The 2007 season had gotten off to a rough start for David Star and his International MaxxForce Diesel team. When they had good trucks they had bad luck and bad finishes. Having been on the road almost nonstop since the announcement of his new team, Starr was looking forward to the friendly confines of Texas Motor Speedway (TMS).

TMS has long played a pivotal roll in Starr's ascent to NASCAR racing. His Uncle Mike still owns the Team Texas High Performance Driving School that is housed at TMS. When Starr is not on the road with the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series he can be found tinkering on Uncle Mike's school cars. Coming home to Texas was just what the Doctor ordered for David Starr.

After having experimented with some of the more aggressive setups being run in NASCAR, Starr and his International MaxxForce Diesel team got back to the basics for the Sam's Town 400 at Texas Motor Speedway. At home, with a familiar setup, Starr was back in championship form. Off the trailer, Dennis Connor had their Ford F-150 in the top 10 on the speed charts and Starr was regaining the form that had put him at the top of the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. After a couple of solid practice sessions the International MaxxForce Diesel Ford F-150 was off just a tick during qualifying and the team would start the Sam's Town 400 in the 20th position.

Playing to a hometown crowd, Starr received a Texas size ovation during driver introductions and the Lone Star native was ready to prove his new team had what it took to compete in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series.

With the drop of the green flag Starr was on the march picking up spots and working out the kinks in his Ford F-150. In the early stages the MaxxForce Diesel Ford was a little loose on corner entry and Connor would call Starr to pit road on the second caution of the night. The over the wall gang slapped on 4 fresh Goodyears, a load of Sunoco fuel and a spring rubber in the left rear to help tighten up the Circle Bar machine on corner entry. A long stop to get the spring rubber in put the MaxxForce Ford back to the 26th position.

The extra time on pit road paid off on the racetrack as Starr started picking up spots. By lap 40 he was up to 14th and every 5 or 6 laps Starr reeled in another competitor. When the next caution flag flew on lap 68 Starr was up to 10th. Still a little free on corner entry, Connor called for fresh Goodyears, a full load of Sunoco fuel and an air pressure adjustment. The over the wall gang had one of their best stops of the season getting Starr out quick enough to restart 5th.

Back in action, the Sam's Town 400 took on a green flag tone making 80 laps without a caution. Nearly out of fuel Starr brought his machine to pit road, under green, for right side tires and fuel. The team made a quick stop and kept their position on the track, but they were now a lap down.

Just as it looked like the tide was turning on the International MaxxForce team's season, it went away when the caution flag flew before the field cycled through their pit stops, trapping Starr a lap down. Just as the feeling of deja vue from Kansas was settling in, the team was informed they would receive the free pass because they were the first truck 1 lap down. The good news is they would return to the lead lap, the bad news was they would start at the tail and of the longest line with less than 10 to go.

Another caution would let Starr get back to the tail end of the lead lap trucks and pick up another spot in the final segment for the team's first top 5 of the season.

Dennis Connor: "We finally matched the finish with our capabilities. The over the wall guys did a heck of job and they picked up 4 spots on pit road when we needed it. This is a great building block for our team."

David Starr: "This International MaxxForce Ford F-150 was awesome tonight. Dennis Conner and all the guys on the team, we never gave up. I said, We'll get this monkey off our back sooner or later. We've had good trucks and we've just had a little bad luck. Finally, hopefully, this will get our season turned around tonight at Texas. We didn't win the race tonight, but this is a big improvement for the International MaxxForce team. Dennis Conner did a heck of a job on pit road and all the guys. I'm excited. I'm pretty happy here tonight. We're headed in the right direction and that's why we're smiling right now."

The International MaxxForce Diesel Team will be in action when the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series holds round 10 of the 2007 season in the Michigan 200 at Michigan International Speedway on Saturday June 16th.