Ohio 250 News and Notes

Pit-stop strategy key to success at Mansfield

Mansfield Motorsports Park is the shortest track on the Craftsman Truck Series schedule, barely a half-mile around the top, and its typical tough-to-pass character will place a premium on track position and pit-stop strategy Saturday in the Ohio 250.

The 250-lap, 125-mile race distance usually dictates one stop, and which caution the team chooses to pit under will go a long way in determining where it will finish.

There's also the outside possibility of picking the no-stop strategy and trying to take a midpack truck to victory.

Don't think it can happen? It did last year.

Dennis Setzer became the only driver in series history to win without a pit stop. He had help from 13 cautions for a race-record 103 laps in a race that was slowed or red flagged multiple times for rain. Setzer started 18th and didn't take the lead until 12 laps remained.

"Not pitting was something I thought we could do if everything went just right, but it was going to be a long shot to make it work," Setzer said. "I really didn't think it would happen. From the very beginning, the race was plagued by rain and it looked like it would stick around for most of the day. Our main goal was to stay out as long as we could without pitting because I really thought the race would be called due to rain.

"I knew once I got in the lead, if I ever gave it up the chances of getting it back were slim because it is so hard to pass. The cautions just kept coming and the rain came at just the right moments for us. We soon realized if things continued the way they were, we could make it all the way without pitting and we did just that."

NASCAR reduced the size of the fuel cell in the Craftsman Trucks from 22 gallons to 18 for this season.

"I can't help but wonder if that is because of me," Setzer said. "But I think if the right circumstances played out, it (going the distance) could still be done at a short track such as MMP. NASCAR also changed the carburetor this season. We are seeing with the combination of the new carburetor and smaller fuel cells that we are getting within a few laps of the fuel mileage we got last year at certain tracks.

"It may never be done again, but I wouldn't write it off just yet."

The greater probability is that the victor will choose the right caution to be at the front without having to stop again. Conversely, picking the wrong one can have dire consequences at Mansfield.

In the 2006 race, Todd Bodine started on the pole and easily led the opening 117 laps before making his sole pit stop. More than half the field had already made their stops, and it left Bodine mired in traffic, unable to get back to the front. He finished 17th.

Ron Hornaday Jr. had started 17th, and a combination of a well-timed stop and a competitive Chevrolet moved him into the lead and he stayed there for 131 laps to take the checkered flag.

Jack Sprague won from the pole in Mansfield's inaugural CTS race in 2004, but Bobby Hamilton's triumph in 2006 came from 26th starting spot.

Sprague has finished second in the past three races at Mansfield.

"A lot of my success can be attributed to pit strategy," Sprague said. "We have always had great pit stops and been able to make the right calls when it came to Mansfield."

Even without rain, Mansfield's close quarters create plenty of action -- and cautions. There were 13 for 94 laps in 2004, 13 for 86 in 2005 and 18 for 85 in 2006. Opportunities abound for picking the right strategy.

"It's all about track position at Mansfield," said Matt Crafton, who picked up his first truck win last week at Lowe's. "We'll try to stay patient and stay out of the messes that will happen and try to be there again at the end."

Fast facts

What: Ohio 250.
Where: Mansfield (Ohio) Motorsports Park.
When: 1 p.m. ET Saturday.
TV: Speed, 12:30 p.m. ET.
Radio: MRN/Sirius Satellite Ch. 128.
Track layout: half-mile oval.
Race distance: 250 laps/125 miles.
2007 winner: Dennis Setzer.
2007 polesitter: Mike Skinner.
Points leaders: 1. Ron Hornaday Jr., 874; 2. Rick Crawford, 869; 3. Todd Bodine, 836; 4. Matt Crafton, 829; 5. Dennis Setzer, 817; 6. Chad McCumbee, 808; 7. Kyle Busch, 797; 8. Johnny Benson, 796; 9. Erik Darnell, 771; 10. Terry Cook, 760.

sportingnews.com

Driver to win the Truck Series Ohio 250

Ron Hornaday +300
Mike Skinner +400
Todd Bodine +450
Jack Sprague +550
Johhny Benson +750
Dennis Setzer +900
Rick Crawford +1200
Matt Crafton +1500
Terry Cook +1500
Ted Musgrave +1800
Erik Darnell +1800
David Starr +2500
Brendan Gaughan +3000
Field +800

TheGreek.com

Benson best in Ohio qualifying

Mansfield, OH (Sports Network) - Johnny Benson captured the pole for Saturday afternoon's Ohio 250 Craftsman Truck Series race at the Mansfield Motorsports Park. The No.23 Toyota driver circled the tiny half-mile track in 16.363 seconds (110.004 m.p.h.).

