Crawford's win sets one record, closes on another … Rick Crawford (No. 14 Circle Bar Truck Corral Ford) became the 10th different winner in succession at New Hampshire International Speedway on Sept. 17 to set a record for a series track. Crawford, with victories in three consecutive years, was the 13th winner of 2005. That's one short of the season mark of 14 established in 1998. There also were 13 different winners a year ago.

Ford back in victory lane - finally … Crawford ended nearly 13 months and 39 races of frustration for the manufacturer, which last tasted victory on Aug. 25, 2004 at Bristol Motor Speedway. The two wins had one significant, common denominator. Kevin "Cowboy" Starland was crew chief for both Crawford and Bristol winner Carl Edwards. Chevrolet, with nine wins, continues to lead series manufacturer standings by a 128 to 103 count over Dodge. Toyota is third and Ford fourth.

Setzer rights ship, adds to point lead at NHIS … After losing nearly 80 percent of a 227-point championship lead in three races, Dennis Setzer (No. 46 Chevrolet Z71 Silverado Chevrolet) got things turned around in New Hampshire. But Setzer had to prevail in an end-of-race duel with his closest rival to build his lead to 59 points with six races remaining. Setzer finished second in the Sylvania 200 by Lowe's with Ted Musgrave (No. 1 Mopar Dodge) third after the pair spent most of the race's final 25 laps side-by-side and bumper-to-tailgate.

ETC. … Several competitors new to the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series will debut at LVMS. They include Joey Miller (No. 12 Toyota Tundra Toyota), winner of the most recent ARCA/REMAX event at Salem, Ind.; David Gilliland (No. 15 Billy Ballew Motorsports Chevrolet), currently fourth in NASCAR Grand National Division, West Series points standings; and Burney Lamar, a two-time NASCAR Grand National Division, West Series winner in 2005, making his first start in Kevin Harvick Inc.'s No. 92 HPS/Groeniger Chevrolet. … Gilliland's father, Butch, competed in the 1996 Las Vegas 350. They would become the 14th father and son to start a NASCAR Craftsman Truck race. … Setzer has become the second driver in series history to win $4 million. His career total is $4,010,574, second only to the $5,572,545 won by Jack Sprague (No. 16 Chevy Trucks Chevrolet).

ON THE RIGHT TRACK

Nobody more dominant in Vegas than Sprague … Pick a Las Vegas Motor Speedway record - any record - and it's odds on that you'll find the name Sprague. Here are a few: Most wins (two), most money won ($317,165), most top five and top-10 finishes (six), most laps/miles led (298/447) and most laps/miles completed (919/1,378.5).

Four former Las Vegas 350 winners in field … Sprague and Gaughan are joined in this week's entry by Musgrave (2001) and David Starr (No. 75 Spears Manufacturing Chevrolet, 2002). Three of eight races and two of the last three have been won from the Bud Pole. This week's Craftsman Win from the Pole Bonus is $12,000. Brandon Whitt (No. 38 Red Horse Racing Toyota) was the award's last winner on July 23 at Memphis Motorsports Park.

QUOTEBOOK
"This team has grown nicely over the past month and I can't say enough about Tony Furr (the crew chief) and what he has done with this team. I am very glad that we got to finally give the Wylers the type of finish they deserve and this will give all of us some positive momentum going into the rest of the season." - Chad Chaffin, No. 60 Jeff Wyler Toyota, following his ninth-place finish in New Hampshire - the team's first top 10 in series competition.

"It's the first time since clinching our championship that we're back together as a team. This is exciting for all of us. It is a reunion of sorts. The members of my team all continue to work in NASCAR racing. Many of them made special arrangements so they could race with me this weekend. It will be a sentimental and exciting race for us. The chemistry is really right for this race." - Eric Norris (No. 07 Pavestone Chevrolet) on returning with the crew with which he won the 2002 NASCAR Grand National Division, West Series championship.

"There is a group of about 23 people coming from Wisconsin for the weekend, including my parents and my brother.  A bunch of them were at IRP, too, when we almost got our first win.  It would be great to get that win this weekend.  I have a feeling if we win Saturday night I might not make the red-eye flight back to Charlotte after the race.  I might have to stay in Vegas an extra night and celebrate with everyone." - Raybestos Rookie of the Year leader Todd Kluever, No. 50 World Financial Group Ford.

10 YEARS TOUGH
Greg Biffle holds the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series record for wins in a season - nine. He broke Mike Skinner's eight-win record at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Sept. 24, 1999.

FROM THE ARCHIVES
While the Las Vegas 350 has determined the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series champion on three occasions - 1996 through 1998 - the race winner never has worn that season's crown. Second place would seem to be the key the success. Jack Sprague was the runnerup finisher in 1997, '99 and 2001 - all championship years. Ron Hornaday Jr. finished second in 1998, the season in which he won his second title. Mike Bliss was the second-place finisher when he captured the title in 2002.

