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NASCAR - Camping World Truck - Kroger 250 Preview
From The Sports Network
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| DATE: Saturday, March 31st |
| SITE: Martinsville Speedway (1947) -- Martinsville, Virginia |
| TRACK: 0.526-mile oval - 800 feet (Frontstretch); 800 feet (Backstretch) |
| CAPACITY: 55,000 (Grandstand Seating) |
| ANNUAL: 18th |
| TELEVISION: Speed Channel |
| ANNOUNCERS: Rick Allen, Phil Parsons, Michael Waltrip |
| RADIO: Motor Racing Network (MRN)/SIRIUS NASCAR Radio |
| START TIME: 1:30 p.m. (ET) |
| DEFENDING CHAMPION: Johnny Sauter |
| RUNNER-UP: Kyle Busch |
| POLE WINNER: Johnny Sauter (Finished 1st) |
| LAPS: 250 |
| MILES: 131.5 |
| QUALIFYING RECORD: Matt Crafton, 2011 (96.352 m.p.h.) |
| TOTAL PURSE: $481,493 (2011 figures) |
| PAYOUTS: 1st Place - $40,600; 2nd Place - $22,050; 3rd Place - $15,100 |
| 2011 Finish |
| Finish | Driver | Start | Finish | Driver | Start |
| 1 | Johnny Sauter | 1 | 6 | Cole Whitt | 2 |
| 2 | Kyle Busch | 5 | 7 | Austin Dillon | 4 |
| 3 | Ron Hornaday Jr | 10 | 8 | Ricky Carmichael | 20 |
| 4 | Kevin Harvick | 3 | 9 | Brendan Gaughan | 31 |
| 5 | Timothy Peters | 12 | 10 | Max Papis | 11 |
| 2011 Kroger 250 Facts and Figures |
| AVERAGE SPEED: 64.761 m.p.h. |
| TIME OF RACE: 2 hours, 1 minute, 50 seconds |
| MARGIN OF VICTORY: 0.453 second |
| CAUTION FLAGS: 13 for 61 laps |
| LEAD CHANGES: 12 among 8 drivers |
| POLE WINNER: Johnny Sauter (95.463 m.p.h.) |
| Past Kroger 250 Winners (Starting Position) Car -- Speed |
| 2011 -- Johnny Sauter (1st) -- Chevrolet -- 64.761 m.p.h. |
| 2010 -- Kevin Harvick (1st) -- Chevrolet -- 62.793 m.p.h. |
| 2009 -- Kevin Harvick (6th) -- Chevrolet -- 60.865 m.p.h. |
| 2008 -- Dennis Setzer (10th) -- Dodge -- 61.311 m.p.h. |
| 2007 -- Mike Skinner (1st) -- Toyota -- 61.753 m.p.h. |
| 2006 -- David Starr (15th) -- Toyota -- 59.219 m.p.h. |
| 2005 -- Bobby Labonte (5th) -- Chevrolet -- 66.639 m.p.h. |
| 2004 -- Rick Crawford (3rd) -- Ford -- 61.490 m.p.h. |
| 2003 -- Dennis Setzer (5th) -- Chevrolet -- 66.921 m.p.h. |
| 2002 -- Dennis Setzer (33rd) -- Chevrolet -- 64.628 m.p.h. |
| 2001 -- Scott Riggs (2nd) -- Dodge -- 70.836 m.p.h. |
| 2000 -- Bobby Hamilton (2nd) -- Dodge -- 71.836 m.p.h. |
| 1999 -- Jimmy Hensley (9th) -- Chevrolet -- 74.282 m.p.h. (race record) |
| 1998 -- Jay Sauter (10th) -- Chevrolet -- 72.154 m.p.h. |
| 1997 -- Rich Bickle (1st) -- Chevrolet -- 72.297 m.p.h. |
| 1996 -- Mike Skinner (16th) -- Chevrolet -- 64.434 m.p.h. |
| 1995 -- Joe Ruttman (2nd) -- Ford -- 65.072 m.p.h. |
| NOTE: Race formerly called Goody's 150 (1995), Hanes 250 (1996-1997), NAPA 250 |
| (1998-2000), Advanced Auto Parts (2001-03). |
| Past Kroger 250 Pole Winners (finish) |
| 2011 -- Johnny Sauter -- 1st |
| 2010 -- None -- Weather |
| 2009 -- Rick Crawford -- 5th |
| 2008 -- Jack Sprague -- 24th |
| 2007 -- Mike Skinner -- 1st |
| 2006 -- Bobby Hamilton Jr -- 10th |
| 2005 -- Bobby Hamilton -- 20th |
| 2004 -- Jack Sprague -- 3rd |
| 2003 -- Ted Musgrave -- 2nd |
| 2002 -- Ted Musgrave -- 24th |
| 2001 -- Joe Ruttman -- 4th |
| 2000 -- Mike Wallace -- 2nd |
| 1999 -- Mike Bliss -- 6th |
| 1998 -- Greg Biffle -- 8th |
| 1997 -- Rich Bickle -- 1st |
| 1996 -- Bobby Hamilton -- 31st |
| 1995 -- Not Held |
| Last Race Results |
| RACE: NextEra Energy Resources 250 (February 24th) |
| SITE: Daytona International Speedway -- Daytona Beach, Florida |
| MILES: 272.5 |
| LAPS: 109 |
| WINNER: John King |
| RUNNER-UP: Timothy Peters |
| THIRD: Justin Lofton |
| FOURTH: Travis Kvapil |
| FIFTH: Jason White |
| POLE WINNER: Miguel Paludo (Finished 30th) |
| TIME OF RACE: 2 hours, 17 minutes, 13 seconds |
| AVERAGE SPEED: 119.169 m.p.h. |
| MARGIN OF VICTORY: Under Caution |
| CAUTION FLAGS: 9 for 37 laps |
| LEAD CHANGES: 11 among 8 drivers |
| LAP LEADERS: M. Paludo 1-20; B. Silas 21; M. Paludo 22-43; R. Chastain 44; M. |
| Paludo 45-46; J. Buescher 47-54; M. Paludo 55-66; J. Buescher |
| 67-68; N. Piquet Jr. 69-83; J. White 84-99; J. Sauter 100-103; J. |
| King 104-109. |
