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NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series
Race
#12 | O'Reilly 200
Memphis Motorsports Park
Memphis, Tennessee
Saturday, June 30, 2007
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Mike Skinner joined Jason Leffler in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series record book last weekend when he took the lead on the 61st lap of the O'Reilly 200 at Memphis Motorsports Park. The 50-year-old Skinner's move around Ron Hornaday Jr.'s No. 33 Camping World Chevrolet marked the 12th time in a dozen races that he's held the top spot. Leffler set the record in 2002. Skinner can take the record alone on July 14 at Kentucky Speedway. Skinner and Jack Sprague previously shared the No. 2 spot, with the latter driver having led the first 11 races of the 2001 season. (VPS Motorimages Photo)
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Todd Bodine, the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series' defending champion, started off the week with one agenda, to find some success in the Lumber Liquidators Toyota Tundra at Memphis Motorsports Park. As the week progressed, another item was added to Bodine's list of to-do's, which was to mentor a young racer that would be filling in for his teammate in the No. 9 Team ASE/Germain Tundra for Saturday night's O'Reilly 200. Bodine scored his best-ever Truck Series finish at Memphis, and definitely did his part in helping Brad Keselowski fit into the Germain Racing mix this past weekend. (VPS Motorimages Photo)
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The BHR team assembled during this past weekend for the naming of Bobby Hamilton Boulevard at Memphis Motorsports Park.
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They say the best way to judge a young driver's talent is to put him in competitive equipment and drop the green flag. Brad Keselowski had one top-10 finish in 41 starts prior to the June 30 O'Reilly 200. That obviously was not indicative of the 23-year-old Michigan driver's abilities. Keselowski, a late-week replacement in the No. 9 Team ASE Toyota for the suspended Ted Musgrave, won his first Bud Pole with a near-record lap of 119.771 mph around the .75-mile speedway. He proceeded to lead the race four times for a combined 62 laps and came within nine laps of joining his father, Bob Keselowski, as a NASCAR Craftsman Truck winner. (VPS Motorimages Photo)
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NASCAR officials said Monday that Travis Kvapil's engine passed inspection at their R&D Center.
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Travis Kvapil nudged Brad Keselowski into a spin to take the lead with nine laps remaining and went on to win the O'Reilly 250 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race Saturday at Memphis Motorsports Park. Kvapil's Roush Fenway Racing Ford ran a couple of truck lengths behind Keselowski's Germain Racing Toyota in a 40-lap chase on the .75-mile track. In Turn 4 on the 191st lap, Kvapil's truck hit Keselowski's left rear and sent him into a 180-degree spin. It ruined a storybook race for Keselowski, who was subbing for the suspended Ted Musgrave. Keselowski finished 16th. (VPS Motorimages Photo)
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The storybook ending for the O'Reilly 200 at Memphis Motorsports Park was all but written: Brad Keselowski, who got the call on Wednesday to take over driving chores in substitution for the suspended Ted Musgrave, started from the pole, led early, and fought his way back to the lead with 52 laps remaining and looked to be on his way to one of the biggest upsets in the history of the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. Not even lapped traffic or a former series champion, Travis Kvapil, appeared to be a problem. (VPS Motorimages Photo)
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The storybook ending for the O'Reilly 200 at Memphis Motorsports Park was all but written: Brad Keselowski, who got the call on Wednesday to take over driving chores in substitution for the suspended Ted Musgrave, started from the pole, led early, and fought his way back to the lead with 52 laps remaining and looked to be on his way to one of the biggest upsets in the history of the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. Not even lapped traffic or a former series champion, Travis Kvapil, appeared to be a problem. (VPS Motorimages Photo)
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While the team's normal driver Ted Musgrave is sitting on the sidelines serving a NASCAR-mandated suspension, substitute driver Brad Keselowski made the best of the situation in qualifying to earn the pole for tonight's O'Reilly 200 at Memphis Motorsports Park. The 23-year-old Keselowski, a native of Rochester Hills, Mich., was strong in both practice sessions yesterday, and that momentum carried over to today for the No. 9 Team ASE Toyota. Keselowski's fastest lap of 22.543 seconds translated to 119.771 miles per hour around the three-quarter mile Memphis oval. (VPS Motorimages Photo)
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Mathews Turns Fastest Lap of the Day in Rookie Practice
- Peter Shepherd led the final practice for Saturday's O'Reilly 200 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race, but it was fellow rookie Ryan Mathews that turned the fastest lap of the day in rookie practice Friday at Memphis Motorsports Park. Shepherd turned his quickest lap during the Happy Hour practice just moments before the red and black flags waved to bring the session to a close. Driving the No. 50 Northern Tool + Equipment Ford, his 23.063 second lap translated to 117.017 miles per hour around the 0.75-mile D-shaped Memphis layout. (Charles Krall/TruckSeries.com Photo)
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The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series heads to Memphis Motorsports Park for what could be another classic short track shootout in this Saturday's O'Reilly 200. The twelfth race of the 2007 season will see 36 trucks take to the three-quarter mile Memphis layout for 200 hard fought laps, and the warm summer Memphis weather is sure to not only add a level of difficulty for the drivers in the cockpit but help raise tempers as well. (David M. Vaughn Photo)
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About the penalties issued for Ted Musgrave, following the Toyota Tundra Milwaukee 200
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Mike Skinner, driver of the No. 5 Toyota Tundra Toyota, is on a record-breaking pace to erase a mark the 1995 champion established in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series' first season. Skinner broke his own qualifying mark at The Milwaukee Mile on June 22 to post his seventh Bud Pole in 11 races this season. Skinner is the single-season record holder with 10 poles over a 20-race schedule. The California native has 14 races to better that mark. The most recent pole was his 39th. Skinner had a pole winning bonanza in 2006, taking the No. 1 qualifying spot eight times. (VPS Motorimages Photo)
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NASCAR champions Todd Bodine, Mike Skinner and Jack Sprague will join a host of Craftsman Truck Series drivers at Memphis Motorsports Park for a free autograph session for season ticket holders on Friday, June 29, between practice sessions for the O’Reilly 200.
