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TrackSideLive!
| O'Reilly Auto Parts 250
Kansas Speedway | July 2, 2005
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Good Morning from Kansas Speedway
07-01-2005 9:08 am
Good morning everyone and welcome to TrackSideLive! presented by Team ASE coverage of practice and qualiying for the O'Reilly 250 from the Kansas Speedway. We will have all the news and notes from the garage area leading up to the two practice sessions prior to qualifying and we will also have exclusive Live! Bud Pole Qualifying coming your way at approximately 6 pm ET. There's a lot going on and a lot to talk about, so keep it locked on to TruckSeries.com all morning and afternoon!
Heartland Weather
07-01-2005 9:14 am
When the NCTS comes to Kansas in July, it's always expected that we will be greeted with 95 degrees and 80 percent humidity, making for a miserably hot and sticky weekend. The first few times we came to Kansas Speedway, Mother Nature didn't disappoint and that is exactly what we got. However, last year there was a break in that pattern and the teams worked in the relative comfort of the mid-80s with relatively low humidity. It seems as though we will have the same this year. After heavy storms rolled through here last night dropping significant amounts of rain, we woke up this morning to bright blue skies and comfortable temps. It is expected to reach the mid 80s today, and while it's supposed to be a tad warmer tomorrow, it looks to be a very comfortable weekend here for the second year in a row.
Today's Competition Schedule
07-01-2005 9:19 am
Here is the schedule for all NCTS activity here this afternoon:
8 am ET: NCTS Garage Opened
9:40 am ET: Rookie and Spotter Meetings
10:40 - 11:40 am ET: NCTS Practice 1
1 - 2 pm ET: NCTS Final Practice
6 pm ET: NCTS Bud Pole Qualifying (2 laps, all positions; time approximate, to follow ARCA Qualifying)
8 pm ET: NCTS Garage Closes
Crew Chief Swap at Roush
07-01-2005 9:24 am
Roush Racing has swapped crew chiefs on it's two NCTS teams for this weekend. Mike Beam is now overseeing the No. 50 team for Raybestos Rookie of the Year point leader Todd Kluever, while John Monsam has moved over to the No. 99 team for Ricky Craven.
"We're just moving some people around to try to find that chemistry," Monsam said. "We have way too many good people here. We need to win some races."
Entry List Updates
07-01-2005 9:27 am
Let's look at the changes to our "normal" weekly entry list:
Chris Fontaine
makes his third attempt in the No. 4 BHR Dodge
Bobby Hamilton
is again unsponsored here this weekend in his No. 04 Dodge
Jimmy Kite
is entered in the No. 06 MRD Motorsports Chevrolet (he is also running the Indy Car race in the No. 91 car)
Two-time NASCAR Northwest Series champion
Kevin Hamlin
makes his NCTS debut this weekend, driving the No. 07 Green Light Racing Chevrolet
Johnny Chapman
is again behind the wheel of the No. 08 Green Light Racing Chevy
John Andretti
looks to make his NCTS debut this weekend in the No. 15 Billy Ballew Motorsports Chevrolet
TracRac is again on the sides of
Chase Montgomery's
No. 18 BHR Dodge
Bill Lester
is again carrying the colors of the US Army on the No. 22 Bill Davis Racing Toyota
Brandon Bendele
is entered in the No. 24 Mighty Motorsports Chevrolet
Brandon Whitt
is carrying the Cure Autism Now colors on the No. 38 Red Horse Racing Toyota
HT Motorsports is again decked out in the Edy's Ice Cream colors on
Robert Pressley's
No. 59 Dodge
Chad Chaffin
is back in the No. 60 Wyler Racing Toyota, which will be his regular ride the rest of the 2005 season
Justin Allgaier
is in the No. 63 MB Motorsports Ford; he will also do double duty this weekend running the ARCA race here this weekend as well
Clay Rogers
, who just registered for the Raybestos Rookie of the Year competition, is again entered in the No. 65 Glynn Motorsports Dodge
UPDATE
:
Wayne Edwards
has just been named as the driver of record for the No. 24 Mighty Motorsports Chevrolet
Grip Always an Issue; Will be a Big Issue Again this Weekend
07-01-2005 9:39 am
Whenever we come to Kansas Speedway, the teams work to find grip on the surface with sticker tires. Many drivers have found the going very rough by trying to go too fast too soon on new tires and have gone for a ride through the grass or even into the concrete. Some have attributed the lack of grip on stickers to the incompatibility of the rubber compounds between the NCTS' Goodyear rubber and the IRL Indy Car Series' Firestone rubber.
Those issues have been exacerbated this weekend with the addition of a third tire company and a third rubber compound. With the ARCA Re/MAX Series also on the docket here this weekend, Hoosier rubber is now added to the mix.
With the way the schedule works out today, ARCA and the NCTS will alternate on the speedway with ARCA practice followed by Truck practice, then another ARCA practice followed by another Truck practice. The ARCA cars then qualify, followed by Truck qualifying. The Trucks then go to impound for Saturday, and the teams then watch and wait as the Indy Cars have three hours of practice prior to the start of the O'Reilly 250.
An early draw in qualifying may be a major disadvantage, and the early laps of the race tomorrow could be very hairy.
Kansas Speedway Track Facts
07-01-2005 9:51 am
Here is the lowdown on the Kansas Speedway:
Track Length: 1.5 miles
Banking in the Corners: 15 degrees
Banking on the Straightaways: Front - 10.4 degrees Back - 5 degrees
Length of Frontstretch: 2,721 feet
Length of Backstretch: 2,207 feet
The 167-lap race distance equates to 250.5 miles, which is tied with the spring race at Texas for the longest race the NCTS runs all year long.
