TrackSideLive!
| Kroger 250
Martinsville Speedway | April 9, 2005
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Good morning from Martinsville
04-08-2005 7:24 am
Good morning from Martinsville, Virginia and welcome to TrackSideLive! coverage of the Kroger 250, round four of the 2005 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series season. The teams unloaded and went through tech yesterday, and if Mother Nature allows, we will be on track for two hours of practice leading up to Bud Pole Qualifying. TruckSeries.com will have all the action and continuous weather updates throughout the morning and into the afternoon, so keep it locked on to the Toughest Site on the Web, TruckSeries.com.
Forecast for Martinsville
04-08-2005 7:30 am
A quick look at today's weather shows a 60% chance of rain, with showers in the morning (and while it's not raining now, a look at the ground shows it has rained, so hopefully we're done with Part A of the forecast), with some scattered thunderstorms in the afternoon. The high temperature is expected to reach 63 degrees. It is very overcast in the Martinsville area with some patchy fog in the outlying areas. We will update the day's schedule as needed.
Friday schedule
04-08-2005 7:34 am
Here is the schedule, subject to change due to weather, for Friday here at Martinsville:
7 am ET: NCTS Garage Opens
8 am ET: NCTS Rookie Meeting, Spotter Meeting, and Qualifying Draw
9-11:15 am ET: NCTS Practice
4:45 pm ET (Approx): NCTS Bud Pole Qualifying
6:30 pm ET: NCTS Garage Closes
Track drying quickly
04-08-2005 8:12 am
While the track was indeed damp when the teams arrived this morning, the Martinsville Speedway track crew has been out with three jet dryers and the surface is turning from black (wet) to gray (dry) in a big hurry. We still may be somewhat delayed to start this morning, but it shouldn't be by much.
Entry list oddities...
04-08-2005 8:30 am
There are 48 drivers and teams entered for the Kroger 250, which means 12 drivers will load up and head for home after this afternoon's Bud Pole Qualifying (approx. 4:45 pm ET, Live! Bud Pole Qualifying exclusively here at TruckSeries.com). Here are the changes to our "normal" entry list:
Timothy Peters takes over the No. 4 for the first time in 2005 this weekend. Tam Topham withdrew his original entry and has now hopped in the No. 08 for Green Light Racing, taking over this week for Ken Weaver. Darrell Waltrip is entered in his own No. 11, and is attempting to qualify for his final competitive race ever as a driver. Shane Hmiel is back in Billy Ballew's No. 15 this week and has WinFuel on board as a sponsor. Casey Kingsland is attempting to make his series debut here this weekend in the No. 24 Mighty Motorsports Chevrolet, replacing Wayne Edwards. The Brevaks have Nick Tucker in their No. 31 Dodge this weekend, while Billy Ballew has entered a second truck this weekend, No. 32, for Bill Manfull. Bobby Labonte makes another appearance behind the wheel of the No. 47 for Morgan-Dollar Motorsports, while James Hylton will attempt to become the oldest driver in series history here this weekend in the No. 48. Justin Allgaier is slated to wheel the Mittler Bros. Racing No. 63 this weekend for the first time, and Sam Beam is also looking to make his first series start here this weekend. Sam Beam is in the No. 73, Jim Walker is in the No. 74, while last week's Nextel Cup Series and Busch Series winner Kevin Harvick is here with his own No. 92. Finally, Eric King is also on the entry list in the No. 00.
All set for an on-time start this morning
04-08-2005 8:42 am
The call came out just a few moments ago telling the NCTS drivers and teams to be ready for a 9 am ET start for practice this morning. The blowers are still on the speedway, but we should be ready to go in a couple of minutes.
Short delay for the dryers
04-08-2005 8:55 am
NASCAR is supervising the refueling of the jet dryers, and as soon as that is done we are going green for our practice session for the Kroger 250. The drivers have been strapped in, the radios are buzzing with chatter, and we're about to go green.
Trucks on track
04-08-2005 8:57 am
The first trucks have rumbled on to the 0.526-mile Martinsville Speedway, and the first tentative laps are in the books. It should be a few minutes before the drivers are really on the hammer as they test the surface to make sure it is indeed dry.
Red Flag for a spin
04-08-2005 9:00 am
The first red flag of the morning is out after Bill Lester looped his No. 22 Toyota coming off turn four. He fired the truck up and drove it back to the pits without any damage.
They Said It, Practice No. 1
04-08-2005 9:08 am
Matt Crafton, No. 88 Chevrolet: "It starts chattering through the corner, then I put some wheel to it it snaps back and then it takes off."
Casey Kingsland, No. 24 Dodge: "It's hitting the chip about midway down the straightaways."
Shane Hmiel, No. 15 Chevrolet: "We need to adjust the brake bias on this thing."
They Said It, Practice No. 2
04-08-2005 9:11 am
Terry Cook, No. 10 Ford: "We have a little too much rear brake. When I throttle it up it slides the front tires off the corner."
Bobby Labonte, No. 47 Chevrolet: "It is a little nervous on entry, but through the center it wants to turn good, I just can't get on the throttle hard enough."
Rick Crawford, No. 14 Ford: "She's tight. Pretty tight through the center."
Practice Rundown No. 1
04-08-2005 9:19 am
1. Setzer, 20.150
2. Schrader, 20.205
3. Peters, 20.261
4. Benson, 20.296
5. Craven, 20.307
6. Chaffin, 20.317
7. Hornaday, 20.346
8. Waltrip, 20.380
9. Montgomery, 20.394
10. Labonte, 20.458
11. Kluever, 20.465
12. Starr, 20.476
13. Pressley, 20.489
14. Sprague, 20.519
15. Murphy, 20.582
16. Hmiel, 20.585
17. Whitt, 20.585
18. Huffman, 20.591
19. Musgrave, 20.607
20. Cook, 20.624
21. Tucker, 20.633
22. Crawford, 20.652
23. Park, 20.679
24. Bodine, 20.697
25. Sutton, 20.707
26. Reutimann, 20.711
27. Lester, 20.746
28. Keselowski, 20.751
29. Harvick, 20.771
30. Skinner, 20.835
31. Crafton, 20.858
32. Hattori, 20.896
33. Topham, 20.982
34. Gaughan, 21.016
35. King, 20.201
36. Hines, 21.224
37. Allgaier, 21.484
38. Spencer, 21.551
39. Harmon, 21.552
40. Renshaw, 21.641
41. Kingsland, 21.665
Red Flags 2 and 3 in quick succession
04-08-2005 9:29 am
We've had a couple of quick spins to bring out back to back red flags to delay practice. Bill Manfull spun the No. 32 to bring out the second red, while Casey Kingsland just looped the No. 24 to bring out the third red flag. Neither driver made contact with the wall, and the trucks are back on track.
