|
TrackSideLive!
| O'Reilly 200
Bristol Motor Speedway | August 22, 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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Good Morning from Bristol
08-21-2007 10:09 am
Good morning from a very busy but distinctly different Bristol Motor Speedway. The track was completely reconfigured with new concrete and a new compound banking through the high-banked turns following the NASCAR weekend earier this year, and the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series is the first of the national NASCAR series to compete on the new surface. Another thing that really jumps out when we walked in here this morning was the emptiness of the infield. Whenever we've been here in the past, and when we come in tomorrow morning, every inch of the infield will be occupied by transporters and support equipment from not only the NCTS teams but the USAR Hooters Pro Cup teams as well. But this morning, only the NCTS teams are inside and it's possible to see all the way from one end of the track to another. It is daunting, to say the least, to see the incredible banks on both ends of the speedway. We'll have complete coverage of today's open practice session with the first on-track activity slated for 1 pm ET, so stick with us.
Bristol Weather
08-21-2007 10:14 am
After a frustrating weather weekend in Michigan for the NASCAR Nextel Cup teams that has those teams competing today rather than Sunday was was originally scheduled, all eyes are on the weather forecast here in Bristol. It's already 82 degrees and it should go up to 93 degrees in the heat of the afternoon. There is a 40 percent chance of some scattered storms here today, and radar shows there are some small cells of in the distance but they are still well over 100 miles to the west. As of now, the sun is shining down brightly and we're expecting to go green for open practice at 1 pm ET.
Michigan Weather Impacts Bristol Practice for Three Teams
08-21-2007 10:17 am
Three teams have been forced to scramble to find someone to fill the seat for today's practice as their primary driver is competing in the Nextel Cup race at Michigan. MRD Motorsports, Wood/jtg Racing, and Billy Ballew Motorsports are all without drivers as Chad McCumbee, Mark Martin, and Kyle Busch are on the track right now at MIS. We'll update each of those teams' plans shortly once we take a spin through the paddock on pit road.
Subs Named for Cup Drivers at Bristol Today
08-21-2007 11:12 am
The three teams that are in the lurch while their primary drivers are competing in the Nextel Cup Series race at Michigan this afternoon have all named their replacement drivers for the open practice this afternoon. Brad Keselowski will replace Chad McCumbee in the MRD Motorsports No. 8 Chevrolet; Kelly Bires will practice the No. 21 Wood/jtg Racing Ford for Mark Martin; and Kenny Wallace will sub for Kyle Busch in the No. 51 Chevrolet for Billy Ballew Motorsports. Wallace will also drive for the team in the next race at Gateway.
Track Temp Climbing
08-21-2007 12:07 pm
The temperatures are going up and that means the temperature of the concrete and the asphalt is also going up. Just a short while ago, the concrete was at an even 100 degres. After sitting in the sun for another hour or so, it has climbed to 111 degrees. The asphalt, where most of the work is done here on pit road, is up to 120 degrees. There is some relief coming as some cloudcover is on the way, which should provide some needed cooling for everyone.
Trucks on Track
08-21-2007 12:12 pm
The first truck, the No. 77 Chevrolet of Brendan Gaughan, has taken to the track and we are green for four hours of open practice here at Bristol. We'll be here throughout the day to cover all of the action, so stay with us!
Huge Downpour at Bristol
08-21-2007 1:45 pm
The skies have opened up and there is now a huge storm over the Bristol Motor Speedway. We are still working on getting times, and we hope to get an update soon. We'll update the weather shortly as well.
Rain Stopped; Jets on Track
08-21-2007 1:51 pm
Just as soon as the rain started it has stopped, and the track crew has just fired up the jet dryers to get the track in shape for more practice. We're still looking for times and speeds, and we'll update it as quickly as we can.
More Hard Rain at BMS
08-21-2007 2:30 pm
Just as the track was about ready to go for more practice, the clouds have again opened up and a hard rain is falling here at the track. Teams are scurrying for cover under their canopies on pit road or in their trailers just behind us here in the media center. We'll let you know as soon as it lets up and hopefully we'll be back with some practice soon.
While we are singing in the rain...
08-21-2007 2:57 pm
While we are singing in the rain here at Bristol, what better time to link our first batch of TruckShots! from here at BMS. We have some great shots of the crews in action preparing for practice here today, and some up close shots of the concrete canyon here at BMS - all while the sun was shining brightly down upon us. Click on the image of Bristol's intimidating turn one above to check them out!
Track Drying Underway
08-21-2007 3:38 pm
BMS and NASCAR officials remain hopeful thast we will be able to not only continue but complete the open practice session here this afternoon. We've had a couple of strong storms roll through, but the track is drying well and we should be back at it shortly. The crews...that's another story as most of the pit area is still waterlogged and there are many soggy crew members attending to the trucks.
About to Rumble at Bristol
08-21-2007 3:54 pm
Track drying efforts have just about concluded and we are just about to re-fire the engines for the conclusion of the open practice for tomorrow's O'Reilly 200. The new schedule for the day has the practice session running through 5:30 pm ET and the garage closing at 6:30 pm ET. We'll be here to cover it all for you, so stick with us.