Track Records
07-01-2005 9:54 am
Here are the track records at Kansas Speedway:
Qualifying: Chad Chaffin, 32.467 seconds/166.323 miles per hour; set July 4, 2003
Race: Ricky Hendrick, 2 hours, 0 minutes, 9 seconds/125.094 miles per hour; set July 7, 2001
Kansas Speedway Race History
07-01-2005 9:56 am
There have been four previous NCTS races at Kansas Speedway, and we have had four winners in those four races. None of the previous winners are entered here this weekend, meaning we will have a fifth winner in as many races come tomorrow afternoon. Here is the NCTS history at Kansas Speedway:
2001: Pole, Dennis Setzer, 162.411 mph; Race, Ricky Hendrick, 125.094 mph, started 2nd
2002: Pole, Jason Leffler, 165.812 mph; Race, Mike Bliss, 121.487 mph, started 4th
2003: Pole, Chad Chaffin, 166.323 mph; Race, Jon Wood, 114.243 mph, started 3rd
2004: Pole, Dennis Setzer, field set by points; Race, Carl Edwards, 105.994 mph, started 2nd
Roush Racing has won the past two NCTS races here; Xpress Motorsports won in 2002 with Hendrick Motorsports taking the win in the inaugural race in 2001.
Not Just Kansas Speedway...
07-01-2005 10:01 am
While the NCTS has been racing here since 2001, the series has raced in the Kansas City area since the series' first season in 1995. The series ran five races at I-70 Speedway in Odessa, Mo., just outside of Kansas City from 1995 through 1999. Those same years also saw the series run five races an hour to the west of the city in Topeka at the 2-mile Heartland Park Topeka road course.
Mike Skinner, Mike Bliss, Tony Raines (2), and Jack Sprague claimed wins at I-70, while Ron Hornaday, Skinner, Joe Ruttman, Stacy Compton, and Bliss picked up wins at Heartland Park.
No driver entered this weekend has won an NCTS race at Kansas Speedway, however Hornaday and Skinner have both gone to victory lane within the state of Kansas.
Odd Years at Kansas Equal First Time Winners
07-01-2005 10:09 am
Every time the NCTS has raced at the Kansas Speedway in an "odd" year, a first time NCTS winner has gone to victory lane. In 2001, the late Ricky Hendrick claimed his only series win in the track's inaugural race. In 2003, Jon Wood picked up his first NCTS win. Will the streak of first time winners continue in 2005, and if so, who will it be making the first trip to the Winner's Circle.
ARCA Practice Done, Trucks Up Next!
07-01-2005 10:25 am
We'll have all the updates as they happen when the Truck Series takes to the track, which is just a few moments away!
Green Green Green
07-01-2005 10:35 am
The first trucks have rolled on to the speedway, and speeds have quickly escalated. By the look of things, the track qualifying record is in serious jeopardy this afternoon. Ricky Craven, Brad Keselowski, Todd Kluever, Robert Huffman, and Tracy Hines were the first on the track.
While many teams are in a rush to get out and as many laps as possible, other teams have their trucks still safely tucked away in the garage with no driver strapped in the seat.
Practice 1 Rundown 1
07-01-2005 10:41 am
Very early in the first practice, here is a look at the speeds:
1. Skinner, 171.396
2. Andretti, 170.358
3. Reutimann, 170.020
4. Kluever, 169.956
5. Park, 169.641
6. Crawford, 169.311
7. Sprague, 169.268
8. Huffman, 169.157
9. Starr, 168.988
10. Cook, 168.513
11. Craven, 168.350
12. Crafton, 168.088
13. Bodine, 167.723
14. Hines, 167.390
15. Rogers, 166.626
16. Keselowski, 166.533
17. Pressley, 166.405
18. Hamlin, 166.292
19. Renshaw, 165.492
20. Chapman, 163.117
21. Sutton, 162.084
Tire Troubles on Crafton's Ride
07-01-2005 10:50 am
Matt Crafton came to the garage with some tire issues, sending many of the other crews to hs garage stall to inspect the damaged rubber and sending Crafton's crew to NASCAR asking if they can have a replacement. NASCAR rules stipulate that each team is allowed four sets of tires to use as they wish throughout the weekend, but in rare instances NASCAR will allow a team to replace a tire if it is damaged under certain circumstances.
Throttle Sticking on the 75
07-01-2005 10:55 am
David Starr calmly reported to his team that the throttle is hanging open on the No. 75 Chevrolet. "The throttle is sticking open on this thing," he said. "Y'all might want to check that out for me."
Practice 1 Rundown 2
07-01-2005 11:01 am
1. Skinner, 31.392
2. Reutimann, 31.440
3. Kluever, 31.597
4. Whitt, 31.604
5. Park, 31.634
6. Setzer, 31.689
7. Andretti, 31.698
8. Huffman, 31.756
9. Cook, 31.769
10. Starr, 31.779
11. Bodine, 31.796
12. Benson, 31.804
13. Crawford, 31.817
14. Spencer, 31.834
15. Musgrave, 31.844
16. Hamilton, 31.868
17. Craven, 31.878
18. Sprague, 31.902
19. Hornaday, 32.029
20. Lester, 32.042
21. Hines, 32.105
22. Crafton, 32.117
23. Hamlin, 32.121
24. Chaffin, 32.140
25. Gaughan, 32.142
26. Fontaine, 32.216
27. Keselowski, 32.272
28. Montgomery, 32.381
29. Rogers, 32.408
30. Pressley, 32.451
31. Renshaw, 32.630
32. Kite, 32.689
33. Sutton, 32.795
34. Chapman, 33.105
35. Edwards, 34.007
Allgaier Has Trouble in ARCA Practice
07-01-2005 11:06 am
Justin Allgaier had a rough start to the morning when he brushed the wall in ARCA practice earlier this morning. The car was not seriously damaged, and he was one of the first to take the track in NCTS practice. His transponder has not registered a time, so he is missing from our latest rundown.
Can You Run It Wide Open?
07-01-2005 11:10 am
A lot of the drivers are trying their hardest to keep the throttle to the floor as they enter the turns here at Kansas Speedway. Some are finding it to be more of a challenge here at Kansas than other mile and a half tracks on the schedule.
Brandon Whitt is one of the drivers that hasn't been able to get the feel that would allow a flat footed lap. "I don't think running this thing wide open is a good idea right now," he commented to his crew a few moments ago.
