Leffler's runner-up finish gives him another ignominious record, most career second-place finishes without a victory.  With his 6th runner-up this season, he now surpasses the previous record he shared with Kevin Harvick.  (8:16 pm ET)

The average speed of 140.296 mph makes the American Racing Wheels 200 the fifth-fastest NCTS race in history.  The fastest race in NCTS history was the 2000 version of the event, won by Kurt Busch with an average speed of 144.260 mph.

There were 14 lead changes among 8 drivers.  The number of lead changes was second only to Daytona for 2002. (8:13 pm ET)

Musgrave earned $51,835 for his efforts today.  (8:10 pm ET)

This weekends Contingency Award Winners:

    Bud Pole:    David Starr

    Clevite Engine Parts:    Joey Arrington

    Featherlite Long Haul:    Brendan Gaughan

    Gatorade Front Runner:    Ted Musgrave

    Raybestos Rookie:    Brendan Gaughan

    Waste Management Picking Up Places:    Randy MacDonald   

Race winner Ted Musgrave has now won 10 races in 47 career starts, better than a 20% winning percentage.  (8:05 pm ET)

Post-race coverage from the American Racing Wheels 200 starts now!

Andy Houston, #15 Billy Ballew Motorsports Ford:    "We are gaining on them, that's for sure.  We are learning a lot, and that is not too bad for this team.  We are a little down on motor, but we sure gave them a run for the money today.  Hopefully that will open some eyes."  (8:00 pm ET)

David Starr, #75 Spears MFG Chevrolet:    "We just couldn't get it to turn.  A little disappointed, but we have had a dream season.  We will get them at Phoenix."  (7:58 pm ET)

Brendan Gaughan, #62 NAPA/The Orleans Dodge:    "Well, we were the third best Dodge today.  Not too bad, really when you consider we finished third!"  (7:55 pm ET)

Terry Cook, #29 Power Stroke Diesel Ford:       "We never found the right combination, but it's the first Top-10 we've had in a long time.  We were pretty much near tenth in our practice sessions and that's where we ended up. This finish today is something to build on and will give us momentum heading into Phoenix.  We struggled from the first time we rolled of the truck looking for the right combination and we tried everything we could as we pitted to improve the handling.  We are happy to walk away from here with a Top-10 finish. This run is something to carry us forward to Phoenix where our flat one-mile program is stellar. We are taking Droopy Dog that's won three of four races this season and are thrilled to get back to that type of track." (7:52 pm ET)

Bobby Dotter, #08 People Against Drugs/Puma Tools.com Chevrolet:    "We had a great truck today, we just had some problems in the pits that cost us a lap under green.  We tried some new stuff with the front geometry, and it looks like it really paid off."  (7:50 pm ET)

Ricky Sanders, #19 Billet Race Products/Pitboxes.com Ford:    "We were in survival mode today.  We played it conservative.  This is our Phoenix truck, and we didn't want to take any chances.  If we make it through Phoenix, we will try Homestead too."  (7:48 pm ET)

Jerry Hill, #79 RDS Racing Engines Dodge:    "We weren't too bad.  We could have used a little more practice after that engine problem yesterday.  We only had three guys in the pits.  We had to borrow guys from the 34 to put gas in it for the first stop, then we borrowed guys from the 34 and the 72 for the second stop.  Overall, not too bad for a team that only had three people here all weekend."  (7:44 pm ET)

Chris Horn, #58 Hornengines.com Chevrolet:    "We ran the tires until they were gone and we came in and changed them.  We picked up a bad vibration and it ended up being an axle.  It is really good working with a guy like Kevin Cram, the guy just has so muck knowledge."  (7:40 pm ET)

Matt Crafton, #88 Menards/ColorPave Chevrolet:    "It was loose going into turn one on the first lap, then we fought it being tight all day long.  The motor ran great.  We got it from Portenga this morning, and I was teasing him after the race that he could have it back for twice what he sold it to us."  (7:38 pm ET)

Stan Boyd, #89 BC Automotive/NGK Spark Plugs Chevrolet:    "We had a sway bar break on us.  We really thought we would run good today, and the truck did up until the problem.  I am just really disappointed.  We thought we had a shot at running in the top-12. I joked about being a hero or a zero.  I know we weren't a hero, but I know we weren't a zero either."  (7:35 pm ET)

