Craftsman®

Kroger 200
Martinsville
SPEED • MRN • XM
Sat., Oct. 21, 2006

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NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series

 
Race #21 | Kroger 200
Martinsville Speedway
Martinsville, Virginia
 
Saturday, October 21, 2006


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Miller Scores First Top 10 at Martinsville 10-27-2006 10:27 am
Before Saturday’s Kroger 200 Dodge Motorsports Driver Chase Miller had only seen Martinsville Speedway once in his life and had never raced a 3400lb truck against 35 other competitors on one of the NASCAR circuit’s toughest short tracks . Miller proved once again he was up for the challenge scoring his first top-10 finish in only his fourth NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series start.

Riethmeyer Comes Up Short in Truck Series Debut 10-26-2006 9:20 am
Chalk it up to one big learning experience and something to build on for 20-something driving phenom Bradley Riethmeyer. Riethmeyer, the 2005 All-American Driver Challenge (AADC) winner, came up a fraction of a second short in his bid to qualify for the Kroger 200 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series event at Martinsville Speedway last weekend in The All-American Driver Challenge No. 49 Dodge.

Busch Collects Sixth at Martinsville 10-25-2006 11:14 am
Kyle Busch drove his No. 15 Sound and Speed Chevrolet for Billy Ballew Motorsports to a sixth place finish this past Saturday at Martinsville Speedway.  Making his fifth NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series start in 2006, Busch started in ninth position, got as low as 28th place following pit stops and battled to regain his top-10 positioning by the end of the 200-lap race.

Benson, No. 23 Toyota Review: Martinsville 10-24-2006 9:02 pm
Benson, No. 23 Toyota Review: Martinsville With five races remaining in the 2006 season, Johnny Benson knew that maintaining a chance to win the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Championship would require a lot of hard work in Martinsville. The No. 23 team was caught up in a wreck when the series visited the .526-mile oval in the spring, which resulted in the team's worst finish of the season. (High Sierra Photo)

NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Crew Chief Penalized for Rules Violation at Martinsville 10-24-2006 4:28 pm
NASCAR announced today that a penalty has been issued to the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series No. 50 Ford team as a result of a rule violation last week at Martinsville Speedway. Crew chief Matthew J. Puccia has been fined $2,500. Transmission contained unapproved third gear ratio of 1.15:1) of the 2006 NASCAR Rule Book.

Skinner, No. 5 Toyota Review: Martinsville 10-24-2006 2:00 pm
Skinner, No. 5 Toyota Review: Martinsville Mike Skinner and the No. 5 Toyota Tundra team entered Saturday's race as the hottest team in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series garage area. The team has posted three top-five finishes and four top-10 finishes in the past four races, including one victory and two runner-up finishes. The team brought one of its best trucks in hopes of keeping its streak of top-10 finishes alive. (High Sierra Photo)

Dodson Experiences Short-Track Woes at Martinsville 10-24-2006 1:26 pm
Eighteen year-old Cameron Dodson learned valuable short-track experience at last weekend’s “Kroger 200” NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series’ event at Martinsville Speedway even if the outcome wasn’t what the teen racing sensation was anticipating.

Hamilton Jr. No. 18 Dodge Review: Martinsville 10-23-2006 5:18 pm
Bobby Hamilton Jr. and his No. 18 Fastenal Dodge fell victim to the tight demanding corners of one of America’s most challenging short tracks. Martinsville Speedway, a diminutive .526 mile short track nestled in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, is notorious for the toll it takes on race drivers and their equipment, and on Saturday afternoon it claimed another casualty when Hamilton Jr.’s Dodge suffered a rear end gear failure on lap 88 of the Kroger 200 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series event.

Lester, No. 22 Toyota Review: Martinsville 10-23-2006 5:06 pm
With only four races remaining on the 2006 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series schedule, Bill Lester and his Bill Davis Racing crew were hoping for big things on the short track in Martinsville. After being involved in a lap one incident, the team rebounded to earn a 12th place finish, its best effort of the season.

NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Race Review: Martinsville 10-23-2006 4:00 pm
NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Race Review: Martinsville A 14th-place finish reduced Todd Bodine's championship lead to 79 points, the closest margin since June 1, but a rough road lies ahead for challenger Johnny Benson. The final four races of the season figuratively will be run in Bodine's house. He's the most recent winner, in March, at Atlanta Motor Speedway where the EasyCare Vehicle Service 200 will be run on Saturday. (High Sierra Photo)

Sprague Wins at Martinsville... Finally 10-23-2006 3:24 pm
Sprague Wins at Martinsville... Finally Jack Sprague got the monkey off his back - figuratively and literally. The three-time NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series champion, who never had won in 12 previous starts at Martinsville Speedway, took his No. 60 Con-way Freight Toyota from Budweiser Pole to victory lane to triumph for the 27th time in a 343-race career. The race was witnessed by a record Kroger 200 crowd estimated at 36,000. Sprague, who led the Kroger 200 twice for 95 laps, benefited from Ted Musgrave's restart error at lap 138 and stayed out front for the remainder of the event to edge Martinsville's spring winner David Starr by .416 seconds - about a truck length. The victory, Sprague's second of the season, was worth $50,900. He averaged 60.172 mph for the 200-lap, 105.2-mile distance as a race record 12 cautions consumed 67 laps. "This is huge for me because I don't run good here," said Sprague, whose best Martinsville finish of third came in 2005. "I've always struggled."  (David M. Vaughn Photo)

Top-10 for Crawford at Martinsville 10-23-2006 3:09 pm
Top-10 for Crawford at Martinsville As the track record holder and a former winner at Martinsville Speedway the Circle Bar Team looks forward to the paper clip half-mile speedway in Virginia. This year's installment of the Kroger 200 would give the team another opportunity to bring home the bacon and improve on their 5th place position in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series standings. (Ronda Greer Photo)

East, No. 21 Ford Review: Martinsville 10-23-2006 2:58 pm
Bobby East started 34th last Saturday at the Kroger 200 in his State Fair Corn Dogs/Edy's Dibs Ford F-150 at the Martinsville Speedway. He finished 21st. East's next race will be the EasyCare Vehicle Service Contracts 200 at the Atlanta Motor Speedway on Saturday.

Official Results - Kroger 200 at Martinsville 10-23-2006 2:18 pm
Musgrave's Misfortune Gives Sprague Easy Win at Martinsville The box score will show Jack Sprague won the Kroger 200 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race from the pole. What it won't show is how he accomplished his 27th career series victory. After leading early, Sprague handed the lead over to Ted Musgrave who looked like he would use a no-stop pit strategy to pick up his first win of the season. Many expected someone to try it, but fail because of fuel mileage. No one expected a black flag penalty for an improper restart to send Musgrave to pit road. That left Sprague in the lead and he was able to hold off all challenges over the final 40 laps to drive the No. 60 Con-way Freight Toyota to his second victory of the 2006 season. Sprague celebrated the fact the fastest truck won the race, but wasn't sure he could have beaten Musgrave. "I'm not sure we could have beaten Ted had he not had that black flag," Sprague said.    More

(High Sierra Photo)

Starr Hangs Tough for Second Place Finish at Martinsville 10-23-2006 1:54 pm
Starr Hangs Tough for Second Place Finish at Martinsville David Starr and the No. 11 Red Horse Racing team came up just shy of repeating as champions at Martinsville Speedway in Saturday's Kroger 200. Starr's impressive run at the Virginia short track wasn't without its share of difficulty. Starr hit the wall in the final practice on Friday, which cut his time on the track. (David M. Vaughn Photo)

Cook, No. 10 Ford Race Review: Martinsville 10-23-2006 1:44 pm
Terry Cook and the No. 10 Ford Power Stroke Diesel by International race team finished 17th in Saturday’s Kroger 200 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series (NCTS) race at Martinsville Speedway.

