September 2005 Truck Series News Archive

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• Winners of a race in Cup, Busch and Truck Series races: see my Misc Stats page for this and many others.
  

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• Key Motorsports moves to NC: Key Motorsports’ founder, Curtis Key, announced that he has relocated his NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series operation from Chesapeake, VA to RACE CITY U.S.A. – Mooresville, NC. Key Motorsports was first formed in Mooresville in 1993 and competed in the NASCAR Busch Series through the 1998 season. After taking a 5-year hiatus to reorganize his plumbing contracting business, Key reformed as a Craftsman Truck Series team in 2003 in a brand new shop located on the Curtis Key Plumbing business campus in Chesapeake. “Virginia is rich in NASCAR history and fans”, stated Key “I wanted to have a team close to my business so I built the race shop right behind my plumbing warehouse. But running a NASCAR team in Virginia just proved to be quite difficult due primarily to a lack of experienced mechanical and technical personnel. It also should be easier to attract sponsorship for race team based in the same market were 90% of existing NASCAR teams are currently based”‘ Key added. Key Motorsports follows the Woods Brothers, Nextel Cup Series team operation in leaving Virginia for North Carolina, with the team of veteran driver Ricky Rudd making the move last year. Currently, only Morgan-McClure Motorsports Nextel Cup and HT Motorsports Craftsman Truck Series organizations in NASCAR’s top three touring series maintain full-time ties to Virginia. “We tried very hard to make a NASCAR team work in Virginia”, Key explained. “We hired crew members from North Carolina, sought sponsorships from several Virginia based companies and even became a member of Governor Warner’s Virginia Motorsports Coalition, but we didn’t receive any help. Making the move to Mooresville should enable us to grow and secure the elements we need to succeed in this business”, he added. Key purchased the buildings and adjacent property in Mooresville previously owned by Logano Motorsports and located at 222 Pit Rd, just off highway 152. Key Motorsports has entered two Craftsman Truck Series races recently with their Chevolet Silverado’s with Andy Houston behind the wheel. Lance Hooper, like Houston a truck series veteran as both driver and crew chief, is the team’s crew chief and team manager. The team is currently negotiating for Primary and Associate level sponsorships for the balance of races this season and for the entire 2006 season. For more information visit www.keymotorsports.us or contact Zac Boals at 704-663-1670.(Key Motorsports PR)(9-29-2005)
• Testing at Texas: three drivers tested at Texas Texas Motor Speedway on Wednesday, September 28th [in extremely hot conditions, over 100 degrees in the afternoon] in preparation for the Nov. 4 Silverado 350k NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race, the drivers/speeds:
  #17-David Reutimann, 180.000
  #46-Dennis Setzer 178,510mph
  #6-=Chad Chaffin, no speed reported.(TMS PR)(9-29-2005)
• Trucks Back at Vegas in 2006: Las Vegas Motor Speedway will celebrate its 10th anniversary in 2006 with a return engagement by the first major NASCAR series to compete at LVMS. Speedway officials announced Saturday that the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series will return to the 1.5-mile superspeedway on Sept. 23, 2006. The Truck Series was the first major NASCAR-sanctioned series to race at LVMS. Jack Sprague won the inaugural event on Nov. 3, 1996. The 2005 event will mark the 10th visit by the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series to LVMS. The Truck Series event will be 350 kilometers (146 laps). Ticket information will be announced at a later date. The NASCAR Craftsman Trucks Series event will be the second major event weekend on the superspeedway in 2005. The NASCAR Nextel Cup Series UAW-DaimlerChrysler 400 and Sam’s Town 300 NASCAR Busch Series events are scheduled for March 10-12, 2005.(LVMS.com)(9-27-2005)
• Martin still to run Truck Series in 2006: Mark Martin’s future is finally coming into focus and that includes another stint behind the wheel of the #6 Roush Racing Ford. Martin started the 2005 season thinking this would be his last year as a full-time Nextel Cup driver. Those plans changed in midstream when car owner Jack Roush signed Jamie McMurray to fill Martin’s position. There was only one hitch. McMurray won’t drive the #6 until 2007. Chip Ganassi keeps saying he will hold McMurray to his driving contract, which expires at the end of the 2006 season. Since the beginning of summer, Roush has been chasing Martin to stay put for one more campaign. Martin said he will continue with his grand scheme to form a full-time NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series team under the Roush Racing umbrella. He plans to make his debut run in the truck at Homestead-Miami Speedway in November. “The first truck is finished,” he reported last week. “I sat in it on Monday.” Martin, who has secured the #6 for truck competition next season [Kevin Harvick Inc rus Hornaday in the #6 this year], said he will make at least seven truck starts in addition to his hustling, bustling Nextel Cup schedule in 2006. Another driver, or drivers, will occupy the seat of the #6 Ford to fill out the remainder of the schedule. If Martin’s long-range plans work this time, he will be a full-time NCTS driver beginning in 2007.(Daytona Beach News Journal)(9-25-2005)
• Bodine wins at Las Vegas: #30-Todd Bodine won the Las Vegas 350 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway with a last lap pass of #1-Ted Musgrave on a green-white-checker finish after dominating the race. It was Bodine’s second win of the season, the other was at Kansas, and 4th of his career. The win vaulted Bodine into 5th in the points and Toyota’s 6th win of 2005. Musgrave finished 2nd and with points leader #46-Dennis Setzer finishing 14th, Musgrave is only 5 points behind Setzer in the points standings. Rounding out the top-5 were #75-David Starr, #16-Jack Sprague and #04-Bobby Hamilton. Pole sitter, #5-Mike Skinner finished 6th. The highest finishing rookie of the year candidate was #50-Todd Kluever with an 8th. Bodine led 114 of the 152 laps and there were five cautions for 31 laps.
