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NASCAR Camping World Truck Series
Race #4 |
Kroger 250
Martinsville
Speedway
Saturday April 9, 2005
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Martinsville Speedway has tentatively set NASCAR Camping World Truck Series test sessions prior to the Kroger 250 for March 22 - Ricky Craven, Todd Kluever, Brad Keselowski, Justin Allgaier. March 23 - Todd Kluever, Darrell Waltrip, Robert Huffman, Bill Lester, Brandon Whitt, Justin Allgaier.
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March 23
Todd Kluever, Darrell Waltrip, Robert Huffman, Bill Lester, Shiege Hattori, Johnny Benson, Mike Skinner, David Reutimann, Brandon Whitt, Justin Allgaier.
March 24
Robert Huffman, Bill Lester, Brandon Whitt, Steve Park, Brendan Gaughan, Alex Yontz, Todd Bodine, Shiege Hattori, Johnny Benson, Bobby Labonte, Mike Skinner, Regan Smith, David Starr, Brandon Whitt, Ken Weaver, Sean Murphy, Kevin Harvick, Tam Topham, David Reutimann, Kelly Sutton
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Roush Racing teammates Ricky Craven and Todd Kluever spent Tuesday testing at Martinsville Speedway in preparation for the upcoming Kroger 250 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race on April 9. Kluever was schedule to test Wednesday as well, but due to rain, was forced to postpone his second day of testing until Thursday.
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Brendan Gaughan is facing a pretty tough situation: he's trying to bounce back from a gosh-awful weekend at Atlanta last weekend while getting ready for one of his most difficult tracks, Martinsville Speedway. But there's one thing about Gaughan - it's almost impossible to deflate this eternal optimist. "Even Martinsville Speedway knows this is not one of my favorite places . I love the track, I just stink at it," Gaughan said during a break in NASCAR Camping World Truck Series testing at Martinsville Thursday.
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SPEED’s coverage of truck series continues upward trend …
The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series has Earned a 1.4 average rating on SPEED Channel in 2005 year to date, up 8 percent over 2004, according to Nielsen Media Research. An average of 875,000 households (+11 %) and 1.2 million viewers (+18 %) have tuned in to each event in 2005.
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Many drivers do not consider Martinsville Speedway to be one of their favorite tracks, but it will always hold special memories for Ricky Craven. It was on a Monday afternoon, October 15, 2001, that Craven notched his first Nextel Cup victory at the legendary half-mile oval. It was Craven's 174th start in Nextel Cup competition. He led 94 laps of the race and the finish came down to a fierce battle with Dale Jarrett. Craven edged out Jarrett by a 0.141-second margin of victory.
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Thursday, April 7
11:00 a.m. NASCAR Camping World Truck Series haulers enter
12:30 p.m. NASCAR Camping World Truck Series registration opens
1:00 p.m. NASCAR Camping World Truck Series garage opens
3:00 p.m. NASCAR Camping World Truck Series haulers exit infield
5 p.m. NASCAR Camping World Truck Series garage and registration closes
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April 9 is judgment day for some. For others, however, it’s been judgment day at each of the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series’ first three races of 2005. Next month’s Kroger 250 at Martinsville Speedway marks the fourth event of the year and the last in which 2004 owner points will be used to determine up to 30 of the 36 available starting positions. Teams currently eligible for guaranteed spots are racing to keep what they have; others are hoping to bump their way into the top 30. (David Vaughn Photo)
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Mighty Motorsports announced that 20 year-old driver Casey Kingsland will be driving on a one-race deal for April 9th, Kroger 250 at the Martinsville Speedway. Team manager Rob Ferguson indicated that a temporary change was in place to help get the team heading back in the right direction. “Casey is a talented young driver, and I think we are going to find a lot out about the kid, especially at a track as tough as Martinsville”, said Ferguson.
