TrackSideLive!
| World Financial Group 200
Atlanta Motor Speedway | March 18, 2005
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TrackSideLive! Coverage from Atlanta!
03-13-2005 7:43 pm
TrackSideLive! Presented by Team ASE
coverage from Atlanta Motor Speedway and the World Financial Group 200 , the 3rd race of the 2005 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series season will begin Thursday, March 17th!
Watch the World Financial Group 200 Live! on SPEED Channel this Friday night, March 18th at 9 pm ET from Atlanta Motor Speedway.
Good afternoon from a soggy Atlanta Motor Speedway
03-17-2005 11:27 am
Thank goodness we aren't supposed to be on track until tomorrow! It is cold and wet here at Atlanta Motor Speedway as the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series prepares to move into the garage area and start preparations for tech inspection for the World Financial Group 200. The transporters are staged just outside the track and will be moved in at noon, and the garage will open at 1 pm ET as the teams work for that all-important inspection sticker, which will allow them on to the track when we go green tomorrow morning at 9 am ET.
We're going to wander the garage and speak with some of the teams , as well as give you some TruckShots and historical information, throughout the remainder of the afternoon, so check back regularly and see what your favorite driver's team has been up to today.
AMS Competition Schedule
03-17-2005 11:38 am
Thursday, March 17
12 pm ET: NCTS Transporters Enter
1 pm ET: NCTS Garage Opens (Inspection Only)
6 pm ET: NCTS Garage Closes
Friday, March 18
7 am ET: NCTS Garage Opens
8 am ET: NCTS Rookie and Spotters Meetings
9-10:10 am ET: NCTS Practice
10:55-11:55 am ET: NCTS Practice
3:40 pm ET: NCTS Driver and Crew Chief Meeting
5:10 pm ET: NCTS Bud Pole Qualifying (All Positions, 2 laps)
8:45 pm ET: NCTS Driver Introductions
9:15 pm ET: NCTS World Financial Group 200
For those coming tomorrow...
03-17-2005 11:42 am
If you do plan on coming to Atlanta tomorrow, stop by the Power Stroke Diesel racing simulator and pick up an autograph from driver Terry Cook. Cook will be signing autographs from 2:30-3 p.m.
Transporters moving in
03-17-2005 11:56 am
The NCTS big rigs are moving in to the garage area, and sliding in to their assigned parking places one by one. The garage will be open shortly, and we'll canvass the area looking for ll the good stories. Stay tuned!
AMS Track Facts
03-17-2005 12:08 pm
Atlanta Motor Speedway was opened July 31, 1960 with a 300-mile NASCAR Grand National (now Nextel Cup) race won by Glenn "Fireball" Roberts. The layout was changed from a true oval to a 1.54-mile "quad-oval" in 1997, which raised the average speeds tremendously.
The track is 60 feet wide through turns one and two, and 55 feet wide through turns three and four. All the turns are banked at a steep 24 degrees. The length of the turns is equal, at 2,000 feet at both ends, but the radius of turns three and four is a tick sharper than turns one and two (716.20 feet in three and four versus 716.45 feet for one and two).
The length of the frontstretch is 2,332 feet, while the backstretch is 1,800 feet. Pit road is 1,320 feet (or a quarter of a mile).
NCTS History at AMS
03-17-2005 12:18 pm
Since last year's race was the inaugural event here at AMS, it's not very long!
Bobby Hamilton was the winner in a memorable finish, beating Mike Skinner with an outside pass through turns three and four on the last lap. The two bumped coming out of turn four, and Skinner slid sideways across the line to finish second. Toyota had a strong race for their second-ever start in the series, placing three drivers in the top-5 with David Reutimann and Travis Kvapil coming across the line just behind Skinner. Matt Crafton scored his first career top-5 finish here last year with a fifth-place run.
One of the most memorable moments of the event was the hard crash on the backstretch that ended with with Rick Crawford knocked unconscious with his truck running full-bore in the frontstretch grass. Tina Gordon got loose and slid to a stop in the backstretch, where Crawford and Hank Parker, Jr. both impacted her very hard. Gordon took two hard hits, and suffered a slight fracture to her left foot. Parker had a compression fracture in his back, and although he was knocked unconscious by the initial impact, Crawford didn't suffer any lingering injuries.
The average speed was 123.675 miles per hour, and there were four cautions for 26 laps. There were 11 lead changes among 4 drivers. Reutimann won the pole with a record speed of 179.452 miles per hour (30.894 seconds). Hamilton officially won the race by 0.330 seconds, which is about two truck lengths, although Skinner was 90-degrees sideways when he crossed the line.
Wide open all the way around
03-17-2005 12:30 pm
Many of the NCTS teams that tested here at Atlanta have found that with the right setup on their trucks, the drivers can run flat footed all the way around the speedway here. It is common knowledge that drivers can run wide open all the way around Daytona, but that track is a mile longer than Atlanta with higher banking in the turns and more sweeping turns.
