Toyota Texas Notes and Quotes
TOYOTA Notes & QuotesNASCAR Craftsman Truck Series
Texas Motor Speedway - June 9, 2006
THIS RACE: The Sam's Town 400 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series (NCTS) race at Texas Motor Speedway will be the 16th Craftsman Truck Series event at the track. There will be nine Toyota Tundras in the field at the Texas 1.5-mile oval.
LAST RACE: In the most recent race of the 2006 NCTS season at Dover International Speedway (June 2), four Tundra drivers finished among the top-10. Toyota drivers Todd Bodine (third), David Reutimann (fifth), Johnny Benson (sixth) and Jack Sprague (ninth) followed race-winner Mark Martin across the finish line at the Delaware track.
BODINE'S THE BEST: Todd Bodine's third-place finish in the No. 30 Lumber Liquidators Tundra was the best result for a Toyota driver at Dover. "We're more than satisfied with our finish, considering we were really bad during practice," said Bodine, following the race. "To come out of here with a third-place finish -- especially when we were running sixth with a couple laps to go -- that's how you win championships. When you take a truck that's not perfect and finish third with it -- that's a pretty good day."
REUTIMANN RIGHT ON: David Reutimann, driver of the No. 17 Darrell Waltrip Motorsports Tundra, earned his sixth career Craftsman Truck Series pole position at Dover. Earlier this year, the Zephyrhills, Fla.-driver started on the pole at California Speedway. He has also paced the field at Atlanta (2004), Bristol (2005) and Miami (2004 and 2005).
POINTS PACE: After the first eight races of the 2006 season, Toyota drivers hold down the top-six positions in the NCTS championship point standings. Todd Bodine sits atop the championship standings with 1,305 points. Trailing Bodine in the standings are second-place Ted Musgrave (1,229 points), third- place David Reutimann (1,194 points), fourth-place Johnny Benson (1,098 points), fifth-place David Starr (1,078 points) and sixth-place Jack Sprague (1,073 points).
LAST JUNE AT TEXAS: A year ago in the June NCTS race at Texas, Johnny Benson was the top finishing Toyota when he recorded a second-place result. Mike Skinner (fifth ) and David Reutimann (10th) were the other Tundra drivers among the top-10. Skinner started from the pole after establishing a track qualifying record (29.524 secs./182.902 mph) and then led the first 31 laps in the race.
TWO WINS AT DOVER: Jack Sprague, who began driving the No. 60 Con-Way Tundra at the end of last season, captured the checkered flag in last year's June Craftsman Truck Series race at Texas. Spragu e was also the winner of the 2001 June NCTS race at Texas.
BODINE HAS BAGGED A PAIR: Todd Bodine also has a pair of wins at Texas Motor Speedway. In each of the past two years, Bodine has guided his No. 30 Germain Racing Tundra to 'Victory Lane' in the Fall race.
PAYBACK TIME: "It was special to win at Texas in 2004 because I had a couple of chances to win races there before -- but just had some bad luck and could never get it done," explains Bodine. "In the very first Cup race there (1997), I was leading the race with three laps left and got tapped from behind. Then, three years ago (2003), I was leading a Busch race and there was a red flag with about ten laps left -- and somehow we got a flat left rear. So, it was awesome to finally win at Texas a couple years back because I felt like that track owed me one."
RETURN TO THE RACE: "I'm excited about going back to Texas with Germain Racing," says Bodine. "Mike Hillman (team manager) and Mike Hillman, Jr. (crew chief) have a real good handle on what we need to do at that type of track and I'm very confident about going there. I have no doubt that we can run well again, and I know that we'll have a really good truck and engine, like we always do."
STARR SHINES IN TEXAS: Texas native David Starr is looking forward to the race in the 'Lone Star State.' "It's been a special place for me over the years," says Starr, driver of the No. 11 Red Horse Racing Tundra. "It's home and a lot of people that have given me an opportunity over my career will be up in the stands -- a lot of my friends and fans. It's a neat place and it holds a special place in my heart."
