2007 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series

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2007 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series season
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The 12th season of the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series season set off on February 16, 2007 at Daytona International Speedway with the Chevy Silverado HD 250, and ended on November 16, 2007 with the Ford 200 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Ron Hornaday of Kevin Harvick Incorporated was crowned champion.

Top storylines

Schedule

All races were held in the United States.

Date Venue Event
February 16 Daytona International Speedway Chevy Silverado HD 250
February 23 Auto Club Speedway San Bernardino County 200
March 16 Atlanta Motor Speedway American Commercial Lines 200
March 31 Martinsville Speedway Kroger 250
April 28 Kansas Speedway O'Reilly Auto Parts 250
May 18 Lowe's Motor Speedway Quaker Steak and Lube 200
May 26 Mansfield Motorsports Park City of Mansfield 250
June 1 Dover International Speedway AAA Insurance 200
June 8 Texas Motor Speedway Sam's Town 400
June 16 Michigan International Speedway Michigan 200
June 22 Milwaukee Mile Toyota Tundra Milwaukee 200
June 30 Memphis Motorsports Park O'Reilly 200
July 14 Kentucky Speedway Built Ford Tough 225 presented by the Greater Cincinnati Ford Dealers
July 27 O'Reilly Raceway Park at Indianapolis Power Stroke Diesel 200 presented by Ford and International
August 11 Nashville Superspeedway Toyota Tundra 200
August 22 Bristol Motor Speedway O'Reilly Auto Parts 200 presented by Valvoline
September 1 Gateway International Raceway Missouri/Illinois Dodge Dealers Ram Tough 200
September 15 New Hampshire International Speedway New Hampshire 200
September 22 Las Vegas Motor Speedway Smith's Las Vegas 350
October 6 Talladega Superspeedway Mountain Dew 250
October 20 Martinsville Speedway Kroger 200
October 27 Atlanta Motor Speedway EasyCare Vehicle Service Contracts 200
November 2 Texas Motor Speedway Silverado 350K
November 9 Phoenix International Raceway Phoenix 150
November 16 Homestead-Miami Speedway Ford 200

Full-time teams and drivers

Team Truck(s) No. Driver(s) Listed owner(s) Crew chief
Bill Davis Racing Toyota Tundra 5 Mike Skinner Bill Davis Jeff Hensley
23 Johnny Benson Gail Davis Trip Bruce
36 Tyler Walker (R) Bill Davis Doug Wolcott
Billy Ballew Motorsports Chevrolet Silverado 15 Bill Lester Billy Ballew Richie Wauters
Bobby Hamilton Racing Dodge Ram 4 Chase Miller Lois Vance Marcus Richmond
18 Ken Schrader Jeff White
Circle Bar Racing Ford F-150 10 David Starr Greg Pollex Dennis Connor
14 Rick Crawford Tom Mitchell Kevin Starland
Germain Racing Toyota Tundra 9 Ted Musgrave Bob Germain Rick Gay
30 Todd Bodine Stephen Germain Mike Hillman, Jr.
Green Light Racing Chevrolet Silverado 07 Tim Sauter (R) Gene Christensen Bobby Dotter
08 Chad McCumbee Bobby Dotter Dan Glauz
HT Motorsports Toyota Tundra 59 Terry Cook Jim Harris Danny Rollins
Kevin Harvick Incorporated Chevrolet Silverado 33 Ron Hornaday DeLana Harvick Rick Ren
Key Motorsports Chevrolet Silverado 40 Mike Bliss Curtis Key Barry Dodson
Morgan-Dollar Motorsports Chevrolet Silverado 47 Kraig Kinser David Dollar Rodney McGehee
MRD Motorsports Chevrolet Silverado 8 Blake Bjorklund (R) Dave Malcomson Steve Genebacher
Pennington Motorsports Dodge Ram 7 Casey Kingsland J. L. Pennington Gary Showalter
Red Horse Racing Toyota Tundra 1 Aaron Fike (R) Tom DeLoach Jamie Jones
Roush Fenway Racing Ford F-150 6 Travis Kvapil Jack Roush Mike Beam
50 T. J. Bell Matt Puccia
99 Erik Darnell John Quinn
South Point Racing Dodge Ram 77 Brendan Gaughan Michael Gaughan Bryan Berry
Spears Motorsports Chevrolet Silverado 75 Dennis Setzer Wayne Spears Dave McCarty
ThorSport Racing Chevrolet Silverado 13 Willie Allen (R) Duke Thorson Lance Hooper
88 Matt Crafton Rhonda Thorson Bud Haefele
Wood Brothers/JTG Racing Ford F-150 09 Joey Clanton (R) Tad Geschickter Gary Cogswell
21 Kelly Bires (R) Glen Wood John Monsam
Darrell Waltrip Motorsports Toyota Tundra 00 A. J. Allmendinger Darrell Waltrip Jason Overstreet
Wyler Racing Toyota Tundra 60 Jack Sprague Jeff Wyler Tony Furr
Xpress Motorsports Ford F-150 16 Stacy Compton Dave Fuge Dave Fuge

Television

Fox-owned Speed Channel again covered the entire 2007 Truck Series season, except for two races on Fox.

Miscellaneous

Trucks

Beginning this season, the trucks will be identical from the windshield to the rear of the truck. However, the noses will continue to be branded as the Chevrolet Silverado, Dodge Ram, Ford F-150, and Toyota Tundra.