Lap Summary: Kroger 200 at Martinsville 10-23-2006 1:33 pm
The lap summary report of the Kroger 200 at Martinsville Speedway, the twenty first race of the 2006 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series season.

Unofficial Owner Points: Kroger 200 at Martinsville 10-23-2006 1:24 pm
The unofficial driver points following the Kroger 200 at Martinsville Speedway, the twenty first race of the 2006 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series season.

“Almost” Means 14th for Bodine at Martinsville 10-23-2006 11:32 am
NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series points leader Todd Bodine knew that he had to have his game face on when he took the green flag at Martinsville. Both Talladega Superspeedway and Martinsville Speedway were the two significant unknowns heading into the final stretch of the 2006 season.

Martinsville Cup/Truck Photo Gallery Posted on CloseFinishes.com 10-23-2006 11:23 am
Martinsville Speedway, a .526-mile oval located in some of the prettiest country the state of Virginia has to offer, is a place where fans can get really close to the action. To give you an even better look at Martinsville, we fired up the Close Finishes digital camera while in the garage area there Saturday.

Engine Woes Halt Key Motorsports Progress at Martinsville 10-23-2006 11:21 am
The aspirations that the Key Motorsports race team had to finish in the top 30 in team owner points this NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series season took a huge hit Saturday afternoon thanks to engine problems.

Sprague Gets Monkey Off His Back with Martinsville Win 10-23-2006 12:38 am
Sprague Gets Monkey Off His Back with Martinsville Win Jack Sprague and the No. 60 Con-way Freight Toyota team finally got the monkey off their backs and returned to Victory Lane at Martinsville Speedway in the Kroger 200 on Saturday afternoon for their second win of the 2006 season. "It's huge for me because I don't ever run good here. I have a couple of third place finishes, but I have always struggled every time I came here," Sprague said. (David M. Vaughn Photo)

Long Day and a Lead Lap Finish for Gaughan at Martinsville 10-23-2006 12:20 am
Going into Saturday’s race at Martinsville Speedway, Brendan Gaughan had finished every lap of competition in five Craftsman Truck Series starts there. It took a heroic effort on the part of driver and pit crew to push that streak to six.

Musgrave Frustrated with 15th after Dominating at Martinsville 10-23-2006 12:00 am
Musgrave Frustrated with 15th after Dominating at Martinsville Ted Musgrave dominated the Kroger 200 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race at Martinsville Speedway, leading a race high 104 laps, but left with a frustrating 15th-place finish after a controversial black flag on a late-race restart. "We could have made it easily," Musgrave said. "The cautions left us with plenty of fuel and that wasn't even a question." -Ted Musgrave (David M. Vaughn Photo)

Sprague, No 60 Toyota Review: Martinsville 10-22-2006 3:30 pm
This is Jack Sprague’s second win in the 2006 season. His last win was at Memphis Motorsports Park in July. Sprague’s win came from the pole. It is Sprague’s second win from the pole this season.

Tough Outing for Ragan at Martinsville 10-22-2006 3:16 pm
David Ragan and the No. 50 Roush Racing team finished right where they started at Martinsville, but had a very eventful day leading up to the tough finish.  Trouble came quickly for Ragan, who would eventually be involved in four incidents over the course of the 200-lap event.

Pit Strategy Propels Darnell to Third-Place Finish at Martinsville 10-22-2006 3:00 pm
Pit Strategy Propels Darnell to Third-Place Finish at Martinsville The No. 99 Northern Tool + Equipment team entered Martinsville looking to repeat their success of one year ago, when they went to victory lane in the 200-lap event. Crew chief John Quinn and driver Erik Darnell employed the same strategy from that race, knowing track position would be critical at the end of the race. It nearly paid off, but their efforts came just shy of repeating the feat of 2005. (Ronda Greer Photo)

Ambrose Has Top 10 Finish Slip Away at Martinsville 10-22-2006 2:37 pm
Team Australia NASCAR Truck driver Marcos Ambrose was unlucky to miss his fourth top 10 finish of his rookie NASCAR season at the Kroger 200 at Martinsville Speedway in Virginia today. Ambrose made another forward step in his NASCAR career today, showing his best form yet on a short track.