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“I have always said that Martinsville Speedway is my favorite track on the circuit. I know a lot of drivers either love it or hate it, but this is the type of speedway that I cut my teeth on while trying to figure a way to make a living in racing. We have had some success at Martinsville over the past few years. Our team has come up with some new tricks for a short track like Martinsville that should pay off for us this time around. We were a little disappointed that we didn’t get a win here in 2004 and overall we didn’t get a win at a short track last year. But this season, we are coming back with a new crew chief, new trucks, new equipment and setups. We are really looking forward to this race.”
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2000 NASCAR Cup Champion Teams with Rodeway Inn/Econo Lodge and Trick Pony for Kroger 250 at Martinsville Speedway - For the second time in 2005, 2000 NASCAR Cup champion Bobby Labonte will be the “All Star” driver of the No. 47 Chevrolet Silverado fielded by Morgan Dollar Motorsports. The April 9th Kroger 250 at Martinsville Speedway will mark Labonte’s second NASCAR Camping World Truck Series event at the famed Southern Virginia short track.
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Preparing for his last race in the No. 11 Toyota Tundra at Martinsville Speedway, Darrell Waltrip reflects his most memorable moments at the famed oval where he’s won 11 times. “The only race I won in 1976 and 1987 was at Martinsville,” said Waltrip. “The win at Martinsville in 1987 was significant because that was the weekend my daughter Jessica was born. That was the race where I bumped into Terry Labonte, Terry bumped into Dale Earnhardt, they spun up the track and I won the race. I hadn’t led the race all day. There was a late caution and I got four tires. Dale was leading the race and Terry was running second. Coming off of Turn 2, Dale tried to put Terry in the wall. They kind of came together. I got a run down the back straight-away and I got a run on Terry. Then we bumped into each other. I won, Dale finished second and Terry finished third. (High Sierra Photo)
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"There will always be a special place in my heart for Martinsville since it is where I got my very first Nextel Cup win. I remember it was down to the wire with Dale Jarrett. We were sideways going down the backstretch."
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"We spent two days testing in Martinsville two weeks ago and that really helped. I'm glad we went there because that track is like nothing I've ever experienced before. The long straightaways and tight corners take some time to get used to, and I can only imagine what it's going to be like with 35 other trucks out there."
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RETURN OF D.W.: Darrell Waltrip will put on his driver’s suit one more time as he returns to the seat of the No. 11 Toyota Tundra for the NCTS race at Martinsville. Last year, Waltrip started the Spring race at Martinsville (24th) and also competed at Indianapolis Raceway Park (28th). During his NCTS career, Waltrip has made six starts at Martinsville, with his best results being a fifth-place (1996) and a pair of sevenths (2003).
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“I am really excited about finally going racing. It has been tough to wait through these first three races, but it has been a learning experience for me. We tested at Martinsville last Tuesday and Wednesday and that really helped me get familiar with the truck. It helped me get comfortable and it also helped build up my confidence."
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“I am excited about heading to a short track this weekend. I don’t have tons of experience on short tracks, but Martinsville is a track I race well on. There are so many elements that go into racing here. The first element is racing the track. It is a real tight track that resembles a paper clip."
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Last year, Rick Crawford brought home the groceries, in the Kroger 225 at Martinsville Speedway for his third NASCAR Camping World Truck Series win. Crawford and the Circle Bar Truck Corral crew came to Martinsville last year on a mission. A mission to right what had gone horribly wrong in Atlanta, just a few short weeks before.
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“We tested last week in Martinsville with several Nextel Cup and Craftsman Truck Series teams. I chose to test there because we race in Martinsville twice a year and I think it is really important to get a good finish there. Last year we finished bad in both of the Martinsville races."
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In each trip to the famed half-mile paper clip, Whitt has scored his best career NASCAR Camping World Truck Series finish. Last April, Whitt brought home a 14th-place finish, only to be bested by his Martinsville effort last fall, when he notched a 12th-place finish.
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“I won the pole at Martinsville last spring and qualified tenth for the fall race and as I said that was probably one of the last places I expected to win a pole. We were very competitive both races with a strong Chevy Trucks Silverado. We finished third in the spring 2004 and if we hadn’t had trouble and gotten in a wreck, we were a serious contender to win the fall race too."