The pole victory was Benson's first of the season and third of his truck career.

Starting alongside Benson will be Mike Skinner who posted a second-best time of 16.405 seconds.

David Starr (16.461) and Andy Lally (16.461) will make up row two.

Short track specialist Dennis Setzer is the defending champion after he edged Jack Sprague by 0.522 seconds. Setzer did it by completing all 250 laps without a pit stop. The race was interrupted by three rain delays and more than 100 caution-flag laps, With 13 laps left, a flat right-front tire for Rick Crawford caused him to slide high on the track allowing Setzer to make the pass for first place and the win.

Ron Hornaday Jr., starting 12th, leads the 2008 Craftsman Truck Series championship, but eight drivers are within 78 points of the defending series champion. Crawford is just five points back, Todd Bodine is just 38 points back and last week's North Carolina Education Lottery 200 winner Matt Crafton is 45 points behind the leader. Crafton won for the first time in 178 races, a record number for series starts without a first win.

The race is set to drop the green flag on Saturday at 1 p.m. (et).

Lia collects first win in Ohio

Mansfield, OH (Sports Network) - Rookie Donny Lia passed David Starr on the final lap to capture Saturday afternoon's Ohio 250 Craftsman Truck Series race at the Mansfield Motorsports Park. The No.71 Chevrolet driver edged out Starr at the finish line by 0.241 seconds.

The victory was Lia's first Craftsman Truck Series win in just his eighth start.

Starr was doggedly holding onto a lead despite pressure from Lia and Todd Bodine when a record 15th caution flag flew with 11 laps remaining.

The race got back underway with just seven laps left. Lia and Bodine battled hard behind Starr for second at the drop of the green flag. Lia won the fight and on the final lap, he bumped Starr, forcing him to the outside. Lia, Starr and Bodine went three-wide going into Turn 3 and coming to the line, Lia was able to squeeze ahead of Starr and Bodine for the victory.

Terry Cook and Mike Skinner completed the top-five.

After winning his first pole of the season, Johnny Benson led the field to the green flag for 250 laps of short-track racing.

Benson maintained the lead early. But the big story was points leader Ron Hornaday Jr. He made his way through the field and when the first caution flag came out on lap nine he was in the top-10.

Hornaday Jr. continued his march to the front during the restart as he moved into the top-five. He found himself in third when the next caution flag flew on lap 38.

During the caution period Starr, running third, was the only leader to come down pit road. Dennis Setzer and Cook also took pit stops.

The drama started during the lap 44 restart when Hornaday Jr. tried to make his way into the lead. After getting around Skinner for second, Hornaday Jr. and Benson battled side-by-side for the lead. They touched and this allowed Skinner to take the inside lane and pass both drivers. Hornaday Jr.'s persistence for the top spot ended with Skinner sending him into the wall.

The leaders took pit stops during the caution period and Hornaday Jr. took his truck to the garage for major repairs.

Shelby Howard and Jack Sprague inherited the top-two spots by not stopping. They finally took their pit stops when the next caution flag came out for Scott Speed/Brendan Gaughan incident. Benson also stopped during the caution to check for damage since he was behind the crash.

Setzer inherited the lead with Starr, Bodine, Sean Murphy and Cook to the restart. Once again the leaders drove like it was the last lap of the race. It resulted in Starr crashing Setzer out on lap 80.

Starr took over the race lead and kept that position until the wild finish.

Bodine jumped to first in the point standings (1,001) with his third-place finish. Rick Crawford (993) remains in second with his 13th-place finish. Hornaday Jr. (937) finished 35th and dropped to fifth in the standings.

The next race in the series is set for Friday, May 30th at Dover International Speedway.