NASCAR Camping World Truck Series
Race #24 | Darlington 200
Darlington Raceway
Friday November 12, 2004

Hamilton added to Night Riders lineup at Darlington
Darlington Raceway's August 24 "Night Riders" event recently got a little brighter with the addition of one of the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series' biggest stars. Track officials announced today that Bobby Hamilton has been added to the lineup. Hamilton has won two of the three NASCAR Camping World Truck Series races run at Darlington, including the inaugural race in May of 2001. He is currently second in the 2004 series overall point standings and has won more events in that series than any other driver so far this season.

Orlando Hudson Named Darlington 200 Grand Marshal
On Friday, November 12, Orlando Hudson will play a part in a sport that's a bit more fast-paced than baseball. Hudson, the starting second baseman for the Toronto Blue Jays, will serve as grand marshal for the Darlington 200 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race. The event will be the first-ever night race in Darlington Raceway's 55-year history. (PR Photo)

Kasey Kahne Truck Debut Set For Darlington
NASCAR Nextel Cup rookie sensation Kasey Kahne will make his NASCAR Camping World Truck Series debut in the No. 2 Team ASE/CARQUEST Dodge this Friday night in the Darlington 200 at Darlington Raceway. Kahne currently leads the battle for the NASCAR Nextel Cup Raybestos Rookie of the Year Award. He is still looking for his first win of the season and he can think of no better place to get it than Darlington, the track that is "too tough to tame."

Event Schedule: Darlington


Toyota Darlington Notes and Quotes
Six of the eight Tundra drivers in the field at Darlington have never competed in a NCTS race at the South Carolina track.  Travis Kvapil (3 starts) and Bill Lester (2 starts) are the two Tundra drivers who have previous NCTS experience at Darlington.  Johnny Benson, Todd Bodine, Robert Huffman, Hank Parker Jr. and Mike Skinner have all previously competed at the track in the NASCAR Cup or Busch Series, but never started a NCTS race at Darlington.  Only David Reutimann has never raced at Darlington.

Hamilton Looking to Go Three for Three at Darlington
“Just driving up the road and seeing the lights not even on yet made a huge difference at Darlington.  The place looks so much better.  I think it is a great thing that NASCAR has done.  I’ve been going to Darlington for years and if the humidity didn’t get you, the rain would.  So it makes it more comfortable for the race fans to watch and gives us more time to play with in case of rain delays. I’ve always liked this race track because the history of it.  It’s always going to be a key track on the circuit.  The discipline it takes to drive this type track is what I like so much about Darlington Raceway.”

Chaffin Tabs Darlington as Favorite Track
“Darlington Raceway is my favorite race track. You race really close to the wall and if you are not careful it will bite you. The last time the Dickies Racing Team raced at Darlington we had a very solid run and I am looking forward to repeating that. This weekend we are running under the lights. I really enjoy night racing. It reminds me of the racing so many of the drivers in our series cut their teeth on."

With Two Races to Go, Crafton Down But Not Out
With two races to go in the 2004 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCTS) season, Matt Crafton, driver of the No. 6 GM Goodwrench Chevrolet Silverado, may be down in the championship standings but he is definitely not out. As the NCTS heads to Darlington (S.C.) Raceway this Friday night for the Darlington 200, Crafton sits fifth in points, 257 markers out of first and is still mathematically in a position to be crowned this year's NCTS champion.

Chase Montgomery Darlington Preview
I am really excited about finally getting the opportunity to race at Darlington.  The track has so much history and I remember the days of growing up and watching the great drivers of the past race at Darlington on TV.  I am sure it will take me some time to get used to the track and find the right line around there.  I got a great teacher in Bobby Hamilton who has been very successful at Darlington (defending race winner) and I will lean on him for as much information and coaching as I can get.  The guys on this BHR2 team have been doing a fantastic job in providing me with fast trucks, so if I can get used to the track quickly then we should be in for a good showing

Park, No. 62 Dodge Pre-Race Review
“I’m really looking forward to going to Darlington. I love the track. I love racing there. There are some guys that maybe don’t have the experience at Darlington in the Craftsman Trucks and are going to find it very challenging. Racing there in the past in the car just makes me look forward to it. Since I have 15 starts at the track it won’t take me as much time to get used to it as some of the rookies or newer drivers who haven’t been there as much.”

