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Category: Truck Series

NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series news and information

  • NASCAR CREW MEMBERS ARE ‘UNSUNG HEROES OF OUR SPORT’

    Former Crew Chief and Crew Member Robin Pemberton Attests to Importance of Crew Members

    Martinsville, Va. (Oct. 20, 2010) — The 2010 TUMS Fast Relief 500 at Martinsville Speedway on Oct. 24 will celebrate the sports dedicated road warriors and pit crew members. For the first time in NASCAR history, TUMS® has designated all crew members as the Grand Marshals for the 500-lap event.

    “NASCAR crew members are for all intents and purposes, the unsung heroes of our sport,” said Robin Pemberton, vice president of competition for NASCAR. “The passion, effort and professionalism that they exhibit week in and week out are truly extraordinary. As a former crew member and crew chief, I can attest first hand just how vital this group is to the overall success of the race team.”

    Each team pre-selected the crew member that represents and embodies the team spirit to give the command “Gentlemen, Start Your Engines.”  The final set of grand marshals, listed in no particular order, is outlined below and highlights the invaluable role they play within the team environment and their passion for racing.

    • LEE DODSON – No. 09 Phoenix Racing Chevrolet
      Dodson began going to short-track races around his Courtland, Va. home when he was only three years old. His dad and uncles raced, and a decade later, Dodson helped turn wrenches on Mini-stocks, Late Models and Hooters Pro Cup cars. After completing high school, he graduated from the Bobby Isaac Motorsports program at Catawba Valley Community College in Hickory, N.C., and began his Sprint Cup career as a general mechanic with Wood Brothers Racing in 2005. He joined his present team, Phoenix Racing, in March of 2010.

     “It’s very cool to be working in Sprint Cup,” Dodson says. “With our team, we don’t have a designated driver, so I get to work with several and I enjoy that. Since we are so short staffed, I get to learn more which is a good thing. I love setting up cars and working with suspensions. That’s what I like the most.”  

     

    • ERIC GROEN – No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
      A native of Sioux Center, Iowa, Groen raced go-karts as a child while following NASCAR through newspapers, radio and TV. After high school, he chose a college that would allow him to be closer to NASCAR in hopes of working for a team. Groen graduated from Winthrop University in Rock Hill, S.C., with a degree in business and in 2004 found an opportunity to work as a general mechanic and tire carrier with the former Petty Enterprises. Groen did the same for Red Bull Racing before his present role as sponsor manager with Joey Logano and the Joe Gibbs Racing’s No. 20 Home Depot team. He is a liaison between team and sponsor during the week and works as a rear tire carrier for Kyle Busch during Nationwide races and does the same for Logano on Sprint Cup race day.    �
      �
      “My background is on the mechanical side of things, so that’s a little more natural for me, but when I went to Gibbs, they had a position open on the office side,” Groen says. “My roles with the team are diverse.  I enjoy doing both very much. Joe and J.D. Gibbs are upstanding guys and the leadership at Joe Gibbs Racing is the best I’ve seen in my career.” 

     

    • JONATHAN SALMONS – No. 38 Front Row Racing Ford
      A native of Bassett, Va., Salmons moved from working as a mechanic at a local car dealership in 2004 to turning wrenches on Late Model stock cars with some hometown friends. A year later, he joined Craftsman Truck Series driver and team owner Bobby Dotter and moved on to Roush-Yates Engines in 2006. His first Sprint Cup opportunity came in 2010 with Front Row Racing and driver David Gilliland. The graduate of Patrick Henry Community College in Martinsville, Va., presently tunes engines for the team and loves every minute of it.
      �
      “In Sprint Cup, you’re at the top level as far as NASCAR goes,” Salmons says. “You’re the best of the best and that means a lot. I started at the very bottom you might say, working on race cars and engines and have been able to work my way to the top. It’s an honor to be a part of NASCAR and a crew member in Sprint Cup.”   

     

    • JEREMY DYER – No. 99 Roush-Fenway Racing Ford
      Saturday nights for Dyer always meant going to watch his family race around local short tracks in his native state of California. Throughout his life, he watched his grandfather, father and uncle, Camping World Truck Series champion Ron Hornaday, work on and race the cars that sat in the family race shop. Over the years, Dyer followed the racing path and like his famous uncle, moved to the east coast to follow his passion as a NASCAR crewman. He steadily progressed through each of NASCAR’s premier divisions and now sets up race car chassis during the week and carries front tires for Carl Edwards’ No. 99 Roush-Fenway Racing Fords.

