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TrackSideLive!
| Toyota Tundra 200
Nashville Superspeedway | August 11, 2007
TrackSideLive! Presented by
Team ASE
Associate Editor Charles Krall
delivers exclusive online coverage - from start to
finish - of the tough trucks and even tougher drivers of the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series
including Practice Times, Notes, Quotes, Photos, Audio interviews and more!
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TrackSideLive! Garage Notes from Nashville
08-02-2007 2:24 pm
Live! Coverage...
Get the latest news, practice times, photos, audio and more right here.
Good Afternoon from Nashville
08-10-2007 11:57 am
Good afternoon from Nashville Superspeedway, just on the outskirts of Nashville, Tennessee. We are here for the Toyota Tundra 200, round 15 of the 2007 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series season. It is an extremely warm and muggy day here at the track, with bright sun shining through the puffy white clouds and temperatures expected to climb into the mid 90s. We'll have all the news and notes from the garage area here at Nashville Superspeedway as we count down to the start of practice at 3 pm ET.
Today's Schedule
08-10-2007 12:02 pm
Here is the schedule for today's NCTS activity at Nashville Superspeedway;
2:15 pm ET - NCTS Rookie Meeting and Draw for Qualifying
3:15-4:15 pm ET - NCTS Practice
4:45 - 5:15 pm ET - NCTS Rookie Practice
5:15 - 6:15 pm ET - NCTS Final Practice
8 pm ET - NCTS Garage Closes
Key Motorsports Announces Partnership with Chrome Shop Mafia
08-10-2007 12:06 pm
Key Motorsports just announced a partnership with reality television's Chrome Shop Mafia that will see the big rig makeover specialists logos on the No. 40 Chevrolet in five races throughout 2007.
"This is a great opportunity for the Chrome Shop Mafia to partner up with the folks from Key Motorsports," said Bryan "Bossman" Martin, one of seven unique personalities that participate in the show. "We are excited to get involved in racing in a big way. After all, the Chrome Shop Mafia is all about truckin', so let's see what we can do in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. It will be fantastic exposure for us and all of our sponsors, and we'll have some fun doing it."
The Chrome Shop Mafia logos will adrorn the No. 40 Chevrolet at Gateway, Las Vegas, Talladega, Atlanta, and Texas.
Three Last Minute Entries Bring Field to 36
08-10-2007 1:26 pm
Three last minute entries have been filed to give us a total of 36 trucks entered for the Toyota Tundra 200. Bobby Hamilton Racing has filed an entry for the No. 04 Fastenal Dodge with Joe Ruttman tabbed as the driver. Green Light Racing has filed an entry for the No. 06 GPSStore.com/Garmin Chevrolet with Brandon Knupp at the wheel. Finally, Xpress Motorsports will field the No. 19 Ford with Travis Kittleson at the wheel.
We'll have a complete entry list update as soon as one is made available.
Inspection Line Open
08-10-2007 1:28 pm
The inspection line has been open for a while and as always it is busy leading up to the start of practice. While most teams in line have everything close to ready, the Wyler Racing team is banging out the left rear quarter panel to meet the templates before they reach the inspection bay.
While from time to time a team might have to do some last-minute bodywork to meet the templates, sometimes a team is so far ahead of the game that there's plenty of time to catch up on your text messages.
Teams will continue to work their way through the inspection lines leading up to the 3:15 pm ET start of the first practice.
BHR Open House a Success
08-10-2007 2:35 pm
As the team has done for several years, BHR hosted an open house for Nashville Superspeedway season ticket holders and members of the media yesterday.
"It was real nice," said Jeff White, crew chief for the No. 18 Fastenal Dodge. "I don't know that we had as many people as we had in the last couple of years, but we still had a lot of people. Everyone had a great time."
BHR will field its usual two trucks with Mike Bliss and Ken Schrader behind the wheel, and will field a third truck this weekend with Joe Ruttman at the wheel.
New Colors for Cook
08-10-2007 2:38 pm
Terry Cook has spend the majority of the season running a white and red No. 59 Toyota for HT Motorsports, but came to Nashsville sporting some sharp new black and red livery.
Cook's best finish at Nashville Superspeedway is 6th in the first NCTS race run here in 2001.
Nashville Track Facts
08-10-2007 2:43 pm
Nashville Superspeedway is one of three tracks the NCTS races on that is paved entirely in concrete. At 1.33 miles, it is the longest all-concrete speedway in NASCAR (Bristol is 0.533 miles and Dover is 1 mile).
The turns are banked at 14 degrees here at Nashville Superspeedway, with the frontstretch banked at 9 degrees and the backstretch tilted at just 6 degrees.
