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Florida Dodge Dealers
250 |
Daytona
Race No. 1 | February 13, 2004
TrackSideLive! brings you exclusive online coverage of the tough trucks and
even tougher drivers of the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series.
Check out the TrackSideLive! Archives
• Did you know?
» 02-14-2004 - 1:43 am ET
Carl Edwards is the fifth consecutive different winner at Daytona. Edwards posted his fourth career victory and third on a track a mile or longer. Edwards scored the 34th NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series victory for Roush Racing. The race's 22 lead changes rank fourth among the five series events held at Daytona International Speedway. Edwards led the most laps - twice for 28 laps around the 2.5-mile superspeedway.
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• Carl Edwards #99 Ford
» 02-14-2004 - 12:58 am ET
Mike Wallace was the downfall of Carl Edwards last year at Daytona. He taught me a few things and this year he helped me out. I’ve got to thank Mike Wallace. If he wouldn’t have stuck with me, that wouldn’t have happened.”
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• Mike Wallace #52 Chevrolet
» 02-14-2004 - 12:32 am ET
Mike Wallace, No. 52 Federated Auto Parts Silverado, Finished 3rd – “Carl (Edwards) and I were lined up there with Travis (Kvapil) behind us. If we had gotten two-wide, which we could have, we would have had to race the whole field. And that wasn’t going to be good because I’ve been in those circumstances and all of a sudden you can be in the back of the pack. Some of the other guys wouldn’t give me any help on the restart of the race, so I wasn’t in any mood to help them at this particular point, but the Federated Auto Parts guys did a wonderful job. I got a little behind on one of the pit stops, but the truck ran extremely well all night long. Travis just got a run on us but hey, it was a good race. I think truck racing is great. I wanted to beat Carl and I thought I had a shot at him – I did have a shot at him if I didn’t have to race that whole field. But we did great."
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• Chase Montgomery #8 Dodge
» 02-14-2004 - 12:24 am ET
"We went to the back in a hurry and finally got a chance to work on the truck and we were coming back to the front. I think we had just got back into the top-10. I was running high and had just got around [Randy] LaJoie. I was running the high line. I could either turn into the wall or turn down and hope nobody's there. I was slowing down and turning down and I think I got hit from behind and pushed into it. It was a mess. All I could see was smoke. It's unfortunate. These guys have worked and it showed the other day when we qualified second and we were coming back to the front. It's a tough way to start the year off. We'll go to Atlanta and get them there."
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• Travis Kvapil #24 Toyota
» 02-14-2004 - 12:35 am ET
"We definitely had a truck that was capable of winning. I was doing all I could to stay in line and pick up one place there at the end and that's the way it worked out. We're focused on winning a championship again and it looks like we have the team, the manufacturer and the sponsor to make it happen."
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• Jon Wood #50 Ford
» 02-14-2004 - 12:55 am ET
I think we had a pretty decent truck, but I spun out late and that was my fault. I don’t know if I had a tire going down or not. I’m not going to blame it on that; that’s making excuses. Nevertheless, there are a lot of trucks that are tore up and we’re not tore up. I feel good about it.
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• Ken Weaver #08 Chevrolet
» 02-14-2004 - 12:38 am ET
"In that one, I couldn't see it. We went low and the spotter said go high and then I don't know who I hit but he obviously spun up into me." WHAT HAPPENED WITH STEVE PARK? "I thought we were racing. He went left, went right, came back right, and I couldn't get away from him. I don't want to tear up anybody's equipment. And that stuff on the front, when you've got guys on your bumper you can only check up so much until you shorten the truck. And I remember last year getting hit multiple times and no one ever went to the trailer for that but I'm sure they will make an example out of me."
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• Terry Cook #10 Ford
» 02-14-2004 - 12:37 am ET
"We’ve come out of here with my second top-five here ever. I’ve finished in the top 10 every time, but the second top-five and to have a truck as fast as we did just gives me confidence in the future.”
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• Ted Musgrave #1 Dodge
» 02-14-2004 - 12:05 pm ET
"I saw a lot of things tonight that I wish I hadn't seen. I guess Friday
the 13th brought out all the idiots. I've never seen anybody drive like
this before. It's a fun race and a neat deal, but there are a lot of
people out there without much experience in the draft and they're
learning it the hard way. We were running really good and we weren't
even halfway into the race. I wanted to lead a lap and then we were
going to try to hold on until it was time to show our hand."
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• David Reutimann #17 Toyota
» 02-14-2004 - 12:34 am ET
"I made some big mistakes early on. I just couldn't figure out where to run on the race track. But the truck ran great and we've come light years. I'm so happy with the effort of everyone at TRD and Darrell Waltrip who worked 24 hour days to get us ready."