They Said It Practice No. 3
04-08-2005 9:32 am
Robert Huffman, No. 12 Toyota: "I just keep having to turn the wheel to the right through the center. It just keeps getting freer and freer."
Jimmy Spencer, No. 2 Dodge: "I think the push is a camber thing. We don't pick up that push until late in the corner and with the new tire, it might be a camber problem."
Kingsland loops it again
04-08-2005 9:36 am
The red flag is out for another spin by Casey Kingland. No contact was made, but the track crew is out inspecting the track.
Other spinners
04-08-2005 9:41 am
Bill Manfull made another quick spin, and Deborah Renshaw made a quick 360 in the No. 8 Dodge as well. We've had a total of five quick red flags for spins but no major incidents.
Sutton Spins for Red 6
04-08-2005 9:43 am
Kelly Sutton has spun in turn four and made contact with the wall. The red flag is out for the 6th time so far in practice. UPDATE: Initial reports were incorrect and she did not make contact with the wall.
Practice Rundown 2
04-08-2005 9:48 am
1. Setzer, 20.150
2. Hamilton, 20.174
3. Labonte, 20.179
4. Schrader, 20.205
5. Whitt, 20.217
6. Waltrip, 20.259
7. Peters, 20.261
8. Sprague, 20.280
9. Benson, 20.296
10. Craven, 20.301
11. Chaffin, 20.317
12. Crawford, 20.324
13. Skinner, 20.326
14. Hornaday, 20.346
15. Pressley, 20.363
16. Hmiel, 20.381
17. Montgomery, 20.394
18. Kluever, 20.406
19. Huffman, 20.415
20. Starr, 20.476
21. Bodine, 20.516
22. Harvick, 20.519
23. Reutimann, 20.521
24. Hattori, 20.534
25. Crafton, 20.553
26. Musgrave, 20.578
27. Murphy, 20.582
28. Keselowski, 20.610
29. Park, 20.614
30. Cook, 20.624
31. Tucker, 20.633
32. Sutton, 20.707
33. Lester, 20.746
34. Topham, 20.750
35. Renshaw, 20.841
36. Gaughan, 21.016
37. King, 21.029
38. Hines, 21.081
39. Harmon, 21.175
40. Manfull, 21.347
41. Allgaier, 21.347
42. Kingsland, 21.398
43. Spencer, 21.551
44. Joey McCarthy, 23.261
Practice Rundown 3
04-08-2005 10:16 am
1. Chaffin, 19.905
2. Setzer, 20.111
3. Whitt, 20.113
4. Hamilton, 20.174
5. Labonte, 20.179
6. Craven, 20.179
7. Schrader, 20.205
8. Bodine, 20.208
9. Crawford, 20.236
10. Sprague, 20.244
11. Waltrip, 20.255
12. Peters, 20.261
13. Harvick, 20.263
14. Musgrave, 20.274
15. Starr, 20.291
16. Reutimann, 20.295
17. Benson, 20.296
18. Hmiel, 20.323
19. Skinner, 20.326
20. Hornaday, 20.330
21. Montgomery, 20.341
22. Pressley, 20.351
23. Crafton, 20.374
24. Kluever, 20.394
25. Keselowski, 20.397
26. Huffman, 20.415
27. Hattori, 20.534
28. Park, 20.546
29. Murphy, 20.547
30. Cook, 20.605
31. Lester, 20.606
32. Tucker, 20.633
33. Harmon, 20.675
34. Topham, 20.705
35. Sutton, 20.707
36. Allgaier, 20.793
37. King, 20.793
38. Hines, 20.834
39. Renshaw, 20.841
40. Spencer, 20.883
41. Gaughan, 20.921
42. McCarthy, 21.019
43. Manfull, 21.264
44. Kingsland, 21.398
Blue Sky
04-08-2005 10:30 am
With weather a potential issue today, we owe you a quick weather update. There are still some big puffy clouds floating overhead, but there is some blue sky and the sun occasionally peeking out as well.
Practice Rundown 4
04-08-2005 10:40 am
1. Setzer, 19.723
2. Benson, 19.800
3. Chaffin, 19.866
4. Whitt, 19.953
5. Harvick, 19.971
6. Huffman, 20.015
7. Labonte, 20.017
8. Hattori, 20.091
9. Schrader, 20.092
10. Reutimann, 20.118
11. Hornaday, 20.131
12. Hmiel, 20.135
13. Skinner, 20.158
14. Hamilton, 20.174
15. Craven, 20.179
16. Gaughan, 20.193
17. Bodine, 20.208
18. Starr, 20.209
19. Crawford, 20.235
20. Sprague, 20.242
21. Waltrip, 20.255
22. Peters, 20.261
23. Musgrave, 20.274
24. Kluever, 20.312
25. Montgomery, 20.341
26. Pressley, 20.351
27. Crafton, 20.374
28. Keselowski, 20.379
29. Topham, 20.384
30. Murphy, 20.445
31. Park, 20.500
32. Lester, 20.522
33. Hines, 20.590
34. Allgiaer, 20.598
35. Cook, 20.605
36. Tucker, 20.606
37. Sutton, 20.638
38. Spencer, 20.667
39. Harmon, 20.675
40. King, 20.793
41. Renshaw, 20.841
42. McCarthy, 21.019
43. Manfull, 21.264
44. Kingsland, 21.398
Final Practice Times
04-08-2005 11:08 am
A complete report will be posted to the event box shortly. Here is the final rundown from practice for the Kroger 250:
1. Sezter, 19.723
2.
Benson, 19.800
3.
Harvick, 19.844
4.
Chaffin, 19.866
5. Sprague, 19.873
6.
Hamilton, 19.875
7. Peters, 19.880
8.
Labonte, 19.981
9. Bodine, 19.928
10. Hmiel, 19.936
11. Hornaday, 19.942
12. Whitt, 19.953
13. Craven, 19.958
14. Hines, 19.977
15. Musgrave, 19.985
16. Kluever, 19.990
17.
Pressley, 20.003
18. Huffman, 20.015
19.
Schrader, 20.027
20. Crawford, 20.037
21.