Sprague Finally Finds His Groove at Martinsville 10-22-2006 2:19 pm
At the start of the Kroger 200 Saturday, Jack Sprague wasn’t too found of Martinsville Speedway. By day’s end, it was on the veteran driver’s list of favorite tracks. Sprague started on the pole and turned in a dominating performance to capture the Kroger 200 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race at Martinsville Speedway..

Kroger 200 - Penalty Report 10-22-2006 11:31 am

Kroger 200 - Loop Scoring Report 10-21-2006 10:20 pm

WIX Lap Leader Award: Kroger 200 at Martinsville 10-21-2006 6:02 pm
Ted Musgrave led once for 105 laps to earn WIX Filters Lap Leader of the Race honors in the Kroger 200. Musgrave took the honor for the first time in 2006. He has led six times in six races for a total of 155 laps.

Rookie Race Notes: Martinsville 10-21-2006 5:05 pm
Rookie Race Notes: Martinsville Erik Darnell in the No. 99 Northern Tool + Equipment Ford was the Raybestos Rookie of the Race at Martinsvile. Darnell finished third, his second top-five and eighth top-10 of the 2006 season. Darnell took Raybestos Rookie of the Race honors for the 11th time in 21 races. He was also the top rookie in the April 2 Kroger 250 at Martinsville, grabbing an 11th-place finish. (High Sierra Photo)

Musgrave's Misfortune Gives Sprague Easy Win at Martinsville 10-21-2006 4:36 pm
Musgrave's Misfortune Gives Sprague Easy Win at Martinsville The box score will show Jack Sprague won the Kroger 200 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race from the pole. What it won't show is how he accomplished his 27th career series victory. After leading early, Sprague handed the lead over to Ted Musgrave who looked like he would use a no-stop pit strategy to pick up his first win of the season. Many expected someone to try it, but fail because of fuel mileage. No one expected a black flag penalty for an improper restart to send Musgrave to pit road. That left Sprague in the lead and he was able to hold off all challenges over the final 40 laps to drive the No. 60 Con-way Freight Toyota to his second victory of the 2006 season. Sprague celebrated the fact the fastest truck won the race, but wasn't sure he could have beaten Musgrave. "I'm not sure we could have beaten Ted had he not had that black flag," Sprague said. (High Sierra Photo)

Toyota Race Notes: Martinsville 10-21-2006 4:10 pm
Toyota Race Notes: Martinsville This is Jack Sprague's second win this year in the No. 60 Con-way Freight Tundra. In both his wins this season, he started from the pole. It is also his 27th career Craftsman Truck Series win. "We've had a rough month. We've been fast enough to win a couple of races, especially Talladega. To win at Martinsville is unbelievable. I'm terrible here, so this is really cool." -Jack Sprague (High Sierra Photo)

Ford Race Notes: Martinsville 10-21-2006 3:44 pm
Ford Race Notes: Martinsville "Mike Beam and the Scotts F-150 team did a super job here today, executed a great race. We were just a whisker off and we just couldn't pass. We were fine, we never got passed all day, but we only made one pass all day. That's what we had." -Mark Martin (High Sierra Photo)

Unofficial Driver Points: Kroger 200 at Martinsville - Revised 10-21-2006 3:24 pm
The unofficial driver points following the Kroger 200 at Martinsville Speedway, the twenty first race of the 2006 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series season.

Unofficial Results: Kroger 200 at Martinsville - Revised 10-21-2006 3:20 pm
The unofficial race results of the Kroger 200 at Martinsville Speedway, the twenty first race of the 2006 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series season.

