Plenty Of Movers, Shakers At Preseason Thunder

01-12-2008 | Buddy Shacklette, Special To TruckSeries.com

Plenty Of Movers, Shakers At Preseason Thunder

Jack Sprague (L) and Ron Hornaday, Jr., both
three-time NCTS champions, will team together in
2008 at Kevin Harvick, Inc.
(
DaytonaInternationalSpeedway.com Photo)

Most but not all rides were locked down as the NASCAR Craftsman Trucks Series took to the track for the three days of NASCAR Preseason Thunder testing at Daytona International Speedway.

Three-time champion Jack Sprague successfully made the switch from his family-owned No. 60 Wyler Racing Toyota to his new No. 2 Chevrolet of Kevin Harvick Incorporated, where he will team with fellow three-time champ Ron Hornaday.

"Just looking forward to this year, driving for Kevin Harvick, Inc. (KHI), Kevin and DeLana, with a good friend of mine, Ron Hornaday, my teammate. We have been friends for a long time,'' said Sprague. "We have done this together for a long time and I think we will be able to make each other stronger as far as, sharing information and things like that."

Phillip McGilton was in the No. 22 Toyota of Bill Davis Racing, a ride that Bill Lester vacated for a Rolex Series ride this season.

David Starr was back in the No. 11 Toyota of Red Horse Racing after a one-year hiatus, but missing from the test was one of Starr's former employers, the No. 75 entry of Spears Motorsports.

"We had been 'free' the whole test. (Crew chief) Jamie Jones kept working on it and making it better,'' said Starr, who was fourth-quickest (184.392 mph) in the afternoon drafting session. "Finally, we got it where we wanted it and I went out there and came from the back to the front."

Justin Marks, sponsored by popular Crocs footwear, found himself in the No. 9 Toyota of Germain Racing, which was vacated by Ted Musgrave.

Musgrave was here helping out the testing effort of the No. 59 Toyota of HT Motorsports and disclosed that he had had discussions with the No. 59 and No. 46 Morgan-Dollar team about driving this season, but nothing was set in stone as of yet. Eric Crocker was on hand to test the No. 46 Chevrolet of Morgan-Dollar Motorsports.

Musgrave's former Germain teammate, Todd Bodine, disclosed that he was still in discussions about some Cup rides. While he said Germain will enter some Cup races this season, he also said he had been talking with the No. 4 team from Morgan-McClure Motorsports, which lost its sponsor and driver Ward Burton.

Toyota, whom Bodine drives for in the NCTS, prefers he wheel a Toyota in Cup ventures, but the No. 4 team fielded a Chevrolet all last season. Bodine said the No. 4 team had even offered their ride to him for non-competing events - events where the Truck Series was not running with the Cup cars in a particular weekend.

Bodine seemed to be leaning, at the very least, towards attempting to make the 50th Daytona 500 by driving in the Gatorade Duel At Daytona 150-mile qualifying races on Feb. 14th.

"I want to get back to Cup,'' said Bodine. "But if it's a (crap)box you ain't gonna win."

For the first time in his NCTS career, Brendan Gaughan was wheeling a non-family-owned ride by driving the No. 10 Ford of Circle Bar Racing. Former Daytona polesitter Terry Cook is wheeling the No. 60 Toyota of Wyler Racing and Jon Wood found himself back in the No. 21 of the family-owned Wood Brothers Racing Ford.

Wood, a two-time NCTS winner, will run 21 races, while cousin Keven Wood, team co-owner Len Wood's son, will run the other four races. Jon Wood is the son of team co-owner Eddie Wood.

Bobby Hamilton Racing's Dennis Setzer was tending to a family matter Friday, but was expected to be in the No. 18 Dodge Saturday afternoon. During his absence, teammate and team co-owner Stacy Compton tested both of BHR's Nos. 4 and 18 trucks.

Kyle Busch was in the No. 51 Toyota of Ballew Motorsports, where he will drive between 18-20 races while team owner Billy Ballew said David Stremme will drive the truck in five-to-six races.