Mike Bliss, #16 IWX Motor Freight/Knights Inn Chevrolet:    "We were just way too tight today and we tried to free the truck up with four tires at the end of the race. We'd start off a run pretty good and then we'd get tight as the run would go on. We tried to adjust it all day long, but we just never got the truck to where we wanted it.  We came in for four sticker tires at the end of the race hoping to make the truck better. We just could never get the truck balanced enough to make a run to the front. Something had to be wrong with our truck because we never could get good balance throughout a run. We didn't lose a lot of points, but we didn't gain any and that's what we really wanted to do. There's two more races left beginning with Phoenix next week. I like that race track a lot and have had a lot of success there in the past." (7:32 pm ET)

Travis Kvapil, #60 CAT Rental Stores Chevrolet:    "It was a little dancy in traffic out there, but everyone was that way. On the green flag runs, we were as fast or faster than everyone out there. We were able to march our way up and get the lead before our second stop, get a little clean air and pull away.  When we pitted, a couple guys beat us off pit road and we just couldn't get back up there with them."  (7:30 pm ET)

Steve Portenga, #39 Roto Rooter Chevrolet:    "Seems like we have been saying this every week lately, but the motor went away on us.  We were just out there trying to get to lap 60 and make our last stop to go the distance, and the thing went away on us."  (7:25 pm ET)

Lance Norick, #90 Express Personnel Services Chevrolet:    "We were tight, loose, tight, loose all day.  But it sure was a lot better than it was in practice yesterday.  We will load it up and go to Phoenix and look to have a good run there."  (7:23 pm ET)

Bill Lester, #8 Dodge Motorsports Dodge:    "I don't know if we have the worst luck out here, but it has to be darn close.  That thing was horrible right off the bat and we spent the rest of the race catching up to it."  (7:22 pm ET)

Jason Small, #07 Small Motorsports Chevrolet:    "The front end of our motor is laying all over track.  It broke a crank and that was all she wrote."  (7:20 pm ET)

Jason Leffler, #2 Team ASE/CarQuest Dodge:    "I don't know if we could have caught him or not, but if we had a few more laps, we sure could have made it exciting."  (7:19 pm ET)

Ted Musgrave, #1 Team Mopar Dodge:    "We are going for the championship.  We had a little water leak on the first motor, and it was a very minor situation and we probably could have fixed it.  But we didn't want to take a chance so we changed it.  We played it conservative on our qualifying lap because we had to start at the back anyhow.  It all paid off."  (7:15 pm ET)

Stay locked on to TrackSide Live! for extensive post-race coverage from the American Racing Wheels 200 from California Speedway....coverage will resume shortly after the checkered flag waves. (3:30 pm ET)

Stan Boyd, #89 EVI Chevrolet:    "We changed the left front spring.  I had my career best finish here last year (13th).  I really think we can race with these guys.  After that spring change, I'll either be a hero or a zero."  (3:17 pm ET)

Terry Cook, #29 Power Stroke Diesel Ford:    "I haven't gone out and gotten a rabbit's foot for a four leaf clover, but we did go out and get a Rally Monkey.  We need to do something to get this luck changed, that's for sure."  (3:06 pm ET)

Point leader Mike Bliss is taking a very cautious approach to the tight points battle.  In fact, he tries not to talk about it as much as possible.  "I don't want to jinx it," says Bliss. (3:04 pm ET)

Billy Ballew, team owner, #15 Ballew Motorsports Ford:    Q: What are your plans for next year?  A:  "We would really like to back full time, and we would really like to be back with Andy.  We have worked to hard to get this program to where it is right now, and we don't want to give up.  I have a feeling we will be right back here next year."  (2:00 pm ET)

Also seen walking the pit area were NASCAR Winston West Series driver John Borneman and USAC Midget team owner Steve Lewis.  (2:39 pm ET)

Paul Menard, son of Indy Racing League team owner John Menard, is in attendance this weekend as a guest of the SealMaster Racing team.  Paul races in NASCAR's Re/MAX Challenge Series as well as the SCCA Trans Am.  Some rumors in the garage have Paul potentially running a limited Truck Series schedule next season, too.  (1:34 pm ET)

Get well wishes go out to ESPN pit reporter Amy East, who is under the weather and will not be on pit road this afternoon.  Hope you are feeling better soon, Amy!  (1:32 pm ET)

Here are the pit assignments for the American Racing Wheels 200:

