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Built Ford Tough 225 | Kentucky Speedway
Race No. 11 | July 11, 2004
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Good morning from Kentucky Speedway!
07-09-2004 10:15 am
The garage area is open, the teams are busy unloading and setting up their garage stalls, and the countdown until practice is well underway. The skies are sunny with some intermittent high clouds, and temperatures are expected to reach the mid 80s with a slight chance of a stray scattered thunderstorm throughout the afternoon. It's going to be a busy and very full day here at the track, so make sure you keep it locked on to TruckSeries.com for live, EXCLUSIVE coverage of practice and qualifying for the Built Ford Tough 225 from Kentucky Speedway.
Kentucky Speedway stats
07-09-2004 10:19 am
Kentucky Speedway is a 1.5 mile D-shaped oval with 14 degree banking in the corners and 8 degrees of banking in the tri-oval. The backstretch is 1,600 feet long, and the 150-lap race distance translates to 225 miles.
There have been four previous NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series events held at Kentucky Speedway, and no driver has won more than one pole position or one race here.
Bryan Reffner won the inaugural pole in July 2000, with Jack Sprague, Jason Leffler, and Jon Wood also earning the top qualifying spot. Wood's fast lap of 169.641 miles per hour to win last year's pole position is the track record. Greg Biffle won the inaugural race here, with Scott Riggs, Mike Bliss, and Carl Edwards also passing under the checkered flag first to pick up a victory at Kentucky Speedway. Bliss won the race in 2002 at a clip of 143.515 miles per hour to set the track record.
No driver has won from the pole, but no one has started farther back than fifth to win. Two drivers have started from second position (Biffle and Bliss) to win, while Riggs won from third, and Edwards won in 2003 from fifth.
Ford is the only two-time winning manufacturer, with Chevrolet and Dodge picking up one win each.
Today's track schedule...
07-09-2004 10:27 am
Here is today's schedule of events at Kentucky Speedway:
11:30-1:30 pm ET: ARCA Re/MAX Series Practice
2-4:00 pm ET: NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series practice
4:15 pm ET: ARCA Re/MAX Series Qualifying
6:00 pm ET: NCTS Bud Pole Qualifying
8:00 pm ET: ARCA Re/MAX Series Kentucky 150
NCTS Final Practice to follow, time permitting
10:30 pm ET: NCTS Garage closes
Deborah Renshaw, driver, No. 29 Ford
07-09-2004 11:02 am
"There is absolutely no pressure here today. I am here just to make some laps and get some experience. I am with a good team with really good people. We don't need to be heroes today and do something silly that hurts us later on. We have a provisional if we need it, but I don't think we are going to. We tested this truck and another one earlier, and right now we are just working on getting the seat comfortable. Once I am comfortable in the truck, that will let me go out and run like I know how to run."
Eric Jones, driver, No. 74 Chevy
07-09-2004 11:14 am
"For a driver that hasn't been in the seat in eight months and a team that hasn't been to the track in almost a year, we were pretty happy with how we performed last week in Kansas. We had a couple of hurdles to get over. We had the tires get reversed on the middle pit stop, and once that happened, all I could do was ride it out. I wasn't going to tear the truck up. We had a right front spring that kept coil binding on us too. If we wouldn't have had those problems, with all of the attrition there was, we might have had a shot for a top-10 finish."
Clouds rolling in...
07-09-2004 11:21 am
Some ominous looking gray clouds are rolling in over Kentucky Speedway at the moment...it doesn't look like any rain is coming out of the clouds, but with the forecast calling for scattered storms this afternoon we could be playing hit or miss with rain later in the day.
Grudge match
07-09-2004 11:27 am
The NCTS drivers and Speed Channel production team squared off in their annual "grudge match" softball game last night at Champion Window Field at Freedom Park in Florence, Kentucky. The Speed Channel crew jumped out to a quick two run lead, but the NCTS drivers came back strong to tie it up in the bottom of the first inning. From there out, it was a virtual deadlock through the remaining innings, and the game eventually ending in a 5-5 tie.
"I think the umpires need to have their eyes checked," said Speed Channel play-by-play announcer Rick Allen, referring to the umpiring skills of TruckSeries.com's Steve Keller and Charles Krall. "Some of those calls were very questionable." Allen legged out an inside-the-park homer to tie the game late. However, he was also spotted wrapping his arms around members of the driver's team as they attempted to round third base to score.
Allen, Phil Parsons, Johnny Benson, Ray Dunlap, Wendy Norris, Keith D'Allessandro, Ryan Graft, Rich Russo, Emma Barnett, Kymberly Higgs, Charlie Vincent, Mark Levy, Todd Caldwell, Scott Knepshied, Shawn Parker, and Michael Dranes suited up for the Speed Channel team. Vincent made two impressive catches in the final inning to prevent the drivers from scoring several runs.
The NCTS driver players were Mike Skinner, Travis Kvapil, Kelly Sutton (who hit an impressive two-run base hit early in the game, and was named MVP by announcer Tim Bray), Robert Huffman, Ted Musgrave, Tracy Hines, David Starr, Frank Kimmel, Deborah Renshaw, Jack Sprague, and Craftsman rep Andy Stolp. Rick Crawford served as the coach for the drivers. Hines pulled off an unassisted double-play with one out and the bases loaded to prevent the Speed crew from adding two runs.
"That was a lot of fun," Hines said. "I played shortstop, and now I know why guys like Alex Rodriguez make as much money as they do. That was hard! I am sure I will feel it in the morning."
Connor back at the track with ThorSport
07-09-2004 12:09 pm
Dennis Connor, who recently departed Ultra Motorsports' No. 2 team, is at the track this weekend serving as consultant with ThorSport Racing and crew chiefs Jerry Cook and Lance Hooper.
Bang! and McReynolds part ways
07-09-2004 12:10 pm
TruckSeries.com has confirmed that Bang! Racing owner Alex Meshkin and Fox Sports commentator Larry McReynolds have parted ways.
Clouds moving out...
07-09-2004 12:12 pm
The ominous looking clouds that were hovering overhead earlier have passed over the speedway and the sun is back out, shining brightly over the Kentucky Speedway.
Track conditions a question?
07-09-2004 12:15 pm
ARCA practice is well underway, although not many laps have been turned. Several ARCA teams have experienced engine problems, necessitating track clean-up for fluids on the track. The amount of fluids dropped on the asphalt, compounded with the bright sun now shining on the track, could lead to slippery conditions for the NCTS teams when practice starts at 2 pm ET.
Bodine back
07-09-2004 12:43 am
Geoffrey Bodine is back in a Truck here this weekend, entered in Ron Rhodes' No. 48 Dodge.
Double duty...
07-09-2004 12:49 pm
The K-Automotive team is pulling double duty this weekend. Deborah Renshaw is making her NCTS debut this weekend in their No. 29 Ford, and Brian Keselowski adds driver to his list of duties this weekend, steering the family-owned No. 29 Dodge in today's ARCA action. Brian is a mechanic on the Truck and serves as the jackman on pit stops.
New look on No. 24 this weekend...
07-09-2004 12:58 am
Travis Kvapil's No. 24 Toyota is sporting a different look this weekend. The truck is black with Nutzz.com logos prominently displayed. Line-X is on the truck this weekend as an associate sponsor.
Rain at Kentucky
07-09-2004 1:24 pm
A quick moving rain shower has moved over the speedway, bringing ARCA practice to a halt. It looks to be a quick moving shower, and should not impact the start of NCTS practice, scheduled to start in 30 minutes.