Drivers

  • On August 14, Green Light Racing dropped driver Chad McCumbee from the #08 team. Shane Sieg drove the #08 at Bristol with "People Against Drugs" on the hood of the truck

Races

Chevrolet Silverado HD 250

This race was held February 16 at Daytona International Speedway. Jack Sprague won the pole and would win the race from the pole. On the final lap, Travis Kvapil, only a few yards short of taking the second consecutive victory at Daytona for the 6 truck, was passed by the Toyota Tundras of Sprague on the high side and Johnny Benson, who had given Sprague a bump, near (but not on) the apron in a three-wide finish reminiscent of the 2003 Daytona race which ironically Kvapil also lost.

Top ten results:

Pos. No. Driver Truck Team
1. #60 Jack Sprague Toyota Wyler Racing
2. #23 Johnny Benson Toyota Bill Davis Racing
3. #6 Travis Kvapil Ford Roush Fenway Racing
4. #5 Mike Skinner Toyota Bill Davis Racing
5. #30 Todd Bodine Toyota Germain Racing
6. #09 Joey Clanton Ford Wood Brothers/JTG Racing
7. #33 Ron Hornaday Chevrolet Kevin Harvick Incorporated
8. #88 Matt Crafton Chevrolet ThorSport Racing
9. #9 Ted Musgrave Toyota Germain Racing
10. #14 Rick Crawford Ford Circle Bar Racing

Failed to qualify: Wayne Edwards (#95)

San Bernardino County 200

This race was held February 23 at Auto Club Speedway. Carl Edwards won the pole in the unsponsored Roush Fenway Racing #50 truck. On one of the 2nd from the final restart #33 Ron Hornaday spun out #21 Mark Martin due to a slow restart, the caution flag was soon waved but not until after #5 Mike Skinner made the pass for the lead. NASCAR didn't issue any penalties to the #33 team and Mark Martin after the spin ended up finishing 23rd. On the final restart, Skinner held off #33 Ron Hornaday to get his first truck series win since last year at Las Vegas.

Top ten results:

Pos. No. Driver Truck Team
1. #5 Mike Skinner Toyota Bill Davis Racing
2. #33 Ron Hornaday Chevrolet Kevin Harvick Incorporated
3. #60 Jack Sprague Toyota Wyler Racing
4. #50 Carl Edwards Ford Roush Fenway Racing
5. #9 Ted Musgrave Toyota Germain Racing
6. #23 Johnny Benson Toyota Bill Davis Racing
7. #30 Todd Bodine Toyota Germain Racing
8. #2 Kevin Harvick Chevrolet Kevin Harvick Incorporated
9. #14 Rick Crawford Ford Circle Bar Racing
10. #40 Mike Bliss Chevrolet Key Motorsports

Failed to qualify: none (34 entrants)

American Commercial Lines 200

The American Commercial Lines 200 was held March 16 at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Mike Skinner won the pole. In another exciting race for the NCTS, NEXTEL Cup regular Clint Bowyer held the lead on a restart with seven laps to go. While he tried to bunch up the field on a restart, California winner Mike Skinner bumped Bowyer out of the way and went on to win his second consecutive race. Despite the bump and run, Bowyer finished 5th.

Top ten results:

Pos. No. Driver Truck Team
1. #5 Mike Skinner Toyota Bill Davis Racing
2. #30 Todd Bodine Toyota Germain Racing
3. #88 Matt Crafton Chevrolet ThorSport Racing
4. #10 Rick Crawford Ford Circle Bar Racing
5. #2 Clint Bowyer Chevrolet Kevin Harvick Incorporated
6. #77 Brendan Gaughan Chevrolet South Point Racing
7. #75 Dennis Setzer Chevrolet Spears Motorsports
8. #9 Ted Musgrave Toyota Germain Racing
9. #09 Joey Clanton Ford Wood Brothers/JTG Racing
10. #7 Kelly Bires Ford Wood Brothers/JTG Racing

Failed to qualify: none (35 entrants)

Kroger 250

The Kroger 250 was held on April 1 at Martinsville Speedway. Mike Skinner won the pole. Skinner would win his third consecutive race and second in a row from pole. Skinner dominated the tiny Martinsville short track, leading 246 laps, easily breaking Rich Bickle's old record of leading 204 laps en route to victory in 1997.

Top ten results:

Pos. No. Driver Truck Team
1. #5 Mike Skinner Toyota Bill Davis Racing
2. #30 Todd Bodine Toyota Germain Racing
3. #14 Rick Crawford Ford Circle Bar Racing
4. #2 Kevin Harvick Chevrolet Kevin Harvick Inc.
5. #9 Ted Musgrave Toyota Germain Racing
6. #33 Ron Hornaday Chevrolet Kevin Harvick Inc.
7. #1 Aaron Fike Toyota Red Horse Racing
8. #36 Tyler Walker Toyota Bill Davis Racing
9. #46 Timothy Peters Chevrolet Morgan-Dollar Motorsports
10. #23 Johnny Benson Toyota Bill Davis Racing

Failed to qualify: Bradley Riethmeyer (#49), Brian Sockwell (#54), Shane Sieg (#28), Chris Jones (#87), Tim Cowen (#42)

O'Reilly Auto Parts 250

The O'Reilly Auto Parts 250 was held on April 28 at Kansas Speedway. This race was moved from its traditional July weekend to late April in hopes of cooler temperatures. It was also held in conjunction with the IndyCar Series' event, the Kansas Indy 300. The race was dominated by 2006 Raybestos Rookie of the Year Erik Darnell, who would lead 91 of 166 laps en route to his first career NCTS victory. Darnell's win ended the win streak of Mike Skinner, who started from the pole but had trouble in the pits.