Waltrip, 20.050
22. Crafton, 20.072
23.
Hattori, 20.091
24. Starr, 20.091
25. Reutimann, 20.118
26. Spencer, 20.139
27.
Gaughan, 20.154
28. Skinner, 20.158
29. Keselowski, 20.196
30. Park, 20.198
31. Murphy, 20.223
32.
Tucker, 20.314
33. Lester, 20.327
34. Montgomery, 20.341
35. Topham, 20.356
36. Cook, 20.419
37.
Allgaier, 20.523
38. Sutton, 20.565
39. Harmon, 20.675
40.
King, 20.793
41. Renshaw, 20.841
42.
McCarthy, 21.019
43.
Manfull/JR Norris, 21.264
44. Kingsland, 21.398
Who would be in, and who would be out...
04-08-2005 12:27 am
Remember there are 29 positions reserved in the Kroger 250 for the owners eligible based on NASCAR's rules from the 2004 NCTS points. Bobby Hamilton is also guaranteed to be in based on his status as defending champion, leaving six positions open for the remaining 14 drivers.
Based on practice times, here are the six among those 14 that would make the field:
Johnny Benson, 2nd
Kevin Harvick, 3rd
Chad Chaffin, 4th
Bobby Labonte, 8th
Robert Pressley, 17th
Ken Schrader, 19th
Here are the eight drivers that would not be in the starting field based on practice times:
Darrell Waltrip, 21st
Shige Hattori, 24th
Brendan Gaughan, 27th
Nick Tucker, 32nd
Justin Allgaier, 37th
Eric King, 40th
James Hylton, 42nd
Bill Manfull, 43rd
Weather holding off for now
04-08-2005 2:00 pm
The sun has tucked itself back behind the clouds, but we are still high and dry here in Martinsville. Cup qualifying is scheduled to roll off at 3 pm ET, with NCTS qualifying to follow. We'll give you another weather update shortly.
Keselowski talks about his practice session
04-08-2005 2:02 pm
Brad Keselowski, No. 29 Ford:
How was the truck during this morning’s practice session?
"The truck was really tight early in the run, but as we made more changes we seemed to pick up a lot of time on the track. We made some changes to the shocks and that really improved the handling. But we seemed to get better as the laps continue rather than being fast right away. There for awhile we were losing ground in the straight-aways, but after about five laps or so we seem to really pick up and become one of the fastest trucks on the race track. We need to make it through the traffic without becoming a caution so we can ‘Super Droop’s strength."
What are your anticipations for qualifying later this afternoon?
"Based on practice I think we will have a strong race truck, but I’m not real sure how qualifying is going to go because we didn’t get a clean mock qualifying run. When we tried to make our laps we had another truck pull out right in front of us and then we got pushed up onto the curb in turns one and two. Of course that scrubbed a lot of speed off for the laps. But with the field being this close there is really no telling what will happen when the trucks take their qualifying laps."
Martinsville Track Stats
04-08-2005 2:28 pm
Martinsville Speedway is the oldest and longest continually operating track in NASCAR. The track was on the schedule for the first season of NASCAR's "Strickly Stock" division in 1949 and has been a mainstay ever since. The track was also one of the Truck Series charter venues hosting at least one event each year since 1995. There have been two races here in 2003 and 2004, and we are scheduled to come back here again for the second race this year in the fall.
The paperclip-shaped Martinsville Speedway is 0.526 miles in length, with 800 foot long straightaways. The turns are relatively flat with 12 degrees of banking. The 250-lap race distance is 131.5 miles.
Martinsville Qualifying History
04-08-2005 2:35 pm
Here is the NCTS qualifying history at Martinsville Speedway:
1995: Qualifying Rained Out
1996: Bobby Hamilton, 92.101 mph
1997: Rich Bickle, 92.796 mph
1998: Greg Biffle, 91.891 mph
1999: Mike Bliss, 94.275 mph
2000: Mike Wallace, 93.070 mph
2001: Joe Ruttman, 92.411 mph
2002: Ted Musgrave, 92.864 mph
2003 (1): Ted Musgrave, 91.297 mph
2003 (2): Carl Edwards, 91.549 mph
2004 (1): Jack Sprague, 92.375 mph
2004 (2): Qualifying Rained Out
The one-lap track record is held by Mike Bliss, 20.066 seconds/94.275 miles per hour.
How important is qualifying?
04-08-2005 2:41 pm
Just how important is it to start up front at Martinsville? Here are the starting positons of all previous NCTS winners at Martinsville:
1995: Joe Ruttman, 2nd
1996: Mike Skinner, 16th
1997: Rich Bickle, 1st
1998: Jay Sauter, 10th
1999: Jimmy Hensley, 9th
2000: Bobby Hamilton, 2nd
2001: Scott Riggs, 2nd
2002: Dennis Setzer, 33rd
2003 (1): Dennis Setzer, 5th
2003 (2): Jon Wood, 2nd
2004 (1): Rick Crawford, 3rd
2004 (2): Jamie McMurray, 18th
The average starting position of the winner is 8.58, and while it is not impossible to earn a good finish after starting at the back, the closer to the front you are, the better chances a driver has to win the race. Only three of 12 races have been won from outside the top-10.
Reports of sprinkles as Cup qualifying is delayed
04-08-2005 2:58 pm
The first Nextel Cup Series car was supposed to roll shortly after 3 pm ET, but a light sprinkle has forced a delay in the start. No word yet how long, or short, the delay will or how it will impact NCTS qualifying.
Cup cars on track
04-08-2005 3:08 pm
The delay was a short one as the Cup cars have started their qualifying session. Ken Schrader was the first one out, and popped the fence after completing his first lap.
More sprinkles
04-08-2005 3:17 pm
While patches of blue sky can be seen in the distance, there are some sprinkles coming down right now in Martinsville. Cup practice has been halted again after only 8 drivers attempted their laps, and umbrellas and ponchos can be seen in the grandstands. Stay tuned for more weather updates...
Dryers on track
04-08-2005 3:22 pm
The sprinkles are coming down steadily, although not hard. In order to keep some heat in the track, the jet dryers are out so we don't totally lose the surface. We'll continually update the weather as warranted.
Track drying, rain stopped
04-08-2005 3:35 pm
The track, while never wet, was indeed damp so the four jet blowers have been called into service and have the track nearly ready for more action. The rain that blew through has stopped, and every has their fingers crossed that the weather will hold off and both the Nextel Cup and Craftsman Truck Series get their qualifying in.