  For race results see:
  ESPN.com
  Truckseries.com
  Motorsports One
  NASCAR.com.(9-24-2005)
• Skinner wins the pole: #5-Mike Skinner won the pole for the Las Vegas 350 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway with a speed of 165.258mph, for his fifth pole of the season [last at Nashville last month] 22nd carrer pole #22-Bill Lester is on the outside pole, followed by #30-Todd Bodine, #17-David Reutimann and #1-Ted Musgrave. Points leader,#46-Dennis Setzer will start 22nd. #50-Todd Kluever is the highest starting rookie, starting 10th.
  See qualifying results/starting lineup at:
  Truckseries.com – Starting Lineup
  Truckseries.com – Qualifying Results
  NASCAR.com.(9-24-2005)
• Gilliland to drive the #15 at Las Vegas: Billy Ballew Motorsports returns to Las Vegas Motor Speedway where the team captured the coveted victory in 2004. It was the first NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series win for Billy Ballew Motorsports who has since captured two more victories with Kyle Busch piloting the #15 ditech.com Chevy. Busch is unable to compete in this weekend’s event due to his NASCAR NEXTEL Cup obligations, but recommended good friend David Gilliland to team owner Billy Ballew. Gilliland, 29, will make his NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series debut in Saturday’s Las Vegas 350. Gilliland recently tested with the BBM team at Richmond International Raceway to get a feel for the Chevrolet Silverado and establish a level of communication with Wauters. Gilliland currently competes in the NASCAR Grand National Division, West Series. He has one victory and two poles this year and currently sits fourth in the series points standings. Gilliland’s father, Butch, competed in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series in the mid to late 90s [and a few Cup races], as well as competing in the West Series, where he captured the 1997 championship with David serving as crew chief. Gilliland has two previous starts at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway which he hopes will help in the learning curve for the NCTS.(BBM PR)(9-23-2005)
• Bailey cleared to run Vegas: Jack Bailey is cleared for Las Vegas to make his fourth start in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series on September 24, 2005 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in the Las Vegas 350. This will be Bailey’s first time in the seat of the #08 CENTURY 21Team/Bedslide.com Chevy for crew chief Scott Neal and owners Bobby Dotter and Gene Christensen. “I am really looking forward to running at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. It is by far the biggest and fastest track I have ever competed on. We welcome our new sponsor for this weekend, Bedslide.com, and hope to put their name at the front of the pack. It is nice to get the chance to race with these veterans. They have taught me so much, both on and off the track.” Bailey’s next planned Truck Series appearance will be at Atlanta Motor Speedway on October 29, 2005. For more information on Jack Bailey or sponsorship, please visit jackbailey.com.(Jack Bailey Racing)(9-23-2005)
• Las Vegas Autograph Sessions: Some of the biggest stars in both the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series and the Champ Car World Series will participate in separate autograph sessions during the week leading up to the Las Vegas Double in the Desert. All 18 Champ Car drivers including defending race and series champion Sebastian Bourdais, local favorites Paul Tracy and Jimmy Vasser and former Formula I star Christiano da Matta will be on hand at the ESPN Zone at the New York New York Hotel and Casino from 7-8 p.m. Thursday night, Sept. 22.
  Several of the top names in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series including series points leader Dennis Setzer, former LVMS winner David Starr and 2004 rookie of the year David Reutimann, Jimmy Spencer will be among those participating Friday night, Sept. 23 from 7-8 p.m. in an autograph session on the Third Street Promenade adjacent to the Lady Luck Hotel and Casino. Other Craftsman Truck drivers committed to the Lady Luck session include Rick Crawford, Todd Bodine, Eric Norris, Matt Crafton, Terry Cook, Robert Pressley, Timothy Peters and Justin Allgaier. Other drivers will be added later this week.
