Ford 200 News and Notes

No Repeat Winners At Homestead-Miami Speedway
autoracingdaily.com

When Ron Hornaday Jr. won September’s New Hampshire 200, it left Homestead-Miami Speedway as the last track standing, so to speak.

Both speedways joined the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series in 1996 and each boasted a log of 11 consecutive different winners – a streak Hornaday ended at NHIS.

Now, the South Florida facility will take its turn at collecting an even dozen winners.

Who among those entered hasn’t won at Homestead?

For starters, standings leader Mike Skinner, whose best finish of fourth came in Homestead’s 1996 inaugural race.

Interestingly, no driver has won at Homestead in his championship season although the winners’ roster includes Hornaday (2002), Ted Musgrave (2001), Bobby Hamilton (2003) and Todd Bodine (2005).

Rick Crawford (1998) is the only other Homestead winner expected to compete in the Ford 200.

That leaves six who have won in 2007 in line to visit Homestead’s Victory Lane.

They are Travis Kvapil, Johnny Benson, Jack Sprague, Erik Darnell, Dennis Setzer and Kyle Busch. Busch would seem to be the hottest of the sextet coming off his victory in Phoenix – the 22-year-old Las Vegas driver’s second in his past three starts.

Two NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series regulars have won at Homestead: Kasey Kahne in 2004 and Mark Martin a year ago.

NASCAR Truck Series Loop Stats

Mike Skinner may have to use every bit of his 29-point cushion over Ron Hornaday Jr.

Because Skinner struggles at Homestead-Miami Speedway, while Hornaday thrives.

In five Homestead races, Skinner has an average finish of 15.4, but has failed to crack the top-10 in any of the last two events there. Last year, an accident ended his day after 14 laps.

Over the last two Homestead races, Skinner has a Driver Rating of 86.3, an Average Running Position of 21.7 and has run 43.7 percent of the total laps run in the top 15.

Hornaday, on the other hand, excels at the 1.5-mile track. Last year’s 14th-place finish was the first time in seven races Hornaday failed to notch a top 10. He won there in 2002.

Over the last two races, Hornaday leads Skinner in every key Loop Data category. He has a Driver Rating of 95.2, an Average Running Position of 10.3 and has run 82.5 percent of the Laps in the Top 15. Additionally, Hornaday has 61 Quality Passes (passes of cars in the top 15 while under green), which is third-most over the last two years. Over that span, Skinner has 39 Quality Passes.

As for potential spoilers, Jack Sprague could steal the show. In 10 Homestead races, Sprague has failed to crack the top 10 only once, and has finished in the top five in all but two races. With finishes of second and fifth over the last two years, Sprague has racked up some of the most impressive stats in the series. He has a Driver Rating of 115.9, an Average Running Position of 6.4, 35 Fastest Laps Run, 94.8 percent of the laps in the top 15 and 60 Quality Passes.

ENTRY LIST - Ford 200 at Homestead-Miami Speedway

00 Andy Lally 2 1 Jason Leffler
2 Kevin Harvick
103 Justin Marks
4 Mike Bliss
5 Mike Skinner
6 Travis Kvapil
7 Jason White
07 Tim Sauter
08 TBA
9 Ted Musgrave
09 Joey Clanton
10 David Starr
13 Willie Allen
14 Rick Crawford
15 Andrew Myers
16 Brian Scott
18 Dennis Setzer
21 Jon Wood
22 Dave Blaney
23 Johnny Benson
27 Jacques Villeneuve
30 Todd Bodine
33 Ron Hornaday Jr.
40 Chad Chaffin
47 Regan Smith
50 T.J. Bell
51 Kyle Busch
59 Terry Cook
60 Jack Sprague
63 Scott Lynch
171 Bryan Silas
75 Clay Rogers
77 Brendan Gaughan
186 Dana White
88 Matt Crafton
99 Erik Darnell

BENSON: Brings Winning Truck with Sponsor Exide to Homestead
TruckSeries.com

This week’s race truck for Homestead-Miami Speedway is Chassis No. 23-60. Johnny Benson has driven this truck in numerous races this season, including at The Milwaukee Mile, where he won back-to-back races in June.

What a Year… Bill Davis Racing has had an incredible 2007 season in the NCTS. The BDR truck teams have captured 12 poles, eight wins, 29 top-five finishes and 41 top-10 finishes this season.

Welcome Back… Exide Batteries will serve as primary sponsor of the No. 23 Bill Davis Racing Tundra team in the season finale. This will be the fourth time this season in which Exide Batteries has performed primary sponsor duties.