Even though they are breathing the throttle getting into the corners, early practice speeds are unofficially faster than the existing track record.
Practice 1 Rundown 3
07-01-2005 11:21 am
Five minutes left in the session.
Back to MPH for this rundown:
1. Skinner, 172.018
2. Reutimann, 171.832
3. Sprague, 171.141
4. Kluever, 171.108
5. Whitt, 170.864
6. Park, 170.702
7. Spencer, 170.600
8. Setzer, 170.406
9. Bodine, 170.401
10. Andretti, 170.358
11. Cook, 170.277
12. Musgrave, 170.272
13. Huffman, 170.047
14. Crawford, 169.934
15. Starr, 169.924
16. Benson, 169.790
17. Mongtomery, 169.571
18. Hamilton, 169.566
19. Craven, 169.396
20. Chaffin, 169.072
21. Hornaday, 168.597
22. Lester, 168.529
23. Hines, 168.198
24. Crafton, 168.156
25. Hamlin, 168.114
26. Gaughan, 168.004
27. Keselowski, 167.733
28. Fontaine, 167.619
29. Pressley, 167.416
30. Rogers, 167.167
31. Kite, 166.118
32. Renshaw, 165.492
33. Sutton, 164.859
34. Chapman, 163.117
35. Edwards, 160.867
Still no registered time for Allgaier.
Practice 1 Results
07-01-2005 11:34 am
Click here for results
Crafton Tire Update
07-01-2005 12:30 pm
The tire problem with the No. 88 Chevrolet in the first practice was the only tire problem reported by any of the teams in that session. As Matt Crafton was driving off into turn three, the left rear tire shredded, sending the truck high up the banking. "I can't tell you what happened to the tire, it just came apart," said crew member Rich Riley. "There wasn't any damage, and NASCAR allowed us to replace the tire. I guess Matt did a pretty good job of hanging on to it."
Lots of gear changes
07-01-2005 12:33 pm
Even though NASCAR has instituted a rule that limits the choices the teams can make regarding rear end gear ratios, several teams are under the rear end of their truck making a gear change for the second practice. Many times teams will make adjustments to the rear gear to compensate for a slick racetrack, and as the temps rise into the mid 80s this afternoon, the track could get slicker. Remember, whatever the final selection is for qualifying is what the teams will be stuck with for the race as all the trucks will be impounded following their qualifying run.
Track Conditions Slick
07-01-2005 12:43 pm
In the ARCA Re/MAX Series practice that just concluded, there were numerous incidents that saw cars get loose and make contact with the wall. Hopefully that is not an indication of things to come when the NCTS takes to the track in the next couple of minutes. The track appears to be very slick, and with the incompatible rubber compounds, the first few moments of this practice could be tense.
Let's Get it On!
07-01-2005 12:50 pm
Just a couple of moments away from the start of Final Practice for the NCTS as we lead into Live! Bud Pole Qualifying coming at you around 6 pm ET this evening. We'll have it all for you as it happens, so keep it locked on to TrackSideLive! presented by Team ASE.
Setzer Leads the Charge
07-01-2005 12:53 pm
Dennis Setzer was the first one on the track for the Final Practice, and he has quickly been followed by 25 of his closest friends. The track is very busy as this is as close to race conditions as we are going to get. Many of the drivers are spending time running in traffic in the early minutes; we expect them to spend a few minutes at the end of the session working on qualifying setups.
They Said It, Final Practice 1
07-01-2005 12:56 pm
Jack Sprague, No. 16 Chevrolet: "It's awesome getting in and awesome getting off (the corners). I don't want to do too much to it, I don't want to make it worse."
Mike Skinner, No. 5 Toyota: "It's tight getting into the turns."
Jimmy Spencer, No. 2 Dodge: "It's really starting to rotate in the center now."
They Said It, Final Practice 2
07-01-2005 1:00 pm
Kelly Sutton, No. 02 Chevrolet: "It's gotta be tighter; a lot tighter."
Matt Crafton, No. 88 Chevrolet: "It feels really good. I can really drive it down and arc it in like I need to."
Brendan Gaughan, No. 77 Dodge: "The only good laps I have is when I don't have to put a lot of wheel to it. It's got to stay in one groove and that's it."
Red Out, Huffman Spins into Grass in Turn 2
07-01-2005 1:03 pm
The red flag is out for the first time this afternoon as Robert Huffman got loose and spun off turn two. It appears as though he did not make any contact with another truck or the retaining wall. He has fired it up and is driving back to the garage. He is reporting flat spotted tires and a flat right rear tire.
Final Practice Rundown 1
07-01-2005 1:09 pm
As we go back to green, here is how the field stood when the red waved just moments ago:
1. Reutimann, 171.238
2. Sprague, 171.081
3. Skinner, 170.455
4. Hornaday, 170.326
5. Musgrave, 169.918
6. Crafton, 169.593
7. Park, 169.460
8. Setzer, 169.385
9. Huffman, 169.104
10. Crawford, 168.998
11. Bodine, 168.877
12. Spencer, 168.861
13. Cook, 168.560
14. Andretti, 168.382
15. Keselowski, 168.245
16. Whitt, 168.193
17. Lester, 168.062
18. Rogers, 167.978
19. Craven, 167.863
20. Hines, 167.655
21. Hamilton, 167.650
22. Starr, 167.530
23. Benson, 167.494
24. Hamlin, 166.512
25. Montgomery, 166.446
26. Gaughan, 166.348
27. Kite, 165.894
28. Renshaw, 165.787
29. Fontaine, 165.751
30. Chapman, 164.569
31. Pressley, 163.280
32. Edwards, 159.090
Still clean and green
07-01-2005 1:28 pm
The Final Practice has run clean and green since restarting following the Huffman spin in the early minutes of the session. We'll have a rundown for you soon.