Rain gone...
07-09-2004 1:31 pm
The shower that moved over the speedway moments ago has abated, but there is some thunder rolling through the hills around the speedway. The clouds are still hit or miss, as the sun is shining on turns one and two here in Kentucky, but cloud cover hovers low in turns three and four. Looks like a long day of dodging quick hit-or-miss rain showers is in store...
Wayne Auton statement on Carl Edwards' truck following Kansas
07-09-2004 1:43 pm
“After reviewing and evaluating the parts that NASCAR officials secured from the No. 99 truck of Carl Edwards, NASCAR has reached the conclusion that the first-lap accident in which he was involved was the direct cause for the truck failing the minimum height requirement during post-race inspection. As a result of those findings, there will be no penalties assessed.”
Damp track?
07-09-2004 1:48 pm
NASCAR has had the jet dryers working in turns one and two to get the racing surface in condition for NCTS practice, scheduled to start at 2 pm ET. NASCAR has not given any word that practice will be delayed at this point.
On hold...
07-09-2004 1:57 pm
It appears that track drying proccedures are still underway as we try to get caught up after the brief shower that passed through earlier. No word on how long the delay will be, but it is not expected to last very long.
Rain at Kentucky
07-09-2004 2:00 pm
One of the stray showers in the area has made its way to the Kentucky Speedway and has put us under a rain delay. It is not a hard rain, but hard enough to get things damp and put a hold on all on-track activities for the time being. We will have weather updates as the situation changes.
More double duty
07-09-2004 2:11 pm
Tracy Hines is also doing double duty here this weekend. In addition to competing in the Build Ford Tough 225, he will drive a Ford Focus Midget in a 20-lap feature held on the Kentucky Speedway infield 1/4-mile oval tomorrow afternoon as well.
David Ragan, driver, No. 67 Ford
07-09-2004 2:46 pm
"Yeah, the ARCA cars didn't get a whole lot of practice and I am part of the reason why. We got up into the wall there a little and bent the car up a little, but my guys got it fixed. This is a better car than we had here in May, but I just don't think they brought the right tire here for us. We got about 20 laps of practice with the ARCA car, so I hope that helps with the truck. This is my second start in the Truck, and we look forward to doing a few more before the season is over with."
More rain
07-09-2004 2:49 pm
The weather radar suddenly does not look very good...a group of showers and thunderstorms is brewing in the area between Louisville and Cincinnati. As soon as one shower pops and moves out of the immediate area, another one pops in the same spot and dumps a little more rain and generates a few more claps of thunder. Still no official word from NASCAR on how the weather will impact the schedule for the day. Keep it locked on TrackSideLive! right here on TruckSeries.com for weather updates throughout the remainder of the afternoon. Hopefully the showers will pass through the area and allow the on-track activity to resume very soon.
Charlie Bradberry, driver, No. 78 Chevrolet
07-09-2004 2:56 pm
This is the first time I have been here with the truck, but we ran the late model car here before. We should be okay, I just want to get as many practice laps as I can. There are only 36 trucks here, so I don't really care if we qualify or not, I just want to practice. We need that experience in the truck."
Thunderstorm over Kentucky Speedway
07-09-2004 3:05 pm
Everyone has run for shelter as a thunderstorm has rolled in through the hills and over Kentucky Speedway, with enough power to cause the lights to flicker here at the speedway. Still no official word from NASCAR on schedule updates for the remainder of the afternoon.
Weather update
07-09-2004 3:09 pm
Amateur weathercasters are calling for another 30 minutes of rain. With a two-hour block needed to dry the track, that could push us back to 6 pm ET before we see anything on the track. The ARCA race is scheduled to roll at 8 pm ET, so that might leave a very small window of opportunity for a practice session before the green flag. NASCAR has not announced any change to the schedule, but has notified teams they will do whatever they can to give them a night-time practice after the conclusion of the ARCA event.
Qualifying scrubbed
07-09-2004 3:39 pm
For the second consecutive week, NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series qualifying has been cancelled due to rain. Mark Cassis, executive vice president and general manager of Kentucky Speedway announced the tentative schedule for the remainder of the day. "Our immediate focus is making the television window for the ARCA broadcast on Speed Channel, which is scheduled to start at 8 P.M. NASCAR has requested a one hour practice, if the weather clears, from 6:30 to 7:30, and then we would roll into driver introductions for ARCA. They would ideally run from 8 to 10, and then we would move on to a one-hour practice following the ARCA race for the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. If the weather does not allow us to do that today, we would try to have a two-hour practice for the trucks from 10 am through noon tomorrow."
Press conference ribbing...
07-09-2004 3:57 pm
Carl Edwards, Bobby Hamilton, and Dennis Setzer were in the media center for a post-qualifying press conference for the members of the media. Edwards served up one question to his fellow front row starter, Setzer, that brought a round of laughter from all in attendance: "In a rainout circumstance, does the pole sitter still have the option to start on the outside of the front row?" Edwards joked, refering to last week's qualifying rain-out and ensuing first lap scuffle. "I really don't know, you think I should look into it?" was Setzer's reply. "I don't know," Edwards said, "last week sure didn't look to good!" Setzer came back with, "well, it sure did work out okay for you!" Hamilton, never one to keep quiet, chimed in, "as long as you keep me out of it, I don't care what you do!"
Dennis Setzer, driver, No. 46 Chevrolet
07-09-2004 4:04 pm
"This has been a pretty good track for us in the past. The RCR engine program has really helped us pick up our big track program. We already won at Charlotte and Texas, and we think we have a good shot to continue running well here."
Carl Edwards, driver, No. 99 Ford
07-09-2004 4:06 pm
"I wouldn't mind lining them up and racing if we don't get any practice. Winning this race was huge for me last year, it was really the turning point in my career. I have raced four different cars this weekend just trying to kill the time until we get here. It is tough when you really just cannot wait to get to a place like that. I ran a dirt modified this week, a winged 360 sprint car, and then a sportsman car. It was a pretty fun week."
Bobby Hamilton, driver, No. 4 Dodge
07-09-2004 4:08 pm
"I was asleep. They had to come wake me up and get me, so what does that tell you? I don't think missing practice and qualifying is going to be that big of a deal. I think it is good for me, because it saves on tires and saves me some money. Sometimes you spend all day practicing and making all these changes to a truck and then you end up at the same place you started. It just turns out to be a waste of time, effort and money. I'd rather just line them up and go race."
Montgomery to be Guest Analyst tonight on SPEED
07-09-2004 4:40 pm
NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series driver Chase Montgomery will be a guest analyst in the SPEED Channel booth this evening during the broadcast of the ARCA RE/MAX Series race. Montgomery competed in the ARCA RE/MAX Series from 2001-2003 and finished 4th in the overall driver point standings in the 2002 season. He also has to his credit a pole and win at Daytona while competing in the series. The 20-year-old racer will share his experiences in the series and how it has helped him advance his career to the NASCAR level.
Weather update...
07-09-2004 5:21 pm
Well...it looked like we had a shot at getting the track dry, until the rain started spitting down again just a few minutes ago. The jet dryers made some significant progress up until this last shower. NASCAR had planned on a 6:30 pm ET practice session, so no word yet on what the latest rain shower will do to the schedule.
Jet dryers back on track...