100th start… Homestead will mark the 100th NCTS start for the Toyota Tundra, which debuted in the series in 2004. Benson will also make his 100th career NCTS start this weekend at Homestead.

Double Duty… For the second consecutive week, Benson will attempt to qualify for the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series race and drive in the Craftsman Truck Series race Friday night. Benson will drive the No. 36 Toyota Camry in the NEXTEL Cup Series.

On a Roll… Benson and his No. 23 team have had two wins, five top-five finishes and eight top-10 finishes in the last nine races.

Point Standings… Benson has quickly climbed the NCTS Championship standings. He now stands in the fifth position.

Fourth Truck… BDR’s NEXTEL Cup Series wheel man Dave Blaney will attempt to qualify the No. 22 Tundra for Friday night’s Ford 200.

Johnny Benson on racing at Homestead-Miami Speedway: “I am really looking forward to running at Homestead this weekend. I like running here because you can run side-by-side every lap. It is a great track, and the energy level is just awesome from the fans. We have had a good truck all year, but just didn’t seem to have any luck when it came to engine parts and so forth. Trip [Bruce, crew chief] and the guys are excited about wrapping up the 2007 season and getting things ready to run for the championship next year.”

News and Notes - Ford 200

2007 Last Call: Ford 200 Will Determine The Champion – Again

Mike Skinner (No. 5 Toyota Tundra Toyota) hopes history repeats itself for the 10th time.

Ron Hornaday Jr. (No. 33 Camping World Chevrolet) hopes he’ll be the third to score a come-from-behind victory.

Skinner, following an eighth-place finish at Phoenix International Raceway, enters the 2007 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series finale leading rival Hornaday by 29 points.

The margin is the fourth-closest in series history and marks the 12th time in 13 seasons the championship has gone down to the final race.

Just twice – Jack Sprague (No. 60 Con-way Freight Toyota) in 1999 and Travis Kvapil (No. 6 K&N Filters Ford) in 2003 – has the leader entering the final race failed to win the title.

Sprague came from 13 points down to bypass Greg Biffle. Kvapil, 23 points behind in third place, overtook Brendan Gaughan (No. 77 South Point Chevrolet).

Skinner can clinch his second championship by finishing second or third with a lap led. Hornaday can clinch by winning, leading the most laps and having Skinner finish third with zero laps led.

“We've run awfully well this year – we've won five races,” said Skinner. “If they would have told me I'd win five races this year and run eighth in the points, I would have said 'okay, I'll take that.' Anything after that is a bonus.”

“All we can do is keep doing what we are doing and racing hard,” said Hornaday.

Tale Of The Tape: The Heavyweights Square Off At Homestead

Mike Skinner (+29) Homestead Races: 5 Driver Rating: 86.3 Bud Poles: 1 Wins: 0 Top 5: 1 Top 10: 2 Races Led: 4 Laps Led: 119 Average Start 6.4 Average Finish: 15.4 2006 Finish: 35

Ron Hornaday Jr. (-29) Homestead Races: 7 Driver Rating: 95.2 Bud Poles: 0 Wins: 1 Top 5: 3 Top 10: 6 Races Led: 4 Laps Led: 73 Average Start: 14.7 Average Finish 6.4 2006 Finish: 14

No Repeat Winners At Homestead-Miami Speedway

When Ron Hornaday Jr. won September’s New Hampshire 200, it left Homestead-Miami Speedway as the last track standing, so to speak.

Both speedways joined the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series in 1996 and each boasted a log of 11 consecutive different winners – a streak Hornaday ended at NHIS.

Now, the South Florida facility will take its turn at collecting an even dozen winners.

Who among those entered hasn’t won at Homestead?

For starters, standings leader Mike Skinner, whose best finish of fourth came in Homestead’s 1996 inaugural race.

Interestingly, no driver has won at Homestead in his championship season although the winners’ roster includes Hornaday (2002), Ted Musgrave (2001), Bobby Hamilton (2003) and Todd Bodine (2005).

Rick Crawford (1998) is the only other Homestead winner expected to compete in the Ford 200.

That leaves six who have won in 2007 in line to visit Homestead’s Victory Lane.

They are Travis Kvapil, Johnny Benson, Jack Sprague, Erik Darnell, Dennis Setzer and Kyle Busch. Busch would seem to be the hottest of the sextet coming off his victory in Phoenix – the 22-year-old Las Vegas driver’s second in his past three starts.