    “There have been plenty of opportunities to learn in Camping World Trucks, Nationwide and Sprint Cup over the years,” Dyer says. “It’s really special to be able to turn a hobby into something where you can compete against your peers and have the ability to be considered one of the best in the world at what you do. That’s pretty awesome.”
    　

     The TUMS Fast Relief 500 at Martinsville Speedway is the sixth of 10 races that will determine the 2010 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion. Tickets to the TUMS Fast Relief 500 now are on sale. For more information, call 877.722.3849 or visit www.martinsvillespeedway.com. 

                For more information on TUMS, visit www.TUMS.com.

    About TUMS®
    For more than 75 years, TUMS® has been a fast, effective treatment for heartburn and acid indigestion, neutralizing stomach acid on contact. Today, TUMS is the number one antacid in America, used by more people than any other brand to treat heartburn.
    About GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare
    GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare is one of the world’s largest over-the-counter consumer healthcare products companies. Its more than 30 well-known brands include the leading smoking cessation products, Nicorette(R)and NicoDerm(R)CQ(R), and Commit(R), as well as many medicine cabinet staples– alli(R), Aquafresh(R), Sensodyne(R), and TUMS(R) — which are trademarks owned by and/or licensed to GlaxoSmithKline Group of Companies.

  • Mike Skinner Martinsville Speedway Event Preview

    No. 5 Randy Moss Motorsports International Truck/Monaco RVs Toyota Tundra News and Notes

    • This Week’s Tundra… The No. 5 International Truck/Monaco RVs Toyota Tundra team and driver Mike Skinner will race MDM-106 in Saturday’s 200-lap NCWTS event at Martinsville Speedway. Earlier this season, Skinner was behind the wheel of MDM-106 running fourth at Martinsville Speedway when contact with another competitor eliminated his chance of victory. More recently, the International Truck/Monaco RVs team competed with MDM-106 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway and finished in the 13th position.

    • Success at Martinsville Speedway… Skinner has visited victory lane three times at Martinsville Speedway tying him with Dennis Setzer as the winningest NCWTS driver at the Virginia short track. Known for starting up front, Skinner’s three poles rank him second on the all-time list for NCWTS poles at Martinsville Speedway. The 53-year-old veteran leads all NCWTS competitors with 608 laps led around the 0.526-mile track.

    • Little Skinner… Be on the lookout for Skinner’s “Mini Me” prior to the race on Saturday afternoon. Skinner’s grandson will join him for the weekend at Martinsville Speedway and will be wearing a firesuit with the International Truck/Monaco RVs colors just like his grandpa.

    • Toyota Loyalty… Skinner is the only driver to have piloted a Toyota Tundra in every NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race. The two teamed up in 2004 when the manufacturer entered the NASCAR arena.

    • Watch and Listen… The Kroger 200 will be broadcast live on SPEED with coverage beginning at 12:30 p.m. EST on Saturday, October 23. Live flag-to-flag coverage can also be heard on MRN Radio and Sirius Satellite Radio, channel 128, beginning at 12:45 p.m. EST.

    Mike Skinner on driving at Martinsville Speedway

    “I can’t wait to go back to Martinsville [Speedway]. It’s a track where I’ve had a lot of success in all different aspects of my career, and it’s a place that I always look forward to. I’ll have one of my grandsons with me for the race this weekend, so that makes it even more special. He only comes to a handful of races each season, but we always have a lot of fun when he’s at the track. The International Truck/Monaco RVs team has been hard at work the last few weeks; between testing and a few other things they’ve done, I think we’ll have a very competitive Toyota Tundra this weekend.”

    Crew Chief Stacy Johnson on racing at Martinsville Speedway

    “Mike has been extremely competitive at Martinsville [Speedway]. Our team had a great truck there earlier this season and I think the International Truck/Monaco RVs team has only improved since then. We had a good test at Gresham Motorsports Park and successful trips to both the wind tunnel and seven-post to prepare our truck. I think you’ll see the No. 5 Toyota Tundra racing near the front of the field before the checkered flag falls on Saturday.”

