Matt Crafton Continues To Show He's A Contender

Five races into the 2009 season, California native Matt Crafton (#88 Menard's Chevy) finds himself perched fourth in the standings. Only 94 points behind leader Mike Skinner (#5 Toyota), he continues to show he's just as much a contender as the former series champions that surround him.

As the series prepares to compete in Friday night's North Carolina Education Lottery 200 at Lowe's Motor Speedway, Crafton has the confidence of knowing how to find Victory Lane. A year ago, he grabbed his first NASCAR national series victory at Lowe's.

"I think you have to be confident each and every week but it helps going back to a place where you know you have won before. Last year's win was awesome," said Crafton. "It was nice to look at everyone and say we did it and to finally quiet all those asking if I was capable of winning. My owners, Duke and Rhonda Thorson, have been so supportive so it was really gratifying for them and the others who have believed in me all along the way."

Just like his driver, crew chief Bud Haefele wouldn't mind a repeat trip to Victory Lane. "Winning the race last year was special for all of us and we're looking forward to getting back there," he said.

The team has posted solid, top-10 finishes in all but one race so far this season. "Matt has been driving his tail off," said Haefele. "We know that consistency is important to winning a championship, so we know we have to bring everything we've got each time out. Our trucks are better than they've ever been. This team has been together for a while now, and everybody is on the same page, has the same goal in terms of winning a championship."

For Crafton, "without a doubt momentum is key," he said. "If we keep going in there each week with confidence and the momentum we've gained, it'll keep carrying over and we'll be there in the end, contending for the championship."

Winless But Not The Time To Panic For Ron Hornaday Jr.

Ron Hornaday Jr. (#33 Longhorn Chevy) hasn't made a trip to Victory Lane yet this season. But for the veteran driver who is going for a record fourth series title, it's no time to panic.

In his previous nine full seasons, it's only taken Hornaday this long to win a race twice. The most recent time fell in 2007 when it took him to race number six to grab his first win of the season. That race was at Lowe's Motor Speedway. It was also the year he went on to claim his third championship.

"Winning at Lowe's in 2007 was definitely a career milestone for Rick Ren (crew chief) and I," said Hornaday. "Neither of us had ever been able to win at our home track. It meant so much and I'm glad that win was part of our KHI championship season."

Friday night's race could be the breakthrough for Hornaday and company who are eager to get back to Victory Lane. "I really hate the fact that we have not been able to put the #33 truck into Victory Lane this season," he said. "We are very hungry. Our team has brought some incredible trucks to the race track so far this season. We have been there every week.

"This is traditionally the time in the season when our team comes alive. I hope we can do it again this year; a tally in the win column would be nice."

As far as the championship goes, Hornaday is keeping everything in perspective. "I am happy where we are right now," he said. "We have not had a finish outside the top 10 the entire year. Kevin and DeLana (Harvick) continue to provide me with some awesome equipment and I cannot thank them enough. I would like nothing better than to get them a second championship and set the record for the most (titles). "

But he knows just as well as the other competitors how the hunt for the championship historically has gone down to the wire. "This soon in the year, it is too hard to predict that kind of stuff," he said.

"You have veterans who have won championships and the young guys all mixed in there together competing for wins and the title. You never know. There might be someone else in the mix by Homestead."

Johnny Benson On A Steady Climb

Johnny Benson (#1 Toyota) has been on a steady climb, digging out from being back in the points following Daytona. After a disappointing 26th-place finish in the season opener, his results have improved with each race.

Benson, the reigning series champion, made the move to Red Horse Racing at the end of last year, not really knowing what was ahead. While some members of his former team joined him, there was a lot of work to be done and all the adjustments that come with being with a new team.

The hard work and determination is showing and has Benson right where he was at this point last year.

Sitting fifth in points, he heads to Lowe's with his focus on his team's continual climb.

"We're excited to be fifth in the points, especially considering the problems we had at Daytona," said Benson. "Finishing 26th was a big blow to us but it really says something about this team, to be able to battle back to the fifth spot just five races later."

"We're really happy with where we are now and will focus on climbing even more spots in the coming weeks."