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• Steve Park #62 Dodge
» 02-14-2004 - 12:02 pm ET
"I don't know who drives the No. 08 truck, but we got alongside on the
frontstretch and he decided, I guess, that he'd just knock me into the
wall on the backstretch. I think it was Ken Weaver. I'm not really sure
who he is, but maybe he was watching Dale Jr. bump-draft and he figured
he could do it too. Maybe he needs a little bit more experience.
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• Dennis Setzer #46 Chevrolet
» 02-14-2004 - 12:25 am ET
-“Man we just could not get any help out there tonight. I had a couple of shots there in the end, but just couldn’t get anyone to stay with me and give me the push I needed to get back to the front,” stated a disappointed Dennis Setzer after the race. “I am really proud of the way our team prepared for this race and how well we performed tonight. I think we were able to show just how strong our team has gotten in the past few months. I am also very pleased with the power under the hood that Richard Childress Racing gave us all weekend. I am glad that we were able to put our American Revolution Chevrolet Silverado up front for a good bit of the night. Chevrolet has some really exciting things going on right now and we really wanted to put the right truck in victory lane tonight.”
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• Frank Kimmel #29 Ford
» 02-14-2004 - 12:30 am ET
"This was easily one of the most exciting races I have ever driven in," said Kimmel. "It was wild out there with trucks battling like it was the last lap throughout the entire race. I can't say enough about this K Automotive team and the truck they gave me tonight. The truck handled great all night and I was able to run pretty much anywhere I wanted to. We didn't seem to be strong enough to lead the race, but getting up to the leader was not a problem until the last set of tires we put on. They just seemed to loosen the truck up too much and that caused me to run on the top of the track rather than on the bottom where I wanted to be."
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• Mike Skinner #42 Toyota
» 02-14-2004 - 12:35 am ET
"They were trying to wreck out there for about four laps and finally got it done. We showed tonight we're going to be a force to reckon with. It took me a about a half a lap to be running second (from starting 14th)."
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• Tina Gordon #13 Chevrolet
» 02-14-2004 - 12:04 am ET
"I'm not going to let tonight put a damper on a great week. I definitely wish things would have turned out better. We just had some unfortunate things happen out there. I was so proud of my guys. I couldn't ask for a better crew than Jerry Cook and these ThorSport Racing guys."
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• Jim Smith Owner #1 and #2 Dodge
» 02-13-2004 - 12:00 am ET
JIMMY SMITH (Team Owner, Ultra Motorsports) -
"Tonight I saw a lot of back runners that are capable of running in the
draft. These trucks blow such a large hole in the air that you become
Superman. Musgrave, he went up, led his lap then he went back and rode
around to just play it out. But the problem is you don't ever know where
the wreck is going to be. It could be in the front. It could be in the
back. I don't know. It's just a shame, you know? We've got two torn
up racetrucks. There's, what, 15 or more torn up racetrucks right now?
It's just these younger drivers need to know how to be patient.
"I think it's just the fact that we've got some drivers out there that
have better trucks and they're up there running. They're getting a
chance to run up front and they make stupid decisions. These trucks are
a little bit unstable. They're guided missiles, is what they are, and
you've got to know how to control that.
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• Robert Huffman #12 Toyota
» 02-14-2004 - 12:15 am ET
"It wasn't kind of crazy, it was crazy [smiles]. I was just trying to hold my own and learn what was going on with the trucks. They were dicing around and I got into a couple of positions that I didn't like when I was three-wide and in the middle. The truck didn't like it at all. I was sitting on the bottom in a comfortable position where the truck was really running good and I was content to be there for a while and all this came down. We'll just come back at Atlanta."
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• Dodge laps led....
» 02-13-2004 - 11:35 pm ET
One lap, by the #1 Mopar Dodge.
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• Chevy lap leader
» 02-13-2004 - 11:34 pm ET
Dennis Setzer led 19.
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• Most laps led in a Toyota
» 02-13-2004 - 11:30 pm ET
Travis Kvapil with 15.
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• Most Laps Led
» 02-13-2004 - 11:30 pm ET
Give it to the back flip king, Carl Edwards, who led 28 laps.
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• Radio Chatter...
» 02-13-2004 - 11:16 pm ET
High above the confines of land faring mortals, the spotters roost. Overheard: "Up here is where the legends are!" Reply: "Up there it's like the retirement home!"
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• Edwards flips for win
» 02-13-2004
"I just look at Timmy Kohuth's collection of trophies and I knew we could do it. Whew, this is it, Daytona! Whew!"
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• TrackSideLive! goes trackside
» 02-13-2004 - 7:45 pm ET
It's time to go racing. For you at home or in the office, get the chips n' dip now.....fill the ice bucket, pop the top on your favorite beverage, put the TV on SPEED and have your partner, wife, husband (if your wife is a raving truck fan)....hide the remote. It's the Florida Dodge Dealers 250 at Daytona International Speedway. See you after the race....here on TrackSideLive!
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• Doobie Bros. fan?
» 02-13-2004 - 7:25 pm ET
Michael McDonald is here entertaining the crowd with his talents....good pre-race tunes.