Starr
Bliss
Pressley
Leffler
Crawford
Musgrave
Houston
Gibbs

Break in pit wall

Lester
Kvapil
Cook
Wood
Horn
Setzer
Dokken
Portenga
Hall
Contreras
Crafton
Hemphill/Bogart

Break in pit wall

Gaughan
Shepherd
Boyd
Sanders
Daniel
MacDonald
Cox
Small
Dotter
Bonifield
Rose
Hooper
Edwards
Hill
Jones (1:15 pm ET)

Hearing from team sources that NASCAR Winston West Series regular Rick Bogart will replace Ryan Hemphill in today's American Racing Wheels 200.  Hemphill does not have a leg fracture, as was speculated by many nebut has some tenderness in his left leg.  However, he does have a Grade 2 concussion and will take the rest of the week to recover and get ready for Phoenix next week.  Hemphill will be here at the track later this morning, and we will try to get a comment from him.  (11:44 am ET)

Kruseman will shake down the #98 Menards/Agromin Chevrolet this Monday at Irwindale, along with Jason Leffler and the Team ASE/CarQuest Dodge.  Kruseman and Leffler are good friends, and Leffler, along with Matt Crafton, will help Kruseman adjust to an NCTS truck.  (10:48 am ET)

Cory Kruseman is excited about the opportunity to start his first career NCTS race with SealMaster Racing next Friday in Phoenix.  "This is right where we want to be," he said.  "We are very excited to be a part of the NASCAR family.  We want to go get some laps and learn, and see what we can do for next year."  Right now, Kruseman's deal is just for one race, but the potential is there for sponsor Agromin to expand their partnership with Menards, which could put him in a second SealMaster/Menards truck is several races next season.  Kruseman is racing this weekend in the SCRA Oval Nationals at Perris Auto Speedway, and has finished 8th and 4th in the preliminary action.  Tonight's 100-lap feature pays $30,000 to win.  (10:46 am ET)

It will be very crowded at the back of the grid when the green flag falls this afternoon.  And that was before Matt Crafton was added to the list.  Crafton's SealMaster Racing Team is preparing to change the engine in the Menards/ColorPave Chevrolet, which will force him to drop to the back at the start.  Crafton joins Ted Musgrave, Dennis Setzer, Steve Portenga, and the 4 truck, with a driver to be determined. (10:41 am ET)

Still no word on the injuries sustained by Ryan Hemphill in the Happy Hour crash.  Team management is still working on lining up a replacement for Hemphill, who was treated and released last evening from a local hospital.  As soon as a replacement is announced, look for the update here on TrackSide Live! presented by The Orleans.  (10:38 am ET)

Good morning from California Speedway...the garage area has been open for about 30 minutes and teams are busy preparing for today's American Racing Wheels 200.  The sun is shining on a blue sky with light, wispy clouds floating with a gentle breeze.  Temps are expected to reach the low 70s, which should be perfect conditions for the teams and drivers.  (10:35 am ET)

This concludes TrackSide Live! coverage from practice and qualifying from the American Racing Wheels 200 from California Speedway.  Coverage will resume tomorrow when the garage opens at 11 am ET/8 am PT. 

David Starr, #75 Spears MFG. Chevrolet:    "We've got a dream team.  I am lucky to have this ride.  I am so happy.  It is our second pole of the year.  It feel's good; the truck felt really good out there out there.  I just want to thank all the guys on the team, they are the real heroes."  (5:58 pm ET)

Mike Bliss, #16 IWX Motor Freight Chevrolet:    "We are pretty happy with our effort.  Whenever you run one lap, you always wish you had another.  I think I could have been even better on the second one if we had it." (5:44 pm ET)

The rundown:

    Musgrave, Hemphill, Pressley, Kvapil, Starr

     Leffler, Crawford, Gibbs, Gaughan, Cook

     Setzer, Bliss, Houston, Wood, Lester

     Horn, Dotter, Portenga, Small, Crafton

     Norick, Contreras, Hill, Boyd, Rose

     Cox, MacDonald, Sanders, Jones (5:05 pm ET)

Ryan Hemphill has crashed to bring out the red flag during Happy Hour.  The ambulance is on the scene and he is talking with his team and rescuers.  Happy hour is now done.  (4:57 pm ET)