07-09-2004 5:43 pm
The jet dryers are back on track and the ceiling is as high as it has been all afternoon. But, unless they find a miraculous way to dry the track in the next 30 minutes, it looks like the first opportunity the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series will have to practice today will be after the conclusion of the ARCA race. That event is still pegged for an on-time start at 8:00 pm ET.
Jack Sprague, driver, No. 16 Chevrolet
07-09-2004 6:10 pm
“It is always a toss up whether it is good or bad to not qualify. The bigger issue is no practice for some teams. We tested extensively at Chicago and we feel like we have a good race setup for our Chevy Trucks Silverado. Would be nice to have a few laps just to shake down and make sure everything is tight and ready to roll, but if we don’t, we are starting in a spot that will keep us up near the front and we will be ok.”
Matt Crafton, driver, No. 6 Chevrolet
07-09-2004 6:11 pm
“I was actually looking forward to qualifying. I have qualified and run well in previous years here in Kentucky but I will definitely take a fifth place starting position. I sure hope the weather will hold off so we can get in Happy Hour at least or maybe two hours of practice to fine-tune the GM Goodwrench Silverado for tomorrow’s night race to see if we can pickup where we left off last week in Kansas.”
David Starr, driver, No. 75 Chevrolet
07-09-2004 6:12 pm
“Kentucky is enough similar to Kansas that we will race good so starting where we are, we just have to be careful and move to the front without any trouble. It is going to be a bigger issue if we don’t get any practice before we race. We need to get a little luck on our side and get our finishes consistent with how well we are running.”
Done for the day...
07-09-2004 6:13 pm
NASCAR and Kentucky Speedway are calling it a day as the weather just will not cooperate enough for us to get on track this evening. There is a strong storm on its way, and rather than keep the garages and stands full and exposed to whatever severe weather rolls through the area, the track will move the practice session, the ARCA race, and the Built Ford Tough 225 to tomorrow afternoon.
Revised Saturday schedule
07-09-2004 6:17 pm
Here is the revised schedule for Saturday:
8:30 am ET: NCTS garage opens
10:00-10:45 am ET: NCTS practice
11:15-12:25 pm ET: NCTS practice
1:00 pm ET: ARCA Kentucky 150 LIVE on Speed
3:00-5:00 pm ET: USAC Ford Focus Midgets
5:45 pm ET: NCTS Driver meeting
8:00 pm ET: Built Ford Tough 225 (150 laps, 225 miles) LIVE on Speed
Good night from Kentucky Speedway
07-09-2004 6:34 pm
Well, it was a day of hurry up and wait here at the Kentucky Speedway. Unfortunately, right when practice was about to begin for the Built Ford Tough 225, a slow and steady rain brought everything to a quick halt. Every time it looked like progress was being made to get the track dried, the rain would return until it reached the point that the day was a total washout. Most of the day today was spent dodging raindrops, with many drivers not making it out of the trailer or the motorcoach lot for any significant time. With the garage scheduled to open tomorrow at 8:30 am ET, it will make for a long day at the track for the teams. TrackSideLive! will be resume coverage from the Kentucky Speedway bright and early, with EXCLUSIVE live converage of all the happenings leading up to tomorrow's Built Ford Tough 225, as well as EXCLUSIVE post-race coverage after the checkered flag falls. Keep it locked on TruckSeries.com for all the news from the garage...see you tomorrow! Good night everybody!
Good morning from Kentucky Speedway!
07-10-2004 8:47 am
The sun is shining brightly over the Kentucky Speedway, a sharp contrast from the conditions when everyone was forced to get out of Dodge in a big hurry last night! The forecast again calls for some scattered showers and stray storms, but hopefully they will stay away from the track because we have a very busy day on tap and very little time budgeted for track drying if need be. The trucks will be on track in just about 90 minutes for the first of two brief practice sessions leading up to tonight's Built Ford Tough 225. TrackSideLive! will have EXCLUSIVE live coverage of practice and collect all the news and notes you need from the garage leading up to tonight's race. Keep it locked on to TruckSeries.com all day for continual live coverage...
Chase Montgomery, driver, No. 8 Dodge
07-10-2004 9:26 am
"We are going to work on making sure the truck is a little tight for tonight. I hope they don't get it too loose for these practices, because I don't like a loose racecar anyhow. Randy and I haven't really talked about it yet, but he knows what I like. I know this track pretty well because I have run here several times in the ARCA car. We had some good runs and then we had some not so good runs. But the only thing that gives me is I know how the place looks from the driver's seat. Every time we come to a track that we ran with ARCA, I have to relearn a lot of stuff because the tires are so different, the aero is so different, and the engines have so much power. But I have really learned a lot this year from Bobby (Hamilton). He really knows his stuff and we are fortunate to have someone like him we can go to for advice."
Brandon Whitt, driver, No. 38 Ford
07-10-2004 9:32 am
"This place looks a lot like Kansas, but all racetracks have their differences. We are going to spend some time working on our aero package today. We want to make sure we have that downforce we need. We can't just stand the spoiler up, because that will hurt us down the straightaways. I wish it was something that simple."
Deborah Renshaw, driver, No. 29 Ford
07-10-2004 9:35 am
"My plan is to go out and run by myself in that first practice. All I need is a little alone time out there to get comfortable."
Shane Hmiel, driver, No. 15 Chevrolet
07-10-2004 9:36 am
"We just need a little luck. We have been the best truck out there the past month or so, but something seems to get us there at the end. The truck we ran so well with at Kansas is all tore up, so we have the truck we used at Memphis and Milwaukee here. I just hope we get this truck as loose as we had it last week. I love this spoiler rule. All these other guys just want to flat foot it all the way around. That's no way to race. You need to put the driver back into the equation, and this spoiler rule does that."
Averages
07-10-2004 9:42 am
The average starting position of the winners here at Kentucky Speedway is 4.79, which statistically speaking gives fourth-place starter Rick Crawford (if you round down) and fifth-place statrer Matt Crafton (if you round up) the best chance at ending up in victory lane tonight. There have been between eight and 14 lead changes per race here, with an average of just over 10 lead changes per race. There have been between eight and 18 drivers on the lead lap at the end of the day, with the average number of lead lap drivers being 12. Look for the caution flag to wave between 6 and 9 times tonight (although the 2002 race only had 3 cautions), with about 30 laps to be run under yellow (in 2002, only 12 laps were run under caution).
Only 3...
07-10-2004 9:49 am
Only three drivers have been in all three races here at Kentucky: Terry Cook, Rick Crawford, and Dennis Setzer. Setzer has the best finish of the three, second in 2002. Crawford's best finish is fourth in 2002, and Cook also recorded his best finish here in 2002, sixth.
It's been 24 hours...
07-10-2004 9:52 am
since we heard the sound of engines rumbling through the garage towards the track, but the Trucks are fired up and heading to pit road. Practice is going to be on the track in just a matter of moments, under bright sunny skies. Track conditions should be a big question mark very early in practice, so look for the teams to take it easy until some rubber is laid down. The track is now green, and trhe trucks are on the track!
