Craftsman Truck Series Notebook
Homestead-Miami Speedway Homestead, Florida

Friday, November 17 - Qualifying - SPEED at 6 p.m. AT, 5 p.m. ET

Friday, November 17 - Race - SPEED at 8:30 p.m. AT, 7:30 p.m. ET

Pre-Race Fast Facts
The Race: Ford 200
The Place: Homestead-Miami Speedway
The Date: Nov.17, 2006
The Time: 8:05 p.m. (ET)
Race Distance: 201 miles/ 134 laps
TV: SPEED, 7:30 p.m. (ET)
Track Layout: 1.5-mile paved oval
Race Purse: $632,301
2005 Winner: Todd Bodine
2005 Pole: David Reutimann
Schedule: Friday — Practice, 8:30 a.m. – 9:30 a.m., 9:45 a.m. –10:15 a.m. and 10:25 a.m. – 11:25 a.m. Qualifying, 5 p.m.
Pre-Race Point Standings: click here

Event Stats (underlined when link is activated)

1st Practice Results - click here

2nd Practice Results - click here

Final Practice Results - click here

Qualifying Order - click here

Qualifying Results - click here

Starting Lineup- click here

Race Results (unofficial) - click here

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

Martin Wins for Sixth Time, Bodine Is Champion

HOMESTEAD, FL (November 18, 2006) - Mark Martin ended the 2006 NASCAR Craftsman Truck season the way he started it – with a victory in Friday night’s Ford 200 at Homestead Miami Speedway.

And Todd Bodine, despite finishing a lap off the pace in 21st-place, wrapped up the series championship, the first NASCAR national touring series title for the Bodine family.

Martin, who began the year in Victory Lane at Daytona International Speedway, broke out of a dramatic, late-race duel with Brendan Gaughan’s South Point Resort Dodge to win for a series-high sixth time. He raced side-by-side with Gaughan for two consecutive laps around the 1.5-mile speedway before pulling away to win by 2.613 seconds.

In doing so, Martin became the track’s 11th consecutive different series winner to match New Hampshire International Speedway’s record set in September.

Martin’s share of a $632,301 purse was $55,550. He led a race high 57 laps after starting his Scotts Ford from the No. 6 position, holding the point on five different occasions.

The winning pass came on the 113th of 134 laps. "We've been on a roll all year with that thing," he said. "It's just pretty special. It's great people and great equipment and it's been a lot of fun."

Gaughan turned in his best finish of the season – and tops since his last victory at Texas Motor Speedway in 2003. It also ranked as Dodge’s high point of the campaign.

“To battle with Mark Martin and Roush Racing you know that your race team can say its ready to compete again,” said the Las Vegas native.

Raybestos Rookie of the Year Erik Darnell – Roush’s fifth freshman to claim the award – finished third in the Woolrich Ford followed by Bobby Hamilton Jr. and Jack Sprague. The finish was the first in the top five by Hamilton, who took over his father’s Fastenal Dodge when Bobby Sr. was forced to undergo cancer therapy in late March.

Joe Nemechek, David Starr, David Reutimann, Dennis Setzer and Terry Cook filled out the second five finishing positions as 19th of 31 drivers running at the checkered flag completed all 134 laps.

The lead changed hands 14 times among eight drivers, the most lead changes in a series race at the track since 2001.

There were five caution periods consuming 17 laps as Martin averaged 126.019 for the 201-mile distance. The final yellow, on lap 96, saw Johnny Benson’s long shot chance of winning the title end when his Exide Batteries Toyota was hit by a spinning Chase Miller.

“It was such a small, outside chance (anyway),” said Benson of his hope of overcoming a deficit of 112 points. He said of the accident, “It didn’t matter anyway; the points would have been the same.” Bodine's final victory margin of 127 points is third largest in the 12 years of the series.

Bodine, meanwhile, claimed a championship in the 1,852nd start by himself and brothers Geoffrey and Brett. Despite 55 wins and combined winnings of nearly $49 million, the trio had come close to – but never won – a national title.

“For what this family’s gone through … it’s very special for us,” said the champion. “I told my mom (on the cell phone, ‘we finally did it!’ It’s the first time a family member has done something so important.”

Bodine admitted it was difficult racing for points after winning the Ford 200 in 2003 and three times in the series this season. “It’s a shame to have to race that way but we did what we had to do,” he said.

Bodine led the points for a record 21 consecutive races in 2006. His log shows three wins, 12 top fives and 16 top-10 finishes. The $13,990 he won Friday night boosted his season winnings to more than $600,000.

He’ll add considerably to the total on Dec. 10 when he receives his championship trophy and other season-ending bonuses at the Champions Banquet at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort in Orlando, Fla. Bodine is the series’ seventh different champion in the past nine seasons.


Mark Martin was the winner of the Ford 200 at Homestead.


Todd Bodine celebrates his first Craftsman Truck Series championship.


Todd Bodine's team joins him for championship celebrations.

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

© Copyright - CheckersToWreckers.com - All Rights Reserved.
® TM used are the property of their owners. Privacy Policy. Contact Us.