Open Practice Rundown 1
08-21-2007 4:02 pm
Finally found a team with working scoring monitors and since it's not a monsoon, we went and got the rundown just prior to the restart of practice:
1. Kvapil 16.174
2. Gaughan 16.308
3. Sprague 16.311
4. Crawford 16.311
5. Bodine 16.311
6. Bliss 16.315
7. Skinner 16.333
8. Smith 16.337
9. Seig 16.364
10. Darnell 16.376
11. Crafton 16.382
12. O'Quinn 16.388
13. Hornaday 16.411
14. Allmendinger 16.419
15. Mathews 16.426
16. Keselowski 16.427
17. Schrader 16.428
18. Benson 16.452
19. Starr 16.494
20. Allen 16.523
21. Peters 16.533
22. Sauter 16.622
23. Reithmeyer 16.628
24. Gale 16.642
25. Musgrave 16.660
26. Wallace 16.693
27. Bires 16.697
28. Miller 16.699
29. Clanton 16.766
30. Silas 16.812
31. Monteith 16.915
32. Cope 17.012
33. White 17.170
Open Practice Rundown 2
08-21-2007 4:29 pm
With about one hour left in the session, here is the full-field rundown:
1. Bliss 16.072
2. Kvapil 16.087
3. Mathews 16.096
4. Skinner 16.101
5. Crafton 16.101
6. Smith 16.104
7. Crawford 16.112
8. O'Quinn 16.113
9. Darnell 16.121
10. Sprague 16.132
11. Benson 16.144
12. Cook 16.169
13. Starr 16.169
14. Bodine 16.188
15. Allmendinger 16.189
16. Seig16.193
17. Green 16.220
18. Keselowski 16.226
19. Bires 16.239
20. Hornaday 16.244
21. Gale 16.270
22. Allen 16.281
23. Peters 16.295
24. Sauter 16.300
25. Setzer 16.307
26. Gaughan 16.308
27. Cope 16.381
28. Silas 16.397
29. Musgrave 16.422
30. Schrader 16.428
31. Reithmeyer 16.434
32. Sockwell 16.441
33. Monteith 16.480
34. White 16.515
35. Clanton 16.664
36. Wallace 16.693
37. Miller 16.699
Wallace Out, Busch In
08-21-2007 4:43 pm
Kenny Wallace has fulfilled his duties as substitute for Kyle Busch here this afternoon, and he has departed the track to participate in tonight's NASCAR Night of Stars in Paducah, Kent. Kyle Busch is on his way from Michigan and should be at the track soon and behind the wheel of the No. 51 Chevrolet.
Clean and Green So Far
08-21-2007 4:47 pm
With 45 minutes remaining in the session, it has been remarkably free of incidents. There are a couple of scuffs on the outside wall, but there hasn't been any incident that has caused a caution on the track. The teams are hard at work and the track has been very busy. The goal of laying rubber down in the groove is certainly being achieved - now we all hope the rain stays away and doesn't wash it all off.
Open Practice Rundown 3
08-21-2007 4:52 pm
With about 40 minutes to go in the session, here is the full-field rundown:
1. Skinner 15.817
2. Bliss 16.072
3. Kvapil 16.087
4. Mathews 16.089
5. Crafton 16.101
6. Smith 16.104
7. Crawford 16.112
8. O'Quinn 16.113
9. Darnell 16.121
10. Sprague 16.132
11. Seig 16.134
12. Benson 16.144
13. Cook 16.169
14. Starr 16.169
15. Bodine 16.188
16. Allmendinger 16.189
17. Green 16.220
18. Musgrave 16.224
19. Keselowski 16.226
20. Bires 16.230
21. Hornaday 16.244
22. Silas 16.251
23. Gale 16.270
24. Peters 16.273
25. Allen 16.281
26. Sauter 16.300
27. Setzer 16.307
28. Gaughan 16.308
29. Cope 16.381
30. Kyle Busch 16.381
31. Schrader 16.428
32. Reithmeyer 16.434
33. Sockwell 16.441
34. Monteith 16.474
35. White 16.515
36. Clanton 16.542
37. Miller 16.608
More TruckShots! Posted
08-21-2007 5:15 pm
Click on the picture above of Chad McCumbee's new ride to check out the latest additions to our exclusive TruckShots! gallery. We've added 50+ images of some track action here during the open practice at BMS.
Ten Minutes Left...
08-21-2007 5:19 pm
There's just about ten minutes remaining in the open practice for tomorrow's O'Reilly 200 at Bristol Motor Speedway. The clouds have parted and it's very steamy outside, but the crews are hard at work and the track continues to take rubber as lap after lap is run on the new concrete surface. We'll have a complete rundown posted as soon as the session wraps up.