Top ten results:

Pos. No. Driver Truck Team
1. #99 Erik Darnell Ford Roush Fenway Racing
2. #14 Rick Crawford Ford Circle Bar Racing
3. #60 Jack Sprague Toyota Wyler Racing
4. #23 Johnny Benson Toyota Bill Davis Racing
5. #5 Mike Skinner Toyota Bill Davis Racing
6. #33 Ron Hornaday Chevrolet Kevin Harvick Incorporated
7. #30 Todd Bodine Toyota Germain Racing
8. #1 Aaron Fike Toyota Red Horse Racing
9. #59 Terry Cook Toyota HT Motorsports
10. #88 Matt Crafton Chevrolet ThorSport Racing

Quaker Steak and Lube 200

The Quaker Steak and Lube 200 was held on May 18 at Lowe's Motor Speedway. Mike Skinner won the pole. The race saw a classic showdown between truck series veteran Ron Hornaday and NEXTEL Cup rookie A. J. Allmendinger. However, the veteran stole the show by passing Allmendinger with 36 laps to go. It looked like Hornaday might coast to victory, but Johnny Benson, who had already been in controversy during the week, cut a tire with 11 laps to go. However, Hornaday held off Allmendinger and Todd Bodine to take his first truck victory of the season. The win also gave Chevrolet its first truck win since Texas last year.

Top ten results:

Pos. No. Driver Truck Team
1. #33 Ron Hornaday Chevrolet Kevin Harvick Incorporated
2. #00 A. J. Allmendinger Toyota Darrell Waltrip Motorsports
3. #30 Todd Bodine Toyota Germain Racing
4. #21 Mark Martin Ford Wood Brothers/JTG Racing
5. #9 Ted Musgrave Toyota Germain Racing
6. #16 Mike Bliss Ford Xpress Motorsports
7. #88 Matt Crafton Chevrolet ThorSport Racing
8. #5 Mike Skinner Toyota Bill Davis Racing
9. #50 T. J. Bell Ford Roush Fenway Racing
10. #14 Rick Crawford Ford Circle Bar Racing

Failed to qualify: Jason White (#7)

Johnny Benson Jr. allowed a non-licensed NASCAR driver to test his truck and was assessed a 50-point penalty

NCTS Ohio 250

The NCTS Ohio 250 was held on May 26 at Mansfield Motorsports Park. Mike Skinner won the pole. In a race that featured much attrition and varying strategies, it seemed as though Matt Crafton would be able to end his 154 race winless drought by going on an unbelievable no-stop strategy. However, two six hour rain delays held up his goal. Although Crafton had the lead after the delay, he soon lost the top spot to Rick Crawford and would eventually blow out a tire. Crawford, meanwhile, dominated the race, leading the most laps, as his only contenders were rookie Aaron Fike and "Short Track Slayer" Dennis Setzer. When it seemed as though Crawford would sail to an easy win, he cut down a tire with 11 laps to go, handing the lead to Setzer. For Setzer, it had been almost 2 years since he last won a race, and for his Spears Racing team, they had not won since Phoenix in 2004. The crafty veteran outlasted the competition on a shocking no stop strategy to win. Second-place finisher Jack Sprague said that it was unbelievable that Setzer won without pitting.

Top ten results:

Pos. No. Driver Truck Team
1. #75 Dennis Setzer Chevrolet Spears Motorsports
2. #60 Jack Sprague Toyota Wyler Racing
3. #18 Ken Schrader Dodge Bobby Hamilton Racing
4. #5 Mike Skinner Toyota Bill Davis Racing
5. #23 Johnny Benson Toyota Bill Davis Racing
6. #33 Ron Hornaday Chevrolet Kevin Harvick Incorporated
7. #6 Travis Kvapil Ford Roush Fenway Racing
8. #9 Ted Musgrave Toyota Germain Racing
9. #77 Brendan Gaughan Chevrolet South Point Racing
10. #4 Kevin Hamlin Dodge Bobby Hamilton Racing

Failed to qualify: Kelly Sutton (#51)

AAA Insurance 200

The AAA Insurance 200 was held June 1 at Dover International Speedway. Mike Skinner won his sixth consecutive pole. This race was a historic milestone for the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, as it was the series’ 300th race. The race featured early attrition, including a six-truck pileup on the first lap involving Cup drivers Clint Bowyer and Ken Schrader, along with truck drivers Brendan Gaughan, Bill Lester, Erik Darnell, and Jack Sprague. From the outset, it appeared as though Kyle Busch would walk away with another victory at Dover. However, Ron Hornaday began to catch up to Busch, who was having handling problems. Hornaday would eventually win by 7 seconds over Stacy Compton.