  • Defending Winner Timothy Peters Excited For Return To His Home Town Track; Martinsville Speedway

    TIMOTHY PETERS QUICK FACTS

    Martinsville Speedway

    Kroger 200

    October 23, 2010

    • Peters at Martinsville…Timothy Peters heads to his home track this weekend as the defending race winner. Peters led 84 laps en route to his first career victory at the Virginia paperclip last fall. Martinsville Speedway is a track that Peters knows well. In nine previous starts, he has earned five top-10 and two top-five finishes including one trip to Victory Lane in 2009 and a fourth place finish earlier this spring. Peters is hungry for the win again this fall and knows just what it takes to get there.

     

    • It’s All In The Preparation…Timothy Peters used the three weeks off to prepare himself for this event at Martinsville Speedway. On October 3rd, he participated in the Virginia Is For Lovers 300 Late Model race at his home track. Peters completed the entire 200 lap event and earned a sixth place finish overall. Last Friday, Peters and his Red Horse Racing team headed to The Motor Mile in Radford, VA to shake down the Martinsville primary chassis. The #17 learned some things at the test they feel will play into their favor on Saturday.

                                                                     

    • Every Point Counts…As the season winds down, Peters knows that every point he earns in these last five events will be valuable. Currently tied for fifth in the driver point standings, Peters is determined to gain as many spots as possible before the checkered flag falls at Homestead-Miami Speedway. He is just 35 points behind the fourth spot and 161 points back from second.

     

    • Wiss On Board At Martinsville… Wiss® cutting products have been earning a reputation for craftsmanship and long life since 1848. Go to any race garage or pit toolbox and chances are you’ll find several pairs of Wiss Metalmaster® compound action snips … they’ve been the preferred brand with sheet metal pros for over 50 years. The wide Wiss product line now includes snips, scissors, industrial shears, utility knives, and HVAC tools … all with famous Wiss quality built in.  

     

    Timothy Peters on racing at Martinsville Speedway “ I’m really looking forward to Martinsville this weekend. My face just lights up when I say the word “Martinsville”! I just hope we can repeat what we did last year. I’ve always loved that place; it just fits my driving style. It was so special to get my first win in front of all the home town friends and family. Martinsville is kind of like Daytona because you never know what’s going to happen. I think the extra 200 laps from the late model race is really going to help me. We just need to keep the fenders on and be up front at the end and I think we will have a strong shot and getting back to Victory Lane.”

    Jeff Hensley on racing at Martinsville Speedway  “I love Martinsville race week because it’s close to home. We had a good run in the spring. We finished fourth but we know where we got beat and how we got beat and we know how to  make it better. We just missed it a little in March but I’m confident we will have what it takes this weekend. With this race being 50 laps shorter than it was in the spring, Timothy will be racing hard every lap. We just need to keep the truck in good shape and be there in the end.”

    Equipment Information Timothy Peters will compete with chassis #137 in Kroger 200 at Martinsville Speedway. This is the same chassis he raced at Martinsville in March where he started fifth and finished fourth.  

    Timothy Peters Seeks Sponsorship Partner Peters is still seeking sponsorship for his #17 Toyota Tundra. Red Horse Racing is currently running the #17 without primary sponsorship. For more information on sponsorship opportunities please contact Tom DeLoach at 704-662-0039.

  • Kevin Harvick Truck Series Advance: Martinsville Speedway

    GIVE ME THREE: Kevin Harvick Inc. (KHI) co-owner Kevin Harvick will get behind the wheel of the No. 2 Chevrolet Silverado for the final time in 2010 at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway this weekend. Harvick has driven the No. 2 to victory lane three times this season, taking the checkered flag at Atlanta Motor Speedway, Martinsville Speedway and Gateway (Ill.) International Raceway. Harvick has also finished inside the top three in all of his five previous Truck Series starts in 2010, earning an average starting position of 3.4, and an average finish of 1.6.

    DRIVING CLEAN: For the second time this season, the No. 2 will sport a bright orange and blue paint scheme at Martinsville Speedway. Harvick will hit the track with retail partner Kroger and sponsorship partner Procter & Gamble, highlighting their family of brands on the No. 2 Chevrolet. Tide will take the spotlight on the orange machine, featured on the Chevrolet Silverado’s hood and rear quarter panels. Harvick last ran Tide on the hood of the No. 2 in Martinsville earlier this season where he drove the truck to victory lane after leading 187 of 250 laps.