Fast Facts

• The 2005 season is the 11th for the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series.
• The series visits 22 different tracks coast-to-coast measuring from .5-mile to 2.5-miles in length.
• Four former champions - Mike Skinner (1995), Ron Hornaday Jr. (1996, 1998), Jack Sprague (1997, 1999, 2001) and Bobby Hamilton (2004) - will go head-to-head for the first time.
• With Mike Skinner's Aug. 24 win at Bristol Motor Speedway all three of the "original" champions - Skinner, Hornaday and Sprague - have won in 2005. Hamilton has two wins.
  Hornaday is the all-time series win leader with 27 victories.
• One team owner - Ultra Motorsports' Jim Smith - has competed in all 261 races and has won at least once in all 11 seasons. Smith has 36 wins to share the all-time owner record with Roush Racing.
• Nearly 60% of the series' 261 races have been decided by one second or less. In 2005, 10 of 16 races have sub, one-second margins of victory. Two others finished under caution. The closest finish at Las Vegas Motor Speedway is .299 second - Greg Biffle defeating Sprague in 1999. Six of eight races at LVMS have been decided by less than one second.
• Series attendance is at an all-time high. In 1995, 400,000 attended 20 races. Last year, 1.1 million attended 25 races.
• SPEED Channel continues to build series ratings. The series is the No. 3 motorsports series on cable TV trailing only NASCAR NEXTEL Cup and NASCAR Busch Series.
• Thirty-two teams have attempted to qualify for the first 19 races, an all-time high.
• More longtime NASCAR NEXTEL Cup drivers are competing in 2005 including Hamilton, Johnny Benson, Todd Bodine, Ricky Craven, Ted Musgrave, Robert Pressley, Jimmy Spencer and Mike Wallace.
• The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series is one of the most diverse in NASCAR with two female drivers (Deborah Renshaw and Kelly Sutton), an African-American driver (Bill Lester) and a native of Japan (Shige Hattori). Sutton competes despite a diagnosis of Multiple Sclerosis.
• The series produces future NASCAR stars including Greg Biffle, a five-time NASCAR NEXTEL Cup winner in 2005, Kurt Busch, the 2004 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup champion and Carl Edwards qualified for the Chase for the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup.
• Biffle, the 2000 NASCAR Craftsman Truck and 2002 NASCAR Busch Series champion, could become the first to win a title in all three of NASCAR's national touring series.
• "Young guns" in 2005 include Brad Keselowski, 21; Todd Kluever, 26; Chase Montgomery, 21; Timothy Peters, 24; and Brandon Whitt, 22. Whitt and Kyle Busch (20) have combined for three wins this season.
• There have been 13 different winners in the season's first 19 races. The season record is 14.
• There were 13 different winners in 2004.
• The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series championship has been decided in the final race in nine of the series' first 10 seasons. The current leader is Dennis Setzer who leads Ted Musgrave by 59 points.
• With six races on the schedule, 20 drivers retain a mathematical chance to win the 2005 championship based upon all 20 competing in each of the remaining events.
• No driver has won the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series championship and a race at LVMS in the same season. The race, however, determined the championship in 1996 through 1998.
  On four occasions, the race's second-place finisher has gone on to win the championship. They are Sprague (1997, 1999, 2001) and Mike Bliss (2002).
• Four former LVMS winners are expected to compete in this week's Las Vegas 350. They are Sprague (1996, 1998), Musgrave (2001), David Starr (2002) and Brendan Gaughan (2003).
• Three races have been won from the Bud Pole: Sprague (1998), Starr (2002) and Gaughan (2003). This week's Craftsman Win from the Pole bonus is $12,000. The bonus last was claimed by Whitt at Memphis Motorsports Park.
• Skinner won last year's Bud Pole at a record average speed of 165.320. That's nearly eight mph faster than Bryan Reffner's 1996 fast qualifying lap of 157.909.
• Last year's winner, Shane Hmiel, started 21st - farthest back in the field by any LVMS series winner. Hmiel and Sprague are the only drivers to win in their first appearances at LVMS.
  Hmiel led only two of the race's 146 laps - fewest by a series winner at LVMS. Gaughan is the most dominant winner at the track heading 106 laps in 2003.
• Hmiel will not defend his victory; however, the LVMS-winning No. 15 Billy Ballew Motorsports Chevrolet will be driven by David Gilliland, a NASCAR Grand National Division, West Series veteran. Gilliland's father, Butch, finished 19th in the 1997 Las Vegas 350. The Gillilands will become the 14th father and son to compete on the series.
• Todd Bodine lost last year's race by 1.009 second. He went on to win the next two races at California Speedway and Texas Motor Speedway.
• Sprague has won $317,165 of $2,359,141 paid out at LVMS.
• Travis Kvapil's third-place finish in 2001 is the best by a Raybestos Rookie of the Year contender.
• Thirty-five drivers have led at least one lap in 2005 to match the series.