  LVMS mascot Pit Boss also will make appearances. Both autograph sessions are open and free to the public. Tickets are still available for the unique doubleheader comprised of the Las Vegas 350 NASCAR Craftsman Truck event and the Hurricane Relief 400 Champ Car World Series race. Call 1-800-644-4444 or log on to www.lvms.com for tickets.(Las Vegas Motor Speedway)(9-23-2005)
• Miller to debut in #12 Truck: Darrell Waltrip Motorsports announced that Joey Miller will drive the #12 Toyota Tundra in the Las Vegas 350 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Saturday evening. Miller, a 20-year-old from Lakeville (Minn.), makes his NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series debut fresh off his fourth ARCA RE/MAX win this season with second-place locked up in the points standings. “I’ve been watching Joey Miller in the ARCA Series and he’s done a great job,” said Darrell Waltrip. “If he can come close to what he’s done in ARCA in the Craftsman Truck Series that would definitely be big for us. Right next to Frank Kimmel, Mr. ARCA and six-time champion, Joey’s had the car to beat every week. Hopefully, we’ll give him a truck as good as his car. Let me say this too, Mike Wallace has done a great job at performing up to our expectations and turning things around for us. He’ll be back with us at Atlanta after I run the 12 Toyota Tundra at Martinsville.” Miller’s had a strong season registering four wins (Berlin Raceway, Gateway International Raceway, Nashville Superspeedway and Salem Speedway), 12 top-fives and 17 top-10s in 22 ARCA starts. With no track experience at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Miller will rely on input from David Reutimann and both Darrell Waltrip Motorsports teams.(DW Motorsports PR)(9-21-2005)
• Driver Eric Norris Reunites 2002 Championship Crew: The trek to Las Vegas is full of memories and opportunities for driver Eric Norris and the Green Light Racing #07 Pavestone Chevrolet. Norris is committed to showing the team’s strength this Saturday night in the Las Vegas 350. Norris won his 2002 Grand National West title at the Vegas track. Even though Norris is not in the hunt for a Championship this season, it is crystal clear he wants to run up front and win. Eric Norris and the Green Light Racing team are focused on producing performance results. Under the leadership of veteran owner and driver Bobby Dotter and Crew Chief Doug Howe, The #07 “Over the Wall Crew” will be comprised of Norris’ 2002 Grand National West Series Championship Team.(RPG Event Services PR)(9-21-2005)
• Harvick protégé prepares for Vegas Truck race: Burney Lamar signed with NASCAR Nextel Cup star Kevin Harvick as a developmental driver and the two laid out a two-year plan. But a sudden rise to prominence has accelerated Lamar’s career path. The 25-year old driver was expected to spend most of this season competing in NASCAR’s Southwest and West divisions with the possibility of running some Truck races on short tracks such as Martinsville and Memphis. That all changed when he won in his second career West start driving for Harvick at Phoenix. Lamar recently tested #92 Chevrolet Silverado in preparation for the Sept. 24 Las Vegas 350. “Las Vegas will be my first Truck race, and we are going to plan on running the Busch race in Kansas and some others. This has come together much quicker than I expected.” Lamar is set to make his Craftsman Truck Series debut at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. His only other appearance at LVMS was a Southwest Series race in 2001 in which he was caught up in a multi-car accident early in the race. Lamar, who will have to qualify on time because his truck is not in the top 30 in owner points, spent most the test session under the watchful eye of NASCAR veteran and former Truck champion Ron Hornaday.(Las Vegas Motor Speedway PR)(9-21-2005)
• News and Notes – Las Vegas:
  Crawford’s win sets one record, closes on another … Rick Crawford (#14 Circle Bar Truck Corral Ford) became the 10th different winner in succession at New Hampshire International Speedway on Sept. 17 to set a record for a series track. Crawford, with victories in three consecutive years, was the 13th winner of 2005. That’s one short of the season mark of 14 established in 1998. There also were 13 different winners a year ago.
  Ford back in victory lane – finally … Crawford ended nearly 13 months and 39 races of frustration for the manufacturer, which last tasted victory on Aug. 25, 2004 at Bristol Motor Speedway. The two wins had one significant, common denominator. Kevin “Cowboy” Starland was crew chief for both Crawford and Bristol winner Carl Edwards. Chevrolet, with nine wins, continues to lead series manufacturer standings by a 128 to 103 count over Dodge. Toyota is third and Ford fourth.
  Setzer rights ship, adds to point lead at NHIS … After losing nearly 80 percent of a 227-point championship lead in three races, Dennis Setzer (#46 Chevrolet Z71 Silverado Chevrolet) got things turned around in New Hampshire. But Setzer had to prevail in an end-of-race duel with his closest rival to build his lead to 59 points with six races remaining. Setzer finished second in the Sylvania 200 by Lowe’s with Ted Musgrave (#1 Mopar Dodge) third after the pair spent most of the race’s final 25 laps side-by-side and bumper-to-tailgate.
  ETC. … Several competitors new to the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series will debut at LVMS. They include Joey Miller (#12 Toyota Tundra Toyota), winner of the most recent ARCA/REMAX event at Salem, Ind.; David Gilliland (#15 Billy Ballew Motorsports Chevrolet), currently fourth in NASCAR Grand National Division, West Series points standings; and Burney Lamar, a two-time NASCAR Grand National Division, West Series winner in 2005, making his first start in Kevin Harvick Inc.’s #92 HPS/Groeniger Chevrolet. … Gilliland’s father, Butch, competed in the 1996 Las Vegas 350. They would become the 14th father and son to start a NASCAR Craftsman Truck race. … Setzer has become the second driver in series history to win $4 million. His career total is $4,010,574, second only to the $5,572,545 won by Jack Sprague (#16 Chevy Trucks Chevrolet).
  ON THE RIGHT TRACK
  Nobody more dominant in Vegas than Sprague … Pick a Las Vegas Motor Speedway record – any record – and it’s odds on that you’ll find the name Sprague. Here are a few: Most wins (two), most money won ($317,165), most top five and top-10 finishes (six), most laps/miles led (298/447) and most laps/miles completed (919/1,378.5). Four former Las Vegas 350 winners in field … Sprague and Gaughan are joined in this week’s entry by Musgrave (2001) and David Starr (#75 Spears Manufacturing Chevrolet, 2002). Three of eight races and two of the last three have been won from the Bud Pole. This week’s Craftsman Win from the Pole Bonus is $12,000. Brandon Whitt (#38 Red Horse Racing Toyota) was the award’s last winner on July 23 at Memphis Motorsports Park.
  10 YEARS TOUGH
  Greg Biffle holds the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series record for wins in a season – nine. He broke Mike Skinner’s eight-win record at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Sept. 24, 1999.
  FROM THE ARCHIVES
  While the Las Vegas 350 has determined the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series champion on three occasions – 1996 through 1998 – the race winner never has worn that season’s crown. Second place would seem to be the key the success. Jack Sprague was the runnerup finisher in 1997, ‘99 and 2001 – all championship years. Ron Hornaday Jr. finished second in 1998, the season in which he won his second title. Mike Bliss was the second-place finisher when he captured the title in 2002.