Sprague Wins Martinsville Kroger 200 10-21-2006 3:07 pm
Sprague Wins Martinsville Kroger 200 Jack Sprague had never finished better than third at Martinsville Speedway before today, but he rectified that here this afternoon with his second win of the 2006 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series season, picking up his 27th career series win in the Kroger 200. Sprague held off a fast closing David Starr. Erik Darnell finished third, with his teammate Mark Martin in fourth. Johnny Benson was fifth to close in to within 79 points of leader Todd Bodine. TruckSeries.com will have a complete report to follow, in addition to TrackSideLive! post-race coverage. (High Sierra Photo)

Ambrose Qualifies Fourth at Martinsville 10-20-2006 9:18 pm
Marcos Ambrose has qualified a sensational fourth in the Team Australia Ford F-150 for the Kroger 200 in Martinsville, Virginia today. The performance capped a great 24 hours for Team Australia, with the Aussie Vineyards-backed operation’s Champ Car star Will Power securing provisional pole at the team’s home race at the Lexmark Indy 300 on Queensland’s Gold Coast on Friday.

Sprague Handles Cold Track for Kroger 200 Pole at Martinsville 10-20-2006 8:33 pm
Jack Sprague went from last to first in a hurry at Martinsville Speedway Friday afternoon. Sprague was the last truck to attempt to qualify for Saturday’s Kroger 200 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race at Martinsville Speedway and he went right to the front with a speed of 95.675 mph around the .526-mile oval. It was his second pole of the season and 29th of his career.

Toyota Qualifying Notes: Martinsville 10-20-2006 7:31 pm
Toyota Qualifying Notes: Martinsville Jack Sprague, No. 60 Con-way Freight Tundra took the Kroger 200 Bud Pole at Martinsville Speedway. "In qualifying, I about knocked down the wall going into turn one on the warm-up lap. The tires just locked-up, the track was so cold. But, other than that, I was able to get the pole." -Jack Sprague (High Sierra Photo)

Rookie Qualifying Notes: Martinsville 10-20-2006 7:00 pm
Rookie Qualifying Notes: Martinsville Marcos Ambrose in the No. 20 Team Australia/Aussie Vineyards Ford was the top Raybestos Rookie qualifier at Martinsville. Ambrose will start fourth, his fifth top-five start of the 2006 season. Erik Darnell will start fifth, his fourth top-five start this season. Ambrose and Darnell are the only Raybestos Rookies to win a pole position this season. (High Sierra Photo)

Sprague Nips Skinner to Take Martinsville Pole 10-20-2006 6:47 pm
Sprague Nips Skinner to Take Martinsville Pole Jack Sprague drew a good number to go out late in the order and utilized cooler track conditions to take the pole for Saturday's Kroger 200 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race at Martinsville Speedway. Sprague earned his 29th career pole, second best in series history to the guy he beat out in qualifying Mike Skinner. Sprague's fast lap of 19.782seconds/95.675 miles per hour in the No. 60 Con-way Freight Toyota beat Skinner's lap of 19.940 seconds/94.985 miles per hour. It is Sprague's second pole of the season; he won from the pole in July at Memphis. Sprague's first concern after his qualifying run was if he had matched his friend and rival's career mark for NCTS poles. "Did I tie Skinner," Sprague asked after getting out of the truck. Once told he was still just one behind Skinner, his attention soon turned to the job at hand. (High Sierra Photo)

Starting Lineup: Kroger 200 at Martinsville 10-20-2006 6:17 pm
The official starting lineup of the Kroger 200 at Martinsville Speedway, the twenty first race of the 2006 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series season.

Qualifying Times: Kroger 200 at Martinsville 10-20-2006 6:14 pm
The official qualifying results of the Kroger 200 at Martinsville Speedway, the twenty first race of the 2006 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series season.

East's Paint Scheme to Support Greg Biffle Foundation and Animal Adoption League at Martinsville 10-20-2006 11:59 am
The No. 21 State Fair Corn Dogs/Edy’s Grand Ford F-150, driven by Bobby East, will be teaming up with the Greg Biffle Foundation during this weekend’s Kroger 200 at Martinsville Speedway, and it’s all for a great cause. As a company, the Wood Brothers/JTG Race Team, like the Greg Biffle Foundation, hold the efforts of Animal Rescue close to their hearts.