The frontstretch is 2,494 feet long and the backstretch is 2,203 feet long.
The is scheduled for 150 laps or 200 miles.
Erik Darnell holds the track qualifying record, set here last year, with a lap of 29.601 seconds/
62.116 mph. The fastest race here at Nashville Superspeedway was the first one, with Scott Riggs winning in 1 hour 30 minutes and 34seconds/132.466 mph.
TruckShots!
08-10-2007 2:53 pm
The first batch of TruckSeries.com's exclusive TruckShots! have been posted to our ever-growing photo galleries.
Click here to check them out!
You can also browse through all of our TruckShots! galleries for 2007 by
clicking here
. We'll add more images to the Nashville gallery throughout the weekend.
Practice Underway at Nashville
08-10-2007 3:26 pm
The lights flickered green just a few moments ago and the track is hot - both literally and figuratively - for an hour of NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series practice in preparation for tomorrow's Toyota Tundra 200. We'll have timing updates and update any action on the track throughout the session.
How Hot Is It?
08-10-2007 3:28 pm
The heat is a major factor here today. How hot is it? The ambient temperature is 92 degrees, and with the sun bearing down brightly on the track the asphalt in the garage area where the crews are working is a toasty 141 degrees. The concrete racing surface is a touch cooler at 131 degrees. That doesn't give the drivers any respite though; the floorboards in Mike Skinner's No. 5 Toyota - just as he pulled into his garage stall after his first practice run - were 171 degrees.
They Said It No. 1
08-10-2007 3:35 pm
Here are some quotes from some of the drivers early in practice:
Terry Cook, No. 59 Toyota: "You're carrying a lot more temperature on the left front than you are any other corner of the truck. The left front tire is 10 to 15 degrees warmer all across the board than any other tire on the truck."
Brendan Gaughan, No. 77 Chevrolet: "It feels like the left side just doesn't want to stick on the track."
Danny O'Quinn, No. 50 Ford: "The truck just wants to go left and right whenever I get on the gas."
Practice 1 Rundown 1
08-10-2007 3:40 pm
Here is a rundown approximately 15 minutes into the first hour of practice:
1. Skinner 156.247
2. Bliss 156.186
3. Bodine 156.053
4. Hornaday 155.477
5. Setzer 155.035
6. Crafton 155.015
7. Kvapil 154.930
8. Gaughan 154.670
9. Starr 154.645
10. Lester 154.610
11. Musgrave 154.094
12. Wood 154.000
13. Schrader 153.906
14. Sprague 153.818
15. Cook 153.758
16.O'Quinn 153.512
17. Clanton 153.243
18. McCumbee 152.745
19. Miller 152.629
20. Wise 152.454
21. Almirola 152.386
22. Crawford 152.285
23. Bjorklund 152.270
24. Allen 152.169
25. Sauter 152.068
26. Mathews 151.039
27. Stout 148.248
28. White 143.350
Practice 1 Rundown 2
08-10-2007 3:49 pm
Still clean and green 30 minutes into the session. Here is the latest rundown:
1. Skinner 156.726
2. Bliss 156.221
3. Bodine 156.053
4. Cook 155.512
5. Hornaday 155.477
6. Green 155.296
7. Setzer 155.035
8. Crafton 155.015
9. Kvapil 154.930
10. Musgrave 154.715
11. Gaughan 154.670
12. Starr 154.645
13. Lester 154.610
14. Wood 154.000
15. Schrader 153.906
16. Sprague 153.818
17. O'Quinn 153.512
18. Bjorklund 153.429
19. Clanton 153.243
20. Mathews 153.121
21. Allen 153.008
22. Benson 152.921
23. Sauter 152.833
24. McCumbee 152.745
25. Miller 152.629
26. Crawford 152.488
27. Wise 152.454
28. Almirola 152.386
29. Darnell 151.072
30. Stout 148.248
31. White 147.642
They Said It No. 2
08-10-2007 3:55 pm
Johnny Benson, No. 23 Toyota: "When i get off the gas pedal, I get an extremely rich smell of raw fuel. It just fills the truck up."
Josh Wise, No. 00 Toyota: "I don't know that I even have to tell you that it's hitting the track."
Ron Hornaday, No. 33 Chevrolet: "Let's go back to that old right front spring. I had to use the brakes to get the truck to drop down."
