Craftsman®

Kroger 250
Martinsville
FOX • MRN • Sirius
Sat., Mar. 31, 2007

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NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series

 
Race #4 | Kroger 250
Martinsville Speedway
Martinsville, Virginia
Saturday, March 31, 2007


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Riethmeyer Attempts His Truck Series Debut at Mansfield 05-25-2007 10:52 am
Riethmeyer Attempts His Truck Series Debut at Mansfield This Saturday at Mansfield Motorsports Park, Bradley Riethmeyer will attempt to qualify for the Ohio 250. With unwavering determination, Riethmeyer goes into his third qualifying attempt with the All-American Driver Challenge (AADC) truck after failing to qualify in his first two attempts at Martinsville by very narrow margins. (Team PR Photo)

Sauter Ready for Return to Midwest 05-24-2007 11:26 am
Sauter Ready for Return to Midwest The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series heads back to its racing roots, back to the short tracks of the Midwest. After finishing 17th at Lowes Motor Speedway last week, Sauter is ready to get back to the track. "Our performance is starting to come around. I'm getting more comfortable in the truck and we're getting the trucks to turn in the corner," said Sauter. (David M. Vaughn Photo)

Truck Series Debut at Mansfield Up Next for Ohio Native 05-24-2007 12:37 am
Truck Series Debut at Mansfield Up Next for Ohio Native Jack Smith, the accomplished ASA Late Model veteran who boasted four wins and a potent 42% Top-10 average in ASA Late Model competition in 2006, has partnered with Foristell, Missouri’s MB Motorsports for this weekend’s NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series’ “Ohio 250” at Mansfield Motorsports Park.

Saving Jane to Perform During Mansfield NCTS Ohio 250 Weekend 05-24-2007 12:11 am
Saving Jane to Perform During Mansfield NCTS Ohio 250 Weekend Universal Records recording artists Saving Jane, whose single "Girl Next Door" reached No. 31 on the Billboard charts, will perform throughout the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Ohio 250 weekend at Mansfield Motorsports Park.

BLOG: Martinsville TV Numbers 04-10-2007 1:22 pm
BLOG: Martinsville TV Numbers Anyone that thought the Martinsville race on Fox wouldn't play to a big TV audience was proven wrong! The audience was the largest in the NCTS in about 10 years, which can only be considered a good thing. There's more good news too, because we have another Fox broadcast coming up next month, sandwiching events at Kansas and Charlotte. The next Fox race is set for Mansfield on Memorial Day weekend. I've had some people ask me "why Mansfield"? Read the rest of Charles Krall's latest BLOG entry....

Strong Martinsville Performance Moves Crawford Up the Leaderboard 04-05-2007 3:18 pm
Strong Martinsville Performance Moves Crawford Up the Leaderboard With a win and the track record to his credit, Martinsville Speedway had become one of Rick Crawford's favorite venues in the Truck Series. The team's previous success led to high expectations for the Kroger 250. "All in all it was another solid performance for our Circle Bar teams we almost had 2 trucks in the top 10 and the 14 is now in up to 3rd in points." -Rick Crawford (VPS Motorimages Photo)

Skinner Keeps Hot Streak Alive 04-05-2007 12:03 am
Skinner Keeps Hot Streak Alive Coming off of two wins in a row, Skinner and the No. 5 Toyota Tundra team were looking to keep their hot streak alive at Martinsville. Running at the speedway where he received his first Nextel Cup ride back in 1986, Skinner was poised and ready to get the weekend underway. Able to maneuver his truck well during both practice sessions, Skinner was still looking for more out of his Tundra. (David M. Vaughn Photo)

Fike Earns Rookie Honors at Martinsville With Seventh Place Run 04-04-2007 11:57 am
Fike Earns Rookie Honors at Martinsville With Seventh Place Run Aaron Fike and the Red Horse Racing team scored their first top-10 of the season and the Raybestos Rookie of the Race honors at Martinsville Speedway on Saturday after qualifying as top-rookie, rebounding from two mid-race spins, working through the field twice, and finishing seventh in the Kroger 250 at the Virginia short-track. (David M. Vaughn Photo)

