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TrackSideLive!
| Sam's Town 400
Texas Motor Speedway | June 7-8, 2007
TrackSideLive! Presented by
Team ASE with TrackSide Editor Charles Krall...
Exclusive online coverage - from start to
finish - of the tough trucks and even tougher drivers of the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series
including Practice Times, Notes, Quotes, Photos, Audio interviews and more!
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Good Morning from Texas
06-07-2007 9:50 am
Good morning from Texas Motor Speedway! It is a warm day already here in the Lone Star State, and it is only going to get warmer. High temperatures are expected to reach 95 in the Dallas/Ft. Worth metroplex, and there is a lot of humidity to go along with it. We woke up to a layer of clouds this morning, but the overcast is expected to burn off as the morning goes on, leaving us with mostly sunny skies throughout the day. There is a wind advisory for the area, with sustained winds of 20 mph and gusts upwards of 30 mph. The winds are expected to subside before qualifying, but that could give the Truck Series teams some problems during practice. We'll be here throughout the day for all the action at Texas Motor Speedway. We'll have plenty of TruckShots! and driver audio, so stick with us throughout the day for all the action here in Texas!
Texas Motor Speedway Track Facts
06-07-2007 9:55 am
TMS is a 1.5-mile quad-oval, with a double dogleg frontstretch. It looks very similar in appearance to its sister tracks in Charlotte and Atlanta.
The track is 58 feet wide at its narrowest. It's 750-foot radius corners are banked at 24 degrees. The frontstretch is 2,250 feet long, and the backstretch is 1,330 feet long. Both straightaways are banked at 5 degrees.
TMS Track Records
06-07-2007 10:02 am
Qualifying (1 lap/1.5 miles): Clint Bowyer, 29.274 seconds/184.464 miles per hour, November 2006
Race (167 laps/250.5 miles): Dennis Setzer, 1 hour, 40 minutes, 54 seconds/148.959 miles per hour, June 2004
Drivers in All NCTS Races at TMS
06-07-2007 10:04 am
Just two drivers have competed in all 18 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series races at Texas Motor Speedway. Both Terry Cook and Rick Crawford have been here for each race since the series debuted here in 1997. Neither driver has scored a win or a pole here. Crawford has six top-five finishes and nine top-tens, with a best finish of second. Cook is looking for his first top-five here, but does have five top-tens and a best finish of second.
NCTS Records at TMS
06-07-2007 10:07 am
Here are some more Truck Series records here at TMS:
Closest margin of victory: 0.116 seconds, Todd Bodine over Mike Skinner, June 2006
Widest margin of victory: 11.817 seconds, Dennis Setzer over Ted Musgrave, June 2004
Best starting position of the winner: 1st, Jay Sauter, Sept. 1999; Greg Biffle, June 2000; Bryan Reffner, Sept. 2000; Clint Bowyer, Nov. 2006
Worst starting position of the winner: 22nd, Todd Bodine, Nov. 2004
Most laps led by the winner: 116, Greg Biffle, June 2000
Fewest laps led by the winner: 1, Todd Bodine, June 2006
Most lead changes: 15, both races in 2000
Most lead drivers: 10, June 1998
Fewest lead changes: 1, June 1997
Fewest lead drivers: 2, June 1997
Most caution flags: 9, June 1998; November 2004
Most caution laps: 46, June 1998
Fewest caution flags: 3, June 2001; Sept. 2002; June 2004
Fewest caution laps: 21, June 2004
Most lead lap finishers: 24, November 2005
Fewest lead lap finishers: 6, June 2000; June 2002
Thursday Track Schedule
06-07-2007 10:15 am
7 am ET - NCTS Garage Opens
12 n - 12:45 pm ET - NCTS Practice
2:15 - 3:30 pm ET - NCTS Final Practice
7:30 pm ET - Live! Bud Pole Qualifying
9 pm ET - NCTS Garage Closes
Headed to the Garage
06-07-2007 10:18 am
We're going to pack up the TruckShots! camera and our microphones and head to the garage for some images and interviews. We'll be back to resume updates shortly.
Back from the Garage
06-07-2007 11:36 am
We've just returned from the NCTS garage area, which is bustling with activity as the teams are finishing their preparations and pushing their trucks through inspection prior to practice which is slated for a 12 noon start. We have about 150 pictures from the garage and an interview with the two Circle Bar Racing drivers Rick Crawford and David Starr to share with you as well. We'll have all of that posted for you shortly, so look to the Sights and Sounds bot to the right side of the TrackSideLive! page for updates.
Practice Up Next
06-07-2007 11:56 am
Ted Musgrave led the field to pit road and will be the first truck on track once the light flickers green in a few minutes. Also on pit road ready to go are Ron Hornaday, Aaron Fike, and David Starr with more drivers headed that way soon. We'll have all the updates throughout the first 45 minute session as they happen. Stick with us!
Clean and Green So Far
06-07-2007 12:19 pm
The first moments of the opening practice have been clean and green so far, with Erik Darnell setting the pace after the first 15 minutes or so. A full rundown is on the way momentarily.