While the restrictor plate has reduced speeds at Daytona for nearly 20 years, Atlanta is unrestricted. In the first race after the track was reconfigured in 1997, Geoffrey Bodine set the track record with a lap of 197.478 miles per hour in the NNCS. Last spring, Ryan Newman qualified for the pole for the Cup race with a lap of 193.575 miles per hour.
Trucks in line
03-17-2005 1:30 pm
Several of the teams have unloaded their rides and made their first trip through the inspection line. NASCAR measures all the body dimensions, weight and weight distribution, checks all of the safety systems, and inspects several of the engine components. Everything must pass NASCAR's stringent regulations before the sticker is placed on the windshied and the team is cleared for practice tomorrow.
NCTDA working for SISCA
03-17-2005 2:59 pm
The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Drivers Association is always busy working on charitable causes to benefit the communities in which the NCTS competes. This week, Mary Quay is busy collecting memorabilia from the teams and drivers for an auction at the Mansfield race in May that will benefit SISCA, or the Society for the Improvement of Conditions for Stray Animals. SISCA, located in Kettering, Ohio (a suburb of Dayton), welcomes unwanted dogs and cats, nurses them to health if they are ill, spays and neuters the animals, and gives them a safe and loving home. SISCA is a no-kill organization, and all of their veterinarians volunteer their time. The major costs the organization must bear are medications and food, and that is where the NCTDA has stepped in. The hope to raise upwards of $2,000 to assist in the care of the animals, and will make a presentation to the group at the Mansfield race.
High Sierra working with UMI on 2005 NCTS Yearbook
03-17-2005 3:08 pm
After a successful debut with their 2004 yearbook, UMI Publications is again working on its 2005 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series yearbook. High Sierra Photo, a supplier of high quality professional images to TruckSeries.com as well as most other national motorsports media outlets, has again been selected to provide race photography for the book.
"We've seen the quality yearbooks that UMI has done for the Cup Series for a long time, and it is a real honor to be chosen to work with them on their NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series books as well," said HSP's Nate Mecha. "I personally have had a lot of very positive comments about the 2004 book, and people can expect more of the same when the new book is published at the end of the 2005 season."
Hamilton making laps...
03-17-2005 4:02 pm
While the NCTS isn't scheduled to be on track until tomorrow morning, one driver is out making a few laps right now. Defending series champion Bobby Hamilton is out in the AMS pace car taking the crew from the local Fox affiliate for some hot laps around the speedway. The advice just before they pulled on to the speedway? "Hold on!" said BHR's public relations rep Lori Schuler.
New colors
03-17-2005 4:04 pm
A few teams are here with some new colors on their machines for tomorrow's World Financial Group 200. Todd Kluever's No. 50 Ford is the most notable, converting the Shell Rotella T paint job to the World Financial Group colors. Brendan Gaughan is back with Jasper yellow and Steve Park is back with the white and blue colors of The Orleans. Both the Nos. 4 and 04 are here with Bailey's blue and yellow, and the Nos. 5 and 12 are carrying Toyota's Spring Sales Event signage on their tailgate. Atlanta is one of the Waste Management races for Bill Davis Racing, meaning Bill Lester is back in the white and green WM colors this weekend. While the colors are not changed, Regan Smith's No. 19 Chevrolet is carrying sponsorship this week from Curb Records.
Team MRD Website to launch today
03-17-2005 4:09 pm
Team MRD Racing is entered here this week with USAC and IRL veteran Jimmy Kite behind the wheel of the No. 06 Chevrolet. In conjunction with the team's first attempt in 2005, they are launching the team's new website, which can be found at www.TeamMRD.com.
The truck the team brought here this week is the same truck Regan Smith drove to a ninth-place finish at the 2004 series finale at Homestead.
2004 vs. 2005
03-17-2005 5:00 pm
Here are some comparisons between 2004 and 2005 after two races:
Point spread, 1-5: 2004-55; 2005-75
Point spread, 1-10: 2004-79; 2005-104
Number of Race Winners: 2004-2; 2005-2
Average Start of Winner: 2004-9.0; 2005-30.5
Number of Pole Winners: 2004-2; 2005-2
Cumulative Lead Changes: 2004-33; 2005-33
Average Leaders per Race: 2004-7.5; 2005-11
Total Laps Under Caution: 2004-68; 2005-51
Average Caution Flags Per Race: 2004-5.5; 2005-6.5
Current Year MFR Performance
03-17-2005 5:05 pm
Chevrolet: 0 wins, 1 pole, 0 top-5, 6 top-10, 119 laps led, 36.1 % of the field
Dodge: 2 wins, 0 poles, 6 top-5, 7 top-10, 21 laps led, 25.0% of the field
Ford: 0 wins, 0 poles, 3 top-5, 4 top-10, 17 laps led, 13.8% of the field
Toyota: 0 wins, 1 pole, 1 top-5, 3 top-10, 43 laps led, 25.0% of the field
Career Best in 2005
03-17-2005 5:13 pm
Eleven drivers entered in the World Financial Group 200 have achieved their career best finish in 2005:
Casey Atwood, 11th, California
Shigeaki Hattori, 30th, California
Kelly Sutton, 17th, Daytona
Sean Murphy, 19th, California
Ken Weaver, 6th, Daytona
Mike Harmon, 18th, Daytona
Wayne Edwards, 9th, Daytona
Brian Keselowski, 7th, Daytona
Todd Kluever, 4th, California
Steve Park, 1st, California
Ricky Craven, 3rd, California
Last minute rush
03-17-2005 5:18 pm
With about 40 minutes left in the scheduled inspection time this evening, several teams are in a thrash to get through inspection before calling it a night. Several teams have already locked their racetrucks in the trailers for the night, but the 59, 15, 02, 88, 21, 13, and several others were still in line.
