NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series
Race #6 | MBNA America 200
Dover International Speedway Friday June 4, 2004

Huffman hopes Charlotte finish Moves Season in Right Direction
A 17th-place finish hardly is reason to celebrate, but for Robert Huffman (No. 12 Toyota Tundra Toyota) it’s a step in the right direction. Huffman, one of 17 Raybestos Rookie of the Year contenders on the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, was just happy to be racing at Lowe’s Motor Speedway last Friday night. His lead lap finish, after an early spin, had to be a bonus. And it certainly beat Huffman’s previous weekend in which he – and 10 others – failed to qualify for the race at Mansfield Motorsports Speedway when inclement weather forced NASCAR officials to set the field via the rule book. (High Sierra Photo)

NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Notables: Dover
Ultra Motorsports has ‘Monster Mile’s’ number ... No series team has so dominated a single track as Ultra Motorsports at Dover International Speedway. The Jim Smith-owned trucks of Musgrave and Andy Houston (No. 2 Team ASE/Carquest Dodge) have won three straight years at Dover. Jason Leffler put the No. 2 Ram in victory circle a year ago while Scott Riggs won the 2001 event from the Bud Pole.

Raybestos Rookie Preview: Dover


Dover Evokes Old Memories for Reutimann
Early in his childhood, David Reutimann spent his summers residing in New Jersey while his father Emil Buzzie Reutimann raced for a living winning track championships up and down the Eastern Seaboard. Visiting Dover International Speedway for the first time in the No. 17 NTN Bearings Toyota is special for the third generation driver, because his father raced there in the early 1970s.

Sutton Confronts The Monster Mile
Two hundred miles of concrete lay between Kelly “Girl” Sutton and the checkered flag at her first ever race at the famed Dover International Speedway. Despite the ominous nickname of “The Monster Mile,” rightfully named for its reputation as a track tough on tires and drivers, Sutton is up for the challenge. As the first person with a diagnosis of relapsing‑remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) known to race in any NASCAR series, Sutton knows a few things about overcoming challenges.

Houston, No. 2 Team ASE/CARQUEST Dodge Team Looking for Dover Double
Andy Houston knows he has his work cut out for him this weekend on Dover International Speedway's famed Monster Mile but it is a challenge he willingly accepts. Last year Jason Leffler took the No. 2 Team ASE/CARQUEST Dodge to victory lane, claiming his first NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series win. Houston rides into Dover looking for his fourth career NCTS win and a chance to grab some momentum for his Ultra Motorsports team.

Sprague, No. 16 Chevy Trucks Silverado Preview: Dover


Whitt Heads Into Another Great Unknown
Brandon Whitt and the #38 Cure Autism Now Ford F-150 team head to the one-mile Dover International Speedway this week for Friday’s MBNA America 200 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race; the sixth race of the season.

Huffman and Parker, Jr. Preview: Dover


ppc Racing Names Jamie Jones As Crew Chief For Cook, No. 10 Ford
ppc Racing officials announced the hire of Jamie Jones as crew chief for the No. 10 Ford Power Stroke® Diesel by International® team in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. Jones, a well-noted NASCAR Busch Series crew chief, will make his truck debut at Dover International Speedway June 4th, giving Jones one week to prepare with driver Terry Cook and the ppc Racing team for the “Monster Mile” and the rest of the 2004 racing season.

Hmiel heads to Dover to Slay the “Monster Mile”
Shane Hmiel makes his return to Dover International Speedway. Hmiel has tried to tame the “Monster Mile” competing at Dover three times prior in the NASCAR Busch Series. “We’ve always run well here in the past but haven’t had great finishes.” Hmiel had his best finish at Dover crossing the line 10th in the MBNA All-American Heroes 200 in his rookie season in the NASCAR Busch Series. This will be his first time chasing the “Monster” in the #15 NASCAR Craftsman Truck. Hmiel is confident about his abilities to do well in the MBNA America 200, by using his prior Dover experience to run down the “Monster.” “This is a track I really enjoy racing. It’s totally fast and wide open,” Hmiel explained.

Montgomery, No. 8 BHR2 Dodge Preview: Dover
Chase On Dover: Chase is coming off a 24th place finish at the Lowe’s Motor Speedway a few weeks ago in the running of the Infineon 200. Chase and his BHR2 team battled an ill-handling truck all weekend and their persistent efforts helped them come home with a safe finish.

