain with Roush Fenway Racing. BUT Ford will pull its financial support in the Craftsman Truck Series beginning next season. Team owner Jack Roush assured that Ford has not pulled support from the Cup program. “Ford has made us a commitment for five years going into the future that we feel is adequate to our needs for the support that comes from manufacturers,” Roush said before Sunday’s race at Martinsville Speedway. Roush has been with Ford since he got into NASCAR in 1988. His organization owns five of the eight Cup teams currently funded by the manufacturer and has an alliance with two more at Yates Racing. The single-car team [#21] of the Wood Brothers is the only other one that runs fulltime in NASCAR’s premiere series, although Yates plans to expand to three teams [#28,#38 and Paul Menard] in 2009. The withdrawal of financial support in the Truck Series was purely an economical decision. It is the second big hit for that series, which lost Dodge support earlier this year. Unlike Dodge, Ford will continue to provide technical support and engineering. “We remain positive about the performance of our teams and their dedication to the company during these challenging times,” said Brian Wolfe, the director of Ford Racing Technology.(ESPN.com)(10-19-2008) Comment here
J.R. Fitzpatrick to pilot third truck for TRG Motorsports at Martinsville: UPDATE 2 more races in ’08; 15 race schedule in ’09: After a successful test at Iowa Speedway just two weeks ago, Canadian stock car standout John Ryan “J.R.” Fitzpatrick has been named driver of the #12 Chevy for TRG Motorsports in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Kroger 200 at Martinsville Speedway on Saturday, October 18th. Fitzpatrick will drive a third entry for TRG Motorsports, in conjunction with DGM Racing, and will serve as a teammate to T.J. Bell and Ben Stancill.(TRG Motorsports PR)(10-10-2008)
UPDATE: DGM Racing is proud to announce that Mammoet has signed on as the primary sponsor of the #12 Chevy driven by Canada’s own J.R. Fitzpatrick for the Kroger 200 on Saturday at Martinsville Speedway. Mammoet specializes in heavy lifting and transport solutions on and offshore. (TRG Motorsports PR)(10-18-2008)
UPDATE 2: During the race broadcast on SPEED/TV, Adam Alexander reported that Fitzpatrick is scheduled to run Phoenix and Homestead in 2008, and plans to run a 15 race schedule in 2009.(10-18-2008)
Images added: Images of the Mammoet Chevy are posted on the 2008 Paint Scheme Gallery page.(10-18-2008)
E-Z-GO named title sponsor for NCTS race at Atlanta Motor Speedway: E-Z-GO, the world’s largest manufacturer of golf cars and utility vehicles, will be the title sponsor for the Oct. 25th NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race at Atlanta Motor Speedway. The E-Z-GO 200 will feature a 130-lap format on Atlanta Motor Speedway’s 1.54-mile quad-oval track and is slated for a 1:30 p.m. start time on Saturday of the Pep Boys Auto 500 race weekend. E-Z-GO also sponsors Mike Skinner’s NCTS ride.(Atlanta Motor Speedway)(10-17-2008)
Malsam making second series attempt: Tayler Malsam returns to the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series this Saturday, October 18th at Martinsville Speedway. Malsam will drive the # 41 Dodge for the fledgling CHS Motorsports team at the Kroger 200 at the .526 mile Martinsville Speedway. This is Malsam’s second series start, the first came at Bristol.(Tayler Malsam PR)(10-17-2008)
Hermie Sadler returns to the series at Martinsville UPDATE 3 Red Rocks Cafe as associate sponsor: Hermie Sadler will temporarily work double duty as a NASCAR analyst for SPEED and DIRECTV and as a Total Nonstop Action (TNA) Wrestling personality to make a return to racing at the Kroger 200 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series event October 18 at Martinsville Speedway. DIRECTV will be teaming up with TNA Wrestling as sponsors for Sadler’s Chevy which will carry the #48 for this event. The race will be Sadler’s first start since running in the Kroger 200 at Martinsville one year ago.(Hermie Sadler PR)(10-8-2008)
UPDATE: Sadler will be driving the #48-Chevy for Fast Track Racing owned by Andy Hillenburg.(10-8-2008)
UPDATE 2: Acredale Vending Co. (Virginia Beach) will return as an associate sponsor for Hermie Sadler in Martinsville.(10-12-2008)
UPDATE 3: Red Rocks Cafe has joined Hermie Sadler on the #48 truck as an associate sponsor for this weekends Kroger 200 at Martinsville Speedway. Red Rocks has two locations in the Charlotte area, Birkdale and Downtown, and is a popular restaurant for NASCAR drivers and fans.(10-16-2008)