Good night from a frigid Atlanta!
03-17-2005 5:49 pm
We're going to call it a night from Atlanta Motor Speedway. Don't forget, we'll be back bright and early as we prepare for a 9 am ET practice, and we'll stay through the checkered flag and take you deep into the night with extensive post-race coverage following the World Financial Group 200. Until tomorrow, good night everybody!
Good morning!!! It's raceday in Atlanta
03-18-2005 8:54 am
Good morning from a sunny and bright Atlanta Motor Speedway! We are mere moments away from the opening practice session for the World Financial Group 200. We will have it all from practice to Live! Bud Pile Qualifying to extensive pre- and post-race coverage, so keep it locked on to the Toughest Site on the Web for all the news and notes from AMS!
Practice is on!
03-18-2005 8:56 am
The engines have cranked and the first trucks have made their way to the speedway for this morning's first practice session. The first drivers on the track have been David Starr, Brad Keselowski, Steve Park, Regan Smith, Ted Musgrave, and Ricky Craven. We'll have a full time report shortly.
They Said It, Practice 1 No. 1
03-18-2005 8:59 am
Brad Keselowski, No. 29 Ford: "It's a little twitchy coming off the corner."
Dennis Setzer, No. 46 Chevrolet: "It's bouncing the left side on the track really hard. I don't know if it's the exhaust or the side skirts or what, but it's really pounding hard on the track bad."
Terry Cook, No. 10 Ford: "We're not going over the bump in one and two. There is a lot of traffic out there. We're just too tight in one and two, we need to get it to turn better."
Practice 1 Rundown 1
03-18-2005 9:07 am
1. Cook, 30.696
2. Reutimann, 30.795
3. Kluever, 30.797
4. Crawford, 30.948
5. Kite, 30.955
6. Starr, 31.014
7. Craven, 31.016
8. Bodine, 31.086
9. Labonte, 31.086
10. Crafton, 31.236
11. Smith, 31.273
12. Musgrave, 31.321
13. Gaughan, 31.360
14. Montgomery, 31.373
15. Renshaw, 31.543
16. Setzer, 31.674
17. Keselowski, 31.918
18. Park, 32.092
19.Sutton, 32.102
20. Grissom, 32.385
21. Harmon, 32.739
Quick Yellow for Debris
03-18-2005 9:11 am
NASCAR called for a quick yellow to pick up debris in turn two. Many trucks have been bottoming hard going into turn one, and the clean up crew speculated it was a piece of rocker panel skirt off the side of one of the trucks. The green flag is back out and practice has resumed.
They Said It, Practice 1 No. 2
03-18-2005 9:12 am
Chase Montgomery, No. 18 Dodge: "Watch my line going into turn one and tell me if there is anything I can do to go around that bump going into turn one."
Jimmy Spencer, No. 2 Dodge: "This thing really drives nice. It is really smooth and I am totally in control of it."
More debris
03-18-2005 9:16 am
This time on the backstretch. A quick yellow to inspect the track and the trucks are again back on track.
A quick top-10:
1. Chaffin
2. Spencer
3. Skinner
4. Hmiel
5. Cook
6. Benson
7. Reutimann
8. Kluever
9. Smith
10. Hornaday
Practice 1 Rundown 2
03-18-2005 9:23 am
1. Chaffin, 30.497
2. Spencer, 30.629
3. Skinner, 30.645
4. Hmiel, 30.665
5. Cook, 30.676
6. Lester, 30.696
7. Benson, 30.707
8. Reutimann, 30.767
9. Kluever, 30.797
10. Smith, 30.819
11. Crawford, 30.841
12. Hornaday, 30.930
13. Kite, 30.955
14. Sprague, 30.971
15. Labonte, 31.009
16. Starr, 31.014
17. Craven, 31.016
18. Bodine, 31.086
19. Musgrave, 31.127
20. Setzer, 31.140
21. Whitt, 31.214
22. Crafton, 31.236
23. Pressley, 31.294
24. Gaughan, 31.360
25. Renshaw, 31.366
26. Montgomery, 31.373
27. Atwood, 31.423
28. Hattori, 31.460
29. Park, 31.498
30. Murphy, 31.528
31. Sutton, 31.742
32. Kesellowski, 31.777
33. Grissom, 32.021
34. Hamilton, 32.075
35. Huffman, 32.334
36. Harmon, 32.739
37. Edwards, 34.546
Lots of bottoming
03-18-2005 9:31 am
Most drivers are telling their teams that they are experiencing some bottoming on the speedway over the bumps through the turns. Remember, NASCAR mandated rocker panel skirts for this race, and with the side of the truck now extended down a couple inches closer to the asphalt, many of them are making significant contact, in some cases enough to upset the handling of the truck.
