NASCAR Trucks: Ruttman Day Early For Advance Auto Parts 250
Posted By Terry CallahanMotorsports Editor, The Auto Channel
April 6, 2001
MARTINSVILLE, VA. – It was an official off day for Joe Ruttman. He didn’t have to be anywhere near a race track.
But early Thursday afternoon, almost 24 hours before his work week was to begin, Ruttman was strolling down pit road at Martinsville Speedway, chatting with anyone who wanted to talk about anything.
In his mid-fifties, Ruttman is the senior statesman of the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, but he’s normally the first driver at the scene of a race. And there weren’t but a couple who beat him to Martinsville Speedway, where the Advance Auto Parts 250 will be run Saturday at 2 p.m.
“I just can’t get enough of racing. I just enjoy it so much,” said Ruttman, who won the Advance Auto Parts 250 here in 1995. “I don’t have a hobby … racing is my hobby.”
With the exception of Ruttman and a few other NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series drivers, it was a day for the crews. Pits opened for the Craftsman Truck Series at noon and crews spent most of the afternoon getting trucks through technical inspection.
Early in the evening the Winston Cup big rigs began to line up to get an early start when action kicks off in earnest Friday morning.
The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series takes the track first Friday with a 9 a.m. practice. The Winston Cup Series will begin practice at 11:15 a.m. Bud Pole qualifying for the Craftsman Truck Series at 1:30 p.m. on Friday, April 6 followed by time trials for the Winston Cup Series at 3 p.m. Tickets for qualifying are $15 for adults and children under 12 get in free. And it was Friday’s action that was on Ruttman’s mind Thursday.
“I get to talk with the team today,” said Ruttman, who has won a race this year, has recorded three top 10s and is second in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series points race. “It’s too loud around here tomorrow to talk to them much. We just spend time today going over tomorrow because we won’t be able to have a conversation then.
Forty-four NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series teams checked in Thursday, including points leader Scott Riggs and all of the regular runners. The field for the Advance Auto Parts 250 will have some drivers making their first starts of the season, including 1999 winner Jimmy Hensley of Horsepasture, Jon Wood, son of Eddie Wood, co-owner of the Wood Brother’s Racing Team, and Ridgeway’s Rodney Sawyers.
Tickets for the Advance Auto Parts 250 Craftsman Truck race are $30 for adults and $5 for children ages 6-12. All seats are unreserved. There still are great seats available for the Virginia 500 NASCAR Winston Cup race for $45-$55 each.
Martinsville Speedway is also offering family unreserved seating that allows parents to bring children ages six to 12 to the Virginia 500 for $5 per child. Adult tickets in the family unreserved area will be $40. Children under age six get in free to the Family Section. The Family Section goes on sale race morning at 7:30. The Virginia 500 is set to take the green flag at 1 p.m. Sunday
Text provided by Mike Smith
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