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• Concerned in Daytona
» 02-13-2004 - 7:20 pm ET
Waiting for the big one. That seems to be a resounding pause of anxiety amongst several drivers and crews. With strong trucks at the front, charging drivers near the back, separated by a mixed field of young and old, the racing landscape could change in the opening laps. It's Daytona under the lights, get ready it's Friday night.
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• Shane Hmiel #15 Chevrolet
» 02-13-2004 - 5:50 pm ET
"This is going to be the best race of the year. Those boys are crazy out there
in practice. I’ve never seen anything like it. It was wilder than the ARCA race."
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• Carl Edwards #99 Ford
» 02-13-2004 - 5:45 pm ET
"When we changed that engine in practice we had to start in the rear. Between Jon Wood and myself we son three races from last starting spot. I'm pretty excited actually about starting in the back. I can lay back and see how things develop."
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• Andy Houston #2 Dodge
» 02-13-2004 - 5:30 pm ET
"A lot of things have changed the strategy we had for this race. Obviously, being in the back the pit startegy is different. Even if we're not handling good, we'll need to stay in sequence. Having to come from the back to the front is not necessarily a bad thing. The back-up truck is a pretty high down force truck, I think it will race good. I'm excited about it. I think we'll have real good handling truck. After thirty laps this thing will be coming to the front."
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• Shelby Howard #23 Toyota
» 02-13-2004 - 5:20 pm ET
"It was interesting running last night under the lights. Being with Toyota and Bill Davis makes it that much more exciting for me. We start 15th, the truck drove good last night. If we can just stay out of trouble for the first 90 laps, we should be in a good position for a Top 5."
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• Joey Clanton #40 Chevrolet
» 02-13-2004 - 5:15 pm ET
Question: "Are you concerned about the weather?" Answer: "Only if it rains!"
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• Inpsections are proceeding
» 02-13-2004 - 5:10 pm ET
The lines are long at the sanction tech tent. Teams are enduring the final once-over by officials armed with templates and tools. Drizzle around the area is keeping moisture in the minds of many.
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• Ted Musgrave #1 Dodge
» 02-13-2004 - 3:40 pm ET
"Destiny is not in your hands at Daytona. You can have the best truck on the
track, and in one lap you can go from first to tenth if you slip in the draft.
Daytona is a race where you learn a lot, and that knowledge can point the
team in the right direction. I don't believe that the first race of the season
sets the tone for the remaining 24 races, but it's definitely a learning
experience."
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• Terry Cook #10 Ford
» 02-13-2004 - 3:30 pm ET
"Fred Wanke and the entire Power Stroke Diesel race team got it driving extremely well. We've got a few adjustments to be made. The air will be cooler tonight and that means more horsepower. As long as the moisture stays out of it, it will be a fast race. These engines run on air and fuel, not water, air, and fuel.
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• Anticipation of the charge
» 02-13-2004 - 3:25 pm ET
Several drivers have voiced concerns about the charge to the front. With top runners Andy Houston #2 TEAM ASE Dodge, Carl Edwards #99 Superchips Ford, and 2003 race winner Rick Crawford #14 Circle Bar Ford all starting in the back. The word in the garage is that the calvary is coming from the rear.
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• #24 get electrical
» 02-13-2004 - 3:25 pm ET
The Line-X Toyota crew were feverishly working over the electrical system on the #24. With diagnostic equipment and wires hanging everywhere, the crew were scurrying around the ignition box.
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• Weather changes everything
» 02-13-2004 - 3:15 pm ET
With the expected temperature to be well below practice conditions. Several teams are re-tuning engines and anticipating the effects of the cooler air.
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• Cool and Cloudy at Daytona
» 02-13-2004 - 2:00 pm ET
Not a break in the clouds and temperatures are mid 60s on a blustery day in Daytona Beach. The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series garage is active with final preparations for the running of the Florida Dodge Dealers 250.
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• Terry Cook #10 Ford
» 02-12-2004 - 9:10 pm ET
"We didn't post any rocketship lap times on the lap chart, but we really tuned hard on this Power Stroke Diesel truck. It's driving very good. The speed chart here is really more about the draft you ran in. If you're in a big pack, punching a big hole in the air, that speed chart in happy hour doesn't mean anything. Fred Wanke (Crew Chief) and the entire crew kept working on it and working on it and we got it where we need to be."
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• Carl Edwards #99 Ford
» 02-12-2004 - 9:10 pm ET
"Man this is going to be an unbelievable race. It seems to me it is going to be a real handling race. The tires are giving up just enough that on old tires your skating around and new tires you can keep it on the bottom and more than last year, we've had to work on the chassis. It's going to be a real race and alot of fun."