Practice 1 Rundown 3
03-18-2005 9:34 am
1. Chaffin, 30.497
2. Lester, 30.616
3. Spencer, 30.629
4. Skinner, 30.645
5. Hmiel, 30.665
6. Cook, 30.676
7. Benson, 30.707
8. Reutimann, 30.767
9. Kluever, 30.797
10. Smith, 30.819
11. Crawford, 30.841
12. Sprague, 30.868
13. Huffman, 30.895
14. Hattori, 30.917
15. Hornaday, 30.930
16. Musgrave, 30.937
17. Kite, 30.955
18. Craven, 30.980
19. Labonte, 31.009
20. Starr, 31.014
21. Bodine, 31.043
22. Hamilton, 31.056
23. Setzer, 31.106
24. Crafton, 31.147
25. Whitt, 31.214
26. Hines, 31.223
27. Pressley, 31.294
28. Gaughan, 31.360
29. Renshaw, 31.366
30. Montgomery, 31.373
31. Atwood, 31.423
32. Park, 31.498
33. Murphy, 31.528
34. Keselowski, 31.697
35. Sutton, 31.742
36. Grissom, 31.775
37. Cope, 31.801
38. Harmon, 32.739
39. Edwards, 32.975
40. Weaver, 34.795
41. Sieg, 34.931
They Said It, Practice 1 No. 3
03-18-2005 9:50 am
Bobby Labonte, No. 47 Chevrolet: "Maybe we want to drop the right side track bar a little and add a rubber. We can always take that out once the race starts tonight."
Wayne Edwards, No. 24 Chevrolet: "I think we have some tire smoke, I am bringing it in."
Practice 1 Rundown 4
03-18-2005 10:00 am
1. Chaffin, 30.497
2. Lester, 30.616
3. Spencer, 30.629
4. Skinner, 30.645
5. Hmiel, 30.665
6. Cook, 30.676
7. Benson, 30.707
8. Crawford, 30.738
9. Reutimann, 30.767
10. Kluever, 30.797
11. Smith, 30.819
12. Hamilton, 30.30.859
13. Sprague, 30.868
14. Huffman, 30.895
15. Hattori, 30.917
16. Hornaday, 30.930
17. Musgrave, 30.937
18. Kite, 30.955
19. Craven, 30.980
20. Labonte, 31.009
21. Starr, 31.014
22. Bodine, 31.043
23. Pressley, 31.068
24. Whitt, 31.081
25. Setzer, 31.106
26. Crafton, 31.147
27. Hines, 31.223
28. Gaughan, 31.253
29. Cope, 31.341
30. Renshaw, 31.366
31. Montgomery, 31.373
32. Atwood, 31.423
33. Park, 31.469
34. Murphy, 31.528
35. Keselowski, 31.538
36. Sutton, 31.742
37. Grissom, 31.775
38. Edwards, 32.066
39. Harmon, 32.548
40. Weaver, 32.809
41. Seig, 34.931
Bubble Boys
03-18-2005 10:06 am
So how did the drivers that need to time their way in fare in the first practice? Here is how they stood once the flag fell:
1. Chaffin, 30.497
7. Benson, 30.707
11. Smith, 30.819
12. Hamilton, 30.859
15. Hattori, 30.917
18. Kite, 30.955
22. Labonte, 31.009
25. Pressley, 31.068
28. Gaughan, 31.253
30. Cope, 31.341
36. Grissom, 31.597
41. Seig, 34.931
Drivers listed in green would be safe on time, the driver listed in blue would be the final driver to make the field on time, and the drivers listed in red would miss the field based on Practice 1 times.
Practice 2 up next
03-18-2005 10:39 am
Don't wander too far away...all the action from Practice 2 for the World Financial Group 200 is coming your way next. It is the final practice session before qualifying, which comes your way tonight at 5:10 pm ET, and you can follow all the action from qualifying live, exclusively here on TruckSeries.com.
Sprague still on crutches
03-18-2005 10:48 am
Three weeks after he fell and injured his ankle in an accident at his home, Jack Sprague is here at Atlanta Motor Speedway nursing his injury. While he is still hobbling around the garage on crutches, he was in the truck the entire first practice session and is expected to complete all the events here the rest of the day without relief.
Green green green!
03-18-2005 10:50 am
The first trucks just rolled off the pit road and the second practice session is officially underway. We'll keep you up to date with all the action as it happens!
Brad Keselowski was again the first truck on the speedway, quickly followed by Bill Lester, Ted Musgrave, and Regan Smith.
They Said It, Practice 2 No. 1
03-18-2005 10:54 am
Ron Hornaday, No. 6 Chevrolet: "I am gonna want a little tightness in traffic like we have it now. If it was a little more free up in, that would be better."
Bobby Hamilton, No. 04 Dodge: "I don't think we can run that spring up in there."