Open Practice Results
08-21-2007 5:37 pm
1. Skinner 15.817
2. Darnell 16.035
3. Crafton 16.038
4. Bliss 16.072
5. Kvapil 16.082
6. Mathews 16.089
7. Smith 16.104
8. Crawford 16.112
9. O'Quinn 16.113
10. Green 16.129
11. Sprague 16.132
12. Seig 16.134
13. Benson 16.144
14. Cook 16.169
15. Starr 16.169
16. Bodine 16.188
17. Allmendinger 16.189
18. Musgrave 16.224
19. Keselowski 16.226
20. Bires 16.230
21. Hornaday 16.244
22. Silas 16.251
23. Allen 16.261
24. Gale 16.270
25. Peters 16.273
26. Sauter 16.300
27. Setzer 16.307
28.Gaughan 16.308
29. Cope 16.381
30. Busch 16.381
31. Schrader/Bliss 16.428
32. Reithmeyer 16.434
33. Sockwell 16.441
34. Monteith 16.474
35. White 16.515
36. Clanton 16.542
37. Miller 16.608
Good Wednesday Morning from Bristol
08-22-2007 9:00 am
Good morning from Bristol Motor Speedway! We have a very busy day on tap here at BMS as the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series has practice, qualifying, and the race slated for today. In between all of that action, the USAR Hooters Pro Cup Series has practice, qualifying, and their race as well so the track will be hot virtually all day. We'll be here to cover all the NCTS action, and we might mention something about the Hooters Cup cars if something exciting happens there too. It's a long day here at BMS so buckle down and lock it down to TrackSideLive!
Bristol Weather
08-22-2007 9:08 am
The forecast for today is much the same as yesterday, hot and steamy with a chance of some storms throughout the day. It should reach into the low to mid 90s, with a 40 percent chance of a shower or storm rolling through. With the hit or miss nature of the storms we're going to keep our fingers crossed that we're going to be part of the 60 percent that goes without rain. The closest rain on the radar is a very small cell about 70 miles to the south, and there is nothing within 200 miles to the west so we're keeping our hopes high for a dry day.
Practice Just Underway at BMS
08-22-2007 10:03 am
The first trucks have been on the track and we are underway with the first 60 minutes of practice for the O'Reilly 200 at BMS. Brendan Gaughan leads the pack at this point in front of Travis Kvapil, Jack Sprague, Regan Smith, and Erik Darnell. We'll have all the news and notes from the track as practice progresses.
Practice 1 Rundown 1
08-22-2007 10:27 am
1. Gaughan 120.725
2. Kvapil 120.256
3. Sprague 120.210
4. Smith 120.203
5. Darnell 119.947
6. Benson 119.925
7. Skinner 119.693
8. Mathews 119.343
9. Hornaday 119.276
10. Crawford 119.254
11. Bodine 119.195
12. Martin 119.114
13. Sieg 119.099
14. Cook 119.091
15. O'Quinn 118.958
16. Starr 118.958
17. Crafton 118.907
18. Musgrave 118.848
19. Cope 118.841
20. Riethmeyer 118.598
21. Lester 118.569
22. Busch 118.578
23. Peters 118.488
24. Gale 118.196
25. Allmendinger 118.175
26. Clanton 118.167
27. Setzer 118.131
28. Allen 118.087
29. Schrader 118.044
30. Green 117.891
31. Silas 117.696
32. White 117.559
33. Monteith 117.502
34. Miller 117.143
35. McCumbee 117.637
36. Sockwell 117.178
Practice 1 Rundown 2
08-22-2007 10:43 am
1. Gaughan 15.894
2. Sprague 15.938
3. Kvapil 15.956
4. Smith 15.963
5. Darnell 15.997
6. Benson 16.000
7. Skinner 16.031
8. Mathews 16.078
9. Hornaday 16.087
10. Crawford 16.090
11. Bodine 16.098
12. Martin 16.109
13. Sieg 16.111
14. Cook 16.112
15. O'Quinn 16.130
16. Starr 16.130
17. Cope 16.132
18. Crafton 16.137
19. Musgrave 16.145
20. Allen 16.167
21. Riethmeyer 16.179
22. Sauter 16.183
23. Busch 16.190
24. Peters 16.194
25. Green 16.213
26. Gale 16.234
27. Allmendinger 16.237
28. Clanton 16.238
29. Setzer 16.243
30. Schrader 16.255
31. Silas 16.393
32. White 16.322
33. Monteith 16.330
34. McCumbee 16.348
35. Miller 16.360
36. Sockwell 16.516
Bliss Not Out Yet
08-22-2007 10:48 am
Only one driver has not yet made a lap in practice yet. Mike Bliss' crew was hard at work making some changes to the rear end of the No. 4 Dodge just prior to the start of the session. He's strapped in and ready to go but as yet has not been out.
Gaughan Leads First Session
08-22-2007 10:59 am
Brendan Gaughan led the first session with a 120.725 mph lap in the No. 77 Chevrolet. Gaughan was just in front of a strong Regan Smith, who takes his turn behind the wheel of the No. 47 Chevy this week. Smith's lap was just a tick slower at 120.656 mph. Jack Sprague, Travis Kvapil, and Erik Darnell rounded out the top five. There were no incidents throughout the hour-long session that ran under the green flag the entire 60 minutes. We'll have a complete results sheet posted to the event bot and linked here shortly.