Sprague, No. 16 Chevrolet Pre-Race Preview
“Darlington has certainly earned its reputation as a tough racetrack. I sat on the pole the last time I raced a truck there in 2001 but ended up finishing 12th. Bobby Hamilton and I were battling for the win when it started raining so NASCAR parked the trucks on pit road with covers on them and my crew discovered I had a flat rear tire."

Hmiel Hopes He’s Tough Enough to Tame the ‘Lady in Black’
The ‘Lady in Black’ is deeply ingrained in South Carolina tradition, it oozes with many years of rich racing history. Drivers like Johnny Mantz, Charlie Glotzbach, Cale Yarborough, David Pearson and Dale Earnhardt have etched their names into the record books with memory making performances on the egg-shaped 1.366 mile oval. 

Cook, No. 10 Ford Preview: Darlington
“I don’t think you can compare Darlington to any other racetrack we compete on.  From an aerial view, it may look like Gateway (International Raceway) and some others tracks but it sure doesn’t drive anything like Darlington.  There’s enough banking in the corners that you can really get after it.  Gateway is a flat track so there’s not a lot of comparison between the two.  What can you say about Darlington; it’s ‘Too Tough To Tame.’

Whitt, No. 38 Ford Can’t Wait to Race in Darlington
Brandon Whitt and the #38 Werner Ladder/Cure Autism Now Ford F-150 team head to the 1.366-mile Darlington (S.C.) Raceway this week for Friday’s Darlington 200 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race.

Wood, No. 50 Ford Race Preview: Darlington
"We're taking the same truck we took to Phoenix. It ran really well on the long runs, although we weren't quite as fast at the start. After 20 laps we were as fast as the leader. Unfortunately, we cut a tire and lost three laps pitting and getting a penalty. It wasn't a good day, but it was a good truck."

Edwards, No. 99 Ford Notes and Quotes
"I would have to say that Darlington is probably my favorite track on the circuit. I had so much fun racing there last year. Unfortunately we overheated, which ended our day early, but it was fun while it lasted. That track is tough. I'm glad I had the opportunity to test there last month in the Cup car just to get more laps around that place."

Darlington Holds Fondest Memories of Setzer's Early Career
"Our team doesn't really have a lot of recent notes on this track because we only ran a few laps here last year before we lost an engine. Darlington was our only DNF of 2003 and only one of two races where we didn't finish in the top ten. But this has been a strange year for us. The tracks that we run good at have not been as good for us, and we have run good at places that have not been our best tracks."

Close Finishes: Truck Series Night Race Adds Tradition, History at Darlington
While H.W. “Harold” Brassington had plenty of visions about Darlington Raceway when he broke ground on the project in 1949, one sight he couldn’t have possibly imagined was seeing a pick-up truck tour the now 1.366-mile oval at more than 160 miles per hour. But that’s exactly what fans will see when they settle in for the Darlington 200 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at Darlington on Friday, November 12. “The Track Too Tough To Tame” will serve up some of the best racing of the year as well as provide a historic moment for the tradition-rich Darlington oval – the first-ever night race at the facility. (Darlington Raceway Photo)

Darlington Raceway Offers Free Shuttle Service for Fans
Activities at Darlington Raceway on Sunday, November 14 will begin well before the green flag waves to begin the final running of the Mountain Dew Southern 500. You won't want to miss anything, so why worry about fighting the traffic?

Huffman Darlington Pre Race Review
Robert Huffman is looking forward to his return to Darlington Raceway.  This will be Robert’s first start at the ‘Lady in Black’ in the NCTS.  He has two previous starts at the raceway in NASCAR’s Busch Series in 1991 and 1993.

Parker, Jr. Darlington Pre Race Review
Hank Parker, Jr. has finished sixth at Darlington Raceway twice (3/2000 and 3/2003), and is hoping for another top-10 finish under the lights Friday night.

Bobby Hamilton: Darlington Crucial in Title Race
The road to the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series championship runs through Darlington, South Carolina. For some contenders, Friday’s Darlington 200 may appear to be like a wide-open stretch of interstate highway. Others may find it resembling a dead-end road. Five who took the green flag in February at Daytona International Speedway remain in the battle mathematically. Bobby Hamilton (No. 4 Square D Dodge) holds a seven-point advantage over Dennis Setzer (No. 46 Chevrolet Silverado Chevrolet) in the series’ closest race with two races remaining.

NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Preview: Darlington
Hamilton has won both series starts at Darlington Raceway in 2001 and ‘03. Musgrave won in 2002 and finished second a year ago. Setzer counts a best finish of 11th. Edwards was 23rd last year as a Raybestos rookie. Crafton finished eighth in 2001. Dodge leads Chevrolet by four points – 144 to 140 – in the race for the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series manufacturer championship. Dodge can clinch its third title by winning either of the final two races.

Reutimann Coached to Succeed at Darlington
Before David Reutimann races under the lights at the 1.366-mile egg-shaped Darlington Raceway oval Friday night, the Raybestos Rookie points leader will turn to the Waltrip brothers for a laundry list of dos and don'ts to avoid the famed black stripe down the side of the No. 17 NTN Bearings Toyota Tundra.

Crawford Ready to Battle the "Lady in Black"
Rick Crawford returns to the Darlington Raceway this weekend as one of only two drivers in NASCAR Camping World Truck Series history to have scored three top-ten finishes in three events at the historic facility.  Crawford captured a fourth in the tracks inaugural event in 2001, a fifth in 2002 and seventh last season after starting on the outside of the front row.  Crawford is hopeful his past successes at the "Lady in Black" get the #14 Circle Bar Motel & RV Park Ford F-150 to the front.

Travis Kvapil Darlington Preview
Darlington is different than other tracks on the circuit mainly just because the racing groove is so narrow. It’s hard to run side-by-side there. Probably the biggest challenge over the course of a run is the tremendous tire wear. You’ll fall off one to two seconds in thirty or forty laps at Darlington, because the tire wear is so extreme. It makes the truck slide around and you loose so much grip which is the biggest difference from most race tracks that we go to.

Patton Set to Tackle the ‘Lady in Black’
NASCAR Camping World Truck Series rookie J.R. Patton will face one of the most legendary tracks on the NASCAR circuit Friday night when he and the #67 Fiddle Back Racing team tackle Darlington Raceway.  Patton said he is looking forward to racing this historic speedway.

Leffler Replaces Burton in No. 47 All Star Silverado at Darlington
Jason Leffler has been tapped to drive the No. 47 Acxiom Chevrolet Celebrity All Star Silverado at Darlington Raceway. Leffler, recently named the driver of the newly formed third Joe Gibbs Racing Monte Carlo NASCAR Nextel Cup team, will replace Ward Burton who was originally scheduled as the seventh of the All Star Team drivers.

Edwards Sweeps to Pole in Darlington
Carl Edwards demolished the previous track record to take the pole for Friday’s Darlington 200 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at Darlington Raceway. Edwards turned a fast lap of 29.361 seconds, which is 167.487 miles per hour around the 1.366-mile egg-shaped oval. Edwards led an assault on Jason Leffler’s previous track record. The previous record, set in 2002, was 30.040 seconds and was broken by 24 of the 37 qualifiers. Shane Hmiel will start outside the front row after turning a lap of 29.456 seconds/166.947 miles per hour. Bobby Hamilton, Jr., driving the No. 59 HT Motorsports Dodge for Jim Harris this weekend, will line up third with first time NCTS starter Kasey Kahne fourth, and points leader Bobby Hamilton fifth. Hamilton led the first practice session, but his truck bottomed out on his qualifying lap costing him precious time on the track.  (High Sierra Photo)

Leffler, No. 47 Chevrolet Pre-Race Notes
“I am excited to have the opportunity to drive the No. 47 Acxiom Silverado.  After watching the performance of the truck with the other drivers this season, especially my teammates Tony Stewart and Bobby Labonte, I have tremendous confidence in how well the truck will be prepared.  Morgan-Dollar Motorsports is highly respected as one of the best teams in NASCAR and having Randy Goss as the crew chief is a great experience for any driver. I am really looking forward to getting to Darlington and seeing if we can’t win that race."

Renshaw Hoping to Speak the Same Language as the ‘Lady in Black’
If there is one race track on the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series circuit that can intimidate even the most experienced veterans, it would be the Darlington Raceway.  This weekend, Deborah Renshaw will take her first laps around the ‘lady in black’ and maybe trade in her rookie stripe for a famed ‘Darlington stripe’ en route to another top-15 finish.  Renshaw is hoping that the ‘lady in black’ will help her navigate around the tricky 1.366-mile speedway.

