Kvapil, Silverado fifth at Gateway
SILVERADO RACING NOTES AND QUOTES ROUND 5 NASCAR CRAFTSMAN TRUCK SERIES GATEWAY INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY MADISON, ILL. SUNDAY, MAY 6, 2001 FIRST SILVERADO FINISHES FIFTH * TRAVIS KVAPIL, #60 CAT RENTAL STORES CHEVY SILVERADO (fifth, first rookie, first Silverado, led two laps): "We were a little bit loose right from the start of the race. We thought the race track would tighten up a little bit when more rubber was put down. It did, a little bit. We had to make some adjustments. We made a few and got it pretty close. We ended up a little tighter yet, but we just couldn't quite get it fixed on the last two pit stops. We had a third, fourth or fifth-place truck. To come out here with a top-five first time with the truck, we're pretty pleased. The Cat Rental team, they did an awesome job. I think they gained us track positions every time we pitted. The truck series is so competitive any time you can pick up a few positions on the pit stops, that's the best way you can do it and it makes my job easier on the race track." ON THE BATTLE WITH RANDY TOLSMA, TERRY COOK: "They all do a good job. They're a couple of guys you know you can run with hard and strong. They will give you room when you need it and we will do the same." ON THE BATTLE WITH RICK CRAWFORD: "Me and Rick Crawford ran 10 laps real hard. I did everything but hit him to try to get by him. We raced real clean and I tried to earn respect from these guys." * RICKY HENDRICK, #17 GMAC CHEVY SILVERADO (sixth, still leads Raybestos Rookie of the Year point standings): "We were tight all night. We didn't have such a great truck in the beginning, but the guys worked really hard to turn it around and I worked really hard trying to find the right line. We were really consistent all night long. At the end it was the changes the guys made at the end. That's what really did it. I just concentrated on my marks. Although we were tight it was a good truck all night. The guys did a great job. We had really good pit stops and the GMAC Chevy Silverado really kicked in at the end thanks to the changes they made in the last pit stop. It took me a while to get the tires up, but then I concentrated on my spots and we kept climbing. It's a good finish and we will take it. It's our fifth Top-10 out of five races. We dropped a spot in the points, but we are only 15 points out of second and we are still the Top Rookie. We are ready to head to Darlington and see what we've got there. The GMAC Chevy gave us a really good finish, so it was a good night." * MATT CRAFTON, #88 FAST TRACK DRIVEWAY SEALER CHEVY SILVERADO (seventh): "We had a really good truck in the beginning. It got tighter and tighter. We had a real bad aero push which got worse as it went along. It probably didn't help when I pushed the right front fender in. One of the lapped trucks got into me going down the straightaway. We had a good race, the Silverado ran good. We will hit it right one of these days." * JACK SPRAGUE, #24 NETZERO PLATINUM CHEVY SILVERADO (eighth, ran for the lead for majority of race, led three laps): "Our NetZero Silverado lost a cylinder with 35 to go. I thought it ran out of fuel; I came in and pitted. It ended up it was a cylinder. We were pretty good all night, loose all day. Still, we could have run second if we hadn't lost a cylinder, but nobody had anything for the #1 (winner Ted Musgrave in a Dodge)." * DENNIS CONNER, Sprague's crew chief, during race (on MRN): "We have lost something in the motor; probably a valve spring. The Dodges are so dominant in this series that the Chevrolets and Fords have to strain their guts to run with them." * DENNIS SETZER, #46 ACXIOM/COMPUTER ASSOCIATES CHEVY SILVERADO (ninth, led two laps): "It was pretty uneventful. We're ready to go racing right now, we got us a finish. We're not happy with the ninth, we feel like we are a better team than that. We are going to be better than that. We will improve, we have something to build on now. We led a few laps. We had to get this Acxiom Silverado out there a little bit -- we got five points -- and climb back up through the points a little bit." * BILLY BIGLEY, #75 SPEARS MANUFACTURING CHEVY SILVERADO (10th): "It was real good. The Silverado was really good all day, really tight right in the beginning. We made some adjustments which really, really helped. We got behind on the last pit stop. Other than that, the thing's not tore up. We already banged one up earlier in the weekend. To come home in the top 10 in the backup truck, we will take it." * RANDY TOLSMA, #61 TEAM RENSI MOTORSPORTS CHEVY SILVERADO (11th, led five laps): "We had a cut right rear (tire). It's quite a game when you run that hard; when you pass on both sides high and low you might catch some debris. The Silverado was really good on the last two runs, with the (new) right side tires. We came out and got up a little high in turn 3, I brought it back down and Terry Cook ended up getting a run on me. The truck just kept getting looser and looser. I felt something was going away, got into turn 3, felt the truck lay over a little bit more and immediately we had a cut tire. When you have so many green laps it's inevitable. We led the race, we're fairly happy. I think we're catching them. I'm happy with my guys. We had a lot of adversity and overcame it and did very well." POINT STANDINGS: 1. Scott Riggs, Dodge 850 2. Joe Ruttman, Dodge 775 3. Terry Cook, Ford 764 4. Ricky Hendrick, Chevy 760 5. Ted Musgrave, Dodge 754 6. Randy Tolsma, Chevy 735 7. Travis Kvapil, Chevy 723 8. Jack Sprague, Chevy 722 9. Rick Crawford, Ford 703 10. Coy Gibbs, Chevy 582 ###