Practice 1 Rundown 1
07-10-2004 10:06 am
1. Reutimann
2. Chaffin
3. Skinner
4. Hmiel
5. Edwards
6. Wood
7. Starr
8. Crafton
9. Setzer
10. Sieg
11. Park
12. Crawford
13. Kvapil
14. Cook
15. Houston
16. Huffman
17. Sprague
18. Whitt
19. Parker, Jr.
20. Lester
21. Montgomery
22. Musgrave
23. Jones
24. Hines
25. Sutton
26. LaJoie
27. Wimmer
28. Ragan
29. Sauter
30. Renshaw
31. Weaver
32. Bradberry
33. White
Clean and Green...Practice 1 Rundown 2
07-10-2004 10:25 am
Practice has run clean and green and all 36 trucks have had laps on the track. Bobby Hamilton has moved to the top of the leaderboard, and is well above the track record speed here at Kentucky. Here is the bottom of the hour rundown:
1. Hamilton (31.242 seconds/172.844 mph)
2. Reutimann
3. Chaffin
4. Kvapil
5. Starr
6. Skinner
7. Edwards
8. Wood
9. Crafton
10. Park
11. Sezter
12. Musgrave
13. Hmiel
14. Huffman
15. Sprague
16. Cook
17. Crawford
18. Sieg
19. Houston
20. Lester
21. Whitt
22. Parker, Jr.
23. Montgomery
24. Jones
25. Hines
26. Sutton
27. LaJoie
28. Wimmer
29. Renshaw
30. Sauter
31. Ragan
32. Bradberry
33. Weaver
34. Richardson
35. White
36. Bodine
Who said what...
07-10-2004 10:36 am
during the first practice session?
Ted Musgrave, No. 1 Dodge: "It feels smooth, just a little tight through the apex through the center of the corner."
Carl Edwards, No. 99 Ford: "It's free in. It's snug through the center and off the turns. I think we need to raise the track bar a little."
Terry Cook, No. 10 Ford: "I lose the nose through the center, just like we did in Kansas. I have to carry it off the corner, but it is loose in."
Jack Sprague, No. 16 Chevrolet: "I have to get off the throttle early to get it set to turn in."
Davod Reutimann, No. 17 Toyota: "It feels really responsive diving into the turns."
Chris Wimmer, No. 63 Ford: "I am running it wide open, but the engine sounds like I am running it with the throttle half open."
Jon Wood, No. 50 Ford: "Not getting any body roll like last week. I think we need to do something to the front to fix it."
Travis Kvapil, No. 24 Toyota: "I can't work it down good into turn three. It is flatter in that turn, it doesn't have the banking that turn one has."
Practice 1 over
07-10-2004 10:45 am
The first practice is in the history books...no incidents slowed practice, and Bobby Hamilton led the session with a 31.242 second/172.844 mile per hour lap. A full rundown with times and speeds will be posted momentarily on the main page.
Pit Road Map
07-10-2004 10:51 am
Here are the pit assignments for the Built Ford Tough 225 at Kentucky Speedway, starting with pit stall one at pit exit and ending with pit stall 36 at pit entrance. Ray Dunlap will cover the teams listed in
blue
, Wendy Norris will cover the teams listed in
red
:
Hamilton
Houston
Montgomery
Sprague
Bradberry
Sauter
Chaffin
Break in Pit Wall
Kvapil
Richardson
White
Cook
Ragan
Hines
Starr
Lester
Musgrave
Break in Pit Wall
Crawford
Wood
Start/Finish Line & Scoring Camera Open Stall
Sezter
Park
Break in Pit Wall
Edwards
Wimmer
Hmiel
Renshaw
LaJoie
Parker, Jr.
Sutton
Jones
Skinner
Break in Pit Wall
Crafton
Sieg
Weaver
Whitt
Huffman
Bodine
Reutimann
Rolling towards pit road...
07-10-2004 11:12 am
The drivers are rolling back on to the track as the green light has just flickered on...keep it locked on TrackSideLive! for all the news and notes from the second practice session for the Built Ford Tough 225...
Practice 2 Rundown 1
07-10-2004 11:25 am
1. Hamilton (31.334 seconds/172.337 mph)
2. Skinner
3. Wood
4. Starr
5. Reutimann
6. Sprague
7. Hmiel
8. Edwards
9. Park
10. Musgrave
11. Montgomery
12. Crawford
13. Setzer
14. Houston
15. Hines
16. Parker, Jr.
17. Whitt
18. Sieg
19. Cook
20. Ragan
21. Renshaw
22. Sutton
23. Sauter
24. White
25. Weaver
26. Bodine
Clean and green...Practice 2 Rundown 2
07-10-2004 11:49 am
With about 15 minutes left in the second session, we have again been clean and green the entire 39 minutes. Hamilton is again on top of the charts:
1. Hamilton (31.255 seconds/172.772 mph)
2. Chaffin
3. Skinner
4. Reutimann
5. Wood
6. Starr
7. Crawford
8. Hmiel
9. Musgrave
10. Sprague
11. Edwards
12. Park
13. Kvapil
14. Crafton
15. Parker, Jr.
16. Montgomery
17. Sezter
18. Huffman
19. Cook
20. Sieg
21. Houston
22. Whitt
23. Hines
24. LaJoie
25. Lester
26. Bradberry
27. Ragan
28. Sutton
29. Renshaw
30. Sauter
31. Weaver
32. Wimmer
33. White
34. Bodine
35. Jones
36. Richardson
First yellow of the day
07-10-2004 11:56 am
Debris has slowed practice for the first time today...a piece of metal was spotted about 5 yards before the start finish line. The clean-up crew is on it, and we should be back to green flag conditions momentarily.
Final Practice
07-10-2004 12:17 am
Final Practice has ended.
Full Rundown
Engine change on the No. 06
07-10-2004 1:16 pm
Jay Sauter's crew is busy under the hood changing engines on the No. 06 Chevrolet. "We had a little problem with the bearings and the filters are full of metal, so we decided to go ahead and change it. Better before the race starts than after it."
Sauter looks for the seven-race program he has with the MRD Motorsports team to potentially grow into something more for 2005. "That is what we are looking to do," he said. "We're here evaluating the team's equipment to see where we stand for next year. The team doesn't have bad stuff at all. And there is nothing I would like more to come back and run with the Trucks full time. It's still the best racing out there."
Wood thinks track will change...but for the better or the worse?
07-10-2004 1:19 pm
With the ARCA Re/MAX Series on the track now, many observers think track conditions will change dramatically after the conclusion of the event. With rain showers washing the track clean, there is not a lot of rubber on the surface. "I am sure this is going to change the track," said Jon Wood as he was climbing the ladder to his team transporter's observation deck. "I'm just not sure this is going to help us or hurt us." The ARCA Re/MAX Series utilizes Hoosier tires, and of course the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series runs on Goodyear Wrangler tires.
NCTS connections in ARCA race...
07-10-2004 1:45 pm
Ryan Hemphill is currently leading the ARCA Kentucky 150. Of course, he formerly drove the No. 4 BHR Dodge, back in 2002. Frank Kimmel, who is a perennial ARCA winner and champion is currently second. T.J. Bell, who was an NCTS rookie of the year candidate last season, currently sits 15th, while Brian Keselowski has moved from 37th at the start to as high as 16th before pitting. David Ragan, who is doing double duty here this weekend, currently sits fourth, while Ken Weaver, who is also doing double duty, has been caught up in two spins and sits 28th.
HARD rain at Kentucky!
07-10-2004 2:05 pm
With the ARCA cars out on the track, a sudden cloudburst has moved into the area, drenching the track and bringing the ARCA race to a sudden stop. No word yet on how long they will wait before calling this event official or how the weather will affect the remainder of the day's schedule. There are still six hours before the green flag is scheduled to wave on the NCTS Built Ford Tough 225.
