NCTS - SERIES NOTES
The scene is familiar – the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series season winding down at Phoenix International Raceway; Mike Skinner (No. 5 Toyota Tundra Toyota) holding a slim lead in the point standings; and Ron Hornaday Jr. (No. 33 Camping World Chevrolet) fighting to catch Skinner.
The first time it happened, Skinner won the final race of the season at Phoenix to lock up the series’ inaugural championship. Thirteen years later, he is looking for similar results.
Skinner enters Friday’s Casino Arizona 150 57 points ahead of Hornaday. A late race accident at Texas dropped Hornaday from a sure top-five finish to 18th place. Skinner, who entered the race four points behind Hornaday, finished third. It was the sixth time in the last seven races that the points lead has changed hands.
The 57 point differential is the fifth-closest in series history with two races remaining, and the closest since 2004 when Bobby Hamilton led Dennis Setzer (No. 18 Fastenal Dodge) by seven points.
Skinner and Hornaday are the only two drivers with a mathematical chance to win the title. Skinner has an outside chance of clinching the title at Phoenix. Skinner will emerge from Phoenix the champion if he wins the race and leads the most laps and Hornaday finishes 36th with zero laps led.
Three-Time Champion Sprague To Join Kevin Harvick Inc. In 2008
Kevin Harvick Inc. will have at least five championship years of experience next season between its two NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series teams.
Jack Sprague (No. 60 Con-way Freight Toyota), a three-time series champion, will drive the No. 2 Chevrolet next season, joining two-time champion Ron Hornaday Jr.
“Jack Sprague brings years of racing experience to KHI and will be a great asset to Ron and the entire truck program,” said team owner Kevin Harvick. “Ron Hornaday and Jack Sprague are what truck racing is all about. They are both hard-core racers. I know that they will both give everything they have until the checkered flag falls, and those are the kind of guys I want driving for me.”
Sprague is second on the all-time wins (28) and poles (32) lists and holds the series records for most career top-five and top-10 finishes. Hornaday holds the series record with 33 wins.
“Kevin is a racer and he knows the importance of having good people around,” Sprague said. “The whole organization at KHI is very impressive and I look forward to having the opportunity of winning more championships.”
Musgrave Ends 66-Race Winless Streak
Ted Musgrave (No. 9 Team ASE Toyota) was able to breathe a sigh of relief when he crossed the start/finish line to win the Silverado 350K at Texas Motor Speedway.
The victory ended a 66-race winless drought for Musgrave, who had last won at Gateway International Raceway in April 2005. The streak was third longest among active competitors. Musgrave went on to win the series championship that season, holding off Dennis Setzer and Todd Bodine (No. 30 Lumber Liquidators Toyota). The championship was the first for team owner Jim Smith, an original owner in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series.
Musgrave joined Smith’s Ultra Motorsports in 2001 after 10 seasons in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series. He won seven races in his first season, finishing second in the standings to Jack Sprague.
Musgrave won 16 races in five seasons for Ultra Motorsports before Smith retired his team. Musgrave joined Germain Racing in 2006 but went winless for the first time in his series career. Bodine, his new teammate, won three races and the series championship.
Musgrave, who has announced he will not return to Germain in 2008, felt that he still had something to prove to the team.
“It’s like unfinished business,” Musgrave said. “If you’re with a team and don’t win a race for them, it leaves you with a feeling that you didn’t do your job.”
Longest Current Winless Streaks (Among drivers with at least one 2007 start)
Driver Races Last Win Track K. Schrader 83 4/15/95 Saugus B. Gaughan 74 10/11/03 Texas S. Compton 56 8/23/98 Heartland C. Chaffin 53 8/6/04 ORP D. Starr 43 4/1/06 Martinsville
NCTS Etc: Busch Has Busy Week Ahead
* Kyle Busch Plans For Quadruple-Duty ... Kyle Busch (No. 51 Flanders Beef Patties Chevrolet) has raced in a Craftsman Truck in five of the last six series races and will add another this Friday at Phoenix. Busch has put together an impressive record in his 34 series races. He has five career victories, including one this year at Atlanta Motor Speedway and 20 top-10 finishes. Busch plans to take the ‘triple-duty’ moniker to a new level this week. In addition to racing in all three NASCAR national series events at Phoenix this weekend, Busch will compete in a late model race in his native Las Vegas. “For me, its fun,” Busch said. “I enjoy it. I love racing.” * Mike Skinner led five laps at Atlanta Motor Speedway to extend his record of races led in a season to 21 out of a possible 22 races. The only race Skinner failed to lead a lap was at Bristol Motor Speedway. The previous record was 19 races shared by Greg Biffle in 1999 and Jack Sprague in 2001. Skinner still has a ways to go, however, to catch the season records for miles and laps led. He currently has led 1,041 laps and 1,130.81 miles. He set the laps led in a season mark with 1,533 in 1996. Sprague has the most miles led with 1,443.02 in 2001. * Phoenix International Raceway lays claim to the most multiple winners – five – at a single track. Four of those winners – Jack Sprague (1996-97), Mike Skinner (1995), Ron Hornaday Jr. (1998-99) and Kevin Harvick (No. 2 Camping World Chevrolet) (2002-03) – are among eight competitors with Phoenix victories (a combined 13) on their resumes who have entered the Casino Arizona 150.