Concrete and Crawford are hand-in-glove Heading to Dover
Rick Crawford (No. 14 Circle Bar RV & Motel Ford) and concrete are made for each other. And – no surprise – Crawford can’t wait to hit Dover International Speedway’s one-mile banked concrete oval, host of Friday’s NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series MBNA America 200. Crawford never has won on concrete. But he’s come close enough to figure it’s just a matter of time.  The winner of April’s series event at Martinsville Speedway posted his first Bud Pole at Dover in 2002. He has finished third on two occasions, leading 182 laps.  Toss in Crawford’s second and third-place finishes at the similarly configured Nashville Superspeedway (and a third at Bristol Motor Speedway, another concrete oval) and the 45-year-old Alabama native emerges as one of this week’s favorites. (High Sierra Photo)

Starr Set to Backup Solid Run at Charlotte
Carrying the momentum from their strong run at Charlotte, David Starr and the Spears Motorsports team are geared up for another top finish at the MBNA-America 200 At Dover International Speedway, Friday, June 4.

Dave Blaney to Drive No. 23 Bill Davis Racing Tundra at Dover
At Dover, Dave Blaney will substitute for Shelby Howard as driver of the Bill Davis Racing No. 23 Tundra. “We have decided to put Dave in the No. 23 Tundra to help us evaluate the entire team,” said Bill Davis. “We know Shelby has the talent and capability to do this, but we want to make sure we are giving him all the components he needs to be successful. Obviously, Dave has a tremendous amount of experience, and has raced at Dover many times. His input will definitely have a positive impact on the No. 23 team. Shelby will be at the track and be able to listen to Dave’s feedback and see firsthand what the feedback translates to on the track. We are committed to making this team successful and I think this will be a big help to Shelby and the entire team for the rest of the season.”

Top-Ten Again Sounds Good to Cook
The Ford Power Stroke® Diesel by International® driver, Terry Cook, is looking for a bit of good fortune this weekend in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series.  Sitting eighth in the driver points standings heading to Dover International Speedway, Cook has two top-10 starts the past two years and a 10th-place finish in 2002.

Steve Park Pre-Race Notes: Dover
The following pre-race notes, quotes and statistics are for Steve Park, driver of the No. 62 Orleans Dodge in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, prior to the MBNA America 200 at Dover International Speedway June 4.

Team Silverado Preview: Dover


Nutzz.com to Sponsor Kvapil at Dover
NUTZZ.COM will begin its initial marketing launch as the primary sponsor on Bang Racing’s No. 24 Tundra at the MBNA America 200. Nutzz.com is also an associate sponsor on both Bang Racing NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Teams for 2004.

Chaffin, No. 18 Dickies Dodge Preview: MBNA America 200


Dennis Setzer Fast Facts: Dover


Skinner, No. 42 Toyota Preview: Dover
Skinner is hoping that his great grandfather’s high-flying accomplishments will be a good luck charm at the track this weekend since Dover is also home to the largest and busiest aerial cargo port in the Department of Defense, Dover Air Force Base. Skinner’s great grandfather was a pioneer in flight and is credited with his inventions relating to the crop duster. Skinner’s father also worked for McDonald-Douglas for 25 years.

Hooper takes the Reigns from Gordon in No. 13 Thorsport Chevy
Lance Hooper, a two-time NASCAR regional touring series champion and veteran of 70 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series (NCTS) races, will be the driver of ThorSport Racing's No. 13 Chevrolet in the MBNA America 200 NCTS race at the Dover International Speedway, team owner Duke Thorson announced Wednesday.  Hooper is substituting for Tina Gordon.

Crawford, No. 14 Circle Bar Racing Ford Preview: Dover


Carl Edwards on the Pole at Dover
Carl Edwards has come full circle at Dover International Speedway, from 2003 when the rookie-of-the-year crashed two trucks and finished last, to the Bud Pole for Friday's NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series MBNA America 200.  Edwards, battling Dennis Setzer for the series points lead, headed a pack of eight trucks which broke the four-year-old qualifying record on Thursday. The Columbia, Mo. veteran, at the wheel of the No. 99 Superchips Ford, ran a lap of 152.893 mph, about two-hundreths of a second quicker than the No. 16 Chevy Trucks Chevrolet of three-time series champion Jack Sprague.  The pole was Edwards' second on the series and - ironically -shattered the one-lap record set by former Roush Racing driver Kurt Busch in 2000. The old mark, also in the No. 99 Ford, was 151.764.

Hamilton Qualifies Seventh for MBNA 200
Bobby Hamilton qualified his Square D Dodge in the seventh starting position for tomorrow’s MBNA America 200. Hamilton’s lap time of 23.690 seconds was one of eight times that broke the previous track record at Dover International Speedway.

Chad Chaffin Starts in Top 10 at Dover
Chad Chaffin qualified his Dickies Dodge in the ninth starting position for tomorrow’s MBNA America 200. Chaffin’s lap time of 23.733 seconds was faster than he ran in both the morning practice sessions.