WIN ONE WHEN: What will it take for David Starr to win a race at his 'home' track? "It's a tough race track," says Starr. "Everything has got to be in place -- driver has to do his job, the engine has to have power, the truck has to handle and you have to have good pit stops. I've finished third several times, but have never won. I'm looking forward to going back to Texas in a Toyota because I've seen a lot of Tundras in my front windshield at Texas. Hopefully, that will give me the edge I need there."
TOYOTA HAS 22: David Reutimann's pole position at Dover was the 22nd NCTS pole position for a Tundra since Toyota began competing in the Craftsman Truck Series at the beginning of the 2004 season. Along with Reutimann (six), Tundra drivers who have recorded poles include Mike Skinner (10), Bill Lester (two), Brandon Whitt (two), Todd Bodine (one) and Travis Kvapil (one).
TOYOTA HAS 16: Toyota has 16 NCTS wins since the Tundra began competing in the Craftsman Truck Series at the beginning of the 2004 season. Along with three wins this year, Tundras finished first nine times in 2005 and four times in 2004. Drivers who have recorded wins driving Tundras include Bodine (nine), Kvapil (two), Skinner (two), Reutimann (one), Starr (one) and Whitt (one).
2006 LINE-UP: The Toyota NCTS line-up at Texas Motor Speedway:
Driver Truck Team Johnny Benson No. 23 Toyota Certified Used Vehicles Tundra Bill Davis Racing Bill Lester No. 22 Toyota Tundra Bill Davis Racing Mike Skinner No. 5 Toyota Tundra Bill Davis Racing Joey Miller No. 12 Curb Records Tundra Darrell Waltrip Motorsports David Reutimann No. 17 Team Tundra Racing Toyota Darrell Waltrip Motorsports Todd Bodine No. 30 Lumber Liquidators Tundra Germain Racing Ted Musgrave No. 9 Team ASE/Germain Toyota Tundra Germain Racing David Starr No. 11 Red Horse Racing Tundra Red Horse Racing Jack Sprague No. 60 Con-Way Tundra Wyler Racing BROADCAST TIME: PEE Channel coverage of the NCTS race at Texas Motor Speedway will begin at 9:00 PM (Eastern) on Friday, June 9. The race is tentatively scheduled to start at 9:15 PM (Eastern). 2006 TOYOTA TUNDRA NCTS DRIVER RESULTS -- Start/Finish (Laps Led) JOHNNY TODD BILL JOEY TED DAVID MIKE DAVID JACK DATE/SITE BENSON BODINE LESTER MILLER MUSGRAVE REUTIMANN SKINNER STARR SPRAGUE No. 23 No. 30 No. 22 No. 12 No. 9 No. 17 No. 5 No. 11 No. 60 2-17/Daytona 10/15 8/2 (6) 2/35 (3) 9/33 17/3 (6) 13/9 5/4 (34) 6/14 7/5 (1) 2-24/California 26/6 5/2 (11) 16/15 18/13 3/3 1/4 (3) 2/17 (7) 19/12 8/5 (8) 3-17/Atlanta 17/3 1/1 (38) 18/29 8/36 36/4 7/5 2/35 13/17 12/17 4-1/Martinsville 7/30 9/12 27/24 6/16 10/2 11/15 8/8 15/1 (121) 22/17 4-29/St. Louis ^ 11/5 3/1 (66) 27/30 24/29 2/2 (28) 4/3 (63) 14/35 5/8 7/4 5-19/Charlotte 6/12 26/3 DNQ 30/22 15/4 9/6 1/31 (38) 31/26 13/34 5-27/Mansfield ^ 6/4 1/15 (117) 35/24 29/5 2/16 (2) 4/9 19/29 7/3 9/2 6-2/Dover 10/6 7/3 8/30 29/32 26/18 1/5 (18) 11/22 14/11 23/9 6-9/Texas 6-17/Michigan 6-23/Milwaukee 7-1/Kansas 7-8/Kentucky 7-15/Memphis 8-4/Indianapolis 8-12/Nashville 8-23/Bristol 9-16/NH 9-23/Las Vegas 10-7/Talladega 10-21/Martinsville 10-28/Atlanta 11-3/Texas 11-10/Phoenix 11-17/Miami ( ) -- Number of laps led BOLD -- Wins, poles and most laps led ^ -- starting position determined by points