McCarty at Track with Xpress
08-22-2007 11:20 am
Dave McCarty started the year with Spears Motorsports and driver Dennis Setzer, but a handful of races into the year he stepped aside for Tom Ackerman to take the top seat on the pit box. McCarty spent several weeks working for Spears back at the shop but is at the track here this week for the first time in a while. He is helping the Xpress Motorsports team and driver Derrike Cope this week.
Updated TruckShots!
08-22-2007 11:23 am
Click on the photo above of Brian Sockwell's get well wish to his father to check out the updated TruckShots! photo gallery. We prowled pit road prior to the start of practice and got some great shots of the teams finishing up their preparations leading up to the first hour of practice.
Bliss Update
08-22-2007 11:31 am
Mike Bliss never made it out during the first session as his team was busy repairing a broken track bar mounting bracket in the rear end. "The loads the trucks take in the corner are really big here and it just snapped the bracket," Lori Hamilton said. "The guys are welding a new bracket on it and they'll be ready for the second practice. It's bad luck to have something like that happen, but if it has to happen it's good that it's something that can be fixed relatively quickly and it isn't a real major issue."
Final Practice Up Next
08-22-2007 11:56 am
The Hooters Pro Cup cars have just wrapped up their final hour of practice, and we are just about ready to rock and roll with NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series final practice for the O'Reilly 200. We'll update any of the track action, and we'll also provide a couple of timing and scoring reports as well so stick with us.
Smith Spins in Two
08-22-2007 12:03 pm
The first red flag of the day has come and gone as we had a quick spin by Regan Smith in turn two. He didn't make any contact and has driven back to the attention of his team. We're already back under the green.
Final Practice Rundown 1
08-22-2007 12:27 pm
1. Kvapil 120.203
2. Starr 120.075
3. Gale 120.023
4. Mathews 119.425
5. Martin 119.388
6. Peters 119.336
7. Smith 119.210
8. Sprague 119.188
9. Gaughan 118.760
10. Benson 118.664
11. O'Quinn 118.664
12. Crawford 118.503
13. Bodine 118.430
14. White 118.291
15. Darnell 118.102
16. Bliss 117.891
17. Skinner 117.826
18. Cook 117.783
19. Hornaday 117.696
20. Green 117.653
21. Schrader 117.610
22. Musgrave 117.530
23. Setzer 117.523
24. Crafton 117.437
25. Sauter 117.315
26. Allen 116.993
27. Silas 116.531
28. Riethmeyer 116.474
29. McCumbee 116.397
30. Clanton 116.361
31. Cope 116.298
32. Allmendinger 116.291
33. Miller 116.129
34. Busch 115.961
35. Monteith 115.472
36. Sockwell 115.354
37. Sieg 115.181
Final Practice Rundown 2
08-22-2007 12:37 pm
1. Sprague 15.945
2. Kvapil 15.963
3. Starr 15.980
4. Gale 15.987
5. Mathews 16.067
6. Martin 16.072
7. Peters 16.079
8. Smith 16.096
9. Gaugham 16.157
10. O'Quinn 16.170
11. Benson 16.170
12. Crawford 16.192
13. Bodine 16.202
14. White 16.221
15. Darnell 16.247
16. Bliss 16.276
17. Skinner 16.285
18. Cook 16.291
19. Hornaday 16.303
20. Green 16.309
21. Schrader 16.315
22. Musgrave 16.326
23. Setzer 16.327
24. Crafton 16.339
25. Sauter 16.356
26. Allen 16.401
27. Allmendinger 16.438
28. Busch 16.449
29. Silas 16.466
30. Riethmeyer 16.474
31. McCumbee 16.485
32. Clanton 16.490
33. Cope 16.499
34. Miller 16.523
35. Monteith 16.617
36. Sockwell 16.634
37. Sieg 16.659
Final Practice Wraps Up; Sprague on Top
08-22-2007 1:02 pm
The final hour of practice for the O'Reilly 200 just wrapped up and it was three-time series champion Jack Sprague on top of the charts. Sprague's fastest lap was 120.732 miles per hour, just quick enough to nip out Mike Skinner for top honors. Skinner was second at 120.725 miles per hour. Travis Kvapil, Johnny Benson, and David Starr rounded out the top five.
Regan Smith's quick spin was the only incident of the session, bringing out the red flag for a couple of minutes early on. He didn't make any contact and continued on to finish the practice, ending up in the sixth position.
We'll have a complete results sheet posted to the event bot on the main page shortly.
No Rookie Practice Today
08-22-2007 1:05 pm
Ordinarily there is a 30-minute practice session devoted to the rookie drivers at each NCTS race. However, because of the open practice that was held here yesterday there will be no rookie practice here this afternoon. The next track action for the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series is Live! Bud Pole Qualifying coming your way here at 4 pm ET.
We're headed to the garage to get the lay of the land with some of the fastest in practice, we'll resume TrackSideLive! updates shortly.
Pre-Qualifying Weather Update
08-22-2007 2:26 pm
The weather here at the track is still very warm and very steamy, but weather radar shows two very small and very quick storms approaching the area. The way they storms are tracking it is very likely they will miss the track, but with the mountains and the way the wind moves through the hills we could also catch a bit of rain as a result. The sun is still bearing down on the track as the teams work on getting their trucks ready for inspection. We'll keep an eye on the radar and give you an update if anything appears to change.