Practice 1 Rundown 1
06-07-2007 12:20 am
1. Darnell 29.933
2. Bodine 30.073
3. Skinner 30.082
4. Kvapil 30.209
5. Schrader 230
6. Benson 30.233
7. Bell 30.307
8. Starr 30.359
9. Wise 30.427
10. Hornaday 30.460
11. Fike 30.503
12. Sprague 30.506
13. Crafton 30.509
14. Ruttman 30.525
15. Musgrave 30.536
16. Lester 30.546
17. Crawford 30.553
18. Compton 30.631
19. Setzer 30.871
20. Allen 30.939
21. Bjorklund 31.017
22. Kinser 31.206
23. Rogers 31.287
24. Sutton 31.486
25. Clanton 31.505
26. Cope 31.501
27. Mathews 31.599
28. Gaughan 31.626
29. White 34.098
Practice 1 Rundown 2
06-07-2007 12:37 pm
1. Bodine 29.906
2. Darnell 29.933
3. Skinner 30.082
4. Kvapil 30.158
5. Benson 30.206
6. Ruttman 30.224
7. Schrader 30.230
8. Bell 30.283
9. Wise 30.300
10. Starr 30.359
11. Sprague 30.423
12. Hornaday 30.460
13. Fike 30.503
14. Crafton 30.509
15. Compton 30.513
16. Musgrave 30.536
17. Lester 30.546
18. Crawford 30.553
19. Norris 30.610
20. Cook 30.667
21. Rogers 30.869
22. Setzer 30.871
23. Clanton 30.886
24. Sauter 30.936
25. Allen 30.939
26. Gaughan 30.941
27. Kinser 30.966
28. Sutton 30.971
29. Bjorklund 31.017
30. Cope 31.238
31. Wimmer 31.593
32. Mathews 31.599
33. White 33.135
Practice 1 Just Concluded
06-07-2007 12:47 pm
The first 45-minute session has just concluded with Todd Bodine leading the way at 180.566 mph. Erik Darnell was second at 180.403, Mike Skinner third at 179.509, Travis Kvapil fourth at 179.057, and Johnny Benson rounded out the top five at 178.772. A complete result will be posted to the event bot on the main page of TruckSeries.com shortly.
Track Dark in Memory of Bill France, Jr.
06-07-2007 12:50 pm
Out of respect for the late Bill France, Jr., who passed away on Monday after years of failing health, the track schedule at TMS has been altered slightly. All track activity has been suspended during the former NASCAR president's memorial service to allow teams to gather around the television and watch as members of the racing community pay their final respects to the man that led the sport into the modern era.
We will resume TrackSideLive! updates once the memorial service has ended.
Ever Wonder???
06-07-2007 12:57 pm
Ever wonder what brings you those great up-close shots of action on the racetrack, when the trucks are running side by side and you can literally look into the cockpit of one of the trucks and see the driver hard at work?
The onboard cameras used by SPEED are mounted either on the roof or on the downtubes running from the back of the cab through the bed cover. Here is what one of the tube-mounted cameras looks like:
You might wonder if that camera being exposed would add any aero drag as the truck raced at speed. There is very little, if any, drag as the camera is located behind the upright rear window which leaves a big pocket of little airflow.
Final Practice Underway
06-07-2007 2:15 pm
The engines have roared to life and the final 75 minutes of practice have just started. We'll keep track of all the action throughout the session.
Final Practice Rundown 1
06-07-2007 2:20 pm
1. Bodine 180.030 mph
2. Ruttman 178.071
3. Darnell 177.637
4. Compton 177.072
5. Kvapil 176.811
6. Crawford 176.488
7. Mathews 176.407
8. Benson 176.367
9. Wise 176.292
10. Skinner 176.010
11. Cook 175.913
12. Bell 175.330
13. Starr 175.114
14. Lester 175.075
15. Cope 174.712
16. Sprague 174.379
17. Fike 173.9254
18. Hornaday 173.812
19. Musgrave 173.689
20. Setzer 173.149
21. Gaughan 173.138
22. Allen 172.596
23. Rogers 172.579
24. Crafton 172.205
25. Schrader 172.166
26. Bjorklund 171.969
27. Clanton 171.374
28. Sauter 171.303
29. Sutton 169.699
30. Kinser 169.343
31. Norris 168.198
Final Practice Rundown 2
06-07-2007 2:40 pm
We are 25 minutes into the final 75-minute session. Here is how they stand:
1. Bodine 180.030
2. Ruttman 178.071
3. Darnell 177.037
4. Compton 177.072
5. Kvapil 176.811
6. Crawford 176.488
7. Mathews 176.407
8. Wise 176.384
9. Benson 176.367
10. Skinner 176.010
11. Bell 175.959
12. Cook 175.913
13. Hornaday 175.211
14. Starr 175.114
15. Sprague 175.109
16. Lester 175.075
17. Crafton 174.972
18. Cope 174.712
19. Fike 174.610
20. Gaughan 174.345
21. Clanton 173.879
22. Musgrave 173.689
23. Norris 173.266
24. Kinser 173.249
25. Setzer 173.149
26. Sutton 172.706
27. Allen 172.596
28. Rogers 172.579
29. Bjorklund 172.260
30. Schrader 172.166
31. Sauter 171.303
32. Wimmer 167.879
33. White 167.266
Wind Giving Teams Grief
06-07-2007 2:49 pm
Several drivers have reported the wind giving them problems here this afternoon. The wind has been blowing at a sustained 20 mph, with gusts nearly 10 mph faster. The biggest area of concern for the drivers on the track is turn two, with Brendan Gaughan telling his team "I just don't really know what the wind is going to make the nose (of the truck) do."