Raybestos Rookie Award Going Down To The Wire
The closest three-way battle in the series’ Raybestos Rookie of the Year award moves to Phoenix with Willie Allen (No. 13 ThorSport Chevrolet) holding a six-point lead over Joey Clanton (No. 09 Zaxby’s Ford) and Tim Sauter (No. 07 Lester Buildings Chevrolet). Sauter collected his first top-10 finish – 10th – in Texas where Allen ran 11th and Clanton 32nd.
2007 Raybestos Rookie of the Year Points 1. Willie Allen 155 2. Joey Clanton 149 3. Tim Sauter 149 4. Jason White 122 5. Blake Bjorklund 110
Several Drivers Still In Running For Top-10 Finish, Trip To Banquet
Just as intriguing as the back-and-forth battle for the championship is the constant shuffling of the 10th position in the point standings. Six drivers are currently fighting for the eighth through 10th positions in the standings and the prestige that comes with a top-10 season finish.
The top 10 drivers will be honored at the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series awards banquet at The Seminole Hard Rock in Hollywood, Fla., on Nov. 19 and finishing in the top 10 is a goal for many drivers. Currently, Erik Darnell (No. 99 Northern Tool + Equipment Ford) holds the coveted 10th position. Darnell finished 14th at Texas to pass David Starr (No. 10 International MAXX FORCE Diesel Ford) by 10 points.
Brendan Gaughan (No. 77 South Point Resort Chevrolet) posted his second runner-up finish of the season to move up one spot to 12th. He is currently 80 points behind Darnell. Gaughan passed Dennis Setzer in the standings after Setzer’s 15th-place Texas finish.
Matt Crafton (No. 88 Menards Chevrolet) and Jack Sprague currently hold the eighth and ninth positions, respectively. Neither driver’s position is safe by any regards. Crafton sits just 86 points ahead of Darnell and is only 96 points in front of Starr. Sprague finds himself in a more precarious situation. He is only 36 points from dropping out of the top 10. Both Crafton and Sprague have been in the top 10 in the standings each week this season.
In The Loop:
Mike Skinner’s on-again-off-again affair with the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series points lead is back on – and in a big way.
Skinner is back in front, leading Ron Hornaday Jr. by 57 points. It’s the largest lead first place has had over second since after the Bristol race eight races ago.
But Skinner cannot grow complacent, especially this weekend. Both have two wins at the track, and according to the pre-race Phoenix Loop Data statistics, Skinner and Hornaday have near identical stats over the past two races there.
Here is the tale of the tape: Driver Rating: Skinner edges Hornaday, 107.9 to 106.6 Average Running Position: Hornaday nips Skinner, 7.6 to 8.1 Fastest Laps Run: Skinner leads Hornaday, 13 to 6 Laps in the Top 15: Hornaday leads Skinner, 296 to 281 (out of 300)
In other words, the see-saw battle should continue to Homestead.
Johnny Benson, the defending champion of this race, is another driver to watch this weekend. He has a Driver Rating of 127.9, an Average Running Position of 5.4 and has spent 263 of the 300 laps over the past two years in the top 15. He also leads all drivers in Fastest Laps Run with 51.
But the most consistent Phoenix driver over the past two years has been Todd Bodine, who won there in 2005 and finished fourth last year. Of those drivers who have raced in each of the past two Phoenix races, Bodine leads in Driver Rating (128.8) and Average Running Position (2.9), and is the only driver to spend all 300 laps in the top 15. Additionally, Bodine has 46 Fastest Laps Run, which is second-most on the series.