Top ten results:

Pos. No. Driver Truck Team
1. #33 Ron Hornaday Chevrolet Kevin Harvick Incorporated
2. #09 Stacy Compton Ford Wood Brothers/JTG Racing
3. #6 Travis Kvapil Ford Roush Fenway Racing
4. #23 Johnny Benson Toyota Bill Davis Racing
5. #4 Mike Bliss Dodge Bobby Hamilton Racing
6. #21 Mark Martin Ford Wood Brothers/JTG Racing
7. #5 Mike Skinner Toyota Bill Davis Racing
8. #59 Terry Cook Toyota HT Motorsports
9. #00 A. J. Allmendinger Toyota Darrell Waltrip Motorsports
10. #1 Aaron Fike Toyota Red Horse Racing

Failed to qualify: none

Sam's Town 400

The Sam's Town 400 was held June 8 at Texas Motor Speedway. Todd Bodine won the pole, breaking Mike Skinner's six pole streak. The race was action-packed, and fuel mileage and strategy became a factor late in the race. With only a few laps to go, Travis Kvapil, looking for his first NCTS victory since 2004, was leading on a restart when he was bumped by Todd Bodine. Points leader Mike Skinner chased Bodine down but did not have enough for the eventual winner.

Top ten results:

Pos. No. Driver Truck Team
1. #30 Todd Bodine Toyota Germain Racing
2. #5 Mike Skinner Toyota Bill Davis Racing
3. #14 Rick Crawford Ford Circle Bar Racing
4. #33 Ron Hornaday Chevrolet Kevin Harvick Incorporated
5. #10 David Starr Ford Circle Bar Racing
6. #6 Travis Kvapil Ford Roush Fenway Racing
7. #88 Matt Crafton Chevrolet ThorSport Racing
8. #18 Ken Schrader Dodge Bobby Hamilton Racing
9. #9 Ted Musgrave Toyota Germain Racing
10. #21 Stacy Compton Ford Wood Brothers/JTG Racing

Failed to qualify: none

Michigan 200

The Michigan 200 was held on June 16 at Michigan International Speedway. Travis Kvapil won the pole. The race was dominated by part-time NEXTEL Cup driver Mark Martin, who led for 35 laps before retiring with a blown engine. After Martin's exit, the race lead was handed over to another Cup driver, Kyle Busch, who appeared to have another truck win in sight but was battling an extremely loose truck. Eventually, after 99 laps of hard racing, polesitter Travis Kvapil took advantage of Busch's problems and passed him coming to the white flag. Kvapil would hold on to win his first race since 2004.

Top ten results:

Pos. No. Driver Truck Team
1. #6 Travis Kvapil Ford Roush Fenway Racing
2. #51 Kyle Busch Chevrolet Billy Ballew Motorsports
3. #77 Brendan Gaughan Chevrolet South Point Racing
4. #5 Mike Skinner Toyota Bill Davis Racing
5. #9 Ted Musgrave Toyota Germain Racing
6. #14 Rick Crawford Ford Circle Bar Racing
7. #30 Todd Bodine Toyota Germain Racing
8. #2 Kevin Harvick Chevrolet Kevin Harvick Incorporated
9. #23 Johnny Benson Toyota Bill Davis Racing
10. #33 Ron Hornaday Chevrolet Kevin Harvick Incorporataed

Failed to qualify: #71-Bryan Silas

Toyota Tundra Milwaukee 200

The Toyota Tundra Milwaukee 200 took place June 22 at the Milwaukee Mile. Mike Skinner won the pole. Like most races of the 2007 NCTS season, Mike Skinner dominated the first half of the race, leading 103 laps. However, defending winner Johnny Benson was looking to jumpstart his season. Benson would eventually pass Skinner just past the halfway mark and would not look back, leading 96 laps en route to his first victory of the season. Ted Musgrave suffered a 50-point penalty after intentionally wrecking another truck while under caution.

Top ten results:

Pos. No. Driver Truck Team
1. #23 Johnny Benson Toyota Bill Davis Racing
2. #33 Ron Hornaday Chevrolet Kevin Harvick Incorporated
3. #30 Todd Bodine Toyota Germain Racing
4. #5 Mike Skinner Toyota Bill Davis Racing
5. #14 Rick Crawford Ford Circle Bar Racing
6. #99 Erik Darnell Ford Roush Fenway Racing
7. #4 Mike Bliss Dodge Bobby Hamilton Racing
8. #6 Travis Kvapil Ford Roush Fenway Racing
9. #88 Matt Crafton Chevrolet ThorSport Racing
10. #10 David Starr Ford Circle Bar Racing

Failed to qualify: none

O'Reilly 200

The O'Reilly 200 was held June 30 at Memphis Motorsports Park. Brad Keselowski won his first career pole. Subbing for a suspended Ted Musgrave, Keselowski had, as race analyst Phil Parsons called it, "the biggest night of his career". Keselowski was recommended by NASCAR veterans such as Mark Martin and Todd Bodine. He led the first 20 laps from pole before being passed by veteran Ron Hornaday. However, as Ron's truck faded, Keselowski's got better and had the truck to beat, with his only competitor being 2002 Memphis winner Travis Kvapil. Brad was leading with 9 laps to go until Kvapil took advantage of Keselowski's loose truck and unintentionally spun him off at turn 4. Keselowski would end the bittersweet night in 16th. With the polesitter out of contention, the race was in the hands of Kvapil, who held off a hard charging Jack Sprague to win.

