NASCAR Camping World Truck Series
Race #17 | Kroger 200
Richmond International Raceway Thursday September 9, 2004

Wood Testing Both Roush Trucks in Memphis
Roush Racing’s Jon Wood will spend next Tuesday and Wednesday testing at Memphis Motorsports Park. Wood will be busy since not only will he be testing his No. 50 Roush Racing Ford F-150, but he will also be testing the No. 99 Superchips F-150. His teammate, Carl Edwards, was scheduled to be at the test, but will now be testing his No. 99 Nextel Cup car at Richmond the same two days.

Hamlin Anxious to Get Back to Action in the NCTS
After a solid performance in his NASCAR Camping World Truck Series debut at Indianapolis Raceway Park, Joe Gibbs Racing development driver Denny Hamlin is anxious to get behind the wheel and pick up where he left off.  However, he took the chance to watch the annual Wednesday night brawl on the Bristol high banks this week, and how Hamlin and his Team EJP Racing teammates are preparing for their next start, that coming September 9 at Richmond International Raceway.

Kroger to Sponsor Richmond Truck Event
Kroger, one of the nation's largest grocery retailers, announced today it will be the title sponsor of the upcoming NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at Richmond International Raceway.  The Kroger 200 will run Thursday night, September 9 as part of a double header with the inaugural Crown Royal International Race of Champions (IROC) Series.  "We are very excited to have Kroger join us as the sponsor of our NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race," said track president Doug Fritz.  "They have sponsored truck races at Richmond International Raceway in the past and we are very pleased to welcome them back for one of the biggest race weekends in our track's history."

Event Schedule: Richmond International Raceway


Tropical Storm Gaston Spares RIR
The Richmond International Raceway property survived Tropical Storm Gaston’s devastating, intense rainfall that dumped as much as 14 inches of rain in some areas of Richmond this past Monday night.  The track’s administrative offices and a few other buildings on the property sustained minor water damage and the entire facility lost power for the majority of the day on Tuesday.

NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Preview: Richmond
Etc. … Following a 12th-place finish at Bristol, Bobby Hamilton leads Dennis Setzer (No. 46 Chevrolet Silverado Chevrolet) by 99 points. Nine races remain on the 2004 schedule … Ken Schrader (No. 52 Federated Auto Parts Chevrolet) won his first NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Bud Pole at Bristol. He is the fourth competitor to win both a pole and a race on all three of NASCAR’s national touring series. The others are Greg Biffle, Terry Labonte and Jimmy Spencer. …

Kyle Beattie Makes NASCAR Debut at Richmond
Twenty-year-old Kyle Beattie will attempt to make his NASCAR debut in the No. 0  Chevrolet Silverado in the Craftsman Truck Series at Richmond International Raceway on Sept. 9.  The Concord resident has been driving in circles since the tender age of three in a go-kart at his house, but the truck race at Richmond marks the first time that Beattie (pronounced B T) has attempted to make a race in NASCAR’s major leagues.

SS Racing Makes 2nd CTS Start at RIR
SS Racing readies for their 2nd Craftsman Truck Series start of 2004 at Richmond International Raceway. The team will be sponsored by Indianapolis based ASILIMITED  Building Enclosure Specialists.  Butch Miller will pilot the #08 ASILIMITED Silverado in the Kroger 200 at Richmond International Raceway September 09, 2004.  This will be Miller’s 110th career start in the truck series, compiling 1 win, 23 top 5’s and 50 top 10’s.

Germain Looking Forward To Richmond
The Toyota Tundra Team of Germain / Arnold Racing with veteran NASCAR Nextel Cup driver Todd Bodine is looking forward to their first foray into the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. “I’m really proud of the team and what they’ve accomplished in such a short period of time. Everyone’s worked extremely hard. They deserve a lot of credit!”, stated Bob Germain, team co-owner about the operation.

Hamilton is Not Points Racing... Yet
Believe Me When I say: “I don’t pay a lot of attention to the points right now, really I don’t.  I feel like with five races to go there will be a lot of pressure on me to go harder for the championship, but for now I think winning races is more important.  If you continue to win races or get top-five or top-10 finishes, then the championship will fall into place. 

Chaffin Looking to Repeat "One Day Show" Success at Richmond
If the truck isn’t running well, I prefer to have the Happy Hour practice and then race the following day. It gives Crew Chief Kip McCord and I time to sort some things out. If you unload and the truck is really fast, then you like the one-day shows because it doesn’t give everybody else a chance to catch up. We’ve had some success with the one-day show format this year.