Gaughan Geared Up for Martinsville 10-20-2006 11:41 am
Gaughan on Martinsville Speedway: "I wish I was looking forward to Martinsville. I still stick with the mantra of 'I hate Martinsville' and then I feel bad for the poor guys at Martinsville every time I say that because they have such a great, cool facility."

Rookie Practice Times: Kroger 200 at Martinsville 10-20-2006 11:00 am
The official Rookie practice results of the Kroger 200 at Martinsville Speedway, the twenty first race of the 2006 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series season.

Practice 1 Times: Kroger 200 at Martinsville 10-20-2006 10:21 am
The official first practice results of the Kroger 200 at Martinsville Speedway, the twenty first race of the 2006 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series season.

Hamlin to Drive No. 46 Chevy at Martinsville 10-20-2006 9:46 am
Denny Hamlin has been tapped to drive the No. 46 Econo Lodge/Rodeway Inn Chevrolet Silverado fielded by Morgan-Dollar Motorsports (MDM) in the Kroger 200 for the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series (NCTS). The Oct. 21 event will mark the third time around the track for the Econo Lodge and Rodeway Inn brands from hotel franchising company Choice Hotels International, Inc.

Qualifying Order: Kroger 200 at Martinsville 10-20-2006 8:51 am
The official qualifying order of the Kroger 200 at Martinsville Speedway, the twenty first race of the 2006 NASCAR Craftsman TruckSeries season.

Crafton Seeks Repeat Performance at Martinsville 10-20-2006 12:38 am
Crafton Seeks Repeat Performance at Martinsville Matt Crafton heads into the Kroger 200 at Martinsville Speedway on Saturday afternoon looking for a repeat of his stellar spring performance at the .526 mile paper clip oval, when he raced to a career and season-best 3rd place finish in the No. 88 Menards Chevrolet Silverado. " I like Martinsville because of the tight corners, and the racing always seems to be exciting there," said Crafton. (Ronda Greer Photo)

Final Practice Times: Kroger 200 at Martinsville 10-20-2006 12:16 am
The official final practice results of the Kroger 200 at Martinsville Speedway, the twenty first race of the 2006 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series season.

HT Motorsports Eyes 100th Truck Series Start 10-19-2006 6:55 pm
HT Motorsports Eyes 100th Truck Series Start Chaffin Pulling Truck, Cup Double Duty at Martinsville - Coming off a spectacular 8th place finish at Talladega Superspeedway, Chad Chaffin heads to Martinsville seeking success on the exciting .526-mile short track. Chaffin has had some past successes at Martinsville, but as Chaffin put it, "Past success is not proof for future success. I am looking for success now." (Ronda Greer Photo)

Cope to Drive No. 40 Chevrolet in Atlanta 10-19-2006 2:02 pm
Veteran driver Derrike Cope will be looking to finish the business the second time around for Key Motorsports after agreeing today to again drive the No. 40 Chevrolet Silverado in the Easy Care Vehicle Service Contracts 200, NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race at the Atlanta Motor Speedway next Saturday.

East Looks to Improve in Return to Martinsville 10-19-2006 1:41 pm
East Looks to Improve in Return to Martinsville As soon as Bobby East finished the April 1 race at the Martinsville Speedway, he started looking ahead to Saturday's return. The Kroger 200 marks the first time in East's rookie season in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series that he's made a return to a track. "Martinsville is no different than any other short track," East said. (Ronda Greer Photo)

Crocker, No. 98 Dodge Preview: Martinsville 10-19-2006 11:27 am
Crocker, No. 98 Dodge Preview: Martinsville Erin Crocker's debut in short track racing came at Martinsville this spring, where she started 34th and finished 25th. "I am really looking forward to the last short track race of the season. Martinsville was my first ever short track race in the truck series this spring and we had a pretty good finish." -Erin Crocker (Ronda Greer Photo)

Back Where He Began - Stout Returns to Martinsville 10-19-2006 11:24 am
JC Stout, 23 year old driver of the No. 91 NASCAR Craftsman Truck, returns this week to the track in which his Craftsman Truck Series career began. A newcomer with no experience in one of NASCAR’s top three divisions, Stout and his all volunteer team worked tirelessly to pass technical inspection and qualified into the race in his very first attempt.