Final Practice Rundown 2
07-01-2005 1:33 pm
1. Reutimann, 173.784
2. Sprague, 171.081
3. Cook, 170.648
4. Skinner, 170.455
5. Hornaday, 170.326
6. Whitt, 170.213
7. Musgrave, 169.918
8. Huffman, 169.635
9. Crafton, 169.593
10. Chapman, 169.470
11. Park, 169.460
12. Setzer, 169.385
13. Bodine, 169.255
14. Kluever, 169.242
15. Craven, 169.184
16. Crawford, 168.998
17. Spencer, 168.866
18. Kite, 168.508
19. Andretti, 168.382
20. Starr, 168.371
21. Chaffin, 168.355
22. Keselowski, 168.245
23. Montgomery, 169.140
24. Hamilton, 168.072
25. Lester, 168.062
26. Gaughan, 167.994
27. Hines, 167.655
28. Hamlin, 167.567
29. Benson, 167.494
30. Fontaine, 166.538
31. Sutton, 164.689
32. Pressley, 164.634
33. Allgaier, 159.953
34. Edwards, 159.090
Top-10, Three Minutes to Go
07-01-2005 1:47 pm
Just a few moments left...a quick look at the top-10:
1. Reutimann, 173.818
2. Skinner, 173.182
3. Lester, 172.502
4. Sprague, 172.112
5. Huffman, 171.991
6. Kluever, 171.255
7. Bodine, 170.902
8. Cook, 170.648
9. Hornaday, 170.326
10. Rogers, 170.320
Red and Black Flags in the Air
07-01-2005 1:52 pm
The NCTS has completed the second of its two hour-long practice sessions leading into this afternoon's Live! Bud Pole Qualifying for the O'Reilly 250. The only incident of the day to this point was the Robert Huffman spin off turn two, but no contact was made. We will have complete results momentarily.
Final Practice Results
07-01-2005 1:58 pm
Click here for final practice times
TrackSide Audio!
07-01-2005 8:23 pm
Check out the "Sights and Sounds" box to your right for comments from pole sitter Bill Lester, Mike Skinner and Todd Kluever following this afternoons qualifying session.
Kansas Bud Pole Qualifying Fast Facts
07-01-2005 8:09 pm
Lester takes his first Bud Pole of the season; he previous best start was fourth at Daytona and Gateway...today's pole was the second of Lester's career; his previous pole came in 2003 at Charlotte...with the pole here today, Lester now has three top-3 starts at Kansas Speedway, the site of his first career top-10 NCTS finish...Lester's Bill Davis Racing teammate Mike Skinner starts alongside on the front row; it is Skinner's fifth front row start of the season and his third front row start in the last four races...by taking the green flag tomorrow, Kelly Sutton will break the series record for the most starts by a female; it will be her 33rd career NCTS start...31 of the 36 drivers in the field broke the previous track record.
Kansas Speedway Means Best Career Start for Several
07-01-2005 8:13 pm
Who is taking the green flag from their best career NCTS qualifying position?
Bill Lester, 1st (tie)
Todd Kluever, 3rd
Clay Rogers, 18th
Jimmy Kite, 22nd
John Andretti, 23rd
Kevin Hamlin, 24th
That's all for today...see you tomorrow!
07-01-2005 8:16 pm
Well, that's a wrap from the Kansas Speedway. While the keyboard is being packed away, you can listen to the TrackSideLive! presented by Team ASE audio recaps of practice and qualifying at your leisure, just check out the Sights and Sounds box to the right side of this page and listen!
It was a record breaking day in qualifying, and the action in the race should shape up to be equally intense. We will get back after it as soon as the garage opens tomorrow and take you well into the evening after the checkered flag falls on the O'Reilly 250. We appreciate you taking the time to stick with us here this afternoon, and we look forward to having you all back with us again tomorrow. Until then, good night everybody!
Good afternoon from Kansas Speedway
07-02-2005 11:57 pm
Let's get ready to race! The teams are making their final adjustments to the Trucks, they are rolling them across the height sticks, and we are moving closer and closer to the start of the O'Reilly 250. The weather is again very pleasant, with a thin layer of clouds deflecting much of the direct sunlight and keeping the temps in the low to mid 80s. There is no threat of rain here today and we should be good to go for the 3 pm ET start. Keep it right here as we break down the stats and preview the O'Reilly 250 for you.
Kansas Speedway Best Finishes
07-02-2005 12:01 pm
Here is everyone's previous best finish at Kansas (please note there are no former NCTS winners at Kansas Speedway in today's field):
Bobby Hamilton, 2nd
Ted Musgrave, 2nd
Dennis Setzer, 2nd
Rick Crawford,3rd
Steve Park, 4th
Matt Crafton, 5th
Robert Pressley, 5th
Terry Cook, 6th
Jack Sprague, 8th
Chad Chaffin, 9th
Brendan Gaughan, 9th
Bill Lester, 10th
Mike Skinner, 12th
Chase Montgomery, 13th
Tracy Hines, 14th
Todd Bodine, 15th
David Starr, 19th
Brandon Whitt, 23rd
Robert Huffman, 24th
Brad Keselowski, 27th
David Reutimann, 29th
Kelly Sutton, 35th
Wayne Edwards, 36th
Drivers making their first NCTS start at Kansas Speedway: Todd Kluever, Jimmy Spencer, John Andretti, Johnny Benson, Ricky Craven, Ron Hornaday, Kevin Hamlin, Chris Fontaine, Clay Rogers, Jimmy Kite, Johnny Chapman, Deborah Renshaw, Justin Allgaier
Kansas Race Averages
07-02-2005 12:18 pm
There have been four previous NCTS races at Kansas Speedway. Here are the averages:
The average start position of the winner is 2.75. Two winners have come from second, one from third, and one from fourth. Mike Skinner starts second, Todd Kluever third, and David Reutimann fourth.
There are an average of 10 drivers on the lead lap at the end. The high is 14 in 2004, and the low was 6 in 2001.
There is an average of 12.5 lead changes, with the high of 14 in 2001 and 2004, and a low of 10 in 2002. There were 12 lead changes in 2003.
There are an average of 7.5 leaders, with a high of nine in 2004 and a low of 5 in 2002. There were 8 leaders in both 2001 and 2003.
There are an average of 7.25 caution flags, with a high of 10 in 2004 and a low of 5 in 2001. There were 6 in 2002 and 8 in 2003.