Mark McFarland to Drive the No. 59 Dodge at Richmond
2003 NASCAR Dodge Weekly National Champion Mark McFarland will be behind the wheel of the No. 59 HT Motorsports NASCAR Craftsman race truck at Richmond International Raceway on Thursday, September 9th.

Setzer, No. 46 Chevrolet Pre-Race Report: Richmond
“We have been in contention to win just about every time we have been to Richmond.  Some of my worst finishes were my best races, which is pretty darn close to the way we have been running lately.  I really like this track and had a chance to see the Cup guys test here last week.  I think the track surface is in the best condition that I have ever seen it.  We need a good run and Richmond should be a good track for us.”

Spears Team has Momentum Heading into Richmond
For David Starr (No. 75 Spears Manufacturing Chevrolet), 2004 is starting to look more like 2002 and Starr, who finished fifth in the 2002 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series championship battle, couldn’t be more pleased.  “Finally, we got the monkey off our back and things are looking good,” said the Houston native, who has battled his way from 22nd in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series standings to eighth place. “Everyone has his slumps and the beginning of the year was mine.”  Starr and the Spears team have been surging, with the high point being a victory in the July 19 Missouri-Illinois Dodge Dealers 200 at Gateway International Raceway. Since early July, Starr has three top-fives and finished seventh in last week’s O’Reilly 200 at Bristol Motor Speedway. (High Sierra Photo)

Sutton is Ready for Racing at Richmond
When Kelly “Girl” Sutton was diagnosed with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) in 1988, the thought of racing at Richmond International Raceway (RIR), in the upper echelon of NASCAR, didn’t seem possible. But the Crownsville, Md. native was determined to fulfill her dream of racing, and became very competitive at short tracks in Maryland and Virginia.

Reutimann Reflects on Richmond Debut Two Years Ago
Richmond International Raceway has abiding significance to David Reutimann. In 2002, the Zephyrhills (FL) native made his NASCAR Busch Series debut in the No. 87 NEMCO Motorsports car at the .75-mile oval.  "It was my first shot to do anything at that level," said Reutimann, who has one Bud Pole, two Top-5s and three Top-10s in 15 Busch Series career starts."

Sprague on Richmond: Bar Level of Competition Raised
“Richmond is just a great place to race. It is truly a driver’s track. You have to be up on the wheel. Things happen pretty fast here too but not quite as tough as Bristol. I really like the track but if you aren’t handling right, it will be a very long night. It is a fairly technical track that really requires a balanced truck."

Starr Plans for Strong Finish at Richmond
“I think the ‘monkey’ is finally off our back and we are planning for another strong finish this weekend. While our best finish at Richmond has been a 12th, it has been due to things beyond our control. Our Spears Chevy has been strong every time and we expect the same this time out."


Terry Cook, No. 10 Ford Race Preview: Richmond
“We’ve been very successful there in the past at Richmond International Raceway. It is one of my favorite tracks on the schedule. It’s one of those tracks we’ve been able to qualify very well but haven’t really got the race package where it needed to be. It has to deal a lot with having practice early on in the daytime and racing at night and just not keeping up with the race setup of the truck.”

GM Racing/Team Silverado Pre-Event Notes and Quotes
Setzer has three top-five finishes in six races at RIR in a NASCAR Craftsman Truck. He won a NASCAR Sportsman race at RIR in 1991. It is the only race in the track’s new configuration where a driver has led from start to finish. Setzer also has numerous Busch starts at RIR as well as one Nextel Cup Start in 1998. Sprague could become the first driver in NASCAR Camping World Truck Series history to top $5 million in winnings.

Stewart Looking for Richmond Three-Peat in No. 47 Silverado All Stars Chevy
A trip to victory lane Thursday night at Richmond International Raceway (RIR) in the No. 47 Acxiom Chevy Celebrity All Stars Silverado, would add another “first” to Tony Stewart’s already impressive NASCAR resume. By winning the Kroger 200 for the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCTS), Stewart would be the first driver to win the September event three consecutive years. (NASCAR Images Photo)

Hamlin Ready to Take on Richmond
With a top-10 finish in the books in their debut together, Team EJP Racing and Joe Gibbs Racing development driver Denny Hamlin look to continue their success together at Richmond International Raceway, where the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series will run the Kroger 200 this Thursday. Hamlin drove the Team EJP Racing No. 03 Joe Gibbs Performance/Decoma Chevrolet to tenth at Indianapolis in August after qualifying seventh, and he’s ready to pick up where he left off at Richmond.