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• Jack Sprague #16 Chevrolet
» 02-12-2004 - 9:12 pm ET
After final practice-
“This is the best truck I’ve ever had here. I wish we were racing tonight. After the first practice it was kicking all over the place, but we fixed that. This IWX CHEVROLET SILVERADO is fast. We had a piece of debris hit the left front, probably from that caution, but it’s nothing that will hurt us. I really want to race this truck. There’s a little damage but it’s nothing, that comes tomorrow night.”
After first practice-
“It’s slippery, brother. It’s bad slippery. I was completely shocked. I’m loose, bad loose, but I went out on old tires and we were out there passing trucks. I’m lifting and still passing so, I think the CHEVROLET SILVERADO is going to be good. We’ll see.”
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• Chase Montgomery #8 Dodge
» 02-12-2004 - 9:10 pm ET
Note: 20-year-old Montgomery will start Friday’s Florida Dodge Dealers 250 on the outside pole in only his second career start. “We got out to practice a little bit late, and we got out there with an okay package. But we were really able to pass a lot of trucks by ourselves. We feel like we’ve got a really great truck, and that just makes tomorrow all that much more exciting. This is a racetrack that I’ve had a lot of success at, so to be able to come back with the resources I’ve got in Dodge, Bobby Hamilton Racing and Team ASE, has us really excited. We’ve got a lot of the ingredients that are there to make this a winning race team already. You know Bobby is just a down-to-earth guy. He’s awesome at what he does, or else he wouldn’t be here. He’s out winning races, and I think he’s got what it takes to bring home this championship this year. That’s exciting to be a part of that, and I hope to be there to help celebrate with him at the end of the year.”
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• David Starr #75 Chevrolet
» 02-12-2004 - 9:07 pm ET
“I’m in the right truck. This CHEVROLET SILVERADO is pretty awesome, but out there, it’s Daytona. There’s trucks in front of me, trucks behind me, trucks around me. The drive-ability was tough. We were moving all around out there. Going down into the corner it was loose, loose in the middle, then it got real tight coming of the corner. We were really searching. We threw four springs at it and got it were I could run full throttle into the corner, but it was too tight coming out of the turn. We took a little bit of what we had done and that seemed to work. We’re going to have to loosen it up a little before the race. But we will have something for them.”
“It’s like whoa, whoa going down into corner and then I’m tight coming off. The trucks bouncing up and down, but we were fast. It’s kind of wild.”
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• Randy LaJoie #59 Dodge
» 02-12-2004 - 9:07 pm ET
LaJoie paced the third NCTS practice Thursday night with a top speed of 190.545 mph followed by the Dodge Rams of Bobby Hamilton and Chad Chaffin. “We ran out there with just about everybody tonight. Chad Chaffin and myself ran down a pack of trucks and kind of went through them pretty good. The truck is feeling good. I think there are a few things that we’re going to run here chassis wise to get a little bit more secure. We’re plenty fast, but I’m up here looking for the cushion. Running at about 190 mph, there’s isn’t a whole lot of cushion there. This ‘ol Dodge Ram is awesome. The Pettys have done a great job with the engine. It’s the same truck that was leading in this race last year until turn four. They said we’ve got a ‘Seabiscuit’ here, and I’m the new jockey.”
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• Dennis Setzer #46 Chevrolet
» 02-12-2004 - 9:05 pm ET
“We were just trying to get the truck comfortable, trying different lines and moving around a little bit out there. I think we made a lot of headway. I want to see where it goes now.”
“We’re very pleased with this CHEVY SILVERADO. A Little concerned about the tire wear. We didn’t see everything we wanted to there, but he truck handled real good and these guys have put in a lot of work. They’ve given me a great truck to race and we’re going to take it out there and see what we can do with it.”
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• Rick Crawford #14 Ford
» 02-12-2004 - 9:02 pm ET
TALK ABOUT THE BACK-UP TRUCK. “There’s not much of a difference. The R&D program put this thing together. Actually, it’s had more testing laps on it than that one did. We thought that one was a little better air-wise, but it didn’t prove to be that way in qualifying, so maybe this thing here will do better in the race.” WHAT HAPPENED FROM YOUR VANTAGEPOINT? “I hated to see what I saw. There were a couple of them out there that were out of control and they came off of two and the 2 put the 03 in the wall in front of me, and I guess the 2 came back off the wall and got me in the right door. He spun me the length of the back straightaway, but I didn’t hit anything but it tore my truck up.” HOW ARE THE TRUCKS HANDLING IN THE DRAFT? “Unless you have somebody like Ray Stonkus (crew chief) working on it, they’re pretty vicious. We weren’t. Our first time out, the Circle Bar Ford was dancing around out there a little bit, and you really had to stay up on the wheel and stay confident in what you were doing. We came in and Ray made some changes on it and it was driving pretty good. In fact, we went on to the front of that draft, but that’s the way it goes.” THERE ARE NUMEROUS TEAMS, EITHER DUE TO ENGINE CHANGES OR GOING TO A BACK UP TRUCK, WHICH WILL BE FORCED TO START AT THE REAR TOMORROW. “One thing about it, I was starting at the back anyway, so I’ll be headed to the front.”