Reutimann Top Rookie Qualifier
David Reutimann will start eighth in Friday's race, his second top-10 start in six races this season. He is the only Raybestos Rookie that will start inside the top-10. Plus check out the quotes from the rest of the Raybestos Rookie candidates.

Park Starts Third at Monster Mile
Steve Park posted his best NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series qualifying effort since joining Orleans Racing in January with a third-place starting position for the MBNA America 200 at Dover International Speedway June 4.

Carl Edwards Press Conference
“Well, we ran a little faster in practice. The first lap Cowboy (Kevin Starland), my crew chief, came across and said we ran a .60, and I thought, ‘Man, I’m going to have to try a little harder.’

Hines Starts 20th In Dover NCTS Event
Tracy Hines will start the No. 88 Menards/Microtel Chevrolet from the 20th position in tomorrow's MBNA America 200 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race in Dover, Del.

Chad Chaffin Sixth Different NCTS Winner This Season
Chad Chaffin stunned the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series with a surprise victory in the MBNA America 200 at the Dover International Speedway. The fact that Chaffin won the race was not a surprise, but the way the team pulled it off was the shocker.  Chaffin was leading and had yet to make his final pit stop when Kevin Love crashed coming off turn four to bring out the caution flag on lap 152. The caution pinned several of the leaders at least one lap down, and left Chaffin in control of his own destiny. By scoring the win, Chaffin becomes the sixth different winner in six NCTS races in 2004, and the first driver to score his first career win this season. (High Sierra Photo)

Bad Luck Bites Hooper In Dover
Lance Hooper made his debut in the ThorSport No. 13 Vassarette/Microtel Chevrolet in Friday's NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series MBNA America 200 at Dover International Speedway hoping for top-20 finish. Unfortunately, a clutch failure left Hooper on the sidelines after the team completed just 39 of the race's 200 laps.

Hines 21st In Dover Truck Race
A late-race green flag pit stop for tires dropped Tracy Hines from battling for a top-10 finish to 21st position in the MBNA America 200 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race at the Dover International Speedway Friday, June 4. Chad Chaffin won the event.

Huffman Best Raybestos Rookie at Dover CTS race
Huffman finished 11th and took top Raybestos Rookie honors for the second consecutive race. He scored his best finish in seven career Craftsman Truck Series starts. "It started out just a normal race for us this year I guess . You can see that stuff coming." Also comments from the rest of the Rookie field.

Connor's Call Brings Houston Home Seventh
Andy Houston overcame flying debris, flat tires and an ill handling chassis to post his first top-ten finish of the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series season in Friday's MBNA America 200 at Dover International Speedway. Crew chief Dennis Connor made the decision to leave Houston and his Team ASE/CARQUEST Dodge on the racetrack for an extended green flag run and was rewarded with a timely caution flag that caught a number of competitive trucks a lap down to the field. The end result was a seventh place finish and a healthy dose of momentum as the series heads to Texas Motor Speedway next weekend.

Reutimann Disappointed With 17th At Dover
Even though a Top-10 effort evaded David Reutimann in his first attempt at Dover International Speedway, the Raybestos Rookie had a strong showing in the No. 17 NTN Bearings Toyota before being relegated to a seventeenth-place finish in the MBNA America 200 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series event.

Whitt Has Long Day in Dover
A short day became a long one at the one-mile Dover (Del.) International Speedway Friday for Brandon Whitt and the #38 Cure Autism Now/McMillin Homes Ford F-150 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series team.

Chaffin Scores Monster Victory in Dover
There’s no substitute in racing for being in the right place at the right time. It was the key to Chad Chaffin’s first NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series victory on Friday at Dover International Speedway. Chaffin, who pitted out of sequence after giving up track position on an earlier caution, inherited a lead he never gave up after virtually all of the frontrunners were trapped a lap behind by an untimely yellow for Kevin Love’s frontstretch accident on the 150th lap. The Smyrna, Tenn. sophomore, making his 38th start on the series, led from the 149th serial but had to withstand a four-lap shootout at the end to beat Rick Crawford by .382-second – about two truck lengths – to put Bobby Hamilton Racing’s No. 18 Dickies Dodge in victory lane for the first time since 2002. (High Sierra Photo)

NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Notables: DOVER
Dave Blaney, subbing for Shelby Howard, took the No. 23 Bill Davis Racing Toyota to the team’s first top-10 finish on the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. Blaney ran third for much of the middle stages of the race but were caught a lap down by a green flag top followed by the caution.  “If we could have just kept our track position … I think we would have had a shot at the race,” said Blaney, who was seated in the truck on a one-race basis to give the Davis teams some R&D input.