Coy Gibbs, #20 MBNA America Chevrolet:    "We ran our best lap of the day and we are proud of that.  This is a place where you've got to go a couple of times.  It's not that comfortable.  It's not like a big, high bank like Daytona with something to hold you in there.  You have to lift a little bit, and try to decide where."  (4:54 pm ET)

Bill Lester, #8 Dodge Motorsports Dodge:    "The track is great.  The conditions here are fantastic.  The faster the track the better, and this place is plenty fast and smooth.  It gives you a lot of good feedback.  The truck was excellent and the guys really upped me up from practice.  We wish we could have held on to the pole, but we are pleased where we are right now."  (4:50 pm ET)

Not yet out on the track yet in Happy Hour...the #'s 0, 73, 23, 25, 86, 21, 72. (4:48 pm ET)

Lance Norick, #90 Express Personnel Services Chevrolet:    "It's really free off the corner."  (4:43 pm ET)

Coy Gibbs, #20 MBNA America Chevrolet:    "There doesn't have to be anyone behind me, but it wants to jump loose through the middle of the corner." (4:37 pm ET)

Matt Crafton, #88 Menards/Colorpave Chevrolet:    "It is bottoming out on the right front spring whenever I try to make it rotate through the corner." (4:36 pm ET)

Travis Kvapil, #60 CAT Rental Stores Chevrolet:    "Way too loose."  (4:34 pm ET)

David Starr has jumped to second on the time chart on only his second lap in Happy Hour, and Leffler has jumped to third, again on his second lap.  (4:32 pm ET)

Brendan Gaughan, #62 NAPA/The Orleans Dodge:    "We loose some downforce getting in, but guys, this thing drafts better than any race CAR we ever had."  (4:30 pm ET)   

The run down after 15 minutes of practice:

    Musgrave, Crawford, Gibbs, Gaughan, Hemphill

     Houston, Pressley, Cook, Bliss, Wood

     Kvapil, Lester, Setzer, Horn, Dotter

     Crafton, Contreras, Small, Portenga, Hill

     Cox, Sanders (4:29 pm ET)

Carlos Contreras also reports the handling on his #43 Hot Wheels Dodge to he tight.  (4:25 pm ET)

Lester now reports the #8 Dodge Motorsports Dodge is "a little free from the center off."  (4:24 pm ET)

Mike Bliss, #16 IWX Motorsports Chevrolet:    "It is a little loose getting in and then when you turn the wheel, it jumps loose on me."  (4:22 pm ET)

Bill Lester has reported the handling on his truck has gone away, saying "it is all over the place."  (4:22 pm ET)

David Starr has now won two consecutive NCTS Bud Pole Awards.  He has a perfect record so far, winning his only previous start from the pole, that being three weeks ago in Las Vegas.  (4:21 pm ET)

Ryan Hemphill is reporting a combination of problems, reporting he is experiencing a loose and tight condition at the same time.  (4:18 pm ET)

Ricky Sanders is one of the few drivers this weekend to have reported a loose condition, reporting it is "pretty free" in and off the corners.  (4:17 pm ET)

Happy Hour has started, and will last for 35 minutes.  (4:10 pm ET)

Jerry Hill, #79 RDS Dodge:    "I felt the motor start to tighten up on me going down the backstretch and it just grenaded down in three.  It got really loose on me and there was smoke everywhere so I couldn't see much.  We got it back in here and there were three big holes on the oil pan, so whatever it was, it was big."  (12:38 pm ET)

Stan Boyd, #89 EVI Chevrolet:    "I hate to make a change right before qualifying, but it looks like the left front spring is coil binding on us.  We thought we were good, but it looks like this slowed us down a little bit.  We think we can be fast again of the spring doesn't bind up on us."  (12:36 pm ET)

Brian Rose, #51 Ware Racing Enterprises Dodge:    "We went out after the 79 blew up and I must have hit some oil or something out there.  I wasn't doing more than 60 miles an hour on the apron and it just jumped sideways and dinged up the back end here a little bit."  (12:34 pm ET)

Also an engine change in the #46 Makita/Acxiom Chevrolet camp.  On his last run, Dennis Setzer reported the engine had lost a cylinder, so the team is busy removing that damaged motor and working on installing a new one. (12:32 pm ET)