Five Minutes to Go; Quick Top-10
08-10-2007 4:11 pm
We're still clean and green here at Nashville Superspeedway with less than five minutes remaining in the first hour of practice. Here is a quick look at the top ten:
1. Skinner 157.070
2. Bliss 156.931
3. Bodine 156.364
4. Benson 156.119
5. Hornaday 156.023
6. Sprague 155.993
7. Cook 155.841
8. Crafton 155.734
9. Gaughan 155.533
10. Starr 155.386
Skinner Leads First Practice
08-10-2007 4:22 pm
Skinner's No. 5 Toyota was quickest in the first session. (Charles Krall/TruckSeries.com Photo)
Mike Skinner showed the way in the first practice for tomorrow's Toyota Tundra 200. He turned a quick lap of 157.070 miles per hour, just ahead of defending series champion Todd Bodine who lapped the 1.33-mile concrete tri-oval at 157.008 mph. Remember, those two tangled here in turn one on the last lap, taking both of them out of contention for the win. Mike Bliss, Ron Hornaday and defending race winner Johnny Benson rounded out the top five.
There were no incidents in the session, which ran start to finish without interruption.
We'll have a complete results sheet posted to the event bot as soon as it is available.
Rookie Practice Underway
08-10-2007 4:55 pm
The 30-minute rookie-only session has taken to the track, with Roush Fenway newcomer Danny O'Quinn currently on top of the charts. We'll update the speeds momentarily, and of course have any track action updates as it happens.
Happy Birthday Billy
08-10-2007 4:59 pm
Happy birthday to longtime NCTS team owner Billy Ballew. No word on how many candles he'll be blowing out on the cake tonight, but we're certain it won't take the local fire department to help extinguish the flames. All of us at TruckSeries.com wish Billy a happy birthday and many more.
Rookie Rundown
08-10-2007 5:10 pm
Here is how the board looks about halfway through the 30-minute session:
1. O'Quinn 155.608
2. Schrader 155.437
3. Wise 154.840
4. Mathews 154.248
5. Clanton 154.178
6. Sauter 153.847
7. Bjorklund 153.660
8. Allen 152.872
9. White 155.559
Final Practice Underway
08-10-2007 5:23 pm
The final full-field practice for the Toyota Tundra 200 started just a few moments ago. Early on in the session, Johnny Benson leads Travis Kvapil, Mike Skinner, Ron Hornaday and Todd Bodine. We'll update speeds momentarily, and of course have any track action updates as they happen.
Final Practice Rundown 1
08-10-2007 5:37 pm
After about 20 minutes of the final pratice, here is how they stand:
1. Benson 157.281
2. Kvapil 157.003
3. Skinner 156.721
4. Hornaday 156.701
5. Bodine 156.696
6. Bliss 156.629
7. Sprague 156.588
8. Musgrave 156.496
9. Gaughan 156.359
10. O'Quinn 156.333
11. Cook 156.140
12. Crafton 155.618
13. Wise 155.336
14. Schrader 155.276
15. Setzer 155.246
16. Almirola 155.145
17. Starr 154.920
18. Darnell 154.855
19. Crawford 154.770
20. Mathews 154.650
21. McCumbee 154.566
22. Clanton 154.362
23. Allen 154.312
24. Green 154.238
25. Bjorklund 153.985
26. Lester 153.768
27. Sauter 153.744
28. Wood 153.101
29. Kittleson 149.668
30. Ruttman 149.495
31. Edwards 149.768
32. Hendrick 148.717
33. Stout 146.941
Final Practice Rundown 2
08-10-2007 6:03 pm
After about 45 minutes, here is how they stand:
1. Sprague 157.918
2. Benson 157.281
3. Kvapil 157.204
4. Bliss 157.157
5. Cook 156.998
6. Musgrave 156.967
7. Bodine 156.885
8. Hornaday 156.870
9. Skinner 156.870
10. Gaughan 156.359
11. O'Quinn 156.333
12. Almirola 156.140
13. Green 155.785
14. Clanton 155.760
15. Wise 155.623
16. Crafton 155.618
17. Wood 155.427
18. Schrader 155.276
19. Starr 155.251
20. Setzer 155.246
21. Crawford 155.155
22. McCumbee 155.095
23. Darnell 154.855
24. Mathews 154.855
25. Lester 154.605
26. Allen 154.312
27. Bjorklund 154.282
28. Sauter 154.060
29. Ruttman 151.894
30. Edwards 150.258
31. Stout 159.775
32. Kittleson 149.668
33. White 149.184
34. Hendrick 149.128
Gaughan Scuffs Right Side
08-10-2007 6:10 pm
The red flag was out for a moment for a quick track inspection after Brendan Gaughan got into the fence and scuffed up the right side of the No. 77 Chevrolet. He drove it back to the attention of his crew and we're already back under green flag conditions. There are just a few moments left in the session.
Gaughan Helping with Repairs
08-10-2007 6:18 pm
The damage to the No. 77 Chevrolet isn't terminal, but it will give the team a little added work to get it ready for qualifying tomorrow.