    DOUBLE TIME: For the first time since the tradition began in 1964, a Truck Series winner will be awarded the grandfather clock for a victory at Martinsville Speedway. Harvick hopes to be the first Truck Series winner to take home the coveted clock, although it wouldn’t be the only one he has collected. In the fall of 2006, Harvick took the checkered flag and the grandfather clock after leading 149 of 250 laps in his only Nationwide Series start at Martinsville.

    ON THE BOX: There will be a new face on the pit box this weekend, as David Hyder will call the shots for the race in Martinsville following crew chief Butch Hylton’s move to the No. 33 truck of Ron Hornaday. Hyder joins KHI from his most recent position as crew chief for the Wood Brothers No. 21 Sprint Cup Series team.

    THOUGHTS FROM THE BOSS: Kevin Harvick

    What are your thoughts going into this weekend’s race at Martinsville Speedway?

    “I really am looking forward to this weekend and racing in the Truck Series again. Jumping behind the wheel in the Truck Series gives me the opportunity to take my mind off the Sprint Cup Series and have fun. Hopefully we can go back to Martinsville this weekend and get another win for these guys on the team as well as Tide.”

    Although you won at the track earlier this season, what would it mean to you to win at Martinsville now that they are awarding a grandfather clock to winners in the Truck Series?

    “Anytime you win in our sport is special, but winning at tracks like Martinsville that have a tradition with trophies, like the grandfather clock, is that much more special. I won a grandfather clock in 2006 for the Nationwide race and would love be able to add another one to the collection.”

    PREVIOUS RACE RECAP: Four weeks ago, in a caution-filled race under the lights, Ken Schrader overcame a persistent vibration to earn a 10th-place finish in the Smith’s Food & Drug Stores 350 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

    CHASSIS HISTORY: The No. 2 team will utilize chassis No. 049 this weekend at Martinsville Speedway. Chassis No. 049 made its on-track debut at New Hampshire Motor Speedway last month, where Kevin Harvick started second and finished third.

    ARE YOU A FOLLOWER? Twitter users can now keep up-to-date with Kevin Harvick Inc.’s NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Teams by following at http://twitter.com/KHI_TruckSeries. In addition, you can follow KHI’s Nationwide Series team at http://twitter.com /KHI_NNS. Want more from KHI? Follow KHI’s co-owners Kevin and DeLana Harvick at http://twitter.com/kevinharvick and http://twitter.com/delanaharvick.

    MEDIA ACCESS: Members of the media can now log on to www.kevinharvickinc.com to gain access to press kit information online. For more information, please email Jessica Trippy at KHI: jtrippy@kevinharvickinc.com.

    About Kevin Harvick Inc.

    Kevin Harvick Inc. (KHI), established in 2001 by Kevin and DeLana Harvick, is an 80,000 sq. ft. facility located in Kernersville, N.C. Home of the 2009 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series championship team, KHI enters 2010 in its seventh full year of competition with two full-time Truck Series teams and one full-time Nationwide Series team. Four-time Truck Series champion Ron Hornaday returns to the helm of the No. 33 Truck team looking for his fifth title and third championship for KHI (2009 and 2007), while Sprint Cup series stars Kevin Harvick and Elliott Sadler guide the No. 2 Truck team. Two-time NASCAR Nationwide Series champion Harvick will again shine as the lead driver of the No. 33 Nationwide Series team as he continues to make his mark in motorsports and establish KHI as one of the top teams in NASCAR competition. For more information about KHI and its teams, please visit www.KevinHarvickInc.com.

  • Germain Racing, Bodine Going Pink for Kroger 200 at Martinsville Speedway

    – Bodine Leads the Truck Series Championship Battle by a 262-point margin

    – No. 30 Germain.com Tundra Will Sport Special Pink Scheme for October NBCA

    – Germain Racing has 22 Truck Series Victories and Eight Pole Awards

    – Bodine Owns 21 Truck Series wins with Germain Racing and 36 NASCAR career wins

    October 19, 2010 (Mooresville, N.C.) – Taking a record-setting point lead into Martinsville Speedway for Saturday’s Kroger 200 is no reason for the No. 30 Germain.com Tundra team to throw caution to the wind. Instead, driver Todd Bodine and crew chief Mike Hillman Jr. have some plans in place for how to deal with the endless variables presented by racing in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series on one of the toughest short tracks in NASCAR.

