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03-26-2008
CHAFFIN: Martinsville Speedway Preview
Last week's open test for NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series teams at the Martinsville Speedway may not have found driver Chad Chaffin and the Key Motorsports #40 Chevrolet near the top of the speed charts. Don't think for one minute, however, that it means that the team won't be ready for next Saturday's Kroger 200 at the famed Virginia oval
"We worked entirely on our race set-up during the test, and by the end of the two days we had our race truck really running well through the corners, and that is so important there," said Crew Chief Gary Showalter.
"We used an old motor and just a few sets of tires, so I think that the numbers a lot of people saw on that speed chart (at Martinsville) are deceiving. We tested the same truck at New Smyrna Beach, Florida with Dustin Skinner (Mike Skinner's 22-year-old son) behind the wheel a couple of weeks ago and saw then what the truck was capable of running speed-wise, so our total concentration at Martinsville was to work on getting the race truck to turn good through the corners in race trim and to be able stay on the inside lane. We accomplished that," Showalter added.
The Martinsville race scheduled for 3 p.m. on March 29 and to be aired on FOX-TV, is the fourth and final race of the 2008 NCTS season in which last year's owner points are used to establish the 30 guaranteed starters for the race that will start 36 trucks. At present, the #40 sits in the 31st position after a slow and disappointing start, 30 markers outside of the top 30, so the goal in Martinsville will be to run well, get a good finish and hope that some of the trucks immediately in front of the #40 in points finish well behind.
"Other than California, we have had a pretty good race truck each race so far this season. We did have some bad luck (an early wreck) at Daytona and had tire issues in Atlanta, but our truck in both of those events ran well despite poor finishes. We just need to get it all together at Martinsville so we can continue our improvement," Showalter added.
Chaffin, the 39-year-old Tennessee pilot, has been just as frustrated with the team's start to a season in which the third-year team had high hopes heading into the season opener in Daytona after a strong finish to the 2007 campaign.
"We just have not had any breaks," Chaffin said.
"I had a top 10, maybe even a top 5 truck in Daytona, and the truck really ran good in Atlanta, but no one sees that when you finish near the bottom," said Chaffin. "As Gary said, we concentrated on our race set-up in the Martinsville test and the truck really handled great. If we have the horses under the hood, there is no reason why we can't have a day somewhat like we had at Martinsville last October when I finished 7th in the same truck. I'm ready to race!" Chaffin added.
That 7th place finish last season was the best-ever NCTS finish for a Key Motorsports entry in the five years in which the #40 has been competing - full-time the last three campaigns. A run like that one would solve a lot of problems for the team while also answering a lot of questions.
"I'm tired of running and finishing near the back of the pack, so the race in Martinsville is going to be critical for us. We've spent a lot of time and effort getting ready for this next race and we're going in it with the attitude that we have to finish good or else. That's the only way to approach things at this stage of the season," said owner Curtis W. Key, Sr.
"We've had two drivers testing the same truck and with far different driving styles, and between the two of them (Skinner and Chaffin) we have a pretty good feeling for what we need to go race with next week. We just need some luck to come our way for a change," Key added.
A good finish that can give the team the push it needs to move up in the point's standing and into the top 30 will guarantee a starting berth for the #40 in the races following Martinsville, provided the #40 remains in the top 30. Even though the size of the starting grids have been below the maximum of 36 trucks in two of the season's first three events, thus guaranteeing starts for every truck in the garage, for Key it is more about pride and knowing that his race team is going to be competitive.
"I know what I have in this race shop as far as equipment is concerned and we are certainly a better race team than what we have showed so far this year. We have to turn things around or some changes will have to be made," Key said. The Martinsville race will thus carry some added significance for the Key Motorsports contingent and for the remainder of the 2008 season.
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