Ted Musgrave's Team Mopar Dodge will have to start the American Racing Wheels 200 from the rear of the field following an engine change after practice.  "The team found a little water in the oil, so we are going to change it.  The backup motor is actually in the backup truck, so we are going to keep the guys busy here swapping it out before qualifying.  We'll have to come from that back, but that's ok, it will make it more exciting for the people that paid to get in.  That is what we are here to do anyhow, right?" (12:10 pm ET)

The session has ended with no significant changes to the rundown just posted. (12:00 pm ET)

Green flag is back out with just minutes remaining in the session.  (11:58 am ET)

The rundown during this latest red flag:

        Leffler, Musgrave, Gibbs, Pressley, Bliss

          Starr, Crawford, Setzer, Gaughan, Hemphill

          Houston, Kvapil, Lester, Cook, Dotter

          Crafton, Wood, Norick, Horn, Small

          Boyd, Contreras, Rose, Jones, Hooper

          Daniel, Portenga, MacDonald, Shepherd, Hill

          Cox, Bonifield, Dokken, Hall, Hillis

          Sanders  (11:58 am ET)

Brian Rose has spun the Ware Racing Enterprises Dodge in Turn-2, making slight contact with the outside wall. There is cosmetic damage to the rear bumper cover, which the team should be able to fix before qualifying.  (11:53 am ET)

Ray Dunlap spent the evening jamming with Sheryl Crowe and The Rolling Stones last night at the Staples Center.  No word on whether Ms. Crowe will prove how badly she has it by coming out to see the Tough Trucks race in her backyard this weekend.  (11:51 am ET)

Green flag is back out.  (11:49 am ET)

Bobby Hillis is making his way to pit road during this red flag to take his first laps of the weekend.  (11:45 am ET)

Jerry Hill has brought out the red flag after 22 minutes with significant smoke trailing the #79 RDS Dodge. Spotters report there is no fluid on the speedway, but track officials are checking the surface just to be sure. (11:38 am ET) 

After 20 minutes, there have been some significant changes in the top-20:

        Pressley, Bliss, Starr, Musgrave, Gibbs

          Leffler, Gaughan, Houston, Hemphill, Crawford

          Cook, Lester, Setzer, Kvapil, Wood

          Norick, Horn, Small, Dotter, Crafton (11:35 am ET)

Dokken has now moved to his own entry, the #0 Cellution Chevy, while Randy MacDonald has taken the reins of his own #72.  (11:32 am ET)

Michael Dokken is back in the #72 MacDonald Motorsports Chevrolet in this session.  (11:28 am ET)

After about ten minutes of practice, the top-10 are:

        Bliss, Musgrave, Leffler, Hemphill, Pressley

          Crawford, Cook, Kvapil, Gibbs, Starr (8:25 pm ET)

The #73 Cellution Chevrolet of David Hall is on track, turning its first laps this weekend.  (11:22 am ET)

It would appear that Carlos Contreras is serving a five minute penalty by NASCAR.  The officials are holding him on pit road and have held up five fingers to indicate how long he will have to sit.  (11:16 am ET)    

The track is open for practice.  (11:15 am ET)

Trucks are moving onto pit late in preparation for the first session of the day.  First in line is Chris Horn, followed by Dennis Setzer, Brendan Gaughan, Stan Boyd, Mike Bliss, and Ted Musgrave.  (11:09 am ET)

The Trucks will be on track for a short 45-minute pre-qualifying practice starting at 11:15 am ET/8:15 am PT. Teams should be able to test two or three qualifying setups, but will not have enough time to make any major changes during the session.  (11:04 pm ET)

Good morning from the California Speedway!  Practice starts at 11:15 am ET/8:15 am PT.  The CART track crew is out performing a morning track inspection under some light wispy clouds.  Temps are expected to be in the high 60s, which should lead to ideal conditions as the Trucks take to the track this morning. (10:48 am ET)

Also hearing that many of the on-air players for Speed Channel's 2003 NCTS coverage have been selected.  Look for announcements regarding the on-air talent soon. 

For those interested in watching the 2003 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Awards Banquet, it will be televised on Speed Channel on December 4 at 8 pm ET.

This concludes Trackside LIVE! coverage of practice for the American Racing Wheels 200 from the California Speedway.  The Tough Trucks take to the speedway tomorrow at 11:45 am ET, and coverage will resume then and lead up to Live! Qualifying presented by Acxiom at 2:45 pm ET.