The average number of caution flag laps is 32.3, with a high of 44 in 2004 and a low of 22 in 2001.
The cumulative average speed is 116.707 mph, with the record of 125.094 in 2001 and the slowest race being 105.994 mph in 2004.
To the Back for the Start
07-02-2005 12:24 pm
Two drivers will fall to the back of the field for the start here this afternoon. Kevin Hamlin will take the green from the back after his team was forced to replace the transmission prior to yesterday's qualifying run. He was scheduled to start 24th. John Andretti will also go to the rear of the field after his team was forced to change the steering box on his ride during this afternoon's final adjustments. Ironically, Andretti was scheduled to line up alongside Hamlin inside the 12th row.
Point Spread
07-02-2005 12:27 pm
The point spread between first and fifth in the championship standings is 141 points. At this time last year, it was 161 points.
The point spread between first and tenth in the championship standings is 242 points. At this time last year, it was 244 points.
The gap between both first and fifth and first and tenth has decreased by 20 points each from last year to this year.
Biggest Movers in the Points
07-02-2005 12:29 pm
Last week's race in Milwaukeee saw the point standings shaken up quite a bit throughout the field.
Dennis Setzer took over the lead, sending previous leader Bobby Hamilton to second. Ron Hornaday took over fourth, sending Ricky Craven to fifth. Jack Sprague jumped up two positions to seventh, while Terry Cook and Matt Crafton each fell back a spot to eighth and ninth respectively.
With Johnny Benson's struggles last week, he fell back three spots to 14th, but the biggest mover of the week was Chad Chaffin, who fell back 4 spots to 20th.
Speed Shoots "The Pit Box 500" for Kentucky Open
07-02-2005 12:35 pm
Speed Channel lined up several teams to volunteer their driver, crew, and a pit box to film footage of "The Pit Box 500" for the open of the telecast for the upcoming Built Ford Tough 225 at Kentucky Speedway. Bobby Hamilton, Terry Cook, Dennis Setzer, Rick Crawford, and David Reutimann all put their lives in the hands of their pit crews as they rode atop their pit boxes at breakneck speeds through the empty garage area. While we don't want to spoil the results, you have to watch next week on Speed to see who wins, we will tell you it was an extremely competitive event with a lot of pride at stake and some hurt feelings at the end!
Driver's Meeting Notes
07-02-2005 1:15 pm
The drivers meeting just broke up in the meeting room here in the media center, and NCTS director Wayne Auton gave the teams a stern lecture about speeding on pit road following last week's large number of speeding penalties at Milwaukee.
"Drivers, this is a cone," Auton said, holding up an orange traffic cone. "Pit road speed starts at the cone at the entrance to pit road and ends at the cone at the exit of pit road. Maintain your speed between the cones, and you won't get a ticket from Boss Hogg. Ninety percent of the speeding tickets we've given out have been because you were too fast in either the first segment or the last segment. Watch your speed. You control the throttle. Don't get on it until you pass the cone."
Three pace laps on the initial roll off...drivers are asked to index their steering wheels on pit road, or if they need to do it on the track in turn three...the pit road speed limit is 45 miles per hour; the pace truck will run 55 miles per hour...minimum speed is 35.32 seconds...pit road speed starts 210 feet before the first pit box (box 43, which is unoccupied) and ends 75 feet past the last pit box...the restart point is the double red line on the wall at the exit of turn four...drivers must keep all four tires below the white line through turns one and two when exiting the pits.
Special Awards
07-02-2005 1:22 pm
Here are today's special award winners:
Bud Pole Award: Bill Lester
Clevite Engine Builder: Steve Allen
Featherlite Most Improved Driver: Ron Hornaday
International Truck Crew Chief: Eric Phillips
Mobil 1 Command Performance: Dennis Setzer
Raybestos Rookie: Todd Kluever
Wix Lap Leader: Dennis Setzer
YTD Comparison
07-02-2005 1:26 pm
Here is a quick Year-to-Date comparison:
Winning Makes:
2004: Chevy, 3 wins; Dodge, 5 wins; Ford, 3 wins; Toyota, 0 wins
2005: Chevy, 7 wins; Dodge, 4 wins; Ford, 0 wins; Toyota, 0 wins
Number of Race Winners:
2004 - 7
2005 - 8
Average Start Position of Winner:
2004 - 4.82
2005 - 12.6
Number of Pole Winners:
2004 - 6
2005 - 9
Cumulative Lead Changes:
2004 - 105
2005 - 104
Average Lead Changes Per Race:
2004 - 9.55
2004 - 9.45
Average Leaders Per Race:
2004 - 5.64
2005 - 7.09
Total Laps Under Caution:
2004 - 507
2005 - 385
Average Caution Flags Per Race:
2004 - 7.82
2005 - 7.85
Current Year MFR Performance
07-02-2005 1:31 pm
Chevrolet: 7 wins, 4 poles, 23 top-5, 41 top-10, 966 laps led
Dodge: 4 wins, 2 poles, 15 top-5, 26 top-10, 340 laps led
Ford: 0 wins, 1 pole, 8 top-5, 21 top-10, 121 laps led
Toyota: 0 wins, 3 poles, 9 top-5, 22 top-10, 375 laps led
2005 Key Race Statistics
07-02-2005 1:35 pm
Average Start of the Winner: 12.6
Lead Changes Per Race: 9.5
Lead Drivers: 7.1
Caution Flags: 7.5
Caution Laps Per Race: 35.0
Number of Starters Per Race: 36.0
Number Running at Finish: 28.0
Number Did Not Finish: 8.0
Number of Lead Lap Finishers: 16.9
Stories to Watch Today
07-02-2005 1:37 pm
As we near racetime, here is what you need to keep an eye on during the O'Reilly 250 this afternoon:
1. The track surface. No, it's not going to crumble or come apart on us today, but the teams will really struggle to find grip today. With the ARCA teams laying down Hoosier rubber and a full day of Indy car practice and qualifying laying down Firestone rubber (particularly in the middle groove), the Truck Series drivers will have a hard time finding grip early on with their Goodyear rubber. As the race progresses, the other rubber compounds will not play much of a factor, but the track will remain slick, particularly if the sun comes out and heats up the asphalt.