  Fast Facts
  Next Event: Las Vegas 350. (Race #20 of 25).
  Where: Las Vegas Motor Speedway (Las Vegas, Nev.).
  When: 9:15 p.m. ET Saturday, Sept. 24.
  Track layout: 1.5-mile paved oval.
  Race length: 350 kilometers/219 miles/146 laps.
  Posted awards: $489,222.
  TV: SPEED Channel, 9 p.m. ET.
  Radio: MRN, XM Satellite.
  2004 winner: Shane Hmiel.
  2004 polesitter: Mike Skinner.
  Pre-race schedule (all times local): Saturday – Practice 9 – 10 a.m. and 10:30 – 11:30 a.m. Qualifying 3 p.m. Trucks impounded after qualifying.(NASCAR PR)(9-21-2005)
• Crawford wins at New Hampshire: #14-Rick Crawford won the Sylvania 200 at New Hampshire International Speedway for his first win since Martinsville last season and the first for Ford since Carl Edwards at Bristol in Aug 2004, and his 4th of his career. Crawford became the 10th consecutive different series winner at NHIS and is the season’s 13th winner, one short of the series record. Crawford, who started fifth, led three times for 26 laps. He and #46-Dennis Setzer traded the lead three times over the 200-lap race’s last 25 laps. He took the point from Setzer for the final time on lap 186. Setzer finished 2nd, followed be #1-Ted Musgrave, #65-Clay Rogers [career best and #6-Ron Hornaday Jr. Pole winner #88-Matt Crafton finished 35th after being involved in an accident that triggered the sixth caution. In all, 31 laps were run under the yellow. Eight drivers traded the lead 17 times – the latter number a series record at NHIS. Setzer, who entered the race with a 49-point lead over Musgrave, extended the margin to 59 with six races remaining. The next event is Sept. 24 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
  For race results see:
  ESPN.com
  Truckseries.com
  Motorsports One
  NASCAR.com.(9-17-2005)
• Busch back in the #15: After a disappointing run last week in the Truck Series’ event at Richmond, Kyle Busch aims to recapture the momentum he carries while piloting the #15 Ditech.com Chevy for Billy Ballew Motorsports. This weekend, Busch will take to the New Hampshire International Speedway for the running of the Sylvania 200 on Saturday afternoon. Busch has two previous starts at NHIS, once earlier this year in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series and n last year’s Busch Series race, but will be making his first start in a Truck Series event. Busch had an impressive run in his debut in the Cup Series race at NHIS back in July, qualifying seventh and finishing in fourth position. The Billy Ballew Motorsports team qualified in the eighth position in this race last year, and was the most dominant truck until running out of gas with less than 10 laps to go, placing the #15 Chevy in 20th position in the final rundown. Ditech.com also returns as the primary sponsor on the #15 Chevy. Originally planned as a two-race deal with Busch at Bristol and Richmond, Ditech.com’s support has increased to include this weekend’s event at New Hampshire International Speedway. Last week’s misfortune cost the team three spots in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Owners’ Points standings. Billy Ballew Motorsports and the #15 team sit in ninth position, after being as high as fourth earlier this year.(BBM)(9-15-2005)
• Almirola back in the #47 at NHIS: After a strong 10th place finish at Indianapolis Raceway Park (IRP), rookie driver Aric Almirola has been ready to jump back in the cockpit for more laps in Truck Series (NCTS) competition. The rookie driver will get his wish behind the wheel of the #47 FedEx Kinko’s Chevy at New Hampshire on September 16 and 17. The Sylvania 200 will mark Almirola’s third career NCTS start. He made a successful debut in the Morgan-Dollar Motorsports fielded truck at Memphis Motorsports Park on July 23rd. FedEx Kinko’s will be on board the #47 Silverado at NHIS in support of Almirola’s third NCTS race. FedEx is the primary sponsor on the #11 fielded in the NEXTEL Cup Series by Joe Gibbs Racing. The Home Depot and Joe Gibbs Racing Performance Oil will serve as major associates on the truck with critical support from GM Racing as part of the Team Silverado program. Almirola has spent the past two seasons as a member of the Reggie White/Joe Gibbs Racing Diversity Program racking up wins and top-five finishes in a late model at short tracks all over North Carolina. For additional information on the Reggie White/Joe Gibbs Racing Late Model Diversity Program, log on to www.joegibbsracing.com.(9-15-2005)
• Skinner wins at Richmond: #5-Mike Skinner won the Cheerios Betty Crocker 200 at Richmond International Raceway for his 2nd wins of the season and in a row and 18th of his career. #30-Todd Bodine was 2nd, followed by #47-Kevin Harvick, #1-Ted Musgrave and #13-Tracy Hines. Points leader, #46-Dennis Setzer had tire problems that damaged the truck and he finished 34th, droping his points led over Musgrave from 143 to 49. Pole sitter #75-David Starr never led a lap, wrecked late and finished 21st. There were a record 12 cautions for 57 laps. There 8 lead changes among 5 drivers.
  For race results see:
  ESPN.com
  Truckseries.com
  Motorsports One
  NASCAR.com.(9-8-2005)
• Crafton wins pole at NHIS: #88-Matt Crafton won the pole for the Sylvania 200 at New Hampshire International Speedway with a track record lap of 128.819mph for his first career Truck Series pole. Starting 2nd is #38-Brandon Whitt, followed by #17-David Reutimann, #60-Chad Chaffin and #14-Rick Crawford. The highest starting Dodge is #04-Bobby Hamilton at 10th. Points leader #46-Dennis Setzer will start 6th, with 2nd in points, #1-Ted Musgrave starting 22nd. Missing the race were: #27-Frank Wilson Jr. and #91-J C Stout.