Overstreet's Last Race at Waltrip
08-22-2007 2:30 pm
Long-time Darrell Waltrip Motorsports crew chief Jason Overstreet will leave the team after tonight's race. By his own choice, Overstreet is moving on to pursue other opportunities within the sport. No replacement has been named, but we have heard through the grapevine that ARCA owner Eddie Sharp may serve as interrim crew chief at the Gateway race next week. ARCA and the Truck Series will both be in action at Gateway, making it easy for Sharp to handle both his own teams and the Truck team as well. Expect a formal announcement on the replacement on way or the other in the coming days.
Bristol Audio Posted
08-22-2007 2:38 pm
With the loud noise inside the bowl here at BMS, quiet time is at a premium when there are no cars on the track. The noise here reverberates tremendously, making it impossible to hear someone standing right next to you and darn difficult to even hear yourself think. We had some quiet time between the end of practice and the start of Hooters Cup qualifying and we put it to good use. We sat down with Billy Ballew, team owner for the No. 15 and the No. 51 Chevrolets and talked to him about sponsorship issues that have put Bill Lester on the sidelines this weekend. We also sat down with newlywed Brendan Gaughan and reminded him of a quote from his bachelor days before we get down to business and talk about his success here at BMS and the changes they've made to the track. We also have our weekly chat with SPEED pit reporter and all around good guy Ray Dunlap, who previews tonight's race and tells us we may have some darkhorses to keep our eyes on tonight. Look to the PodTrac player to the right side of the page to listen. All you have to do is click on it to listen, you will not need to install a third-party player.
Hot Topics: Stats and Predictions
08-22-2007 2:54 pm
We just posted a couple of threads on the TruckSeries.com message boards and we want your input!
First is our weekly look at the stats headed into Bristol and the stats from the previous races here at Bristol.
We also posted a thread with my predictions from the Who to Watch: Bristol feature.
What stats jump out at you? To me, I find it amazing that in seven races here, the best finish Terry Cook has been able to rack up is just 14th. I also find it amazing that we have six former Bristol winners in the field here tonight.
You saw my predictions, now we want to hear yours. Who will win? Any guesses on the top five? Will Skinner be beat for the pole? Let us know!
Click on the links above to jump in and participate!
Live! Bud Pole Qualifying Up Next
08-22-2007 3:22 pm
The trucks are on the qualifying grid and we are ready to roll for the pole here at Bristol! We'll have exclusive
Live! Bud Pole Qualifying
coverage coming your way at 4:00 pm ET, so stick with us!
Progression of the Pole
08-22-2007 5:20 pm
Timothy Peters, out first, starts 32nd - 16.344
David Starr, out second, starts 27th - 16.255
Bradley Riethmeyer, out third, starts 21st - 16.171
Kyle Busch, out ninth, starts ninth - 15.959
Jack Sprague, out 12th, starts seventh - 15.915
Brendan Gaughan, out 13th, starts second - 15.859
Travis Kvapil, out 22nd, starts first - 15.840
Track Temp
08-22-2007 5:24 pm
It is extremely warm here as we get ready to kick off with the USAR Hooters Pro Cup Series Food City 150. Temps are still in the low 90s, with cockpit temps over 105 degrees. The asphalt temp is 124 degrees, with the concrete temp at 112 degrees. Keep in mind that with 160,000 seats ringing the Bristol Motor Speedway well over 100 feet into the sky there is no circulation inside the bowl here and the only break anyone can get is to head inside a transporter (or for us, here in the media center) and try to get some A/C.
Sieg Scuffs It in Qualifying
08-22-2007 5:33 pm
Shane Sieg's No. 08 Chevy shows battle scars after a scrape with the wall in qualifying. (Charles Krall/TruckSeries.com Photo)
Shane Sieg got up and scrubbed the wall on his qualifying attempt. No word yet whether or not his team has had to make any repairs to the truck as a result. If he does, he will be forced to relinquish the 28th starting position and drop to the back of the field on the start.
Drivers Meeting Notes
08-22-2007 5:45 pm
Driver intros are at 7:40 pm ET...invocation at 8:03 pm ET...National Anthem at 8:04 pm ET...command to start engines at 8:11 pm ET.
Pit road speed is 30 mph, pace truck speed is 35 mph. Pit road speed begins 170 feet before the first pit stall and ends 75 feet after the last pit stall.
Minumum speed to stay in competition is 17.88 seconds.
All trucks must enter pit road at turn two under caution. They may enter their respective pit road, front stretch or backstretch, while under green. Left side tires must touch the orange box painted on the track to enter pit road.