Peters Secures Top-10 Finish at Home Track 04-04-2007 12:18 am
Peters Secures Top-10 Finish at Home Track In his first return to the rough-and-tough NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series since Bristol in 2006, Timothy Peters was ready to rumble at the 0.526-mile oval Martinsville Speedway. After qualifying for the 250-lap event in the eighth position, Peters was confident his No. 46 Bailey's Silverado would stay up front and be a contender for the win. (VPS Motorimages Photo)

Martinsville Not The Finish Miller Was Hoping For 04-03-2007 4:35 pm
Dodge Driver Chase Miller has had this weekend’s Martinsville race circled on his schedule since his first visit to the track last October when he scored his first top-10 finish. Unfortunately, his second visit to the track was not what Miller or the No. 4 Open Joist Dodge Team had hoped for.

Benson Fights to 10th Place Finish at Martinsville 04-03-2007 11:36 am
Benson Fights to 10th Place Finish at Martinsville Johnny Benson and the No. 23 team were looking to redeem themselves this weekend at Martinsville. After a rough race a few weeks ago in Atlanta, Benson was determined to get a good finish. Running the same 360 OTC logos as his BDR teammate Tyler Walker for the first time this season, Benson wanted nothing more than to just run well at Martinsville. (VPS Motorimages Photo)

Hornaday Captures Third Top-10 Finish at Martinsville 04-03-2007 9:47 am
Hornaday Captures Third Top-10 Finish at Martinsville After qualifying the No. 33 AES HR Solutions Chevrolet Silverado in the ninth position with a time of 19.968 seconds (94.832 mph) on Saturday afternoon, Ron Hornaday raced inside the top 10 all day. During the race, Hornaday posted an average running position of fifth place, climbing to the fourth position at one point. (VPS Motorimages Photo)

Musgrave Finishes 5th at Martinsville 04-03-2007 9:34 am
Musgrave Finishes 5th at Martinsville Ted Musgrave scored his second top-five finish of the 2007 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series season by driving the Germain Racing No. 9 Team ASE Toyota to a fifth-place finish in the Kroger 250 at Martinsville. In a race slowed by 15 caution periods, Musgrave managed to keep his nose clean on the track and parlayed strong pit strategy by crew chief Rick Gay. (David M. Vaughn Photo)

Starr Posts Season Best Finish at Martinsville 04-03-2007 9:30 am
Starr Posts Season Best Finish at Martinsville A couple of weeks off gave David Starr and his International MaxxForce Diesel team an opportunity to put the finishing touches on Circle Bar Racings newest chassis, CB 23.  "My International MaxxForce Diesel Ford F-150 was just awesome today. We made our way up to about 12th or 13th for the first pit stop and I ran over the tire changer on the 1 truck getting into my pit," said Starr. (VPS Motorimages Photo)

Harvick Hangs on for Fourth Place at Martinsville 04-03-2007 9:16 am
Harvick Hangs on for Fourth Place at Martinsville Kevin Harvick and the No. 2 Camping World team finished fourth at the Martinsville Speedway during Saturday's running of the Kroger 250. "We had a really strong truck today. I'm proud of this team and KHI. We were just in the wrong place at the wrong time.  I honestly believe we had something for the 5 and the 30. But, all in all it was a good day for us and the 33," said Harvick. (VPS Motorimages Photo)

McCumbee Finishes 24th at Martinsville Speedway 04-02-2007 9:16 pm
Chad McCumbee and theGPSstore.com / Garmin put on an impressive showing in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series event on Saturday at Martinsville Speedway (VA). For the majority of the 250-lap feature, he team was up front, and looked to be in contention for the win. Bad luck would prevent the No. 08 Chevy from getting the finish that the team deserved.