Driver Brendan Gaughan has been hard at work helping the team repair the damage, concentrating on the front splitter.
Skinner Sweeps Practice
08-10-2007 6:24 pm
Mike Skinner was the fastest in the first practice, and he ended the final practice on top of the charts as well. Skinner ripped off a fast lap of 160.468 miles per hour in the No. 5 Toyota to knock a surprising Joey Clanton back to second. Clanton's lap of 158.827 miles per hour in the No. 09 Ford was good enough for second, with another surprise in third. Terry Cook debuts a new No. 59 Toyota here this weekend, and it came off the trailer strong with the third fastest lap in "happy hour" at 158.418 miles per hour. Jack Sprague and Truck Series newcomer Danny O'Quinn rounded out the top five.
We'll have the complete results posted to the event bot on the main page shortly.
Lots and Lots of TruckShots!
08-10-2007 6:28 pm
Nashville Superspeedway is one of the best tracks to get up close and personal with the Trucks as they come out of the garage area and head to the racing surface, and we took full advantage of that here this afternoon capturing well over 150 images that are now posted to the TruckShots! gallery.
Click on the image above to check it out!
Nashville Friday Audio
08-10-2007 7:04 pm
We have a few audio clips with the major newsmakers of the day here at Nashville Superspeedway headed your way! We met up with Mike Skinner and talked about the fact he was the fastest of the fast in both practice sessions here this afternoon. We also met up with Brendan Gaughan and talked about the incident he had in the closing minutes of the final practice. And, we have our popular SPEED preview of the Toyota Tundra 200 with Ray Dunlap. Dunlap is doing double duty tomorrow, and he talks about how the heat plays a factor, who is closing the gap on the Mike Skinner/Jeff Hensley juggernaut, and the new engine program NASCAR is working to implement to save the NCTS teams some cash.
Look to the Sights and Sounds bot to the right side of the TrackSideLive! page and click on the Podtrac player to listen.
That's All for Friday Folks!
08-10-2007 7:09 pm
The NCTS teams are winding down and heading for the gates here at Nashville Superspeedway and we're going to do the same. We'll be back at it bright and early tomorrow morning leading up to Live! Bud Pole Qualifying, which is scheduled for 1:30 pm ET. Until tomorrow, stay cool where ever you are! Good Night everyone!
Good Saturday Morning from Nashville
08-11-2007 10:15 am
Good morning from Nashville Superspeedway! We have a busy Saturday on tap as we have
Live! Bud Pole Qualifying
slated for 1:30 pm ET, and then after a 150-mile ARCA RE/MAX Series race, we line up for round 15 of the 2007 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series: the Toyota Tundra 200.
It is another scorcher here today as the sun is already beating down on us with very few clouds to offer any respite and shade. Temps are expected to reach into the upper 90s and there is high humidity which will make working conditions for everyone very miserable throughout the early part of the day. By the time we get ready to go green around 6 pm ET, it should cool down enough to where its at least tolerable.
We'll be here throughout the day counting down to
Live! Bud Pole Qualifying
, and of course we'll have all the news and notes from the garage leading up to the drop of the green flag so stick with us!
Morgan-Dollar Partnership with DEI Solid
08-11-2007 10:30 am
With the merger between DEI and Ginn Racing making headlines in the Cup Series, one of the unanswered questions was how the merger of the two teams would affect Ginn's pre-existing partnership with Morgan-Dollar Motorsports in the NCTS. Team owner David Dollar said yesterday that his team has continued to receive support from DEI/Ginn and he hasn't heard anything to indicate that support will stop.
"As far as our team is concerned, we haven't been told anything about support ending or anything negative at all," Dollar said. "We expect to continue on through 2007 exactly the way we have been. The only real difference is you can probably expect DEI to rotate their development drivers from week to week rather than just have one driver for the rest of the season."
Garage Busy; Inspection Open
08-11-2007 11:04 am
The garage area is a beehive of activity as teams work hard to get their trucks ready to roll through the pre-qualifying inspection line. Don't forget, this (and every Truck Series race) is an impound race so this is also the last opportunity the teams have to finalize any major adjustments to their setups prior to the drop of the green flag later this evening.
Chad McCumbee's No. 08 Chevrolet has already been pushed out to pit road, and Willie Allen's No. 13 Chevy and Ted Musgrave's No. 9 Toyota are next through the final inspection bay.
Johnny Benson's crew was busy warming the rear gear on the No. 23 Toyota, and Rick Crawford's crew was finishing up setting the timing on the engine of the No. 14 Ford. Tim Sauter's No. 07 Chevrolet and Joe Ruttman's No. 04 Dodge were in the template room.