  See qualifying results/starting lineup at:
  Truckseries.com – Starting Lineup
  Truckseries.com – Qualifying Results
  NASCAR.com.(9-17-2005)
• Qualifying Notes: This is Matt Crafton’s first NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Bud Pole. His best previous start, second, came at Homestead-Miami Speedway on Nov. 19, 2004. Crafton is the 13th different Bud Pole winner of the season. The Bud Pole winner has gone on to win the Sylvania 200 in two of the past four years. The last to win from the pole was Jimmy Spencer in 2003. The Craftsman Win from the Pole bonus is worth $8,000. The last driver to win from the pole in 2005 was Dennis Setzer at Indianapolis Raceway Park. Brandon Whitt will start second – his second time to qualify for the front row. Whitt won from the Bud Pole at Memphis Motorsports Park. The top two qualifiers broke the existing track record of 29.637 seconds, 128.515 mph set Sept. 18, 2004 by Jack Sprague.(NASCAR Statisical Services)(9-17-2005)
• News and Notes – New Hampshire:
  Hornaday, Skinner make championship noise … For the first time since the final race of 1996, former NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series champions Mike Skinner (#5 Toyota Tundra Toyota) and Ron Hornaday Jr. (#6 GM Goodwrench Chevrolet) hold top-five rankings together in the title chase. Skinner, 11th in points as recently as Aug. 5, moved to fourth after his Sept. 8 victory at Richmond International Raceway. Hornaday’s 10th-place performance boosted the 1996 and 1998 champion from fourth to third.
  Don’t look back, here comes Ted … Talk about making up ground: Ted Musgrave (#1 Mopar Dodge) was a distant, 227 points behind championship leader Dennis Setzer (#46 Chevrolet Z71 Silverado Chevrolet) just three races ago. The margin is now 49 following Richmond’s event in which Musgrave finished fourth and Setzer 34th. Musgrave has finishes of second, sixth and fourth in his past three starts while Setzer has failed to finish higher than 14th. A finish of first or second at New Hampshire will make Setzer the series’ second $4 million career winner. Setzer has won $3,972,249.
  Chevrolet still leads manufacturer standings but … Toyota’s fifth win of the season at Richmond marked the first time the second-year series manufacturer has won three consecutive races. The streak began at Nashville Superspeedway on Aug. 13. Tundra trucks won four times in 2004. Chevrolet, with nine victories, remains the manufacturer championship leader with 122 points to Dodge’s 99. Toyota has scored 98 and Ford 77.
  Mexico City driver Ramirez eyes series debut … Jose Luis Ramirez (#08 Chevrolet) has entered Saturday’s New Hampshire event. Ramirez finished 31st in the NASCAR Busch Series’ Telcel Motorola Mexico 200 presented by Banamex in March. The 26-year-old Ramirez competed fulltime on the NASCAR Grand National Division, West Series in 2004. Carlos Contreras was the first native of Mexico to start a series race. Contreras appeared in 70 events. His best New Hampshire finish was 15th in 2002.
  NASCAR Craftsman Truck graduates cut to The Chase … Three competitors who honed their driving skills in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series qualified for the Chase for the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup, which begins Sunday at New Hampshire International Speedway. One – Greg Biffle – is the 2000 series champion. All three – Biffle, Kurt Busch and Carl Edwards – are former series Raybestos rookies of the year. Biffle, the 2002 NASCAR Busch Series champion, bids to become the first to win a championship in all three of NASCAR’s national touring series.
  ETC. … At Richmond, Mike Wallace became the season’s 35th different driver to lead a lap matching the series season record established in 2004. … Jack Sprague (#16 Chevy Trucks Chevrolet) has finished first or second in four of his seven starts at NHIS. Sprague also has won the Bud Pole three times – most recently last year. … The Sylvania 200 by Lowe’s has been won twice from the pole. Winners have started no worse than fifth in each of the past five races. … Last year’s race saw 19 drivers complete all 200 laps, a series record at NHIS. … The New Hampshire winner has gone on to capture the NASCAR Craftsman Truck title twice – Hornaday in 1996 and Sprague in 2001.
  ON THE RIGHT TRACK
  Five bid to become NHIS’ first repeat winner … Five of New Hampshire’s nine series winners are expected to compete in Saturday’s Sylvania 200 by Lowe’s. They are Hornaday (1996), Setzer (1999), Sprague (2001), Terry Cook (#10 Ford Power Stroke Diesel Ford, 2002) and Jimmy Spencer (#2 Team ASE Dodge, 2003). Two former NHIS NASCAR Busch winners also are entered: Ricky Craven (#99 Superchips Ford, 1991) and Robert Pressley (#59 Harris Trucking Co. Dodge, 1993).
  10 YEARS TOUGH
  The 1996 season saw the greatest number of new tracks – six – added to the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series schedule. New Hampshire International Speedway joined the series along with Homestead-Miami Speedway, Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Nashville Speedway USA, Nazareth Speedway and Watkins Glen International.
  FROM THE ARCHIVES
  New Hampshire International Speedway will be looking for its 10th consecutive different race winner on Saturday. It is the third track to bid for #10. Neither Texas Motor Speedway nor The Milwaukee Mile reached that number thanks to repeat wins, respectively, by Brendan Gaughan (#77 Jasper Engines & Transmissions Dodge) in 2002 and Musgrave in 2004. Homestead-Miami Speedway, site of the season-ending Ford 200 on Nov. 18, also has hosted nine series races without a repeat winner.
