One of the newest venues on the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series (NCTS) schedule is the state-of-the-art Kansas Speedway. Team Chevy Silverado has won two of the five NCTS races run to-date on the two-mile banked tri-oval on the west edge of metropolitan Kansas City.

Mike Bliss, No. 16 IWX Motor Freight Silverado, captured the win in 2002 on the way to his first NCTS championship.

"When I won the race in 2002," said Bliss. "Dave (Fuge, No.16 Xpress Motorsports team owner) was my crew chief then so I am looking forward to this year's race. Our team has been getting stronger and stronger each week and Kansas is a track that I always look forward to coming to. It is a fun place to race; it is a beautiful facility and the fans are awesome."

Dennis Setzer, No. 85 Shell Rotella T Silverado, won the pole for the inaugural Kansas Speedway race and has scored three top-five finishes in five starts.

"Kansas is special because I do have a pole there. I don't get many poles but I got one there a couple years ago. It is just a fun place to race, it's a wide track and you can race side-by-side and it is just a great all around facility. I have had some really good runs there in the past and I am pretty confident about the Shell Rotella Chevrolet Silverado this weekend. I know Eric (Phillips, crew chief) and the guys will give me a good truck, the key is to stay out of trouble to be there at the end."

Rookies Kraig Kinser and Aric Almirola are preparing for their first appearance at Kansas Speedway. Unlike both the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series (NNCS) and the NASCAR Busch Series (NBS), the NCTS runs one race per track per season for the exception of three venues, Atlanta, Martinsville and Texas. With the new 2006 NASCAR rules limiting testing for teams, the pressure is even greater for Raybestos Rookie drivers who have to get up to speed during limited practice sessions just prior to qualifying.

Driver: Dennis Setzer
Team: No. 85 Shell Rotella T - Morgan Dollar Motorsports
Date of Birth: February 27, 1960 - Hometown: Newton, NC
"Kansas is an awesome track to race at. We can race side-by-side, and the track is wide enough that we can do that. I have a pole in Kansas, which is special because I don't have many poles in the Truck Series. We finished 11th here last year, and I am hoping to improve that with a win here this year. The whole Morgan-Dollar Motorsports team has been working so hard, and our finishes have proven that. Although we don't have a victory yet this year, we are looking to change that this weekend.
We tested in Chicago back in May, so we are going to be using information we gathered from that test to help us with the set-up for the truck this year. Kansas and Chicago are similar tracks, and I am looking for a great run in our Silverado this weekend."

Driver: Kraig Kinser
Team: No. 46 Silverado - Morgan Dollar Motorsports
Date of Birth: October 8, 1984 - Hometown: Bloomington, IN
"Kansas is another track that I have never been to before, so we will definitely be using the practice sessions to get used to the track, and will figure out what lines we will need to run to be fast. I hope that our Silverado team can turn our luck around, and put together a good run for all the guys. Randy (Goss, crew chief) and the Morgan-Dollar Motorsports team has been giving me great trucks this whole season, we just don't have the finishes to prove it yet."

Driver: Ron Hornaday
Team: No. 33 Kevin Harvick, Inc. Silverado
Date of Birth: June 20, 1958 - Hometown: Palmdale, CA
"I know we will be good in Kansas, we are going to run the same truck that we have been racing the last four weeks, and I am just so proud to be a part of this Kevin Harvick Inc. team and it is pretty awesome to have Chevrolet behind us, and to be doing what we are doing with an unsponsored team is pretty cool. This will only be my second time here in a truck, but I have raced here in a Busch car and have been pretty successful. It is usually pretty hot in Kansas, so we have to make sure that we maintain our crew and equipment, but I am looking forward to racing in Kansas. I like the way that the garage is set-up, and it gives the fans easy access to the drivers, which makes it neat for them. We just need to hit our marks this weekend, and leave Kansas with another great finish."

Driver: Aric Almirola
Team: No. 75 Spears Manufacturing Silverado - Spears Motorsports
Date of Birth: March 14, 1984 - Hometown: Tampa, FL
"Kansas is another track that I have never been to, I heard Dorothy and Toto live there, but other than that, I don't know much about it. I plan on watching some tapes of previous races there this week, and will probably play some video games to get ready for the race.
I am confident that the Spears team will give me a great truck to take to the race this weekend, and we will use the practice sessions to help get acclimated to the track, and we will hopefully be alright for the race."

Driver: Matt Crafton
Team: No. 88 Menards Silverado - ThorSport Racing
Date of Birth: June 11, 1976 - Hometown: Tulare, CA
"I like Kansas, it is a fast track, and we have had some good runs there in the past. I am looking to turn things around after the terrible luck we had in Milwaukee, and I think that this weekend we can do that. Our ThorSport team has been working really hard to prepare some great trucks, so I am looking to give everyone on the team a good run, and I think that Kansas can be the place where we can get the job done."

Driver: Kerry Earnhardt
Team: No. 13 National Pork Board Silverado - ThorSport Racing
Date of Birth: December 8, 1969 - Hometown: Kannapolis, NC
"I am really excited about going to Kansas. I went there once and finished second to Jeff Burton in a Busch race, so I enjoyed that. The track is unique, but is similar to Chicago and Las Vegas, so we can hopefully use some information from those tracks to get our ThorSport Silverado up front and maintain a good run. We need some luck on our side, after a couple of bad runs the past couple weeks, so hopefully Kansas will be the place that this team can turn things around."

Driver: Mike Bliss
Team: No. 16 Xpress Motorsports Silverado
Date of Birth: April 5, 1965 - Hometown: Milwaukie, OR
"Kansas is a cool track that I look forward to going to every year. The Xpress Motorsports team didn't have very good luck here last year with a blown motor, so maybe this year we can turn that around. Kansas is just a place where I will need to hit all of my marks, and stay out of trouble to be there in the end. This team has been strong the past few weeks, and I would really like a win in Kansas this weekend."