Martinsville Makes for Bad Day for Ballew 04-02-2007 7:29 pm
With anticipation, Billy Ballew Motorsports headed to the Martinsville Speedway with two NASCAR Craftsman Trucks entered in the Kroger 250 at the .546-mile race track in Virginia. Bill Lester, the team’s primary driver, was in the No. 15 Red Top Auto Auction truck and Paul Menard, the NASCAR Nextel Cup and Busch Series regular, piloted the No. 51 Moen Faucets/Pittsburgh Paints Chevrolet Silverado as part of a joint venture with Dale Earnhardt, Inc.

Engine Failure Spoils Kinser’s Run at Martinsville 04-02-2007 5:55 pm
Kraig Kinser and his Morgan-Dollar Motorsports (MDM) team were looking forward to taking their No. 47 Ginn Resorts Silverado to Martinsville for the fourth event on the 25-race NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series (NCTS) schedule.

Schrader Scores 12th Place Finish at Martinsville 04-02-2007 4:05 pm
Schrader Scores 12th Place Finish at Martinsville Martinsville Speedway is known as one of the most prestigious short tracks in the south and one of the hardest to pass on. Veteran Driver Ken Schrader showed off years of short track experience as he made his way through the field during the Kroger 250 after qualifying the No. 18 Fastenal Dodge in the 30th position. (VPS Motorimages Photo)

Sprague Salvages 16th Place Finish at Martinsville Short Track 04-02-2007 3:43 pm
Jack Sprague and the Wyler Racing team were excited to return to Martinsville Speedway where they were victorious in 2006. After running in the top 5 nearly all race the team was a victim of a crash and they finished in 16th position.

Walker Finishes Eigth at Martinsville 04-02-2007 3:31 pm
Tyler Walker and his 360 OTC crew were looking to turn their bad luck into good luck at Martinsville this weekend. Running at Martinsville Speedway for his first time ever, Walker could not have started out any better on his first attempt to tame the half-mile track. Running very well during the first practice session at the speedway, Walker managed to maneuver his truck great on every inch of the racetrack.

Kroger 250 - Official Results 04-02-2007 3:30 pm
Hat Trick for Skinner It's a feat that has only been done four times previously in the history of the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series - three consecutive victories. Following the conclusion of Saturday's Kroger 250 at Martinsville Speedway, it has now been done five times, and one man has now done it twice. Mike Skinner dominated the field by leading all but six laps to score his 22nd career win and his second victory at Martinsville. In a race that featured 15 caution flags for numerous incidents on the track, Skinner could often stretch out a comfortable advantage on his closest pursuers. On the only long green flag run of the day, Skinner was able to open up a nearly three second advantage on a resurgent Todd Bodine. But the numerous cautions kept consecutive green flag laps to a minimum. However, even that was not enough to take Skinner out of the zone. (VPS Motorimages Photo)

Skinner Takes No Prisoners at Martinsville 04-02-2007 3:00 pm
Skinner Takes No Prisoners at Martinsville Veteran Mike Skinner literally wore out the field Saturday as he drove his Toyota Tundra Toyota to victory in a record-breaking performance at Martinsville Speedway. Starting from the Budweiser Pole, Skinner gave up the lead just once when pitting under caution and led a NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series record 246 laps - including the final 172 - to capture the Kroger 250. The driver's 22nd victory, worth $54,200, was Skinner's third in a row making the Susanville, Calif. driver the first to string three consecutive wins on two occasions. Skinner, 49, was the first of four drivers to "three-peat" in 1996 - a season after becoming the series first champion. He also became just the second driver to win twice at Martinsville in duplicating his 1996 victory. "I can count on my one hand the number of times in 30 years that I've had a truck (or car) that dominant," said Skinner. (David M. Vaughn Photo)

NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Review: Martinsville 04-02-2007 11:35 am
NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Review: Martinsville Even Daytona 500 winner Kevin Harvick got caught up in the day's "action" - and he was running fourth when Brendan Gaughan's laps-down South Point Chevrolet shoved Harvick's Camper World Chevy out of the groove following a lap 208 restart. Unfazed, Harvick fought his way from seventh to regain the position he'd lost. (VPS Motorimages Photo)