O'Reilly 200 Pit Assignments
08-22-2007 6:08 pm
Here are the pit assignments for the O'Reilly 200, starting with the entrance to pit road at turn two on the backstretch and ending with the last pit stall at the exit of pit road in turn one:
Backstretch stalls:
Benson
McCumbee
Green
Allmendinger
Bliss
Open stall
Schrader
Peters
Cope
Silas
Hornaday
Open stall
Setzer
Monteith
Clanton
Bodine
Open stall
O'Quinn
Musgrave
Starr
Skinner
Frontstretch stalls:
Martin
Crafton
Sieg
Sauter
Darnell
Open stall
Busch
Riethmeyer
Cook
Gaughan
Open stall
Crawford
Miller
Gale
Smith
Open stall
Mathews
White
Allen
Sprague
Kvapil
Top Groove the Place to Be?
08-22-2007 7:00 pm
The USAR Hooters Pro Cup Series race just wrapped up at BMS. We spent a few moments out in the corners watching, and one thing is pretty clear: the top groove, once no-man's land, is already looking pretty sporty. Many cars were running the top side in this race, not just when they were in traffic but when they were alone as well. That should mean that the high side should be a major player later this evening when the NCTS gets rolling.
Last Batch of TruckShots! Posted
08-22-2007 7:36 pm
Just how many pictures do we have in the TruckSeries.com TruckShots! photo gallery??? A LOT! How about 256 pics of the action here at BMS! We just added the last batch of images for the O'Reilly 200 to the gallery, so click on the image of Mark Martin's No. 21 Ford above to check 'em out!
VPS Motorimages Practice Shots
08-22-2007 7:42 pm
How about another 235 pics from here at Bristol for your viewing pleasure? VPS Motorimages was out in the heat covering all the practice action and as they do every week they have shared them with us to share with you. Click in the images of Kyle Busch and Mark Martin talking setups above to check them out!
O'Reilly 200 Race Updates 1-10
08-22-2007 8:05 pm
10. Lap 9 - Benson slides under Darnell to take 6th, while Sprague and Busch continue to battle for eighth. Already drivers are looking to the high side.
9. Lap 5 - Restart. Kvapil leads into one. Skinner looks inside Mathews but falls back into line. Busch roots Sprague out of the groove and races side by side for eighth.
8. Lap 4 - Silas and Peters make early stops. Both make quick stops and beat the pace truck off pit road. Monteith also drops off the banking and comes to the pits the next lap. One to go signal given.
7. Green flag. Kvapil and Gaughan run side by side for the lead. Peters gets tagged and does a smoky 360 in turns three and four to bring out the caution before the completion of the first lap. Looks like the second groove will come in nicely, and may even be the preferred groove as we go on.
6. Kvapil is looking to sweep Tennessee after winning at Memphis and Nashville earlier this season. One to go signal given.
5. Teams are now setting their pit road speed. Two laps before we go green.
4. It's still a toasty 84 degrees with 48 percent humidity. It is still pretty uncomfortable out there, but it should cool off as the sun goes down. The field is rolling and forming into the 18 rows of two.
3. O'Quinn is making his second start of the night here at BMS. He finished 28th in the Food City 150 Hooters Cup race earlier this evening, dropping out due to mechanical trouble. The trucks should roll from pit road any moment and make their three pace laps prior to the green.
2. Engines have been fired. Thirty-six trucks roar to life with a huge roar of approval from the massive throng on hand here at BMS.
1. The anthem was just sung to the nearly 60,000 people on hand. The drivers are buckling in. We are about five minutes from the command to fire engines. Two trucks drop to the back on the start: No. 00 for unapproved adjustments in the impound period and No. 49 for missing the driver/crew chief meeting.
O'Reilly 200 Race Updates 11-20
08-22-2007 8:23 pm
20. Lap 42 - Benson stays out to lead, with White and Sieg behind. Martin wins the race off pit road followed by Gaughan, O'Quinn, Allen, Crafton, Kvapil, Bliss, Skinner, Schrader, Cook, Smith, Darnell, Green, Busch, Starr, Crawford, Sprague, Bodine, Hornaday, Gale, Clanton, Setzer, Miller, Allmendinger, and Cope. One to go given, green next time around.
19. Lap 41 - Pits are finally open and some choose to come to pit road. We'll reset the field after stops.
18. Lap 35 - Gaughan leads Kvapil, Smith, Benson, Skinner, Darnell, Busch, O'Quinn, Martin, Hornaday, Sprague, Bodine, Gale, Crawford, Bliss, Schrader, Allen, Setzer, Crafton, Cook, White, Starr, Miller, Green, Clanton, Sauter, Sieg, Allmendinger and Cope. Riethmeyer, Silas, and McCumbee are one lap down. Monteith is two down, and Musgrave is three down. Mathews and Peters are off the track.
17. Lap 34 - Peters gets in the wall again and damages the right side. Mathews gets jammed up in the aftermath and smashes in the nose of the No. 22 truck. Both go behind the wall as the second caution of the night is out. Cope picks up the free pass.
16. Lap 32 - Crawford gets a tap from Hornaday and nearly goes around on the frontstretch. Gale has to jump on the brakes to avoid Hornaday but keeps it pointed in the right direction.
15. Lap 29 - Gaughan is behind a large pack of traffic with Kvapil right on his bumper. Starr and Miller slam together through three and four but continue on.
14. Lap 25 - Musgave's luck goes from bad to worse as the right rear goes down. He comes to pit road for a change but will lose several laps in the process.