His record at Lowe's isn't necessarily one to boast about. In four starts, Benson only has one top-five finish. The rest fall outside the top 10.

Benson finished second at Kansas and shouldn't be kept out of the mix.

Johnny Benson (#1) is sandwiched between Kyle Busch (#51) and Johnny Sauter (#13) during this season's opening race at Daytona International Speedway.

Etc. ...

• Don't forget this Friday, May 15, is not only race day for the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series but is also NASCAR Day. For more nformation, visit: www.NASCAR.com/NASCARDay.
  
• James Buescher, rookie of the year contender and driver of the #10 International MAXX Force Diesel Ford for Circle Bar Racing, stayed busy over the past weekend. He competed in the ARCA RE/MAX Series race at Kentucky Speedway Saturday and ended his day in Victory Lane for the second time this season.
  
  "The win this past weekend in the ARCA race at Kentucky will definitely generate more confidence going into this week's race at Lowe's Motor Speedway," said Buescher.
  
  "The main reason I'm running the ARCA races is to get more track time on the mile-and-a-half tracks. I don't have a lot of experience on the larger tracks, and just getting some seat time in a vehicle will help. We should be able to get the same result in the trucks before long, and maybe even this weekend."
  
  Buescher is second in the rookie standings, only one point behind leader Tayler Malsam (#81 One Eighty Toyota).
  
  
• NASCAR Camping World Truck Series veteran crew chief John Monsam has joined Kevin Harvick Inc. (KHI) as crew chief of the #4 Chevy team. Monsam will be on hand this weekend at Lowe's for the North Carolina Education Lottery 200 to work alongside KHI Nationwide Series team crew chief Ernie Cope before taking over the crew chief duties full time at Dover International Speedway on May 29.
  
  With his move to KHI, Monsam also reunites with Ron Hornaday Jr. and Rick Carelli, as he has led both drivers to victories in Truck Series competition. Monsam guided Hornaday to Victory Lane in the 1997 NAPA 200 at Tucson (Ariz.) Raceway Park and won with Carelli in the 2000 Kroger 200 at Richmond (Va.) International Raceway. His other winning drivers include Mike Bliss, Dennis Setzer and Jon Wood.

Eyes On Billy Ballew Motorsports At Lowe's

Kyle Busch will be back in the #51 Miccosukee Resort Toyota with Billy Ballew Motorsports this weekend at Lowe's Motor Speedway. In four starts with the series at Lowe's, Busch has collected two wins among three top-10 finishes. With back-to-back wins in 2005 and 2006, he's the only driver in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series to collect repeat wins at the track.

"Kyle has done a great job for us at Lowe's," said team owner Billy Ballew. "His first start for the team, he won the race in 2005 and returned to win again in 2006. Lowe's means a lot to all the team and employees since it is our home track and a lot of our families attend the race. Kyle has success in anything he drives so I'm sure he'll put on a good show for the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series fans Friday night."

As an organization, Billy Ballew Motorsports has a lot going on this weekend. For the first time in its 14 years competing in the series, BBM will field a third truck in Friday night's race. NASCAR Nationwide Series driver John Wes Townley will pilot the #09 Zaxby's Toyota by way of a joint venture between Billy Ballew Motorsports and RAB Racing. Townley has seven previous starts in the series with a best finish of 18th at Milwaukee last June and Talladega in October

Brian Ickler will also make a return to the series in the #15 Samsung Instinct Toyota. Ickler made an impressive debut with the series at Kansas last month where he finished fifth.

Raybestos Rookie Of The Year Standings

Rk  Driver    Points
1.   Tayler Malsam, 48
2.   James Buescher, 47
3.   Johnny Sauter, 45
4.   Ricky Carmichael, 45
5.   J.R. Fitzpatrick, 42
6.   Brent Raymer, 18
7.   Chase Austin, 16
8.   Chris Jones, 12

Another First-Time Winner At LMS?

Matt Crafton grabbed his first NASCAR Camping World Truck Series victory in last year's Lowe's Motor Speedway race, launching a string of races that saw first time winners.