More Phoenix Notes
Phoenix International Raceway is one of just four tracks to host series races in all 13 seasons of the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series.
Three drivers – Mike Skinner (1995), Jack Sprague (1997) and Ron Hornaday Jr. (1998) won at Phoenix in their championship seasons. Three other series champions – Mike Bliss (1998), Greg Biffle (2001) and Todd Bodine (2005) also have wins at the track.
Since 2001, every champion has posted a top-10 finish in Phoenix. But only once – Sprague in 2001 – has the champion finished higher than the final standings’ No. 2 driver.
Joe Ruttman is Phoenix International Raceway’s oldest winner at age 53 years 0 months on Nov. 2, 1997. Sprague is the track’s youngest at age 31 years eight months on April 21, 1996.
Mike Skinner is the first driver to reach $700,000 in season winnings before the addition of post-season awards.
Manufacturers’ Preview – Phoenix
Toyota hopes to add a 13th victory in the season’s final two races, breaking its personal best of 12 wins in 2006 that was matched in Texas. Toyota has won 16 Bud Poles this season – one fewer than the record 17 by Chevrolet in 1995.
Manufacturers' Championship 2007 Point Standings Toyota 166 Chevrolet 138 Ford 129 Dodge 73
This Week’s NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Leaders (Through 23 races of the 25-race season)
* Points leader – Mike Skinner (3,718) * Driver Rating – Mike Skinner (117.9) * Winnings – Mike Skinner ($714,550) * Laps led – Mike Skinner (1,081) * Victories – Mike Skinner (5) * Bud Poles – Mike Skinner (9) * Top-five finishes – Mike Skinner (17) * Top-10 finishes – Ron Hornaday Jr. (20) * Raybestos Rookie Leader – Willie Allen (6 points over Joey Clanton, Tim Sauter) * Races led – Mike Skinner (22) * Weeks in Top 10 – Nine drivers tied with 22
On Deck: Homestead-Miami Speedway
The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series wraps up its 13th season at Homestead-Miami Speedway with the Ford 200 on Nov. 16.
Mark Martin won last year’s race as Todd Bodine clinched his championship. There have been 11 different winners in the 11 races at the track.
Mike Skinner has one top five and two top 10s in five Homestead races and Ron Hornaday Jr. has one win, three top fives and six top 10s in seven Homestead races.
FAST FACTS
Next Race: Casino Arizona 150 The Place: Phoenix International Raceway The Date: November 91 The Time: 8:00 p.m. (ET) TV: SPEED 7:30 p.m. (ET) Track Layout: 1.0- oval Race Purse: $519,413 2006 Winner: Johnny Benson 2006 Pole: Johnny Benson
2007 Standings: No. Driver Points 1 Skinner 3,718 2 Hornaday 3,661 3 Kvapil 3,317 4 Bodine 3,254 5 Crawford 3,231 6 Benson 3,221 7 Musgrave 2,944 8 Crafton 2,812 9 Sprague 2,752 10 Darnell 2,726
Schedule: Thursday: Practice 4:45-5:45 p.m., 5:45–6:15 p.m. (rookies) and 6:30–7:30 p.m. Friday: Qualifying 2:45 p.m.
ENTRY LIST: Casino Arizona 150 at Phoenix
00 Andy Lally
1 Jason Leffler
2 Kevin Harvick
103 Justin Marks
4 Mike Bliss
5 Mike Skinner
6 Travis Kvapil
07 Tim Sauter
8 Travis Dassow
08 Chris Jones
9 Ted Musgrave
09 Stacy Compton
10 David Starr
13 Willie Allen
14 Rick Crawford
15 Andrew Myers
16 Brian Scott
18 Dennis Setzer
21 Jon Wood
23 Johnny Benson
27 Jacques Villeneuve
129 Scott Lynch
30 Todd Bodine
31 Tim Schendel
132 Cory Collum
33 Ron Hornaday Jr.
40 Chad Chaffin
47 Regan Smith
149 Bradley Riethmeyer
50 T.J. Bell
51 Kyle Busch
59 Terry Cook
60 Jack Sprague
161 Brett Thompson
75 Clay Rogers
77 Brendan Gaughan
186 Dana White
88 Matt Crafton
99 Erik Darnell
HARVICK: Back Behind the Wheel in Phoenix
TruckSeries.com
Harvick Back Behind the Wheel of No. 2 Chevy:
Kevin Harvick Inc. (KHI) co-owner Kevin Harvick will make his return to the NASCAR Truck Series this Friday night, November 9, 2007, as he pilots the No. 2 Camping World Chevy at the Phoenix International Raceway in the Casino Arizona 150. This will be Harvick’s fourth start of the season behind the wheel of the No. 2 truck for KHI.