  FAST FACTS
  Next Event: Sylvania 200 presented by Lowe’s. (Race #19 of 25).
  Where: New Hampshire International Speedway, (Loudon, N.H.)
  When: 3:15 p.m. ET Saturday, Sept. 17.
  Track layout: 1.058-Mile paved oval.
  Race length: 211.6 miles/200 laps.
  Posted awards: $515,630.
  TV: SPEED Channel, 3 p.m. ET.
  Radio: MRN, XM Satellite.
  2004 winner: Travis Kvapil.
  2004 polesitter: Jack Sprague.
  Pre-race schedule (all times local): Friday – Practice 10:45 a.m. – 11:55 a.m. and 2:45 – 3:45 p.m. Saturday – Qualifying 10:05 a.m. Trucks impounded after qualifying.(NASCAR PR)(9-14-2005)
• Gill Returns to BHR: Bobby Hamilton: “Danny Gill was released from PPI on Monday and I scooped him right up for BHR. I recommended him there to work with my kid and that shows how much faith I have in him. He is being added to our roster to be extra hands for the engineering guys, not as a crew chief or to take anyone’s position. I know he has a ton of talent and I have always believed in Danny’s ability. He has worked for me in the past and we seemed to run really well together. Danny is a go getter; he demands results and works hard to make strides in racing. I think he did a tremendous job with Bobby Jr.’s program at PPI, but also don’t think you can make a huge difference in only a few races. It takes time in this sport and you have to grow on what you are learning. That takes trials and tribulations and a lot of persistence.”(BHR PR)(9-11-2005)
• Starr wins pole at Richmond: #75-David Starr won the pole for the Cheerios Betty Crocker 200 at Richmond International Raceway with a speed of 126.648mph with a new track qualifying record [was held by Jamie McMurray, 125.436 in Sept 2004] in the last Truck Race at Richmond for his 2nd pole of the season and 5th of his career. Starr went out first and just held off the outside pole sitter, #5-Mike Skinner who ran a lap of 126.642. The rest of the top five are #1-Ted Musgrave, #16-Jack Sprague and #47-Kevin Harvick. Points leader, #46-Dennis Setzer starts 20th. Missing the race were #92-Tony Stewart [was 29th fastest], #33-Bobby East, #7-Ron Hornaday III, #06-Mike Bliss, #40-Andy Houston, #70-Tam Topham, #02-Kelly Sutton, #24-Rob Ferguson and #73-Craig Wood.
  See qualifying results/starting lineup at:
  Truckseries.com – Starting Lineup
  Truckseries.com – Qualifying Results
  NASCAR.com.(9-8-2005)
• News and Notes – Richmond:
  NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series competitors are closing in on a record that’s stood for six years. With 12 different winners in the season’s first 17 races, the series is on track to eclipse the 14 who won in 1998. The record was in jeopardy last year when 13 drivers posted victories. Significant, perhaps, is that four competitors got their first win of the 2004 season during the final eight races – the same number remaining on this year’s schedule. Three active winners from a year ago – Rick Crawford (#14 Lilly Trucking of Virginia Ford), Chad Chaffin (#60 Jeff Wyler Racing Toyota) and David Starr (#75 Spears Manufacturing Chevrolet) – have yet to visit victory lane in 2005, something each hopes to remedy with Thursday’s Cheerios Betty Crocker 200 at Richmond International Raceway.
  The .75-mile Richmond track has produced three first-time series winners. On four occasions, the race has added a name to that season’s list of winners, most recently in 2002 when Tony Stewart (#92 Kevin Harvick Racing Chevrolet) captured the first of back-to-back victories. Stewart and Jack Sprague (#16 Chevy Trucks Chevrolet) are the only drivers with multiple wins during the first 10 Cheerios Betty Crocker 200s. Both will compete in Thursday’s race.
  It’s been a year of highs and lows for Chaffin, who recorded victories last season at Dover International Speedway and Indianapolis Raceway Park. He left the #30 Germain Motors Toyota in mid-June and caught on with a new team. Chaffin was in position to win last month at Bristol Motor Speedway until being put out of contention by tire trouble.
  Starr’s 2004 wins came at Gateway International Raceway and Phoenix International Raceway. He’s currently 10th in points but hasn’t finished higher than fifth. Like Crawford and Chaffin, Starr also tested at Richmond and was pleased with the results.
  NEWS & NOTES, PART II
  Father-son entered in same race for first time in ’05 … The Hornaday family will have plenty of rooting interest in Thursday’s Cheerios Betty Crocker 200 as Ron Hornaday Jr. (#6 GM Goodwrench Chevrolet) competes against son Ronnie III (#7 Ultra Motorsports Dodge) for a series record-extending sixth time. They last raced head-to-head on Oct. 8, 1999 at the old Louisville (Ky.) Motor Speedway. The most recent father-son battle, between Bobby Hamilton (#04 Bailey’s Dodge) and Bobby Jr., took place at Darlington Raceway on Nov. 13, 2004. Fathers and sons have competed against each other on 13 different occasions.
  New faces in the field at Richmond … Four competitors of note hope to debut in the Cheerios Betty Crocker 200. They include Bobby East, the 2004 U.S. Auto Club national midget champion whose Indianapolis Raceway Park drive in the #33 Roush Racing Ford was scuttled by inclement weather. Also entered are Jarit Johnson (#8 Levi Strauss Signature Chevrolet), younger brother of NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series star Jimmie Johnson; J. R. Norris (#32 Billy Ballew Motorsports Chevrolet), current points leader in the NASCAR AutoZone Elite Division, Southeast Series and Justin Hobgood (#9 Germain Motor Company Toyota), runnerup for the NASCAR Goody’s Dash Series crown in 2001, the final year of the tour for compact cars.