Who, if anyone, is next to put their first notch in the wins column?

The two prime candidates, statistically, are Colin Braun (#6 Con-Way Freight Ford) and T.J. Bell (#11 Red Horse Racing Toyota). Both excelled in their first visit to the Concord track. Braun's first LMS race was last season; Bell's was in 2007.

Braun finished 15th a year ago but the result was a deceiving one. In actuality, he performed much better than his finish would suggest. In that race, Braun had a Driver Rating of 101.4, an Average Running Position of 7.4, nine Fastest Laps Run and ran 136 of the 138 laps among the top 15.

In 2007, Bell finished ninth with a Driver Rating of 90.5, an Average Running Position of 9.4 and ran all 136 laps in the top 15.

Also watch for Chad McCumbee (#07 ASI Limited Chevy), who also seeks his first win. His first two visits to LMS resulted in finishes of 15th and 18th. But last year, McCumbee came just .184 seconds short of stealing Crafton's glory. and becoming a first time series winner himself.

McCumbee notched the runner-up finish, his best finish to date. In that race, he had a Driver Rating of 97.2, an Average Running Position of 11.1, three Fastest Laps Run and ran 114 of the 138 laps among the top 15 (82.8%).

Wayne's Words

"North Carolina fans have the chance to come out and catch the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race under the lights this Friday night at Lowe's Motor Speedway. It'll be nice for teams because most of them call Lowe's their home track. It's definitely an opportunity for them to show their friends and families what they do 25 weekends a year."

"The drivers and teams are already showing just five races into the season how competitive the series is. There really is no telling who will end up in Victory Lane."

"This track has shown some great finishes. Last year we saw Matt Crafton get the first win of his career. We saw back in 2005 what Kyle Busch was all about when he became the series' youngest winner at age 20. In the series' six races here, he's the only repeat winner."

"This track is also known for having an ever- changing track surface. The crew chief could make the difference, if he can keep up with the track and its changes throughout the night. The drivers, of course, are going to have to know what it's going to take to keep up. Communication will be important."
- Wayne Auton, NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Director

Racing at Lowe's Motor Speedway this Friday night will allow most of the teams a chance to race at their home track. The track is known for changing over the course of the night. Crew chiefs will have to have a good understanding of how it changes to make the right adjustments.

NASCAR Camping World Truck Series 2009 Manufacturers' Championship Standings

[following Race 5 of 25 at Kansas Speedway]

Toyota, 42
Chevy, 33
Ford, 20
Dodge, 15

Up Next

The series will head north to face the Monster Mile in the May 29 AAA Insurance 200 at Dover International Speedway.

Scott Speed notched his first career win last year. In nine races, the track has yet to see a repeat winner. Former winners Ron Hornaday Jr (2007) and Kyle Busch (2005) will look to change that as the series marks 10 years of racing at Dover.
(NASCAR PR)(5-11-2009)

Kansas Success Shows Jason White's Ready To Contend

Sixty-seven different drivers posted a top-10 finish in their first NASCAR Camping World Truck Series start, the most recent being Brian Ickler (#51 Miccosukee Resorts Toyota) at Kansas Speedway on April 27.

It took Jason White (#23 GB Racing Dodge) a little bit longer — quite a bit longer. But if recent performance is any indicator, the Powhatan, Va., native is primed to run with the leaders. White finished 10th in the O'Reilly Auto Parts 250, ending the longest top-10 drought in series history. The race marked the 29-year-old competitor's 59th NCWTS start. White is one of only three drivers (see below) to have started more than 40 races before landing that elusive top 10. His best previous finish, 13th, came in his second appearance at Martinsville Speedway in 2001.

The Kansas performance, during which White battled for the race lead, is a counterpoint to his first full season (2007) during which he failed to qualify four times and posted no finishes among the top 20. "It's been so tough, waiting for one this long," said White of his first top-10 performance, while noting that several other races earlier this year could have matched or bettered his Kansas showing. "We had a tire (go down) and another time somebody wrecked us."