Martinsville Marks HT Motorsports 100th Truck Series Start 10-19-2006 10:26 am
Saturday’s Kroger 200 in Martinsville will be the 100th Craftsman Truck start for HT Motorsports.  Owner Jim Harris and the entire team are looking forward to a great race on their home track in front of many friends and family.  With a great finish in Talladega they are ready to tackle the challenges of a short track.

McCumbee & The GPS Store Team Ready to Navigate Martinsville 10-19-2006 10:23 am
With only five races to go in the season for the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, Green Light Racing driver Chad McCumbee and the No. 08 The GPS Store/Garmin team are hoping every lap counts, starting with this weekend's Kroger 200 at Martinsville Speedway.

Busch at the Wheel of the No. 15 Chevy for Martinsville 10-19-2006 10:20 am
Kyle Busch returns to the seat of the No. 15 Billy Ballew Motorsports entry for the Kroger 200 at Martinsville Speedway on Saturday. Adorning the No. 15 will be SunTrust Bank, along with associate sponsorship from Manheim Orange Co. Auto Auction and Manheim Central Florida Auto Auction.

Chevy Preview: Martinsville 10-18-2006 8:38 pm
Team Chevy Silverado returns for the second time this season to the historic Martinsville (VA) Speedway for the 21st race of the 25-race NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series (NCTS) season. The paper clip-shaped .526-mile oval has been on the NCTS schedule since the inaugural 1995 season. The series began racing there twice a season in 2003.

Skinner, No. 5 Toyota Preview: Martinsville 10-18-2006 2:16 pm
Not only will Mike Skinner pilot the No. 5 Toyota Tundra in Saturday’s Kroger 200, but he will also attempt to qualify the No. 72 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series car for Sunday’s 500-lap event. In four NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series starts at the .526-mile track in Martinsville, Va., Skinner has accumulated three top-five finishes, including a win in 1996.

Lester, No. 22 Toyota Preview: Martinsville 10-18-2006 1:36 pm
The No. 22 Bill Davis Racing team tested at Caraway Speedway near Asheboro, N.C., last Wednesday in preparation for this weekend’s race at Martinsville Speedway. Bill Lester drove this truck to a 35th-place finish at New Hampshire International Speedway in its most recent outing.

Martinsville Race "Pivotal" for Benson 10-18-2006 1:05 pm
Martinsville Race Heading into Martinsville Johnny Benson trails Craftsman Truck Series points leader Todd Bodine by 113 points with five races remaining in the 2006 season. "The date for the race at Martinsville has been circled on my calendar since the spring. When I look back on the 2006 season, it will be a pivotal race in our hopes for a championship." -Johnny Benson (David M. Vaughn Photo)

Cook, No. 10 Ford Preview: Martinsville 10-18-2006 10:52 am
Cook, No. 10 Ford Preview: Martinsville "I'm very excited about our chances at Martinsville this weekend. We've had good luck there but the Spring race this year wasn't as kind to us. We got taken out by a lap truck but that's just typical Martinsville. You can take the best truck and get swept up in someone else's wreck." -Terry Cook (Ronda Greer Photo)

This Week in Ford Racing: Marcos Ambrose 10-18-2006 10:29 am
This Week in Ford Racing: Marcos Ambrose For the first time this season, Marcos Ambrose, driver of the No. 20 Ford F-150, will return to a race track with prior racing experience. Ambrose, who made his NASCAR debut at Martinsville Speedway earlier this season, is set to make his return to the .526-mile track this weekend in the Kroger 200.

