How similar is Phoenix to some of the other mile tracks on the schedule? "A lot of tracks are similar to Phoenix but it really does have its own characteristics. The stone they used to pave it is a lot different than anywhere else we race; I like to call it river rock. It's just a lot smoother than anything else we see throughout the year and it makes a very unique surface. As for the setup we're going to use, we will go with something a lot closer to our Gateway setup than our Milwaukee setup. Both ends of the track are different at Phoenix and Gateway where Milwaukee is the same at both ends. With the restrictor plate we're using and the gear rule it's going to be really interesting to see how the race plays out."

Which end of the track is more difficult, the banked turns one and two or the flatter, more sweeping turns three and four? "I think the flatter end is the more difficult. It's really easy to drive it in too deep and you can overdrive coming off too. When you're coming off the dogleg down the backstretch and you're in a tight battle with someone it's really easy to get it in too deep and you'll slide up and out of the groove. It's really deceptive. You can race hard through that end of the track but that sometimes makes you think you can drive it in a little harder. That ruins your momentum through the corner and it really hurts you down the frontstretch too."

How similar is the track going to be from the time you practice, qualify, and then race? "Track conditions will be pretty similar to race conditions during practice (NCTS final practice starts at 5:30 P.M. local time on Thursday; the race is scheduled to start at 6 P.M. local on Friday). What is going to be extremely critical this weekend is your qualifying draw. It's totally random so it really is the luck of the draw, but you're going to want to be anywhere from fifth on back in that line. I don't know why this track is so difficult for those first few qualifiers but being really early in line can really hurt you and ruins your entire weekend here. You get a bad draw and have a bad lap in qualifying and you will have a hard time ever getting track position. You'll probably get a bad stall on pit road too so you'll have a hard time making up positions during a pit stop."

The pit road at Phoenix is tricky - the stalls are small and the pit road bends its way around turns one and two. Where do you want to be on pit road? "If you can't get the pit stall at pit out I think you'll want to be somewhere on the frontstretch. There are a couple of stalls with an opening, and that's always a good thing. If you can't get that then maybe the very first stall coming into the pits. It's a tight pit road with small pit stalls and the lane is narrow too, and there's a wall there so you really don't have any room for error. You're going to want a stall that lets you get your work done without a lot of congestion. Getting in and out without getting caught in traffic is important."

Terry's Phoenix Truck: Crew Chief Danny Rollins has chosen Chassis No. 12 for this week's race at Phoenix International Raceway.  HT Motorsports has previously raced this truck this season at Milwaukee, Gateway and most recently New Hampshire.

Terry's Phoenix Stats: Terry has 14 previous NASCAR Camping World Truck Series starts at Phoenix International Raceway. He has one top-five finish and two top-ten finishes. His best finish was fifth in 2002. He has completed 2,208 out of a possible 2,214 competition laps (99.5%). His average start is 20.1 and his average finish is 17.2.