Post by jkelly57 on Feb 17, 2007 5:27:51 GMT -6
TruckSeries.com Report
Posted: 2-16-07
Link: www.truckseries.com/cgi-script/NCTS_07/articles/000103/010311.htm
Key Motorsports Puts Both Race Trucks into Daytona Field
For the first time in its brief NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series history, Key Motorsports has earned two starting berths for Friday night's 2007 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series season opener.
Mike Bliss and Larry Foyt posted the 32nd and 35th best qualifying times for the Chevy Silverado HD 250 that is scheduled to get the green flag at 8 p.m. EST. The race will be televised live nationally by the SPEED Channel and will be broadcast live over syndicated radio by the Motor Racing Network.
Key Motorsports and the No. 40 truck failed to gain a spot in last year's Daytona field despite posting the 28th fastest overall qualifying time of the 42 who attempted to qualify in 2006. Friday night's start at the World Center of Racing will only be the second for Key Motorsports and the first since the 2004 campaign when Joey Clanton earned a berth but failed to finish the race.
Fourteen Chevrolet Silverado race trucks turned in qualifying speeds good enough to grab berths in the 36-truck starting field but none are in the top ten and only three in the top 20 as most Chevy entries struggled to find speed. Defending Series' manufacturer champion Toyota picked up where it left off last season by claiming six of the top 10 starting positions led by pole sitter Jack Sprague who was the only driver to turn a lap in excess of 179 miles per hour.
Foyt was the first of the two Key Motorsports trucks to gain a berth by posting a best lap of 52.823 seconds in his No. 44 Silestone USA by Cosentino ride for a speed of 170.823 miles per hour. Bliss, the last to qualify of the 37 drivers and race trucks that made qualifying attempts, then went out in the No. 40 Curtis Key Plumbing/Silestone USA Silverado and also clocked his best time on the second of his two qualifying laps at 52.208 seconds and 172.387 mph.
Bliss, who was turning lap times during practice that put the No. 40 Chevrolet anywhere from ninth to 16th in the running order, and Foyt, who found his race truck bottoming out during most of his practice laps that put him near the bottom of the speed chart, will look to the draft to help them run competitively during the race.
"Our super speedway trucks have traditionally not been real good running by themselves, but it's a big difference when they get hooked up with other trucks and run nose to tail," crew chief Barry Dodson stated. "When our race trucks are running in the draft, our trucks tend to suck up and turn more RPM's, thus creating more power. That'll be the key for both of our trucks in the race," Dodson added.
Bliss' lap times during his practice runs proved Dodson's statement, and though his truck was slow through much of the two days of practice, Foyt did say that his truck handles well and just needs some help. "We were bottoming out pretty badly there for a time, but the guys worked hard making improvements and the truck does drive good. The draft should thus help us as well," Foyt added.
Posted: 2-16-07
Link: www.truckseries.com/cgi-script/NCTS_07/articles/000103/010311.htm
Key Motorsports Puts Both Race Trucks into Daytona Field
For the first time in its brief NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series history, Key Motorsports has earned two starting berths for Friday night's 2007 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series season opener.
Mike Bliss and Larry Foyt posted the 32nd and 35th best qualifying times for the Chevy Silverado HD 250 that is scheduled to get the green flag at 8 p.m. EST. The race will be televised live nationally by the SPEED Channel and will be broadcast live over syndicated radio by the Motor Racing Network.
Key Motorsports and the No. 40 truck failed to gain a spot in last year's Daytona field despite posting the 28th fastest overall qualifying time of the 42 who attempted to qualify in 2006. Friday night's start at the World Center of Racing will only be the second for Key Motorsports and the first since the 2004 campaign when Joey Clanton earned a berth but failed to finish the race.
Fourteen Chevrolet Silverado race trucks turned in qualifying speeds good enough to grab berths in the 36-truck starting field but none are in the top ten and only three in the top 20 as most Chevy entries struggled to find speed. Defending Series' manufacturer champion Toyota picked up where it left off last season by claiming six of the top 10 starting positions led by pole sitter Jack Sprague who was the only driver to turn a lap in excess of 179 miles per hour.
Foyt was the first of the two Key Motorsports trucks to gain a berth by posting a best lap of 52.823 seconds in his No. 44 Silestone USA by Cosentino ride for a speed of 170.823 miles per hour. Bliss, the last to qualify of the 37 drivers and race trucks that made qualifying attempts, then went out in the No. 40 Curtis Key Plumbing/Silestone USA Silverado and also clocked his best time on the second of his two qualifying laps at 52.208 seconds and 172.387 mph.
Bliss, who was turning lap times during practice that put the No. 40 Chevrolet anywhere from ninth to 16th in the running order, and Foyt, who found his race truck bottoming out during most of his practice laps that put him near the bottom of the speed chart, will look to the draft to help them run competitively during the race.
"Our super speedway trucks have traditionally not been real good running by themselves, but it's a big difference when they get hooked up with other trucks and run nose to tail," crew chief Barry Dodson stated. "When our race trucks are running in the draft, our trucks tend to suck up and turn more RPM's, thus creating more power. That'll be the key for both of our trucks in the race," Dodson added.
Bliss' lap times during his practice runs proved Dodson's statement, and though his truck was slow through much of the two days of practice, Foyt did say that his truck handles well and just needs some help. "We were bottoming out pretty badly there for a time, but the guys worked hard making improvements and the truck does drive good. The draft should thus help us as well," Foyt added.