Craven Debut in Truck Series Set for Loudon
Ricky Craven will make his first start in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series at the SYLVANIA 200 Presented by Lowe's on Saturday, September 18 at New Hampshire International Speedway. Craven will drive the No. 47 ACXIOM Chevrolet Silverado Celebrity All-Star Team entry fielded by Morgan-Dollar Motorsports.

Hines and Hooper Ready for Short Track Attack at Richmond
After racking up two more top-10 finishes in USAC open wheel competition over the Labor Day weekend, Tracy Hines is ready to take the reins of the ThorSport Racing No. 88 Menards Chevrolet in this Thursday’s Kroger 200 for the NASCAR Truck Series at Richmond International Raceway.

Patience is Key for Edwards at Richmond
"I'm hoping this year will go a lot better than my first race at Richmond last year.  I hit the wall twice last year and ended up in 25th place.  I think this year I've learned to be a little more patient and the guys always remind me that if the truck isn't right to wait it out until we can pit for adjustments rather than overdrive it.

Wood, No. 99 Ford Race Preview: Richmond
"I've raced at Richmond three times in the truck.  The first two races didn't go so well, but last year we got our first top-five finish there. This year we are going to do everything we can to do at least that well again.  We spent two days testing at Memphis since the tracks are somewhat similar.  We learned some good things at the test that will help us at Richmond and a few other places."

Entry List: Kroger 200


Park, No. 62 Dodge Pre-Race Review
This will be Park’s 15th start at Richmond International Raceway. He has four starts in the NASCAR Busch Series and 10 starts in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series. This will be his first NASCAR Camping World Truck Series start at Richmond. This will be the third start for Orleans Racing at Richmond and the 74th Craftsman Truck Series start for the team.

Raybestos NCTS Rookie Review: Richmond
David Reutimann was the Raybestos® Rookie of the Race in the O'Reilly 200 at Bristol Motor Speedway.  Reutimann finished 11th and took Raybestos® Rookie of the Race honors for the seventh time this season.  Reutimann leads the chase for Raybestos® Rookie of the Year by 23-points (174-151) over Tracy Hines entering the Kroger 200 at Richmond International Raceway.

Huffman, No. 12 Toyota Pre-Race Review: Richmond
Robert Huffman is looking forward to making his first NCTS start at Richmond International Raceway in the Kroger 200 Thursday night.

Hank Parker Jr., No. 21 Toyota Preview: Richmond
Hank Parker, Jr. and the #21 AirVest Toyota race team travel to Richmond International Raceway this Thursday
night for race number seventeen on the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series schedule this year.

Richmond Holds Fond Memories for K Automotive and Keselowski Family
With K Automotive Motorsports holding the record for the second most consecutive starts in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, it’s no wonder that the team has had numerous solid runs at the Richmond International Raceway. But there is still one year that brings smiles and a lot of laughter to team owners, Bob and Kay Keselowski.

McMurray to Drive No. 2 Team ASE/Carquest Dodge at RIR
NASCAR Nextel Cup driver Jamie McMurray will make a return to the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series as the driver of the No. 2 Team ASE/CARQUEST Dodge in the Kroger 200 at Richmond International Raceway on Thursday September 9th. McMurray replaces Andy Houston in the Ultra Motorsports prepared entry.

Shane Hmiel Ready to Roll at Richmond
Shane Hmiel and the No. 15 Billy Ballew Motorsports NASCAR Craftsman truck team are ready to roll in Richmond hoping to maintain their streak of solid runs. Hmiel and the Chevy Silverado team have been on a streak of top finishes. Hmiel has placed in the top-10 in the past five NASCAR Camping World Truck Series races.

Montgomery Excited to Race at Richmond
Chase is coming off a solid 20th place finish two weeks ago at Bristol. Montgomery looks to build on some momentum as the season enters into a tough stretch of four races that span across the country in consecutive weeks.

Starr Looks Forward to Short Track at Richmond
While Starr and the Spears Motorsports team started out slowly this season, they have been making great headway in the second half of the year. "This whole team is really phenomenal," says Starr. "They never give up and their hard work and dedication definitely shows.

Travis Kvapil Kroger 200 Preview - Richmond
Bang Racing and Toyota Motor Sales, USA will remain together for the remainder of the 2004 season. Toyota will continue factory support of Bang Racing’s No. 24 LINE-X team with driver Travis Kvapil. As Bang Racing prepares for its full-time entrance in the NASCAR Busch Series for 2005 with Kvapil, Mike Skinner will join Bill Davis Racing after indicating his desire to remain a successful competitor in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series.