Stancill to make truck debut with TGR Development: TRG Motorsports development driver Ben Stancill will add another chapter to his developing career when he makes his NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series debut on Saturday at Martinsville Speedway. The 19 year-old driver will be making his first career NCTS start in the #71 Zero Seconds / “Get Well Grace” Chevy, after two previous and successful starts for TRG Motorsports in the ARCA RE/MAX Series which resulted in seventh and 12th place finishes. This race will also give Stancill the opportunity to send several messages. The hood of his #71 Chevy will feature the Zero Seconds campaign and the rear quarter panels will be a tribute to Stancill’s childhood friend Grace who is living with Guillain-Barré Syndrome.(TRG Motorsports PR)(10-15-2008)
No sponsor for Benson at Martinsville: The weekend’s 200-lap event will be the first time this season the #23 Bill Davis Racing Toyota will not have corporate sponsorship. The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Championship-contending team will bring a blank red-and-black Toyota Tundra to the Virginia short track. The #23 Toyota Tundra team remains in a heated battle for the Craftsman Truck Series championship. Johnny Benson sits only 39 points behind Ron Hornaday for the championship lead. Benson has captured 12 top-five finishes and 14-top 10 finishes thus far in the 2008 campaign.(Bill Davis Racing PR)(10-15-2008)
Dustin Skinner set for series debut with Germain at Martinsville: Following in his father’s footsteps, Dustin Skinner will make his NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series debut at a tough little track in Martinsville, Va. Skinner and his father, Mike, will be fellow Tundra racers this weekend. The youngest of Mike’s sons, Dustin, 23, will drive the #03 Germain Toyota for Germain Racing in the Kroger 200 at Martinsville Speedway. Dustin Skinner’s racing career began with go-karts and 4-wheelers. He has collected wins in FASCAR Pro Trucks at New Smyrna, Charlotte County, Lake City, Lakeland and Citrus Country. He switched over to Super Late Models in 2007. In honor of October being National Breast Cancer Awareness month, the Germain Toyota Tundra will feature a simple pink ribbon on the hood. Additionally, all Germain Racing race cars and trucks will feature a pink ribbon through the end of October.(Germain Racing PR)(10-15-2008)
Cope truck team to debut new driver: from Derrikecope.com – “So it is a weekend off for Nationwide and we will head off to Martinsville Speedway where we will have a new young driver, Robert Bruce, driving the number #73 Taylor race Products/Mid Atlantic Wrecker Service Dodge Truck this weekend in his Craftsman Truck Series debut. I have known Robert and his family for a long time and I am pleased for him to get an opportunity to move up from the Late Model Series.”(Derrikecope.com)(10-15-2008)
Hornish to run truck race at Martinsville UPDATE: Sam Hornish is scheduled to run the Martinsville truck race on October 18th in preparation for the Cup race on Sunday. Hornish will be in the #4 truck in conjunction with Bobby Hamilton Racing-VA. Chris Carrier will serve as his crew chief for this race on behalf of Penske.(Penske Racing PR)(10-7-2008)
UPDATE: Penske Truck Rental will be sponsoring Hornish in his NCTS debut in the Kroger 200 at Martinsville.(Penske Racing PR)(10-14-2008)
Caisse set for debut with Germain Racing at Martinsville: A veteran of the NASCAR Camping World Series East, Pelham, N.H., driver Sean Caisse is set to make his NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series debut with #9 Germain.com Toyota in the Kroger 200 at Martinsville Speedway. Caisse has Truck Series track time at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, and has tested at Richmond, Darlington and Caraway in a Germain Racing Tundra.(Germain Racing PR)(10-14-2008)
Double-duty for McCumbee at Martinsville: Chad McCumbee will attempt to make his second consecutive Sprint Cup Series start in the #45 Dodge after competing in last weekend’s Bank of America 500. McCumbee has competed in five Sprint Cup Series races for Petty Enterprises. His best finish of 17th came at Pocono in June. McCumbee will also complete in the Kroger 200 at Martinsville Speedway driving the #8-Malcomson Construction Chevy.(Petty Racing PR)(10-14-2008)
Sauter & Lawler to drive for SS Greenlight Racing at Martinsville: Johnny Sauter Cup Series regular driver, multi- race NNS Series winner, 10 time ASA winner and 2001 National Champion takes the wheel at Martinsville Speedway to drive the # 07 ASILimited / Akzo Nobel / Spectrum Metal Finishing Chevy. Ryan Lawler will make his 7th start of the season in this weekend’s Kroger 200. Ryan will take the wheel of the #08 Gunbroker.com Dodge.(SS Greenlight Racing PR)(10-14-2008)