With the hot temps here today, the teams are motivated to get their work done early then head to the cool comfort of their transporters and get some time to relax before they have to get ready to go to battle here this afternoon and evening.
By the Numbers: Nashville stats
08-11-2007 11:09 am
We posted our weekly stats package to the TruckSeries.com message boards, and you can
click here to check out who has the best career finishes here at NSS, who is making their first NCTS start here at NSS, the 2007 laps led standings, current year manufacturer performance, and much, much more!
You can also post a reply with your thoughts or any other stats that jump out at you.
More VPS Motorimages
08-11-2007 11:12 am
Early this morning we updated the VPS Motorimages gallery with some beautiful track action shots from the second practice.
Click on the photo above to check it out!
Headed to Garage
08-11-2007 11:42 am
We're going to head to the garage area to see what's happening as we inch closer to Live! Bud Pole Qualifying, coming your way here at 1:30 pm ET. We'll be back soon to update any news and notes from the garage.
Trucks to Qualifying Grid
08-11-2007 1:15 pm
The last of the teams have rolled through the inspection area and all of the trucks are now gridded for Live! Bud Pole Qualifying, which comes your way NEXT right here at TruckSeries.com!
Click here to log on to our exclusive coverage as the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series rolls for the pole in Nashville!
Craftsman Posts 80th Anniversary Bonus
08-11-2007 1:20 pm
Craftsman, the official tools of NASCAR and the only title sponsor the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series has ever had throughout it's 13-year existence, is posting a special award today in celebration of its 80th anniversary. The driver that leads on lap 80 will receive a check for $8,000, giving everyone an added bonus to run hard towards the front not only at the end of the race but just after the race's midway point as well. We'll keep you abreast of who wins that award once we start our race coverage.
Nashville Qualifying Fast Facts
08-11-2007 3:16 pm
Mike Skinner won the pole for the Toyota Tundra 200, his 40th career pole in 144 series starts; he turned a fast lap of 30.061 seconds/159.635 miles per hour...Skinner now has won eight poles in qualifying in 2007, matching his total for 2006...Skinner's average start for 2007 is now 2.2; it's his 14th top-5 start of the season...Skinner has not started outside the top ten at all in 2007; his lowest start of the year was ninth at Daytona...Jack Sprague will start second giving him seven top five starts in 2007...Todd Bodine will start third, also giving him seven starts among the top five in 2007...Joey Clanton was the top Raybestos Rookie Qualifier in fourth; it is Clanton's best career NCTS start.
Hot...But Not as Hot
08-11-2007 3:41 pm
The forecast for today promised temps as hot or hotter than yesterday, but there is a pleasant breeze blowing across the track that has helped keep everyone cool so far. Just as the ARCA RE/MAX Series race was rolling off, the temperature of the asphalt was 138 degrees with the concrete racing surface a cool 121. No word on cockpit temperatures, but it's a conservative bet that it will be 130 degrees or warmer for the drivers today.
Drivers Meeting Notes
08-11-2007 3:44 pm
Driver introductions will be at 6:10 pm ET with the invocation at 6:33 pm ET and the Anthem at 5:34 pm ET. The command to start engines will be at 6:41 pm ET.
Pit road speed is 45 mph and the pace truck will circulate at 55 mph. Pit road speed begins 206 feet before the first pit bix and ends 150 feet past the last pit stall. The restart point is the double red line on the wall at the exit of turn four.
The minumum speed to stay in competition today is 34.39 seconds.
All drivers must use the exit lane while leaving pit road unless instructed to do otherwise by the NASCAR official at the end of pit road.
Miller Brushes Wall in Qualifying
08-11-2007 3:51 pm
One driver had a slight brush with the wall during qualifying. Brandon Miller pushed up high out of turn four on his second lap and scraped along the wall leading to the frontstretch. There was some slight damage to the right side of the No. 40 Chevrolet, including some damage to the front splitter which appeared to be bent and/or broken. If the team made any repairs, and it's likely they would have to, they will have to drop to the back on the start of the race for an unapproved adjustment.
Chaffin Here Looking
08-11-2007 4:19 pm
Local racer and former NCTS winner Chad Chaffin was spotted in the garage earlier chatting with old friends and looking for an opportunity to get back behind the wheel.
"Yeah I am here looking to see what's available out there," Chaffin said. "I'd love to get back at it here in the Truck Series. I ran a couple of Cup races with BAM Racing and we had a really good qualifying run at Chicago. I probably could have done even better but you don't want to crash and have to go to a backup especially when you aren't a locked in team. But there's only two ways I am going to get to drive one of these things and that's if someone hires me or I build one of my own. And I'll tell you, I ain't building one!"
