NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series News and Notes - Dover

* Defending MBNA America 200 winner Chaffin looking for a little good fortune * Dover is 250th race in NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series history

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (May 31, 2005) – There’s no sure way to turn around a season hamstrung by bad luck, but returning to the scene of a driver’s first NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series victory certainly can’t hurt. That’s what Chad Chaffin (No. 30 Germain/Arnold Toyota) looks forward to this week – competing on Friday at Dover International Speedway, where the Tennessee native captured the 2004 race. Dover’s Monster Mile is a challenge to every series competitor. To Chaffin, however, it’s a friendly ribbon of concrete. “Dover is appropriately named the Monster Mile,” he said. “But I like to race on challenging tracks and I think that frame of mind has helped me with some solid runs at Dover.” Chaffin’s victory came in his second NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series appearance at Dover. He finished seventh in 2003 and led four laps. “I always look forward to running at the concrete tracks as I feel these tracks are built for my style of racing,” said Chaffin, a former pole-sitter at Nashville Superspeedway, a similarly surfaced layout. A year ago, Chaffin benefited from superlative luck. He gained track position when a number of front-running trucks were trapped a lap down by an untimely caution flag. That’s why a little Dover good fortune may play into the equation. Chaffin’s team, a two-time winner in 2004 with Todd Bodine (No. 66 Fiddle Back Racing Toyota) in the seat, has been among the fastest this season, a fact not reflected in points or finishing positions. Chaffin has led three of the season’s first seven races. His single top-five finish – fifth at Martinsville Speedway – has been more than offset by three postings of 28th or worse. Chaffin currently is 14th in the championship race. “We’ve been in the wrong place at the wrong time all year,” said Chaffin, whose truck has been caught up in numerous accidents not of the driver’s making. Chaffin believes that this year’s Dover race, like last season, can be a turnaround for his team. “I’m not discouraged,” Chaffin said of the record so far. “I know I have a strong team and before long things will turn around and we will be in the right place at the right time. “This kind of reminds me of last year where we had gotten caught up in someone else’s mess at Mansfield and Lowe’s – just like we have this year – then we came to Dover with another strong truck and things fell our way.” Thus, Chaffin, whose last series victory came last August at Indianapolis Raceway Park, carries a strong sense of déjà vu into Friday’s race. “Maybe Dover is that magical place for me,” he said.

NEWS & NOTES, PART II

* Series hits milestone 250th race this week … The MBNA RacePoints 200 marks the 250th series race. Many of the drivers competing in Dover’s event are winners of previous milestone events. They are Mike Skinner (No. 5 Toyota Tundra Toyota), first and 25th races; Rich Bickle (No. 07 Chevrolet), 50th; Jack Sprague (No. 16 Chevy Trucks Chevrolet), 75th; Ron Hornaday Jr. (No. 6 GM Goodwrench Chevrolet), 100th; Ted Musgrave (No. 1 Mopar Dodge), 200th and Bobby Hamilton (No. 04 Tech-Net Dodge), 225th. * Craftsman re-ups for five more years … NASCAR and Sears, Roebuck and Co. last week announced the renewal of series sponsorship by Sears’ Craftsman tool brand. The renewal is for five years – 2006 through 2010. Craftsman was a presenting sponsor of the 1995 inaugural season and full entitlement sponsor of the series beginning in 1996. * Etc. … Musgrave and Rick Crawford (No. 14 Circle Bar Truck Corral Ford) have led 36.7 percent of the 1,003 laps run at Dover International Speedway. Musgrave, the 2002 winner, has headed 187 laps while Crawford has paced the field for 182. … Crawford, Terry Cook (No. 10 Power Stroke Diesel by International Ford), Ken Schrader (No. 52 Federated Auto Parts Chevrolet) and Dennis Setzer (No. 46 Chevrolet Silverado Chevrolet) are the only entered drivers to have competed in all five series events at Dover. …A front-row starter has won Dover’s race on three occasions – although Kurt Busch came from the rear in a back-up truck to win in 2000. … Chaffin and Musgrave are the only Dover winners expected to compete in this year’s race. Three other drivers in the field have scored series victories on concrete-surfaced speedways: Hornaday and Sprague at Bristol Motor Speedway and Hamilton at Nashville Superspeedway. …Dover’s event marks the beginning of seven consecutive weekends of racing for series competitors. … Tony Liberati, who guided Brendan Gaughan’s No. 77 Jasper Engines & Transmissions Dodge on an interim bases, will be the team’s permanent crew chief. … The June 24 event at The Milwaukee Mile has been renamed the Toyota Tundra Milwaukee 200.