Cars back on track
04-08-2005 3:42 pm
Cup qualifying has resumed as the rains have passed for now. A quick look at the radar shows widely scattered showers popping in the east and moving south-southwest (the vast majority of the time weather systems move west to east). There is still a high likelihood that we will get qualifying in, even if we are a few minutes behind schedule.
Halfway through Cup qualifying
04-08-2005 4:06 pm
We are halfway through Cup qualifying and the weather is still holding off. In fact, the sun has occasionally broken through the clouds and shone down on the speedway. With 30 minutes to go before Truck Series qualifying and about 23 more Cup cars to go, we should be just a tick behind the originally scheduled time of 4:45 pm ET.
Looks like the top of the hour...
04-08-2005 4:33 pm
With a handfull of drivers yet to run in Nextel Cup Series qualifying, it looks like the Truck Series will rock and roll for the pole at the top of the hour. Keep it locked right here to TruckSeries.com for all the action in our exclusive Live! Bud Pole Qualifying coverage.
Hamilton Captures Bud Pole at Martisnville
04-08-2005 6:44 pm
Bobby Hamilton, with his first Bud Pole in more than a year, will lead the field to the green flag in Saturday's NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Kroger 250 at Martinsville Speedway. Hamilton, driving the Bailey's Dodge, shattered Mike Bliss' six-year-old qualifying record with a fast lap of 95.098 mph around the .525-mile, semi-banked oval. Friday's top 10 qualifiers all bettered Bliss's 1999 mark of 94.275. Hamilton's last pole came at the conclusion of the 2003 season when he won the finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Friday's pole was his fifth on the series and second at Martinsville. Hamilton's first pole in 1996 came in his first appearance. He won the 2001 Kroger 250.
Todd Bodine claimed the other front row starting position in his Toyota at 95.089. Bodine was among the final qualifiers to make a run at Hamilton. Jack Sprague, last year's Kroger 250 pole winner, qualified third in a Chevrolet with Ricky Craven fourth in a Ford. Bobby Labonte took the fifth position in the 36-truck field in a Chevrolet.
Brandon Whitt, Mike Skinner, Robert Huffman, Dennis Setzer and Shane Hmiel completed the top 10.
Darrell Waltrip, hoping to make his final competitive appearance was among eight drivers failing to make Saturday's 1:15 p.m. ET race to be broadcast live by SPEED Channel.
Good night! See you bright and early
04-08-2005 7:47 pm
While the TruckSeries.com staff works their magic on our post-qualifying audio wrapup, they are closing the media center here in Martinsville, so we need to hit the road. We will be back here bright and early to break down the stats of the Kroger 250 and give you all the pre-race coverage you could possibly want. Then, we'll stay deep into the night to do it again in the post-race! Until then, good night everybody!
Good morning! It's raceday in Martinsville
04-09-2005 9:25 am
Good morning from Martinsville Speedway! There is a thin layer of clouds overhead, but plenty of blue sky can be seen all around the area and the weatherman assures us we will have no problems getting the Kroger 250 off on time and all 250 laps of action in. We expect the temps to reach the mid 60s, which will make for a comfortable afternoon for the drivers and the fans in the stands. For those of you at home watching in the comfort of your easy chairs or your office, keep it locked right here to TrackSideLive! as we bring you all the pre-race scoop from Martinsville.
Saturday's schedule
04-09-2005 9:29 am
7:30 am ET: NCTS Garages Open
10:45 am ET: NCTS Driver and Crew Chief Meeting
1 pm ET: NCTS Driver Introductions
1:15 pm ET (approx): Start of NCTS Kroger 250
Pit Stall Assignments
04-09-2005 9:31 am
Here are the pit assignments for the Kroger 250, starting at pit exit in turn two and ending at pit entrance in turn three:
Bodine
Peters
Hornaday
Kluever
Cook
Chaffin
Sprague
Opening in pit wall
Hamilton
Whitt
Park
Musgrave
Hines
Spencer
Skinner
Crawford
Starr
Labonte
Open stall
Start-Finish Line/Scoring Camera
Craven
Benson
Harvick
Topham
Reutimann
Keselowski
Crafton
Montgomery
Schrader
Murphy
Huffman
Break in pit wall
Hmiel
Renshaw
Harmon
Kingsland
Pressley
Lester
Sutton
Setzer
Legend:
Dodge
Chevrolet
Ford
Toyota
Best Finishes at Martinsville
04-09-2005 9:47 am
Let's look through the starting field and break down each driver's best finish:
Crawford, 1st
Hamilton, 1st
Setzer, 1st
Skinner, 1st
Musgrave, 2nd
Benson, 3rd
Cook, 3rd
Harvick, 3rd
Hornaday, 3rd
Labonte, 3rd
Sprague, 3rd
Bodine, 5th
Crafton, 6th
Spencer, 6th
Reutimann, 8th
Schrader, 8th
Starr, 8th
Chaffin, 10th
Huffman, 10th
Whitt, 12th
Lester, 14th
Pressley, 14th
Renshaw, 15th
Montgomery, 16th
Murphy, 22nd
Park, 23rd
Hmiel, 24th
Hines, 29th
Keselowski, 33rd
Sutton, 34th
Here are the drivers making their first career NCTS start at Martinsville: Craven, Topham, Peters, Kluever, Harmon, Kingsland
Repeat winner today?
04-09-2005 9:59 am
Will we have a repeat winner here at Martinsville Speedway? Looking back at the previous 12 races here, history says no we won't. The only driver to have more than one win here is Dennis Setzer with two wins. Rick Crawford, Bobby Hamilton, Joe Ruttman, Jimmy Hensley, Rich Bickle, Jon Wood, Mike Skinner, Jay Sauter, Scott Riggs, and Jamie McMurray have all registered one NCTS win here. Setzer, Crawford, Hamilton, and Skinner are the only previous winners in the field here today.
Martinsville Race Averages
04-09-2005 10:02 am
In the previous 12 races here, the average starting position of the winner is 8.58.
There are an average of 15 drivers on the lead lap, with a high of 24 in this race last year, and a low of 10 in 1997 and 2001.
There are an average of 5 lead changes, with a high of 8 (98, 99, 00, 03-1) and a low of 2 (95, 96, 97, 01).
There are an average of 4 lead drivers per race, with a high of 8 in 1998 and a low of 2 in 1997.
