Mike Sinner Hopes To Rally; Johnny Benson Goes For 3rd Straight Win

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LOUDON, N.H. (Sept. 14, 2007) – Eight and four.

Those are the two numbers to remember this weekend as the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series embarks on its 2007 stretch run. Eight races remain, but only four points separate standings leader Ron Hornaday Jr. from second-place Mike Skinner.

Added to the drama mix is Johnny Benson, who's fifth in the series standings and aiming for his third consecutive victory in Saturday’s New Hampshire 200 at New Hampshire International Speedway. If successful, Benson will duplicate Skinner’s trio of consecutive wins posted earlier this season at California Speedway, Atlanta Motor Speedway and Martinsville Speedway.

But back to the standings battle. It’s the series’ second-closest margin after 17 events. Hornaday leads the standings for the first time since 1999 – the third leader of ’07 – following Jack Sprague and Skinner.

The 'Champions' May Have It At New Hampshire

A NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series title isn’t necessary for success at New Hampshire International Speedway, but statistics show it certainly doesn’t hurt. Nor is it a lucky charm.

Seven former series champions are scheduled to compete in Saturday’s New Hampshire 200. They are: Skinner; Hornaday; Sprague; Mike Bliss; Travis Kvapil; Ted Musgrave; and Todd Bodine. But Hornaday, Kvapil and Sprague are the only former champions with New Hampshire victories.

However, former series champions have won 12 of 17 events thus far in 2007, and they rank first through fourth in the current standings – Hornaday, Skinner, Kvapil and Bodine.

Hornaday’s New Hampshire victory came in 1996. Skinner’s best finish there was his runner-up effort last September. Kvapil won at New Hampshire in 2004. Bodine’s top New Hampshire finish was fourth last September.

Johnny Benson, who’s fifth in the current standings, is the race's defending champion.

Down-To-Wire Finishes A New Hampshire Norm

If history holds, expect a tight finish in Saturday’s New Hampshire 200. Also, expect the possibility of a fresh face in victory lane.

Saturday’s event is the 12th NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race at New Hampshire where two statistics deserve a second look.

First, no driver has repeated as a New Hampshire winner.

Second, the largest margin of victory in a NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series event at New Hampshire is 0.691 second in 2006. That was the distance between Benson, last year’s New Hampshire winner, and second-place finisher Skinner. The total margin of victory in 10 races is 4.633 seconds, an average of 0.463 second. The 2004 event ended under caution.

The tightest New Hampshire finish occurred in the 2002 event – only 0.189 second separated winner Terry Cook from second-place finisher Dennis Setzer.

This race has been won from the pole twice: Sprague in 2001 and Jimmy Spencer in 2003.

The Five Closest New Hampshire Finishes

Margin Year Winner Second
0.189 2002 Terry Cook Dennis Setzer
0.221 2005 Rick Crawford Dennis Setzer
0.322 1996 R. Hornaday Jr. Jack Sprague
0.333 2000 Kurt Busch Mike Wallace
0.355 1999 Dennis Setzer Mike Wallace

Mike Skinner To Host Charity Event

“Rounding Up” For A Good Cause. Skinner and his wife, Angie, are set for the “Toyota Tundra Skinner Round Up” Sept. 27-28 in Daytona Beach. It’s a charity fund raiser the Skinners co-host with Toyota, and it's newly expanded to two days this year, thanks to the success of last year’s inaugural event.

The event begins Sept. 27 with the “Hoe Down Bash” at Daytona International Speedway’s Boardwalk Pavilion, which includes displays, live and silent auctions and live music.

On Sept. 28, expect star-studded golf and poker tournaments hosted by Spruce Creek Country Club. Participants include recording artists Edwin McCain, Stacy Mitchart, Eddie Money and Bo Bice; drivers Hornaday, Rick Crawford and Steve Park; NHRA drivers Matt Smith and Scott Kelley; NASCAR Assistant Secretary & International Community Relations Director Betty Jane France and World Series of Poker champion Brian Wilson.

Last year’s Round Up raised more than $104,000 for a myriad of Daytona Beach-area charities. This year’s goal is $125,000.

Chad Chaffin Replaces Brandon Miller

Key Motorsports team owner Curtis W. Key Sr. has announced that Chad Chaffin will replace rookie Brandon Miller in the No. 40 Chevrolet for the final eight races in this year's NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series schedule.

Chaffin competed in the first six races of the 2006 season for Key Motorsports, in the team’s first attempt to run the full 25-race schedule. Now, he returns for a second tenure.

“This team has come a long way since I last drove for it,” said Chaffin, 39, a two-time series winner. “It has now qualified for and competed in the last 35 races run over the last two seasons, so I know that I am coming back to a much different situation.”

Key said Miller has the opportunity to remain with the team.

“Brandon can learn a lot by watching and listening to a veteran like Chad,” Key said, “and if he believes that this can help his own driving career, then he will be with us at the next few races.”