Team Silverado Preview: Darlington
"Our team doesn't really have a lot of recent notes on this track because we only ran a few laps here last year before we lost an engine.   Darlington was our only DNF of 2003 and only one of two races where we didn't finish in the top ten.  But this has been a strange year for us.  The tracks that we run good at have not been as good for us, and we have run good at places that have not been our best tracks." - Dennis Setzer, No. 46 Chevrolet

Starr Set to Dance with the "Lady in Black"
Set to dance with the "Lady in Black", David Starr and the Spears Motorsports crew are looking to master the famed Darlington Raceway floor on Friday, November 12 when Round 24 of the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series swings into action.

Kahne makes NCTS debut at Darlington
Kahne has posted five consecutive fifth-place finishes in Cup competition over the past two weeks. Serving as added incentive for Kahne's entry into NASCAR Camping World Truck Series competition is the chance to secure a haircut for his younger brother Kale. Kale Kahne, 21, has pledged not to cut his hair until his brother wins a race, and perhaps a Craftsman Truck Series win would suffice.

Khane Takes Reigns of Ultra Dodge
When Kasey Kahne decides to tackle something new, there are no holds barred. Kahne will make his NASCAR Camping World Truck Series debut in the No. 2 Team ASE/CARQUEST Dodge on Friday, November 12 in the Darlington 200 at Darlington Raceway.  Kahne currently leads the battle for the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Raybestos Rookie of the Year award. He is still looking for his first win of the season, and can think of no better place to get it than Darlington, the track "Too Tough To Tame."

Flat Stanley Travels to Darlington for a Ride with Hmiel
Flat Stanley has traveled to Darlington Raceway with Shane Hmiel to take a ride in No. 15 TRIMSPA Chevrolet. The Flat Stanley Project is a nationwide elementary school program based on the book Flat Stanley written by Jeff Brown about Stanley Lambchop who gets flattened by a bulletin board.

Sutton Races for Season-Best Finish in Palmetto State
Darlington Raceway is one of the oldest tracks on the NASCAR circuit, and 2004 will mark the fourth running of the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series on the famed superspeedway. Kelly “Girl” Sutton eagerly awaits her first laps on the challenging 1.366-mile oval, with its flat straightaways and steep banking in the corners.

Kahne Collects First NCTS Win in First Series Start at Darlington
Kasey Kahne won Saturday night’s Darlington 200 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at Darlington Raceway, becoming the third driver in series history to win in his first series start. Kahne, driving Jim Smith’s No. 2 Team ASE/CARQUEST Dodge, held off a fast closing Bobby Hamilton, Jr. on the first of two late-race restarts, and when the younger Hamilton missed a shift on the green-white-checkered restart and crashed, Kahne cruised to victory under the caution flag. The late race crash that collected Hamilton Jr. was cued when his father, series points leader Bobby Hamilton, could not avoid his faltering truck on a restart with two laps to go. Hamilton, Jr., bounced off the outside wall and ricocheted back into traffic before being drilled in the driver’s door by a luckless David Reutimann. Both drivers were taken to the care center for evaluation and released.
(High Sierra Photo)

Reutimann Finishes 28th at Darlington
Restarting 17th at Lap 38, Reutimann reentered the Top-10 at Lap 61. As another caution occurred one lap later, the Darrell Waltrip Motorsports team opted to bring the No. 17 NTN Bearings Toyota Tundra to pit road for four tires. As Reutimann was leaving the pit box, his truck stalled proving to be costly as he lost ten spots in the running order.

Kahne Holds Off Hamiltons, Wins Darlington Truck Debut
NASCAR Nextel Rookie sensation Kasey Kahne held off a furious challenge by the father and son duo of Bobby Hamilton Sr. and Jr. to win the Darlington 200 at Darlington Raceway in his NASCAR Camping World Truck Series debut. Kahne dominated the competition in his Team ASE/CARQUEST Dodge, leading 95 of the 150 laps contested, but he was forced to earn the win in dramatic fashion with two late race restarts including a green-white-checker finish. On the final restart Hamilton Jr. missed a shift, slammed into the outside wall after an unintentional nudge from his father and spun to the inside collecting the luckless David Reutimann. The ensuing melee allowed Kahne to cruise to the checkered flag under caution, becoming only the third driver in NCTS history to win in his first NCTS start. (High Sierra Photo)

Rookie Notes: Darlington
• Robert Huffman was the Raybestos® Rookie of the Race at the Darlington 200 at Darlington Raceway. Huffman scored his sixth top-10 finish in 24 career starts and took Raybestos® Rookie of the Race honors for the seventh time this season.