Practice 2 Rundown 1
03-18-2005 11:01 am
1. Spencer, 30.872
2. Smith, 30.873
3. Lester, 30.912
4. Crawford, 30.955
5. Musgrave, 30.971
6. Skinner, 30.976
7. Sprague, 30.976
8. Hornaday, 30.982
9. Kluever, 31.020
10. Craven, 31.069
11. Huffman, 31.087
12. Starr, 31.088
13. Crafton, 31.091
14. Setzer, 31.114
15. Hines, 31.138
16. Bodine, 31.161
17. Hamilton, 31.219
18. Bodine, 31.239
19. Cope, 31.370
20. Hattori, 31.533
21. Renshaw, 31.643
22. Park, 31.654
23. Kite, 31.662
24. Murphy, 31.689
25. Keselowski, 31.705
26. Gaughan, 31.761
27. Montgomery, 32.306
28. Edwards, 32.571
29. Harmon, 32.640
30. Seig, 34.479
They Said It, Practice 2 No, 2
03-18-2005 11:05 am
Shane Hmiel, No. 15 Chevrolet: "It is a little free in the middle, tighter getting in and coming off. I think something like that would be good for the race."
Robert Huffman, No. 12 Toyota: "It's pretty good!"
Practice 2 Rundown 2
03-18-2005 11:13 am
1. Benson, 30.654
2. Whitt, 30.759
3. Kite, 30.828
4. Spencer, 30.872
5. Smith, 30.873
6. Hmiel, 30.877
7. Crawford, 30.903
8. Lester, 30.912
9. Labonte, 30.926
10. Pressley, 30.966
11. Musgrave, 30.971
12. Skinner, 30.976
13. Sprague, 30.976
14. Hornaday, 30.982
15. Reutimann, 31.013
16. Kluever, 31.020
17. Bodine, 31.029
18. Huffman, 31.048
19. Craven, 31.327
20. Starr, 31.088
21. Crafton, 31.091
22. Setzer, 31.114
23. Hines, 31.138
24. Hamilton, 31.219
25. Chaffin, 31.239
26. Park, 31.310
27. Cope, 31.370
28. Gaughan, 31.468
29. Cook, 31.476
30. Hattori, 31.533
31. Atwood, 31.590
32. Renshaw, 31.643
33. Keselowski, 31.646
34. Murphy, 31.689
35. Sutton, 31.790
36. Montgomery, 32.062
37. Edwards, 32.445
38. Weaver, 32.600
39. Harmon, 32.640
40. Seig, 34.479
Clean and green so far
03-18-2005 11:20 am
Practice 2 has run for over 30 minutes incident free. No debris or on-track incidents have slowed us in this session to this point.
They Said It, Practice 1 No. 3
03-18-2005 11:22 am
Jimmy Spencer, No. 2 Dodge: "We're a little free in, but we're haulin' a** from the center off."
Tracy Hines, No. 13 Chevrolet: "We're still getting a little scrapage on the undertray through turns one and two."
Dennis Setzer, No. 46 Chevrolet: "I don't want to run behind these guys, I want to get out by myself. Find me a hole in traffic."
Practice 2 Rundown 3
03-18-2005 11:30 am
1. Skinner, 30.556
2. Benson, 30.654
3. Hmiel, 30.658
4. Whitt, 30.759
5. Hornaday, 30.777
6. Labonte, 30.783
7. Hines, 30.807
8. Kite, 30.828
9. Spencer, 30.872
10. Smith, 30.873
11. Crawford, 30.903
12. Lester, 30.912
13. Musgrave, 30.924
14. Pressley, 30.966
15. Sprague, 30.976
16. Reutimann, 31.013
17. Setzer, 31.017
18. Kluever, 31.020
19. Bodine, 31.029
20. Huffman, 31.048
21. Cope, 31.051
22. Craven, 31.069
23. Starr, 31.088
24. Crafton, 31.091
25. Hamilton, 31.219
26. Cook, 31.232
27. Chaffin, 31.239
28. Park, 31.307
29. Sutton, 31.413
30. Atwood, 31.416
31. Gaughan, 31.468
32. Keselowski, 31.513
33. Hattori, 31.533
34. Renshaw, 31.643
35. Murphy, 31.689
36. Montgomery, 31.864
37. Edwards, 32.263
38. Weaver, 32.600
39. Harmon, 32.640
40. Seig, 33.610
Practice 2 Rundown 4
03-18-2005 11:51 am
Practice has just ended, without incident. Here is the final rundown:
1. Skinner, 30.334
2. Crawford, 30.403
3. Cook, 30.413
4. Lester, 30.497
5. Setzer, 30.509
6. Huffman, 30.587
7. Reutimann, 30.610
8. Labonte, 30.611
9. Musgrave, 30.623
10. Benson, 30.654
11. Hmiel, 30.658
12. Sprague, 30.658
13. Hattori, 30.668
14. Starr, 30.685
15. Hines, 30.733
16. Whitt, 30.759
17. Chaffin, 769
18. Hornaday, 30.777
19. Crafton, 30.778
20. Kite, 30.780
21. Pressley, 30.808
22. Park, 30.812
23. Bodine, 30.868
24. Spencer, 30.872
25. Smith, 30.873
26. Murphy, 30.966
27. Craven, 30.981
28. Kluever, 31.020
29. Cope, 31.051
30. Gaughan, 31.083
31. Hamilton, 31.319
32. Renshaw, 31.275
33. Keselowski, 31.305
34. Sutton, 31.413
35. Atwood, 31.416
36. Montgomery, 31.498
37. Grissom, 31.822
38. Edwards, 32.263
39. Weaver, 32.513
40. Harmon, 32.571
41. Seig, 33.204
Practice 2 Bubble Boys
03-18-2005 11:58 am
Here are the teams that need to time their way in during qualifying as they stood at the end of Practice 2:
9. Labonte, 30.611
11. Benson, 30.654
14. Hattori, 30.668
18. Chaffin, 30.769
20. Kite, 30.780
21. Pressley, 30.808
25. Smith, 30.873
29. Cope, 31.051
30. Gaughan, 31.083
31. Hamilton, 31.219
37. Grissom, 31.822
41. Seig, 33.204
The drivers listed in green would make the field based on Practice 2 times. The driver listed in purple would make the field based on the NCTS Past Champion's Provisional. The driver listed in blue is the final drive that would make the field based on Practice 2 times. The drivers listed in red would miss the race based on Practice 2 times.
