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The Longest Running Primary Team Sponsor In NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series History, Team ASE, Will Not Return For 2009 Season 

The National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) will not return as a primary team sponsor in the 2009 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series  season, nor will it return as title sponsor of TruckSeries.com Presented by Team ASE, the nation's leading NCTS news and information site.

"As one of the original NCTS sponsors, our Team ASE racing program has served the organization well since 1994, but our board has decided that it's time to redirect those resources," said Tim Zilke, ASE President.

ASE is the primary sponsor of the No. 59 Harris Trucking/Team ASE Toyota Tundra driven by 2005 NCTS Champion Ted Musgrave. With 16 of 25 races on the 2008 schedule completed, Musgrave currently sits 14th in points, with five top-10 finishes.

"I'd like to take this opportunity to thank Jim Harris and the entire HT Motorsports team for their efforts in our final season," Zilke said. "It's been a great relationship and a wonderful way for us to finish up our sponsorship involvement with the NCTS. Under the Team ASE banner, the NCTS racing program provided the organization with numerous outreach opportunities for both our certified professionals and the consumers they serve, and we look forward to finishing the 2008 season with HT Motorsports."

"I'd also be remiss if I didn't thank our driver, Ted Musgrave, for his outstanding effort on our behalf over the past three seasons. Ted has been a consummate professional and a great spokesperson for Team ASE and we wish him well," Zilke said.

Since its inception, Team ASE has participated in NCTS racing with three different race teams, beginning with an 11-year relationship with Jim Smith and Ultra Motorsports, campaigning the No. 2 truck with a variety of young drivers.

Following Ultra Motorsports closing in 2005, Team ASE was the primary sponsor for Musgrave, who drove the No. 9 Toyota with Germain Racing for the 2006-2007 seasons and moved to HT Motorsports for the 2008 NCTS season.

Tom Jensen is the Senior NASCAR Editor for SPEEDtv.com, the former Executive Editor of NASCAR Scene and a contributing Editor for TruckSeries.com.  He is the author of "Cheating: The Bad Things Good NASCAR Nextel Cup Racers Do In Pursuit of SPEED," and has appeared on television and radio shows to discuss NASCAR racing. Jensen is the President of the National Motorsports Press Association.  Jensen is the 1997 National Motorsports Press Association Writer of the Year and has won numerous national and state awards for news reporting, columns and feature writing.