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“We have been testing a lot to get me ready for Martinsville. We tested at Martinsville last week and it was basically a good test. I’m going to have a lot of firsts this season in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series and this is another. I have never driven on a short track. It is so different. I learned a lot from testing for two days there."
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After testing the No. 17 NTN Bearings Toyota Tundra at Martinsville Speedway recently, David Reutimann intends to surpass last spring’s eighth-place finish at the .526-mile oval in the Kroger 250 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series event.
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“We had a really good test there last week. I love Martinsville, it’s a lot of fun to race on that track. It’s extremely competitive but I like it because it takes you back to where you started. Everyone starts on the short tracks whether its short tracks on dirt or short tracks on pavement."
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After collecting two top-10 finishes in three starts this season, Robert Huffman’s chasing his first career top-five finish in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series event at Martinsville Speedway. “We’re running well enough that we can realistically say that our goal should be a top-five finish and we should have a shot at winning the race,” said Huffman, whose career-best NASCAR Camping World Truck Series finish is sixth at Richmond International Raceway last September. “That’s pretty exciting to go into the fourth race of the year and be able to have that goal. Especially since the team started as late as it did. Because we had a good test at Martinsville a few weeks ago, I think we’ll do well.”
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Sean Murphy was the Raybestos® Rookie of the Race in the March 18 World Financial 200 at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Murphy placed 13th, on the lead lap, his best finish in seven career starts. His previous best was 19th earlier this season at California Speedway. Murphy led once for one lap, the first lap that he has led in his career and took Raybestos® Rookie of the Race honors for the second time this year.
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“Martinsville is my kind of racing,” Spencer said. “Good old fashioned short track racing, and with the trucks, it really is like the old days. There is a little beating and banging, which is how it was for all of us when we started at the local short tracks. The Team ASE/Utlra Wheels Dodge won there last fall, so we know we can do it. Now, we have to go out and get it done.”
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“Coming off of the strong test we had recently in Martinsville, I'm confident that my crew chief, Doug Wolcott, and the guys on the No. 22 team are going to field a strong Toyota Tundra for me. We ran competitive times at the test, and it felt good to get in the rhythm of running around a short track again.
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Deborah is coming off a 25th place finish last time out at the Atlanta Motor Speedway. “Although I have only raced at Martinsville once and it can be a rough track – I really like the place. It helps that I had my career best run there last fall and any racer likes that track regardless of where it is.
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TommyRaz Motorsports' Casey Kingsland, the 20-year-old rookie driver sensation from Las Vegas, Nevada, will be looking to locate missing Las Vegas child Luis Gonzales when he makes his debut in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Kroger 250 at Martinsville Speedway April 9, 2005.
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For Darrell Waltrip (No. 11 Toyota Tundra Toyota), life without time behind the wheel of a race vehicle would be no life at all. So even though Waltrip’s making his final race appearance in Saturday’s Kroger 250, he’ll continue to be involved in his two NASCAR Camping World Truck Series teams – meaning his two drivers will be getting hands-on advice from their owner. “I’m not going to race competitively again,” said Waltrip.
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Chad is coming off his best run of the season – a 7th place finish at the Atlanta Motor Speedway. The No. 30 Toyota was a dominant truck throughout the event as Chad steered to the 7th place finish. “Martinsville is a tough little track but it is one that for some reason I have become pretty decent at. I ran the Cup race there last fall and any time you can get extra laps around a track like Martinsville it is a big help – especially at the Cup level.
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“We intended to have a two-day test at Martinsville, and due to the weather, we only ended up getting a little more than half a day. We came back last week to spend two days at Caraway Speedway trying things to help Toyota’s short track program so we can be competitive at Martinsville and other short tracks on the circuit."
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“The experience at Martinsville will help, but on the same token, a bunch of guys in the series like Hornaday and Skinner have been there several times, and I only have two starts there in the trucks. With the new brakes, experience is out the window. You better be up on the wheel all day."