Practice audio on it's way!
03-18-2005 2:50 pm
Our exclusive audio update from the track is on it's way through cyberspace, and we will have it posted to the Sights and Sounds box shortly. We tracked down Jeff Hensley (Mike Skinner's crew chief), Rick Crawford, Terry Cook, Chad Chaffin, Matt Crafton, Tracy Hines, Johnny Benson, and Brandon Whitt and got their thoughts on practice, the upcoming qualifying session, and the race. Keep it locked to TruckSeries.com for continuing coverage of the World Financial Group 200.
Andy Houston update
03-18-2005 3:04 pm
We haven't seen Andy Houston in a Truck since the season finale at Homestead in 2004. We also know that a lot of people have been wondering what Andy has been up to since he's not been behind the wheel. Well, we can assure you that he is still deeply involved in NASCAR racing, and has been at each NASCAR Busch Series race so far in 2005. Houston has been working for ppc Racing as the spotter for Mexican rookie Michel Jourdain, and helping him adjust from the Champ Car Series to the closed cockpit NASCAR world. Houston hasn't given up his hopes for finding a ride, and says he hopes to be back in a ride somewhere before the end of the season.
Don't forget TruckShots!
03-18-2005 3:09 pm
While you have our exclusive audio update playing on your media player, don't forget to browse the TruckShots! and High Sierra Photo galleries. You can access both through the Sights and Sound box to the right of the page on TrackSideLive, or through the event box on the news page. Lots of images in both, so enjoy!
Driver's Meeting Notes
03-18-2005 3:58 pm
Here are the notes taken from the driver/crew chief meeting, which ended just a few moments ago...
Pit road speed is 45 miles per hour...pace truck speed is 60 miles per hour...pit road speed begins 290 feet before the first pit box and ends 90 feet past the last pit box...the restart point is the double red line on the wall exiting turn four...all drivers must stay below the white line exiting the pits through turns one and two and re-enter the groove on the backstretch...starting tonight, all pit road penalties with the exception of leaving your pit stall with equipment, running over the jack, or running over the air hose will result in a pass-thru penalty; the pass-thru penalty replaces holding the driver for 15-seconds...
Special Awards
03-18-2005 4:02 pm
Here are tonight's special award winners, to be presented during driver introductions:
Bud Pole Award: TBD
Clevite Engine Builder: Kevin Kroyer
Featherlite Most Improved Driver: Todd Kluever
International Crew Chief: Gene Nead
Mobil 1 Command Performance: Steve Park
Raybestos Rookie of the Race:Todd Kluever
Wix Lap Leader: Jack Sprague
If we stay on schedule...
03-18-2005 4:04 pm
...here is what the rest of the night is looking like timewise:
Driver Introductions - 8:40 pm ET
Invoctation - 9:09 pm ET
National Anthem - 9:10 pm ET
Start Engines - 9:16 pm ET
Green Flag - 9:25 pm ET
Audio!
03-18-2005 4:58 pm
Check out the Sights and Sounds box to the right and click on the link to listen to our Post-Practice Audio recap...we analyzed the practice sheets and said who was in and who was not based on practice times and tracked down all of the newsmakers through the morning's practice leading up to Live! Bud Pole Qualifying. Download the file now and listen to it while following our exclusive Live! Bud Pole Qualifying!