Top ten results:

Pos. No. Driver Truck Team
1. #6 Travis Kvapil Ford Roush Fenway Racing
2. #60 Jack Sprague Toyota Wyler Racing
3. #33 Ron Hornaday Chevrolet Kevin Harvick Incorporated
4. #5 Mike Skinner Toyota Bill Davis Racing
5. #1 Aaron Fike Toyota Red Horse Racing
6. #36 Ryan Mathews Toyota Bill Davis Racing
7. #23 Johnny Benson Toyota Bill Davis Racing
8. #30 Todd Bodine Toyota Germain Racing
9. #99 Erik Darnell Ford Roush Fenway Racing
10. #88 Matt Crafton Chevrolet ThorSport Racing

Failed to qualify: none

Built Ford Tough 225 presented by Greater Cincinnati Ford Dealers

The Built Ford Tough 225 took place on July 14 at Kentucky Speedway. Ryan Mathews won his first career pole. However, it was African American driver Bill Lester to lead the first lap as Mathews struggled on restarts all night. As a testament to the competitive nature at Kentucky Speedway, there were four lead changes in the first eight laps of the race. The race, like many others, would end up being dominated by Mike Skinner, who led the field for 135 of 150 laps en route to cruising to his fourth win of the season. Travis Kvapil suffered a 25-point penalty for an illegal part found in his truck during post race inspection.

Top ten results:

Pos. No. Driver Truck Team
1. #5 Mike Skinner Toyota Bill Davis Racing
2. #6 Travis Kvapil Ford Roush Fenway Racing
3. #9 Ted Musgrave Toyota Germain Racing
4. #22 Ryan Mathews Toyota Bill Davis Racing
5. #1 David Green Toyota Red Horse Racing
6. #21 Jon Wood Ford Wood Brothers/JTG Racing
7. #09 Joey Clanton Ford Wood Brothers/JTG Racing
8. #15 Bill Lester Chevrolet Billy Ballew Motorsports
9. #4 Mike Bliss Dodge Bobby Hamilton Racing
10. #33 Ron Hornaday Chevrolet Kevin Harvick Incorporated

Failed to qualify: none

Power Stroke Diesel 200

The Power Stroke Diesel 200 took place July 27 at O'Reilly Raceway Park. Mike Skinner won the pole as qualifying was rained out and set by owners points.

Top ten results:

Pos. No. Driver Truck Team
1. #33 Ron Hornaday Chevrolet Kevin Harvick Incorporated
2. #23 Johnny Benson Toyota Bill Davis Racing
3. #6 Travis Kvapil Ford Roush Fenway Racing
4. #14 Rick Crawford Ford Circle Bar Racing
5. #18 Ken Schrader Dodge Bobby Hamilton Racing
6. #30 Todd Bodine Toyota Germain Racing
7. #99 Erik Darnell Ford Roush Fenway Racing
8. #47 Regan Smith Chevrolet Morgan-Dollar Motorsports
9. #60 Jack Sprague Toyota Wyler Racing
10. #77 Brendan Gaughan Chevrolet South Point Racing

Toyota Tundra 200

The Toyota Tundra 200 took place August 11 at Nashville Superspeedway. Mike Skinner won the pole. Skinner dominated the race, leading the first 102 laps. However, multiple encounters with lap traffic hampered his chances for victory, and 2003 NCTS champ Travis Kvapil took the lead from him on a green flag run. During the final 50 lap stretch, Kvapil held off restart master Ron Hornaday to take his first win at Nashville. Kvapil later dedicated the race to Bobby Hamilton who won the race in 2004 en route to his championship.

Top ten results:

Pos. No. Driver Truck Team
1. #6 Travis Kvapil Ford Roush Fenway Racing
2. #33 Ron Hornaday Chevrolet Kevin Harvick Incorporated
3. #5 Mike Skinner Toyota Bill Davis Racing
4. #10 David Starr Ford Circle Bar Racing
5. #30 Todd Bodine Toyota Germain Racing
6. #14 Rick Crawford Ford Circle Bar Racing
7. #21 Jon Wood Ford Wood Brothers/JTG Racing
8. #9 Ted Musgrave Toyota Germain Racing
9. #99 Erik Darnell Ford Roush Fenway Racing
10. #09 Joey Clanton Ford Wood Brothers/JTG Racing

O'Reilly Auto Parts 200 presented by Valvoline Maxlife

The O'Reilly 200 presented by Valvoline Maxlife was held August 22 at the newly repaved Bristol Motor Speedway. Travis Kvapil won the pole. The resurfacing of BMS would present exciting racing in the 200-lap race. With the old concrete, there was much more single file racing on the bottom groove, but the new progressively banked surface allowed for the use of the outside lane, which had not been used in years. From the start, it seemed as though Kvapil would walk away with another victory. However, crew chief for the #23 Exide Batteries Toyota, Trip Bruce, had other ideas. Calling his driver, Johnny Benson, onto pit road on lap 40 with other trucks having pitted on a previous caution, race analyst Michael Waltrip criticized his plan, writing them out of contention. With 30 to go, however, the entire race would change. NEXTEL Cup regular Kyle Busch and Kvapil battled for the lead, but Busch's loose truck caused him to slide into Kvapil, sending them both spinning. This incident handed the lead to a charging Benson. Not even a red flag for a spin by Todd Bodine could stop "JB" who held off Brendan Gaughan and defending winner Mark Martin for his second victory in 2007.