    “Martinsville is a tough little short track. Anything can happen and we know we have to come out of there with a good finish. Do we want to win? Of course we do! We are going to Martinsville with high expectations, and, at the same time, we realize what our finish needs to be,” explained Bodine, the 2010 Truck Series championship points leader, who has collected four wins behind the wheel of the No. 30 Tundra this year.

    When Bodine says the Germain Racing team is heading to Martinsville Speedway to collect the team’s first short-track win, he’s serious. The team returns to the track with TRD-122, which ran at Martinsville in the spring, and has since been to Darlington’s winner’s circle. It also passed a recent testing session with flying colors.

    “We tested at Little Rock and we think we have the right truck for Martinsville. I expect that the Germain.com Tundra will still be tight in the middle of the corners, but we have a game plan to fix it,” said Hillman.

    Bodine further explained the philosophy behind the testing session.

    “We didn’t go to Little Rock to find a chassis setup for Martinsville. We went to Little Rock to improve on our short track program and we are now going into Martinsville with a little extra optimism. We have a direction to go. We went to Little Rock to figure some other things out and we did. We should be fine,” said Bodine.

    At Bodine’s insistence, the Germain Racing team took their typical effort to promote October as National Breast Cancer Awareness Month a step further. In addition to sporting pink ribbons, the No. 30 Germain.com Tundra will be very pink.

    “For a lot of reasons, promoting Breast Cancer Awareness has been an important mission for Germain Racing since our first year in the Trucks. All Germain Racing vehicles have pink ribbons in October. The Germain.com Tundra will be very pink at Martinsville. Everything on the truck that would normally be red is going to be pink. It’s going to look great. I can’t wait to see it,” said Bodine.

    Watch for Bodine in the pink Germain.com Tundra on Saturday, October 23, at Martinsville Speedway. SPEED will cover Truck Series practice on Friday, the 22nd, at 1:00 PM ET, and live racing on Saturday at 12:30 PM.

    Follow Germain Racing on Twitter @GermainRacing or on the web at Germainracing.com or become a Facebook fan.

    When shopping for your new or used car or truck, head directly to Germain.com to find the perfect vehicle or visit your local Germain dealer in Ohio, Florida, or Arkansas. Germain.com is part of Germain Motor Company, a top-25 automotive retail network with 21 dealerships and more than 60 years of experience.

  • Ricky Carmichael: NCWTS Martinsville Race Preview

    PREVIEW: RICKY CARMICHAEL (NO. 4 MONSTER ENERGY CHEVROLET)

    VENUE: MARTINSVILLE SPEEDWAY (.526-MILE OVAL)

    CIRCUIT: NASCAR CAMPING WORLD TRUCK SERIES (RACE 21 of 25)

    EVENT: KROGER 200 (200 LAPS, 105.2 MILES)

    DATE: OCTOBER 23, 2010

    CARMICHAEL AT MARTINSVILLE: Ricky Carmichael will be making his NCWTS debut at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

    CARMICHAEL ON TRUCKS: Carmichael’s last race came at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, where an early spin in the race relegated him to a 29th-place finish. So far this season, Carmichael has scored two top-five and three top-10 finishes.

    CARMICHAEL ON COMPETING AT MARTINSVILLE: “I’m looking forward to going back to Martinsville. We ended up 10th there in the Spring, despite a long day and a few problems, but we worked hard to get where we needed to be in the end to put ourselves in the top-10. I know we’re going to go back there with a better piece of equipment and I’m looking forward to improving on that finish.”

    BEHIND THE WHEEL: Crew chief Doug Randolph has chosen chassis No.13 for Carmichael to pilot at Las Vegas. This truck was previously on-track at Chicago and Kentucky, where he finished 28th and fifth, respectively.

    NO BREAK IN THE ACTION FOR CARMICHAEL: While most of his NCWTS competitors were taking the last few weeks off, Carmichael was busy making his NASCAR Nationwide Series debut at Kansas Speedway and followed it up with his second race at Auto Club Speedway in California. He finished 18th and 31st, respectively.

