NASCAR Trucks: Joe Ruttman readies for Gateway International Truck Race
18 August 1999
* The entire Dana Racing Team will be pumped up to help Ruttman make the next step at Gateway. Last year Ruttman started the Gateway event from the outside of the front row so the next step has to be the pole."It's always good to go back to a place that you had a little success. We had a great qualifying run last year but did not have the best of races. So hopefully this year with the Dana team we may get a good finish."
The team also qualified on the outside of the front row at Indianapolis Raceway Park. There best effort of the year.
* Joe Ruttman is making his tenth start in a Bobby Hamilton Racing Dana Dodge. He has recorded two top five finishes and four top ten finishes since joining the team at Texas in June.
* When Joe Ruttman takes the green flag for the Ram Tough 200 he will surpass the $100,000 mark in earnings for 1999. Ruttman currently stands third in NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series career earnings.
* On August 17th, Bobby Hamilton will be with his Dana Racing team and driver Joe Ruttman at Gateway International Raceway for the open test data. He is planning to also drive a truck during the test to give the team an added information base for the race.
* On Monday of this week, Joe Ruttman and many of the other Dodge drivers were in Topeka, Kansas to test the Dodge Viper at the Heartland Park track. While in Topeka Ruttman participated in NASCAR's media tour.
* Joe Ruttman joined Armedee Nadeau, Manager of Dana Motorsports, in Toledo, Ohio on Tuesday afternoon to speak to Dana Corporation's plant managers who were in town for a sales meeting. Toledo, Ohio is the headquarters for Dana Corporation.
Ruttman's Quotes for Gateway International Raceway
"This will be a big race for us because Dodge is the sponsor. We really need a good run for them and Dana. We have been so close here lately that I have to believe that a win is just around the corner. But this is a young team so we know it may take some time."
"Last year I had a good truck but we had a few problems that lost us some laps and forced us to finish poorly. So maybe this team and I will have some better luck and the Dana Dodge will finish strong."
"This will be the tenth start for me with Bobby's team and I have to say it just keeps getting better every week. This team is great. If we need something then we get it. That's what good about driving for another racer. He understands a little better what is going on."
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