TruckShots! Posted
06-07-2007 2:53 pm
The TruckShots! gallery from here at Texas Motor Speedway is posted and already jammed with nearly 200 images from the garage and pit road during the lead-up to the start of practice here this afternoon.
Click here to check it out!
No Changes at the Top
06-07-2007 3:01 pm
We are 45 minutes into the final practice, and there have been no incidents or even so much as a piece of debris spotted to stop practice. The top 15 remains unchanged at this time, with Bodine, Ruttman, Darnell, Compton, and Kvapil making up the top five. Things should remain fairly static until the final minutes of practice when teams start working on their qualifying runs.
Final Practice Rundown 3
06-07-2007 3:22 pm
After 67 minutes:
1. Bodine 180.030
2. Ruttman 178.071
3. Darnell 177.637
4. Allen 177.439
5. Compton 177.072
6. Kvapil 176.811
7. Crawford 176.488
8. Mathews 176.407
9. Wise 176.384
10. Benson 176.387
11. Crafton 176.188
12. Skinner 176.039
13. Bell 175.959
14. Cook 175.913
15. Fike 175.815
16. Hornaday 175.211
17. Rogers 175.137
18. Starr 175.114
19. Sprague 175.109
20. Lester 175.075
21. Musgrave 174.995
22. Gaughan 174.938
23. Cope 174.712
24. Kinser 174.267
25. Clanton 173.879
26. Sutton 173.511
27. Setzer 173.422
28. Norris 173.394
29. Bjorklund 172.767
30. Schrader 172.166
31. Sauter 171.909
32. Wimmer 168.676
33. White 168.041
34. Mallory 167.146
35. Knupp 163.463
Practice Done; Live! Bud Pole Qualifying Next at 7:30 pm ET
06-07-2007 3:30 pm
The final practice for the Sam's Town 400 has just come to an end with Todd Bodine still on top of the board. Mike Skinner's team made some last minute changes and propelled him towards the top as he ended up in second, with Joe Ruttman, Erik Darnell, and Josh Wise the rest of the top five. There were no incidents at all to stop practice in either session, both of which were green flag their entire duration. A complete results sheet from the final practice will be posted to the Event bot on the main page of TruckSeries.com momentarily.
Next on the schedule for the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series teams is Live! Bud Pole Qualifying which is scheduled for 7:30 pm ET tonight. We're going to be here scouring the garage until then counting you down to the roll for the pole, and we'll also have any news updates from the garage between now and then. Stick with us!
Schrader's Crew Busy Repairing Right Rear
06-07-2007 4:51 pm
While there weren't any incidents that caused a red flag stoppage of practice, that's not to say there weren't any incidents in practice. Ken Schrader's crew is busy at work repairing some body damage to the rear of the No. 18 Fastenal Dodge after he got up out of the groove in turn four and scraped the wall. Schrader was quick in the first practice, but only ran one lap before the incident happened in final practice.
More Audio and More Pics!
06-07-2007 5:12 pm
As the teams are busy prepping their trucks for tonight's Live! Bud Pole Qualifying (7:30 pm ET), we managed to catch up to a handful of drivers and get the scoop on what's been happening out on the track today.
Todd Bodine was fast in both sessions, and told us about his chances to end Mike Skinner's pole streak here tonight. Joe Ruttman was also fast in the final practice, and he talked to us about how the heat affected him in the truck versus how it might affect some of his younger competition. Terry Cook talked about what he expects the track to do tonight once the sun starts to go down, and finally Eric Norris talked to us about his return to the series and some of the exciting things he's been doing here in the Dallas area for the past year or so. Look to the Sights and Sounds bot to the right side of the page and click on the Podtrac player to listen.
While you're listening, you can browse through our TruckShots! gallery which is overflowing with well over 200 images from here at the track.
How Warm is It?
06-07-2007 5:24 pm
We've heard several drivers mention the heat being a factor for them during practice today, including defending race winner and series champion Todd Bodine. How hot was it? At the start of the final practice, it was 96 degrees ambient, with track temperatures reported to be 119 degrees. Tire temps tend to run higher in this heat too, and teams were dealing with yanking off tires that were in excess of 250 degrees fresh off the track.
Average Start
06-07-2007 6:18 pm
Who has the best average start here at Texas? Here's a look at everyone that has at least one previous start here and their average:
Kraig Kinser 3.0
Johnny Benson 6.4
Bill Lester 8.7
Travis Kvapil 9.5
Ted Musgrave 9.7
Dennis Setzer 11.1
Ron Hornaday 11.3
Rick Crawford 11.4
David Starr 11.7
Erik Darnell 12.5
Derrike Cope 13.0
Terry Cook 13.5
Jack Sprague 13.8
Joe Ruttman 14.8
Stacy Compton 15.5
Brendan Gaughan 16.9
Todd Bodine 17.8
Matt Crafton 18.9
Clay Rogers 19.0
Kelly Sutton 25.8
TJ Bell 28.0
Jason White 34.0
Progression of the Pole
06-07-2007 8:59 pm
Stacy Compton, out first, 30.218, starts 19th
Rick Crawford, out third, 30.098, starts 14th
Ron Hornaday, out sixth, 29.923, starts 6th
Johnny Benson, out seventh, 29.867, starts 4th
Todd Bodine, out 13th, 29.709, starts 1st
TMS Bud Pole Fast Facts
06-07-2007 9:02 pm
Todd Bodine won his first pole of 2007 and the second of his NCTS career this evening; his only other pole came in the March 2006 race at Atlanta...Bodine's previous best start at Texas was sixth last June...Bodine is also the defending winner of the race, defeating Mike Skinner on the final lap; it was his 10th career and most recent victory...Skinner's streak of six Bud Pole Awards ends tonight as he ended up second in qualifying; the streak began at Atlanta in March..Skinner now holds the longest pole streak, 8, set in 1995 and the second longest pole streak, 6, which ended here tonight...Skinner's qualifying performances here at Texas include four poles and two outside front row starts in seven appearances...Travis Kvapil qualified third; Kvapil won his first career NCTS race at TMS in 2001...Johnny Benson and Aaron Fike qualified fourth and fifth with identical lap times; Benson will start fourth and Fike fifth due to their respective standing in current NCTS owner points.