Tonight's special awards...
07-10-2004 2:11 pm
Special awards will be presented during driver introductions to the following:
Bud Pole Award will not be awarded due to qualifying rainout
Featherlite Most Improved Driver: Jack Sprague
Mobil 1 Command Performance: Bobby Hamilton
Raybestos Rookie of the Race: Kevin Love
Waste Management Picking up Places: Eric Jones
WIX Filters Lap Leader: Bobby Hamilton
Who said what...Part 2
07-10-2004 2:15 pm
Who said what during the second NCTS practice session?
Rick Crawford, No. 14 Ford: "You guys are going to have to fix this thing to where I can drive it! It's just way too tight."
Chad Chaffin, No. 18 Dodge: "The tires are hot all the way across the front. Maybe it is the fuel in the back that is making us tight, I don't know. But the left front is even warm."
Robert Huffman, No. 12 Toyota: "The left front spring is coil-binding like a son of a...!"
David Starr, No. 75 Chevrolet: "Guys, it is a little tight in the center on both ends."
Jack Sprague, No. 16 Chevrolet: "It's definitely better than what it was. It's just a little tight. I just bounced it off the apron really hard, and that shot me across the track."
Ted Musgrave, No. 1 Dodge: "It is just a little tight. The left rear needs a little help from the middle off the corner. Let's add a tick of wedge, a half round in the right front and a half round in the left rear."
Shane Hmiel, No. 15 Chevy: "It is a little tight late exit."
The plan for the remainder of the day
07-10-2004 2:24 pm
Kentucky Speedway track officials are making every effort to get the track dried to complete the ARCA event, which is currently under red flag conditions. The do not anticipate the weather to impact the NCTS start time at all, however, the USAC Ford Focus Midget Series may find their schedule greatly reduced or eliminated because of the delay.
Hemphill wins again
07-10-2004 2:33 pm
For the fourth time this season, former NCTS driver Ryan Hemphill has won an ARCA race. The track and ARCA have called the race after 67 or 100 laps. The focus now moves to the NCTS Built Ford Tough 225.
Chevy driver post-practice quotes
07-10-2004 2:46 pm
Dennis Setzer, No. 46 Chevy
: "We learned a lot from these two practice sessions that will help us get a good setup under our truck for tonight’s race. It will be critical to have adjustability in our Silverado as the track changes. We turned a pretty quick lap toward the end of the session and we are really happy with that so we feel like we will be ready to roll when the green waves."
Jack Sprague, No. 16 Chevy
: "“When you practice during the heat of the day for a night race, it is a little tough to really land on the right setup. It is important to find a good neutral place where the truck feels decent that gives you adjustability during the race. It was so hot when we practiced it’s hard to get a real feel for what the tires will do when the track cools down. If it rains, that will change everything again so you have to rely on the experience of the team to have a good starting place. Our Chevy Trucks team will be ready to race. We need a little luck to go our way tonight.”
David Starr, No. 75 Chevy
: “Our Spears Silverado is pretty good. Its not the best truck out there looking at the time sheet of the times from practice earlier but I feel like we have a top-five truck. We made a lot of changes during practice. This track is so fast but when you go in the corner, it tightens up pretty quick and that is what we are working on is getting it to rotate through the center. You really need to rotate through the center and not be tight because it is a momentum track here at Kentucky too. If you are too tight and you have to wait and wait for it to turn, you will completely lose your momentum. After looking at the time sheet, I feel better about how we were during practice. We just need to get some of this bad luck off our back and keep our Spears Silverado in the top-five tonight.”
Matt Crafton, No. 6 Chevy
: “The GM Goodwrench Silverado is pretty good. We are a little tight right in the middle but everything should work out tonight with cooler track temperatures. The second practice we didn’t take any tires so we didn’t look that good on the charts like we did in the first session. We were working on our long run set-up and had 50 laps tires in the second session. We were still able to lay down some pretty good laps so we will just fine-tune our truck before race time and be ready to race.”
Shane Hmiel, No. 15 Chevy
: "Our Chevrolet Silverado is good and I know we have a fast race truck for tonight’s race. I was pretty good on our first run during practice then we came in for a few adjustments and they don’t always work but Ritchie’s (Wauters) nailed down what we need to do so we will be much better in the race tonight. It’s difficult to read completely into our practice performance because the conditions will change immensely from day to night. I am just happy we were able to get some practice in. Friday was a washout like last week in Kansas and we didn’t get in any pre-race practice. We had an excellent truck again this week and I hope to get the monkey off our back and finally bring home a win for Billy Ballew Motorsports Chevrolet Silverado."
Kelly Sutton, No. 02 Chevy
: "The first practice was our first few laps on this track with the truck, and it felt pretty good. We made an adjustment to the right side springs, and that helped us pick up some time and get down harder into the corners. The team made a wedge and shock adjustment, and the truck felt great. I spent quite a few laps working with Tim and my spotter to find my marks so I could drive down into the corners and keep it down in the center of the turns. We're anticipating a great race tonight under the lights!”
Changing engines on the No. 22
07-10-2004 3:28 pm
Bill Lester's team is also working under the hood of the No. 22 Toyota making an engine change. While the crew didn't specify what the exact problem with the engine was, there evidently was some metal in the oil filter.
Kentucky Speedway estimates attendance...
07-10-2004 3:53 pm
Speedway officials estimate tonight's attendance will reach 50,000. The Kentucky Speedway NCTS event always draws one of the biggest crowds of the season.
Hines advises White...
07-10-2004 4:23 pm
Tracy Hines has passed along some wisdom to his fellow rookie and teammate Paul White after practice. "Just keep out of trouble, work on your pit stops, and do whatever NASCAR wants you to do to get approved for the next step. We are going to Gateway next week, and you've been there before and you know how to go fast there. You go and start working on racing these things there next week."
Jones fights vibration
07-10-2004 4:26 pm
Eric Jones and the Chick Motorsports team fought a vibration in the second practice session. "We changed gears and we thought that was going to fix it, but it didn't. We just decided to stay out on the track and run through it, and it eventually went away. But it took a pretty long time before it was gone."
Different opinions on the spoiler package
07-10-2004 4:53 pm
Terry Cook, No. 10 Ford: "I think the spoiler package we have wasn't really the best thing for Kansas last week, but who knows, it might be the right call here. These two tracks are different enough that it might be the right package here."
Travis Kvapil, No. 24 Toyota: "I like the spoiler package we've been running the past couple of weeks. It puts it back on the driver. Should make for a good race tonight."
Ford Extends Truck Series Sponsorship at Kentucky
07-10-2004 5:21 pm
Ford Racing announced they will extend their title sponsorship of the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series event at Kentucky Speedway through 2007 as 'The Built Ford Tough 225 Presented by the Cincinatti Ford Dealers"
Rain Down on Me
07-10-2004 5:44 pm
Dark clouds have rolled into the Kentucky Speedway area and unleashed very heavy rainfall.