ARCA Race Over; NCTS Up Next
08-11-2007 4:56 pm
Jeremy Clements just picked up his first career ARCA RE/MAX Series win, defeating Bryan Clauson, Frank Kimmel, Cale Gale and Brian Keselowski.
We now turn our attention to the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Toyota Tundra 200, round 15 of 25 in the 2007 season. Driver intros are about an hour away, and with the track sitting silent for a short period of time that gives the fans in the stands a chance to head down beneath and get some shade and maybe even run through some of the cooling stations they have on hand here today.
As soon as they clear pit road from the ARCA race the NCTS teams will set up their pit stalls and grid the trucks. That should start to happen within the next 10 to 15 minutes.
Toyota Tundra 200 Pit Assignments
08-11-2007 6:07 pm
Here are the pit stall assignments for the Toyota Tundra 200, 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:
Skinner
White
Kittleson
Hornaday
Hendrick
Musgrave
Break in pit wall
Sprague
Bliss
Wood
Schrader
Mathews
Ruttman
Green
Setzer
Stout
Benson
Wise
Break in pit wall
Bodine
Edwards
Crawford
Cook
Almirola
Starr
Gaughan
Knupp
Crafton
McCumbee
Bjorklund
Lester
Break in pit wall
Clanton
Allen
O'Quinn
Sauter
Kvapil
Darnell
Toyota Tundra 200 Race Updates 1-10
08-11-2007 6:37 pm
10. Lap 12 - Starr is up to 19th, Mathews up to 14th, and Kvapil moves past Wise for sixth.
9. Lap 8 - Musgrave and Kvapil race hard for eighth. Crafton clears Schrader to take 19th. Clanton pushes out of the groove off turn two and drops back several positions. He now runs eleventh.
8. Lap 6 - Starr up to 20th from 27th spot on the start. Wood makes a big three wide move to take 21st from Sauter and Setzer. Skinner leads by 0.8 seconds over Bodine, Sprague, Lester, and Clanton.
7. Lap 3 - Knupp comes to the garage. Darnell and Musgrave race side by side for two laps for seventh.
6. Green flag. Skinner pulls ahead down the backstetch. Clanton and Lester nearly make contact off two but stay straight. Crafton has to jump on the brakes and loses several spots at the drop of the green. Kittleson and Ruttman come to pit road.
5. One to go signal has been given. Kittleson and Hendrick also move to the back, but do so by choice.
4. The race is slated for 150 laps/200 miles. We will have one attempt at a green white checkered finish. Teams have four sets of tires available for the weekend and they can change them in any manner they so chose.
3. Only one driver will drop to the back prior to the start: Brandon Miller will relinquish the 33rd starting position due to an unapproved engine change.
2. Engines have been started. There will be three laps on the initial roll-off.
1. The invocation has been given and the National Anthem has been performed. Next on the schedule is the command to start engines, which should come in the next couple of minutes.
Toyota Tundra 200 Race Updates 11-20
08-11-2007 6:58 pm
20. Lap 44 - Skinner beats Sprague, Musgrave, Bodine, Darnell, Kvapil, Benson, Hornaday, Mathews, Clanton, Bliss, Lester, Wood, Wise, O'Quinn, Starr, Green, Bjorklund, Crafton, Almirola, Cook, Sauter, Allen, Crawford, and McCumbee. Schrader rejoins the lead lap by picking up the free pass.
19. Lap 43 - Pits are open. We'll reset the lineup once stops are complete.
18. Lap 40 - Almirola fights hard to stay on the lead lap. Yellow is out for debris in turn three.
17. Lap 38 - Mathews takes 12th from Bliss. Hornaday moves past Darnell to take fifth.
16. Stout comes to pit road. Stout's mother is the rear tire carrier and completes her job well.
15. Lap 31 - Skinner puts Gaughan a lap down and has Setzer and Schrader in his sights. He leads by 2.8 seconds over Sprague.
14. Lap 27 - Skinner leads Bodine, Sprague, Darnell, Musgrave, Hornaday, Benson, Lester, Kvapil, Wise, Bliss, Clanton, Mathews, Bjorklund, O'Quinn, Starr, WOod, Cook, McCumbee, Allen, Crafton, Green, Sauter, Crawford, Schrader, Almirola, Setzer, Gaughan, Miller, White, Edwards and Stout.
13. Lap 23 - Hornaday moves past Lester for sixth.
12. Lap 19 - Crawford gets pushed out of the groove and loses a couple of spots in turns three and four. He now runs 25th. Skinner leads by 1.8 seconds.