McMurray Snags Top Spot in Truck Series Return

Jamie McMurray made a statement in his return to the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series during qualifying for Thursday’s Kroger 200 at Richmond International Raceway. McMurray drove Jimmy Smith’s No. 2 Team ASE/CARQUEST Dodge to the pole with a lap of 21.525 seconds around the 0.75-mile tri-oval, his second career NCTS Bud Pole. McMurray was named to the seat of the Ultra Motorsports truck earlier this week, and was quick in practice all morning. His Ultra teammate Ted Musgrave was also strong throughout the day and put the No. 1 Team Mopar Dodge outside row one for tonight’s race with a lap of 21.567. (High Sierra Photo)

Wimmer Prepares for Richmond with Memphis Test
On the heels of a strong run at the Bristol Motor Speedway, Chris Wimmer and his MB Motorsports NASCAR Camping World Truck Series team is preparing for the Kroger 200 at the Richmond International Raceway Thursday night. Wimmer spent last week testing at Memphis Motorsports Park to get ready for the three-quarter-mile short track.

Musgrave Leads 1-2 Ultra Motorsports Finish at Richmond
Ted Musgrave jumped into the lead on the initial green flag and dominated Thursday’s Kroger 200 NASCAR Crafstman Truck Series race. Musgrave scored his second win of the season, and with teammate Jamie McMurray chasing him home in second, reasserted the strength of the Ultra Motorsports team. On the break, Musgrave raced pole-sitter McMurray hard into turns one and two, and eventually pulled into the lead through turns three and four to lead the first lap. As he crossed the line to lead the second lap, NCTS points leader Bobby Hamilton found himself sliding into the turn three wall, damaging the right rear corner and the right front nose of his truck. (High Sierra Photo)

Official Results: Kroger 200


Terry Cook a Fast Qualifier at RIR
Terry Cook, driver of the No. 10 International Trucks and Engines Ford, is used to starting up front at Richmond International Raceway.  In his last six NASCAR Camping World Truck Series starts, Cook has started in the top 10 averaging a 6.5 starting position for Thursday night’s event.

Cook Captures Top 10 at Richmond
Terry Cook, driver of the No. 10 International Trucks and Engines Ford, finished ninth in the Kroger 200 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series event at Richmond International Raceway (RIR) Thursday night.  Cook looked like he passed entire field twice, after making two, four-tire pit stops under two separate caution flags.

Sprague Sets Winnings Mark in NASCAR Camping World Truck Series
Jack Sprague behind the wheel of the No. 16 Chevy Trucks Silverado set the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series  (NCTS) all-time winnings record of $5,002,679 with his eighth place finish in the Kroger 200 at Richmond International Raceway.

Stewart Scores Solid Third Place at Richmond
Tony Stewart brought the No. 47 Acxiom Chevy Celebrity All Stars Silverado to the checkered flag in third place at Richmond International Raceway (RIR) in the Kroger 200 for the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCTS). It was the third consecutive top-five finish in as many races for the team fielded by Morgan Dollar Motorsports.

McMurray Grabs Second at Kroger 200
At the end of Thursday's Kroger 200 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at Richmond International Raceway, all Jamie McMurray could think about was what might have been. All that stood between McMurray and victory were just a few feet of precious Virginia asphalt and one ill-timed caution flag.

Huffman Scores Season Best Finish at Richmond
Robert Huffman felt like his No. 12 Toyota/White House Foods Tundra was capable of getting a top-5 finish in Richmond Thursday night, and he came close while bringing home a season best sixth place finish.  Huffman also earned the Raybestos Rookie of the Race Award.

Parker Jr’s Top-10 Finish Goes Flat
Hank Parker, Jr. was a green-white-checkered restart away from earning his recently signed primary sponsor, AirVest, a second top-10 finish in as many races.  Taking the caution flag on lap 199, of a scheduled 200 laps, Parker, Jr’s Tundra made it one lap under caution before his left side tires went flat on lap 200.  Coming around turn three, Hank radioed the crew, “Guys, I have a flat tire.”

Hmiel Rebounds for Top-10 Finish
Shane Hmiel and the Billy Ballew Motorsports NASCAR Camping World Truck Series team gambled when they came in for tires and adjustments late into the Kroger 200 at Richmond International Raceway.  Hmiel gave up his third place position with only 45 laps to go.