Martinsville Can Be Ugly, But Fans Loved It 04-02-2007 11:12 am
Martinsville Can Be Ugly, But Fans Loved It Martinsville Speedway races never are pretty. In fact, the size of the crowd, and it was a NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series track record estimated at 45,200, could be said to be directly proportional to the number of cautions. A year ago, there were 17 that consumed a Martinsville high 87 laps. Those records stood Saturday, but just barely. (VPS Motorimages Photo)

Champ Feels Bad, Runs Good at Martinsville 04-02-2007 10:20 am
Champ Feels Bad, Runs Good at Martinsville Reigning NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series champion Todd Bodine suffering from the Flu, looked as strong as superman to many folks on pit road during Saturday's Kroger 250 at Martinsville Speedway. Bodine started the race 26th, pulled to second place after pit stops and held it through the end, getting his second-straight runner-up finish to race winner Mike Skinner. Bodine's No. 30 Lumber Liquidators Toyota Tundra was a well tuned machine, but not quite as great as some people thought. "That's funny that a lot of people missed our first pit stop," grinned an ailing Bodine. "We couldn't have made the two pit stops if we weren't running so far back. The situation worked out for us that we needed to pit earlier than the leaders, then, when the leaders came to pit road, we did too, but we only took two tires." (David M. Vaughn Photo)

Bell Finishes 23rd at Martinsville 04-02-2007 9:56 am
T.J. Bell qualified 21st for Saturday afternoon's NASCAR Craftsman Truck race at Martinsville Speedway. Bell came to Martinsville Speedway with past experience, and was hoping that would help him maneuver his truck at the tricky half mile Virginia racetrack.

Long Day for Kvapil at Martinsville 04-02-2007 9:44 am
Long Day for Kvapil at Martinsville Travis Kvapil had been looking forward to returning to Martinsville all week. He would be making his 100th career Craftsman Truck Series start at one of his favorite racetracks.. He felt like he could turn around his disappointing finishes at Atlanta and California at the Virginia half mile. Kvapil found himself mired in traffic all day, unable to have the run he so desperately wanted. (VPS Motorimages Photo)

Accident Foils Darnell's Day at Martinsville 04-02-2007 9:42 am
Erik Darnell was happy with his No. 99 Northern Tool + Equipment Ford F-150 from the moment he got on track at Martinsville Speedway on Friday morning. Darnell and crew felt they had a truck capable of a top-five finish, but after being involved in an accident not of his own doing, Darnell was relegated to an 18th-place finish.

Career Best Finish for Bjorklund at Martinsville 04-02-2007 9:11 am
Career Best Finish for Bjorklund at Martinsville Haas CNC Racing developmental driver Blake Bjorklund made his fourth appearance in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series this weekend at Martinsville Speedway. Bjorklund finished 19th, a career best finish in the Craftsman Truck Series. "We'll take it. I love short track racing. It's bumping and banging and you get knocked around everywhere," stated Bjorklund. (VPS Motorimages Photo)

Sauter, No. 07 Chevy Review: Martinsville 04-02-2007 9:07 am
Tim Sauter endured a roller-coaster ride in the Craftsman Truck Series Kroger 250 Saturday at the Martinsville Speedway. Three lucky dog passes weren’t enough to overcome a late electrical issue that left the No. 07 Lester Buildings Silverado in 29th place behind winner Mike Skinner.

Cook Battles to 15th Place Finish at Martinsville 04-02-2007 8:44 am
Cook Battles to 15th Place Finish at Martinsville Terry Cook rolled to a hard-fought 15th-place finish in Saturday's Kroger 250 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race at Martinsville Speedway. The effort proved to be roller coaster experience for the driver of the No. 59 Harris Trucking Toyota as he overcame a number of issues to post his best finish since joining the team prior to this season. (David M. Vaughn Photo)

Kroger 250 - Loop Data Reports 04-01-2007 2:28 pm

Mechanical Problems End The Day For Bires at Martinsville 04-01-2007 10:38 am
Kelly Bires and his Wood Brothers/JTG Racing team brought a new Ford F-150 to the Martinsville Speedway for last Saturday’s Kroger 250. It will need some work before it makes a return. Bires struggled to find a balance with his No. 21 Bush’s Baked Beans Ford. He finally fell victim to a broken rear end gear, finishing 34th.