11. Lap 15 - Stout drops off the lead lap, the first driver lapped on the track. The front three have broken away from Lester in fourth by nearly the entire length of the backstretch. Clanton now moves inside Wise to take tenth.
Toyota Tundra 200 Race Updates 21-30
08-11-2007 7:17 pm
30. Lap 66 - Miller receives the free pass. We now have 26 trucks on the lead lap. There are 31 trucks still running.
29. Lap 64 - The gas can comes loose from the Sauter truck on the backstretch and fuel spills down a segment of the racing surface.
28. Lap 63 - No one at the front of the field comes to pit road. Almirola, Bliss, Sauter, Miller and Mathews come to get service. Sauter leaves his stall with the gas can still attached and will have to come back and serve a penalty.
27. Lap 61 - McCumbee turns sideways and backs hard into the turn one wall, shortening up the rear of his truck significantly. Caution out for the third time.
26. Lap 58 - Mathews drpps off the pace on the restart. Skinner opens up a 15 length lead on Musgrave.
25. Lap 57 - Skinner leads Musgrave, Benson, Bodine, Hornaday, Kvapil, Wood, Clanton, Lester and Starr to the green flag. Gaughan picks up the free pass.
24. Lap 55 - Stout goes to the garage. Darnell reports a loose condition and he comes to pit road. Sprague also comes to the attention of his crew and they add two spring rubbers to tighten him up. Bliss continues after quick repairs.
23. Lap 54 - Bliss and Sprague come together in turn two and Bliss pops the wall hard with the left rear and left side. He drives it back to pit road with smoke boiling from the left side. Sprague got loose underneath and moved up to correct and barely nipped Bliss's rear bumper.
22. Lap 50 - Benson moves past Soragye for third. Crawford shoots up the track in turn two and nearly catches the wall. Wise looks inside Starr and Mathews and tries to make it three wide into turn one.
21. Lap 46 - Restart. Skinner opens up ten lengths down the backstretch. Darnell gets shoved out of the groove and jams the field up behind him mid pack. Musgrave goes past Sprague for second.
Toyota Tundra 200 Race Updates 31-40
08-11-2007 7:38 pm
40. Lap 97 - Traffic bunches up the front four as Skinner is forced to the apron to lap Almirola and Miller. Benson and Kvapil moves up and make it a four way race for the lead.
39. Lap 90 - Sprague passes Crafton for 15th. Darnell passes Cook for 11th. The leaders now catch some lapped traffic. Skinner moves past Setzer and is able to open up a seven length lead on Musgrave.
38. Lap 88 - Kvapil moves past Bodine for fourth.
37. Lap 86 - Crawford was two seconds away from being lapped early in the going, but has now moved into the top ten.
36. Lap 82 - Crafton moves past Wise to take twelfth and Darnell comes to take 13th. White, Schrader and Setzer go three wide into three, Setzer jumps off the gas and jumbles the pack up behind him.
35. Lap 80 - Skinner wins the $8,000 Craftsman Bonus.
34. Lap 78 - Benson starts to close in. Skinner leads lap 79. Bonus money paid next lap.
33. Lap 74 - Musgrave closes to the back bumper of the leader. He is just a tenth from the lead with five laps to go for the $8,000 Craftsman bonus.
32. Lap 71 - Clanton goes for a long slide off the nose of Cook in turn three. Clanton tries to come down into traffic and nearly sideswipes Bjorklund.
31. Lap 68 - Skinner jumps out but Musgrave is able to stay closer this time. Benson, Bodine, and Hornaday round out the top five. Mathews slows up off turn two and packs up Starr, Cook, Wise, Clanton and several others.
Toyota Tundra 200 Race Updates 41-50
08-11-2007 7:55 pm
50. Lap 124 - Restart. Hornaday looks to the inside but Kvapil shuts the door going into one. Hornaday wants the lead and is all over Kvapil off four.
49. Lap 122 - Allen pops an engine and fluid is on the track. Caution out for the fifth time. Mathews picks up the free pass.
48. Lap 114 - Restart. Clanton slides up out of the groove in turn two and Lester gives him a shove as he tries to get it back under control. They keep it pointed straight. Hornaday moves to second and Skinner starts to press Starr for third. Sprague gives Lester a push and send him for s slide and spin in turn two.
47. Lap 113 - Musgrave gets pegged with a penalty for a loose tire on pit road and must drop to the tail of the longest line.
46. Lap 112 - Kvapil leads Starr, Hornaday, SKinner, Bodine, Wood, Darnell, Crawford, Crafton, O'Quinn, Clanton, Green, Lester, Sprague, Cook, Wise, Bjorklund and Gaughan on the lead lap. Schrader, Mathews, Miller, Bliss, Sauter, Almirola, Allen, White, and Setzer are just one lap down.