Dr. Jerry Punch, anchor and play-by-play voice for the ESPN Truck Series telecasts, will be MIA this weekend as he has other duties with ESPN's College Football broadcast team on Saturday.  In his stead will be long-time ESPN's long-time lead NASCAR play-by-play man Bob Jenkins.  Jenkins was the host for ABC and ESPN's IRL coverage this season.  It will be Jenkin's frst NASCAR telecast of any kind since ESPN's Winston Cup finale at Atlanta in 2000.  (9:01 pm ET)

Lance Norick, #90 Express Personnel Services Chevrolet:    "We have just been really loose all day."  (4:03 pm ET)

Travis Kvapil, #60 CAT Rental Stores Chevrolet:    "It felt a lot better at the end of practice, but it was slower.  It's hard to tell where we are losing anything, because that is as good as it has felt all day." (7:02 pm ET)

The #39 Roto Rooter Chevrolet will start the race from the tail after an engine change after today's practice.  Steve Portenga just could not find the speed out of the motor in the truck, and decided it would be better to change the engine and start at the back rather than race all day at the back on Saturday. (7:01 pm ET)

Practice has now ended for the day.  The rundown:

        Leffler, Gibbs, Bliss, Musgrave, Pressley

          Kvapil, Hemphill, Starr, Setzer, Crawford

          Cook, Gaughan, Lester, Wood, Houston

          Boyd, Contreras, Norick, Crafton, Dotter

          Small, Horn, Shepherd, Edwards, Hooper

          Cox, Jones, Portenga, Dokken/MacDonald, Bonifield

          Hill, Daniel, Rose, Sanders

A full rundown will be posted, with times, shortly.  (5:05 pm ET)

The top-10 with just seconds left in the day's two-hour practice session:

        Leffler, Gibbs, Bliss, Musgrave, Pressley

          Kvapil, Hemphill, Starr, Cook, Setzer (5:58 pm ET)

The 0, 05, and 73 trucks have not yet been on the track during the first session.  If they wish to make a qualifying attempt, they will need to get on track in the remaining 5 minutes of this session, or in tomorrow morning's 30-minute session. (5:55 pm ET)

The rundown after 90 minutes of practice:

        Leffler, Bliss, Musgrave, Kvapil, Hemphill

          Starr, Cook, Setzer, Crawford, Gaughan

          Gibbs, Pressley, Lester, Wood, Houston

          Boyd, Contreras, Norick, Dotter, Small

          Horn, Shepherd, Edwards, Crafton, Hooper

          Cox, Portenga, Jones, Boniefield, Dokken/MacDonald

          Hill, Rose, Daniels, Sanders (4:37 pm ET)

The rundown after one hour and fifteen minutes of practice:

        Leffler, Bliss, Musgrave, Kvapil, Starr

          Hemphill, Cook, Setzer, Crawford, Gaughan

          Gibbs, Pressley, Wood, Houston, Lester

          Boyd, Contreras, Dotter, Small, Horn

          Norick, Edwards, Hooper, Crafton, Shepherd

          Cox, Jones, Portenga, Dokken/MacDonald, Daniels (4:17 pm ET)

Apparently the steering problems continue on the #88 Menards Chevrolet.  The SealMaster Racing Team is now changing the steering box in hopes of getting Matt Crafton on the track in the second hour of practice.  (4:58 pm ET)

Eric Jones has some additional sponsorship on his #34 Safelite Auto Glass Chevrolet this weekend from WorldBestBuy.com. (4:56 pm ET)

Most drivers have only made a dozen or so laps so far in practice.  There are a few notable exceptions, as Chris Horn has turned 30 laps, Ryan Hemphill 22, Bill Lester 22, and Mike Bliss 19.  (4:54 pm ET)

Matt Crafton has yet to run a lap at speed.  The team is diagnosing a steering problem with the #88 Menards/ColorPave Chevrolet.  (4:40 pm ET)  UPDATE:    Crafton is now out on the speedway, apparently the steering problem has been diagnosed and fixed.  (4:44 pm ET)

The rundown after 30 minutes of practice:

        Leffler, Bliss, Kvapil, Starr, Setzer

          Gaughan, Cook, Gibbs, Hemphill, Crawford

          Wood, Pressley, Houston, Lester, Contreras

          Boyd, Small, Edwards, Norick, Horn

          Dotter, Hooper, Portenga, Daniel, Crafton,

          Dokken/MacDonald (4:28 pm ET)