Driver's meeting notes
07-10-2004 5:35 pm
Phil O'Connor, of Ford Motor Company, is tonight's Grand Marshall...driver introductions will take place tonight at 7:30 pm ET, unless weather intervenes...the speed on pit road is 45 miles per hour...caution truck speed is 55 miles per hour...pit road speed begins 175 feet before the first pit box and ends 100 feet past the last pit box...the restart point is in the area of the two red lines on the wall exiting turn four...drivers will not have to use the entry lane while entering the pits, but must use the exit lane when leaving pit road...NASCAR may, at its discretion, open pit road the first time the field passes the entrance to the pits...the outside of each pit box is the yellow line...NASCAR met with the crew chiefs yesterday and discussed the free pass rule; the truck that receives the free pass absolutely must start at the tail end of the longest line, no questions asked...35.94 is the minimum speed for tonight's race...NASCAR has also said driver's can no longer speed down pit road under caution to save from being lapped on pit road...
Dryers on track...but rain is starting to fall again
07-10-2004 6:27 pm
The jet dryers are out circulating, but a few sprinkles of rain are starting to come down. There are some gray clouds on the horizon, so we may be in for some more rain before the system moves out. The locals are saying once the rain moves out, the temperatures will have dropped enough that the showers will stop popping and we should have a window to get the race in tonight.
Track drying underway...progress being made
07-10-2004 7:46 pm
The dryers have been on track for almost 45 minutes, ant it appears they have made some significant progress. The top of the turns is slowly lightening up with the four jet dryers and a train of 16 track safety vehicles circulating the speedway. The start will unfortunately not go off as scheduled, but the track crew is doing a great job getting the track dry and we should be ready to go green sometime around 9 pm ET.
Meshkin comment on McReynolds' departure from Bang!
07-10-2004 7:50 pm
“Larry was an asset to this team and an integral part in the startup of Bang! Racing. But Larry has always expressed that his main commitment was to his broadcast career with FOX Sports and SPEED Channel. Because of that commitment, he was able to attend six races this season and was not involved in the day-to-dayactivities or decisions of the team. As Larry has indicated, we have differing philosophies about the two truck teams. My plans and devotion to this team has never wavered – I am passionately devoted to Toyota, Line-X and all our sponsors, our drivers and employees and look forward to our future success in the Truck Series.”
Driver intros under way...
07-10-2004 8:00 pm
The drivers are walking across the stage and the track is getting closer by the minute to being ready...stay tuned!
On hold...
07-10-2004 8:30 pm
The opening ceremonies are completed and the track drying process continues. NASCAR has put the start on hold indefinitely, but with the track drying as fast as it is, we should be ready to go racing relatively soon.
Engines start at 9:15...
07-10-2004 9:04 pm
Just about 10 minutes before the engines are going to be started...what to expect tonight? I should be a very competitive show with anywhere between 8 and 12 lead changes, 6 to 8 cautions, and a winner from inside the top-5 starters. The pole sitter has never finished better than third, but never worse than fifth in the previous four races, so Dennis Setzer should be in the mix somewhere when the checkered flag flies. The spoilers are without the Mickey Mouse ears that provide extra downforce at Daytona, Texas, Atlanta, and Charlotte, so look for a lot of loose trucks, even with a track that has tightened up with the cooler temperatures at night. Buckle up, enjoy the show on Speed Channel, and keep it locked on to TrackSideLive! for EXCLUSIVE live post-race coverage from Kentucky Speedway and the Built Ford Tough 225.
Announced attendance...
07-10-2004 10:01 pm
There are 42,661 fans in attendance for tonight's Built Ford Tough 225 here at Kentucky Speedway...
Fifth G-W-C of the season...
07-10-2004 11:22 pm
With all of the debate about how to finish races in the Busch and Cup Series when there is a late-race caution, the NCTS again proves how to do it. For the fifth time this season in 11 races, there was a two-lap Green-White-Checkered finish, pleasing all 42,000 fans in attendance here tonight.
David Starr, No. 75 Chevrolet
07-10-2004 11:38 pm
"I don't know that it was frustrating because I never saw him all night. I thought Crafton was leading, and when I caught him and passed him I asked the guys if we were leading. They said, uh no, your on the backstretch and the leader is on the frontstretch. Right then I knew we were going to have our hands full trying to get this Spears Manufacturing Silverado to victory lane."
Shane Hmiel, No. 15 Chevrolet
07-10-2004 11:46 pm
“I felt some vibrations on the right front tire.” Shane Hmiel said, “My spotter got with Mike Skinner’s spotter and Mike checked and nothing looked wrong with the tire. We tried to clean the tires off while under the caution thinking it was debris. We were hoping for a caution so we could check it, but it just broke free on lap 52 and I clipped the wall. The center of the wheel broke off. I just don’t know how the wheel broke. Our Chevrolet Silverado was excellent and the DEI power under the hood was out of this world. I wanted this win so bad tonight in honor of Adam’s (Petty) 24th Birthday. This No. 15 Billy Ballew Motorsports team has worked so hard and we have the best equipment but we need to catch a break. I just hate it for everyone on the team.”
Bobby Hamilton, No. 4 Dodge
07-10-2004 11:47 pm
"I didn't know what to expect on that last restart. I wasn't that good on dirty tires, and that is what messed me up on that previous restart. I knew what I did wrong, but I wasn't too worried about it because I was going to get the same amount of points either way because we led the most laps. Jack (Sprague) has so much experience on these green-white-checker finishes, and he reminds me of the movie Forrest Gump because he is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you are going to get with him. He is so good on these restarts. But guys like him, Crawford, Skinner, all of those guys, they have raced me so clean all season. As soon as I am done with you guys (media), my focus on on Gateway. That is just the way I am."
Ford Driver Quotes: KENTUCKY
07-10-2004 11:53 pm
CARL EDWARDS-99-Superchips Ford F-150 (Finished 33rd) -
WHAT PUT YOU BEHIND THE WALL TONIGHT? "We had a tire going down on the first run, a left-rear, and I think we had a parts failure of some kind. The guys at the Mooresville (N.C.) engine shop do a great job putting these things together, but something is vibrating real bad and we cut the clutch line. Hopefully, they’re going to pull the tranny out and see if they can get it put back together. We’re going to get it fixed, get back out there and run as much as we can and use it as a test session and gain points. Anything we can do."
RICK CRAWFORD-14-Circle Bar Motel & RV Park Ford F-150 (Finished 16th) -
"It was just a hard truck to drive all day. You were facing a scenario with the way it was driving and you pitted and that set of tires was different from the previous set of tires. Then you were immediately in traffic so you were trying to save the truck and losing time on the people ahead of you, and by the time you got your truck straightened out or it came to you then they were long gone. It should have been a top-10 run. We ran over some debris off of the Terry Cook crash. He was probably the best running Ford out there and I don’t know what happened to him. We ran over a piece of pipe and flattened both right-side tires and had to make a pit stop with 12 laps to go and there was no way to get the Circle Bar Ford back up to the front. We should have had a good, solid top-five finish, but instead we’re 16th."
JON WOOD-50-Roush Racing Ford F-150 (Finished 12th) -
"All day we were great, and I don’t know if running over something from Cook’s truck caused that problem or what, but it just wouldn’t hook up in the closing laps. Several other trucks seemed to have the same problem at the end, though. It’s fun to run up front, and we did. It’s a good feeling and I’m glad we’re back being competitive again. We got run into by the 10 truck there near the end, and I think we would have been in the top five otherwise. We have something to build on next week and at the upcoming mile-and-a-half tracks."