Chassis No. 018:
The No. 2 Camping World Chevy team will be taking chassis No. 018 to Phoenix this week. It is a brand new truck and this will mark the first time that the truck has been on the track.
Phoenix International Raceway Preview:
Harvick has made seven starts at Phoenix International Raceway in the NASCAR Truck Series. In those seven starts, he has two wins (2003, 2002), two top-five and two top-ten finishes. He has also led 166 laps at the one-mile tri-oval.
Kevin Harvick Quotes:
“I am really excited about racing in the truck series at Phoenix this week. I won there back in 2002 and 2003 driving KHI trucks. 2002 was the first win for KHI and for me in the Truck Series so it is definitely a special place for me.
“I am going to be driving a new truck at Phoenix. It has never been on the track, but I know that all those guys in the shop will have it dialed in for me.”
Wally Rogers’ Quotes:
“I am excited about this opportunity to work with Kevin Harvick this week in the NASCAR Truck Series race. I know he has been successful at Phoenix International Raceway and I know we can go out there and be competitive.
“This truck is brand new, but I know that all the guys in the shop have put a lot of work into it. We just need to go out there and be competitive and hopefully give our teammate, Ron Hornaday, some help as he continues to work hard in his championship run.”
No. 2 Camping World Chevrolet Silverado Specs
Chassis: 018
Truck History: Truck No. 018 is a brand new truck in the KHI stable.
Engine: RCR
HORNADAY: Ron Hopes to Continue Strong Run at PIR
TruckSeries.com
Previously at Texas: Ron Hornaday had a strong run last week in the Silverado 350K at the Texas Motor Speedway before getting caught up in a late-race accident. Hornaday led the race twice for a total of 35 laps. He finished in the 18th position.
Chassis No. 016 Back On Track:
Crew chief Rick Ren is taking Chassis No. 016 to the Phoenix International Raceway (PIR) this week for the Casino Arizona 150. This is the same truck that Hornaday took to Victory Lane at the New Hampshire International Speedway back in September.
Phoenix International Raceway Preview:
Hornaday will be making his 13th start at PIR in the NASCAR Truck Series on Friday night, November 9, 2007. In his previous 12 races at the track, he has scored two wins (1999, 1998), seven top-five and 10 top-ten finishes. He has also completed every lap in his 12 previous starts at PIR and has led 133 laps.
Meet Ron Hornaday:
Ron Hornaday will be signing autographs for fans prior to the race on Friday, November 9, 2007, from 12:30 – 1:00 p.m. at the Chevrolet exhibit outside of the Phoenix International Raceway
Double Duty:
Hornaday will not only be in action on Friday night in the NASCAR Truck Series race, he will also drive the No. 77 Dollar General stores Chevrolet for Kevin Harvick Inc. (KHI) in the NASCAR Busch Series race on Saturday.
Ron Hornaday Quotes:
“I am really looking forward to racing out in Phoenix. I have two wins at Phoenix International Raceway and I like that track a lot.
“We are taking the truck that we won with at New Hampshire and it is a good truck. Rick Ren and all the guys on the Camping World team have put a lot of hard work into that truck to get it ready for this week.”
Rick Ren Quotes:
“We are taking the truck that we ran New Hampshire with, and we won there. Phoenix is one of those flat tracks and Ron runs really well on that type of track.
“Ron has two wins at Phoenix and we will be looking to get another win for him and everybody at KHI.”
No. 33 Camping World Chevrolet Silverado Specs
Chassis: 016
Truck History: Truck No. 016 will be driven by Ron Hornaday this week at the Phoenix International Raceway. This is the same truck that Hornaday picked up his fourth win of the season with at New Hampshire International Speedway in September.
Engine: RCR
Phoenix: NASCAR Truck Series Loop
Mike Skinner’s on-again-off-again affair with the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series points lead is back on – and in a big way.
Skinner is back in front, leading Ron Hornaday Jr. by 57 points. It’s the largest lead first place has had over second since after the Bristol race eight races ago.