  Richmond race, as usual, is magnet for visiting stars … Both Kevin Harvick and Tony Stewart will compete at Richmond with a twist. Stewart will drive the #92 GM Goodwrench Chevrolet owned by DeLana Harvick while Harvick is ensconced in Morgan-Dollar Motorsports’ #47 KISS/Ray-Sat Chevrolet – the truck in which Stewart finished third in last year’s race. NASCAR NEXTEL Cup regulars Mike Bliss (#06 MRD Motorsports Chevrolet), Kyle Busch (#15 ditech.com Chevrolet) and Ken Schrader (#52 Federated Auto Parts Chevrolet) also are entered. Harvick, Stewart, Johnny Sauter (#43 Menards/Curb Records Chevrolet) and Mike Wallace (#12 Toyota Tundra Toyota) are doing the Richmond triple: NASCAR NEXTEL Cup, NASCAR Busch and NASCAR Craftsman Trucks. In addition, Hamilton will race in Thursday’s Crown Royal International Race of Champions
  California Speedway winner Kyle Busch joins club … Busch is the 14th competitor to win a race in each of NASCAR’s three national touring series following Sunday’s victory in the Sony HD 500 at California Speedway. Busch, 20, is the third and youngest driver to complete the “triple” in the same season. Terry Labonte was the first in 1995. Harvick had been the most recent in 2003.
  ETC. … The preliminary entry list for the Cheerios Betty Crocker 200 includes 24 competitors who have won at least one NASCAR Craftsman Truck race. That includes Richmond winners Sprague, Stewart, Ted Musgrave (#1 Mopar Dodge) and Mike Skinner (#5 Toyota Tundra Toyota). … The race marks the 27th time a NASCAR Craftsman Truck event has been contested in the state of Virginia – most of any state. … Musgrave’s 2004 victory was the most dominant in 10 series races at Richmond. Musgrave led 199 of 209 laps. … Shawn Parker has been named crew chief for the #8 Heritage Dodge driven by Deborah Renshaw. Parker previously was the team’s truck chief. … Checkers will raise awareness of the Cure Autism Now Foundation through its association with Bill Lester (#22 SunTrust Toyota) and Bill Davis Racing.
  ON THE RIGHT TRACK
  Plenty of Richmond winners in field … While Stewart is the only entered driver with NASCAR NEXTEL Cup and Craftsman Truck wins at Richmond – he has three, in 1999, 2001 and 2002 – seven former NASCAR Busch Series winners expect to start on Thursday. They are Busch, Hamilton, Harvick, Sauter, Steve Park (#62 Orleans Dodge), Robert Pressley (#59 Harris Trucking Co. Dodge) and Jimmy Spencer (#2 Team ASE Dodge). Spencer won both races in 2001. Three team owners have wins at Richmond in all three of NASCAR’s national touring series: Richard Childress, Rick Hendrick and Jack Roush.
  Sprague tops the Richmond record book … The Michigan driver has failed to complete just three laps and 2.25 miles – all in 1996 – in eight appearances at Richmond International Raceway. The only competitor to win at Richmond in his championship year, Sprague has finished outside the top 10 just once. His average finish is 7.8.
  10 YEARS TOUGH
  
  In 1996, the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series scheduled two races during the same weekend. Competitors raced at Richmond International Raceway on Thursday night in an abbreviated, 124-lap event impacted by Hurricane Fran, then packed up and headed to New Hampshire International Speedway for a Sunday afternoon date. The “double” was repeated two more times, most recently with a Richmond-Memphis Motorsports Park combo on Thursday and Sunday, respectively, in 1998.
  FROM THE ARCHIVES
  Last year’s event was the first with a green-white-checkered finish at Richmond International Raceway. The race ended under caution, however, with an accident in Turn 3 on lap 209. There have been three yellow flag finishes at Richmond – most of any series track. Races in 1996 and 1999 ended prematurely due to inclement weather. Only two tracks on the current schedule – California and Michigan International Speedway – haven’t seen a race extended past the scheduled distance.
  Fast Facts
  Next Event: Cheerios Betty Crocker 200. (Race #18 of 25)
  Where: Richmond International Raceway.
  When: 8:15 p.m. ET, Thursday, Sept. 9.
  Track layout: .75-Mile paved oval.
  Race length: 200 laps/150 miles.
  Posted awards: $411,821.
  TV: SPEED Channel, 8:00 p.m. ET.
  Radio: MRN, XM Satellite.
  2004 winner: Ted Musgrave.
  2004 polesitter: Jamie McMurray.