Top ten results:

Pos. No. Driver Truck Team
1. #23 Johnny Benson Toyota Bill Davis Racing
2. #77 Brendan Gaughan Chevrolet South Point Racing
3. #21 Mark Martin Ford Wood Brothers/JTG Racing
4. #5 Mike Skinner Toyota Bill Davis Racing
5. #14 Rick Crawford Ford Circle Bar Racing
6. #33 Ron Hornaday Chevrolet Kevin Harvick Incorporated
7. #4 Mike Bliss Dodge Bobby Hamilton Racing
8. #60 Jack Sprague Toyota Wyler Racing
9. #2 Cale Gale Chevrolet Kevin Harvick Incorporated
10. #50 Danny O'Quinn Jr. Ford Roush Fenway Racing

Did not Qualify: #54-Brian Sockwell

Missouri/Illinois Dodge Dealers Ram Tough 200

The Missouri/Illinois Dodge Dealers Ram Tough 200 was held September 1 at Gateway International Raceway. Mike Skinner won the pole. Although Skinner would lead the first 19 laps, his chances of victory would end with a cut right front tire, sending him hard into the wall. Skinner, with his crew, would repair the truck and later return to the race. With Skinner in the garage, the race lead would turn to his championship rival, Ron Hornaday, who dominated the race. However, fellow contender Johnny Benson took advantage of Hornaday's loose truck, passing him with 13 laps to go and holding of the "Restart Master" for his second consecutive win, albeit under caution, as Ryan Mathews crashed on the final lap.

Top ten results:

Pos. No. Driver Truck Team
1. #23 Johnny Benson Toyota Bill Davis Racing
2. #33 Ron Hornaday Chevrolet Kevin Harvick Incorporated
3. #9 Ted Musgrave Toyota Germain Racing
4. #30 Todd Bodine Toyota Germain Racing
5. #47 Regan Smith Chevrolet Morgan-Dollar Motorsports
6. #6 Travis Kvapil Ford Roush Fenway Racing
7. #99 Erik Darnell Ford Roush Fenway Racing
8. #00 Josh Wise Toyota Michael Waltrip Racing
9. #88 Matt Crafton Chevrolet ThorSport Racing
10. #77 Brendan Gaughan Chevrolet South Point Racing

Did not Qualify: none

New Hampshire 200

The New Hampshire 200 was held September 15 at New Hampshire International Speedway. As qualifying was rained out, Ron Hornaday won the pole based on owners points. From pole, Hornaday crushed the field, leading 174 of 200 laps en route to his second win of the season. Hornaday also became the first repeat NCTS winner at Loudon and extended his points lead over Mike Skinner by 29 points.

Top ten results:

Pos. No. Driver Truck Team
1. #33 Ron Hornaday Chevrolet Kevin Harvick Incorporated
2. #99 Erik Darnell Ford Roush Fenway Racing
3. #5 Mike Skinner Toyota Bill Davis Racing
4. #30 Todd Bodine Toyota Germain Racing
5. #4 Mike Bliss Dodge Bobby Hamilton Racing
6. #14 Rick Crawford Ford Circle Bar Racing
7. #9 Ted Musgrave Toyota Germain Racing
8. #23 Johnny Benson Toyota Bill Davis Racing
9. #21 Jon Wood Ford Wood Brothers/JTG Racing
10. #15 Shane Sieg Chevrolet Billy Ballew Motorsports

Failed to qualify: #03-Sean Caisse

Smith's Las Vegas 350

The Smith's Las Vegas 350 was held September 22 at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Travis Kvapil won the pole. This race marked the historic debut of two open wheel drivers, 1995 Indianapolis 500 winner Jacques Villeneuve and 1996 Indianapolis 500 winner Buddy Lazier. This race also highlighted the tight points championship between two former champions in Ron Hornaday and Mike Skinner, with Skinner trailing by 29 points. With the new repaved surface, exciting 2 and 3 wide racing was expected. In his debut, Villeneuve impressed many by starting 7th. However, he was involved in an altercation with the #16 of Brian Scott and would finish 21st. Lazier would also struggle, going down a lap early and finishing 24th. The early run had the typical affair of Todd Bodine, Travis Kvapil, Ron Hornaday, and even Chad McCumbee running up front. However, trucks such as those of Jon Wood and Stacy Compton would later reach the front. Wood, who was running part-time in the trucks after an illness, took command of the race, holding off championship contenders such as Johnny Benson and Kvapil. With Skinner struggling with his truck, it looked like Hornaday would extend his points lead heading into Talladega. However, a blown tire with 11 to go not only erased Hornaday's point lead, but gave Mike Skinner a 3-point advantage. Within the race, the win would come down to the trucks of Jon Wood, Travis Kvapil, and Johnny Benson. Wood exhausted the truck throughout the run and would have nothing left for Kvapil and Benson, settling for 3rd. Benson, going for his fourth win of the season, charged Kvapil from the low line, but Kvapil had enough momentum to hold off Benson for his fourth win of 2007.

Top ten results:

Pos. No. Driver Truck Team
1. #6 Travis Kvapil Ford Roush Fenway Racing
2. #23 Johnny Benson Toyota Bill Davis Racing
3. #21 Jon Wood Ford Wood Brothers/JTG Racing
4. #59 Terry Cook Toyota HT Motorsports
5. #99 Erik Darnell Ford Roush Fenway Racing
6. #00 Josh Wise Toyota Michael Waltrip Racing
7. #18 Dennis Setzer Dodge Bobby Hamilton Racing
8. #09 Stacy Compton Ford Wood Brothers/JTG Racing
9. #14 Rick Crawford Ford Circle Bar Racing
10. #8 Chad McCumbee Chevrolet MRD Motorsports