But Skinner cannot grow complacent, especially this weekend. Both have two wins at the track, and according to the pre-race Phoenix Loop Data statistics, Skinner and Hornaday have near identical stats over the past two races there.
Here is the tale of the tape:
Driver Rating: Skinner edges Hornaday, 107.9 to 106.6
Average Running Position: Hornaday nips Skinner, 7.6 to 8.1
Fastest Laps Run: Skinner leads Hornaday, 13 to 6
Laps in the Top 15: Hornaday leads Skinner, 296 to 281 (out of 300)
In other words, the see-saw battle should continue to Homestead.
Johnny Benson, the defending champion of this race, is another driver to watch this weekend. He has a Driver Rating of 127.9, an Average Running Position of 5.4 and has spent 263 of the 300 laps over the past two years in the top 15. He also leads all drivers in Fastest Laps Run with 51.
But the most consistent Phoenix driver over the past two years has been Todd Bodine, who won there in 2005 and finished fourth last year. Of those drivers who have raced in each of the past two Phoenix races, Bodine leads in Driver Rating (128.8) and Average Running Position (2.9), and is the only driver to spend all 300 laps in the top 15. Additionally, Bodine has 46 Fastest Laps Run, which is second-most on the series.
www.paddocktalk.com
Driver to win the Truck Series Casino Arizona 150
Kyle Busch +385
Kevin Harvick +415
Mike Skinner +485
Ron Hornaday +600
Travis Kvapil +785
Todd Bodine +825
Johnny Benson +900
Jack Sprague +1050
Ted Musgrave +1250
Rick Crawford +1550
Mike Bliss +2500
Erik Darnell +2500
Matt Crafton +2500
Brendan Gaughan +2850
Jon Wood +3500
Jason Leffler +4000
Field +600
@TheGreek
Casino Arizona 150 at Phoenix Preview
TruckSeries.com
Kyle Busch Plans For Quadruple-Duty ... Kyle Busch (No. 51 Flanders Beef Patties Chevrolet) has raced in a Craftsman Truck in five of the last six series races and will add another this Friday at Phoenix. Busch has put together an impressive record in his 34 series races. He has five career victories, including one this year at Atlanta Motor Speedway and 20 top-10 finishes.
Busch plans to take the 'triple-duty' moniker to a new level this week. In addition to racing in all three NASCAR national series events at Phoenix this weekend, Busch will compete in a late model race in his native Las Vegas. "For me, its fun," Busch said. "I enjoy it. I love racing."
Mike Skinner led five laps at Atlanta Motor Speedway to extend his record of races led in a season to 21 out of a possible 22 races. The only race Skinner failed to lead a lap was at Bristol Motor Speedway. The previous record was 19 races shared by Greg Biffle in 1999 and Jack Sprague in 2001.
Skinner still has a ways to go, however, to catch the season records for miles and laps led. He currently has led 1,041 laps and 1,130.81 miles. He set the laps led in a season mark with 1,533 in 1996. Sprague has the most miles led with 1,443.02 in 2001.
Phoenix International Raceway lays claim to the most multiple winners - five - at a single track. Four of those winners - Jack Sprague (1996-97), Mike Skinner (1995), Ron Hornaday Jr. (1998-99) and Kevin Harvick (No. 2 Camping World Chevrolet) (2002-03) - are among eight competitors with Phoenix victories (a combined 13) on their resumes who have entered the Casino Arizona 150.
Raybestos Rookie Award Going Down To The Wire
The closest three-way battle in the series' Raybestos Rookie of the Year award moves to Phoenix with Willie Allen (No. 13 ThorSport Chevrolet) holding a six-point lead over Joey Clanton (No. 09 Zaxby's Ford) and Tim Sauter (No. 07 Lester Buildings Chevrolet). Sauter collected his first top-10 finish - 10th - in Texas where Allen ran 11th and Clanton 32nd.
2007 Raybestos Rookie of the Year Points
1. Willie Allen 155
2. Joey Clanton 149
3. Tim Sauter 149
4. Jason White 122
5. Blake Bjorklund 110
In The Loop: Mike Skinner's on-again-off-again affair with the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series points lead is back on - and in a big way.
Skinner is back in front, leading Ron Hornaday Jr. by 57 points. It's the largest lead first place has had over second since after the Bristol race eight races ago.