TERRY COOK-10-Power Stroke Diesel by Int’l Ford F-150 (Finished 30th) -
WHAT HAPPENED AND ARE YOU OK? "I’m fine. I really hate it for the Power Stroke by Int’l team. We weren’t very good in morning practice and crew chief Jamie Jones told me we would be good for the race and we were. We drove ourselves from 13th all the way up to fourth there with about a handful of laps to go, and thought we were in contention to at least have a solid top-five, and hoping to be best in class for Ford. The Fords just didn’t seem to have it quite tonight for the other makes. The right-rear tire blew off in turn four there and just put it in the fence." WITHOUT THE SAFER BARRIERS IN PLACE HERE, WAS IT A HARDER HIT? "It was. My shoulder is a little sore and my neck is already starting to get a bit sore, so I’m sure by the middle of the week I’ll be doubling up on the Advil." YOU MADE CONTACT WITH THE NO. 50 TRUCK A FEW LAPS EARLIER. COULD THIS BE THE SUBSEQUENT RESULT OF A TIRE RUB? "It’s possible. I got side-by-side with Jon Wood there and we touched. It’s possible that we could have had a tire rub, but it’s hard to say. I thought we hit tire to tire, but I’m not sure. The right-rear tire blew coming off of the corner and just got up in the fence."
BRANDON WHITT-38-Cure Autism Now/Werner Ladders Ford F-150 (Finished 14th) -
"Bobby Hamilton set a pretty quick pace tonight, so starting 21st and staying on the lead lap all night is a big feat. We just kept making the truck better and better as the night went on. When we finished Happy Hour we were kinda concerned with what we had, but we found out the A-arms were bottoming out, so we got that fixed and it made big difference. The only thing we had with that is we weren’t sure how the truck was going to handle when we started the race, so we tuned on it all night and it was pretty good." WHAT WERE THE TRACK CONDITIONS LIKE AT THE START OF THE RACE? "I don’t think there was a problem starting when we started. It was plenty dry. There were a couple of wet patches, but they dried up within a couple of laps and they weren’t in a danger zone where the trucks were turning."
Steve Park, No. 62 Dodge
07-11-2004 12:04 am
“I really wanted to win Kentucky. It would have been a great race to win since the Wyler’s dealerships are located in Kentucky and Ohio. I was thrilled with the way the Orleans Dodge was at the start of the race, but we are still struggling in the pits. This is a team sport and the driver can’t win it, and the team can’t win it. You have to have both working or you’ll never end up in victory lane. The Wyler’s have been great to me and the team, and I really wanted to take them to victory lane at their home track. We had a lot of people with us at this race. Mr. Gaughan was at the track, and there was a large group of fans that traveled from all over the country to be here and support us. They were all sitting right near the start-finish line holding up signs. It was great to see a Dodge in victory lane, and I really hope next week we put our Dodge in victory lane. St. Louis has been good to this team. Brendan won there last year, and Mr. Gaughan has the Casino Queen near the track. So we will try again.”
Deborah Renshaw, No. 29 Ford
07-11-2004 12:05 am
Deborah Renshaw started and finished in the 25th position in tonight’s ‘Built Ford Tough 225. This was Renshaw’s debut in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series running for the K Automotive team in the No. 29 Ford F-150.
“We are pretty happy with the outcome tonight in finishing the race and staying out of trouble,” said Renshaw. “We developed a vibration in the truck and had to pit under green to change tires. But the vibration kept coming back when we were under high speeds. I would have liked to have finished on the lead lap, but I gained a lot of experience tonight and learned a lot about how these trucks react when they are next to each other. But this is a great series and I really hope that we can get the sponsorship money worked out so that we can come back and run some more races this season with the truck series. I really couldn’t believe the learning curve involved, but we will have to take everything one step at a time and I know we will succeed. I just can’t say enough about this K Automotive team, they worked so hard and Bob and Kay are great at keeping me focused and calm during the event. Overall I really enjoyed my first NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race and I am really excited about getting to run another one very soon.”
Charlie Wilson, Crew Chief, No. 62 Dodge
07-11-2004 12:07 am
“Everyone knows we have had a lot of personnel changes. Just like any sport it takes some time to develop the chemistry needed to be championship caliber. We are disappointed with our performance, but we aren’t the type of team to give up. We had a problem with the lugnuts on both stops tonight. I don’t know the exact cause. We will have to look at the tape and discuss it when we get back to Las Vegas. Steve has proven he can drive the wheels off the truck. He deserves the same from the team in the pits. We are going to work as hard as it takes to give him what he needs to win.”
Unofficial Results: KENTUCKY
07-11-2004 12:21 am
1. (3) Bobby Hamilton, Dodge, 153, $80,125.
2. (10) Jack Sprague, Chevrolet, 153, $53,450.
3. (15) David Starr, Chevrolet, 153, $37,375.
4. (5) Matt Crafton, Chevrolet, 153, $27,075.
5. (6) Chad Chaffin, Dodge, 153, $22,775.
6. (12) Steve Park, Dodge, 153, $18,825.
7. (9) Ted Musgrave, Dodge, 153, $19,525.
8. (18) Andy Houston, Dodge, 153, $16,825.
9. (14) David Reutimann #, Toyota, 153, $17,225.
10. (28) Robert Huffman #, Toyota, 153, $17,675.
11. (1) Dennis Setzer, Chevrolet, 153, $15,125.
12. (7) Jon Wood, Ford, 153, $14,940.
13. (17) Shane Sieg #, Chevrolet, 153, $14,840.
14. (21) Brandon Whitt #, Ford, 153, $14,740.
15. (8) Travis Kvapil, Toyota, 153, $16,140.
16. (4) Rick Crawford, Ford, 153, $14,440.
17. (20) Tracy Hines #, Chevrolet, 152, $14,340.
18. (11) Mike Skinner, Toyota, 151, $14,240.
19. (23) David Ragan, Ford, 151, $12,890.
20. (24) Chase Montgomery #, Dodge, 150, $12,940.
21. (32) Chris Wimmer #, Ford, 149, $11,790.
22. (19) Hank Parker Jr., Toyota, 148, $11,740.
23. (30) Kelly Sutton #, Chevrolet, 148, $11,690.
24. (36) Eric Jones, Chevrolet, 147, $11,640.
25. (25) Deborah Renshaw, Ford, 146, $11,590.
26. (27) Ken Weaver #, Chevrolet, 143, $11,540.
27. (31) Geoffrey Bodine, Chevrolet, 141, suspension, $11,490.
28. (29) Paul White #, Chevrolet, 140, $11,390.
29. (22) Bill Lester, Toyota, 138, $11,290.
30. (13) Terry Cook, Ford, 137, accident, $11,190.
31. (35) Jay Sauter, Chevrolet, 120, engine failure, $11,090.
32. (26) Randy LaJoie, Dodge, 94, engine failure, $10,990.
33. (2) Carl Edwards, Ford, 83, $10,890.
34. (16) Shane Hmiel, Chevrolet, 50, suspension, $10,790.
35. (34) Charlie Bradberry #, Chevrolet, 29, handling, $10,690.
36. (33) Wayne Edwards, Chevrolet, 25, electrical, $10,590.
By The Numbers: KENTUCKY
07-11-2004 12:22 am
Average Speed of Race Winner: 122.600 mph.
Time of Race: 1 hour, 52 minutes, 19 seconds.
Margin of Victory: 0.179 second.
Caution Flags: 6 for 31 laps.
Lead Changes: 6 among 5 drivers.
Lap Leaders: D. Setzer 1-11; C. Edwards 12-13; B. Hamilton 14-53; S. Sieg # 54; B. Hamilton 55-145; J. Sprague 146-151; B. Hamilton 152-153.
