Toyota Qualifying: Dover

06-02-2005 | TruckSeries.com Report

Toyota Post Qualifying Notes: Dover

  • This is Toyota's 2nd season -- and 33rd race --- in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCTS).
  • A Toyota Tundra has captured the pole position 7 times in 32 NCTS races.
  • Mike Skinner has 2 pole positions in 2005.  Earlier this year, Skinner was the fastest qualifier at California (Feb. 25) and Charlotte (May 20).
  • Skinner has 4 poles driving a Toyota Tundra and 19 career NCTS pole position.
  • In addition to his 2 poles this year, Skinner started from the pole a year ago at Las Vegas and Texas.
  • David Reutimann captured Toyota's first-ever NCTS pole position at Atlanta (March '04).
  • Others to capture poles in Toyotas include Reutimann (Texas, '04) and Travis Kvapil (California,'04).
  • Chad Chaffin's best NCTS starting position in a Tundra is 5th at Charlotte earlier this season.
  • Johnny Benson's best NCTS starting position in a Tundra is 4th at Atlanta (March 18) earlier this year.
  • Todd Bodine recorded his best NCTS starting position in a Tundra earlier this season at Martinsville
     (April 9) when he started second.
  • Robert Huffman's best NCTS starting position in a Tundra is a 2nd at Atlanta (3-13-04) and
     Texas (6-11-04) last year.
  • Bill Lester's best NCTS starting position in a Tundra is 3rd at both Texas races (June 11/Oct. 16) last season.
  • Earlier this year, Brandon Whitt started 5th at California (Feb. 25), his best NCTS starting spot in a Tundra.

6th, MIKE SKINNER, Bill Davis Racing, No. 5 Toyota Tundra,  "We only got to make one qualifying-type effort in practice -- and we ran okay.  Then we put a 'rubber' in the left rear because we thought that would tighten the truck up a little bit.  It made the truck turn better, but it was much looser.  The truck was so loose I couldn't give it all it had in the corners.  It really wasn't the qualifying effort that we wanted.  Normally, this No. 5 truck qualifies so well.  I think my Tundra will race good -- and the motor is awfully strong."

"We ran awfully well here last year and we pretty much have a similar configuration with the truck this time.  I think we can strong here again tomorrow."

8th, DAVID REUTIMANN, Darrell Waltrip Motorsports, No. 17 NTN Bearings Tundra,  "We were a little bit 'free' on both our qualifying laps.  But, all in all it wasn't a bad qualifying effort -- we're starting in the top-10.  I think this is one of those places where track-position is really important -- and being up front at the start will be an advanatge.  I think we have a decent spot to start the race -- and Robert (Huffman) and I are starting close to each other."

Are you comfortable at Dover?  "I'm not sure if you ever get comfortable at Dover.  This is one of those places where once you think you have a handle on the track -- it will reach up and grab you.  So, you have to stay on top of it -- and I'm definitely not there yet.  I think we'll just have to make adjustments to stay on top of things."

9th, ROBERT HUFFMAN, Darrell Waltrip Motorsports, No. 12 Toyota Tundra,  "We've been in the top-10 all day in practice -- and I felt like wecould run a 23-flat.  And we ran pretty close to that.  Last year, I felt like I never really got a good handle on this track, but the guys made some good adjustments on the truck.  I felt pretty comfotable in race-trim.  I don't know if you ever really get comfortable here -- this place and Bristol are pretty tough.  I felt pretty comfortable when we were in race trim, and I was able to run some guys down in practice.  I'm looking forward to tomorrow's race."


15th, JOHNNY BENSON, Bill Davis Racing, No. 23 Toyota Certified Tundra,  "I was really looking forward to getting out on the race track today.  My Tundra's been decent since we've been here, but I think it's really going to run better in the race than we did in qualifying.  Although, I think we put down a pretty good qualifying lap.  We made a lot of adjustements in practice to get it qualified.  More so than what we normally would during a race weekend.  I'm excited because I think it will race really good.  Going through Turns 1 and 2 it was real good, and through 3 and 4 it was pretty good.  I went to the gas pedal a lot earlier than I originally intended -- and it started to get loose -- so I had to get off it." 

"This is my first time in a Craftsman truck at Dover.  I love this place.  I won my first Busch race here and I've run good in the Cup car here -- think we finished second here a couple of times.  It's a track that I reallly, really love to race at.  Practice and qualifying is give or take for me, but to race here is phenomenal.  I don't know much about running the trucks here, but I do know that it's pretty racy."