2. Lester on the pole. Bill Lester takes his turn at the front of the pack for the start, and if the past is any indication, Lester should be able to run in and among the top-5 and top-10 all afternoon. The Toyotas are strong, with 6 among the top-10 starters, and Lester's has been among the quickest all season long. With some assistance from Lady Luck, Lester could ring up his first career top-5 finish here this weekend, and possibly even challenge for the win.
3. First time winners in odd years at Kansas. Several drivers looking for their first career NCTS win are starting near the front of the field at a place where starting near the front leads to victory. Pole-sitter Bill Lester, third place starting Todd Kluever, and fourth-place starter David Reutimann are all looking for their first career Truck Series wins, and with it being an odd year they look to join Ricky Hendrick (2001) and Jon Wood (2003) as drivers that picked up their first win at Kansas Speedway in an odd year. Others that could be a contender for their first career NCTS wins include Robert Huffman, Brandon Whitt, Johnny Benson, Matt Crafton, and John Andretti.
4. Can Toyota pick up their first win? With six of the first ten starters, Toyota seems to have the hot combination here this weekend. If they can keep everything together, they stand a good chance at picking up their first win of 2005.
5. The crew swap at Roush. How will Craven and Kluever run? While Craven had troubles in qualifying, it seems more than obvious he won't stay back in 31st position all afternoon. Kluever starts up front and with a strong day all day long yesterday, he seems like a serious threat to stay up in the top-5 all day long. Kluever's new crew chief Mike Beam has readily admitted that adjusting years worth of race strategy from 400 and 500 miles to 200 and 250 miles has been more difficult than he anticipated, but if they make solid calls in pit road look for both Roush Racing teams to be up front at the end.
Pit Stall Assignments
07-02-2005 2:06 pm
Here are the pit assignments for the O'Reilly 250, starting at pit exit in turn one and ending at pit entrance in turn four:
Lester
Crafton
Chaffin
Whitt
Break in Pit Wall
Skinner
Fontaine
Hornaday
Crawford
Starr
Hamilton
Park
Rogers
Hamlin
Musgrave
Break in Pit Wall
Sprague
Keselowski
Hines
Kluever
Empty stall
Scoring Camera/Start-Finish Line
Empty stall
Reutimann
Gaughan
Benson
Spencer
Break in Pit Wall
Huffman
Cook
Chapman
Montgomery
Pressley
Renshaw
Edwards
Allgaier
Andretti
Kite
Break in Pit Wall
Bodine
Sutton
Craven
Setzer
Legend:
Toyota
Chevrolet
Ford
Dodge
O'Reilly 250 Race Updates 1-10
07-02-2005 2:56 pm
10. Lap 10 - Skinner leads Reutimann by five lengths, but thet have pulled to nearly a second lead on Lester in third. The field is now spread across two thirds of the mile and a half Kansas Speedway.
9. Lap 7 - Huffman and Park are locked in a battle for tenth, with Park taking the spot and Setzer sliding inside of Park down the backstretch. Cook and Crawford are also side by side for position.
8. Lap 2 - The field quickly starts to spread out and get down to signle file running. Whitt and Huffman run side by sude for 8th and 9th, the only real side by side battle on the track.
7. Skinner and Lester battle for the lead on the start. Skinner dives ahead going into three to take the lead as Reutimann sweeps beneath Lester to take second at the completetion of lap one.
6. Hamlin (transmission) and Andretti (unapproved adjustment, steering box) have dropped to the rear for the start. The one to go signal has been given.
5. The first of three pace laps is done. Teams are busy setting their pit road speed, which is 45 miles per hour.
4. The field is clearing the grid on pit road and forming into 18 rows of two. All 36 trucks are rolling.
3. The engines have been started! Rick LeFarge has given the command and 36 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series drivers and teams are now focused on 167 laps around the Kansas Speedway. At 250 miles, it is one of the longest races on the series schedule, which means the teams should make at least two if not three pit stops depending on how caution flags fall.
2. The Anthem has been performed, and the aerial bombs exploded off the backstretch. The crews are busily disassembling the stage used for driver intros and opening ceremonies. We are just moments away from the start of the O'Reilly 250.
1. The drivers have been introduced and the trucks have been pushed to the grid. The formal ceremonies are about to take place with the invocation and National Anthem up next. The sun has come out and ambient temperatures have gone up slightly from the low 80s to the mid 80s, and the breeze is blowing at a fairly steady clip from the middle of turns one and two across the frontstretch towards turn four. There is a huge crowd on hand, which visually appears to be in the neighborhood of 55,000-60,000.
O'Reilly 250 Race Updates 11-20
07-02-2005 3:25 pm
20. Lap 39- Bodine moves past Hornaday to take over fourth, with Reutimann falling back to sixth racing for that spot with Lester.
19. Lap 35 - Skinner lets Reutimann get up front for a lap to get five points for leading before retaking the lead on lap 36. Kluever moves to second with Sprague in third. Reutimann settles back in fourth.
18. Lap 34 - Hard racing on the restart sees Cook dive to the apron at the start finish line to pass the lapped truck of Allgaier.
17. Lap 30 - Chapman stays out to pick up five points for leading while the leaders pit. Skinner leads off pit road with Reutimann second, Kluever third, Sprague fourth, and Rogers fifth. Setzer, Lester, Bodine, Hornaday, and Whitt round out the top-10, followed by Spencer, Park, Huffman, Cook, Crawford, Chaffin, Crafton, Craven, Benson, Starr, Andretti, Hamilton, Kite, Keselowski, Montgomery, Hines, Musgrave, Hamlin, and Pressley. Chaffin and Crafton were busted for speeding leaving the pits and will restart from the tail of the longest line.
16. Lap 29 - Sutton spins just in front of oncoming traffic in turn three, barely missing Bodine as she slides down the track. No contact was made and she drove away from the scene. Pit stops are coming.