45. Lap 110 - Benson has a problem and gets into the wall in turn one. Caution is out for the fourth time. Gaughan receives the free pass.
44. Lap 107 - Musgrave moves past Skinner to take second. Kvapil leads by 1.5 seconds.
43. Lap 103 - Kvapil leads at the stripe, the first lead change all day.
42. Lap 102 - Kvapil moves into second at the start finish line and starts to pressure Skinner for the lead. Kvapil has found some speed in the outside lane.
41. Lap 97 - Kvapil takes third from Benson, and Wood passes Hornaday for sixth.
Toyota Tundra 200 Race Updates 51 -
08-11-2007 8:15 pm
57. Lap 147 - Kvapil leads by 3.05 seconds.
56. Lap 144 - Crawford, Wood and Musgrave race hard for the sixth position.
55. Lap 140 - Kvapil leads by 2.45 seconds over Hornaday.
54. Lap 138 - Kvapil leads Hornaday, Skinner, Starr, Bodine, Crawford, Wood, Musgrave, Darnell and Crafton.
53. Lap 135 - Kvapil opens up a 1.25 second advantage over Hornaday.
52. Lap 130 - Clanton hooks Cook off turn four and Cook goes for a long slide towards the start finish line. He maintains control but drops to 16th.
51. Lap 128 - Kvapil has some breathing room on Hornaday now as he leads by seven lengths.
Toyota Tundra 200 Unofficial Results
08-11-2007 8:28 pm
1. Kvapil
2. Hornaday
3. Skinner
4. Starr
5. Bodine
6. Crawford
7. Wood
8. Musgrave
9. Darnell
10. Clanton
11. Crafton
12. Gaughan
13. Bjorklund
14. Green
15. Sprague
16. Mathews
17. O'Quinn
18. Cook
19. Wise
20. Lester
21. Sauter
22. Schrader
23. Almirola
24. Bliss
25. Miller
26. Setzer
27. White
28. Edwards
29. Allen
30. Benson
31. Stout
32. McCumbee
33. Ruttman
34. Hendrick
35. Knupp
36. Kittleson
Kvapil Scores Third of Year at Nashville
08-11-2007 8:29 pm
Travis Kvapil picked up his third NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series win of 2007 by taking the checkered flag in the Toyota Tundra 200 at Nashville Superspeedway. Kvapil took over the lead from race-long leader Mike Skinner on lap 103 and led the rest of the way. He beat Ron Hornaday by 2.4 seconds, with Skinner, David Starr and Todd Bodine the rest of the top five.
Skinner will maintain the points lead over Hornaday, which unofficially stands at 82.
TruckSeries.com will have a complete report to follow.
Hornaday Brings Motivation to Nashville
08-11-2007 10:14 pm
Ron Hornaday brought some additional motivation with him to Nashville Superspeedway. Tanner Lusk, a 7-year-old who has fought cancer for the past four years, was Hornaday's guest at NNS and was hoping to cheer him on to victory. As a bonus, Tanner created a special piece of artwork depicting Hornaday celebrating in victory lane with the trademark Nashville trophy, a Gibson guitar.
Hornaday said he may have to bring Tanner to Bristol in two weeks to provide some needed good luck, and that added motivation to go to victory lane.
That's a Wrap from Nashville!
08-11-2007 10:20 pm
All of our post-race audio has been posted, all of the stories have been written, and we're on our way out the door and headed for home after one of the best NCTS races in Nashville Superspeedway history. We met up with the top five drivers at the finish and got their thoughts on the day. Travis Kvapil spoke about how strong his truck was at the start and then at the end, and told us he had someone in his thoughts distracting him over the final 10 laps. Ron Hornaday talked about a gutsy call by Rick Ren that boosted him from a top ten finisher to potential race winner and eventual runner-up finisher. Mike Skinner speaks about finishing third and collecting the $8,000 Craftsman anniversary bonus. David Starr talked to us about his fourth-place finish and the bold move his crew chief Dennis Connor made on the final stop to get him there. Finally, a disappointed Todd Bodine tells us about his fifth-place run and what he needed to get up there and race for the win.
We have over 200 pictures in the TruckShots gallery, a huge VPS Motorimages gallery, and all of the on-track reports from here at Nashville for you to peruse throughout the night.
We'll rejoin you next from Bristol Motor Speedway on August 21 as we start practice on the new concrete surface at BMS.
Congratulations to Travis Kvapil on his third win of the season. He'll be looking to become the first driver in series history to sweep the Tennessee races after his wins at Memphis and here at Nashville.
Until the 21st, good night everybody!
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