But Skinner cannot grow complacent, especially this weekend. Both have two wins at the track, and according to the pre-race Phoenix Loop Data statistics, Skinner and Hornaday have near identical stats over the past two races there.
Here is the tale of the tape:
Driver Rating: Skinner edges Hornaday, 107.9 to 106.6
Average Running Position: Hornaday nips Skinner, 7.6 to 8.1
Fastest Laps Run: Skinner leads Hornaday, 13 to 6
Laps in the Top 15: Hornaday leads Skinner, 296 to 281 (out of 300)
In other words, the see-saw battle should continue to Homestead.
Johnny Benson, the defending champion of this race, is another driver to watch this weekend. He has a Driver Rating of 127.9, an Average Running Position of 5.4 and has spent 263 of the 300 laps over the past two years in the top 15. He also leads all drivers in Fastest Laps Run with 51.
But the most consistent Phoenix driver over the past two years has been Todd Bodine, who won there in 2005 and finished fourth last year. Of those drivers who have raced in each of the past two Phoenix races, Bodine leads in Driver Rating (128.8) and Average Running Position (2.9), and is the only driver to spend all 300 laps in the top 15. Additionally, Bodine has 46 Fastest Laps Run, which is second-most on the series.
More Phoenix Notes - Phoenix International Raceway is one of just four tracks to host series races in all 13 seasons of the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series.
Three drivers - Mike Skinner (1995), Jack Sprague (1997) and Ron Hornaday Jr. (1998) won at Phoenix in their championship seasons. Three other series champions - Mike Bliss (1998), Greg Biffle (2001) and Todd Bodine (2005) also have wins at the track.
Since 2001, every champion has posted a top-10 finish in Phoenix. But only once - Sprague in 2001 - has the champion finished higher than the final standings' No. 2 driver.
Joe Ruttman is Phoenix International Raceway's oldest winner at age 53 years 0 months on Nov. 2, 1997. Sprague is the track's youngest at age 31 years eight months on April 21, 1996.
Mike Skinner is the first driver to reach $700,000 in season winnings before the addition of post-season awards.
Manufacturers' Preview - Phoenix - Toyota hopes to add a 13th victory in the season's final two races, breaking its personal best of 12 wins in 2006 that was matched in Texas. Toyota has won 16 Bud Poles this season - one fewer than the record 17 by Chevrolet in 1995.
Manufacturers' Championship 2007 Point Standings
Toyota 166
Chevrolet 138
Ford 129
Dodge 73
This Week's NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Leaders
(Through 23 races of the 25-race season)
Points leader - Mike Skinner (3,718)
Driver Rating - Mike Skinner (117.9)
Winnings - Mike Skinner ($714,550)
Laps led - Mike Skinner (1,081)
Victories - Mike Skinner (5)
Bud Poles - Mike Skinner (9)
Top-five finishes - Mike Skinner (17)
Top-10 finishes - Ron Hornaday Jr. (20)
Raybestos Rookie Leader - Willie Allen (6 points over Joey Clanton, Tim Sauter)
Races led - Mike Skinner (22)
Weeks in Top 10 - Nine drivers tied with 22
On Deck: Homestead-Miami Speedway
The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series wraps up its 13th season at Homestead-Miami Speedway with the Ford 200 on Nov. 16.
Mark Martin won last year's race as Todd Bodine clinched his championship. There have been 11 different winners in the 11 races at the track.
Mike Skinner has one top five and two top 10s in five Homestead races and Ron Hornaday Jr. has one win, three top fives and six top 10s in seven Homestead races.
FAST FACTS
Next Race: Casino Arizona 150
The Place: Phoenix International Raceway
The Date: November 91
The Time: 8:00 p.m. (ET)
TV: SPEED 7:30 p.m. (ET)
Track Layout: 1.0- oval
Race Purse: $519,413
2006 Winner: Johnny Benson
2006 Pole: Johnny Benson
2007 Standings:
No. Driver Points
1 Skinner 3,718
2 Hornaday 3,661
3 Kvapil 3,317
4 Bodine 3,254
5 Crawford 3,231
6 Benson 3,221
7 Musgrave 2,944
8 Crafton 2,812
9 Sprague 2,752
10 Darnell 2,726
Schedule: Thursday: Practice 4:45-5:45 p.m., 5:45-6:15 p.m. (rookies) and 6:30-7:30 p.m. Friday: Qualifying 2:45 p.m.