Accidents Foil Clanton at Martinsville 04-01-2007 10:34 am
It took a lot to finally knock Joey Clanton out of last Saturday’s Kroger 250 at the Martinsville Speedway. The driver of the No. 09 Zaxby’s Ford F-150 survived one crash at the famed half-mile raceway, but it took another accident later in the race to finally knock him out. The deciding blow came with Erik Darnell spun and Clanton struck him. There was too much damage to the nose of his Ford to continue.

Blown Tire Ends Bliss Day Early, Rookie Kreyer Survives Debut 04-01-2007 10:33 am
Martinsville Speedway’s Kroger 250 for the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series went from gratifying to somewhat sour for Key Motorsports Saturday afternoon as veteran driver Mike Bliss had a short day and rookie Frank Kreyer survived in his NASCAR debut.

Chevy Race Notes: Martinsville 03-31-2007 8:29 pm
Chevy Race Notes: Martinsville After spending the first 200 laps of the Kroger 250 running patiently working his way from his sixth place starting spot to settle in to third in the order, Kevin Harvick, No. 2 Camping World Silverado, was headed to the front of the field. But, contact with another trucks on a restart on lap 208 sent him up the track to brush the outside wall and drop in back to seventh in the order. (VPS Motorimages Photo)

Toyota Race Notes: Martinsville 03-31-2007 8:15 pm
Toyota Race Notes: Martinsville Today's win marks Mike Skinner's second win at Martinsville Speedway, his 22nd career NCTS win and his sixth win behind the wheel of the No. 5 Toyota Tundra for Bill Davis Racing. Skinner has earned three NCTS wins in a row; California Speedway, Atlanta Motor Speedway and Martinsville Speedway. (VPS Motorimages Photo)

WIX Lap Leader: Martinsville 03-31-2007 8:06 pm
Mike Skinner led twice for 246 laps to earn WIX Filters Lap Leader of the Race honors in the Kroger 250. Skinner took the honor for the third consecutive race. Skinner has led 13 times in four races this season for a total of 365 laps.

Raybestos Rookie Race Notes: Martinsville 03-31-2007 7:07 pm
Raybestos Rookie Race Notes: Martinsville Aaron Fike in the No. 1 RFMS/Red Horse Racing Toyota was the Raybestos Rookie of the Race at Martinsville. Fike finished seventh in today's race at Martinsville, his first top-10 and best finish in four Craftsman Truck Series races.  His previous best finish was a 12th-place effort this season at Atlanta. (VPS Motorimages Photo)

Unofficial Owner Points: Kroger 250 at Martinsville 03-31-2007 6:45 pm
The unofficial owner points following the Kroger 250 at Martinsville Speedway, the fourth event of the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series season.

Unofficial Driver Points: Kroger 250 at Martinsville 03-31-2007 6:33 pm
The unofficial driver points following the Kroger 250 at Martinsville Speedway, the fourth event of the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series season.

Lap Summary Report: Kroger 250 at Martinsville 03-31-2007 6:30 pm
The Lap Summary Report of the Kroger 250 at Martinsville Speedway, the fourth event of the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series season.

Unofficial Results: Kroger 250 at Martinsville 03-31-2007 6:21 pm
The unofficial results of the Kroger 250 at Martinsville Speedway, the fourth event of the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series season.