There are an average of 9.83 caution flags, with a high of 15 in 1996 and a low of 6 in the fall of 2003.
The average number of caution laps is 55.2, with the most laps under caution in this race last spring (83) and the lowest in the fall of 2003 (32).
The cumulative average speed is 68.303 miles per hour, with the record set by in 1997 by Rich Bickle at 75.297 mph; the slowest race here was the race here last fall, won by Jamie McMurray, with an average speed of 60.819 miles per hour.
Year to date
04-09-2005 10:09 am
Now that we are getting a little deeper into the season, the year to date figures start to make a little more sense and show a little more relevance. Here is our weekly comparison between 2004 and 2005:
Point Difference, 1st and 2nd: 2004, 22; 2005, 65
Point Difference, 1st and 5th: 2004, 62; 2005, 103
Point Difference, 1st and 10th: 2004, 98; 2005, 147
Winning Makes
Chevrolet: 2004, 0; 2005, 1
Ford: 2004, 2; 2005, 0
Dodge: 2004, 1, 2005, 2
Toyota: 2004, 0; 2005, 0
Number of race winners: 2004, 3; 2005, 3
Average starting position of race winner: 2004, 7; 2005, 26.3
Number of pole winners: 2004, 3; 2005, 3
Cumulative lead changes: 2004, 39; 2005, 46
Average lead changes per race: 2004, 13; 2005, 15.3
Average leaders per race: 2004, 6.3; 2005, 10.3
Total laps under caution: 2004, 151; 2005, 70
Average caution flags per race: 2004, 7.7; 2005, 5.7
To this point in 2005, we have had less than half the number of laps run under caution as we had in 2004, but we are avaeraging only 2 caution flags per race fewer this year than last.
Manufacturers Current Year Performance
04-09-2005 10:20 am
Chevrolet: 1 win, 1 pole, 4 top-5, 11 top-11, 147 laps led, 37% of the field
Dodge: 2 wins, 0 poles, 7 top-5, 9 top-10, 35 laps led, 24 % of the field
Ford: 0 wins, 1 pole, 3 top-5, 5 top-5, 69 laps led, 13% of the field
Toyota: 0 wins, 1 pole, 1 top-5, 5 top-10, 84 laps led, 25% of the field
Driver's Meeting Notes
04-09-2005 10:51 am
The driver's meeting just wrapped up and here are some of the highlights:
Pit road speed will be 30 miles per hour, with the pace truck to run at 35 miles per hour. There will be an extra pace lap before the start today, the drivers will run 4 laps behind the pace truck instead of the traditional 3. Pit road speed will be in effect 240 feet before the first pit box, and will be maintained 85 feet past the last pit box. The restart point is the double red lines on the wall outside of turn four. The minimum lap speed to remain in the race is 22.19 seconds. The teams will have one opportunity to repair damage to their trucks.
Wayne Auton, NCTS series director, cautioned the drivers that this is short track racing and tempers will rise but they should try to keep calm. "Go out and take it easy and don't start racing until the pressures come up in the tires, but make sure the pressures don't come up in the helmets," he said.
Special Awards
04-09-2005 10:56 am
Here are today's special awards, to be presented during driver introductions:
Bud Pole Award: Bobby Hamilton
Clevite Engine Builder Award: Steve Allen
Featherlite Most Improved Driver: Todd Bodine
International Truck Crew Chief Award: Wally Rogers
Mobil 1 Command Performance: Ron Hornaday
Raybestos Rookie of the Race Award: Sean Murphy
Wix Lap Leader Award: Rick Crawford
What to watch for today...
04-09-2005 11:05 am
With the short track races always throwing a curveball at the Truck Series drivers and teams, we could see some new faces near the front and some familair faces sitting pitside with steam coming from their radiators and under their helmets. The key to success at Martinsville is survival, and while the pressure is not necessarily on the survive mechanically as it was 10 years ago, it is important to keep the nose and fenders clean and to stay out of trouble on the track if a trip to victory lane is in the cards.
It used to be that brakes were an issue at Martinsville. While the drivers can't outright abuse the brakes, the increase in the durability and technology in braking systems makes a brake failure much less common than it once was.
A perfect example of staying out of trouble and bringing home the checkered flag was last fall's Kroger 200. While a late race accident took out the two leaders, and even sidelined champ-to-be Bobby Hamilton, Jamie McMurray snaked through all of the trouble, kept the nose of his truck clean and marched to victory.
While everyone loves Martinsville for the beating and banging that comes along with short track racing, the driver that wins here at Martinsville will be the one to stay out of those situations the best he or she can.
To pick a favorite, you shouldn't have to look very deep in the field. While history says it's hard for a driver to repeat here at Martinsville, pole sitter Bobby Hamilton (winner in 2000) has a leg up on the competition. His pole run was a surprise to he and the team, which means the rest of the competition should look out. If he's that strong in qualifying, what else does he have that he hasn't shown the rest of the field?
Another driver on a real hot streak is Kevin Harvick. The winner of both the Cup and Busch Series races last weekend at Bristol, Harvick looks to become the first driver to win in the Cup, Busch, and Truck Series in consecutive attempts. His performance in qualifying and past record here at Martinsville lead many in he garage to believe he will be a contender.
Jack Sprague is always strong here, and hasn't let his injured foot slow him down in qualifying. If he doesn't experience any pain or fatigue during the race, look for Sprague to be a contender. He's looking to finish the job and to avenge his defeat here last fall when he got tangled with Travis Kvapil in sight of the checkered flag.
Ricky Craven is a former Cup Series winner here and the No. 99 Roush Racing Ford has been strong here in the past. Craven knows how to conserve his equipment in classic David Pearson style and to be around at the end, and he could be in the lead group with 20 laps to go.
The Morgan-Dollar teammates should be strong here as well. Dennis Setzer is the only two-time winner here and is always strong, and Bobby Labonte was strong here last fall and continued to look strong in the practice and qualifying sessions here this weekend. Both could repeat their top-5 finishes here last fall, and one could be the winner.
The only things separating the winner from victory lane is 250 of the most difficult laps of the season and 35 hungry competitors. We should know who makes that trip to victory lane around 3:30 pm ET. Stay tuned!
Anthony Edwards to give the command
04-09-2005 11:40 am
With television and movie star Anthony Edwards giving the command to fire engines for the Kroger 250, how appropriate would the call be if he added these words to it: "Drivers, I feel the need for speed! Start your engines!" Edwards uttered that famous line with co-star Tom Cruise in Top Gun, and it quickly had adolescent boys all over the country saying it aloud for months afterward. Edwards is here this weekend to promote the Cure Autism Now organization during Autism Awareness Month. Edwards is also a racing fan, having attended several runnings of the Indianapolis 500.
