Chad Chaffin (David M. Vaughn Photo)

The inaugural event at Talladega Superspeedway proved to be a successful race for Chad Chaffin and his No. 59 Harris Trucking Motorsports team. Before an estimated crowd of 80,000 fans the Craftsman Truck series drivers strapped in for an anything but calm race.

It may have appeared to be a smooth sailing but for the drivers it was an intense 94 laps around the famous 2.66-mile tri-oval. Although intense and at some points frustrating for Chad Chaffin, the 8th place finish made for an exciting and victorious outcome.

A last lap crash created some confusion at the conclusion of the John Deere 250, but when the smoke cleared Chaffin was home free with his first top-10 finish at Talladega Superspeedway. "As much as I struggled throughout the race, going from the front to the back and struggling to get back to the front, I am extremely excited to have an 8th place finish. The last lap was crazy, but we made it through the crash and brought home an awesome finish," commented Chaffin.

The weekend started out mediocre for Chaffin and the #59 K&L Chrome Shop Toyota Tundra. Looking at practice and qualifying times, a top-10 finish was going to be a difficult goal to obtain, but at Talladega nothing is ever predictable! Starting in the 24th position, Chaffin knew he was going to have his hands full fighting traffic and staying out of the wrecks that are synonymous of the superspeedway.

The entire race consisted of traveling to the front of the pack and falling back again for Chaffin. "My truck was good and I could get a run, but it would not suck up to the truck in front of me. I was not able to get in a good draft with anyone, so I was constantly fighting my way back to the front," explained Chaffin.

The last lap crash caused the unpredictable outcome that Talladega Superspeedway is legendary for. Chaffin was holding on for a 10th place finish when the crash commenced in front of him and all he could do was hold on and hope to make it through. With his spotter's help and good driving skills, Chaffin crossed the finish line not knowing what position he was in.

After further observations by NASCAR, Chaffin's 10th place finish was moved to an 8th place finish. "I knew I finished better than 10th, but with trucks going everywhere and the caution coming out I don't think anyone knew where they wound up. I was hoping for a 5th or 6th place, but 8th is outstanding," Chaffin stated.

Going into the weekend with little hope of an outstanding finish proved to be a misconception for Chaffin and the #59 Toyota Tundra. With enough effort and a little patience anything is possible at Talladega. Not only did Chad bring home an 8th place finish, he also won the Featherlite Most Improved Driver Award. Chaffin improved his starting position by seventeen spots. "I never imagined we would do this well. You can usually predict if it is going to be a good race or not and I really did not foresee a great finish, I sure was wrong! The team worked really hard on quick pit stops and made good calls. I am proud of the whole team and really appreciate them," confirmed Chaffin.