Hat Trick for Skinner at Martinsville 03-31-2007 5:33 pm
Hat Trick for Skinner It's a feat that has only been done four times previously in the history of the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series - three consecutive victories. Following the conclusion of Saturday's Kroger 250 at Martinsville Speedway, it has now been done five times, and one man has now done it twice. Mike Skinner dominated the field by leading all but six laps to score his 22nd career win and his second victory at Martinsville. In a race that featured 15 caution flags for numerous incidents on the track, Skinner could often stretch out a comfortable advantage on his closest pursuers. On the only long green flag run of the day, Skinner was able to open up a nearly three second advantage on a resurgent Todd Bodine. But the numerous cautions kept consecutive green flag laps to a minimum. However, even that was not enough to take Skinner out of the zone. (VPS Motorimages Photo)

Starting Lineup: Kroger 250 at Martinsville 03-31-2007 1:13 pm
The official starting lineup by row of the Kroger 250 at Martinsville Speedway, the fourth race of the 2007 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series season.

Skinner Takes Record 34th NCTS Pole at Martinsville 03-31-2007 12:59 am
Skinner Takes Record 34th NCTS Pole at Martinsville It might be a different story by the time the checkered flag falls later this afternoon, but in qualifying for today's Kroger 250 experience won out over youthful enthusiasm as four previous series champions earned top-five starting positions at Martinsville Speedway. The inaugural series champion Mike Skinner continued his hot streak, taking his record-extending 34th career NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series pole with a track record lap of 19.728 seconds/95.985 miles per hour in his Bill Davis Racing No. 5 Toyota Tundra Toyota. Skinner nipped 2003 series titlist Travis Kvapil for the pole, beating the Roush Fenway Racing ace by just 0.05 seconds. Kvapil will line up outside the front row with a lap of 19.771 seconds/95.777 miles per hour. Kvapil will make his 100th career series start this afternoon. (David M. Vaughn Photo)

Qualifying Times: Kroger 250 at Martinsville 03-31-2007 12:47 am
The official qualifying times of the Kroger 250 at Martinsville Speedway, the fourth race of the 2007 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series season.

Walker and Crawford Lead Martinsville Practices 03-30-2007 5:42 pm
Walker and Crawford Lead Martinsville Practices Two drivers at the different end of the experience spectrum led the two full-field NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series practice sessions Friday afternoon at Martinsville Speedway. On a picture-perfect afternoon in the mountains of southern Virginia, NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series rookie Tyler Walker and series veteran Rick Crawford set the pace in the two full-field practice sessions for tomorrow's Kroger 250. Walker swapped the top spot throughout the first session with three-time series champion Jack Sprague, while Crawford made a banzai run late in the second session to lay claim to the fastest lap of the day. Walker, making just his fourth series start, turned a lap of 19.948 seconds/94.927 miles per hour in his No. 36 360 OTC Toyota to pace the first session. (Ronda Greer Photo)

Final Practice Times: Kroger 250 at Martinsville 03-30-2007 3:48 pm
The official final practice fastest lap times of the Kroger 250 at Martinsville Speedway, the fourth race of the 2007 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series season.

First Practice Times: Kroger 250 at Martinsville 03-30-2007 2:10 pm
The official first practice fastest lap times of the Kroger 250 at Martinsville Speedway, the fourth race of the 2007 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series season.

Rookie Practice Times: Kroger 250 at Martinsville 03-30-2007 1:14 pm
The official rookie practice times of the Kroger 250 at Martinsville Speedway, the fourth race of the 2007 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series season.

McCumbee Ready to Go Short Track Racing 03-30-2007 11:35 am
McCumbee Ready to Go Short Track Racing Chad McCumbee will be getting back to his roots this weekend as the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series is heading back to a short track. This weekend they will take on the infamous paper-clip shaped Martinsville Speedway. "Our short track program has improved a lot and I am really ready to get back racing," said McCumbee. (Ronda Greer Photo)

Teleconference Transcript: Skinner and Sprague 03-30-2007 11:04 am
Teleconference Transcript: Skinner and Sprague The Moderator: Welcome to today's teleconference with NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series drivers Mike Skinner and Jack Sprague. Mike is the driver of the No. 5 Toyota Tundra for Bill Davis Racing, and he has won the two most recent Craftsman Truck Series races in Atlanta and California. (Ronda Greer Photo)