White back with Ballew at Martinsville: Powhatan, Virginia native, Jason White will pilot the #15 GunBroker.com Toyota for Billy Ballew Motorsports in the Kroger 200 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series event at the Martinsville Speedway Saturday, October 18, 2008. White will be making his second start for Billy Ballew Motorsports. White piloted the #15 GunBroker.com Toyota at the New Hampshire Motor Speedway in September. (Billy Ballew Motorsports PR)(10-13-2008)
Rookie News & Notes – Martinsville: Colin Braun was the Raybestos Rookie of the Race in the October 4 Mountain Dew 250 at Talladega Superspeedway. Braun scored a fourth-place finish, his second top-five and seventh top-10 of the 2008 season. He led the race three times for four laps and claimed top rookie honors for the SIXTH time this season. Brian Scott scored a seventh-place finish at Talladega, his third top-10 of the season and second in the last three races. Scott led the race once for one lap, the first time he has led a lap in 27 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series starts. Colin Braun leads Donny Lia by 30 points (182-152) in the Raybestos Rookie standings entering the October 18 Kroger 200 at Martinsville Speedway. Donny Lia was the Raybestos Rookie of the Race in the 2008 Kroger 250 at Martinsville, scoring a ninth-place finish. The best finish by a Raybestos Rookie in five fall races at Martinsville is second by Carl Edwards (2003) and Todd Kluever (2005).(Raybestos PR)(10-13-2008)
Harvick to pilot the #2; You Crate to sponsor: KHI co-owner Kevin Harvick will once again pilot the #2 Chevrolet in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series for KHI, and has new colors on the #2 truck this weekend in Martinsville. YOU CRATE, an R+L Carriers Company, will appear on the Chevy driven by Harvick.(KHI PR)(10-13-2008)
Dugger to make series debut at Martinsville: Russ Dugger will be making his NASCAR Craftsman Truck debut behind the wheel of the #89 Lafferty Motorsports Duct Seal Technologies / “Damn Good Jerky” Chevy at Martinsville Speedway for the Kroger 200 on October 18th. Much of Dugger’s short track experience comes by way of the United States Super Truck South racing series. Dugger and Lafferty hope that experience transfers well to the NASCAR stage.(Lafferty Motorsports PR)(10-10-2008)
Terry Cook to the #59 for the remainder of the year: HT Motorsports team owner Jim Harris announced that Craftsman Truck Series veteran Terry Cook will complete the remainder of the 2008 season driving the team’s #59 Team ASE/Harris Trucking Toyota. Cook drove for the team in 2007 with one top-five and four top-10 finishes. He will rejoin the team for next weekend’s Kroger 200 at Martinsville Speedway.(HT Motorsports PR)(10-9-2008)
McMurray to pilot #09 at Martinsville: Roush Fenway Racing has announced that NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Jamie McMurray will compete in the #09 Zaxby’s Ford in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race at Martinsville Speedway on Saturday, October 18. McMurray has 24 starts in the truck series, with one win, three top-five finishes, six top-10 finishes and three poles. McMurray’s win in the truck series came at Martinsville Speedway in 2004.(Roush Fenway Racing PR)(10-9-2008)
NCTS ratings hit million household mark: The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race from Talladega broke the million-household mark at its peak and continued a strong, season-long trend of NCTS ratings increases on SPEED. The event scored an average Nielsen Household Rating of 1.11 (816,000 households), an 18-percent increase from last year. Race coverage peaked at 1.36 (1 million households), a 15-percent increase over last year’s peak of 1.18. NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series events on SPEED have enjoyed double-digit Nielsen Ratings increases in 10 of the last 14 races.(SPEED/TV PR)(10-7-2008)
A change on the #2 truck? UPDATE 3 Sprague back to Wyler: Word around the Craftsman Truck Series garage was that Jack Sprague could be out at Kevin Harvick Inc. at the end of the season. Former motocross rider and current Camping World East Series driver Ricky Carmichael was floated as a possible replacement.(TheNascarInsiders.com)(9-14-2008)
UPDATE: Kevin Harvick Inc. announced that driver Jack Sprague has been released from the #2 Chevry Silverado. KHI co-owner Kevin Harvick will assume driving duties of the #2 Chevy for the upcoming Truck Series event at Martinsville Speedway on October 18th. Details on the driver lineup for the remainder of the season will be announced at a later date. “The performance of the #2 team was not up to either Jack or KHI’s standards,” said Kevin Harvick, co-owner of Kevin Harvick Inc. “My main goal now is to prepare the team to run for a championship in 2009. I am looking forward to getting behind the wheel in Martinsville. It should be a lot of fun.”(Kevin Harvick Inc. PR)(10-6-2008)