ON THE RIGHT TRACK

* Schrader can complete national series sweep at Dover … With a victory this week, Schrader can join Bobby Labonte as winner in all three of NASCAR’s national series at the same track. Labonte completed the sweep at Martinsville in April. Schrader’s two Dover victories came in NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series competition in 1991 and in the NASCAR Busch Series in 1989. Schrader was fifth in last year’s NASCAR Craftsman Truck race duplicating his finish of 2000. Entered drivers with national series wins at Dover are Tony Stewart (No. 47 Chevrolet) in NASCAR NEXTEL Cup and Bodine, Johnny Benson (No. 23 Toyota Certified Used Cars Toyota) and Robert Pressley (No. 59 Harris Trucking Co. Dodge) in the NASCAR Busch Series. Bodine swept both races in 1993. * Crawford a front-runner at Monster Mile … With three top-three finishes – including a second place in 2004 – Crawford ranks as a solid favorite to win this week’s race. He was the Bud Pole winner in 2002.

QUOTEBOOK

* “That was my first experience at the track. It wasn’t a memorable one.” – Robert Huffman, No. 12 Toyota Tundra Toyota, who overcame an early accident to finish 11th in last year’s race. * “I consider [Dover] to be a Northeastern track, so as far as I’m concerned it’s got everything going for it. I don’t know if other people would consider it to be in the northeast, but based on the reception I receive there, I certainly do.” – Maine’s Ricky Craven, No. 99 Superchips Ford, who finished fourth in Dover’s NASCAR NEXTEL Cup MBNA 400 in 2001.

10 YEARS TOUGH

The last time the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series had a road-course event was June 24, 2000 at Watkins Glen International. Roush Racing teammates Greg Biffle and Kurt Busch finished one-two in the 151.9-mile race. There have been 17 road races in the series, with 11 different winners. Ron Hornaday Jr. and Joe Ruttman top the list with three victories apiece.

FROM THE ARCHIVES

There are “horses for courses” and Dover International Speedway – which circles a horse race track – would seem to favor Dodge as a manufacturer. Chad Chaffin’s 2004 victory was the fourth in a row for the brand. Scott Riggs’ Dover win in 2001 was Dodge’s eighth consecutive victory to share the all-time series record with Chevrolet.

Fast Facts

Next Event: MBNA RacePoints 200 (Race 8 of 25).

Where: Dover International Speedway.

When: Friday, 4:45 p.m. ET.

Track layout: 1-mile concrete banked oval.

Race length: 200 Miles/200 Laps.

Posted awards: $618,610.

TV: SPEED Channel, 4:45 p.m. ET.

Radio: MRN, XM Satellite.

2004 winner: Chad Chaffin. 2004 polesitter: Carl Edwards.

Pre-race schedule (all times local): Thursday – Practice 11:30 a.m. – 12:40 p.m. and 1 p.m. – 1:45 p.m. Qualifying 5:10 p.m. Trucks impounded after qualifying.

Top-10 drivers: 1. Ted Musgrave 1,088. 2. Bobby Hamilton 1,047. 3. Ricky Craven 1,029. 4. Jimmy Spencer 993. 5. Dennis Setzer 940. 6. Ron Hornaday Jr. 930 7. Johnny Benson 897. 8. Matt Crafton 880. 9. Todd Bodine 863. 10. Jack Sprague 853.