Collision 'Stripes' Kvapil to 19th at Darlington
Having never started or finished outside the top-10 at Darlington Raceway, Travis Kvapil hadn’t had problems conquering the oval deemed ‘too tough to tame.’ Strong finishes at his favorite track had been his forte until this season when a mid-race wreck handed the driver of the No. 24 NASCAR Toyota All-Star Showdown Tundra a famed stripe and irreparable damage dashing any hope of a top-tier run.

Renshaw Makes Truck Series History at Darlington
Deborah Renshaw made history Friday night in the Darlington 200 at the Darlington Raceway by becoming the first female driver to ever lead a lap in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. On lap 36 of the event, Renshaw took the lead during a caution period when the lead trucks made their way to pit road.

Hamilton's Second Place Finish Extends Point Lead
Trying to save tires for the race, the Square D Racing Team practiced only two laps on Darlington Raceway’s 1.366-mile oval before qualifying. The genius idea was useful when Hamilton got those fresh tires with only 30 laps left in the Darlington 200 and went on to finish second. The 12th top-five finish of the year allowed Hamilton to extend the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series points lead over Dennis Setzer by 70 points with only one race left in the 2004 season.

Huffman Darlington Post Race Report
Robert Huffman felt like his No. 12 Toyota/White House Foods Tundra was capable of a top-10 finish at Darlington, and he was right. Robert earned the Raybestos Rookie of the Race honors for the seventh time this season en route to a ninth place finish in the Darlington 200 Saturday evening.

Parker, Jr. Darlington Post Race Report
Hank Parker, Jr’s hopes of a top-10 finish at Darlington were dashed when he was involved in an accident on lap 34. After the No. 15 truck of Shane Hmiel got loose going in to turn two, Hank was able to slow down to avoid the slowing truck, but got hit from behind by the No. 30 Toyota Tundra of Todd Bodine, forcing Parker, Jr. into Hmiel, ending Hank’s race in a disappointing 35th place.

Terry Cook Finishes 12th at Darlington Raceway
Terry Cook finished 12th in Saturday night’s NASCAR Camping World Truck Series event at Darlington Raceway. Cook, driver of the No. 10 International Trucks and Engines Ford, started 23rd and slowly worked his way up into the top 15 with outstanding pit stops by the ppc Racing crew. On the final restart, Cook avoided disaster when another competitor spun at the front of the pack. Cook grabbed a gear and crossed the start/finish line in 12th in the second-to-last event on the 2004 schedule.

No Lady Luck for Montgomery
NASCAR Camping World Truck Series rookie Chase Montgomery welcomed the opportunity to race at the historic Darlington Raceway – the track that he had watched so many times on TV as a youngster. Finally on Saturday night, the 21-year-old was given his opportunity and an eventful evening involving a freak tire failure evolved into a disappointing 29th place finish at the 1.33-mile oval in the running of the Darlington 200.

Crafton Brings Home Eighth at Darlington
A tight set of tires on the No. 6 GM Goodwrench Chevrolet Silverado during the last run of Saturday night’s Darlington 200 caused Matt Crafton to give up five spots in the closing stages of the race. He took the checkered flag in the eighth position to add to his 16th top-10 finish and it keeps him fifth in points, 290 markers back from leader Bobby Hamilton.

No Lady Luck For Montgomery
NASCAR Camping World Truck Series rookie Chase Montgomery welcomed the opportunity to race at the historic Darlington Raceway – the track that he had watched so many times on TV as a youngster. Finally on Saturday night, the 21-year-old was given his opportunity and an eventful evening involving a freak tire failure evolved into a disappointing 29th place finish at the 1.33-mile oval in the running of the Darlington 200.

Patton Leaves Darlington with Stripes, Experience
It wasn’t an easy night, but J.R. Patton’s first race at the famous Darlington Speedway provided him with invaluable experience.  Despite a 31st-place finish, Patton was able to keep his head up after the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCTS) Darlington 200 run Saturday, Nov. 6.

Official Results: Darlington 200


Entry List: Darlington 200


Starting Lineup: Darlington 200


Practice 1 Times: Darlington 200


Practice 2 Times: Darlington 200


Qualifying Order: Darlington 200


Qualifying Times: Darlington 200