Two NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series regulars have won at Homestead: Kasey Kahne in 2004 and Mark Martin a year ago.

Raybestos Award Goes Down To The Wire

It’s too close to call.

The 2007 Raybestos Rookie of the Year battle – like the overall series championship – appears to be headed for a final-lap, last-turn conclusion.

Nashville’s Willie Allen (No. 13 ThorSport Chevrolet) has a seven-point lead over Tim Sauter (No. 07 Lester Buildings Chevrolet) on the eve of the Ford 200 but there’s plenty of competition left on and off the track.

The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Rookie of the Year Committee will meet at Homestead and award up to 30 bonus points to each freshman competitor.

There’s also an overall finish bonus of 10 points with a drop of one-point increments. Allen is 15th in series points but Sauter is just 78 back in 16th.

Allen admits to looking in his mirror and listening to his spotter for positioning of his rivals. “It’s in the back of your mind where they’re running,” he said. “I definitely want to stay ahead of them.”

“All in all, the season’s gone pretty well but we’ve had some good runs get away from us,” said Sauter. “We’ve just got to keep the pressure on and do the best we can.”

The “wild card” in the mix is Joey Clanton (No. 09 Zaxby’s Ford). Nine points behind Allen, Clanton has competed in only 15 of 24 races and has the worst finish of the three contenders – five points – to discard.

“We have to make the best of it at Homestead and go get a top 10 and let the cards fall where they may,” he said.

2007 Raybestos Rookie of the Year Points 1. Willie Allen 158 2. Tim Sauter 151 3. Joey Clanton 149 4. Jason White 123 5. Blake Bjorklund 110

Top 10 Up For Grabs

As they say, “Do the math.”

Every spot in the current top 10 could change with the results of Friday night’s Ford 200.

The tightest battles are for positions third and 10th. Four drivers have a shot at the No. 3 position that Travis Kvapil has held since his victory in Nashville.

Tenth – the final spot on-stage at the awards banquet – is tighter yet. Erik Darnell faces three challengers within 13 points.

Every Point Counts Pos. Driver Points Behind 3. Travis Kvapil 3,411 - 4. Todd Bodine 3,404 -7 5. Johnny Benson 3,367 -37 6. Rick Crawford 3,358 -9 - 10. Erik Darnell 2,784 - 11. Dennis Setzer 2,775 -9 12. David Starr 2,771 -4 13. B. Gaughan 2,770 -1

In The Loop:

Mike Skinner may have to use every bit of his 29-point cushion over Ron Hornaday Jr.

Because Skinner struggles at Homestead-Miami Speedway, while Hornaday thrives.

In five Homestead races, Skinner has an average finish of 15.4, but has failed to crack the top-10 in any of the last two events there. Last year, an accident ended his day after 14 laps.

Over the last two Homestead races, Skinner has a Driver Rating of 86.3, an Average Running Position of 21.7 and has run 43.7 percent of the total laps run in the top 15.

Hornaday, on the other hand, excels at the 1.5-mile track. Last year’s 14th-place finish was the first time in seven races Hornaday failed to notch a top 10. He won there in 2002.

Over the last two races, Hornaday leads Skinner in every key Loop Data category. He has a Driver Rating of 95.2, an Average Running Position of 10.3 and has run 82.5 percent of the Laps in the Top 15. Additionally, Hornaday has 61 Quality Passes (passes of cars in the top 15 while under green), which is third-most over the last two years. Over that span, Skinner has 39 Quality Passes.

As for potential spoilers, Jack Sprague could steal the show. In 10 Homestead races, Sprague has failed to crack the top 10 only once, and has finished in the top five in all but two races. With finishes of second and fifth over the last two years, Sprague has racked up some of the most impressive stats in the series. He has a Driver Rating of 115.9, an Average Running Position of 6.4, 35 Fastest Laps Run, 94.8 percent of the laps in the top 15 and 60 Quality Passes.

QUOTABLE:

“I think it’s unique in its own right because it’s got high banks and is really fast. You can run pretty much all the way through the race around the top side. You're going to see guys running up against the wall the whole time, but you can go down to the bottom and try to make a pass and it's wide enough you can race all around that place.” – Kyle Busch on what fans will see at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

“You run on the ragged edge. It’s not just at Homestead, but pretty much anywhere. When you’re on the ragged edge, the best driver in the world can find trouble. It’s so competitive right now.” – Todd Bodine, winner of the 2005 Ford 200.

Toyota Hits 100

This week’s race marks the 100th time a Toyota Tundra truck has taken the green flag in a NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race. Since 2004, the manufacturer has won 37 times including 12 this season.