    RIDING WITH RICKY: The Monster Energy Chevrolet will be hosting The Apple Mart and Kroger stores on the rear quarter panels this weekend at Martinsville. Fans can get a first-hand look at the Monster Energy Chevrolet when the show truck appears at the Apple Mart store in Danville (4168 Franklin Turnpike) on Thursday from 2 pm -6 pm and at the Kroger in Martinsville (240 Commonwealth Blvd.) on Friday from 2 -6 pm

    HIT THE POLLS: It’s time for NASCAR’s Most Popular Driver fan vote! Carmichael won the award last season and is hoping his fans will help him win a repeat. Go to NASCAR.com (http://www.nascar.com/news/features/2010.truck.mpd/index.html) to cast your votes today.

    BET YOU DIDN’T KNOW: Fans can get a behind-the-scenes look at Carmichael’s home in Tallahassee, Fla., by picking up the current issue of Architectural Digest magazine. The issue, on newsstands now, features the home’s interior design which was created by his wife Ursula’s interior design company, CDecor (www.cdecor.net). The article can also be viewed online at http://www.architecturaldigest.com/homes/homes/2010/11/ricky_carmichael_article

    MONSTER MANIA: Fans can log onto www.monsterenergy.com for a chance to win race tickets, garage passes and a meet & greet with Ricky Carmichael during the 2010 season. The promotion will run throughout the remainder of the season and a winner will be awarded at each venue the Truck Series visits. Fans can always stay up to date with Ricky and the Monster Energy team via Twitter @RickyCarmichael, @MonsterEnergy and @TurnerMotorspts or online at www.rickycarmichael.com and www.teamturnermotorsports.com.

    DON’T MISS A LAP: The Kroger 200 will take the green flag this Saturday, October 23rd at 12:30 PM Eastern. Viewers can watch the race live on SPEED. Additionally, Motor Racing Network (MRN) and Sirius XM NASCAR Radio (Channel 128) will have the live radio broadcast.

  • Ron Hornaday Advance: Martinsville Speedway Advance

    ONE OF THE FEW: Ron Hornaday has more starts (16) at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway than any other track on the current NASCAR Camping World Truck Series schedule. However, Martinsville is one of only nine tracks on the current schedule in which Hornaday has yet to put a tally in the win column. The other tracks include: Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway, Michigan International Speedway, Iowa Speedway, Pocono (Pa.) International Raceway, Darlington (S.C.) Raceway, Chicagoland Speedway, Las Vegas Motor Speedway and Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway.

    SHORT-TRACK SUCCESS: Hornaday is the Truck Series leader in short-track victories leading the series with 22 wins on tracks less than one mile in length. Earlier this season, Hornaday scored his 22nd-career short-track win when he visited victory lane at O’Reilly Raceway Park, his only win thus far in 2010.

    SHOT CALLER: Beginning this weekend at Martinsville Speedway, Hornaday will hear a new voice from atop the pit box. Butch Hylton will move over to the No. 33 truck for the remainder of the 2010 season, calling the shots as crew chief for Hornaday. Hylton previously severed as crew chief for the No.2 Kevin Harvick Inc. (KHI) Chevrolet. In his 13 years serving as a crew chief in NASCAR’s three elite series, Hylton has accumulated 10 wins and one Nationwide Series owner’s championship with Kevin Harvick and Johnny Sauter in 2003. In 2000, Hylton served as car chief for Bobby Labonte’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship season. Hylton also won the 2008 Rolex 24 at Daytona GT division race serving as crew chief.

    TICK TOCK I WANT A CLOCK: For the fall event at Martinsville Speedway, track officials decided it was time that the Truck Series winner be awarded a special trophy. In the Cup Series, the winner of the Martinsville Speedway event receives a grandfather clock as a trophy. KHI co-owner Kevin Harvick (winner of the 2006 NASCAR Nationwide Series race at the track) proudly displays one of those clocks in his office at KHI. Not only does Hornaday want to mark a track off the list that he has yet to win at, he would really like to be the first Truck Series recipient of the grandfather clock trophy.

    “I’ve been asked a lot in my career what certain wins mean to me,” said Hornaday. “I have to say a win at Martinsville would be one that would certainly stick out, only because it is the track that I have been to the most and haven’t been able to get a win. We’ve been close so many times, and to be able to get the first grandfather clock would be awesome. I don’t race for the money, I race for the trophies, and that would be a prized possession to add to my collection.”