Hines Battles for 19th in Richmond
Tracy Hines drove the ThorSport Racing No. 88 Menards Chevrolet to a 19th-place finish in the Kroger 200 NASCAR Truck Series race at Richmond International Raceway on Thursday night.  Hines started the 200-lap race on the 0.75-mile tri-oval in the 26th position, and battled back from a lap in the midstages of the race to battle to his 12th top-20 finish of 2004.

Hamilton Taps Wall in Richmond, Clings to Points Lead
On lap two of the Kroger 200 at Richmond International Raceway Square D driver Bobby Hamilton slid up the race track and hit the wall coming off turn four.  The Square D Racing Team worked overtime trying to help Hamilton’s crippled Dodge get the best finish possible.  Hamilton’s respectable 26th-place finish helped him keep the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series points lead over Dennis Setzer.

Crafton a Disappointing 21st After Green, White, Checkered Finish
Matt Crafton, driver of the No. 6 GM Goodwrench Chevrolet Silverado, had another top-10 finish taken away when he became the victim of the green, white, checkered finish in Thursday night’s running of the Kroger 200 at Richmond International Raceway. In result, the Tulare, Calif., native lost 15 spots on the final lap to cross the finish line a very disappointing 21st.

Renshaw Experiences Tough Learning Curve at Richmond
Deborah Renshaw made her first laps around the Richmond International Raceway on Thursday preparing for the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Kroger 200. While Renshaw admits that nearly all the tracks she will visit this season in the K Automotive Ford will be a learning experience, Richmond proved to be quite a steep curve.

Solid Finish Slips Through Kvapil’s Hands at Richmond
Sporting a new Toyota paint scheme promoting seat belt safety, Travis Kvapil buckled up and went for a wild ride just 38 laps into the Kroger 200 as he fell victim to a three-wide battle for positioning on the outside and contact from another competitor.

Montgomery Baffled in Richmond
NASCAR Camping World Truck Series driver Chase Montgomery has undoubtedly had an eventful 2004 rookie season, but nothing like his bizarre night on Thursday in Richmond. Montgomery battled numerous tire problems as he steered his #8 Herbalife DODGE to a 27th place finish in the running of the Kroger 200 under the lights at the Richmond International Raceway.

Whitt fights for 17th Place Finish at Richmond
In a night of comebacks, Brandon Whitt and the #38 Werner Ladder/Cure Autism Now Ford team fought their way to a 17th-place finish in the Kroger 200 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race Thursday night at the .750-mile Richmond (Va.) International Raceway.

Hamlin Scores Top-20 in Hometown Tussle
Denny Hamlin drove the Team EJP Racing No. 03 Decoma/Joe Gibbs Performance Chevrolet to a 16th-place finish in the Kroger 200 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race Thursday at Richmond International Raceway. Hamlin, from nearby Chesterfield, Virginia, fought brake problems to stay on the lead lap all evening and picked up his second career top-20 finish in two NCTS starts.

Sieg Fights to Hard Earned 18th in Richmond
Shane Sieg drove the No. 07 Auto Air Colors/Lucas Oil Products Chevrolet to a 18th-place finish in last Thursday’s Kroger 200 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at Richmond International Raceway.  Sieg started the event deep in the pack and steadily made progress toward the top-20, avoided trouble within sight of the checkered flag, and brought his truck home for a solid finish.

Truck Series Crew Chief Fined for Violation at Richmond
Randolph C. (Randy) Andersen, crew chief for the No. 93 Chevrolet driven by Wayne Edwards in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, has been fined $3,000 by NASCAR for a rule infraction that occurred this past week at Richmond International Raceway.

New Team Leads Toyota Richmond Efforts
Todd Bodine gave the Germain/Arnold Racing Team a dramatic entry into the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series with a fourth place and was the top finishing Toyota in the Kroger 200 tonight at Richmond International Raceway. Ted Musgrave ran up front most of the night for the victory.

Diary of a Champion: Rough Ride in Richmond
I’ve always had strong runs at Richmond, so I never expected to be sitting in the garage with a handful of laps under my belt. Richmond’s one of those weekends I’d definitely like to forget. On the bright side, I’m always excited to race in the IROC events. I got there Wednesday afternoon and tested my IROC car for a couple of hours. I had a really good time making some laps in my car and thought I’d have a good shot at running well. But when they dropped the green flag, I really struggled all night. (High Sierra Photo)

Starting Lineup: Kroger 200


Practice 1 Times: Kroger 200


Qualifying Order: Kroger 200


Qualifying Results: Kroger 200