15. Lap 25 - Skinner is quickly closing on a pack of eight drivers to put them a lap down. Chapman, Keselowski, Kite, Hamilton, Pressley, Hamlin, Gaughan, and Montgomery are all fighting for position just in front of the leader.
14. Lap 22 - Kluever has moved past Lester and is now pulling away. Sprague and Bodine are now pressing on Lester.
13. Lap 19 - Both Ultra Motorsports drivers, Ted Musgrave and Jimmy Spencer, are reporting their trucks are loose. "Don't worry about it, we'll get you a caution and fix you up," said Musgrave's crew chief Gene Nead. "That's what I am worried about," replied Musgrave.
12. Lap 17 - Skinner has opened up the gap on second place Reutimann, while Lester now has Kluever breathing down his neck and Sprague quickly closing. Bodine is sixth, and he too is closing in on the third and fourth place drivers.
11. Lap 14 - Craven is up to 21st from 31st, while Andretti is 23rd.
O'Reilly Auto Parts 250 Race Updates 21-30
07-02-2005 3:45 pm
30. Lap 71 - Reutimann continues to make repeated stops to attempt to fix the power steering problem. Coming to the one to go signal. Pressley pits, giving the lead to Hines for the restart, followed by Bodine, Smith, Kluever, and Hornaday.
29. Lap 68 - Most of the field pits, with only Pressley and Hines staying out among the lead lap trucks. Bodine, Rogers, kluever, Hornaday, Skinner, Park, Setzer, Craven, Lester, Andretti, Sprague, Crafton, Cook, Spencer, Whitt, Starr, Gaughan, Crawford, Benson, Musgrave, Chaffin, Kite, Hamilton, Montgomery, Hamlin, and Chapman round out the lead lap trucks. Skinner, Park, and Chapman got nabbed by Boss Hogg on pit road and were nailed with speeding tickets, forcing them to the back of the pack for the restart.
28. Lap 66 - Allgaier spins coming off turn two and makes contact with Keslowski as he slid across the track bringing out the third yellow of the afternoon.
27. Lap 63 - Cook, Whitt, and Crafton race for 13th. Kluever moves inside Skinner off turn two to take over second.
26. Lap 59 - Bodine dives underneath and takes the lead from Skinner. He opens up a ten length lead.
25. Lap 55 - Skinner leads the field to a slow restart, jumbling up the field behind him. The top-three break away while Hornaday picks up a spot on Sprague as a result.
24. Lap 53 - Half the field pits, putting them on different pit strategies than the leaders. craven Cook, Huffman, Craftin, Hamilton, Chaffin, Musgrave, and others come to the pits for fuel while Skinner, Kluever, and the rest of the top-10 stayed out. Reutimann stayed on pit road for an extended stop to diagnose the power steering problem.
23. Lap 50 - Park slides underneath Spencer to take over seventh spot. Setzer now pressures Spencer as the second caution comes out as Hines loses the air on the spoiler while racing Chaffin for position and spins to the grass exiting turn two. Gaughan will receive the free pass and rejoin the lead lap.
22. Lap 46 - Skinner's lead on Kluever has shrunk ans Sprague and Bodine also close in on the leader.
21. Lap 42 - Reutimann is quickly falling back through the field. He reports to his team he has no power steering. He is now tenth and quickly losing touch with the lead pack.
O'Reilly 250 Race Updates 31-40
07-02-2005 4:12 pm
40. Lap 114 - Pressley goes to the garage, joining Allgiaer and Chapman.
39. Lap 110 - Bodine catches a big pack of traffic and starts to weave his way through. Mongtomery and Kite fall off the lead lap, with Huffman, Starr, Benson, chaffin, and Musgrave in his sights.
38. Lap 107 - Huffman gets pushed out of the groove in turns three and four and loses several positions, falling back 25th.
37. lap 101 - Cook is dropping back through the pack after spending much of the first 100 laps racing for the top-10. He now runs 18th, and has several guys knocking on the back door for position.
36. Lap 98 - Sprague is catching Andretti for fifth. Reutimann finally clears Setzer for eighth. Bodine leads Hornaday by half a straightaway with Kluever on the march in third.
35. Lap 92 - Sprague passes Spencer to take sixth. Setzer and Reutimann are still hard at it for eighth and ninth. Crafton passes Rogers for tenth.
34. Lap 88 - Reutimann and Setzer battle for tenth with Crafton closing in. Setzer and Reutimann split Cook coming off four, pushing Cook back to eleventh.
33. Lap 84 - Bodine leads at halfway. Hornaday, Lester, Andretti, Kluver, Spencer, Rogers, Sprague, Cook, and Setzer round out the top-10.
32. Lap 82 - Lester moves past Andretti to take third. Skinner is 23rd, just behind Park in 22nd.
31. Lap 73 - Hines takes off from the lead but is under assault at the drop of the green. Bodine moves into the lead as Rogers makes it three wide for the lead going into three. Hines drops back to twlefth as the field starts to stabilize.
O'Reilly 250 Race Updates 41-50
07-02-2005 4:36 pm
50. Lap 146 - Bdoine leads Kluever. Reutimann closes on Hornaday, who may have missed a shift on the restart.
49. Lap 142 - Huffman gets the jump from the lap down lane, but Hornaday doesn't and falls back to third. Kluever leads with Bodine right on his tail. They now fight for the lead just behind Huffman who is fighting to stay on the lead lap.
48. Lap 137 - Steve Park spins and makes hard contact with the wall in turn two. He spun going in to one running underneath Crawford and pounded the wall with the left rear of the truck. We will update his condition as soon as we have any information to give.
47. Lap 134 - Bodine challenges Hornaday for the lead but nearly loses control through turn three. Kluver sweeps past and takes over second. Bodine is third, Reutimann fourth, and Sprague fifth.
46. Lap 130 - Reutimann is back to fourth. His team must have fixed the power steering problem he was fighting earlier. Benson returns to the speedway after going behind the wall on the last restart.
45. Lap 128 - Hines makes it a hat trick with his third slide through turn two. Again, no damage and he drives away. Hines tells his team the air pressures were set way too low and he couldn't keep control. Starr receives the free pass.