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• Travis Kvapil #24 Toyota
» 02-12-2004 - 9:00 pm ET
"I am pretty happy with our Toyota Tundra. It's great for all these guys and all the hard work they put into this in the last few months to come down here, qualify well and the truck really seems great in race trim. We tried a few different gear selections and some different suspension set-ups and we feel like we're where we need to be. (Smiling) I don't think we're going to change very much."
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• Andy Houston #2 Dodge
» 02-12-2004 - 8:52 pm ET
Note: Houston was caught up in an accident in Thursday's third
practice, forcing Jimmy Smith's Ultra Motorsports stables to prepare a
backup truck for Friday's race.
"We had just come off of turn two. We had just came out of the pits
from making a shock change. We were on pretty old tires trying to get
the balance right on the thing, and we lost the nose up off of turn two.
The No. 03 was on the outside of me, and he caught me in the quarter
panel and turned me into the outside wall. We were still okay. We were
still straight, but then he hit me again and spun me down the racetrack
and the No. 14 hits me. It's a rough start to the season. But our
backup truck is really good, and from what I was seeing out there it
looked like there wasn't very many trucks handling all that well. Our
backup truck has a lot more downforce than our primary truck had, so I
think we'll be okay. Of course you hate to waste a truck or tear a
truck up, but then again I think the backup truck is going to be just as
good. So, we'll come from the rear and try to turn a bad day into a
good day.
"Right now we're going to plan on taking our notes that we've gathered
so far and exchange the engines. The engine in the backup truck is not
what we need to race. So, we're going to go ahead and change engines,
and we're going to get ready to race. We're going to start from
scratch. We really don't have time to get the thing out on the
racetrack after that, but we'll be fine. I've got a lot of faith in
Dennis Connor, and we'll have a good setup come tomorrow morning."
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• TOP 5 SPEEDS
» 02-12-2004 - 8:25 pm ET
1. Bobby Hamilton 47.232 190.549
2. Tina Gordon 47.485 189.534
3. Carl Edwards 47.607 189.048
4. Jon Wood 47.677 188.770
5. Matt Crafton 47.749 188.460
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• Steve Park
» 02-12-2004 - 7:25 pm ET
"It's going to be wild. The guys are out there driving over there heads. We had a big wreck in practice and we don't need that."
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• Hamilton over 190
» 02-12-2004 - 7:20 pm ET
Bobby Hamilton lights green with a fast lap of 190.549 mph.
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• Gordon gets in the Top 2
» 02-12-2004 - 7:18 pm ET
189.534 mph for Tina Gordon in the #13.
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• LaJoie rockets
» 02-12-2004 - 7:15 pm ET
"This things a rocket ship!" exclaimed Randy LaJoie. "I'll ride it with you to the moon!" says HT Motorsports team owner, Jim Harris.
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• Edwards on the roll
» 02-12-2004 - 7:10 pm ET
Carl Edwards pulled out on top early in "Happy Hour" with a lap of 189.048 mph.
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• Practice ends early
» 02-12-2004 - 6:45 pm ET
With the advent of the caution, IROC practice began as soon as the track was cleared. One more session under the lights.
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• Crawford OK, Houston OK
» 02-12-2004 - 6:15 pm ET
After making contact and spinning around, both drivers sustained no injuries. Crawford will need a back-up and so will Houston.
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• Houston gets tagged
» 02-12-2004 - 6:15 pm ET
TEAM ASE Dodge wheelman Andy Houston made contact with Geoffrey Bodine, after Rick Crawford slipped up into him.
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• Huffman Top Toyota
» 02-12-2004 - 6:10 pm ET
Currently 4th, Huffman with a 188.861 mph lap.
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• Keep digging...
» 02-12-2004 - 6:09 pm ET
Rick Crawford's spotter giving advice
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• Wood gets springs
» 02-12-2004
"I don't think we can be anymore aggressive on rebound, I can still feel the bumps pretty good!"
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• Setzer shock change
» 02-12-2004 - 6:06 pm ET
Setzer pulls his ride off the track for a shock change and some consultation with Goodyear about the tire wear.
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• Caution is out...
» 02-12-2004 - 6:00 pm ET
No incident on the track, just a stalled truck on the backstretch...
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• Mo' Motor...
» 02-12-2004 - 5:58 pm ET
Ken Weaver is faster with his new cranker, posting in the Top 20. Randy McDonald is currently 34th.
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• Engine changes report
» 02-12-2004 - 5:55 pm ET
Brandon Whitt and Carl Edwards engine changes are paying off on the speed chart. Whitt is in the Top 5 with a lap of 188.766 mph and Edwards is ninth with a 187.790 mph lap speed.