NASCAR Teams To Feature Bill France Tribute Decal
06-07-2007 9:14 pm
Trucks or cars in all NASCAR touring divisions will have special decals this weekend in memory of Bill France. The decal, which will placed on the C-post of the cars and on the B-post of the trucks, will be in place for the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series race at Pocono Raceway, NASCAR Busch Series race at Nashville Superspeedway, NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at Texas Motor Speedway and NASCAR Grand National Division, Busch East Series race at Stafford Motor Speedway.
That's All for Thursday; See You Tomorrow
06-07-2007 9:23 pm
The field is set for the Sam's Town 400, the garage area is closed, the teams are on their way back to their hotels and we are going to be in hot pursuit momentarily. We were able to catch up with polesitter Todd Bodine and outside front row starter Mike Skinner following qualifying and both gave us great interviews for your listening pleasure this evening. While you're checking out the interviews, dive on into the TruckShots! gallery and look at the nearly 300 images that we've gathered throughout the day.
We're going to call it a night from here at the track. We'll be back at it tomorrow afternoon at 5 pm ET as we count down to the start of the Sam's Town 400. Good night everybody!
Good Afternoon from Texas!
06-08-2007 2:29 pm
Good afternoon from Texas! It started out cool and overcast, but the sun has burned off the cloudcover and it's looking like another very warm afternoon. High temperatures are expected to reach upwards of 90 degrees again today, but it should drop back into the 80s or even the upper 70s by the time we get ready to race tonight. There is a 40-percent chance of scattered storms throughout the day, and the chance of rain decreases throughout the day and into the night. We'll have any weather updates as necessary throughout the day, and of course we'll have all the news and notes from here at the track all day as well so stick with us!
Darnell Escapes Injury in Road Crash
06-08-2007 2:33 pm
Erik Darnell has to face the perils of racing at high speeds on the track, but he narrowly escaped injury in a road crash on his way to the airport to come to Texas on Wednesday. According to his grandfather Bay Darnell, Erik was making his way through an intersection near the airport when another driver ran a red light and broadsided his vehicle, turning it over and doing serious damage. Luckily, Darnell was unhurt in the crash and able to make his way to the track. We'll catch up with Erik once the garage opens this afternoon and check up on how he is feeling.
TMS Best Finish
06-08-2007 2:37 pm
Here are the drivers entered here this week that have previous NCTS experience at TMS and their previous best finish in the June event:
Todd Bodine, 1st, June 2006
Brendan Gaughan, 1st, twice, last in June 2003
Dennis Setzer, 1st, twice, last in June 2004
Jack Sprague, 1st, twice, last in June 2005
Travis Kvapil, 2nd, June 2002
Johnny Benson 2nd, June 2005
Ted Musgrave, 2nd, June 2004
Mike Skinner, 2nd, June 2006
Rick Crawford, 3rd, twice, last in June 2006
Joe Ruttman, 3rd, June 1998
David Starr, 3rd, twice, last in June 2002
Stacy Compton, 5th, June 1998
Matt Crafton, 5th, June 2005
Ron Hornaday, Jr., 6th, June 2005
Terry Cook, 7th, June 2005
Clay Rogers, 8th, June 2005
Bill Lester, 11th, June 2002
Jason White, 22nd, June 2002
Kelly Sutton, 24th, June 2006
Erik Darnell, 35th, June 2006
Kraig Kinser, 36th, June 2006
Here are the drivers that have earned his/her best TMS finish in the fall event, with their best overall TMS result:
Travis Kvapil, 1st, Oct. 2001
Rick Crawford, 2nd, Oct. 2001
Ron Hornaday, 5th, Nov. 2006
Terry Cook, 6th, Oct. 1999
Erik Darnell, 9th, Nov. 2006
TMS NCTS Races Summary
06-08-2007 2:47 pm
Avg start of winner: 6.0
The pole starter has won four races here, Oct. 1999 (Jay Sauter), June 2000 (Greg Biffle), Oct. 2000 (Bryan Reffner), and Nov. 2006 (Clint Bowyer). The deepest anyone has started and then gone on to win was 22nd when Todd Bodine won.
The average number of lead lap finishers is 12. The most was 24 in November 2005, and the fewest was 6 in June 2000.
The average number of lead changes is 9.78. The most was 15 in both races in 2000. The fewest was 1 in the inaugural race in 1997.