44. Lap 124 - Hornaday leads with Bodine on the back deck. Kluever is third but trapped behind the lapped trucks of Starr, Huffman, and Rogers.
43. Kansas Speedway track officials announce a near capacity crowd of 80,000 in the house today.
42. Lap 120 - Leaders pit. Hornaday leads off pit road. Bodine is second, with Kluever third, Sprague fourth and Reutimann fifth. Setzer, Spencer, Crafton, Andretti and Park are the top-10. Skinner, Whitt, Craven, Gaughan, Crawford, Hamilton, and Cook round out the lead lap trucks.
41. Lap 117 - Bodine has lapped Hines and Cook, who are racing for 20th. Hines again loses the air coming off turn two and does a carbon copy spin of his earlier incident. He drives away with no contact. Cook receives the free pass.
O'Reilly 250 Race Updates 51-
07-02-2005 5:05 pm
56. Lap 164 - Crafton and Musgrave come together coming out of four. Crafton gets turned head on into the wall and comes to a stop in the grass just past the start-finish line. Crafton appears uninjured. UPDATE on SUTTON and FONTAINE: Chris Fontaine was examined and released from the infield care center. Kelly Sutton was transported via ground ambulance to KU Med Center in Kansas City for further evaluation. She was able to get out of her truck and walked to the ambulance on her own power following her slide on the roof in turn four earlier.
55. Lap 162 - Starr spins and collects Huffman in turn one. Both bounce off the wall and continue. No caution.
54. Lap 156 - Restart. The top-4 have cleared lapped traffic. Bodine is stretching his lead slightly.
53. Lap 155 - Yellow is back out and the trucks are rolling. Chaffin receives the free pass.
52. Lap 154 - Red flag is out for a major accident in turns three and four. Chris Fontaine spun in three and was clipped by Kelly Sutton as he slid down the banking at full speed. Sutton contacted the left front of Fontaine's truck and rolled on to her roof, sliding down the banking in turn four before flipping back on to her wheels when she hit the apron. Sutton is out of her truck and walked to the ambulance for her ride to the infield care center. Fontaine climbed out on his own and walked to the ambulance as well. UPDATE on PARK: Steve Park was taken to the infield care center where he was examined and released following his accident moments ago.
51. Lap 149 - Sprague detonates an engine entering turn one. He had been slowing and lost several positions in recent laps.
Unofficial Results: O'Reilly 250
07-02-2005 5:08 pm
Click here for unofficial results
Sutton Update
07-02-2005 6:43 pm
There is a change in the status regarding Kelly Sutton. It was originally announced that she was taken via ground ambulance to a nearby hospital, but it was recently announced she was not transported. She was examined and released from the KU Med Infield Care Center here at the track.
O'Reilly 250 Fast Facts
07-02-2005 7:50 pm
Today's win is Bodine's first of the season; it's his third career win...he finished fifteenth in his only other career start at Kansas Speedway; his last win came in October 2004 at Texas Motor Speedway...Bodine is the fifth winner in five races at Kansas Speedway...Kluever, who turns 27 on July 6, had his best career finish here this afternoon, second; his previous best finish was fourth at Mansfield...today's win was also Toyota's first of the season; in addition, they had four of the top-5 finishers (Bodine, Reutimann, Skinner, and Lester)...Lester's fifth-place finish is his career best; his previous best was sixth earlier this season at Charlotte...Toyota's win breaks Chevrolet's streak of five consecutive wins.
Points report
07-02-2005 7:55 pm
Setzer stays in the lead by 38 markers over Hamilton. Musgrave is third, 53 points out of the lead, followed by Hornaday and Craven.
1. Setzer
2. Hamilton, -38
3. Musgrave, -53
4. Hornaday, -134
5. Craven, -147
6. Spencer, -157
7. Cook, -182
8. Sprague, -243
9. Skinner, -265
10. Crafton, -278
Who's In, Who's Not
07-02-2005 7:58 pm
Here are the teams locked in, and here are the teams that need to go or go home next week at Kentucky Speedway:
Who's In
26. Darrell Waltrip Motorsports No. 12, 1128
27. ThorSport Racing No. 13, 1085
28. Red Horse Racing No. 38, 1083
29. Green Light Racing No. 08, 1080
30. BHR No. 18, 1068
31. BHR 2 No. 8, 1035
Who's Not
32. Sutton Motorsports No. 02, 948
33. Mighty Motorsports No. 24, 694
The Fiddleback Racing No. 66 is still among the top-30 in owner points, but is shut down and not eligible. That means the next highest truck that has fulfilled the requirements is eligible, and that is the BHR2 No. 8 team.
Manufacturer Post Race Quotes
07-02-2005 8:07 pm
Links to manufacturer's post-race quotes (also linked in the event box on the main news page):
Chevrolet
| Ford | Toyota
Ford and Toyota to follow...
Folks, that's a wrap for Kansas...see you in Kentucky!
07-02-2005 8:23 pm
We're going to put a period on it from here at the Kansas Speedway. What a thrilling finish to a typical slam-bang NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race, with Todd Bodine going to victory lane. Several guys drove to their best career finish, and several others had good finishes to turn around their seasons. Thankfully none of the drivers involved in any of the accidents here this afternoon hurt anything more than their feelings, in particular Kelly Sutton, Chris Fontaine, and Steve Park. Sutton went for a wild ride on her roof after hard contact with Fontaine, while Park backed his truck in very hard in turn one.
We'll be back at it from Kentucky Speedway next Friday afternoon as we have a one hour practice session Friday evening, and then we will have more practice, Live! Bud Pole Qualifying, and coverage of the Built Ford Tough 225 on Saturday.
Much thanks to the hard working staff here at Kansas Speedway for all the assistance this weekend. Thanks to NASCAR Public Relations and NASCAR Stats for all of their help this weekend as well. Most of all, all of us at TruckSeries.com thank you for checking out the Toughest Site on the Web and hanging out with us this weekend. We'll see you in six days from Kentucky!
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