Top-10 Points: Unofficial
07-11-2004 12:24 am
Top 10 in Points:
D. Setzer - 1,662; B. Hamilton - 1,656; C. Edwards - 1,562; R. Crawford - 1,510; M. Crafton - 1,501; C. Chaffin - 1,485; J. Sprague - 1,463; J. Wood - 1,454; T. Musgrave - 1,445; T. Kvapil - 1,418.
Mike Skinner, No. 42 Toyota
07-11-2004 12:37 am
"Man, this Toyota was so good in practice then it just went really loose for some reason in the race. We fought it and fought it and were really puzzled at what was going on, because we shouldn't have been 20th, we should have been third. The guys eventually found out we had a collapsed spring, and that's what did us in tonight."
Travis Kvapil, No. 24 Toyota
07-11-2004 12:39 am
"We fought a loose condition early in the race, but Eric and the guys did a really good job to fix it. It was pretty fast after that and we were really good on the long runs, and we were able to reel some guys in and pick up some spots. Late in the race, we had a couple of restarts and I just didn't have third gear. I was pretty much a sitting duck when everyone lined up. I tried the best I could, but three guys got me before I even got to turn one. I wish we could have run green all the way to the finish, because we were just starting to come in."
Robert Huffman, No. 12 Huffman
07-11-2004 12:42 am
"We hit on some things in that last practice that I think we have been missing all year. We hadn't really had a good feel in the truck, and tonight we had it. On the restart, I had a really good run on the outside and I was able to pick up some positions. I had to make up for the bad restart I had right before that. It's been a really rough year and we've had our ups and downs. Hopefully there will be more back on an up again."
David Reutimann, No. 17 Toyota
07-11-2004 12:45 am
"We had some issues we think were ignition related. Siomething happened between practice and the race and the engine just didn't run like it had in practice. It was just a little off down the straightaway. We haven't had that problem all year. Maybe there was some trash or something in the carburetor, or it was something with the ignition."
Tracy Hines, No. 88 Chevrolet
07-11-2004 12:47 am
"We were tight all night. We made an adjustment to it, and it made it really loose on entry and still tight off. We got pinned down on a lap of our own there. We weren't going to lose another spot, but we couldn't gain any either. We were a couple of laps off on our timing with the cautions. If they would have come out just a couple of laps earlier each time, then I think we would have been okay."
Shane Sieg, No. 07 Chevrolet
07-11-2004 12:53 am
"I am really happy with that. We had a pretty good truck tonight, and we were really good on restarts. I wanted to follow Dennis (Setzer) because I know he is pretty good at these places, but I guess he was a little off tonight. I think if I could have gotten past him, we might have been able to run away from him. But I learned a lot about the line around this place following him. I wish I could have gotten past him, because I wanted to see if we could go and get Huffman for second highest rookie."
Chevy Driver Quotes
07-11-2004 12:54 am
Jack Sprague, No. 16 Chevy
(Started 10th, Finished 2nd ):
ON PASSING BOBBY THERE IS WITH TO GO: “I know it had to shock him as much as it shocked me. He was the class of the field all night but he just must not have gotten his tires cleaned off when we restarted and he was wobbling in the corner. I got a good run on the outside and he came up to protect the spot so I dove down and got underneath him and I got in the lead. I thought man this can’t be happening. I looked back and saw David racing him pretty hard and I thought ‘Man I could luck in to this thing and win it.’ I have lost a few this way. But the caution came out again and I thought he (Hamilton) is a pretty smart old guy and he isn’t going to make the same mistake again and he didn’t. We took off on the restart and neither one of us even cracked the gas, we both went into one wide open and never lifted. He got underneath me and motored me off through two. I was able to hang with him but it was unbelievable.”
ON SECOND PLACE FINISH: “This is an incredible finish for our Chevy Trucks Silverado tonight. We weren’t very good this morning, our truck wasn’t happy and the driver wasn’t happy. I am so proud of Chris (Showalter, crew chief) and Dave (Fuge, team manager) and the guys made a ton of adjustments and we had a heck of a truck. That turkey would drive around that white line and it was awesome. It was a little loose but I had to have that way in order to run good. When I got to fourth I thought man I will take this, be happy and go to the house. I just want to thank Chevrolet Silverado, Vortec Engines, Allison Transmissions, XM Radio and everyone who is involved in this program. I am like David, man we have had the worst luck in the last five races. We have had a truck that was capable of winning the last few races and I didn’t think this was one of them but it ended up being a great night for us. Nothing happened, it was uneventful and turned out good.
ABOUT BACK RUNNING IN THE NASCAR CRAFTSMAN TRUCK SERIES: “It is just fun. It is like 100th of the pressure of Cup and 100th of the backstabbing that goes on over there. There are 25 races a year and you have a life outside the circuit. This series provides drivers a way to have a career and a life too. Instead of having just a career and missing out on everything else. I have a nine-year old little girl that I live for and she is my rock. I love my wife very much too and I don’t mean to slight her in any way. But your wife follows you around but your kids are only there for a short time and aren’t going to follow you around all their lives and I don’t want to miss the great years of her life. There is going to be a day I am going to look up and she will be gone and there will be some other man in her life and I just want to be the one that is there until that happens. This provides me a way to do that and that is honestly how I feel.” ON KENTUCKY SPEEDWAY: “This track is awesome but it has evaded me a little bit. I actually had this race won in 2001 and lost a cylinder and ended up finishing third. So next year I am coming back with my guns loaded and try to win this thing.” IF YELLOW HADN’T COME OUT, COULD YOU HAVE BEAT HAMILTON: “I had a better shot at it because David was racing him hard and when you run side by side it slows you down pretty good. Several times in the race when I got side by side with some one, it makes you slow enough to have to race trucks not as fast as you. When I looked back and saw David racing him, I said ‘Yes, stay there David and keep him busy.’ But he was so strong, he was the class of the field and that was my only shot at beating him. When I went by him I thought I could luck into it. But the fastest truck won and that’s the way it should be. He drove a great race and I am happy for him that he won and I am sure he would feel the same if was me.” ON FRUSTRATION OF ALL THE RAIN: “Sure it is frustrating. We have had a lot of rain the last two races. But it worked out for us tonight and the fans saw a great race.”
David Starr, No. 75 Spears Manufacturing Silverado
(Started 15th, Finished 3rd):
“ ON THIRD PLACE FINISH-BEST OF THE SEASON: “Our Chevy Silverado was pretty good tonight. We started 15th and were taking out time working our way up through the field. We were just picking guys off one at a time. Dave (McCarty, crew chief) and the guys made a couple of adjustments on the first pit stop and the truck was working pretty good. In turn three we would get tight on entry and lose the nose a little and that hurt us a little bit but what an exciting race. We have just had such bad luck recently and we just needed to get the monkey off our back and we finally got us a top-five finish tonight.
ON RACING WITH HAMILTON ON LAP 144 RESTART: “I was trying to help out my Chevy teammate Sprague when he took the lead, I was racing with Hamilton right there at the end. I got underneath him there in four and thought I had him cleared in turn one but man he drove that baby in there deep and pulled it back by me. I wanted Jack (Sprague) to win the race if we couldn’t but Hamilton was strong all night so we got third. I am just happy to be back in the top-five with our Spears Chevy Silverado. This is like a win for us with the luck we have had recently. We sure would have loved to be in victory lane but since we aren’t, it wasn’t because of | | | |