Pit road assignments
03-18-2005 8:00 pm
Here are the pit assignments for tonight's World Financial Group 200, starting at pit exit in turn one and ending with pit in at turn four:
Crawford
Park
Setzer
Atwood
Hornaday
Montgomery
Pressley
Crafton
Bodine
Sprague
Cook
Open stall
Skinner
Spencer
Sutton
Musgrave
Renshaw
Labonte
Murphy
Lester
Break in pit road
Hmiel
Starr
Start-Finish Line/Scoring Camera
Whitt
Kluever
Open Stall
Open Stall
Benson
Chaffin
Keselowski
Huffman
Kite
Edwards
Reutimann
Break in Pit Wall
Craven
Hines
Harmon
Weaver
Hamilton
Hattori
Legend:
Ford
Chevrolet
Toyota
Dodge
Thoughts with Billy Wilburn
03-18-2005 8:12 pm
The thoughts and prayers of the entire NCTS garage are with Billy Wilburn, crew chief for Brendan Gaughan's No. 77 Jasper Engines Dodge. While the rest of the Orleans Racing No. 77 team will stay to support Steve Park in the team's No. 62 truck, Wilburn has left AMS to return home to be with his girlfriend who lost her father earlier in the day. Our condolences to Wilburn and his loved ones in their time of loss.
Race Updates, 1-10
03-18-2005 9:06 pm
10. Lap 30 - Top 20: Skinner, Chaffin, Bodine, Hmiel, Crawford, Whitt, Benson, Craven, Spencer, Reutimann, Hornaday, Starr, Setzer, Huffman, Musgrave, Hamilton, Sprague, Hines, Labonte, Atwood
9. Lap 27 - Hamilton falls from 11th to 15th. Steve Park is behind the wall with an engine vibration.
8. Lap 22 - Kluever aback on pit road with overheating problems. Steve Park also on pit road with a flat tire. The hood is now up on Park's truck while the crew is pushing Kluever behind the wall.
7. Lap 17 - Todd Kluever comes to pit road with steam belching from the overflow vent. He makes a quick stop and returns to the track, but the truck is still running hot.
6. Hamilton up to ninth after 13 laps. Skinner leads Hmiel, Crawford, Benson, and Chaffin. The leaders are lapping the back of the pack. Harmon and Edwards already a lap down. Crafton reports an engine miss at the end of the straightaways.
5. Skinner makes the move under Hmiel to take the lead at the completion of lap 8. Skinner officially leads lap 9. Hmiel, Crawford, Benson, and Cook the top-5.
4. Hamilton up to 20th on lap 2. Crafton following him through to 21st. Hmeil leads after Skinner and Crawford come together entering turn one on lap one.
3. One to go. Both ThorSport trucks have come down pit road. Tracy Hines came down for an air pressure adjustment and is bacj in track. Crafton's crew has buttoned down the hood and he is back in track as well.
2. Trucks have just competed their first pace lap. Matt Crafton has come down pit road and the No. 88 crew is under the hood.
1. The Invocation is complete, the National Anthem has been performed beautifully by Phil Vasser, and the drivers are strapping into their trucks for the start of the World Financial Group 200. We have 130 laps to go, and one of the most competitive and diverse fields in recent memory lined up and ready to go. Potential winners and top-5 and top-10 finishers are scattered throughout the startng line up. The safety vehicles are moving into positon, and the officials are doing their radio checks. We should be underway on schedule with the command to start engines coming up now.
Unofficlal Results: World Financial Group 200
03-18-2005 9:11 pm
1. Hornaday
2. Labonte
3. Hamilton
4. Setzer
5. Starr
6. Musgrave
7. Chaffin
8. Sprague
9. Cook
10. Huffman
11. Benson
12. Bodine
13. Murphy
14. Crafton
15. Whitt
16. Hines
17. Spencer
18. Craven
19. Kite
20. Pressley
21. Lester
22. Atwood
23. Keselowski
24. Reutimann
25. Renshaw
26. Montgomery
27. Hattori
28. Weaver
29. Crawford
30. Harmon
31. Sutton
32. Hmiel
33. Edwards
34. Skinner
35. Park
36. Kluever
Race Updates 11-20
03-18-2005 9:37 pm
20. Lap 70 - Bobby Labonte spins off turn 4. Spencer broke loose and as he saved it, he clipped Labonte sending him through the grass. Caution out, the leaders on pit road.
19. Lap 65 - Halfway. Rundown - Crawford, Chaffin, Hornaday, Benson, Spencer, Starr, Reutimann, Labonte, Whitt, Setzer, Huffman, Musgrave, Bodine, Hines, Cook, Crafton, Lester, Sprague, Craven, Murphy, Kite, Atwood, Pressley, Hamilton, Renshaw, Hattori, Sutton, Montgomery, Weaver, Edwards, Harmon, Hmiel. Off track: Skinner, Park, Kluever.
18. Lap 59 - Crawford goes to the point after passing Chaffin at the entrance to turn three. Hmiel returns to pit road with right side tire problems.
17. Lap 55 - Bodine has come from the tail of the lead lap to 14th.
16. Lap 49 - Side by side for the lead. Chaffin leads lap 50. Crawford now races Spencer for second. David Starr closes in to make a four way battle for the lead in fourth.
