Missouri/Illinois Dodge Dealers Dodge Ram Tough 200 Craftsman Truck Series Notebook
Gateway International Raceway, Madison, IL (1.25-mile oval)

Race: Saturday, April 29 (SPEED at 9 p.m. AT)

Event #: Race #5 of 25.
Race Distance: 200 miles, 160 laps
2005 Gateway Winner: Ted Musgrave

Qualifying Results (cancelled due to weather); Starting Lineup- click here

Race Results (unofficial) - click here

Point Standings (post-race, unofficial) - click here

Late Surge Gives Bodine Gateway Win, Point Lead

MADISON, Ill (2006 April 29) – Todd Bodine drove his Lumber Liquidators Toyota Tundra to its second victory of the season and fifth in the last eight races to capture Saturday night’s NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Ram Tough 200 at Gateway International Raceway.Bodine, who led three times for 66 laps, dropped from the lead to mid-back two-thirds of the way into the 200-mile, 160-lap race following a pit stop for fuel and four tires. The strategy proved to be a winning one as Bodine roared back to the front with Germain Racing teammate Ted Musgrave in tow. Click here for the rest of the story.

Missouri/Illinois Dodge Dealers Ram Tough 200 Qualifying Notes
***Time Trials Not Held, due to weather***

• David Ragan will start from the pole in his first race at Gateway International Raceway. Ragan will be in the No. 6 Scotts Ford which has been piloted by Mark Martin in the series three previous races this year.
• Ragan will be starting his 13th series race; his previous best start was fifth this season at Martinsville.
• Defending race winner Ted Musgrave will start from the outside pole. Musgrave has won this race twice with both wins coming from the pole.
• The last time qualifying was cancelled due to weather was at Indianapolis Raceway Park, Aug. 5, 2005.
• The starting field was set by the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series rule book.

Pre-Race Notes & Quotes

Ted Musgrave No. 9 Team ASE/Germain Toyota This Saturday's, Dodge Ram Tough 200 will be Ted's sixth NCTS career start at Gateway Int'l Raceway. He has earned two Bud Poles at Gateway, which came in 2001 and 2005. His best finishes at Gateway also came in 2001 and 2005, when Ted started from the pole and finished first, driving the No. 1 Mopar Performance Dodge. Ted is looking to be the first driver in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series to earn a second consecutive win at Gateway.

Todd Bodine No. 30 Lumber Liquidators Toyota Todd will be making his second NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series start at Gateway Int'l Raceway this weekend. His first race at Gateway in the NCTS came in 2005, driving the No. 66 Fiddle Back Racing Toyota Tundra. He started in the 13th spot and finished seventh. This weekend's race will also mark Todd's 45th career start in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series.

Erin Crocker, No. 98 Cheerios/Betty Crocker Dodge Ram “My goal this week is basically the same as it has been the last couple of races. I want to get my best finish of the year, I want to learn and gain as much experience as I possibly can. I am looking forward to going to Gateway this weekend and working with Patrick Donahue and Scott McDougal for the first time. I think the changes we have made are a good thing for this team.” This weekend marks Crocker’s first career start at Gateway International Raceway. This weekend will be the first race with Patrick Donahue, newTeam Director and Scott McDougall, new engineer.

Bobby Hamilton Jr., No. 18 Fastenal Racing Dodge Bobby Hamilton Jr. will be making his second start in the No. 18 Fastenal Dodge in the Missouri-Illinois Dodge Dealers Ram Tough 200 at Gateway. Hamilton Jr. has 6 NASCAR Busch Series starts at Gateway. His average starting position is 17.3 and his average finishing position is 15.2. His last two starts at Gateway have both resulted in top five finishes (5th on May 10th, 2003 and 4th on May 8th, 2004). The Missouri-Illinois Dodge Dealers Ram Tough 200 at Gateway will mark Hamilton Jr.’s 10th NCTS career start. Hamilton Jr. is racing one of his father’s favorite trucks from the 2005 NCTS season, Slim Shady. Slim Shady finished 6th at Gateway in 2005 with Hamilton Sr. behind the wheel and was leading the race late in 2004 until he was taken out by another competitor.

Timothy Peters, No. 4 Dodge Motorsports Dodge Timothy Peters will be making his second Gateway start this weekend. In 2005 he started 18th and finished in the 16th position in only his second NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series start. Peters will be driving the BHR chassis “Rocket” this weekend at Gateway. It will be “Rocket’s” 12th NCTS start. The chassis ran at Charlotte, Kentucky, Memphis, IRP, Nashville, Bristol, Richmond, Las Vegas, Martinsville and Atlanta in 2005 with Peters behind the wheel. The Missouri-Illinois Dodge Dealers Ram Tough 200 at Gateway will mark Peters’ 21st NCTS career start.

Scott Lagasse, No. 04 Hemi Dodge Scott Lagasse, Jr. will be making his first-career start at Gateway this weekend. Lagasse will be driving the BHR chassis “Angel” this weekend at Gateway. It will be “Angels’ ” 3rd start this season. This particular chassis has visited victory lane several times with past BHR drivers Joe Ruttman and Chad Chaffin. The Missouri-Illinois Dodge Dealers Ram Tough 200 at Gateway will mark Lagasse’s 3rd NCTS career start. Lagasse Jr. on Racing at Gateway: “I have never raced at Gateway. I went last year and watched the Busch race so I have seen the track. I have talked to Bobby, Little Bobby and Timothy about the track and its characteristics. I am trying to do everything I can before the race to be prepared. Last weekend I watched the truck race from last year to familiarize myself with the fastest way around the track. It is more like a short track than a big track. Its very unique and almost a weird place to race at. I think that is good for me because usually the more complicated the track is the more I tend to like them. I have been told turns three and four are like Milwaukee and I ran well there in the past. Our goal is to get up in the points this weekend. We are headed for the danger zone and that is one place I do not want to be going into Charlotte.

IMPORTANT: All information, schedules and/or scheduled events is/are subject to change without notice. Please check with the source to confirm.

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