The average number of lead drivers is 6. The most leaders in a race was 10 in 1998 and the fewest was 2 in 1997 and in November 2006.
The average number of cautions is 5.78. The most yellows in a race was 9 in June 1998 and in Nov. 2004. The fewest cautions was 3 in June 2001 and in June 2004.
The average number of caution flag laps is 28.6. The most caution laps in a race was 46 in June 1998, while the fewest was 12 in June 2004.
The cumulative average speed is 128.248 mph. The fastest race was 148.959 mph in June 2004, the slowest race was 11.018 mph in June 1998. There have been three races above 140 mph average speed; in addition to June 2004, the June 2003 race averaged 140.621 mph and the June 2005 race averaged 144.844 mph.
2007 Key Race Statistics
06-08-2007 2:56 pm
The average start of the winner through eight races in 2007 is 6.9. The pole starter has won three races (Sprague at Daytona; Skinner at Atlanta and Martinsville). The deepest anyone has come to win this season was 18th (Setzer at Mansfield).
The average number of lead changes per race is 9.0. The most was 21 at Daytona, the fewest was 3 at Martinsville and Mansfield.
The average number of lead drivers is 5.4. The most was 9 at Daytona. The fewest was 3 at Martinsville.
The average number of caution flags is 8.3. The most was 15 at Martinsville, while the fewest was 4 at Dover.
The average number of caution flag laps is 45.9. The most was 103 at Mansfield, the fewest was 19 at California.
The average number of drivers not running at the finish is 7.3. The most DNF's this season was 14 at Daytona, the fewest was 2 at Mansfield.
The average number of lead lap finishers is 18.5. The most was 24 at California, the fewest was 9 at Dover.
2007 Statistical Summary
06-08-2007 3:01 pm
Avg start of winner: 6.88
2006: 9.63
Cumulative lead changes: 72
2006: 70
Avg lead changes per race: 9
2006: 8.75
Avg lead drivers per race: 5.38
2006: 4.63
Total laps under caution: 367
2006: 336
Avg caution flags per race: 8.25
2006: 9.25
Manufacturer Year Performance
06-08-2007 3:04 pm
Chevrolet: 3 wins, 0 poles, 7 top-5, 20 top-10, 380 laps led
Dodge: 0 wins, 0 poles, 2 top-5, 3 top-10, 0 laps led
Ford: 1 win, 1 pole, 9 top-5, 19 top-10, 318 laps led
Toyota: 4 wins, 7 poles, 22 top-5, 38 top-10, 638 laps led
2007 Best Avg. Finish
06-08-2007 3:06 pm
1. Mike Skinner 3.9
2. Ron Hornaday 5.0
3. Todd Bodine 8.5
4. Ted Musgrave 9.0
5. Rick Crawford 10.5
6. Travis Kvapil 10.5
7. Johnny Benson 10.8
8. Aaron Fike 13.6
9. Jack Sprague 13.8
10. Matt Crafton 14.6
2007 Laps Led Standings
06-08-2007 3:09 pm
1. Skinner 520
2. Hornaday 190
3. Crawford 119
4. Darnell 97
5. Busch 78
6. Crafton 68
7. Kvapil 56
8. Bodine 55
9. Martin 45
10. Sprague 26
11. Benson 22
12. Bowyer 17
13. Setzer 12
14. McCumbee 8
15. Allmendinger 8
16. Fike 6
17. Gaughan 5
18. Musgrave 2
19. Bjorklund 1
20. Sauter 1
Final Adjustrments
06-08-2007 6:16 pm
After qualifying last night, the teams rolled the trucks into the garage and pulled down the doors leaving them impounded until the start of the race tonight. Under the watchful eye of NASCAR officials, the teams just started making their final adjustments prior to the start. Teams are allowed to make minor changes to the shocks, add or remove tape from the nose, check the air pressure of the tires, and prime the fluids. Anything other than that will result in a team being sent to the back of the field for the start.
Crafton's Team Changing his Hometown - Temporarily
06-08-2007 6:19 pm
Matt Crafton's official hometown is listed as Tulare, California, and he just bought a new house in North Carolina where he maintains his residence. However, his ThorSport Racing team is teasing him this week saying his hometown should be listed as Richardson, Texas. At this race last year, Crafton met Jolie Holiday, an up-and-coming country artist who performed the Star Spangled Banner during pre-race ceremonies. The two started dating shortly thereafter, and Crafton started spending more and more time in Texas rather than North Carolina. "He's got a new house in the Carolinas and in the last year he's probably been there for two out of the twelve months," said ThorSport crew chief Bud Haefele. "He says he lives in North Carolina but we say he lives in Texas now."
Christensen Makes NASCAR History with Congressional Run
06-08-2007 6:34 pm
Green Light Racing owner Gene Christensen has just annonced his candidacy for the District 4 seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. With his announcement, Christensen becomes the first team owner in the history of NASCAR to announce his candidacy for a federal office. We will have an exclusive interview with Christensen shortly.
Drivers Meeting Notes
06-08-2007 7:35 pm
Pre-race ceremonies will start at 8:35 pm ET with driver introductions and will continue with the invocation at 9:03 pm ET. The national anthem is scheduled for 8:04 pm ET and the command to start engines is scheduled for 9:11 pm ET.
Pit road speed is 45 mph, and the pace truck speed is 55 mph. Pit road speed begins 240 feet before the first pit box and ends 150 after the last pit box.