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Chevrolet Team Silverado driver Ron Hornaday heads to the 0.526-mile short track in Martinsville, Virginia with the momentum of his exciting victory at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Hornaday beat Bobby Labonte by a mere eight thousandths of a second in the third closest finish in NASCAR Camping World Truck Series to take his No. 6 GM Goodwrench Silverado to victory lane for the first time in 2005. To win back-to-back races, Hornaday faces the task of not only beating his fellow Team Silverado drivers and the regular NCTS competitors, but his boss, Kevin Harvick.
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NASCAR announced Wednesday that Shane Hmiel, driver of the No. 32 Chevrolet, has been penalized and fined after a rule violation Monday at Bristol Motor Speedway. Additionally, five other NASCAR Busch Series teams were penalized following rule infractions at Bristol.
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Shane Hmiel and Billy Ballew Motorsports will team up once again this weekend for the Kroger 250 at Martinsville Speedway with WINFUEL signed on as the primary sponsor of the #15 Chevrolet Silverado. Hmiel will take advantage of his off weekend in the NASCAR Busch Series to pilot the #15 WINFUEL Chevy in this Saturday’s truck race. “I really enjoy racing in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series so when Billy asked me to get behind the wheel with WINFUELl signed on as primary sponsor there was no question I would race. Billy Ballew Motorsports and WINFUEL is just a winning combination,” said Hmiel.
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It’s hard to believe that an entire year has passed since Brad Keselowski made his first career start in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series at the Martinsville Speedway. A year ago, a 20-year old Keselowski entered the garage area that he had become so familiar as a child working with his family on their NCTS entries only he was looked upon differently, this time as a fellow competitor looking to make his mark on the series.
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Matt Crafton returns to Martinsville Speedway for the fourth event of the 2005 NASCAR Truck Series season with an abundance of optimism. The driver of the ThorSport Racing No. 88 Menards Chevrolet has had this race circled on the calendar since the end of the 2004 season. Crafton had two top-10 finishes in the two Truck Series races at Martinsville last season, and believes he and his team can improve on those results.
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Tracy Hines enters the fourth event of the 2005 NASCAR Truck Series with the confidence that he has always run well at Martinsville Speedway. However, after two hard-luck races in 2004, he’s looking for some redemption and a chance to run the No.13 ThorSport Racing/David Zoriki Motorsports Chevrolet into the top-10 and finish there.
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“Whether it’s a short track or superspeedway, you always want to lead. To be in the lead is a benefit and even at Martinsville because the guys behind you have to figure out how to pass you and it’s extremely hard to do that there. As the leader you are more likely able to pick and choose your way through lapped traffic. "
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Ron Hornaday has won 27 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCTS) races at 21 different race tracks throughout his impressive career. Martinsville Speedway, site of this weekend’s Kroger 250, however is not one of those race tracks. The man with more NCTS wins than anyone else has not managed to take home a checkered flag at the famed short track nestled in the hills on the outskirts of Martinsville, VA.
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As hard as it is to imagine there is a common thread that will bind Martinsville, Virginia and Las Vegas, Nevada this weekend. The thread is just one of the strengths that the Orleans Racing team will rely on as it competes in this weekend’s Kroger 250 Craftsman Truck Series event. A significant portion of Orleans Racing’s support team hails from the sleepy burg of Martinsville, Va., which is located on the border of Virginia and North Carolina. And to a person, each of the four east coast transplants brings an “A” game to the table. (PR Photo)
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As three-time NASCAR Cup champion Darrell Waltrip prepares to make his final start in a NASCAR touring series event at Martinsville Speedway this Saturday, 24 year-old Timothy Peters readies himself for his first foray into NASCAR Camping World Truck Series competition in the same event. While Saturday afternoon's juxtaposition of drivers exiting and entering the sport may not have the same historical implications that surrounded Richard Petty's last race at Atlanta, when Petty made his last Cup start on the same afternoon that a promising youngster named Jeff Gordon made his first, Martinsville does however provide an important jumping off point for BHR newcomer Peters. (Emmett Byrd Photo)
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Terry Cook and the No. 10 Power Stroke Diesel by International race team tested Tuesday at Caraway Speedway in Asheboro, N.C. preparing for this weekend’s Kroger 250 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCTS) event.