Toyota already clinched its second consecutive Manufacturers’ Championship and is hoping to clinch a second consecutive driver title.

Manufacturers' Championship 2007 Point Standings Toyota 170 Chevrolet 147 Ford 132 Dodge 79

This Week’s NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Leaders (Through 24 races of the 25-race season)

* Points leader – Mike Skinner (3,865) * Driver Rating – Mike Skinner (117.4) * Winnings – Mike Skinner ($727,950) * Laps led – Mike Skinner (1,099) * Victories – Mike Skinner (5) * Bud Poles – Mike Skinner (11) * Top-five finishes – Mike Skinner (17) * Top-10 finishes – Ron Hornaday Jr. (21) * Raybestos Rookie Leader – Willie Allen (7 points over Tim Sauter) * Races led – Mike Skinner (23) * Weeks in Top 10 – Nine drivers tied with 24

On Deck: Champion’s Celebration

The 2007 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series champion will barely have time to change from fire suit to tuxedo as the annual Champion’s Awards Banquet will be held Monday, Nov. 19 at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in nearby Hollywood, Fla.

The ceremonies will be the seventh held in Florida as the banquet returns to the Miami area following last’s year’s gala affair in Orlando.

Fast Facts

Next Race: Ford 200 The Place: Homestead-Miami Speedway The Date: November 161 The Time: 8:00 p.m. (ET) TV: SPEED 7:30 p.m. (ET) Track Layout: 1.5- paved oval Race Purse: $655,346 2006 Winner: Mark Martin 2006 Pole: Mike Skinner 2007 Standings: No. Driver Points 1 Skinner 3,865 2 Hornaday 3,836 3 Kvapil 3,411 4 Bodine 3,404 5 Benson 3,367 6 Crawford 3,367 7 Musgrave 3,074 8 Crafton 2,933 9 Sprague 2,886 10 Darnell 2,886

Schedule: Friday: Practice 8:30 a.m.–9:30 a.m., 9:45 a.m.–10:15 a.m. (rookies) and 10:25 a.m.–11:25 a.m. Qualifying 5:00 p.m.

Wimmer to make truck series debut

Scott Wimmer will make his Craftsman Truck Series debut this weekend in the November 16th Ford 200 at Homestead-Miami Speedway.He will be behind the wheel of the #46 Morgan-Dollar Motorsports entry.

Tearing Apart the Trucks : The Final Showdown

This is it. This is what you’ve been waiting all season for. Tonight, someone is going to be crowned the 2007 Craftsman Truck Series Champion. In the very first “battle of the grandfathers” Ron Hornaday, Jr. and Mike Skinner will face off for the final time. Going into the season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway, Skinner holds only a slim 29-point advantage over Hornaday, Jr.

Mike Skinner found himself tied for the points lead after just the second race of the season, and he spent the following 14 races atop the standings. Prior to the running of the Missouri-Illinois Dodge Dealers 200 at Gateway International Raceway, the driver of the No. 5 Toyota Tundra held a 92 point lead over Ron Hornaday, Jr, but a shredded tire relegated Skinner to a 28th place finish. That gave Hornaday, Jr. his first lead of the season by just four points.

To clinch the championship, Mike Skinner has to finish second or third, if he manages to lead a lap. That may be a tough feat for the 1995 champion. In five races at Homestead, Skinner has just two Top 10 finishes and an average finish of 15.4. Hornaday, Jr. on the other hand has one win, six Top 10 finishes and an average finish of 6.4 in seven races at the track. Last year, Skinner was involved in an accident that took him out of the race after just 14 laps; Hornaday finished 14th.

“Well this is it. Jeff [Hensley, crew chief] and my guys have done a heck of a job this year, and hopefully we can get it done this weekend for BDR and Toyota,” Skinner said. “Homestead is a great track, and even though we have not had that much luck on it in the past, we are going to give it all we’ve got to make it come out in our favor this weekend.”

The wild card tonight is going to be the help, or hindrance, of teammates. Last weekend at Phoenix International Raceway, Ron Hornaday, Jr’s teammate and owner Kevin Harvick entered the race and had the pit stall directly in front of Mike Skinner. Early on, Harvick drove through Skinner’s pit and disrupted the team’s rhythm, causing an extended stop. Once Skinner was back out, his team showed their displeasure, but since the move was legal, there was nothing to be done about it.