Chaffin Gets First Truck Win in Dickies Dodge
With 52 laps left in the MBNA America 200 at Dover International Speedway Dickies driver Chad Chaffin took the lead under caution and held off driver Rick Crawford by .382 seconds to win his first NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race. “It was just an incredible day,” Chaffin said. “The last few weeks we thought we were on the cusp of winning a race. This morning I really felt like it was in the cards. It’s hard to pass here at Dover; this track is the Monster Mile. It has a big-time reputation. My guys gave me an awesome Dickies Dodge. I’ve been racing about 13 years, and this is the biggest win of my career. This is a day I didn’t know would ever come. I’m thrilled. I’m speechless.” Chaffin’s first victory came after the team got out of sequence on pit stops, thus playing into their favor for the win. On lap 51 Chaffin pitted because the right front tire was on the left side of the Dickies Dodge...

Green Flag Stop Cost Hamilton Top-5 Dover Finish
Square D driver Bobby Hamilton ran in the top five for most of the MBNA America 200 at Dover International Speedway until a scheduled green-flag pit stop for fuel cost him the top-five finishing position. He went on to finish the race two laps down in the 19th spot.

Rhonda Greer Photo Gallery: Dover International Speedway
Check out all the action of Friday's MBNA America 200 from Dover International Speedway through the lens of Rhonda Greer.  From inside race winner Chad Chaffin's No. 18 Dickies Dodge (above) to the garage and trackside, nobody covers it better.

Top-10 Dover Finish Moves Wood Up The Ladder
Jon Wood and the No. 50 Roush Racing team proved at Dover that when the going gets tough, the tough get motivated to try even harder. The team did not have an easy weekend, but their perseverance earned a top-10 finish for them.

Skinner Dominates Dover, Finishes Fourth
"This little hot rod was bad to the bone today," Skinner said, sitting on the pit wall of the Monster Mile relishing his commanding performance. Although he didn't claim his first victory of the year, the inaugural Craftsman Truck Series champion led a race high of 85 laps and posted an average of a half-second faster than the competition at the lightning-fast track after claiming his third top-five finish of the season.

Musgrave Moves up through the Field prior to Steering Troubles
"This weekend felt like old times. We've made several personnel changes, and we went to Dover with a new outlook. We had to start in the back of the field and work our way up, just like we used to, but we moved up quite a bit this weekend. I felt like it was a top-five truck, but the pump went out, so I had to finish the race without power steering."

Crawford Takes Second at Dover
Rick Crawford came to the Dover International Speedway for the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series MBNA America 200 with only one thought in mind, victory. He came close to that goal, finishing second at the Monster Mile in the #14 Sears “Good Life, Great Race,” Ford F-150.

Diary of a Champion: Conquering the Monster
My team owner, Alex Meshkin, celebrated his 24th birthday on Wednesday when we left for Dover. So the team was in an upbeat mood on the plane ride up and got a good laugh when the pilot wished him a happy birthday and the flight attendants sang 'Happy Birthday' in Spanish. I must admit, it's interesting having a team owner that's four years younger than me. But it's pretty cool, because we always have a good time out on the road. He's just one of the guys. In Dover, the team went to a seafood restaurant to celebrate his birthday. Being that he's from Maryland, he talked a couple of people into ordering whole crabs. I stuck with my filet and sat through the majority of the dinner laughing at them chiseling away for a tiny piece of meat. I guess I just like to eat the same way I drive. Throttle down. (Rhonda Greer Photo)

Montgomery Finds Silver Lining in Dover Run
Chase Montgomery feels like he has had a “black cloud” following him so far this year in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. Despite further bad luck on Friday in Dover, the 20-year-old rookie feels that he may just have found a clearing in that cloud. Montgomery had a solid run denied at the Dover International Speedway during the running of the MBNA America 200. A mid-race encounter with oil from a competitor’s blown engine resulted in a deceiving 28th place finish for Chase and his #8 Big Daddy’s Cycle World DODGE.

Edwards Closes in on Championship Point Lead
Carl Edwards started off the weekend with everything going his way.  He won the pole and set a new track record.  He led twice for 46 laps during the race, but a bit of bad timing left him in 14th place at the end of the day.

Monster of a Caution Bites Kvapil at Dover
An untimely caution flag that caught a number of competitive trucks a lap down mid-race threw a damper on Travis Kvapil's attempts at claiming another top-five at Dover International Speedway during the MBNA 200 on Friday.

The Truckin' Diva: Dover
It may have been a long time coming, but Bobby Hamilton Racing driver Chad Chaffin finally scored that elusive first career Craftsman Truck Series win Friday when he took the checkered flag in the MBNA 200 at Dover International Speedway.

Practice 1 Times: MBNA America 200


Practice 2 Times: MBNA America 200


Practice 3 Times: MBNA America 200


Official Results: MBNA America 200


Entry List: MBNA America 200


Starting Lineup: MBNA America 200