Who to Watch: Kroger 250 at Martinsville Speedway 03-30-2007 10:00 am
Who to Watch: Kroger 250 at Martinsville Speedway The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series descends on the Martinsville Speedway for the first short track race of 2007, and as the gates swing open there is the largest entry so far this season as numerous drivers attempt to start the approval process to compete in the series on the larger tracks. There are 43 teams on the entry list, many of which are totally unknown entities in Truck Series competition. The usual suspects will run strong, but pit strategy will be more important here than anywhere so far this year. The caution flag should fly in abundance, so getting up front and staying there throughout the many caution periods is what each team is looking to do. (Ronda Greer Photo)

Qualifying Order: Kroger 250 at Martinsville 03-30-2007 12:32 am
The official qualifying order of the Kroger 250 at Martinsville Speedway, the fourth race of the 2007 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series season.

Goodyear Preview: Martinsville 03-29-2007 7:50 pm
Goodyear Preview: Martinsville Both NASCAR series will run the same tire codes at Martinsville this weekend, though the Nextel Cup tires will be branded "Goodyear Eagle," while the Craftsman Truck tires will be branded "Goodyear Wrangler" . . . this is the first time Goodyear has brought this specific combination of left- and right-side tires to the track

Hoya Proud, Martinsville Bound 03-29-2007 2:29 pm
Hoya Proud, Martinsville Bound Brendan Gaughan admits that it's not going to be easy focusing on Saturday afternoon's Kroger 250 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race at Martinsville Speedway. And it's not because Gaughan dislikes the Virginia short track where he has a career best finish of sixth last spring. Instead, his heart will be with the Georgetown Hoyas as they compete in their first Final Four since 1985. "My owner (my dad, Michael Gaughan) has threatened to fire me if I do not continue to focus on racing this week, and I actually take that threat seriously because he could. But I do have a torn heart right now," said the former Georgetown guard (1994-1997). "My beloved Georgetown Hoyas are in the NCAA Final Four, which is the ultimate championship of any collegiate sport. My Hoyas are there, and I can't be and that is tough. I was at the East Regional championship game on Sunday." (Rusty Jarrett/Getty Images for NASCAR)

Wood Brothers Museum Open for Martinsville Visitors this Weekend 03-29-2007 11:48 am
For those wanting to witness a real trip down Memory Lane, the Wood Brothers Racing Museum will be open both Friday, March 30th and Saturday, March 31st in their hometown of Stuart, Virginia. Stuart is only 30 minutes away from this weekend’s NASCAR races at the Martinsville Speedway.

Compton, Xpress and Melling Team Up at Martinsville 03-29-2007 9:26 am
Compton, Xpress and Melling Team Up at Martinsville Mark Melling announced that his family business; Melling Engine Parts and Melling Select Performance Parts, will serve as the primary sponsor for his friend, ESPN NASCAR Now Analyst, and Virginia native Stacy Compton in Martinsville. Stacy will be driving Dave Fuge's Xpress Motorsports No.16 Ford Truck. (Team PR Photo)

Crafton Gears for Heated Battle at Martinsville 03-29-2007 12:57 am
Matt Crafton looks to build on the best start of his NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series career as he prepares for the Kroger 250 at Martinsville Speedway on Saturday. Crafton collected his first top-10 finish at Daytona to open the season, narrowly missed another top-10 at California, and stormed to a 3rd place finish at Atlanta two weeks ago. He is in 6th place in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series standings.

Musgrave Ready for Rematch in Martinsville 03-28-2007 7:52 pm
In last fall’s Kroger 200 at Martinsville Speedway, Ted Musgrave led the most laps and proved his Team ASE Tundra was the truck to beat. Race winner Jack Sprague was Musgrave’s toughest competition, and he went on to win following Musgrave’s restart penalty late in the race.

Martinsville is Always a Treat for the Champ 03-28-2007 6:19 pm
The Virginia short track, described often as a track that’s shaped like a paperclip, challenges racers whether they are veterans or rookies. Todd Bodine, the reigning NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series champion, enjoys the nuances of the tight, relatively low-banked half-mile track. He’s attended races there for as long as he can remember.