13. Lap 22 - Allen goes to the high side and passes Crafton and Cook to move unto 22nd.
12. Lap 17 - Gaughan takes the lead. McCumbee and Cope come together on the frontstretch as Musgrave has damage to the right front and is showing a lot of smoke.
11. Lap 13 - Monteith goes a lap down. Gaughan is now right on Kvapil's tailgate. Bliss runs the high side looking to make up ground back in the pack.
O'Reilly 200 Race Updates 21-30
08-22-2007 8:39 pm
30. Lap 77 - Martin passes White for seventh. Kvapil presses Gaughan for second.
29. Lap 72 - Benson leads Gaughan, Kvapil, O'Quinn, White, Busch, Skinner, Martin, Bliss, Smith, Sieg, Crafton, Cook, Darnell, Bodine, Sprague, Schrader, Hornaday, Crawford, Gale, Starr, Clanton, Allmendinger, Sauter, Allen, Miller, Green, Cope, Sezter, and Riethmeyer. Craftsman's $8,000 bonus for leading at lap 80 is up for grabs in five laps.
28. Lap 71 - A handful of drivers pit, including Allen, Setzer, Cope, Green, Allmendinger, Musgrave, and Riethmeyer. Benson stays out, looking to make a tire change at lap 100.
27. Lap 68 - Crafton and Smith go at it side by side for elevent and twelfth, Monteith goes around off turn two and brings out the third caution of the night. Riethmeyer will pick up the free pass to rejoin the lead lap.
26. Lap 62 - Kvapil takes third from White. O'Quinn follows and takes fourth. Bliss is now working the inside and racing hard with Sieg for ninth.
25. Lap 61 - Benson leads by a straightaway. Gaughan moves inside White to take second. Skinner looks inside Martin in turn one to take sixth.
24. Lap 57 - Kvapil takes fifth. He now races Sieg hard for fourth. He moves past and brings Martin with him.
23. Lap 52 - Gaughan moves past Martin and Sieg to take third. Teammates O'Quinn and Kvapil race hard for fifth and sixth. Martin has dropped to seventh.
22. Lap 49 - Gaughan races Martin for fourth. He's now looking to the outside as Benson continues to stretch his lead on White. The field is stacked up behind Sieg in third.
21. Lap 45 - Restart. Benson gets a large jump on White. Silas gets loose and nearly spins between the leaders.
O'Reilly 200 Race Updates 31-40
08-22-2007 8:51 pm
40. Lap 110 - Bodine and O'Quinn go at it for the seventh spot. O'Quinn prefers the outside, where he has been almost all night long.
39. Lap 107 - Kvapil leads Busch, Gaughan, Skinner and Martin to the green.
38. Lap 104 - Benson pits along with Darnell, Clanton, Schrader, Allmendinger, Cook, Cope, Smioth, Sieg, and Miller, Mathews returns to the race with the front bodywork removed. Benson now runs 22nd.
37. Lap 101 - Benson leads Kvapil, Busch, Gaughan, Skinner, Martin, Crafton, O'Quinn, Bodine, Sprague, Smith and Bliss. Sauter has a problem on the frontstretch and the fourth caution of the night comes out. His truck showed a lot of smoke and he brings it to the attention of his team in the infield.
36. Lap 99 - Cope forces Kvapil to drop back in line. Busch closes in and we have a three way battle for the lead.
35. Lap 96 - Benson tries to lap Cope, allowing Kvapil to move to the outside and race for the lead.
34. Lap 92 - Busch is knocking on Gaughan's back door pretty hard for third. Benson still leads but now has Kvapil to deal with, just two lengths off his tailgate. Busch moves inside Gaughan in three to take the spot.
33. Lap 87 - Martin and O'Quinn run side by side for sixth, with Crafton closing in. White comes to the pits and drives down the backstretch rather than just the frontstretch, costing him a lot of time.
32. Lap 86 - Skinner runs sixth. He has yet to lead. He has a 19-race streak in which he has led at least one lap going.
31. Lap 80 - Benson picks up the Craftsman bonus. Kvapil moves to the high side and passes Gaughan for second. O'Quinn and Busch continue to fight for fourth and fifth, with Skinner moving in to make it a three way battle for the spot.
O'Reilly 200 Race Updates 41-50
08-22-2007 9:03 pm
50. Lap 166 - Kvapil leads in the restart. Busch now looks to the hgh side with Gaughan looking to make it a three way race for the lead. Benson keeps the pressure on in fourth.
49. Lap 160 - Wow, just five minutes of down time and we clicked off twenty laps! Caution out for the seventh time for debris. Kvapil leads Busch, Gaughan, Benson, Martin, Skinner, Crawford, Sprague, Hornaday, Crafton, Bliss, Gale, Bodine, Green, Darnell, Clanton, Smith, Schrader, Allmendinger, O'Quinn, Starr, Setzer, and Allen.
48. Lap 140 - We're going to relocate to the infield media center for the conclusion of the race and post-race coverage. We'll update everything we missed as soon as we get back.
47. Lap 137 - Kvapil and Busch run about five lengths apart, both running the middle of the track. Crawford now inside Crafton for seventh.