15. Lap 47 - Chaffin moves outside Crawford to take second and is now challenging Spencer for the lead.
14. Lap 44 - Green flag. Spencer leads a closing Crawford.
13. Lap 40 - Pit stops among the leaders. Spencer leads Crawford off pit road, with Starr, Chaffin, and Setzer the top-5. Hornaday, Reutimann, Benson, Huffman, Whitt, Craven, Atwood, Musgrave, Sprague, Labonte, Hines, Lester, Cook, Crafton, Kite, Keselowski, and Bodine follow. Bodine lost a wheel on exit and Sprage made contact with the rear of his machine. Sprague was back on pit road for repairs to the nose, while Crafton had to return to the pits to pay for a speeding penalty. Murphy led lap 41 while Spencer takes the lead on lap 42. Hamilton came to pit road just before the caution with a flat right rear and is now a lap down.
12. Lap 38 - Tough break for Mike Skinner. He lost the lead in a three wide battle with Todd Bodine and Chad Chaffin down the backstretch, then loses a right front and makes hard contact with the wall coming out of turn four. The caution is out for the first time tonight.
11. Lap 34 - Shane Hmiel makes an unscheduled stop for a flat right rear tire. He was too fast leaving pit road and has been black flagged for a pass thru penalty.
Race Updates, 21-30
03-18-2005 10:03 pm
30. Lap 100 - Chaffin and Hornaday are battling for second. Chaffin holds the spot as they are slowly making up ground on leader Crawford.
29. Lap 98 - Bodine makes total recovery from earlier pit road problems, and blows past Labonte to take the fifth position.
28. Lap 95 - Twenty laps since the last restart. Teams are talking about tires possibly becoming an issue within the next 10-15 laps.
27. lap 94 - Crawford leads by 3.2 seconds over Hornaday, Chaffin, Starr, and Spencer.
26. Lap 88 - Edwards drops off the pace and comes to pit road.
25. Lap 85 - Reutimann makes an unshceduled pit stop and falls a lap down.
24. Lap 83 - The entire field is single file for the first time all night. Crawford leads Hornaday, Starr, Spencer, and Chaffin.
23. Lap 79 - Hmiel passes the leader Crawford to regain one of his six lost laps.
22. Lap 75 - Green flag. Crawford leads, Hornaday challenges on the restart. Hmiel runs second on the track but is laps down.
21. Lap 72 - Pit stops: Crawford leads off pit road. Hornaday, Starr, Spencer, and Benson round out the top-5. Setzer, Chaffin, Reutimann, Whitt, Musgrave, Bodine, Craven, Sprague, Huffman, Hines, Lester, Cook, Atwood Keselowski, Crafton, Pressley, and Kite follow.
Race Updates 31-40
03-18-2005 10:22 pm
40. Lap 129 - Coming to the white flag, Crawford loses a right front and makes hard contact with the wall in turn two. He has exited the truck under his own power and will be evaluated in the infield care center. We will have a green-white-checkered finish.
39. Lap 121 - Hornaday leads lap 121, but Hamilton takes it back on lap 122. Hornaday grabs the point again on lap 124.
38. Lap 120 - Setzer and Hornaday battle side by side for second.
37. Lap 117 - Hamilton to the lead.
36. Lap 114 - Chevrolet holds the top-3 spots with Hornaday, Starr, and Setzer up front. Hamilton now up to fourth, with Chaffin, Labonte, and Musgrave all in the lead pack as well.
35. Lap 111 - Hornaday takes the lead followed by Starr, Setzer, Chaffin, and Crawford. Crawford contines to backslide through the pack and is 10th on lap 112.
34. Lap 109 - Skinner returns to the race.
33. Lap 108 - Benson, Cook, and Bodine all caught speeding on pit road and will lose positons among the top 10 and restart from the end of the longest line. Spencer comes to the pits for a quick chassis adjustment.
32. lap 107 - Hmiel takes his machine to the garage. Crawford leads off pit road followed by Starr, Hornaday, Bodine, Setzer, Benson, Spencer, Chaffin, Labonte, Musgrave, Huffman, Sprague, Hamilton, Whitt, Cook, Lester, Murphy, Atwood, Crafton, and Kite.
31. Lap 104 - Sutton has the air sucked off the spoiler as leader Crawford passes by exiting turn 2. Third yellow of the night is out. Crawford leads Chaffin, Hornaday, Starr, and Bodine. The leaders all pit on lap 106.
Good Night Everyone!
03-19-2005 1:19 am
It's been a long day and evening, and if you've followed us from the first update early this morning through our post-race coverage tonight, it's you that are the Toughest Fans on the Web! Ron Hornaday made history tonight with his 27th career win, extending his all-time win lead over Jack Sprague and staking his claim as a championship contender in 2005. Bobby Labonte came as close as you can to a win with his second place finish by just 0.008 seconds, and looks to come back for more at Martinsville in a couple of weeks.
Look in the EVENT BOX on the news page for all the post-race notes and quotes from Chevrolet, Toyota, Dodge, and Ford as well as from the Raybestos Rookie contenders. A quick glance to the right of the TrackSideLive page will give you access to all of the images from the World Financial Group 200 as well as all of the audio updates, including our exclusive post-race show, all in the Sights and Sounds box.
Until April 8 at Martinsville, good night everybody!
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