Kroger 250 Race Updates 1-10
04-09-2005 1:03 pm
10. lap 14 - Setzer shoves his way past Skinner, pushing Skinner out of the groove and forcing him to drop from 6th to 8th. Craven has closed on Sprague and us challenging hard for the second position.
9. Lap 10 - Craven moves to third. Labonte takes over fourth on lap 12 to move Bodine to fifth.
8. Lap 8 - Restart, Hamilton leads Sprague, Bodine, Craven, and Labonte.
7. Lap 3 - Caution No. 1 is out for an accident in turn one involving Brad Keselowski, Deborah Renshaw, Mike Harmon, Chase Montgomery, Todd Kluever, Bill Lester, Robert Pressley and Mike Harmon. Keselowski was turned sideways going into turn one, bounced off the inside retaining wall and across the track. The other drivers stacked up as they tried to avoid Keselowski and each other. Timothy Peters also shows some damage to the nose of his truck from another incident on the speedway. The track crew has left the scene of the accident and we should be back to racing in a couple of laps.
6. Green flag is out, Hamilton leads the pack into tuern one. Bodine runs hard to the outside while Sprague dips inside to take over second. The field has cleanly completed the first lap.
5. All trucks are cleanly off the grid. There are two laps to go before we go green for 250 laps here at Martinsville.
4. Kelly Sutton will be dropping to the rear of the field for the start after her Sutton Motorsports team changed the radiator in her truck this morning.
3. Ladies and gentlemen, we feel the need for speed! Start your engines! That was the call that has just gone up to fire engines for the Kroger 250 from Anthony Edwards. The jet blowers are now cleaning the racing surface after two Nextel Cup Series practices and the trucks should be rolling shortly.
2. A huge crowd is on hand for today's race. Estimates of 30,000 people have been heard, and it is a picture perfect day for racing.
1. The National Anthem, performed by Trick Pony, has just concluded. Drivers are buckling into their trucks. The command to start engines is just moments away.
Kroger 250 Race Updates 11-20
04-09-2005 1:25 pm
20. Lap 53 - Hmiel nudges Cook out of the way to take over ninth in turn one. Cook tries to hold his line in turn three but feels a bumper from Huffman and makes a great save to keep the truck under control. Schrader gives the bumper to Cook in turn one and he continues to lose spots on the ourside before falling back into line in 16th. Tam Topham has a flat right front and slows dramatically right in front of the leaders in turn two.
19. Lap 46 - Restart, Hamilton leads Craven. Craven us outtung the first pressure on leader Hamilton . Craven passes to lead lao 48, with Labonte following him through to take over second.
18. Lap 41 - Harmon spins through the middle of turns one and two and manages to keep the truck off the wall. The fourth caution of the day is out. Pressley is the recipient of the free pass. Kingsland returns to the race after spending time behind the wall repairing damage from his spin earlier.
17. Lap 37 - Craven takes over second from Sprague, Labonte follows him to third. Sprague and Hornaday fight for fourth.
16. Lap 34 - Restart, Hornaday dive bombs Bodine in the restart to take over fifth. Skinner now looks to follow through to take over sixth, but Bodine is working hard to keep him back.
15. Kingsland's truck left fluid from the exit of turn two all the way down the inside of the backstretch. There is a line of oil that crosses the track right at the exit of the turn, which could cause some problems once we go back to green.
14. Lap 30 Rundown: 04, 16, 99, 47, 66, 6, 5, 38, 10, 15, 12, 92, 30, 52, 14, 1, 17, 2, 75, 13, 88, 07, 08, 62, 22, 50, 02, 4, 23, 46, 21, 8, 59, 18, 24, 29
13. Lap 25 - Casey Kingsland spins in turn 2 and makes slight contact with the barriers protecting the end if the interior retaining wall to bring out the third caution of the day. Deborah Renshaw receives the free pass to get a lap back.
12. Lap 22 - Restart, Hamilton leads Sprague, Craven, Labonte, Bodine, Hornaday, Skinner, Whitt, Cook and Huffman in the top 10.
11. Lap 19 - Setzer blows a tire entering turn one and slides into the outside retaining wall. He pits to change the flat tire and manages to maintain his lead lap status. Harmon is the recipient of the free pass as Peters comes to pit road to attend to the damage to his machine. Keselowski has returned to the race minis the hood of his truck.
Kroger 250 Race Updates 21-30
04-09-2005 1:48 pm
30. Lap 135 - Seventh caution of the afternoon waves as Sean Murphy spins into the turn two wall after getting booted from behind. Bodine stays out to take over the lead. Hmiel wins the race off pit road followed by Craven, Spencer, Hornaday, and Harvick. Sprague was sixth off the pit road, with Musgrave, Labonte, Whitt, Hamilton, Schrader, Starr, Crawford, Crafton, Cook, Benson, Skinner, Hines, and Kluever. Bodine leads Chaffin, Pressley, and Huffman, with Hmiel in fifth.
29. Lap 120 - Kingsland is being called to the pits for not meeting the minimum speed mandated by NASCAR.
28. Lap 116 - Setzer is again black flagged, this time for dragging something off the right front of his machine. Setzer has come to the pits and brought his truck to the garage.
27. Lap 105 - Setzer will make a return to pit road for speeding upon entering the pits. He has now fallen 4 laps off the pace. Sparks are showering out from under the right front of Setzer's truck as he has evidently done some damage circulating the speedway with the tire completely flat.
26. Lap 100 - Setzer drops off the pace with a soft right front. He cannot make it to the pits and has now dropped a lap down on rthe speedway before making it to the pits.
25. Lap 91 - Kingsland spins for the fourth time bringing out the sixth caution of the day. Labonte pits, leaving Sprague to take over the lead. Hmiel is sexond, with Setzer, Spencer, Hornaday, Craven, Crawford, Hamilton, Whitt, and Harvick rounding out the top-10.
24. lap 83 - Labonte and Sprague have opened up a significant lead on Bodine in third. They have the full length of turns one and two as a cushion.
23. Lap 77 - Reutimann comes to the pits with a flat left front tire under green.
22. Lap 67 -Restart, Labonte leads. Kingsland again gets loose in front of Pressley in turn four, doing some damage to the nose of Pressley's truck. Pressley expresses his displeasure by rubbing Kingsland's truck the length of the front stretch. Pressley continues, Kingsland goes to the pits.
