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NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series
PRESEASON THUNDER
Daytona
Test Sessions
Daytona International Speedway
Daytona Beach, Florida
January 11-13, 2008
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While road racers have been part of the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series since its inception, none have won Raybestos Rookie of the Year honors. Boris Said came close in 1997, finishing third to the late Kenny Irwin. This, however, may be the season that breaks the string. Three top road-racing veterans will be among the 2008 rookie class - each in equipment capable of winning both races and the Raybestos Award. Colin Braun, a 19-year-old Texan, will drive the No. 6 Con-way Freight Ford for Roush Fenway Racing, a team that has produced five previous rookies of the year. (Ronda Greer Photo)
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Maybe some of the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series teams should become meteorologists. Content with what they had achieved thus far or concerned about Sunday's weather forecast, six teams pulled out Saturday night, leaving only 24 teams for the final day of NASCAR Preseason Thunder testing at Daytona International Speedway. Roush Fenway Racing's Colin Braun and Joey Clanton pulled out - due to wrecked trucks - following the first day and six more headed back home Saturday night. Those leaving early and not hanging around for the three hours that teams got on the track Sunday were Jason White, Shane Sieg, Kyle Busch, Wayne Edwards, Brian Scott and Derrike Cope. Despite leading the first two days' single-truck runs, Roush Fenway Racing's Erik Darnell hung around to squeeze in every minute of testing he could on Sunday and surprisingly did not top the speed charts. (Ronda Greer Photo)
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For the second day in a row Roush Fenway Racing's Erik Darnell led the way in single-truck runs during NASCAR Preseason Thunder testing at Daytona International Speedway. Wheeling the No. 99 Northern Tool + Equipment Ford, Darnell picked up substantially over the previous day's top run with a lap of 178.547 mph on Saturday during NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series testing. On Friday he turned a lap of 177.210. Just behind Darnell in the morning runs were the No. 29 Dodge of Scott Lynch and the No. 5 Toyota of Mike Skinner. "We just need to get things going. We chose to bring a little different package down here to Daytona this year,'' said Skinner. "We have a little more down force, and our truck is not as slick as some of the other guys, but we're okay. We're just having fun." (Ronda Greer/NASCAR Photo)
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Most but not all rides were locked down as the NASCAR Craftsman Trucks Series took to the track for the three days of NASCAR Preseason Thunder testing at Daytona International Speedway. Three-time champion Jack Sprague successfully made the switch from his family-owned No. 60 Wyler Racing Toyota to his new No. 2 Chevrolet of Kevin Harvick Incorporated, where he will team with fellow three-time champ Ron Hornaday. "Just looking forward to this year, driving for Kevin Harvick, Inc. (KHI), Kevin and DeLana, with a good friend of mine, Ron Hornaday, my teammate. We have been friends for a long time,'' said Sprague. "We have done this together for a long time and I think we will be able to make each other stronger as far as, sharing information and things like that." Phillip McGilton was in the No. 22 Toyota of Bill Davis Racing, a ride that Bill Lester vacated for a Rolex Series ride this season. (
DaytonaInternationalSpeedway.com Photo
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It wouldn't be the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series if there wasn't a little fender-bending and controversy. Roush Fenway Racing drivers Erik Darnell, Colin Braun and Joey Clanton led the pace Friday morning on the first day of NASCAR Preseason Thunder testing at Daytona International Speedway, but the opening day did not go gently into that good night. In the final hour of the first of three days of testing there were two multiple accidents, including one that brought out some finger-pointing between Kyle Busch, driver of the No. 51 Ballew Motorsports Toyota, and Clanton, driver of the No. 09 Zaxby's Ford. The first incident came through the tri-oval when Roush Fenway Racing teammates Braun and Clanton got together and ended up in the outside wall. Clanton's ride sustained severe left-rear and right side damage, while Braun's Ford endured left-front, right-rear and right-front damage. "It's a veteran out there taking advantage of a rookie. It's the same old thing we hear all the time. It's Friday, the first day of practice and you don't bump draft, especially a rookie that's never done it before,'' said Clanton. "(Busch) got into Colin and got him upset through the tri-oval and that ain't the place to do it. He shoved him up the race track and we got together."
(DaytonaInternationalSpeedway.com Photo)
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Terry Cook and the Wyler Racing team had a great month of January with two very successful pre-season test sessions. Cook steered his No. 60 Toyota Tundra to strong performances by posting top-five speeds in NASCAR test sessions at both Atlanta Motor Speedway and Daytona International Speedway. Last week in Atlanta, Cook posted the fastest time of the 45 trucks (27 teams) participating in the two-day session with a lap of 31.493 seconds for a speed of 171.467 mph. This performance by the new driver and team combination was no doubt impressive. (Photo: Rusty Jarrett/Getty Images for NASCAR)
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"It's going to be a busy year - we've got the whole cup schedule which is obviously priority with the M&M's Toyota - but we've also got the Nationwide Camry with Joe Gibbs Racing as well as Braun Racing. So it's a busy year there and then of course I'm racing in the Craftsman Truck Series as well. We're going to run races with Billy Ballew Motorsports and we're still looking for sponsorship for that deal there. I don't have anything but a Tundra on that one. It's going to be fun though I'm looking forward to it and it's going to be a busy year and a hard year, but the more track time you get the better is what I always say."
- Kyle Busch
(Ronda Greer Photo)
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