UPDATE 2 More: Sprague sat eighth in points, 489 behind Hornaday, after his second consecutive DNF Saturday at Talladega, Ala. He crashed with 24 laps to go at the superspeedway and finished 27th, his second-worst finish of the season, two weeks after crashing out in 26th at Las Vegas. “We didn’t have the results. It was no one thing, but every week it was something. It’s been a miserable year for everybody involved,” Sprague said. “It’s just getting to the point where enough’s enough. I’ve got nothing bad to say, I have a lot of respect for Kevin and what he’s built there, just sometimes it doesn’t work.” Sprague, 44, questioned the timing of the decision with five races remaining but said he understood the team’s need to put the #2 in a position to land sponsorship for next season with current sponsor American Commercial Lines not expected to return. Whether he has made his final start in the Trucks remains to be seen. “I’ve contemplated retirement. I’ve had a very, very rough year and a half,” he said. “This business has a lot of ups and downs, the downs are very tough to take when you want to win as bad as I do.”(ESPN.com)(10-6-2008)
UPDATE 3: Wyler Racing announced that Jack Sprague will pilot the #60 Wyler Racing Toyota for the remainder of the 2008 season. Sprague replaces Terry Cook who has been released after competing in the first 20 races of the season for the team. While this reunion is currently only for the remaining races in the 2008 season, efforts are underway to secure sponsorship for the 2009 season that would allow this combination to remain intact.(Wyler Racing PR)(10-7-2008)
Racing Resources says….
…Mountain Dew 250 at Talladega Superspeedway on Saturday — Bodine scored his 14th Truck Series victory in his 110th race.
…Bodine has won the past three superspeedway races (Talladega ’07, Daytona ’08, Talladega ’08).
…Bodine led three times for 10 laps, taking the lead for the final time on the last turn. He won from the fifth starting position — the other two races at Talladega have been won from the pole.
…This is the 14th win for Germain Racing, second of 2008, both by Todd Bodine.
…Ron Hornaday, who finished second, now leads Johnny Benson (11th) by 39 points. Benson had a one-point lead going into the race. Hornaday has scored 158 points more than Benson in the past five races.
…Bodine’s margin of victory was 0.075 seconds.
…Toyota posted its 11th win of the season. Chevrolet has seven, and Ford and Dodge each have one.
…Erik Darnell led the most laps (48). He has led 48 percent of the laps on superspeedways in 2008.
…Joey Logano (26th) and Richard Johns (31st) made their Truck Series debuts.
…The race was slowed four times for 17 laps of caution.
…The race featured 16 lead changes among eight drivers.
…The top 10 consisted of five Toyotas, one Ford and four Chevrolets. The highest-finishing Dodge was 13th.
…The highest-finishing Raybestos Rookie of the Year candidate was #6 Colin Braun (fourth).(ESPN.com)(10-6-2008)
Wood running Cup & Trucks at Talladega: Jon Wood will be making his second attempt in the #21 Wood Brothers Racing Motorcraft Ford Fusion at Talladega Superspeedway for the running of the Amp Energy 500 on Sunday, October 5th. He is looking forward to the challenge, once again, of being in a Sprint Cup Series race car while also doing double duty in the no. 21 U.S. Air Force Ford F-150 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race on Saturday. Jon has had a best finish of second place at the 2.66 mile tri-oval in the Nationwide Series in his first run on the superspeedway in 2005.(Wood Bros. Racing PR)(10-2-2008)
Logano making first series start in #59: UPDATE Double-duty, ARCA too: Joey Logano will make his NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series debut as he will drive the #59 HT Motorsports truck in the Mountain Dew 250 this weekend at Talladega Superspeedway. Logano replaces Ted Musgrave, who parted ways with the team during the Las Vegas race weekend. The team scrambled to put Stacy Compton in the truck at Vegas.(SceneDaily.com)(9-30-2008)
UPDATE: Logano is entered in Friday’s ARCA RE/MAX Series 250 in the #15 Toyota owned by Venturini Motorsports. Logano took part in ARCA testing at Talladega last month, and he’s in the ARCA race to help him hit the ground running in 2009.(Press Register)(10-1-2008)

2008

September
August
July
Jayski Truck Series Silly Season Main Page
Jayski’s Silly Season Cup News Page
Jayski’s Silly Season Main Page

Born On Date: October 1, 2008