| Kroger 250 Entry List |
| Car | Driver, Hometown | Car/Name |
| 2 | Kevin Harvick (Bakersfield, CA) | Chevrolet/Tide |
| 3 | Ty Dillon (Lexington, NC) | Chevrolet/Bass Pro Shops |
| 5 | Paulie Harraka (Fair Lawn, NJ) | Ford/MC 10 Ford F-150 |
| 6 | Justin Lofton (Westmorland, CA) | Chevrolet/collegecomplete.com |
| 07 | Jake Crum (Statesville, NC) | Chevrolet/Bandit Clippers |
| 7 | John King (Kingsport, TN) | Toyota/Red Horse Racing |
| 08 | Ross Chastain (Alva, FL) | Toyota/ASI Limited |
| 8 | To Be Announced | Chevrolet/TBA |
| 09 | John Wes Townley (Waitville, GA) | Toyota/TBA |
| 9 | Ron Hornaday Jr. (Palmdale, CA) | Chevrolet/TBA |
| 10 | Jennifer Jo Cobb (Kansas City, KS) | Dodge/driven2honor.org |
| 11 | Todd Bodine (Chemung, NY) | Toyota/Red Horse Racing |
| 13 * | Johnny Sauter (Necedah, WI) | Toyota/Hot Honeys/Curb Records |
| 14 | Brennan Newberry (Bakersfield, CA) | Chevrolet/Ironclad |
| 15 | Dusty Davis (Las Vegas, NV) | Toyota/thunderexhaust.com |
| 17 | Timothy Peters (Providence, NC) | Toyota/NTB Service Central |
| 18 | Jason Leffler (Long Beach, CA) | Toyota/Dollar General |
| 22 | Joey Coulter (Miami Springs, FL) | Chevrolet/Steak-Umm |
| 23 | Jason White (Powhatan, VA) | Ford/gunbroker.com |
| 24 | Max Gresham (Stockbridge, GA) | Chevrolet/Made In USA |
| 27 | Jeb Burton (Halifax, VA) | Chevrolet/State Water Heaters |
| 29 | Parker Kligerman (Westport, CT) | Dodge/Cooper Standard |
| 30 | Nelson Piquet Jr (Brasilia, Brazil) | Chevrolet/Autotrac/Qualcomm |
| 31 | James Buescher (Plano, TX) | Chevrolet/AccuDoc Solutions |
| 32 | Miguel Paludo (New Silver, Brazil) | Chevrolet/Duroline Brakes |
| 33 | Cale Gale (Mobile, AL) | Chevrolet/Rheem |
| 39 | Ryan Sieg (Tucker, GA) | Chevrolet/RSS Racing |
| 50 | Natalie Sather (Fargo, NC) | Chevrolet/TBA |
| 57 | Norm Benning (Level Green, PA) | Chevrolet/Lady Bug Cleaning |
| 60 | JR Fitzpatrick (Cambridge, Canada) | Chevrolet/TBA |
| 65 | Tyler Tanner (Auburn, WA) | Ford/EF65 Handcleaner |
| 68 | Clay Greenfield (Clarksville, TN) | Dodge/@claygreenfield |
| 70 | Jeff Agnew (Copper Hill, VA) | Chevrolet/TBA |
| 74 | Mike Harmon (Birmingport, AL) | Chevrolet/Koma Unwind |
| 75 | Caleb Holman (Abingdon, VA) | Chevrolet/Food Country USA |
| 81 | David Starr (Houston, TX) | Toyota/Zachry |
| 84 | Chris Fontaine (Lakeland, FL) | Chevrolet/Glenden Enterprises |
| 88 | Matt Crafton (Tulare, CA) | Toyota/Menards |
| 92 | David Reutimann (Zephyrhills, FL) | Chevrolet/Fleet HQ.com/BTS Tire |
| 93 | Chris Cockrum (Conyers, GA) | Chevrolet/RSS Racing |
| 98 | Dakoda Armstrong (New Castle, IN) | Toyota/everfi.com |
| 99 | Bryan Silas (Stuart, FL) | Ford/Rockingham Speedway |
| Leading Contenders (Finish the last nine years) |
| Driver | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 |
| Johnny Sauter | --- | --- | --- | 26th | --- | --- | 27th | 15th | Won |
| Ron Hornaday Jr | --- | --- | 3rd | 14th | 6th | 8th | 2nd | 2nd | 3rd |
| Kevin Harvick | 3rd | --- | 12th | --- | 4th | --- | Won | Won | 4th |
| Timothy Peters | --- | --- | 18th | 35th | 9th | 19th | 22nd | 4th | 5th |
| Matt Crafton | 13th | 7th | 15th | 3rd | 17th | 2nd | 9th | 7th | 11th |
| Miguel Paludo | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | 12th |
| Parker Kligerman | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | 13th |
| Todd Bodine | --- | --- | 4th | 12th | 2nd | 12th | 18th | 30th | 14th |
| Joey Coulter | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | 17th |
| David Starr | 12th | 9th | 22nd | Won | 11th | 6th | 24th | 18th | 26th |
| Nelson Piquet Jr. | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | 30th |
| James Buescher | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | 11th | --- | 35th |
| Jason Leffler | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| John King | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Ty Dillon | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Mover of the Week |
| John King - Started in the 23rd position and finished 1st |
| Sports Network Selections |
| Pick to Win - Kevin Harvick |
| Darkhorse - David Starr |
