Ken Schrader drove the No. 18 Fastenal Dodge Ram to a top-five finish in the rain-delayed Power Stroke Diesel 200 at O'Reilly Raceway Park, Indianapolis, Ind., last Friday night, July 27. Next up in NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series racing: a 200-mile race at Nashville Superspeedway, in Lebanon, Tenn., on Saturday, August 11, 2007.
Schrader did it in style too. He started 18th and moved up steadily through the field all night on a track where the winner has always started in the top five. Not bad for an old man. He ended the night picking up two spots on the last lap. There was also this tidbit.
TruckSeries.com Report
Fifth-finishing Ken Schrader drove the No. 18 Fastenal Dodge to its first lead lap posting since May’s race in Mansfield where he took third – the veteran’s best of the season.
Mark Martin gave up a spot in the show to watch it from home, and wouldn't change a thing about his first weekend off in 622 NASCAR races. Martin wasn't sure how he'd feel watching Sunday's race from Bristol Motor Speedway, but after dozing off twice during the 500-mile event, he realized he can live without racing.
"I never once wished I was out there," Martin said Monday. "When they started the engines, there was a few seconds there that seemed a little bit eerie to me. But that was the only time that it ever even crossed my mind. "There was no anxiety whatsoever. I enjoyed watching the race. I nodded off once or twice during a commercial, but snapped right back up. It was just a wonderful weekend. I wouldn't trade it for a Nextel Cup."
It was the final hurdle Martin had to cross to know for sure that he can continue his plan of easing into retirement. He tried to walk away from NASCAR's highest level, only to be pulled back into the 36-race schedule by former car owner Jack Roush. Then Ginn Racing gave him a chance to set his own schedule, and Martin jumped at the idea of re-claiming part of his life back. But the pressure to abandon his partial-schedule plan mounted after a terrific start to the season put Martin on top of the Nextel Cup standings. Five years ago, the pursuit of a championship would have consumed Martin. No more.
Kyle Busch, a native of Las Vegas, traditionally has run well at the three NASCAR stops that are nearest to his hometown. Of the three West Coast ovals on the NASCAR circuit (California, Las Vegas and Phoenix), Busch has earned two Cup victories, two Cup poles, one Busch Series pole, 11 top-10 finishes (Cup and Busch Series combined) and led a total of 341 laps.
"I love West Coast racing. Maybe the positive attitude has something to do with it. I don't know. It just seems like we run well every time we're in the Pacific Time zone,'' said Busch.
"California Speedway in particular really fits my driving style. I think it's because of how flat it is. The track just clicks for me personally and the 5 Cup team. So, I guess it's not expecting too much to think it will click for the Busch (Series) team as well."
Bobby Hamilton Jr. hasn't driven a Busch Series car in two years and some have questioned his comfort level after the absence. Bobby responded, "As I said when we first started, there's no phones to answer, and I'm going to tell you guys that I've had a rough time, and it's not all about my dad (Bobby Hamilton Sr.).
As a young married person Bobby is going through some rights of passage that can be hairy for all of us. Bobby explains, "We've been trying to close on a house, and we finally get into it and then all of a sudden I run down here. We had to be out of our house by Friday and I had to go to the shop and get back down here. We just threw everything in a pile to get out. Then (there's) trying to get moved in and to take care of the stuff with my dad and trying to just get situated again and come down here. I swear it was the biggest relief to put the window net up and it was like being on a beach somewhere by yourself because it was just my thoughts and my race car and I was ready to get back to work.
Bobby is very fortunate to have a beautiful young wife named Stephanie that is from a racing family and is able to give him the support he needs. As Bobby explains it,"We took two days to come here. It was just me and my wife to get away from all of the hoopla and relax. It's funny that you come to work to relax, but I love this stuff. I've got Legend cars at home, Late Models, and I'm trying to fill every day that I've got running just to keep me busy.
We love this stuff. And like I said, there's nothing more relaxing than to put that window net up and there's nobody in there talking to you. It's just you and your spotter and your crew chief, and, to me, that's peace, that's ease."
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