White made his first series start in 1999, finishing 26th at O'Reilly Raceway Park at Indianapolis. Nearly a decade later, he's finally got a team and equipment capable of showcasing his talents. And he believes the Kansas showing is just the beginning. "Definitely," he said. "We've got a new team and some experienced guys who are giving me good trucks that handle well enough to get up there and pass some people."

What the Dwayne Gaulding-owned team doesn't have is a manufacturer active in the series. White drives a Dodge "and we're at some kind of disadvantage," he said of being the only team fielding a Ram pickup truck. "That makes it tough but that was our only option." Still, White qualified eighth for the season-opening race at Daytona International Speedway and he feels the best is ahead. "Hopefully, we can keep knocking them (the competition) off weekly," White said.

Long Time Coming

The five longest number of starts required for a top-10 finish in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series:

    Driver               Start
1. Jason White         59
2. Brandon Whitt      45
3. David Starr           44
4. Bill Lester            38
5. Wayne Edwards   32

Series Roots Planted Firmly In North Carolina

The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series didn't appear at Lowe's Motor Speedway until 2003. The May 15 North Carolina Education Lottery 200 marks the seventh time the series has visited the 1.5-mile facility.

North Carolina, however, was among 11 states hosting events during the series' 1995 inaugural schedule of 20 races.

The famed but now long-shuttered North Wilkesboro Speedway, a .625-mile short track, held not one but two races before closing its gates for good in 1996. Of note, the Sept. 28, 1996 Lowe's Home Improvement Warehouse 250 was the next-to-final race held at the historic track.

North Wilkesboro produced several series milestones. Mike Bliss (#40 Chevy), who would become the 2002 champion after a brief NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stint with A.J. Foyt, scored his first series victory in 1995. His crew chief — also a first-time winner — was Junior Johnson protégé Barry Dodson. The victory was the first of 36 for 2005 owner champion Jim Smith, a member of the off-road group which conceptualized the NCWTS.

The 1996 race was noteworthy on a couple of fronts. Johnny Benson, the 2008 NCWTS champion, captured his first pole, although it took nearly 18 hours to make the lap official. Qualifying began on Friday and concluded on Saturday. Had time trials been washed out, Benson would have lost the pole and a spot in the race.

The North Wilkesboro race itself was a snapshot of series competition to come. Mark Martin's victory was the first of 49 for Roush Fenway Racing, a team that's participated in every NCWTS race since late 1995 and won the 2000 championship with Greg Biffle.
 
Toyota Rules Stats At LMS But Not Win Column

Chevy has set up camp in the Lowe's Motor Speedway Victory Lane.

The manufacturer has won each of the last five NASCAR Camping World Truck Series races at LMS, and it has done it with four different drivers.

But because of the abundance of trucks it has in the field, the Loop Data statistics show Chevy below the other manufacturers.

Since the inception of Loop Data in 2005, at LMS, Chevy has a Driver Rating of 67.7, an Average Running Position of 20.2, a Laps in the Top 15 percentage of 33.1% and 162 Fastest Laps Run.

Though those totals aren't staggering, Chevy's robust truck count must be considered. Chevy has run 55 trucks in the past four LMS races. The second-highest truck count total belongs to Toyota, with 38.

Taking the top quarter for each manufacturer, Chevy has a Driver Rating of 100.1, which is tops among the four manufacturers. Second-best is Toyota with a 96.7.

Taking all trucks into account, Toyota has the top numbers at LMS. Since 2005, it has a Driver Rating of 82.2, an Average Running Position of 16.0, 130 Fastest Laps Run and a Laps in the Top 15 percentage of 52.8%.

Toyota also has Kyle Busch, who has won twice at LMS while driving a Chevy. At LMS, Busch has the top Driver Rating of 126.1. Busch's #51 Miccosukee Resort team, however, now fields Toyotas.

Raybestos Rookie Of The Year Standings

Rk  Driver                    Points
1.   Tayler Malsam         48
2.   James Buescher      47
3.   Johnny Sauter         45
4.   Ricky Carmichael    45
5.   J.R. Fitzpatrick       42
6.   Brent Raymer          18
7.   Chase Austin         16
8.   Chris Jones             12

Etc.