NASCAR - Craftsman Truck - Casino Arizona 150 Preview
Date: Friday, November 9th
Start Time: 8:15 p.m. (et)
Site: Phoenix International Raceway, Phoenix, Arizona
Track: 1-mile paved oval
Laps: 150
Miles: 150
On TV: SpeedChannel
On Radio: MRN
Race record: 108.014 m.p.h. (Kevin Harvick, 2002)
Qualifying record: 132.660 m.p.h. (Johnny Benson, 2006)
2006 Finish
Defending champion: Johnny Benson
Runner up: Mark Martin
Pole winner: Johnny Benson (132.660 m.p.h.)
Top 10:
1. Johnny Benson (Start: 1)
2. Mark Martin (9)
3. Mike Skinner (2)
4. Todd Bodine (3)
5. Matt Crafton (5)
6. David Starr (24)
7. Jack Sprague (21)
8. David Reutimann (18)
9. Kyle Busch (16)
10. Erik Darnell (12)
Average speed: 86.221 m.p.h.
Time of race: 1 hour, 44 minutes, 23 seconds
Margin of victory: 0.429 second
Caution flags: 11 for 43 laps
Lead changes: 9 among 6 drivers
Past winners
2006 Johnny Benson, Toyota, 86.221 m.p.h.
2005 Todd Bodine, Toyota, 96.515 m.p.h.
2004 David Starr, Chevrolet, 90.756 m.p.h.
2003 Kevin Harvick, Chevrolet, 107.527 m.p.h.
2002 Kevin Harvick, Chevrolet, 108.014 m.p.h. (race record)
2001 Greg Biffle, Ford, 92.726 m.p.h.
1998 Mike Bliss, Ford, 103.686 m.p.h.
1997 Joe Ruttman, Ford, 103.942 m.p.h.
1996 Jack Sprague, Chevrolet, 95.289 m.p.h.
1995 Mike Skinner, Chevrolet, 91.102 m.p.h.
Notes
Last season, pole sitter Johnny Benson edged Mark Martin by less than a second to record his fifth career Craftsman Truck Series title. Benson reclaimed the lead on lap 121 from Martin and held on the final 30 laps before an estimated crowd of 30,000. Martin, who started ninth on the grid, led twice for a race-high 82 laps, while Benson led for 31 laps.
Last week, Ted Musgrave won the Silverado 250, his 17th career NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series victory. Musgrave, who started third on the grid, led four times for 32 laps to take the checkered flag under the caution ahead of Brendan Gaughan. Pole sitter Mike Skinner, who finished third, led twice for a race-high 40 laps. The victory by Musgrave ended a 66-race winless streak.
Skinner took over the points race after last week's third-place finish and now stands 57 points ahead of Ron Hornaday Jr, who placed 18th in Texas. Hornaday held a slim four-point advantage over Skinner, but a late race accident dropped him well back. Skinner and Hornaday are the only two drivers with a mathematical chance to win the title. Skinner has an outside chance of clinching the title at Phoenix. Skinner will emerge from Phoenix the champion if he wins the race and leads the most laps and Hornaday finishes 36th with zero laps led.
The final race in the 13th season of the Craftsman Truck Series championship is November 16th at the Homestead-Miami Speedway for the Ford 200. Mark Martin captured the 2006 event as Todd Bodine clinched the championship.
Skinner wins 11th pole of season, breaks own record
November 9th, 2007
Phoenix, AZ (Sports Network) - Mike Skinner won his second consecutive pole to break his own mark for Craftsman Truck Series poles in a single season (10) which he set in 1995. The No.5 Toyota circled the fast one-mile flat Phoenix International Raceway oval in 27.418 seconds (131.301 m.p.h.).
The pole victory was the record 42nd of Skinner's truck career. The pole winner has won five of 16 events in the series.
"I really didn't expect it (the pole win), I really felt like we left something on the table," said Skinner. "This is for Gail Davis, she's been wanting this record moved to Bill Davis Racing and I'm glad I got to be a part of it."
Starting alongside Skinner will be Matt Crafton, who posted a time of 28.441 seconds.
Travis Kvapil (27.444) and Kevin Harvick (27.467) will make up row two.
It's deja vu all over again in the Craftsman Truck Series. Thirteen years ago, in 1995, the season was winding down and Skinner held a small lead over Ron Hornaday Jr. (starting ninth). Skinner won the finale to clinch the inaugural truck series title.