    LUCKY CHARM? This weekend at Martinsville Speedway, Hornaday will carry the Armour Vienna Sausage/Kroger paint scheme. Since joining KHI in 2009, the Armour Vienna Sausage/Kroger paint scheme has raced four times, and four times the vehicle has ended the day in victory lane, including Kevin Harvick’s first Nationwide Series win in a KHI- owned vehicle at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway in 2009. Thus far in 2010, the Armour Vienna Sausage/Kroger paint scheme has been to victory lane twice in the Nationwide Series at Nashville (Tenn.) Superspeedway and Richmond (Va.) International Raceway. Hornaday hopes to keep the streak alive as he looks to take the No. 33 Armour Vienna Sausage/Kroger Chevrolet to victory lane in their Truck Series debut.

    Notes from the Professor: Quotes from Ron Hornaday:

    IS THERE ANY ADDED PRESSURE KNOWING THAT THIS PAINT SCHEME IS UNDEFEATED IN THE NATIONWIDE SERIES?

    (Laughs) “No not really. There is just added pressure to get back to victory lane. We have been running well this year, but for some reason do not have the finishes to show for it. We have a good plan in place and I’m looking forward to the things we have in store for this weekend and the rest of the season. I think we have the opportunity to win all of the last five races in 2010 and I’m going to do my part to make that happen.”

    WHAT WOULD IT MEAN TO YOU TO FINALLY GET IN VICTORY LANE AT MARTINSVILLE?

    “It would mean the world to me. I really have a goal to mark off all the tracks that we race at that I have yet to get a win. They are just places we either have not been to that many times or have had bad luck at. Martinsville is just that elusive track that I have ran so well at, but twice we have stared at Kevin’s [Harvick] back bumper as he takes the checkered flag. There are only a few tracks on the schedule that we can say that KHI has run one-two, Martinsville is one of those. I’m just glad we’ve been competitive there, and it’s a tough track to learn and you have to have an almost perfect day in Martinsville to get a good finish. I’m looking forward to this year’s race to see if we can get that first grandfather clock.”

    CHASSIS HISTORY: The No. 33 Armour Vienna Sausage/Kroger team will take chassis No. 048 to Martinsville (Va.) Speedway. This will mark the fifth time in 2010 that Hornaday will climb behind the wheel of chassis No. 048. Hornaday earned a sixth-place finish at Nashville Superspeedway a pair of third-place finishes at Darlington Raceway and Chicagoland Speedway. Most recently, Hornaday posted a 29th-place finish in the chassis at Kentucky Speedway in September following a flat right-front tire late in the 150-lap event.

    PREVIOUS RACE RECAP: Four weeks ago the Truck Series made their annual visit to Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Hornaday qualified seventh for the 146-lap event, led 23 laps, but lost the handling on the No. 33 truck as the race wound down to finish in the 11th position.

    ARE YOU A FOLLOWER? Twitter users can now keep up-to-date with Kevin Harvick Inc.’s NASCAR Camping World Truck Series teams by following at http://twitter.com/KHI_TruckSeries. In addition, you can follow KHI’s Nationwide Series team at http://twitter.com /KHI_NNS. Want more from KHI? Follow KHI’s co-owners Kevin and DeLana Harvick at http://twitter.com/kevinharvick and http://twitter.com/delanaharvick.

    MEDIA ACCESS: Members of the media can now log on to www.kevinharvickinc.com to gain access to press kit information online. For more information, please email Jessica Stroupe at KHI: jstroupe@kevinharvickinc.com.

    About Pinnacle Foods:

    Pinnacle Foods Group LLC, with offices in Mountain Lakes and Cherry Hill, New Jersey, is a leading producer, marketer and distributor of high-quality branded food products in the frozen foods and dry foods segments. The dry foods segment consists primarily of Duncan Hines® baking mixes and frostings; Vlasic® pickles, peppers and relish; Armour® canned meats; Open Pit® barbeque sauce and Mrs. Butterworth’s® and Log Cabin® syrups and pancake mixes. The frozen foods segment consists primarily of Aunt Jemima® frozen breakfasts; Swanson® and Hungry-Man® frozen dinners and entrees; Van de Kamp’s® and Mrs. Paul’s® frozen seafood; Celeste® pizza; Lender’s® bagels; and Bird’s Eye ® vegetables and dinners.