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Brevak Racing has announced today that Nick Tucker will be piloting their #31 RepairOne Dodge as the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series takes to Martinsville Speedway. The #31 team prepared for Martinsville by testing at Greenville Pickens Monday.
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For Dennis Setzer, racing the No. 46 Chevrolet Silverado at Martinsville Speedway feels like coming home. He has finished in the top-three his last five NASCAR Camping World Truck Series starts at the famed Southern Virginia short track, including back-to-back wins. The impressive streak started in April 2002 when the Newton, NC native started 33rd in the 36-truck field and ended the day in victory lane. The feat remains as one of the deepest starting positions for a NCTS race winner. (Ronda Greer Photo)
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AISIN AW, one of the leading manufacturers of automatic transmissions and automatic transmission components, will be the title sponsor of the No. 9 Germain/Arnold Racing Toyota Tundra NASCAR Craftsman Truck for the running of the Kroger 250 at Martinsville Speedway Saturday April 9, 2005.
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Petra Stone has joined SUBcrews.com on the No. 29 K Automotive Ford F-150 this weekend for the Kroger 250 at the Martinsville Speedway. As the 21-year old Keselowski prepares for his second career start at the half-mile speedway, he is proud to carry one of the newest business partners of SUBcrews.com for what he anticipates to be a very successful weekend.
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Bobby Labonte, No. 47 Chevrolet Rodeway Inn/Econo Lodge All Star Silverado:
“We are pretty happy with our Chevy Silverado. Randy (Goss, crew chief) and the guys have brought a great truck to Martinsville. We spent most of practice working on race setup but we did two qualifying runs and we were reasonably good so as long as the weather holds out, we are all pretty optimistic about qualifying for the race this afternoon and having a good run in tomorrow’s race.”
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Bobby Hamilton has used the champion’s provisional twice so far in 2005, but he won't need it for the Kroger 250 at Martinsville Speedway tomorrow. After starting shotgun on the field in the last race at Atlanta, Hamilton stomped the field with a new track record to take the pole for the first time this season. Hamilton nipped Todd Bodine by just two-thousandths of a second to lock down the top spot with a record lap of 19.912 seconds, which is 95.098 miles per hour around the tight Martinsville paperclip. Jack Sprague will line up third after becoming the first Truck Series driver to eclipse the 19-second barrier at Martinsville. Rick Craven will line up fourth, and Nextel Cup Series veteran Bobby Labonte will fire from the fifth position.
(High Sierra Photo)
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Brad Keselowski started his practice session at Martinsville speaking about a tight condition in his No. 29 SUBcrews.com Ford. But as the session progressed his truck, ‘Super Droop’, would get faster and faster. But with a field of 44 trucks that practiced this morning, Keselowski found himself 29th on the speed charts with only five tenths of a second separating him from the fastest truck on the race track.
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"We have been good since we unloaded and had a great test up here a few weeks ago so I am pretty excited about tomorrow's race. The Xpress team always runs good here at Martinsville so it gave me a lot of confidence last year in what we could do and we have as good or better truck this year. I am just ready to go race."
- Jack Sprague
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WILL YOU RACE AGAIN?
"I don't know. We'll see. It's too early to tell. I'm just disappointed right now so I can't answer that."
IF YOU RACE AGAIN, WILL IT BE AT MARTINSVILLE?
"Probably so, I like coming here and this is my favorite track."
- Darrell Waltrip
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Bobby Labonte held off a furious late race charge by Ricky Craven and Ron Hornaday to win the Kroger 250 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at Martinsville Speedway. Labonte becomes the 12th driver to win in all three national NASCAR Series, and goes to victory lane in just his fifth series start. The race got off to a halting start with six cautions in the early laps not allowing the drivers to get more than 10 consecutive green flag laps at a time. However, long green flag runs late in the race allowed the differing pit strategies early in the race to come into play.