With just three points covering the top four contenders, this year's Raybestos Rookie of the Year contest shapes up as among the closest in the 13 years the prize has been awarded. Three of the four already have scored a top-10 finish and two — Tayler Malsam (#81 One Eighty Toyota) and James Buescher (#10 International MAXX Force Diesel Ford) — are within a few points of cracking the top 10 in overall standings ranking 12th and 14th, respectively. A rookie has not finished among the final top 10 since 2003 when Carl Edwards parlayed three victories into an eighth-place ranking.

The Keystone Light Pole starter has yet to win in six tries at Lowe's Motor Speedway. Five of the six winners have started seventh or deeper in the field. Kyle Busch (#51 Miccosukee Resort Toyota) is best and worst qualified among previous winners: third in 2005 and 20th a year later.

Brian Scott (#16 Albertsons Toyota) will get his irst look at Darlington Raceway this seek as the Idaho native makes his fourth start in the NASCAR Nationwide Series driving for Braun Racing. Scott comes off his best NNS qualifying performance, 10th, at Richmond International Raceway last week.

Mike Skinner's (#5 Bad Boy Mowers Toyota) Kansas victory was the eighth by an over-50 driver currently active in the series. Skinner and rival Ron Hornaday Jr. (#33 Copart.com Chevy) each have four such wins.

Rick Crawford (#14 International Truck and Engine Ford) fulfilled a life-long dream – and his need for speed – when he participated in an incentive ride with the Blue Angels at Florida's Pensacola Naval Air Station on April 28. Flown by Lt. Ben Walborn in Blue Angel #7, Crawford experienced as much as 7.3 g's and speeds as fast as 750 mph. "All of the adjectives you use for excitement don't measure up to it," said Crawford.

Manufacturers' Battle

NASCAR Camping World Truck Series 2009 Manufacturers' Championship Standings following Race 5 of 25 at Kansas Speedway:

Toyota    42
Chevy 33
Ford        20
Dodge     15

Up Next

The next stop for the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series will be under the lights at Lowe's Motor Speedway in the North Carolina Education Lottery 200 on Friday, May 15.

Last year's race saw Matt Crafton (#88 Menards Chevy) snap a 177-race winless streak by edging Chad McCumbee (#07 TheGPSstore.com Chevy) by .184 seconds.
(NASCAR PR)(5-4-2009)

Randy Moss Motorsports Gets First Win Of The Season
After a rain-delayed weekend at Kansas Speedway, the O'Reilly Auto Parts 250 concluded on Monday, April 27 crowning Mike Skinner (#5 Bad Boy Mowers Toyota) the winner and giving team co-owner Randy Moss his first NASCAR national series victory.

Kyle Busch (#51 Miccosukee Toyota), the standings eader heading into Kansas, did not participate this past weekend and Skinner capitalized on his competitor by taking the series standings lead with the win. Busch dropped to sixth in the points.

Skinner had the dominant truck, leading the most laps (67) including the final 13.

This is the first time Skinner has held the top spot in the standings this season. He has a 25-point lead over Ron Hornaday Jr. (#33 Copart.com Chevy) who moved to second.

The win also propelled the #5 team into second in the truck owner standings, 32 points behind Billy Ballew, owner of the #51.

David Dollar, co-owner of the #5, was more than happy about getting Moss his first win. "Well, it is definitely huge," said Dollar. "The last couple of years have been a struggle for us and Randy came aboard so it is always exciting to bring my co-owner his first win. It feels so dang good to be in Victory Lane and have success this early in the season."

So far this season, the 1995 series champion has posted one win, three top fives and four top 10s with no DNFs.

The whole Randy Moss Motorsports organization is making strides in the right direction. Rookie Tayler Malsam (#81 One Eighty Toyota) finished 11th at Kansas, moving up three spots in the standings to 12th. His solid performance also gave him the points lead in the battle for Raybestos Rookie of the Year honors.