Norick, Wood, Mugrave, and Dotter have been released to practice.  All have been parked on pit road since practice began 15 minutes ago.  (4:15 pm ET)

The track is back green. (4:13 pm ET)

The #72 MacDonald Motorsports Chevrolet has brought out the first red flag of the session.  Smoke was seen from the tail of the truck and NASCAR officials are now inspecting the racing surface.  Michael Dokken was in the seat shaking the truck down for Randy MacDonald. (4:09 pm ET)  UPDATE:    NASCAR and track officials are working on cleaning up a thin line of oil through the apron in turn four down pit road.  (4:13 pm ET)

The top-10 after 5 quick minutes of practice:

        Leffler, Bliss, Kvapil, Starr, Setzer

        Cook, Gibbs, Hemphill, Gaughan, Crawford (4:05 pm ET)

Several teams are serving 15-minute pentalties for being late through the tech line three weeks ago in Las Vegas.  Among them are the #s 90, 50, 1, and 08.  (4:03 pm ET)

The American Racing Wheels 200 marks the first NCTS race with the new spotters' rule in effect.  In order for any team to be released for practice, the team must have a spotter in the designated spotters' stand.  (3:59 pm ET)

Trucks are lining up on pit road waiting to be released for practice.  First out of the garage area are Mike Bliss, Lance Norick, Ryan Hemphill, Rick Crawford, Dennis Setzer, Terry Cook, and Stan Boyd.  (3:56 pm ET)

Only five drivers have competed in every NCTS race at California Speedway: Rick Crawford, Terry Cook, Jimmy Hensley, Jack Sprague, and Joe Ruttman.  Sprague and Ruttman are not entered this weekend.  Of the other three, Crawford has the best finish (2nd, 11/01). (3:54 pm ET)

Terry Cook, driver of the #29 Power Stroke Diesel Ford, and his wife, ESPN pit reporter Amy East, waited in line for over 8 hours on Wednesday to be in the audience for a taping of The Price is Right.  Many other members of the NCTS community spent yesterday at a taping of The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.  Rumor has it rocker Marilyn Manson, one of the guests on the show, is a favoriteof several of the NCTS fraternity.  (3:38 pm ET)

Skies have lightened considerably over the past hour, and temps have warmed slightly.  NCTS practice starts in 30 minutes.  Less than an hour ago, it was difficult to see turn four from the start/finish line.  Practice should go off on time. (3:34 pm ET)   

David Hall has now been assigned to the #73 Cellution/Intensitee Chevrolet, and Michael Dokken will be at the controls of the #0.  (2:32 pm ET)

A couple of teams have new looks on the trucks here this weekend.  As previously announced, BHR has redesigned the look of Robert Pressley's #18 Dickie's/Square D Dodge for the final events of 2003.  Bobby Dotter also is sporting a new look on the #08 People Against Drugs/Puma Tools Chevrolet, now a very sharp black, yellow, and red scheme.  Randy MacDonald is also sporting a new look on the #72 MacDonald Motorsports Chevrolet, with blue replacing the traditional black, and bright blue numbers. (2:19 pm ET

Mike Bliss, Ted Musgrave, and Rick Crawford will take place in a photo shoot this morning at California Speedway for a special cover of TV Guide.  TV Guide photographers are on site snapping shots of all of the three championship contenders for the cover, which will go to print after the NCTS season has ended.  The cover will likely be released regionally in the Southweast.  (2:05 pm ET) 

The driver of the #73 Richardson Racing machine is still unknown.  Loni Richardson is still looking for a qualified driver to get in the truck before practice starts.  (1:11 pm ET)

Aaron Daniel will take the reins of the #93 Troxell Motorsports Chevrolet this weekend after original driver Jerry Allec, Jr. was not approved for competition on the 2-mile California Speedway.  (1:09 pm ET)

Wayne Edwards makes his return to the Truck Series this weekend, driving the #23 for Phil Bonifield this weekend.  (1:07 pm ET)

NASCAR officials got an early start this morning as soon as the garage area opened, the teams were directed to remove their fuel cells and axle shafts for inspection.  NASCAR is making sure all fuel cells are built to meet safety specifications and that they only hold 22 gallons of fuel.  The axles are being checked to make sure they are not hollowed out or gun drilled to save weight.  (1:02 pm ET)