Minimum speed to stay in competition tonight is 34.49 seconds.
Teams are allowed 5 cans of fuel for tonight's race.
Pre-Race Audio
06-08-2007 7:38 pm
We have five pre-race audio clips on the way for you. First we talked with Gene Christensen moments after he announced his candidacy for the U.S. House of Representatives, and we followed it up with comments from one of his biggest supporters in the garage Brendan Gaughan. We also talked to Kelly Sutton about getting back on track here at TMS, and we met up with newcomer Ryan Mathews and talked about his first couple of appearances in the Truck Series.
Finally, we talked to Ray Dunlap and previewed tonight's Sam's Town 400 broadcast on SPEED.
Click on the Podtrac audio player in the Sights and Sounds bot on the right side of the TrackSideLive! page to listen.
Sam's Town 400 Pit Assignments
06-08-2007 7:59 pm
Here are the pit assignments for the Sam's Town 400, starting with the first pit stall at the exit of pit road and ending with the last pit stall at the entrance to pit road:
Bodine
Knupp
Musgrave
Gaughan
Cope
Hornaday
Empty stall
Benson
White
Kinser
Mathews
Lester
Opening in pit wall
Skinner
Schrader
Rogers
Sprague
Crafton
Bjorklund
Cook
Norris
Fike
Scoring Camera/Start-Finish Line
Empty stall
Kvapil
Opening in pit wall
Bell
Mallory
Clanton
Sutton
Sauter
Darnell
Starr
Allen
Opening in pit wall
Wise
Ruttman
Crawford
Wimmer
Compton
Setzer
Headed to Press Box, Back with Race Updates Soon
06-08-2007 8:06 pm
Indy car qualifying has just concluded and we're going to make our way to the press box to cover the Sam's Town 400 from the best vantage point in the house. We'll rejoin with Sam's Town 400 race updates as soon as we make it across the track.
TMS Average Finishes
06-08-2007 8:30 pm
Who has the best average finish here at TMS? Let's take a look:
Mike Skinner 5.5
Clay Rogers 8.0 - 1 start
Ted Musgrave 8.8
Todd Bodine 9.4
Travis Kvapil 9.4
Jack Sprague 9.9
Joe Ruttman 10.1
Dennis Setzer 10.2
Stacy Compton 10.5
Johnny Benson 10.6
Rick Crawford 12.0
Brendan Gaughan 12.0
David Starr 12.8
Ron Hornaday 13.0
Matt Crafton 13.2
Terry Cook 16.2
Bill Lester 19.5
Erik Darnell 22.0
Jason White 22.0 - 1 start
Derrike Cope 23.0 - 1 start
TJ Bell 27.0
Kelly Sutton 29.5
Kraig Kinser 36.0 - 1 start
Sam's Town 400 Race Updates 1-10
06-08-2007 8:52 pm
10. Lap 5 - Bodine takes the lead at the completion of lap 3. Knupp and Mallory come to the garage. Cope has dropped to the tail of the field.
9. Lap 2 - Skinner doubles his lead to complete lap 2: 0.004 seconds. Skinner finall edges out front and claims the lead all to himself.
8. Pace truck on pit road. Green flag out. Bodine spins the tires on the start and Skinner outdrags him into one. Bodine fights back on the inside but Skinner carries the momentum through turns three and four. Skinner leads by 0.002 seconds at the stripe and they are still side by side for the lead to complete lap 2.
7. One to go signal given to the field. Skies are clear and winds have settled down. Temps are in the low 80s and will drop into the 70s, very comfortable for the drivers and crews on pit road.
6. The first pace lap is in the books. The drivers are now setting their tachs for pit road speed, which is 45 mph.
5. The trucks have started to roll from their grid positions on the frontstretch and now form into the 18 rows of 2.
4. Engines have been started. There will be three laps on the initial roll off.
3. Only on driver will be dropping to the tail of the field prior to the start: Sprague will be forced to the back for an unapproved adjustment.
2. The drivers are buckling in and we are moments away from the command to fire engines. The crowd is energized and settling in for 167 laps of competition.
1. The driver introductions are just now ending as Todd Bodine introduces himself to the large crowd on hand. Each of the 35 drivers in the field were driven around the track in a Chevrolet Silverado pickup prior to heading to their trucks.
Sam's Town 400 Race Updates 11-20
06-08-2007 9:24 pm
20. Lap 24 - The front two are 2.1 seconds ahead of Hornaday in third.
19. Lap 23 - Restart. Kvapil punches the button and opens up three lengths on Cook into one. Hornaday jumps to the outside and gains two spots before he gets to turn one.
18. Lap 20 - Kvapil stays out to lead at the stripe. Cook is second with Bjorklund, Wimmer, White, Hornaday, Sauter, and Cope next. Skinner leads off pit road followed by Bodine, Crawford, Clantin, Fike, Wise, Schrader, Musgrave, Benson, Ruttman, Rogers, Sprague, Crafton, Mathews, Lester, Bell, Allen, Starr, Gaughan, Setzer, Kinser, Compton, and Norris. Crafton gets turned on pit road as Fike was exiting his stall and contact was made.
17. Lap 19 - Skinner leads the field onto pit road. We'll update the rundown after stops.
16. Lap 16 - Restart. Bodine leads into turn one, but Skinner takes the lead into turn three to complete lap 16. As Skinner crosses the line, Darnell's truck erupts in smoke and drops off the pace. Darnell coasts back to the attention of his crew. Caution out for the second time.