Building Momentum From The Puddles Of Kansas Speedway

Ron Hornaday Jr., Johnny Benson (#11 Red Horse Racing Toyota) and Brian Scott (#16 Albertsons Toyota) all used this past weekend at Kansas to build some early-season momentum in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series.

Hornaday finished in the top five at Kansas, moving him into second in the standings after posting his third top five and fifth top 10 of the season.

Benson's second top five and third top 10 of the season boosted him into fifth in the series standings.

Scott finished third in the O'Reilly Auto Parts 250, which moved him up five spots in the standings to seventh. This season Scott has posted one top-five and three consecutive top-10 finishes.

"I am really trying to put an exclamation point on my career, and make a statement in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series that we are not going to be a dark horse," said Scott. "I want people to be thinking we are a contender every week."

"I feel like we have had a strong truck ever since the last seven or eight races of last year," he added. "We have been up front clicking them away and hopefully we are going to keep doing it."

Matt Crafton Holding His Own Among Series Champions

Amidst the bevy of past champions sitting atop the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series points standings sits a series veteran who could make things very interesting as the season winds down.

That driver is Matt Crafton (#88 Menard's Chevy), who moved up to fourth place in the standings after his fourth top-10 finish in the five races this season.

Crafton is dueling with past series champions Mike Skinner (first), Ron Hornaday Jr. (second), Todd Bodine (#30 Ventrilo Toyota) (third) and Johnny Benson (fifth). After Monday's finish to the Kansas race, the California native is just 94 points out of first.

His statistics, too, rank among the best in the series. Crafton has an Average Running Position of 9.8 (fourth), a Driver Rating of 96.0 (fourth), 27 Fastest Laps Run (fifth) and a Laps in the Top 15 percentage of 83.5% (fourth).

Crafton's strong start to the season leads perfectly into the next series race at Lowe's Motor Speedway – the site of Crafton's first, and thus far only, victory. At Lowe's Motor Speedway, Crafton has a Driver Rating of 101.7 and an Average Running Position 9.4.

Raybestos Rookie Of The Year Update

Following five races in the 2009 season, the Raybestos Rookie of the Year standings are red hot with the top five competitors within six points of each other.

Randy Moss Motorsports' driver, Tayler Malsam, leads the rookie standings by one point over James Buescher (#10 International MAXXFORCE Diesel Ford).

The NASCAR Season-To-Date Loop Data shows Malsam and Buescher's performances so far are nearly identical. Malsam slightly edges Buescher in Driver Rating with ratings of 77.6 and 77.0, respectively. While Buescher slightly edges Malsam in Average Running Position, with Buescher posting 14.493 and Malsam posting 15.058. This all adds up to these two battling not only in the rookie standings, but also on the track.

Two points behind Buescher, in second, are Johnny Sauter (#13 Fun Sand Chevy), the rookie of the race at Kansas, and Ricky Carmichael (#4 Monster Energy Chevy), both with 45 points. Sauter finished ninth at Kansas, his second top 10 of the season.

This will be Sauter's first series race at Lowe's Motor Speedway on May 15

Six points behind rookie standings leader Malsam is J. R. Fitzpatrick (#7 TRG Motorsports Chevy) in fifth. Fitzpatrick did not participate at Kansas.

Raybestos Rookie Of The Year Standings

Pos.  Driver    Points
1.   Tayler Malsam, 48
2.   James Buescher, 47
3.   Johnny Sauter, 45
4.   Ricky Carmichael, 45
5.   J.R. Fitzpatrick, 42
6.   Brent Raymer, 18
7.   Chase Austin, 16
8.   Chris Jones, 12

2009 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Manufacturers' Standings Following Race 5 of 25 at Kansas Speedway:
Toyota, 42
Chevy, 33
Ford, 20
Dodge, 15

Up Next

The next stop for the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series will be under the lights at Lowe's Motor Speedway in the North Carolina Education Lottery 200 on Friday, May 15.

Kyle Busch, the defending pole winner, will return to the series after sitting out the O'Reilly Auto Parts 250 at Kansas. Busch leads the series in wins at Lowe's with two.
(NASCAR PR)(4-28-2009)