46. Lap 134 - Crawford now starts to knock on Crafton's door for seventh.
45. Lap 130 - Benson takes seventh on the high side, going past Sprague and starting to pressure Crafton for sixth.
44. Lap 127 - Another clarification: Benson restarted 17th after his pit stop. He now runs eighth. Kvapil leads them to the green ahead of Busch, Gaughan, Skinner, and Martin.
43. Lap 124 - Clarification: Miller got a tap from Smith and popped the fence. In the jam behind Hornaday got loose and tapped Cope and sent him around. Cook is out due to engine failure. His streak now goes to eight races at BMS without a top ten finish.
42. Lap 121 - Busch goes to second on the restart and starts to chase down Kvapil for the lead. Skinner is on the move hunting down Gaiughn for third. Bliss goes around off turn four after a tap from Miller and slaps the wall with the nose. Miller catches some of the wall too. Caution out for the sixth time.
41. Lap 113 - O'Quinn now deals with Sprague, Bodine, Hornaday and Benson who is already back up to eleventh after restarting 22nd. Debris is spotted after Cook gets stuffed into the fence on the fronstretch and the caution is out for the fifth time.
O'Reilly 200 Race Updates 51 -
08-22-2007 9:28 pm
60. Lap 200 - Checkered flag, Benson wins with Gaughan, Martin, Skinner and Crawford the unoffiical top five.
59. Lap 194 - Restart. Gaughan again looks outside but Benson pulls out by two lengths on the bottom.
58. Lap 193 - Field rolling. One to go signal next time around. We'll have six laps to go. Single file restart.
57. Lap 192 - Red flag out to get the backstretch cleaned up. Lots of little pieces of debris scattered about, and rather than run down the remainder of the laps they've decided to stop them.
56. Lap 187 - Crafton and Gale nearly come to grief racing for ninth. Bodine spins off turn two and brings out the tenth caution. Sieg also got into the wall off turn four, leaving some debris down the frontstretch. Benson leads Gaughan, Martin, Skinner, and Crawford.
55. Lap 185 - Gaughan presses Benson for the lead but falls back in line. Benson runs low with Gaughan up high. Martin lurks back in third.
54. Lap 182 - One to go signal given.
53. Lap 179 - Kvapil and Busch get together racing for the lead and both spin. No one makes contact but both will fall out of contention for the win. Benson now retakes the lead with Gaughan in second. Martin, Skinner, Crawford, Hornaday, Bliss, Sprague, Crafton, and Gale round out the top ten. The caution is out for the ninth time.
52. Lap 176 - Kvapil leads Busch, Benson, Gaughan, Martin, Skinner, Crawford, Hornaday, Sprague, Bliss, Crafton, Gale, Bodine, Darnell, Green, Clanton, O'Quinn, Smith, Starr, Schrader, Allmendinger, and Allen on the lead lap.
51. Lap 170 - Benson takes third. Cope loses a right front tire and pounds the wall coming off turn four. After the caution is out, Musgrave gets tangled in turn two and picks up some heavy damage to his truck. Caution out for the eighth time.
O'Reilly 200 Unofficial Results
08-22-2007 9:52 pm
1. Benson
2. Gaughan
3. Martin
4. Skinner
5. Crawford
6. Hornaday
7. Bliss
8. Sprague
9. Gale
10. o'Quinn
11. Kvapil
12. Crafton
13. Darnell
14. Smith
15. Busch
16. Green
17. Starr
18. Schrader
19. Allen
20. Riethmeyer
21. Allmendinger
22. Miller
23. Clanton
24. Bodine
25. Sieg
26. Setzer
27. Musgrave
28. Sauter
29. Cope
30. Silas
31. Mathews
32. Cook
33. Monteith
34. White
35. McCumbee
36. Peters
Benson Takes Advantage; Scores Bristol Win
08-22-2007 9:53 pm
Johnny Benson raced from 17th to the front after a mid-race pitstop, and was riding third when Travis Kvapil and Kyle Busch got together racing for the lead inside of 30 laps to go. Benson picked up his second win of the season, followed by Brendan Gaughan, Mark Martin, Mike Skinner and Rick Crawford. There were ten cautions for a multitude of incidents throughout the night, but none of the accidents were serious or caused any injuries.
TruckSeries.com will have a complete report to follow.
That's all from Bristol
08-23-2007 12:05 am
That's a wrap for the O'Reilly 200 from here at Bristol. They are turning the lights off here in the media center so we have to get running, but stop back tomorrow to get the lowdown from several of the newsmakers here tonight. We talked to winner Johnny Benson, second-place finisher Brendan Gaughan, fifth-place finisher Rick Crawford, and of course a very disappointed Travis Kvapil. We also had a chance to track down perhaps the most pleasant surprise of the evening, young Bradley Riethmeyer who did a phenomenal job here tonight to come home in 19th. That audio will go up tomorrow, so check back!
Congrats to Johnny Benson on his second win of the season! Thanks to everyone here at BMS for their hospitality and assistance, and thanks to you for sticking with us all night long. We'll see you next Saturday night from Gateway! So long everybody!
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