15. Lap 15 - The one to go signal is given. It will be a single-file restart as no one has yet been put a lap down.
14. Lap 13 - Pits are closed. Hornaday comes to the pits for right side tires. He reported to his team a soft right rear tire.
13. Lap 12 - Caution still out. Sprague is back in the pits for more work on the left front of the nose.
12. Lap 10 - Cook, Ruttman, White, Sprague, Bjorklund, and Sauter pit. Sprague stays in his stall for an extended time to attend to damage to the left front after contact on the initial start.
11. Lap 8 - First caution out as Sutton gets turned sideways on the backstretch, doing damage to the nose of her truck. Bodine leads Skinner, Kvapil, Benson, Fike, Fike, Hornaday, Lester, Allen, Crawford, Setzer, Schrader, Bell, Wise, Darnell, Clanton, Mathews, Musgave, Compton, Crafton, Norris, Rogers, Cook, Gaughan, Sprague, Sauter, Ruttman, Kinser, Bjorklund, Wimmer, White, and Cope. Sutton, Knupp, and Mallory are off the track and presumed out of competition.
Sam's Town 400 Race Updates 21-30
06-08-2007 9:49 pm
30. Lap 52 - Kvapil has made his way back up to 13th. Lester, White, Wimmer, and Sprague are the trucks currently one lap down.
29. Lap 49 - Hornaday leads Benson by 1.9 seconds. Skinner is third, with Crawford and Cook the rest of the top five. Wise, Schrader, Clanton, Fike, and Gaughan are the top ten.
28. Lap 46 - Rogers starts to slip back. Bjorklund moves to eleventh with Gaughan in tow.
27. Lap 44 - Crafton takes tenth from Rogers.
26. Lap 40 - Benson chops four tenths of a second off the lead and starts to close in on Skinner for second. Wise looks inside of Fike for the eighth position and brings Schrader along with him.
25. Lap 36 - Bodine drops off the pace down the frontstretch and is steadily falling to the back of the pack. He's dropped to 17th. He reports fuel pressure problems to his team.
24. Lap 34 - Hornaday leads Skinner, Bodine, Benson, Crawford, Cook, Clanton, Fike, Wise, and Rogers.
23. Lap 31 - Restart. Cook leads into one as the front three stretch out the advantage down the backstretch. Hornaday dips inside into three. Hornaday leads at the stripe as the field closes up at the front of the pack.
22. Lap 30 - Kvapil pits giving the lead over to Cook. Sprague rejoins the field one lap down.
21. Lap 26 - Sprague gets turned sideways towards the inside wall on the backstretch. It appears the right rear tire is down and no contact was made. Caution is out for the third time.
Sam's Town 400 Race Updates 31-40
06-08-2007 10:06 pm
40. Lap 84 - Sauter stays out and leads a lap. Hornaday is second and will lead once Sauter pits. Skinner, Kvapil, Crawford, Starr, Schrader, Cook, Kinser, Compton, Bell, Crafton, Wise, Clanton, Rogers, Bodine, Fike and Musgrave are the rest of the lead lap.
39. Lap 83 - Pit stops. We'll update the rundown after the field is reset.
38. Lap 78 - Ruttman crashes on the backstretch, and as the field slows and tries to avoid Sprague has no where to go and nails Fike in the tail. Sprague tries to drive it back to the pits but his truck erupts in flames before he spins it in turn four. Caution out for the fourth time.
37. Lap 72 - Hornaday leads Skinner by 5.7 seconds. Crawford, Kvapil and Schrader are the top five. Wise is sixth with Clanton, Crafton, Gaughan and Starr the top ten. Cook is eleventh, with Sauter, Rogers, Ruttman, Bell, Bodine, Compton, Kinser, and Fike the remaining drivers on the lead lap.
36. Lap 70 - Musgave, Norris, Setzer, Lester, White, Sprague and Mathews are the drivers one lap down. Mathews brings his truck to pit road.
35. Lap 66 - Benson's crew pushes him behind the wall. Hornaday now leads Skinner by 4.5 seconds. Crawford, Schrader and Wise round out the top five.
34. Lap 65 - Allen's truck is off song and is starting to slow.
33. Lap 60 - Benson's truck goes up in smoke and he drops off the pace from second. He's switched ignitions and it did not fix the problem. The crew goes under the hood.
32. Lap 58 - Starr moves to the high side and moves past Crafton. Kvapil now sits 11th, just ahead of Starr.
31. Lap 55 - Setzer falls a lap down. Benson has closed to within a second of Hornaday for the lead.
Sam's Town 400 Race Updates 41-50
06-08-2007 10:30 pm
50. Lap 105 - Bodine is back in the top ten, slipping past Kinser coming off turn four.
49. Lap 101 - Hornaday stretches it to 1.6 seconds on Kvapil. Crawford, Skinner and Starr are static in the top five. Crafton closes on Schrader for sixth. Cook, Compton, and Kinser are the top ten. Bodine is up to eleventh.
48. Lap 99 - Kvapil moves to second with Crawford to third. Skinner drops to fourth.
47. Lap 97 - Ruttman has been cleared and released from the infield care center.
46. Lap 95 - Wise comes to the pits for fresh tires. Hornaday leads by 1.1 seconds over Skinner, Kvapil, Crawford, Starr, Schrader, Cook, Crafton, Compton, and Kinser.