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• LaJoie tops 190
» 02-12-2004
Randy LaJoie took the top speed on Lap 10 of the practice session, topping 190 mph. The official clock has him at 190.545 mph
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• Trucks are drafting
» 02-12-2004 - 5:35pm ET
Drafting in practice and shaking down the race set ups are are all part of the ontrack action taking place right now.
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• Engine changes mount
» 02-12-2004 - 5:25 pm ET
More engine changes have occured since last night. Shane Sieg #07, Carl Edwards #99, and Randy McDonald #72 were first to do the exchange. Ken Weaver #08 and Brandon Whitt #38 traded out power plants today. Joey Clanton #40 changed his transmission and traded his shocks with the good folks at Chevrolet.
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• Brandon Whitt #38 Chevrolet
» 02-12-2004 - 5:20 pm ET
"Unfortunately, we didn't qualify as well as we praticed, but we found something in the engine and changed it. Carl Edwards also changed one, so I'll go over and talk to him and maybe we can get together and go to the front."
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• Terry Cook #10 Ford
» 02-12-2004 - 5:15 pm ET
"You know we put it in full race trim. Bascially, the big thing at Daytona you try to get find the right attitude of the vehicle. Looking the 125s we're a little concerned about tire wear. We've been seeing alot of tire where. We'll check it out and we have a good starting spot at least."
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• PITROAD DIAGRAM
» 02-12-2004 - 4:35pm ET
Pit Road
Florida Dodge Dealers 250
^ TURN FOUR ^
#1 Ted Musgrave
#93 Wayne Edwards
#40 Joey Clanton
#29 Frank Kimmel
#07 Shane Sieg
#2 Andy Houston
------BREAK-------
#99 Carl Edwards
#08 Ken Weaver
#50 Jon Wood
#14 Rick Crawford
#67 Steadman Marlin
#42 Mike Skinner
#72 Randy McDonald
#46 Dennis Setzer
---START/FINISH---
#21 Hank Parker Jr.
#10 Terry Cook
------BREAK-------
#8 Chase Mongomery
#62 Steve Park
#59 Randy LaJoie
#75 David Starr
#12 Robert Huffman
#24 Travis Kvapil
------BREAK-------
#6 Matt Crafton
#23 Shelby Howard
#15 Shane Hmiel
#38 Brandon Whitt
#13 Tina Gordon
#31 Joe Aramendia
#18 Chad Chaffin
#52 Mike Wallace
#22 Bill Lester
#17 David Reutimann
#4 Bobby Hamilton
\/ TURN ONE \/
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• Want an ARCA ride?
» 02-12-2004 - 4:00 pm ET
It's a pretty simple question and a pretty simple deal. Rookie Ken Weaver is going to give away a race ready ARCA car to a member of his fan club in October. In a commercial to air on SPEED during the Florida Dodge Dealers 250 on Friday, Weaver will encourage fans to join the club and enter for a chance to win the car.
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• Rookie round out..
» 02-12-2004 - 3:55 pm ET
Joey Clanton, Steadman Marlin, Shane Sieg, Joe Aramendia and a very candid Ken Weaver keep the flavor choices for the 2004 Rookie NCTS class a veritable fountain of choice.
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• more rookie 12 pack
» 02-12-2004 - 3:50 pm ET
Kelly Sutton did some packing of her own, but Tracy Hines poured his open wheel brew into the mix for Friday night's show.
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• An even dozen....
» 02-12-2004 - 3:35 pm ET
The rookie class of 2004 could be packaged in a handy, dandy track pack case of cool drivers and spirited competition. Whether your beverage choice is soft or hard this rookie class delvers on refreshment. Chase Montgomery #8 BHR Dodge filled the qualifying cup to overflowing on the front row. Brandon Whitt #38 chased his practice times into the Top 10. David Reutimann, Robert Huffman and Shelby Howard are chugging in the Toyotas.
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• Meshkin very pleased
» 02-12-2004 - 3:15 pm ET
"Sure we're stoked about having Travis Kvapil up front. Both our teams have worked really hard and was happy to have Mike Skinner post the first official Toyota in NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series qualifying, then have Travis go out later when the wind flattened out and post on the front row."
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• Wood working on it
» 02-12-2004 - 3:05 pm ET
"I was a little disappointed where we ended up last night. By we I mean Carl (Edwards) and I. We pretty much had the same everything and I think the difference was that I went out first. I think that was a huge disadvantage. We'll get to start in the back and see how everyone gets to work in the draft. We are changing quite few things, as I am sure that everyone else is, we'll get a feel for it in happy hour."
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• Musgrave changes?
» 02-12-2004 - 3:00 pm ET
"All we did was change the tires on this thing", laughs Musgrave. "No, seriously, we made some front geometry adjustments and moved some things around. We're getting this Mopar Hemi Dodge ready to race."
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• Weaver changes engine....
» 02-12-2004 - 2:05 pm ET
Ken Weaver, unhappy with his lack of power in the #08 PhoneCo. Chevy acquired an engine and is making an effort to find more speed.