(High Sierra Photo)
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TED MUSGRAVE (No. 1 Mopar Dodge Ram) – Finished 7th, 3rd in standings, 27 points behind Hamilton
“I guess I forgot to send Shane Hmiel a Christmas card or something last year. I wanted to make sure I had the right post office to send it to. We were just racing hard, but the last couple of laps I was on the outside racing clean. I never touched him. I just jumped to the outside trying to make a pass. We ran about a lap like that, and it looked like I was going to get him, but coming off turn two he acted like I wasn’t even out there. He just drove his truck up into the whole groove. If I hadn’t hit the brakes I would have been up into the wall. I jumped back on the outside of him and he tried to do it again, but I forced him to give me room. We just had a little disagreement there, but that was just racing afterward. I just wanted to let him know that whether it’s the first lap or last lap if somebody is on the outside of you, completely on the outside of you, he’s got the right to race you. In years to come, if he’s still racing, he’ll learn. Maybe I don’t have much time left, either. He’ll probably say I’m old, too. We’ll show him the old guys can still get the job done. It gets down to the last lap and you try to protect yourself, but you can’t wreck the other guy to keep your position. That’s another sixth-place finish, and that ain’t bad. We’ve had a fifth, fifth, sixth and sixth this season. We closed the gap a little bit today, and we’re going to stay in the hunt all season long.”
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4th, TODD BODINE, No. 66 Fiddle Back Racing Tundra:
“We were the top Toyota Tundra again today. It was a great day. We couldn’t quite make it on fuel, and our front tires were going away. We really needed a caution about 10 or 15 laps before we stopped, and I think if that happened we would have got back to the front. Any way you look at it, we probably would have finished where we did without the tires, or with the tires. It must have been a great race to watch, with a lot of bumping and banging. It was a typical Martinsville race -- the truck has a lot of bumps and scrapes -- but it was definitely a lot of fun.”
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“Wow, that was fun! I have a great truck. Randy Goss and the entire Morgan Dollar crew worked so hard. I can’t thank Chevrolet enough for the chance to race these truck races. They are a ton of fun. I knew Hornaday would make a hard run on that last restart so I knew I had to have a good restart and try to get away. He and Ricky (Craven) were beating and banging behind me and it gave me just enough to get away. This is a great track, I love to race here and I am proud of getting this trophy.” - Bobby Labonte
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Bobby Labonte set all kinds of records Saturday afternoon with his victory in the Kroger 250 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at Martinsville Speedway. But records weren't that big of a deal to the 2000 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup champion on this warm Saturday afternoon. Getting back to victory lane was the really big deal.
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Timothy Peters’ first NASCAR Camping World Truck Series start in the Kroger 250 at Martinsville Speedway on Saturday afternoon proved to be a real learning experience. The 24 year-old NCTS Rookie of the Year candidate overcame front end damage suffered in a six-truck wreck on lap 3 to post an impressive 18th place lead lap finish in his inaugural truck series event.
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With an engine problem, Robert Huffman nursed his No. 12 Toyota Tundra across the start-finish line in 19th-place at the close of the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Kroger 250.
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An unscheduled pit stop to change a flat left front tire on the No. 17 NTN Bearings Toyota before halfway forced David Reutimann to settle for a 23rd-place finish in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Kroger 250.
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Labonte’s victory marked win No. 20 for crew chief Randy Goss, whose last visit to the winner’s circle came July 22, 2000 at Michigan International Speedway with Greg Biffle and Roush Racing. Goss, a former American Motorcycle Association national champion, also claimed NASCAR Craftsman Truck victories with Joe Ruttman. He joined Chevrolet after leaving the Roush organization in 2003. “He is really good with the trucks,” said Labonte of Goss, whose No. 2 victory total is five behind category leader Dennis Connor.
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Jimmy Spencer drove the No. 2 Team ASE/Ultra Wheels Dodge to a eighth-place finish in the Kroger 250 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at Martinsville Speedway on Saturday. It is the third time in four starts in 2005 that Spencer has finished in the top-10, and the fourth time in those four starts Spencer had completed the race on the lead lap.