21. Lap 60 - Casey Kingsland is pinched in the low groove and spins in turn two to bring out the fifth caution of the afternoon. Pressley is again the recipient of the free pass. Leader Craven pits with Hamilton, Hornaday, Skinner and the rest of the leaders following. Labonte stays out to take over the lead. Hamilton leads off the pit road followed by Hornaday, Skinner, Craven, Whitt, Crawford, Harvick, Reutimann, Cook, Chaffin, Starr, Huffman, Musgrave, Benson, Park, Hines, and Renshaw. Park will come back to the pits to serve a penalty for dragging an impact gun out of his pit box. Labonte leads Sprague, Bodine, Hmiel, Schrader, Spencer, Crafton, Murphy, Sezter, and Lester.
Kroger 250 Race Updates 31-40
04-09-2005 2:26 pm
40. Lap 226 - Pressley's truck sheds debris all over the frontstretch following the contact with Murphy. Craftin and Whitt come to the pits to replace badly worn tires after faltering on the last green flag run.
39. Lap 225 - Murphy spins off turn four and is hit by Pressley to bring out the 10th caution of the afternoon.
38. Lap 221 - Labonte takes over the lead. Chaffin fights Craven for second.
37. lap 215 - Chaffin leads Labonte on the restart.
36. Lap 209 - Hamilton and Starr make contact with Starr spinning in turn four. The caution erases Bodine's lead, which had grown to almost a full straightaway. Chaffin leads Labonte, Hmiel, Craven, and Hornaday. Huffman is sixth, with Spencer, Sprague, Musgrave, and Hamilton rounding out the top-10.
35. Lap 194 - Huffman slides up the track in turn 2 allowing Labonte to move into fifth. Many drivers are skating around on tires that are over 140 laps old and could use a caution to pit for some new skins.
34. Lap 190 - Clean and greemn since the lap 149 restart. Bodine leads Chaffin, Hmiel, Craven, and Huffman.
33. Lap 148 Rundown - 66, 30, 12, 15, 99, 2, 6, 92, 16, 38, 1, 47, 04, 52, 75, 88, 14, 10, 5, 13, 50
32. Lap 147 - Setzer returns to the race after making repairs.
31. Lap 144 - Huffman gives Pressley the bumper fighting for third sending Pressley spinning to bring out the eighth caution of the afternoon. Park receives the free pass to regain a lap. None ofthe leaders pit.
Kroger 250 Race Updates 41-
04-09-2005 3:03 pm
43. lap 242 - Hamilton and Huffman make contact and Hamilton does a smokey 360 and pops the outside wall damagine the right front corner of his truck.
42. Lap 232 - Restart. Chaffin tries to hold off Craven on the restart. Labonte leads by a second. Contact is made in the pack and steam billows from the nose of Huffman's truck. Craven takes over second on lap 234 and starts to chase down Labonte.
41. Lap 228 Rundown - 47, 30, 99, 6, 15, 12, 2, 1, 16, 04, 52, 13, 66, 10, 5, 92, 50, 23, 38, 88, 14, 17, 75
Kroger 250 Unofficial Results
04-09-2005 12:59 am
1. Labonte
2. Craven
3. Hornaday
4. Bodine
5. Chaffin
6. Musgrave * After reviewing the finish, NASCAR scores Musgrave 6th
7. Hmiel
8. Spencer
9. Skinner
10. Cook
11. Sprague
12. Harvick
13. Hines
14. Schrader
15. Crafton
16. Kluever
17. Benson
18. Peters
19. Hamilton
20. Huffman
21. Crawford
22. Starr
23. Reutimann
24. Park
25. Pressley
26. Lester
27. Sutton
28. Renshaw
29. Whitt
30. Montgomery
31. Murphy
32. Harmon
33. Setzer
34. Topham
35. Keselowski
36. Kingsland
Kroger 250 Fast Facts
04-09-2005 3:59 pm
Bobby Labonte’s victory in the Kroger 250 makes him the 12th driver in
NASCAR history to post victories in all three national series – NASCAR NEXTEL
Cup, NASCAR Busch Series and NASCAR Craftsman Truck.
Labonte’s win makes him the first driver in NASCAR history to win a race at the
same track in all three national series.
Labonte is the 50th different winner in series history.
Labonte’s first NASCAR Craftsman Truck win comes in his fifth start.
Labonte – driver of the No. 18 Interstate Batteries Chevrolet in the NASCAR
NEXTEL Cup Series – has made one NASCAR Craftsman Truck start this season – at
Atlanta Motor Speedway, where he finished second.
Labonte is the 12th different winner at Martinsville in the series’ history.
Labonte made two series starts in 2004, with his season-best third place finish
coming in the October race at Martinsville Speedway.
Bobby and Terry Labonte are the first set of brothers to win in the series.
The 0.257 second margin of victory is the closest finish in series history at
Martinsville Speedway.
Labonte makes history
04-09-2005 4:18 pm
With his win here at Martinsville, Bobby Labonte continues to make NASCAR history. He has already joined his older brother Terry as a winner in and champion in the Nextel Cup Series and a race winner in the Busch Series, but they now become the first brother combination to win in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. And by doing so, they also become the only brother combination to win in all three national touring series. Bobby Labonte is the 12th driver to achieve that feat, joining Carl Edwards and Tony Stewart as other drivers to achieve that goal in 2005.
Craven's run for the win ended by late flat tire
04-09-2005 4:22 pm
Ricky Craven looked to have a strong challenger for the win here at Martinsville, but late race contact with another truck gave him a flat left rear tire, ending his chances for the win.
Close contact racing with Ron Hornaday also slowed the No. 99 Ford in the late stages, but Craven attributed that to hard short track racing for the lead.
"I don't have a problem with racing with Ron Hornaday," Craven said. "We have a pretty good deal. He bumps me, and I bump him back. He wrecks me, and I wreck him back. But we've never had a problem. That was good short track racing for the win is all that was, and I wouldn't have expected it any other way."
Hamilton's strong run goes sour late
04-09-2005 4:26 pm
Bobby Hamilton wanted to improve on his runs here last year, and he did that by coming home in 20th. But a late race tap by Robert Huffman sent Hamilton spinning wildly out of the top-10 and into the wall.