  Pre-race schedule (all times local): Thursday – Practice 11:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. – 2 p.m. Qualifying at 5:00 p.m. Trucks impounded after qualifying.(NASCAR PR)(9-7-2005)
• Crawford Hauling Lilly Trucking Colors in Richmond: #14-Rick Crawford will be hauling the silver and black colors of home state Lilly Trucking of Virginia this weekend in Richmond for the Cheerios 200. Lilly Trucking was founded 35 years ago by Dennis Lilly and specializes in the transportation of machinery for the paper industry. Lilly started the company with just one tractor-trailer rig and, today he and his wife, Sharon, operate a fleet of rigs hauling cargo from coast to coast.(Circle Bar PR)(9-8-2005)
• Star Studded Silverado Field Set for Richmond Run: Stars is the theme for Chevrolet Team Silverado as the powerhouse rolls in to Richmond International Raceway to race under the lights. As a part of the big Chevrolet Rock & Roll 400 weekend, Team Silverado drivers Dennis Setzer, Jack Sprague and Ron Hornaday will have musical celebrity paint schemes for the September 8 running of the Cheerios Betty Crocker 200 for the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. Current series points leader Setzer will have Blue County featured on the hood of his #46 Chevrolet Silverado. Sprague’s #16 Chevy Trucks Silverado will sport the image of country music heartthrob Trace Adkins. Ron Hornaday’s #6 GM Goodwrench Silverado will carry the likeness of up-and-coming group, Los Lonely Boys. The #47 Chevrolet Celebrity All Star Silverado will make its fourth appearance of 2005. Teaming with Setzer will be NASCAR NEXTEL Cup star Kevin Harvick in the cockpit of the RaySat KISS/KISS Army sponsored truck fielded by Morgan Dollar Motorsports. Stewart, piloting the # 92 GM Goodwrench/KHI Sponsor Appreciation Silverado, will be looking to capture his third NCTS victory at Richmond. The 2002 NASCAR Cup champion won back-to-back races at the .75-mile Virginia track in 2002 and 2003.(GM Racing)(9-7-2005)
• Pressley tests at Atlanta: Robert Pressley tested his #59 HT Motorsports truck today gathering as much information as possible for the upcoming EasyCare Vehicle Service Contracts 200 at Atlanta Motor Speedway on October 29, 2005. Pressley tested two trucks today starting around 10:30 a.m. The first truck is painted red and is the same truck the team ran in March during the World Financial Group 200. The second truck, just in primer paint, is brand new and has never been raced. Pressley’s best lap in the red truck was 31.85 seconds (174.006 mph) and the primer truck ran a 31.72-second lap (174.779 mph).(AMS PR)(9-2-2005)
• Changes at Key Motorsports: Hearing Key Motorsports Director of Marketing, Ken Lake, has left his role due to insightful indifferences with the team.(9-2-2005)
• General Mills to sponsor Truck Series race at Richmond: General Mills, one of the world’s premier consumer foods companies, announced today it will be the title sponsor of the upcoming NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race at Richmond International Raceway. The Cheerios Betty Crocker 200 is set for Thursday night, September 8 “under the lights” as part of a double header with the Crown Royal International Race of Champions (IROC) Series. The Cheerios Betty Crocker 200 is set to run “under the lights” with the green flag drop scheduled for 8:15 p.m. on Thursday, September 8. Race tickets, which are only $30, include the Crown Royal IROC Series race, which is scheduled to begin at 7:00 p.m. Tickets are also available for Friday’s Emerson Radio 250 NASCAR Busch Series race and Fas Mart Pole Qualifying for the sold out Chevy Rock & Roll 400 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series race. Friday’s tickets are just $45 for a reserved seat and $35 for a general admission seat. Children 12 and under are admitted free in the general admission sections both nights when accompanied by a ticketed adult. For tickets and information, fans can call 1-866-455-RACE or visit www.rir.com.(RIR PR)(9-2-2005)
• Shawn Parker named Renshaw’s crew chief: BHR2 announced today that Shawn Parker is assuming the crew chief duties for the #8 Dodge driven by Deborah Renshaw beginning next week with the Truck Series event at the Richmond International Raceway. Parker, a native of New York, has been with the BHR2 team all season serving as the truck chief. Shawn brings a vast amount of knowledge and experience that will be beneficial to the team – which is in its second year of competition. He has been in the NASCAR ranks since 1992 when he joined Hendrick Motorsports as part of the #24 crew of Jeff Gordon. He would go on to hold positions as such organizations as Penske Racing, Roush Racing and Robert Yates Racing. He reached the pinnacle of his career in 2003 when he served as crew chief for Dale Jarrett and his #88 car in the Cup Series. “This is a great opportunity for me and I look forward to helping this team grow further,” said Parker. “The team has progressed along really well so far this season and there is a solid nucleus of guys assembled here. Our goal is to help Deborah finish out the season strong these last eight races and possibly build on something for next season.” Renshaw currently sits 26th in the overall driver’s standings in the Truck Series with a season best 12th place finish earlier this season at Dover. She has also garnered two top-ten qualifying efforts in her first full season in the series.
  To learn more about Deborah and the team, please visit them at deborahrenshaw.com.(Integrity Sports Marketing), no word on what former crew chief Bob Bissinger’s plans.(9-1-2005)

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• 2004 CTS Yearbook can now be ordered: UMI Publications, Inc. is proud to announce two brand new exciting books, The NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series Yearbook and The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Yearbook. These two books continue the celebrated history of the yearbook series by delivering unsurpassed quality and value to NASCAR fans since 1988. Both of the yearbooks are beautiful leather-bound coffee table books that cover each of their respective series and capture all of the action-packed racing in words and pictures from every event during the 2004 season. These books are licensed by NASCAR and are part of the “NASCAR Library Collection.”

  – ***”First Edition”*** Introducing the Inaugural edition of the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Yearbook. For 10 years, the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series has offered some of the most exciting and competitive racing in the country, and now all of the action is presented in a beautiful, hardback coffee-table book for you to enjoy over and over again for years to come. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to own the FIRST-EVER edition of the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Yearbook. The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Yearbook 2004 contains 176 pages of amazing full color photos from some of the best photographers on the circuit.

  Each of these books may be ordered directly at www.umibooks.com or by calling 800-747-9287. Delivery by Christmas is guaranteed in the continental United States if ordered by December 10th 2004. Also, orders can be shipped via UPS Air as late as December 20th for a small additional fee.(11-19-2004)