    About Kevin Harvick Inc.

    Kevin Harvick Inc. (KHI), established in 2001 by Kevin and DeLana Harvick, is an 80,000 sq. ft. facility located in Kernersville, N.C. Home of the 2009 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series championship team, KHI enters 2010 in its seventh full year of competition with two full-time Truck Series teams and one full-time Nationwide Series team. Four-time Truck Series champion Ron Hornaday returns to the helm of the No. 33 Truck team looking for his fifth title and third championship for KHI (2009 and 2007), while Sprint Cup series stars Kevin Harvick and Elliott Sadler guide the No. 2 Truck team. Two-time NASCAR Nationwide Series champion Harvick will again shine as the lead driver of the No. 33 Nationwide Series team as he continues to make his mark in motorsports and establish KHI as one of the top teams in NASCAR competition. For more information about KHI and its teams, please visit www.KevinHarvickInc.com.

  • Statement From Martinsville Speedway President W. Clay Campbell On Passing Of Jeff Byrd

    Statement from Martinsville Speedway President W. Clay Campbell on the passing of Bristol Motor Speedway President Jeff Byrd:

    “I’m saddened at the loss our good friend Jeff Byrd. I’ve known Jeff well going back to his days with R.J. Reynolds and Winston. He had such a passion for this business back then and was determined to help take our sport to another level. That determination carried over to his leadership at Bristol Motor Speedway. He was a guy that was just always a pleasure to be around. He had that kind of personality. He will be missed but not forgotten. My thoughts and prayers go out to his family.”

  • NASCAR going green; E15 fuel next season

    NASCAR going green; E15 fuel next season

    NASCAR chairman Brian France announced on Saturday at Charlotte Motor Speedway that NASCAR’s all three of its national series will move from unleaded fuel to an ethanol blend next season.

    The switch to Sunoco Green E15 is another step by NASCAR to “go green”.

    E15 blend is a mixture of 15 percent ethanol and 85 percent gasoline. The ethanol portion is produced from renewable resources at Sunoco’s facility in Marcus Hook, Pa.

    “This is the most visible thing that we can do to let our partners and our fans know that NASCAR is taking a slow, steady march as an industry.” France said.

    “When we said we had to accelerate our green efforts, this was a centerpiece.” France said. “It’s certainly the most visible thing we can do. It’s also one of the more difficult things that we do.”

    Jamie Allison, director, Ford North America Motorsports, provided a statement from Ford Racing’s perspective on this new initiative.

    “Safe. Green. Smart. Quality. These are the four pillars of Ford Motor Company and it’s our mission that we are committed to on a daily basis. The journey toward more environmentally-friendly solutions in the automotive business and motorsports is never-ending and we applaud NASCAR for taking this important step toward an ethanol blend of fuel.”

  • NASCAR Hall of Fame Announces 2011 Inductees

    NASCAR Hall of Fame Announces 2011 Inductees

    The voting is over and the highly anticipated results are in.  The 2011 class of inductees into the NASCAR Hall of Fame were announced Wednesday afternoon, ending months of speculation.

    David Pearson, with an impressive 105 victories, was the first name announced. As he stood to acknowledge the honor he was rewarded with a chorus of cheers and a standing ovation.

    As his image and accomplishments flashed across the video screen, we heard Richard Petty say “He was the best driver I ever drove against.”

    Bobby Allison, with 84 wins and a championship in 1983 was the second name announced.  It was hard to miss the big grin on his face as he was congratulated by those around him.

    Lee Petty, the winner of the first Daytona 500 in 1959 and a three-time champion, was the third inductee to be announced. His son Richard simply said, “He was my hero.”

    Next up was two-time champ Ned Jarrett who won 50 races in a career shortened by his early retirement at age 33. In a touching moment, his son Dale, went to this father’s side and gave him a congratulatory hug.

    The final name added to the class of 2011 was one of NASCAR’s most successful car owners, Bud Moore. His career included 63 wins and two Sprint Cup titles.

    These five legends will join the inaugural class of 2010 which was comprised of drivers Dale Earnhardt, Junior Johnson and Richard Petty, along with Bill France Sr. and Bill France Jr.

    The second class of the NASCAR Hall of Fame will be inducted in a ceremony scheduled for May 2011.