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Bobby Labonte continued his mastery of the tough, .525-mile Martinsville Speedway holding off Ricky Craven and Ron Hornaday Jr. to win Saturday’s NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Kroger 250. Labonte, who posted a NASCAR NEXTEL Cup win in 2002 and a NASCAR Busch Series victory in 1992, became the first driver to win in all three national touring series at the same track. He also combined with 1995 Richmond winner Terry Labonte to become the first brother combo to win NASCAR Craftsman Truck races. The 40-year-old Texan, the 50th series winner, wrestled his Rodeway Inn/Econo Lodge/Trick Pony Chevrolet to the front on the race’s 221st lap with a Turn 4 pass of Chad Chaffin. (High Sierra Photo)
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After yet another two-week break, the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series descended on the rural town of Martinsville, Va., for Saturday’s Kroger 250 at the .526-mile Martinsville Speedway, the fourth race of the 2005 season. Picture-perfect weather greeted what traditionally is one of the best crowds on the Truck Series circuit.
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Chase Montgomery wheeled his crippled No. 18 Dodge truck to a 30th place finish in today’s caution-filled Kroger 250. Holding true to short track racing style, Montgomery sustained extensive front end damage when two trucks tangled in turn one triggering a multi-truck wreck. Montgomery drove to the outside to miss the pile up, but slammed into the wall when Brad Keselowski turned into him. The BHR Racing Team got the truck back on the track allowing the 21-year-old Montgomery to finish the event, eight laps down.
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Bobby Hamilton broke Martinsville Speedway’s track record when he drove his Bailey’s Dodge around the half-mile oval with a speed of 95 mph. Subsequently the Tennessee native led the first 47 laps of the Kroger 250, and then settled in the top 10 until a late-race crash crippled Hamilton’s Dodge. He still managed to finish the 250-lap event on the lead lap in 20th position. Hamilton remained the leader in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series points battle by 19 points over Ricky Craven.
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After yet another two-week break, the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series descended on the rural town of Martinsville, Va., for Saturday’s Kroger 250 at the .526-mile Martinsville Speedway, the fourth race of the 2005 season. Picture-perfect weather greeted what traditionally is one of the best crowds on the Truck Series circuit.
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David Starr’s spin late in the race ended his chance at a top-10 finish in Martinsville during the running of the Kroger 250. Starr battled an ill performing truck from the time the No. 75 Spears Manufacturing Silverado was unloaded from the hauler. Disappointed with their qualifying effort of 23rd starting position - David Starr and the Spears Racing team were confident that they had the right setup for the race.
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Chad Chaffin knew he was with a strong team and manufacturer this season in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series and together they are showing just how strong they can be. Once again Chaffin and his No. 30 Toyota Tundra put on an impressive performance on their way to a fifth place finish in the running of the Kroger 250 at the Martinsville Speedway.
(Ronda Greer Photo)
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Matt Crafton finished 15th in the Kroger 250 NASCAR Truck Series race at Martinsville Speedway on Saturday. Crafton started 27th and moved to into the top-10 when his ThorSport team stayed out on an early caution to gain track position. Once near the front, Crafton managed to stay out of trouble to pick up his third consecutive lead lap finish and maintain seventh in the series point standings.
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Steve Park was looking forward to the first short track race of the season as much as the next guy but after a frustrating weekend at Martinsville Speedway, the Kroger 250 is likely to make the driver’s 2005 list of “Races to Forget”.
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Ricky Craven won his first Nextel Cup race at Martinsville in 2001, and he nearly won his first Craftsman Truck race there on Saturday. He finished second to Bobby Labonte, but not without a fight.
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Bobby Labonte used superior pit strategy and a late race surge to win Saturday's NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Kroger 250 and complete a NASCAR national touring series sweep at Martinsville Speedway.