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• Sunny afternoon in Daytona
» 02-12-2004 - 2:00 pm ET
It's a balmy 85 on the palm tree lined strip entering Daytona International Speedway. The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series garage is a buzz of wrenches and ratchets with several teams making changes prior to the drafting-oriented happy hour.
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• Carl Edwards #99 Ford
» 02-11-2004 - 10:10 pm ET
YOU WERE FORCED TO CHANGE A MOTOR IN PRACTICE THIS MORNING, SO NO MATTER THE QUALIFYING EFFORT YOU WILL START THE RACE AT THE REAR OF THE FIELD. DOES THAT CHANGE YOU MENTALITY GOING INTO QUALIFYING? “I’ll tell you what, we won two races last year from the very back, and I feel that unless we get caught up in something because of being in the back, to me, starting in the back is advantage because you learn more. And, if you’re lucky enough to pass some guys, they all start looking the same. When I start up front, sometimes I protect more than I’m an aggressor, so I think starting in the back is kind of good for me.”
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• Ted Musgrave #1 Dodge
» 02-11-2004 - 10:10 pm ET
"We should have picked up like everybody else, but it didn't. The truck
is running good and it did everything it's supposed to do. We just
didn't pick up any time. We didn't have as much in our bag as these
other guys. I don't care. I'm in the race, and that's all that matters.
We've got a good truck. Within laps we'll be up there getting points for
leading. We didn't know if we had a shot for the pole. A couple of guys
shot some good speeds in there and picked up half a second. If you're
not on the pole, it doesn't matter. I've got one of those pole trophies
already. The race is the biggest thing. I'm good to go there."
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• Robert Huffman #12 Toyota
» 02-11-2004 - 10:10 pm ET
"Qualifying definitely exceeded my expectations. It's pretty big to see all the Toyotas in the field do so well right away. It’s a great feeling to finally be able to qualify so well for our first race.”
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• Jack Sprague #16 Chevrolet
» 02-11-2004 - 10:10 pm ET
“This sure isn’t where we wanted to start Friday night or where we thought we would be after testing out here. We are starting 19th. We’ve been off all day, but I have the confidence in this IWX Chevy truck team. Dave Fuge (Team Manager) and Chris Showalter (Crew Chief) will get everything right on our SILVERADO and we will have a good race Friday night.”
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• Jon Wood #50 Ford
» 02-11-2004 - 10:10 pm ET
“It’s been a tough deal for us as far as this Daytona package. We only had one truck that we can really focus on and this truck series stuff isn’t exactly like NEXTEL Cup where if you have a body that’s not very good you can cut it off. We were dealt the cards we have to play with and that was it. Carl has a little bit better qualifying truck that us; I think we have a better race truck. Right after this is over with, the whole process of trying to go fast for two laps, you can throw it out the window; it’s over with and our whole concentration from here on out is race stuff.”
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• Randy LaJoie #59 Dodge
» 02-11-2004 - 10:05 pm ET
"That run felt good. You always expect more if you're not on the pole.
Out of the box we were a little late with our practice this morning. It
might have hurt us just a tick. But all in all, we're in the show. If
you can be in the top-10 you can win this race, and I plan on doing
that. If we can get this thing to where it ran last year - in the lead
coming off of turn four - I'm not sure I'm going to block going high.
I'm looking forward to it. This is my first time in a Dodge Ram, and
going through the gears - 182 mph is still 182 mph it doesn't matter
what you drive - but just going up through the gears and feeling that
power is pretty darn neat."
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• Bill Lester #22 Toyota
» 02-11-2004 - 10:10 pm ET
“We picked up half-a-second from practice so we are ecstatic. We knew we wouldn’t challenge for the pole but the top 15 right out of the box is fantastic”
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• Ken Weaver #08 Chevrolet
» 02-11-2004 - 10:05 pm ET
“We’re talking about forced discipline. We’ve been the fastest CHEVROLET in all the testing, we just can’t back it up. We had to take a provisional and probably change a motor. Our lap time wasn’t that good, but congratulations to Dennis Setzer for putting a Chevy up there. I like to whine to much, so I’m going to shut up and go find some speed.”
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• Chase Montgomery #8 Dodge
» 02-11-2004 - 10:00 pm ET
"I felt we had something for the No. 10 truck. These guys have worked
hard through a lot of long hours at the shop. But, hey, Friday is when
it counts, so we'll go get them again then. Bobby (Hamilton), Chad
(Chaffin) and I all live about 20 miles from each other, so that's cool.
Bobby builds first class equipment, and I think it shows. All three
trucks are going to be really strong on raceday. We were all really
strong when we came down and tested. We thought we had the pole, but
we'll get 'em next time. I can't ask much more out of this Bobby
Hamilton Dodge Ram.
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• Terry Cook #10 Ford
» 02-11-2004 - 9:55 pm ET
"PPC Racing is serious about competing. It's a new team with a new truck and it is so great to be here in Daytona with the pole!"