David Green Going For The Double

David Green has a unique opportunity Saturday at New Hampshire. The former NASCAR Busch Series champion has one Hew Hampshire victory in that series [2003] and is expected to be the only entrant in Saturday’s event with such a distinction. That means Green could become the first driver to win both a NASCAR Busch Series and NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series event at New Hampshire.

Kurt Busch and Kyle Busch are the only competitors who have won NASCAR NEXTEL Cup and NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series races at New Hampshire.

Lia To Attempt To Qualify

Whelen Modified Tour standings leader Donny Lia will attempt to qualify a fourth truck for Bill Davis Racing at New Hampshire.

Manufacturers’ Standings: Chevrolet Has The Statistical Edge

Manufacturers' Championship
2007 Point Standings
Toyota 123
Chevrolet 102
Ford 97
Dodge 52

Anyone looking for clues for the winning manufacturer this weekend should glance at Chevrolet, which won the series’ first three races at the 1-mile track in 1996-98. Chevrolet is the top winning manufacturer with four New Hampshire victories.

Chevrolet’s last win at New Hampshire came in 2001, with Sprague.

Meanwhile, Toyota has won two of the past three races at New Hampshire. Kvapil's 2004 win was the manufacturer's second and final victory of its inaugural season.

Toyota also is the defending champion of Saturday’s event, thanks to Benson’s triumph last September.

In The Loop: Ron Hornaday Jr. Excels At New Hampshire

Skinner’s standings lead disappeared two weeks ago at Gateway, and now the 1995 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series champion finds himself in unfamiliar territory this season – second place.

Skinner took the standings lead after the season's second race, and saw his point total grow to a maximum of 164 after his victory at Kentucky. Now, after a 28th-place finish at Gateway, Skinner trails new leader Hornaday by four points.

And this weekend at New Hampshire might be where the fun starts for Hornaday. If Skinner’s not careful, Hornaday’s lead could balloon. Hornaday has a win there, and recently, he’s been more consistent at New Hampshire than Skinner.

Over the last two New Hampshire races, Hornaday has the top Average Running Position [5.3], the second-best Driver Rating [114.7] and has spent all but one of the 400 laps in the Top 15. He has finishes of fifth and sixth over that span.

Skinner, with finishes of 24th and second over the past two years, has a Driver Rating of 106.6 [sixth-best], an Average Running Position of 7.7 [fifth-best] and 38 Fastest Laps Run [second-most].

Also, watch for NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series mainstay Crawford. He won at NHIS in 2005, and over the past two years has accumulated some of the best stats in the series. Crawford has the top Driver Rating at 117.8, the third-best Average Running Position [5.8] and has spent all but three of his laps over the past two years in the top 15.

Raybestos Rookie of the Year Standings

Driver Points
1. Tim Sauter 129
2. Willie Allen 127
3. Blake Bjorklund 110
4. Joey Clanton 109
5. Jason White 95

This Week’s NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Leaders

(Through 17 races of the 25-race season)
Points leader – Ron Hornaday Jr. (2,769)
Driver Rating – Mike Skinner (122.2)
Winnings – Mike Skinner ($552,700)
Laps led – Mike Skinner (9943)
Victories – Mike Skinner (4)
Bud Poles – Mike Skinner (9)
Top-five finishes – Mike Skinner (12)
Top-10 finishes – Ron Hornaday Jr. (15)
Raybestos Rookie Leader – Tim Sauter (2 points over Willie Allen)
Races led – Mike Skinner (16)
Weeks in Top 10 – Nine drivers tied with 17
On Deck: Las Vegas Motor Speedway

The next stop for the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series is Las Vegas Motor Speedway and the Sept. 22 Smith’s Las Vegas 350.

In last year's event, Skinner beat Musgrave by 0.309 second to secure his first victory of 2006 and the 19th of his NASAR Craftsman Truck Series career. It was the first NASCAR event held on Las Vegas’ newly-reconstructed track – a 1.5-mile venue that also received a complete infield reconstruction with new garage, fan and media facilities.

Bodine, then en route to his first NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series title, finished 12th at Las Vegas and remained the standings leader by 91 points over Benson.

FAST FACTS

Next Race: New Hampshire 200
The Place: New Hampshire International Speedway
The Date: Sept. 15
The Time: 3 p.m. EDT
TV: SPEED 2:30 p.m. EDT
Track Layout: 1.058-mile oval
Race Purse: $558,210
2006 Winner: Johnny Benson
2006 Pole: Mike Skinner
2007 Standings

No. Driver Points
1 Hornaday Jr. 2,769
2 Skinner 2,765
3 Kvapil 2,575
4 Bodine 2,506
5 Benson 2,349
6 Crawford 2,326
7 Musgrave 2,122
8 Sprague 2,094
9 Crafton 2,087
10 Darnell 2,021

Schedule: Friday – Practice 9:40–10:50 a.m.; Rookie practice 11:20-11:50; Final practice 1:45 p.m.-3 p.m. Saturday – Qualifying 10:05 a.m.