Schrader Set to Make 11th NCTS Start at Martinsville 03-28-2007 5:00 pm
Schrader Set to Make 11th NCTS Start at Martinsville Ken Schrader will be making his 11th career NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series start at Martinsville on Saturday. Schrader will pilot "SLIM" this weekend at Martinsville. In 2004 Bobby Hamilton Sr. ran "SLIM", his favorite truck, in 19 of the 25 races. Bobby Hamilton Racing has set on the pole the past two years for the spring race at Martinsville with "SLIM". (Ronda Greer Photo)

Kvapil To Make 100th Craftsman Truck Series Start at Martinsville 03-28-2007 1:22 pm
Kvapil To Make 100th Craftsman Truck Series Start at Martinsville Travis Kvapil will reach a career milestone when the green flag drops at Martinsville Speedway this Saturday, as it will mark his 100th start in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. "I've been very fortunate," said Kvapil. "I've worked with some great teams over the years, and we've been lucky enough to win some races and of course the championship back in 2003. If it wasn't for the Craftsman Truck Series, I never would have had the opportunity to make my dream job of being a professional race car driver a reality." "Martinsville is one of my favorite tracks on the circuit, so it makes this weekend that much more special," Kvapil added. "I really love racing there, you can't beat racing at the short tracks. Hopefully we can run up front in the K&N Engineering Ford this weekend. It would be great to pull off the win and get our season turned around." (David M. Vaughn Photo)

Cook Looking for 'Hometown' Win at Martinsville 03-28-2007 11:47 am
Cook Looking for Hometown Win at Martinsville Terry Cook has had plenty of opportunities to think about what winning this weekend's NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race at Martinsville Speedway would mean to him and his Martinsville-based HT Motorsports racing team. "I drive to the race shop at least once a week from Charlotte and each time I drive right by Martinsville Speedway," said Cook. (David M. Vaughn Photo)

Chevy Race Preview: Martinsville 03-28-2007 11:40 am
Chevrolet Silverado drivers have scored six wins at NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series (NCTS) competition at Martinsville Speedway. Dennis Setzer, No. 75 Spears Manufacturing Silverado, is the only driver to win two (back-to-back Fall 2002 - Spring 2003) NCTS races at Martinsville. Setzer holds record of most top-five finishes at Martinsville (six) and most top-10 finishes (eight).

Toyota Race Preview: Martinsville 03-28-2007 11:05 am
What is the key to having success at Martinsville Speedway? “I wish I could put my finger on what makes it so hard to race there,” says Jack Sprague. “One of the big things is that Martinsville is a short track and there's always a risk when you have so many racers in such a tight place. The most important thing is that you have to have good luck go your way.”

Darnell, No. 99 Ford Preview: Martinsville 03-28-2007 10:09 am
Darnell will make his third career start at Martinsville Speedway on Saturday in the No. 99 Northern Tool + Equipment Ford F-150. Darnell tested at Caraway Speedway last week in preparation for Saturday’s race at Martinsville.

Bliss, Kroyer Ready for First Short Track Race at Martinsville 03-28-2007 10:05 am
The 2007 season’s first short track race for the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series is just days away, and Key Motorsports is approaching the March 31 event at the Martinsville Speedway with a ready-to-roll attitude.

Bell Optimistic Headed to Martinsville 03-28-2007 10:04 am
T.J. Bell will have experience on his side this weekend, as he has competed at Martinsville Speedway once before, in 2003. The No. 50 team is bringing chassis RK240-34 to Martinsville this weekend. This chassis last raced at Martinsville last October, where David Ragan started and finished 20th.

Kvapil Makes 100th Truck Series Start at Martinsville 03-28-2007 9:59 am
Travis Kvapil will make his 100th NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series start at Martinsville Speedway this Saturday. Kvapil has made six starts at Martinsville in Truck Series competition. His best finish, second, came in his first start at the .526-mile speedway.

Allen Hopes to Duplicate Previous Success at Martinsville 03-28-2007 9:58 am
The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series heads to Martinsville this week and that pu