PICTURED: Ron Hornaday NASCAR Images Photo

When Carl Edwards captured the inaugural nighttime running of the Florida Dodge Dealers 250 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race during Speedweeks 2004 at Daytona International Speedway, he parked his No. 99 Superchips Ford on the start/finish line and treated the crowd with his traditional back flip and cart wheel.

Said Edwards of his first Daytona victory: "We're here. We're at Daytona. I'm standing in Victory Lane. I'm living the dream of every racer on the planet."

Edwards, who will make the move to the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series and Busch Series in 2005, is not expected to return on Friday night, Feb. 18 to defend his victory, but there's plenty of new competition on the scene that will fight with the best of the Craftsman Truck Series in the 100-lap, 250-mile race.

Ron Hornaday, who captured two Craftsman Truck Series championships with Dale Earnhardt Inc., returns to the series fulltime in 2005 driving the No. 6 GM Goodwrench Chevrolet for Kevin Harvick Inc.

"It's pretty cool to be coming back to the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series," Hornaday said. "I just enjoy it. I've got a lot of wins over there and kind of made it my home. When Dale (Earnhardt Sr.) gave me that call seven or eight years ago to come back to North Carolina and drive his truck, it was pretty cool. Right now, to have Kevin Harvick and GM Goodwrench on the side, to come back and run the Craftsman Truck Series is going to be fun.

"It's going to be cool to race at Daytona. That's where the season is supposed to start. That's a big deal. Daytona's the neatest track there ever was, and the trucks definitely put on the best show there, so I'm really looking forward to it."

Hornaday is expected to renew rivalries with three-time Craftsman Truck Series champion Jack Sprague and Mike Skinner, who won the inaugural Craftsman Truck Series championship in 1995.

Newcomers to the series include Roush Racing's Ricky Craven and Todd Kluever and Billy Ballew Motorsports' Kerry Earnhardt. Craven, who is a veteran of the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series, is excited about the prospects of racing a truck underneath the lights at Daytona.

"Racing at Daytona period is exciting," said Craven, who will wheel the No. 99 Superchips Ford formerly driven by Edwards. "It's a dream for any young racer and as you get older, the dream sort of transfers to the reality.  Being successful and actually winning an event at Daytona will be my focus in February."

The returning cast of drivers to the Craftsman Truck Series includes
2004 Craftsman Truck Series champion Bobby Hamilton, 2003 Florida Dodge Dealers 250 winner Rick Crawford, Ted Musgrave, Dennis Setzer, Raybestos Rookie of the Year David Reutimann and David Starr.

Joining the tough trucks of the Craftsman Truck Series on the same night will be Round 1 of the Crown Royal IROC XXIX, the 25th consecutive year that the Crown Royal Series has opened its season at Daytona International Speedway.

The Crown Royal IROC Series features 12 of the best drivers in the world in identically prepared IROC cars in a four-race season that showcases the skill of the drivers involved.

In last year's 40-lap event, Ryan Newman slipped past Kurt Busch on the last lap to capture his second career victory at "The World Center of Racing." Newman won the Advance Discount Auto Parts 200 ARCA RE/MAX Series race in 2001.

Entering the tri-oval, Newman ducked his No. 12 car underneath the yellow line to pass Busch's No. 97 car. Officials ruled the pass legal because Busch blocked Newman's attempt to pass.

Tickets for Speedweeks 2005 and the 47th annual Daytona 500 are available online at http://www.daytonainternationalspeedway.com or by calling 1-800-PITSHOP.