With a successful test of both trucks on Friday, the Circle Bar Truck Corral Team entered race day looking for a solid performance in the Smith's 350 and an eye on improving their standing in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. During the day long NASCAR test on Friday, CB-20 slightly out performed CB-18 during eight hours of testing at the newly configured Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

The early morning sun glimmered off the jet fighters stationed at Nellis Air Force Base, "The Home of the Fighter Pilot", as the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series garage came to life across the street at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Coming into the day, crew chief, Kevin "Cowboy" Starland's, plan was simple, scuff some tires for race night, set up for race trim and make a qualifying effort. Cowboy's plans would soon change. During a mock qualifying run in the first practice session, CB-20 snap hooked left in turn 2 and slammed the outside retaining wall. Driver Rick Crawford was uninjured but CB-20 would not be so lucky with damage to the rear and the right front of the wounded Circle Bar machine. The team unloaded the backup and went to work on CB-18. Having just tested the day before, CB-18 was almost ready to go. The team made a few changes and swapped some parts off their damaged Ford F-150 and they were able to make the second practice session. Down to their last truck the Circle Bar team took a less than aggressive approach to practice and qualifying and posted a 30th starting position.

Because the team went to the back up, they had to start the race from the rear of the 36-truck field. From the drop of the green flag of the Smith's 350 the Circle Bar Truck Corral Ford F-150 was on the move. Crawford and spotter Calvin Humphries worked traffic harder than a motorcycle cop in rush hour.

By lap 10 their Ford F-150 had picked up 14 spots and was looking for more. With each pass Calvin called out Crawford's favorite words, "CLEAR, CLEAR, CLEAR!" On lap 20 Crawford cracked the top 20, on lap 25 the caution flag would fly. Crawford reported the truck a little aero tight and Cowboy called the Circle Bar machine to pit road for 4 scuffed Goodyears, fuel and tape off the nose. With the green flag in the air again Crawford was gobbling up trucks again.

On lap 32 they were in the top 15 and on lap 40 they cracked the top 10 for the first time. By lap 50 Crawford had one of the fastest trucks on the track and had been wolfing down trucks like a senior citizens tour group at the $4.99 buffet at Circus Circus. With the caution flag flying again Cowboy brought CB-18 back to pit road for 4 fresh Goodyears and fuel. With teams working different pit strategies the Circle Bar Ford fell back to 21st.

After a short green flag run of 19 laps the caution would come out again. The short green flag run played into Cowboy's hands, while the rest of the teams were taking tires and fuel the Circle Bar gang made a fuel only stop and moved to 7th. Back under green on lap 81 Crawford was on the move and was up to 3rd.

The caution flag would fly again on lap 90, 6 laps short of being able to make it the distance on fuel. Back under green, Crawford had more problems than just holding off the rest of the field, the accelerator pedal was sticking. Normally, when you take your foot off the gas the pedal comes up with it. At 180 MPH Crawford was having to lift it back up with his foot. Tough Trucks, Tough Drivers.

With the caution out again on lap 107, the team was now inside its fuel window and Cowboy reluctantly called Crawford to pit road for the precious 6 laps of fuel needed to finish. Along with fuel, Cowboy had the over the wall gang put on 4 scuffed Goodyears. The move to bring the Circle Bar Ford to pit road was a tough call. The team could have gambled and stayed out, hoping they would make the distance on fuel but with almost 30 trucks on the lead lap in the closing stages of the race, running out of fuel would cost the team dearly in the Championship standings. When all was said and done coming in saved the team from wrecking another truck. Tire specialist, Gene "Gator " Morris inspected the used tires as they came off the truck and the left front tire was blistered. In a matter of laps the tire would have blown and the team would have lost their second truck of the weekend.

On what had been a rough weekend in Vegas, Lady Luck finally smiled on the Ozona Texas team. With just 35 laps remaining the green flag would fly with the 14 truck starting in the 24th position. Spotter Calvin Humphries had seen this show before and he and Crawford started Texas two stepping their way back to the front. "CLEAR, CLEAR, CLEAR" each competitor fell by the way side, 8 laps 6 trucks. The yellow flag would fly again on lap 120.

With 20 laps to go the field would take the green flag for the final time. Just like his old short track days at Mobile International Speedway, Crawford had 20 laps to get from the back to the front. Crawford picked up 4 more spots and salvaged a 14th place finish. Not what the team was looking for but a respectable finish that would keep them in the top 5 in the Championship standings.

Crew chief Kevin "Cowboy" Starland: "Losing the truck in practice really hurt us this weekend. I was really proud of the guys for the way they kept their heads up and kept digging. We had good stops all day on pit road and the guys gave us what we needed to stay in contention. That last call to come to pit road was a gut wrencher. I really wanted to stay out with Skinner to keep track position but we couldn't afford to run out of gas. It ended up it was the right call with the tire problems we had."

Driver Rick Crawford: "We practiced with CB-18 for half the day on Friday and it was a good truck but I was really disappointed we didn't get to race CB-20. Calvin had his A game tonight helping me through traffic. The guys had great stops, the breaks just didn't go our way. Saturday was a rough day on what was a good weekend and we have to stay focused on that. With Vegas behind us I'm ready to go home, home to Alabama, home to Talladega."