Mountain Dew 250

The Mountain Dew 250 was held on October 6 at Talladega Superspeedway. Todd Bodine won the pole. Of note, 1997 Formula One world champion Jacques Villeneuve made another strong statement in qualifying 10th for the race. Tight packs of 2, 3, and even 4 wide racing was anticipated, based on the excitement of the inaugural race in 2006. The championship race between Mike Skinner, Ron Hornaday, Travis Kvapil, and defending champion Todd Bodine continued to tighten. The pivotal point in the race came on lap 73 as Jack Sprague, who is in the midst of a difficult year, cut a tire down while leading. Johnny Benson, who ironically pushed Sprague to the win at Daytona, got into the back of his slowing car, triggering "The Big One". The crash collected contenders Hornaday and Kvapil, although the former was able to rally to a top 10 finish. After the crash, points leader Skinner had problems in the form of a loosened hood pin. The pin eventually broke off and his hood began to flap wildly, prompting NASCAR to black flag him. However, as soon as Skinner was about to pit under green, the truck of Mike Wallace spun, allowing Skinner to remain on the lead lap. With only two laps to go, the racing became tighter than ever, as Rick Crawford and Benson would use the draft to go three wide with Bodine in the tri-oval, but Crawford would come up short by only 0.014 seconds.

Top ten results:

Pos. No. Driver Truck Team
1. #30 Todd Bodine Toyota Germain Racing
2. #14 Rick Crawford Ford Circle Bar Racing
3. #23 Johnny Benson Toyota Bill Davis Racing
4. #1 Jason Leffler Toyota Red Horse Racing
5. #18 Dennis Setzer Dodge Bobby Hamilton Racing
6. #13 Willie Allen Chevrolet ThorSport Racing
7. #33 Ron Hornaday Chevrolet Kevin Harvick Inc.
8. #40 Chad Chaffin Chevrolet Key Motorsports
9. #47 Regan Smith Chevrolet Dale Earnhardt Inc.
10. #21 Jon Wood Ford Wood Brothers/JTG Racing

Kroger 200

The Kroger 200 was held October 20 at Martinsville Speedway. Defending winner Jack Sprague won the pole. This race marked the NASCAR debut of 2007 Indianapolis 500 winner and 2007 IndyCar Series champion Dario Franchitti. The race would be dominated by Terry Cook, using a no stop strategy similar to the one Dennis Setzer used to win earlier in the year at Mansfield Motorsports Speedway. With huge accidents taking out both Franchitti and Jacques Villeneuve, and a scary crash involving Tim Sauter, the race would be decided by a bump. Exiting the second turn with two to go, Sprague tried to pull a bump and run on Cook. It was successful, but it allowed former points leader Mike Skinner to slip past both drivers and sweep both races at Martinsville.

Top ten results:

Pos. No. Driver Truck Team
1. #5 Mike Skinner Toyota Bill Davis Racing
2. #60 Jack Sprague Toyota Wyler Racing
3. #33 Ron Hornaday Chevrolet Kevin Harvick Incorporated
4. #10 David Starr Ford Circle Bar Racing
5. #14 Rick Crawford Ford Circle Bar Racing
6. #4 Mike Bliss Dodge Bobby Hamilton Racing
7. #40 Chad Chaffin Chevrolet Key Motorsports
8. #9 Ted Musgrave Toyota Germain Racing
9. #23 Johnny Benson Toyota Bill Davis Racing
10. #18 Dennis Setzer Dodge Bobby Hamilton Racing

EasyCare Vehicle Service Contracts 200

The EasyCare Vehicle Service Contracts 200 was held October 27 at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Ron Hornaday won the pole. As the epic points battle between Hornaday and Mike Skinner continued, the battle would seem to run in favor of Hornaday, who led 51 laps. However, lurking would be the #51 truck of Kyle Busch, who led the race high of 65 laps. However, before sailing to his second consecutive Atlanta victory, Kyle would have a major problem. For most of the latter half of the race, Busch put on a stellar performance, not only running up front but holding up his window net up with his left hand. In the end, it would be of no use, as NASCAR officials eventually black flagged Busch. Right before he pitted, Busch got a break in the form of a caution. This allowed him to rectify the window net problem and stay in contention. Busch would later pull off the pass of "King of Restarts" Hornaday with 7 laps to go, ironically on a restart. Busch would hold on to become the first Nextel Cup driver to win a Truck Series race in 2007.

Top ten results:

Pos. Car No. Driver Manu. Team
1. #51 Kyle Busch Chevrolet Billy Ballew Motorsports
2. #33 Ron Hornaday Chevrolet Kevin Harvick Incorporated
3. #23 Johnny Benson Toyota Bill Davis Racing
4. #21 Mark Martin Ford Wood Brothers/JTG Racing
5. #5 Mike Skinner Toyota Bill Davis Racing
6. #09 Joey Clanton Ford Wood Brothers/JTG Racing
7. #88 Matt Crafton Chevrolet ThorSport Racing
8. #77 Brendan Gaughan Chevrolet South Point Racing
9. #9 Ted Musgrave Toyota Germain Racing
10. #59 Terry Cook Toyota HT Motorsports

Silverado 350K

The Silverado 350K was held November 2 at Texas Motor Speedway. Mike Skinner won the pole. Although the early part of the race would be dominated by Ted Musgrave, the overall race would primarily be dominated by championship contenders Skinner and Ron Hornaday, with Skinner leading the most laps at 40. This race also saw the championship hopes of Travis Kvapil and Todd Bodine end. As with most Friday night truck races under the lights, the final few laps created a fast and crazy finish. On a restart with 8 to go, Skinner would challenge the Hornaday for the lead on the outside heading onto the backstretch. However, Chad McCumbee made a bold move on both championship contenders, making it three wide heading into turn 3. As McCumbee took the lead, Hornaday sailed up the racetrack and into Skinner, causing a pileup involving Musgrave, Matt Crafton, and Erik Darnell. After the red flag was lifted, McCumbee spun his tires on the green-white-checkered restart. With two-time Texas winner Jack Sprague right behind him, McCumbee attempted to block Sprague, who subsequently hooked his quarter panel, sending them both into the wall. McCumbee would take 13th place while Sprague got 6th. Avoiding the carnage, Musgrave would take the checkered flag for the first time in 66 races. After the first wreck, polesitter Skinner would amazingly rally to finish third and extend his points lead.