"We finished first, second, and third before this and we were headed for a top-10 today before he got run over from behind," Hamilton said. "We were running 10th with 10 to go and then boom. But that stuff happens here at Martinsville. We'll going to be just fine."
Contact after the checkers leaves Musgrave miffed
04-09-2005 4:29 pm
Ted Musgrave spent the final handfull of laps racing hard to the outside of Shane Hmiel for the sixth position, and ended up a bumper short to finish seventh. But last lap contact between the two drivers left Hmiel sideways in tirn one after the checkered flag waved and Musgrave miffed.
"We ran a lap with me on the outside of him, but on the last lap we went down the backstretch and he acted like I wasn't even there," Musgrave said. He just drove his truck up a whole groove. We just had a little disagreement there, but that was just racing afterward. I just wanted to let him know that whether it is the first lap or the last lap, if someone is completely beside you he's got the right to race you."
Todd didn't win, but was spectacular
04-09-2005 4:33 pm
Todd Bodine started outside the front row and led the most laps today, finish fourth. And according to him, if you can't win, being spectacular is almost as good. Bodine led a significant portion of the race after taking over the lead with a pit strategy call. However, a couple of late race cautions erase his big lead and put drivers with much fresher tires right on his back bumper.
"I had an old-time racer once tell me tell that if you can’t win be spectacular, and I think we did that today," Bodine said. " We had to come from the back because our front tires were really getting bad at that point, and we had to pit."
Late race incidents slow Huffman's charge to the front
04-09-2005 4:35 pm
Robert Huffman spent a good portion of the afternoon in the top-10 and even up into the top-5. He looked to be headed for a solid finish until two instances of late race contact put him deep into the field. The first one came when he got stacked up when a pack of trucks slowed dramatically in front of him and he couldn't avoid the truck directly in front of him. The second one came when he and Bobby Hamilton were racing for 8th place with less than 10 laps to go.
"Pit strategy got us some good track position and we were really good on that long run," Huffman said. " I was actually catching up to the guys ahead of us and then we had the cautions at the end. Then I messed up and got into the back of Starr on the restart. That busted a fitting off the radiator, and we lost all the water at the end.”
Cody Cook Loves TrackSideLive!
04-09-2005 4:54 pm
PHOTO: Five month old Cody Cook catches up with the all the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series action on TrackSideLive! Our youngest fan is the son of Amy East Cook and Terry Cook, driver of the No. 10 Power Stroke Diesel Ford
TruckSeries.com to rap with the Freaks!
04-09-2005 4:39 pm
Shortly after 5 pm ET, TruckSeries.com TrackSide Editor Charles Krall will join the Freak Nation and wrap up the Kroger 250 on the nationally syndicated Speed Freaks radio program. For more information on how to tune in over the airwaves or via streaming audio on the Internet, log on to www.
SpeedFreaks.tv
.
Unofficial Top-10 in Points
04-09-2005 4:45 pm
1. B. Hamilton - 633
2. R. Craven - 614
3. T. Musgrave - 606
4. R. Hornaday - 587
5. J. Spencer - 580
6. T. Bodine - 532
7. M. Crafton - 519
8. J. Benson- 513
9. J. Sprague - 503
10. T. Cook - 498.
Complete Unofficial Results: Kroger 250
04-09-2005 4:47 pm
1. (5) Bobby Labonte, Chevrolet, 250, $41,535.
2. (4) Ricky Craven, Ford, 250, $27,050.
3. (11) Ron Jr. Hornaday, Chevrolet, 250, $20,340.
4. (2) Todd Bodine, Toyota, 250, $15,975.
5. (12) Chad Chaffin, Toyota, 250, $10,275.
6. (10) Shane Hmiel, Chevrolet, 250, $10,925.
7. (18) Ted Musgrave, Dodge, 250, $10,675.
8. (21) Jimmy Spencer, Dodge, 250, $8,275.
9. (7) Mike Skinner, Toyota, 250, $10,475.
10. (13) Terry Cook, Ford, 250, $11,875.
11. (3) Jack Sprague, Chevrolet, 250, $10,375.
12. (15) Kevin Harvick, Chevrolet, 250, $7,990.
13. (20) Tracy Hines, Chevrolet, 250, $10,190.
14. (16) Ken Schrader, Chevrolet, 250, $7,890.
15. (27) Matt Crafton, Chevrolet, 250, $10,565.
16. (29) Todd Kluever #, Ford, 250, $12,590.
17. (17) Johnny Benson, Toyota, 250, $9,940.
18. (25) Timothy Peters #, Dodge, 250, $9,890.
19. (8) Robert Huffman, Toyota, 250, $9,840.
20. (1) Bobby Hamilton, Dodge, 250, $10,440.
21. (14) Rick Crawford, Ford, 249, $9,765.
22. (23) David Starr, Chevrolet, 249, $9,740.
23. (19) David Reutimann, Toyota, 248, $9,715.
24. (22) Steve Park, Dodge, 247, $9,690.
25. (36) Robert Pressley, Dodge, 247, $7,365.
26. (31) Bill Lester, Toyota, 246, $9,565.
27. (34) Kelly Sutton, Chevrolet, 245, $7,290.
28. (32) Deborah Renshaw, Dodge, 245, $9,515.
29. (6) Brandon Whitt, Toyota, 242, accident, $8,215.
30. (30) Chase Montgomery, Dodge, 242, $8,190.
31. (28) Sean Murphy #, Chevrolet, 242, electrical, $6,740.
32. (33) Mike Harmon, Chevrolet, 236, $6,715.
33. (9) Dennis Setzer, Chevrolet, 218, $6,690.
34. (24) Tam Topham, Chevrolet, 170, rear end, $6,665.
35. (26) Brad Keselowski, Ford, 146, rear end, $6,640.
36. (35) Casey Kingsland, Dodge, 104, parked, $6,613.
Labonte Makes History in Martinsville
04-09-2005 4:48 pm
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.
Labonte led 64 of the race's 250 laps after starting from the No. 5 position. He pitted just once, giving up the lead on lap 94 but regained the lead on lap 221 with a pass of Chad Chaffin's Toyota.
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. The elder Labonte won at Richmond in 1995.
Bud Pole starter Bobby Hamilton ran into trouble late, hitting the wall in Turn 4 while battling Robert Huffman for the eighth position. He continues to lead the series standings by 19 points over Craven.
Next event is the April 30 Dodge Ram Tough 200 at Gateway International Raceway near St. Louis.
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