45. Lap 93 - Wise gets a handful of wheel and nearly smacks the fence in turn 2 while racing with Bodine.
44. Lap 91 - Bodine starts to make his way back towards the front, making a three-wide move pasth Wise and Rogers on the backstretch.
43. Lap 88 - Skinner stays with Hornaday on the start. They open up a three quarter second advantage on Kvapil in third.
42. Lap 87 - One to go given. Sprague has been cleared and released from the care center. "That was my fault, I was watching the 4 when I should have been watching the 1."
41. Lap 85 - Fike comes to pit road for repairs to the right front, remnants of contact from Crafton during the first round of stops. Wise stops and the crew lifts the hood. Bjorklund also makes a late stop.
Sam's Town 400 Race Updates 51-60
06-08-2007 10:45 pm
60. Lap 138 - Hornaday's advantage is 4.3 seconds. Starr is closing slightly on Skinner for fourth.
59. Lap 132 - Gaughan comes to pit road with a flat right rear.
58. Lap 131 - Hornaday's lead on Crawford is 3.1 seconds. Kinser and Musgrave fall off the lead lap. Next in the leader's sights is Fike in 13th.
57. Lap 126 - Rogers' engine sounds sour as he comes down the frontstretch.
56. Lap 124 - Crawford goes to second, and Schrader goes to sixth.
55. Lap 122 - Crawford has caught Kvapil in the race for second. Hornaday has lapped up to the 16th position, which is currently held my Musgrave. Schrader is back on Crafton's tail in a race for sixth.
54. Lap 118 - Bodine is closing on Compton for eighth. Hornaday comtinues to stretch the lead, now up to 2.7 seconds on Kvapil.
53. Lap 114 - Clanton and Kinser make contact just before the start finish line. Both drivers get a little crossed up but are able to gather it up and continue on.
52. Lap 112 - Bodine takes ninth from Cook.
51. Lap 110 - Crafton slips past Schrader for sixth.
Sam's Town 400 Race Updates 61-
06-08-2007 11:03 pm
73. Lap 166 - One to go signal given. We'll have a green white checkered finish. Kvapil remains on the lead lap.
72. Lap 165 - Bodine leads Crawford, Skinner, Hornaday and Starr. Kvapil has damage to the nose but is still in the lead lap and in sixth. If he can keep running, he should be able to come home with a top ten run.
71. Lap 163 - Bodine looks inside Kvapil but makes contact through the double dogleg and sends Kvapil on a wild ride into turn one. Kvapil fights it but slaps the inside wall at the bottom of one and two.
70. Lap 161 - Green flag. Kvapil leads the field to the green. Hornaday drops to the inside to take fourth from Skinner.
69. Lap 158 - Kvapil stays out and will assume the lead. Bodine wins the race off pit road with Crawford, Skinner, and Hornaday following. Starr tags on to the tail of the lead lap. Schrader, Crafton, Compton, and Cook are the rest of the top ten. Musgrave in eleventh is the only other driver one lap down.
68. Lap 158 - Pits are open. We'll reset the five trucks on the lead lap after stops.
67. Lap 156 - Bodine was ready to come to the pits when the caution came out. He is nervous about running out of fuel under caution.
66. Lap 155 - Bell and Gaughan make contact at the line and both slam into the frontstretch wall. Starr will get the free pass to rejoin the lead lap.
65. Lap 151 - Bodine takes the lead. Kvapil, Crawford Hornaday and Skinner are the only other trucks on the lead lap. Starr, Schrader, Crafton, Compton and Bell round out the top ten as the field is scrambled with the green flag stops.
64. Lap 149 - Hornaday's truck stalls through turns three and four and he comes to the pits for fuel. Kvapil led lap 149 then comes to the pits next time around.
63. Lap 148 - Crafton and Compton come to the pits. Clanton's engine sounds rough past the grandstands. Skinner and Crawford come down pit road.
62. Lap 146 - Green flag stops start. Schrader and Cook come to pit road. Schrader goes with gas only but Cook takes right sides.
61. Lap 141 - Starr is just ten lengths off Skinner's bumper for the fourth spot. Clanton has taken tenth from Cook.
Sam's Town 400 Unofficial Results
06-08-2007 11:33 pm
1. Bodine
2. Skinner
3. Crawford
4. Hornaday
5. Starr
6. Kvapil
7. Crafton
8. Schrader
9. Musgrave
10. Compton
11. Fike
12. Cook
13. Wise
14. Sauter
15. Kinser
16. Setzer
17. Clanton
18. Lester
19. Bjorklund
20. Norris
21. Mathews
22. White
23. Bell
24. Gaughan
25. Rogers
26. Sprague
27. Ruttman
28. Allen
29. Benson
30. Wimmer
31. Cope
32. Darnell
33. Sutton
34. Knupp
35. Mallory
That's All from the Lone Star State
06-09-2007 1:24 am
We're going to call it a night from the Texas Motor Speedway. We have audio clips with each of the top five drivers for your listening pleasure, and of course our photo galleries are overflowing with images from throughout the weekend. Congratulations to Todd Bodine on his fourth NCTS win here at TMS. We're headed for the exits, we'll see you next week from Michigan! Good night everybody!
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