After a third-place finish last Friday by Skinner and a late race accident to Hornaday Jr., Skinner brings a 57-point lead to the PIR.
The differential is one of the closest with two races to go and the closest since Bobby Hamilton brought a slim seven-point edge over Dennis Setzer to PIR in 2004.
The race is set to drop the green flag on Friday at 8 p.m. (et).
Busch holds off Hornaday Jr. for win
November 9th, 2007
Phoenix, AZ (Sports Network) - Kyle Busch came on strong in the second half of the race and won Friday night's Casino Arizona 150 at the Phoenix International Raceway. The No.51 Chevrolet crossed the finish line six lengths ahead of Ron Hornaday Jr.
The victory was Busch's second of the season and sixth of his Craftsman Truck Series career.
Mike Skinner brought the field to the green flag after winning his record 11th pole earlier in the afternoon. That was important because it allowed him to lead the first laps and gain an all-important five-bonus points in his championship battle with Hornaday Jr.
Hornaday Jr. started ninth and by the first caution flag on lap four was already up to seventh. The No.33 Kevin Harvick Inc. Chevrolet driver couldn't sit around and wait for the end of the race with Skinner leading.
Hornaday Jr. was having a problem getting by Todd Bodine for sixth place but on lap 14 Bodine got loose and spun.
Meanwhile, Skinner was still leading and accumulating laps led.
On the lap 18 restart, Harvick drove around Skinner to take the race lead from Skinner, who didn't put up much of a fight. Skinner was thinking "big picture" and didn't want any early race trouble.
Harvick opened about a second-and-a-half lead on Skinner after 30 laps, but on lap 36 David Starr crashed for the second time in the evening to erase the lead.
The caution flag led everyone down pit lane and there the race changed drastically. Hornaday Jr. got a great stop from his crew and came out second of those who pitted, while the No.5 Toyota team struggled and came out 18th.
Skinner's crew blamed it on Harvick, the owner of Hornaday Jr.'s truck, driving through their pit stall, but it appeared that the jackman had problems on both sides of the truck.
The leaders who hadn't pitted did so on the next caution flag and it allowed Hornaday Jr. to inherit the lead and grab the five-point bonus matching Skinner. With Skinner still stuck in ninth place, it meant the championship was virtually even.
But there were still 90 laps to run.
Hornaday Jr. amd Harvick were running one-two as the green flag dropped to restart on lap 61. They stayed just that way until the next caution flag. When most of the teams pitted, two drivers chose two-tire stops to grab first and second - Clay Rogers and Jon Wood. Hornaday Jr. chose to change all four tires and came out third. Five trucks stayed out, but still had one more stop to make.
Hornaday Jr., Harvick and Skinner were all done for the night on pit stops so the race seemed to be between the trio for the win. At lap 90 Mike Bliss was still leading, but Hornaday Jr. was up to fourth and Skinner ninth. Hornaday Jr. made it to third, before Chris Jones spun to bring out a caution flag on lap 96.
More caution flags and the yellow-flag laps kept adding up. It was now close to the point where Bliss might be able to make it to the checkered flag without another stop.
On the restart with 42 laps to go, Busch flew around Bliss for the lead. But Hornaday Jr. was still coming on strong. He was the fastest truck on the track as he closed on Bliss for second place. And he had teammate and owner Harvick guarding his rear bumper in fourth place.
While Bliss and Hornaday Jr. were locked up in a battle for second, Busch was expanding his lead trying to break away from the field. However, caution number 11 slowed the field and set up a short run to the finish.
A hard two-truck crash with 14 laps to go forced a long clean up and when the race restarted there were just 10 laps remaining. The battle was still between Busch, Bliss and Hornaday Jr.
But on this night Busch was not to be denied. He charged away at the drop of the green flag, held of Hornaday Jr., who had gotten around Bliss and won for the second time in three races.
Hornaday Jr.'s second-place finish combined with an eighth-place result from Skinner cut the lead from 57 to 29 points with just one race to go. Strangely, Skinner was passed late in the race by his teammate Johnny Benson which cost him four points.
"I guess...we're not a team," said Skinner afterwards. "I thought he was taking care of me...I don't know, I don't want to comment on it. I'll just try to stay positive, go to Homestead and hammer down."
"We're just going to keep on doing what we're doing and race hard," said Hornaday Jr.
The final race, to determine the champion, is scheduled for Friday night, November 16th at the 1.5-mile Homestead-Miami Speedway.