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Five former winners – Hornaday, Sprague, Setzer, Kvapil and Ted Musgrave (No. 9 Team ASE Toyota) – are among entered drivers for this week’s O’Reilly 200. No winning competitor at Memphis Motorsports Park has started worse than fifth in the nine previous runnings of the O’Reilly 200.
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The summer stretch of races continues this weekend for the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, and this weekend it finds Chad McCumbee and the No. 08 theGPSstore.com / Garmin Chevrolet returning to the short tracks of Tennessee as they head for Memphis Motorsports Park, round 12 of the 2007 season.
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Aaron Fike on Memphis Motorsports Park:
“I don’t have very much experience at Memphis, but it’s a track I’m fairly comfortable with. It’s a pretty unique place from one corner to the next. It’s really tight through the turns and is especially tight coming off of the corners."
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Joey Clanton knows it’s been difficult for the No. 09 Zaxby’s Ford to get any kind of continuity this year since the team alternates between drivers. But for Clanton, that’s a good thing. He believes by sharing the driving duties with Stacy Compton, his Wood Brothers/JTG Racing team easily avoids falling in a rut during the season. In fact, it keeps everyone on their toes.
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Peter Shepherd returns to the seat of the No. 50 Ford this weekend at Memphis Motorsports Park. Shepherd made his first NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series start in this race one year ago.
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Erik Darnell will make his second NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series start at Memphis Motorsports Park on Saturday in the No. 99 Northern Tool + Equipment Ford F-150. Darnell recorded his first Craftsman Truck Series top-five finish at this race one year ago.
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Travis Kvapil will make his fifth NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series start at Memphis Motorsports Park this Saturday night in the No. 6 K&N Filters Ford F-150. In four career starts at Memphis, Kvapil has recorded two top-five finishes, including a win in 2002.
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HISTORY 101: 2004 Memphis Photo Gallery by Ronda Greer
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Only two O'Reilly 200 winners - Dennis Setzer in the No. 75 Spears Manufacturing Chevrolet and Brandon Whitt - aren't NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series champions. And, according to defending winner Jack Sprague who flies the No. 60 Con-way Freight Toyota colors, there are ample reasons why the .75-mile track favors the best the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series has to offer. "I don't know that Memphis is any tougher than anywhere else," he said. "It's just Memphis is just a little different track. "One and two is certainly a different corner than three and four. You have to compromise so you can get around both corners well and that's hard to do." (David M. Vaughn Photo)
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Kevin Hamlin will drive the No. 4 Open Joist Dodge this weekend at Memphis Motorsports Park. He will be making his fifth career NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series start on Saturday. In four previous races Hamlin has an average starting position of 26th and finishing position of 17th
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After his first career NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series win at Kansas Speedway in April, Erik Darnell failed to achieve the momentum he hoped for - until last week. Darnell finished sixth at Milwaukee, his best finish since the Kansas win. In between, his best finish was 15th at Mansfield.
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Ken Schrader will be making his first career start at Memphis Motorsports Park when he pilots the No. 18 Fastenal Dodge on Saturday night. The O’Reilly 200 will mark Schrader’s 79th NCTS start. In his previous 78 races Schrader has an average starting position of 20th and finishing of 17th.
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Toyota Tundras have made three starts at New Hampshire International Speedway, earning two wins (2004 and 2006) with Travis Kvapil and Johnny Benson, along with seven top-five finishes and one pole position (2006).
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Team Chevy Silverado drivers have a special affection for Memphis Motorsports Park (MMP). Since the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series (NCTS) began competing at the .75-mile flat track, the Bowtie Brigade has posted more wins; top-five and top-10 finishes than any other manufacturer.
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Competitors, officials and fans will remember one of the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series' most popular champions at Memphis Motorsports Park on Saturday - an occasion Tennessee Govenor Phil Bredesen has proclaimed "Bobby Hamilton Day." Pre-race ceremonies will be carried live on SPEED. Hamilton, who succumbed earlier this year to cancer, won the 2004 O'Reilly 200. The Nashville area native was the Bud Pole winner in 2000. "We are very honored that people want to pay their respects to Bobby in such a way," said Lori Hamilton, the late driver's widow. (Ronda Greer Photo)
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If there’s any track on the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series tour where Terry Cook has hooked the big one only to have it slip away in the final laps, it’s Memphis Motorsports Park.
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Just as the world associate’s Elvis Pressley to Graceland, Jack Sprague should be associated to Memphis Motorsports Park. Even though the three-time NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series’ Champion doesn’t hail from Memphis, there’s something about the ¾-mile track that suits Sprague’s driving style.
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After sustaining damage on lap 2 of the 200-lap race when another competitor made contact with the No. 33 Camping World Chevrolet, Ron Hornaday maneuvered his way through the field to a second-place finish.
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Tim Sauter was the Raybestos Rookie of the Race in the June 22 Toyota Tundra Milwaukee 200 at The Milwaukee (West Allis, Wisc.) Mile. Sauter finished 16th and took top rookie honors for the first time this season.
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Matt Crafton battled to a 9th place finish in the Toyota Tundra Milwaukee 200 at The Milwaukee Mile on Friday, his third career top-10 finish there and sixth in 11 races this season.
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Brad Keselowski, the oldest son of former NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series driving standout and long-time team owner Bob | | | | | |