Labonte, driving a Chevrolet sponsored in part by Nashville country music group Trick Pony, held off the double charge of veterans Ricky Craven and Ron Hornaday Jr. to win the season's fourth event. His margin of victory, over Craven's Ford, was .257 seconds - closest in 13 series races at the .525-mile track.
|Finishing behind Craven and Hornaday's Chevrolet were Todd Bodine, also in a Toyota and Chaffin. Shane Hmiel held off Ted Musgrave in a photo finish for the No. 6 spot with Jimmy Spencer, Mike Skinner and Terry Cook completing the top 10. Twenty of the race's 31 finishers ran all 250 laps. Labonte averaged 66.639 mph as 11 cautions - all for minor incidents - consumed 60 laps. He joined brother Terry Labonte to become the first siblings to win on the series. Bud Pole starter Bobby Hamilton ran into trouble late, hitting the wall in Turn 4 while battling Robert Huffman for the eighth position. Next event is the April 30 Dodge Ram Tough 200 at Gateway International Raceway near St. Louis.
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If there is a track that most rookies dread, Martinsville Speedway would probably be it. The half-mile oval is one of the most difficult on the Craftsman Truck Series schedule, but Todd Kluever managed to finish the race on the lead lap in 16th place during his first outing there.
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Ted Musgrave bumped and banged his way to a seventh-place finish in the Kroger 250 at the always exciting Martinsville Speedway short track in Virginia.
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Bill Lester and the No. 22 Toyota Tundra team worked their way through 11 cautions Saturday afternoon to come out of Martinsville Speedway with a 26th-place finish, dropping only one position in the overall NASCAR Camping World Truck Series standings.
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Casey Kingsland, driver of the TommyRaz Motorsports No. 24 Speed Zone Energy Drink Dodge Ram, made his first start in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Kroger 250 at the historic .526-mile paperclip-shaped Martinsville Speedway April 9, 2005.
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Driver Shane Hmiel qualified the #15 Billy Ballew WINFUEL Chevrolet 10th for Saturday’s Kroger 250 at Martinsville Speedway. From the drop of the green flag, the #15 WINFUEL Chevy Silverado was tight in the middle but Hmiel managed to maintain a top ten position until his only pit stop on lap 135 where a track bar adjustment was made.
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The No. 5 Bill Davis Racing team had a solid run at the half-mile Martinsville Speedway, which catapulted them into the top 20 in points after four races in the 2005 season. The team headed to Martinsville knowing if it wanted to remain in championship hunt, it had to have a solid finish. During the two-hour practice session, driver Mike Skinner complained that that the truck handled loose in both turns two and four. The team tried a number of different combinations to help Skinner through the corners, but nothing seemed to help. At the end of the session, Skinner and the No. 5 Toyota Tundra team were scratching their heads trying to figure out how to make their truck faster.
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Johnny Benson and the No. 23 team headed to Martinsville knowing that they needed to make the star-studded field on time in order to race in the Kroger 250. Because the team did not attempt all 25 races during the 2004 season, they were in the same boat with the other competitors that did not race on a weekly basis. There were only six provisional spots for 14 trucks, so the team knew that it was going to be tough, and they must not make any mistakes to get into the field.
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Deborah Renshaw had high expectations heading into Martinsville this past weekend as she had earned her career best NASCAR Camping World Truck Series finish at the famous short track last year. However, things did not go her way this time around as she and her #8 Easy Care DODGE were relegated to a disappointing 28th place finish in the running of the Kroger 250.
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There is no question that Martinsville Speedway is one of the most challenging short tracks on the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series schedule and unfortunately the half-mile short track proved to be frustrating for the 21-year old Brad Keselowski during Saturday’s running of the Kroger 250.
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– Tracy Hines drove the No. 13 ThorSport Racing/David Zoriki Motorsports Chevrolet to a 13th-place finish in the Kroger 250 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race Saturday at Martinsville Speedway. Hines started 20th in the 36-truck field and stayed on the lead lap all race long, and was in position to make a run at a top-10 finish before being boxed in behind a lapped truck on the final restart.
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According to Nielsen Media Research
, average viewership for the Kroger 250 at Martinsville Speedway was 878,000, up 50 percent over 2004’s 586,000. Average viewership for the 2005 season is up 29 percent from a year ago.
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