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• David Reutimann #17 Toyota
» 02-11-2004 - 9:55 pm ET
“We were better every time we went out. The people at Toyota, TRD and Darrell Waltrip Motorsports worked around the clock to make this happen and it’s a great feeling to put the truck in the field for them.”
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• David Starr #75 Chevrolet
» 02-11-2004 - 9:50 pm ET
“They just asked me while I’m smiling over here. We picked it up a second and that’s unheard of. It just feels good to be able to pick it up. Not sure what’s going on with our truck. It’s been a frustrating day when you have something going on and you can’t figure out what it is. I’m pretty happy right now, because we changed a lot of things and it worked. It’s Daytona at night, I wouldn’t rather be anywhere else.”
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• Andy Houston #2 Dodge
» 02-11-2004 - 9:45 pm ET
"We're right where we thought we'd be. I was a little worried when I saw the #1 go out, but then we turned a good lap and that's where we're at. We're going to get ready for the race and get these two Ultra Motorsports trucks up front."
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• Rick Crawford #14 Ford
» 02-11-2004 - 9:40 pm ET
"We're in the same spot that we were in last year. We'll work our way to the front and put on some drama."
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• Mike Skinner #42 Toyota
» 02-11-2004 - 9:40 pm ET
“It got extremely loose or we could have run an even faster lap but we will darn sure take that one. The folks at TRD have really stepped it up and given us some horsepower and we’ll race the hell out of it.”
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• Dennis Setzer #46 Chevrolet
» 02-11-2004 - 9:35 pm ET
“It’s great for TEAM SILVERADO, they’ve put a lot of effort into it this year. This team has worked really hard and I’m proud of them. A Top 5 is a good starting position for the race. We’ll be able to see the front anyways.”
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• Bobby Hamilton #4 Dodge
» 02-11-2004 - 9:30 pm ET
"This thing loves a green light and their asses are in trouble!"
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• Qualifying takes the final lap
» 02-11-2004 - 9:25 pm ET
Daytona International Speedway is docile again after the thunder of Craftsman Truck qualifying. Terry Cook #10 Ford takes the pole with Chase Montgomery #8 Dodge completing the front row.
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• Getting it all in place...
» 02-11-2004 - 4:00 pm ET
As practice played out, several cars were looking for speed and several had found it. Tina Gordon is excited, David Starr is frustrated, and Jack Sprague is not happy without the pole. Musgrave is angry, Houston is fast, and LaJoie can feel the joy in his own seat for the Harris/Melling group.
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• Practice 2 Speed Chart
» 02-11-2004 - 2:50 pm ET
NASCAR CRAFTSMAN TRUCK SERIES
FLORIDA DODGE DEALERS 250 PRACTICE 2
DAYTONA INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY
| POS |
# |
DRIVER |
|
MAKE |
|
TIME |
MPH |
| 1 |
4 |
Bobby Hamilton |
|
Dodge |
|
49.029 |
183.565 |
| 2 |
13 |
Tina Gordon |
|
Chevrolet |
|
49.415 |
183.131 |
| 3 |
8 |
Chase Montgomery |
|
Dodge |
|
49.260 |
182.704 |
| 4 |
59 |
Randy LaJoie |
|
Dodge |
|
49.376 |
182.275 |
| 5 |
2 |
Andy Houston |
|
Dodge |
|
49.443 |
182.028 |
| 6 |
15 |
Shane Hmiel |
|
Chevrolet |
|
49.453 |
181.991 |
| 7 |
18 |
Chad Chaffin |
|
Dodge |
|
49.510 |
181.781 |
| 8 |
38 |
Brandon Whitt |
|
Ford |
|
49.536 |
181.686 |
| 9 |
1 |
Ted Musgrave |
|
Dodge |
|
49.536 |
181.686 |
| 10 |
10 |
Terry Cook |
|
Ford |
|
49.544 |
181.657 |
| 11 |
99 |
Carl Edwards |
|
Ford |
|
49.557 |
181.609 |
| 12 |
46 |
Dennis Setzer |
|
Chevrolet |
|
49.591 |
181.485 |
| 13 |
42 |
Mike Skinner |
|
Toyota |
|
49.708 |
181.057 |
| 14 |
17 |
David Reutimann |
|
Chevrolet |
|
49.730 |
180.977 |
| 15 |
50 |
Jon Wood |
|
Ford |
|
49.740 |
180.941 |
| 16 |
21 |
Hank Parker Jr. |
|
Toyota |
|
49.784 |
180.781 |
| 17 |
12 |
Robert Huffman |
|
Toyota |
|
49.835 |
180.596 |
| 18 |
22 |
Bill Lester |
|
Toyota |
|
49.858 |
180.513 |
| 19 |
23 |
Shelby Howard |
|
Toyota |
|
49.919 |
180.292 |
| | | | | |
