Ted Musgrave and his No. 9 Team ASE Germain Toyota Tundra pit crew once again showed why they are one of the teams to watch, as they took home a third place finish for the second week in a row.  Musgrave started Fridays Racetickets.com 200 in the third starting spot and kept his No. 9 Team ASE Germain Toyota in the top-10 for a good portion of the race.

Musgrave fell back during a pit stop on lap-60, after the Team ASE Germain Toyota crew made some critical adjustments to Musgrave's truck.  Those adjustments paid off at the end of the race as Musgrave made his way back to the front by the end of the race.  Both Musgrave and teammate Todd Bodine once again teamed up to have a shot to beat race leader Mark Martin for the second straight week.  On lap-100 the eighth and final caution came out, as the race came down to another green-white checkered finish.  Musgrave did all he could to push Bodine to the front, but the Germain train ran out of laps as Martin held them off to win his second straight race of the season, and Musgrave finished third.

"This was another awesome week for the No. 9 Team ASE Germain Toyota Team and Germain Racing.  For us to finish third and have Todd finish second is a credit to both teams," said Musgrave.  "Things fell our way tonight and we capitalized on them.  We made some big adjustments during the race, which hindered my track position for a while.  But, I was able to drive back through, which wasn't something I was able to do earlier on.  Tom and the guys put a good truck underneath me."

Although Musgrave would have liked to have had his fourth win at California Speedway, his third place finish in Friday's Racetickets.com 200 was as good as a win as he looks at the big picture.

"We are racking up points and that's the big picture.  We're looking for the championship trophy," said Musgrave.  "Right now things are looking good for this season.  The guys have worked really hard and it shows in our performance.  I have always run well at California and I know what it's going to take to run well here.  I burned my tires up while trying to make my way back to the front, which hurt my chances to win.  For the second straight week Todd and I did all we could to win, but Mark was tough again. This team is getting better each week and I am having a ball running with
these guys."

Crew chief Tom Ackerman was happy with another solid top-three performance, as it was not an easy weekend.

"What can I say, this No. 9 Team ASE Germain Toyota crew busted their humps after final practice to get this truck right for Ted," said Ackerman.  "To see a smile on his face after he qualified third and then to see him with a big smile after the race speaks for itself.  It's just wonderful to get such a great start to this season.  We will work hard to keep this momentum going.  Atlanta is another good track for us and we look to give Ted whatever he needs to succeed."