RON HORNADAY, NO. 6 GM GOODWRENCH CHEVROLET SILVERADO: QUALIFIED 18TH, FINISHED 1ST: NOTE: Ron Hornaday captured the 27th NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series victory in an exciting three lap green-white-checkered finish by just eight thousandths of a second over fellow Team Silverado driver Bobby Labonte.
"Man, is this special for us. I can't thank Kevin and Delana Harvick for the opportunity to drive this GM Goodwrench Silverado. Bobby (Labonte) and I raced each other so clean those last two laps. He got a pretty good run on me there on the top but the RCR power under my hood let me pull him by just enough out of four as we came down for checkered.
"My ole buddy Jack Sprague came up and gave me a congratulatory bump on the cool down lap as we came out of four which brought back a lot of great memories. He and I had some great battles in the old days, lots of races just like this.
"This is a great night for our team. I told Wally (Rogers, crew chief) after practice that the thing drove like a Cadillac and not to touch a thing. We knew we wouldn't qualify that well but we knew we would race good."
BOBBY LABONTE, NO, 47 CHEVROLET ALL STAR "NASHVILLE" SILVERADO - QUALIFIED 19TH, FINISHED 2ND: "We got a good run on run up on the top and got beside him in three and thought I had enough momentum to get by him, but I am learning with the trucks when you get up along side someone, you slow down, more than you do in a car.
"Our Chevrolet Silverado was great tonight and considering we had the run through the grass there just past half way, second is great but boy did I want the trophy! We started out loose but Randy (Goss, crew chief) and the guys kept making the right adjustments and we kept working our way toward the front.
"There with about 20 to go, it was no holes barred, I am not sure who was doing what. We were high, low, all over everywhere, it didn't seem to matter. Everybody was going for it at that point but it sorted out pretty quick who was going to be there at the end.
"Ron (Hornaday) raced me really clean those last two laps and it was fun. I knew he had me cause I was seeing more of him than I was seeing of what I needed to see to be in front.
"We are going to run the truck, in Martinsville and want to do some more but we don't have all the details worked out yet.
"I am just glad I had a chance to run this Silverado tonight here at Atlanta."
DENNIS SETZER, NO. 46 CHEVROLET SILVERADO - QUALIFIED 14th, FINISHED
4th: "It looks good for the Silverados tonight when you look at the scoreboard
and we are one, two, fourth and fifth. We had a good battle going there at the
end but we just couldn't quite run with Ron (Hornaday) and Bobby (Labonte). We
got by them there one time but we couldn't hold on it. We just couldn't quite
get it turned through the corner like we needed to. Out teammate, Bobby finished
second there by just a tick but we got a Silverado in victory lane so that is
important, just wish it could have been us.
"Our Chevrolet Silverado was loose, loose, loose at the start of the race but
Eric (Phillips, crew chief) and the guys kept making adjustments until we got
pretty good there at the end. It is a good night for us especially when you
consider how bad we ran here at Atlanta last year!"
DAVID STARR, NO. 75 SPEARS MANUFACTURING CHEVROLET SILVERADO - QUALIFIED
10TH, FINISHED 5TH: "Wow what a race, it was unbelievable. It was a heck of a
show and race tonight for the fans. I really thought I had the lead back there
when I went under Rick Crawford and suddenly my spotter came over the radio and
said the No. 6 (Ron Hornaday) was on my inside. I don't where he came from but
Hornaday got underneath me and it was a heck of a battle. Someone got tucked in
behind me and got me a little loose. Then they were all around me on the inside
and the outside. I was able to recover and got Ted (Musgrave) right there at the
end to bring home this Silverado team a top-5 finish.
"I'm just glad I had the right truck tonight in my Chevy Silverado. The truck
was pretty awesome. McCarty (Dave, crew chief) and the guys made good calls on
pit road and were able to increase our position after pitting. It sure was a fun
NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race. I knew when I saw that it was going to be a
green/white/checkered that it was going to be good. I said I've got one more
shot at it I was able to take advantage and gain one spot. I'll tell you what I
had a fast hotrod tonight - I just wish I would have brought the Spears
Manufacturing Chevrolet home in a little better spot. I thought we could win the
race because I knew my Silverado was a little better then fifth but we'll take
it. It was a good point's night and a real good start to the season. Bringing
home some top-5 finishes, keeping up our points will only benefit us throughout
the season. I really want to be in the race for the Championship and these top-5
finishes will keep us up there."
JACK SPRAGUE, NO. 16 CHEVY TRUCKS CHEVROLET SILVERADO - QUALIFIED 23RD,
FINISHED 8TH: "We had the right truck tonight, our Chevy Trucks Silverado was
awesome until we had the pit road accident. It looked to me like the left wheel
fell off the 66 and he stopped right in front of me as the guys dropped the jack
and I took off from the pit box after our pit stop. It is disappointing for
everyone on the team because we really did have a great race truck.
"Chris (Showalter, crew chief) and the guys kept making adjustments and got the
truck pretty good at the end. We were a little tight but I came out of the pits
that last stop 11th I think and got up to eighth. When someone started to get
under me, I would lose the handle a little more.
"It was a great effort for this Chevy Trucks Team. We gained some points tonight
and ran a lot better than we did last year at Atlanta."
KELLY SUTTON, NO. 02 TEAM COPAXONE CHEVROLET SILVERADO: QUALIFIED 30th,
FINISHED 31st: "I thought we were going to bring home a decent finish tonight
until that late spin. I had a truck pass me on the outside and it took the air
off the spoiler and around it went. It just nicked the inside wall, but it was
enough to break the fitting on the oil cooler. Not the way you want to end the
night, but now we head home and focus on a good run for this Chevy Silverado at
Martinsville."
MATT CRAFTON, NO, 88 MENARDS CHEVROLET SILVERADO: QUALIFIED 27TH,
FINISHED 14th: "A long day. We changed the motor, which was part of our problem
in qualifying. After we changed the motor, we found out there was something
wrong with the carburetor but we didn't have time to change it. During the race
it started missing at about the flag stand every lap. It just made for a long
day."