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NASCAR Trucks: Joe Ruttman 'Going to a Good Place' at Milwaukee

28 June 2000

Posted By Terry Callahan
Motorsports Editor, The Auto Channel

Going to a Good Place: Joe Ruttman and the entire Dana Racing team enter this weekend's race at the Milwaukee Mile, looking to rebound from a run of poor finishes that dates back three weeks.

"It's safe to say that we need a good finish," said Ruttman. "We've had a truck that was good enough to contend for the win every week but something always happens."

Ruttman has been racing and winning at the Milwaukee Mile for a number of years. He first started coming here with his dad and brother. Over the years, he has raced about every type of stock car there is at the famous one-mile facility.

Back in the days when he raced with the United States Auto Club (USAC), Ruttman was one of the best at getting to the front at this historic Midwest facility. Over the years, Ruttman has beat the likes of AJ Foyt, Alan Kulwicki, Dick Trickle, Bobby Allison, and many others.

Unfortunately, Ruttman has never been able to win here in a truck. He has had some great runs, but each time something or someone prevents him from getting the ultimate prize.

"It would be nice to win one here, just because of how I ran before the Truck Series began to race here," said Ruttman. "Realistically though, if the Dana Team came out of here with a top five run, I think we'd be pretty happy. Not satisfied, but happy."

Race Wins: Both Joe Ruttman and his late brother Troy have won races at the Milwaukee Mile. Troy Ruttman won a 1956 USAC race, while Joe Ruttman won USAC stock car races at the track in 1979 and 1980.

Ruttman's Quotes for The Milwaukee Mile

"Every year I look forward to running Milwaukee. I've had a great deal of success at the Milwaukee Mile. It's been kind of rough even though I have three top 10s. It didn't seem to be a very hard track back years ago, but now every part of it seems to be hard to get around."

"I have great memories of Milwaukee and my dad. We used to take the racecar over to the track and we would race it. It was a pretty great thing when I think back on the time we spent together."

"The key to running in the top 10 here, in my case, is not to have any rule infractions like two years ago. They (NASCAR) said I passed the pace truck coming down pit road in 1998 and that cost me a good finish.

Text provided by David Pepper

Editors Note: To view hundreds of hot racing photos and art, visit The Racing Photo Museum and the Visions of Speed Art Gallery.