Teleconference Transcript: Todd Bodine 10-18-2006 12:34 am
Teleconference Transcript: Todd Bodine Todd Bodine is currently the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series points leader. Bodine holds a 113 point lead over second-place Johnny Benson with five races remaining in the 2006 season. So far this season, Bodine has three wins (Atlanta, St. Louis and Texas), 11 top-five and 15 top-10 finishes. Bodine finished 12th at Martinsville earlier this spring. (David M. Vaughn Photo)

Darnell, No. 99 Ford Preview: Martinsville 10-18-2006 12:22 am
Erik Darnell will make his second NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series start at Martinsville Speedway in Saturday’s Kroger 200. Darnell’s previous start at Martinsville came in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race back in April. He started in the 13th position and finished 11th.

Ragan, No. 50 Ford Preview: Martinsville 10-18-2006 12:19 am
David Ragan will attempt to make his second NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series start at Martinsville Speedway in Saturday’s Kroger 200. Ragan’s previous NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series start came in April’s Kroger 250 where he finished 34th after being involved in an accident.

All-American Driver Challenge Lands Sponsor for No. 49 Truck in Martinsville 10-18-2006 12:14 am
Unique Pizza and Subs, a Delaware-based corporation will be the co-primary sponsor on The All-American Driver Challenge truck for The Kroger 200 race in Martinsville, VA on October 21st. Twenty-two-year-old Bradley Riethmeyer, winner of the 2006 All-American Driver Challenge (AADC), will qualify to compete in his first ever NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series event.

Kroger 200 Up Next for Rising Star’s Dodson 10-18-2006 12:12 am
Hot off of an open-wheel sprint car win, Indiana’s Cameron Dodson is ready to tackle the famed “paper-clip”-shaped half-mile of Martinsville Speedway.  Dodson, 18, will once again pilot the #63 MB Motorsports’ entry for the third time of the 2006 racing campaign.

Championship Chase in Full Swing as Bodine Leads Points into Martinsville 10-17-2006 10:58 pm
Championship Chase in Full Swing as Bodine Leads Points into Martinsville Todd Bodine has one more hurdle to cross in the 2006 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series before he reaches his comfort zone. The hurdle he is approaching, the Kroger 200 at the 0.526-mile Martinsville Speedway, could be easily cleared and propel him to the series title, or it could trip up his hopes after leading the series championship standings since the early part of the season. The comfort zone, the 1.5-mile tracks the make up three of the final four races of the 2006 season, could propel him to his first series title. The back-to-back races at Talladega and Martinsville are roundly considered to be wild card races, where anything can and likely will happen. Consider Talladega, where Bodine was making a charge for the lead with 10 laps to go but was black flagged for a pass below the yellow "out of bounds" line.  A quick recovery and strong moves in the draft led to a fourth-place finish for the driver of the No. 30 Lumber Liquidators Toyota. (David M. Vaughn Photo)

Reid Out, Lusk in No. 25 Dodge For Martinsville 10-17-2006 1:22 pm
Reid Out, Lusk in No. 25 Dodge For Martinsville In an effort to assist with the various elements to make a winning-race team, Woodard Racing announced today that Damon Lusk will drive the No. 25 Woodard Racing Dodge Ram in the next three NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series events beginning with Saturday's Kroger 200 from Martinsville Speedway. (High Sierra Photo)

Toyota Preview: Martinsville 10-17-2006 10:34 am
Toyota Preview: Martinsville The Kroger 200 at Martinsville Speedway will be the 16th NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race at the Virginia track. There will be nine Toyota Tundras in the field at the .526-mile oval, the 21st NCTS race of the 2006 season. In the most recent race of the 2006 Craftsman Truck Series season at Talladega Superspeedway, four Tundra drivers recorded top-five finishes. (David M. Vaughn Photo)

NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Preview: Martinsville 10-16-2006 8:45 pm