Also last week at Phoenix, Skinner’s teammate Johnny Benson stayed behind him for the majority of the race until the closing laps when Benson passed him. Benson finished seventh, scoring four points that could be valuable when it comes down to the wire at the end of the race. When asked about the move, Skinner said, “I’m not the boss. I guess we’re not a team. I thought he was taking care of me. I don’t know.” Hopefully those four points won’t come back to haunt them tonight.

When asked about the upcoming battle, Hornaday said, “It is another race for us at Homestead. All we can do is keep doing what we are doing and racing hard. I like Homestead, it is a good track. I won there back in 2002 and I have had some good finishes there in the past. I have a team that never says die and they work hard to figure out my favorite trucks and they have been bringing them back. All we can do is keep doing what we are doing and racing hard.”

History is on Skinner’s side though. Only twice in the history of the truck series has the leader going into the season finale not won the championship; most recently Travis Kvapil came from 26 points back to win the title over Dennis Setzer in 2003. In the end, it’s going to come down to who can stay out of trouble, but in the end, Skinner will most likely come out on top.

Tune in tonight for the showdown. Coverage on SPEED begins with qualifying at 5:00 pm EST followed by a review of the entire 2007 season called “Year in Racing.” NCTS Setup starts at 7:30 pm EST following by the race at 8:00 pm EST.

Did You Know…

This is the first time in NASCAR’s national series history that two grandfathers have squared off for the title? Mike Skinner has three grandchildren, and Ron Hornaday, Jr. has two.

There has been no repeat winner at Homestead-Miami Speedway since the series started visiting the track in 1996.

No driver has won at Homestead-Miami during his championship season.

Toyota will make its 100th truck series start at Homestead-Miami, and Mike Skinner is the only driver to run in a Toyota since the manufacturer made its debut in the series in 2004.

Only one driver has won from the pole at Homestead-Miami Speedway; Bobby Hamilton did it in 2003.

Three-Way Race for Rookie of the Year Title

In a battle that’s even closer than the one for the championship, three drivers are separated by just nine points for the Rookie of the Year honors. Willie Allen, driver of the No. 13 ThorSport Chevrolet, currently leads Tim Sauter, driver of the No. 07 Lester Buildings Chevrolet, by just seven points.

Allen has just one Top 10 finish this season; he finished 6th at Talladega Superspeedway. Allen’s spotter updates him throughout the race on where his competition is on the track. “It’s in the back of your mind where they’re running,” he said. “I definitely want to stay ahead of them.”

Sauter, who also has just one Top 10 finish this season—a 10th at Texas Motor Speedway a couple weeks ago—doesn’t seem very worried about what happens next. “All in all, the season’s gone pretty well but we’ve had some good runs get away from us,” said Sauter. “We’ve just got to keep the pressure on and do the best we can.”

Joey Clanton, who has run only 15 races this season and shared to No. 09 Zaxby’s Ford with Stacy Compton this season, is just two points behind Sauter and has a chance to surprise everyone. “We have to make the best of it at Homestead and go get a top 10 and let the cards fall where they may,” he said.

Other Odds and Ends

Drivers’ Wallets Stolen

At least five drivers had their wallets stolen from team transporters during a practice session for the Casino Arizona 150 at Phoenix International Raceway. Stacy Compton, one of the victims, spent Friday concerned about being able to fly home after last Friday’s race.

“In a 40-minute span, whoever it was went to town,” Compton said. “They bought as many gift cards as they could. They got everything – my driver’s license, my credit cards, everything.”

Fike Accepts Plea Deal

Aaron Fike was suspended indefinitely from NASCAR following an arrest for possession of heroin at Kings Island Amusement Park. Judge Neal Bronson accepted a guilty plea from the former Rookie of the Year contender on two misdemeanor charges—possession of a drug abuse instrument and a reduced charge of attempted possession of heroin. The 24-year-old is committed to reviving his NASCAR career and has created an anti-drug program called “Racing Against Drugs.”

“One day, I was a NASCAR race car driver, with people asking me for my autograph – and the next day, I was in handcuffs, lying on the floor of a jail cell, going through the absolute agony of heroin withdrawal,” Fike wrote in a statement.“After four months of intense rehabilitation, I know that if it were not for my arrest, I would be dead.”

Terry Cook’s Season is Over

Last weekend, at Phoenix International Raceway, it was announced that Whelen Modified driver Donny Lia would race in the No. 59 truck for HT Motorsports next season. Lia will take the green flag at Homestead-Miami Speedway tonight for the Ford 200 with Simply Fit as the primary sponsor. Cook still has not announced his plans for 2008.

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