Top Ten Results:

Pos. Truck # Driver Manu. Team
1 9 Ted Musgrave Toyota Germain Racing
2 77 Brendan Gaughan Chevrolet South Point Racing
3 5 Mike Skinner Toyota Bill Davis Racing
4 4 Mike Bliss Dodge Bobby Hamilton Racing
5 14 Rick Crawford Ford Circle Bar Racing
6 60 Jack Sprague Toyota Wyler Racing
7 88 Matt Crafton Chevrolet ThorSport Racing
8 21 Jon Wood Ford Wood Brothers/JTG Racing
9 1 Jason Leffler Toyota Red Horse Racing
10 07 Tim Sauter Chevrolet Green Light Racing

Failed to qualify: #71-Wayne Edwards

Casino Arizona 150

The Casino Arizona 150 was held November 9 at Phoenix International Raceway. Mike Skinner won his record breaking eleventh pole. The Skinner vs. Hornaday title fight would continue here, as controversy was throughout the race. First, Hornaday's teammate/owner, Kevin Harvick, drove through Skinner's pit stall to get to his pit. Although this is legal, it caused Skinner's entire crew to lose their timing, dropping him out of the top 10. The biggest crash of the night came with only 13 laps left. Jacques Villeneuve made contact with Stacy Compton, turning him into the frontstretch wall. Grand-Am driver Andy Lally was struck by Compton's truck, forcing him hard into the inside barrier, which broke apart. After the subsequent red flag to fix the wall, Kyle Busch would come into the picture, holding off Hornaday and Mike Bliss for the win. More controversy would occur outside of the top 5, as Johnny Benson, Skinner's teammate, passed him late in the race despite the looming championship.

Top Ten Results:

Pos. Truck # Driver Manu. Team
1 #51 Kyle Busch Chevrolet Billy Ballew Motorsports
2 #33 Ron Hornaday Chevrolet Kevin Harvick Incorporated
3 #4 Mike Bliss Dodge Bobby Hamilton Racing
4 #1 Jason Leffler Toyota Red Horse Racing
5 #2 Kevin Harvick Chevrolet Kevin Harvick Incorporated
6 #30 Todd Bodine Toyota Germain Racing
7 #23 Johnny Benson Toyota Bill Davis Racing
8 #5 Mike Skinner Toyota Bill Davis Racing
9 #18 Dennis Setzer Dodge Bobby Hamilton Racing
10 #60 Jack Sprague Toyota Wyler Racing

Failed to qualify: #31-Tim Schendel, #7-Jason White

Ford 200

The Ford 200 was held November 16 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. The championship battle between Mike Skinner and Ron Hornaday concluded here. This also kicked off the first of the three days known as "Ford Championship Weekend". The three-way fight for Rookie of the Year concluded here, the contestants being Busch Series veteran Tim Sauter, and short track racers Willie Allen and Joey Clanton. Jon Wood won the pole, setting a new track record with a time of 31.180 at a speed of 173.188 mph. Open wheel export Jacques Villeneuve continued to show his qualifying expertise, starting third. Championship contenders Skinner and Hornaday started fourth and eighth, respectively.

Skinner would prove to have a difficult race, first having to pit for a flat right side tire and then having a left rear tire come completely off the truck. Due to these problems Skinner would finish 35th, while Hornaday would finish 7th and take the championship. Johnny Benson would pass Kyle Busch at the white flag to take his fourth win of '07. Hornaday's championship would tie future teammate Jack Sprague for most NCTS championships with 3.

Top Ten Results:

Pos. Truck # Driver Manu. Team
1 23 Johnny Benson Toyota Bill Davis Racing
2 51 Kyle Busch Chevrolet Billy Ballew Motorsports
3 14 Rick Crawford Ford Circle Bar Racing
4 2 Kevin Harvick Chevrolet Kevin Harvick Incorporated
5 1 Jason Leffler Toyota Red Horse Racing
6 10 David Starr Ford Circle Bar Racing
7 33 Ron Hornaday Chevrolet Kevin Harvick Incorporated
8 03 Justin Marks Toyota Germain Racing
9 47 Regan Smith Chevrolet Dale Earnhardt Incorporated
10 22 Dave Blaney Toyota Bill Davis Racing

Failed to qualify: #63-Scott Lynch, #86-Kevin Lepage, #31-Tim Schendel, #7-Jason White, #71-Bryan Silas

Rookies

As noted above, the two main contenders for ROTY, Aaron Fike and Tyler Walker, were both suspended by NASCAR for violating its drug abuse policy. The two main contenders for the title would then be ex-Busch Series driver Tim Sauter and sprint car driver Willie Allen. The fight would come down to the final race, where Allen would prevail by nine points over Sauter. Although Joey Clanton was in contention for the rookie title, he was running only a partial season in the #09. Other contenders, such as Jason White, Ryan Mathews, and Blake Bjorklund also ran partial seasons.

See also

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