| Last Week's Pick to Win (Timothy Peters) - Finished 2nd |
| Last Week's Darkhorse (Jason White) - Finished 5th |
| NOTES: |
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After a month off following the opening-season race in Daytona, the
Camping World Series resumes at Martinsville Speedway for the 18th edition for
the Kroger 250.
Last season, this race was fourth on the schedule, as Johnny Sauter passed Kyle
Busch with less than two laps remaining to win his third career Truck Series
title.
Busch was attempting to win at Martinsville for the first time, but Sauter
chased down Busch just after the final restart with four laps to go, and then
made the winning pass right before the white flag was displayed for the final
lap in the 250-lap race.
Back in 2010, Kevin Harvick put on a dominating performance as he raced to
victory over Ron Hornaday Jr. Harvick led 187 of 250 laps and easily held off
Hornaday after the final restart with 19 laps remaining to win his fourth
consecutive truck race he had entered. He won in his first start of the season
in 2010 at Atlanta and ended the 2009 campaign with victories at Phoenix and
Homestead. Harvick started first on the grid and became the third pole sitter
to win the spring race. Harvick joined Dennis Setzer as the only drivers to win
this race in back-to-back seasons.
In 2009, Harvick tapped Kyle Busch out of the way for the lead late in the
race and then held off teammate Ron Hornaday Jr in a green-white-checkered
finish to win the rain-delayed Kroger 250 in 2009. Harvick started sixth on
the grid and took the lead for the only time with 11 laps remaining for his
fourth career title. Busch, who dominated the race, leading for 139 laps, fell
to 17th, while pole sitter Rick Crawford placed fifth after leading the first
78 laps.
Setzer won this race for the third time and recorded his 18th and last career
Truck Series title, as he dominated the 2008 Kroger 250. Starting from the 10th
position on the grid, Setzer took the lead on lap 128 and held on the rest of
the way to defeat Matt Crafton under the caution. Pole sitter Jack Sprague led
twice for 28 laps, but finished a distant 24th.
Mike Skinner became only the second driver to win multiple races on the Truck
circuit at Martinsville, as he raced to a 0.527 of a second victory over Todd
Bodine in 2007. Skinner, who started on the pole, joined Dennis Setzer as two-
time champions. Skinner led for a whopping 246 of the 253 laps, including the
final 172, as he recorded the 22nd of his 28 career Truck Series titles.
Skinner is tied with Jack Sprague for third place on the all-time list. Ron
Hornaday Jr is the all-time leader with 51.
In 2006, David Starr dominated this race, as he claimed the lead on lap 130
and held on the rest of the way to defeat Ted Musgrave by less than a second
in the 250-lap event. Pole sitter Bobby Hamilton Jr, who led for the first 18
laps, finished 10th. Starr led for a race-high 121 laps, as he secured his
fourth and last career Truck Series title.
When Bobby Labonte won in 2005, he crossed the finish line just .257 of a
second ahead of Ricky Craven for his first-ever Truck Series title. The
victory was the closest margin of victory in race history. With the win,
Labonte became the 12th driver to win in all three of NASCAR's national
series'.
In 17 previous races, this event has been won from the front row seven times,
however only four times from the pole, including last season by Sauter. In the
26 races held at this track, a top-10 spot has captured the checkered flag 21
times.
Martinsville is one of four tracks to host a NASCAR Camping World Truck Series
in all 18 seasons beginning in 1995. Kroger has been the top sponsor of the
spring and fall races since 2004.
The Camping World Truck Series makes its inaugural visit to Rockingham, NC for
the April 15 Good Sam Road Side Assistance Carolina 200 at Rockingham
Speedway.
03/27 13:40:52 ET
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As of March 27, 2012, at 01:41 PM ET
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