Television

• Practice: Wednesday, February 14 (SPEED at 5:30 p.m. AT, 4:30 p.m. ET)
• Practice: Thursday, February 15 (SPEED at Noon AT, 11 a.m. ET)
• Qualifying: Thursday, February 15 (SPEED at 7:30 p.m. AT, 6:30 ET)
• Race: Friday, February 16 (SPEED at 8:30 p.m. AT, 7:30 p.m. ET)

Fast Facts
The Race: Chevy Silverado HD 250
The Place: Daytona International Speedway
The Date: Feb. 16, 2007
The Time: 8:00 p.m. (ET)
Race Distance: 250 miles/ 100 laps
TV: SPEED, 7:30 p.m. (ET)
Track Layout: 2.5-mile tri-oval
Race Purse: $865,733
2006 Winner: Mark Martin
2006 Pole: Mark Martin
Schedule: Wednesday — Practice, 4:30 p.m. –5:30 p.m. Thursday – Final Practice 11:45 a.m. –1:15 p.m. Qualifying, 7 p.m.

Event News

Wednesday, Feb. 14 Practice Speeds (PDF)

Qualifying Order (PDF)

Qualifying Results (PDF)

Starting Lineup (PDF)

Race Results (PDF)

Point Standings (PDF)

Sprague Grabs Checkered in Photo Finish


It was this close at the checkered flag in the Silverado HD 250. Travis Kvapil (6) had the lead coming off turn four - until Jack Sprague (60) and Johnny Benson (23) made a last stretch charge. Sprague was first, Benson second and Kvapil third. Click on the picture for the race story and results.

DAYTONA BEACH, FL (February 15, 2007) - Talk about a tough act to follow.

Friday night’s Chevy Silverado HD 250, the season opening race for the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, came down to a three-wide, jaw-dropping, finish at the checkered flag.

Jack Sprague nipped Johnny Benson and Travis Kvapil at the start/finish line for his 28th career victory and his first win at Daytona International Speedway. With half a lap left Travis Kvapil looked as if he’d pull off an impressive win, which would have been his first after runner-up finishes in 2003 and 2004.

But Sprague, who started from the Budweiser Pole, had other plans. And so did Benson.

Both rushed past Kvapil’s Ford – which led a race-high 49 laps – for the eighth closest finish in Craftsman Truck Series history.

The lead changes were plentiful – 21 altogether – and when they came, they came in bunches.

On lap 86, Sprague passed Todd Bodine on the outside coming out of Turn 3. The lead didn’t last long.

A lap later, again on Turn 3, Kvapil passed Sprague’s Toyota.

Kvapil wouldn’t give up the lead again…until the very last second.

With the three-wide finish, Kvapil became sandwiched at the line, with Sprague passing on the outside and Benson’s Toyota on the inside.

Some heavy hitters suffered early-race troubles. On lap 3, Mike Wallace slammed the wall coming into Turn 1 after moving up the race track and clipping Joey Clanton. The accident knocked him out the race.

Then on lap 11, Carl Edwards – who won this event in 2004 – succumbed to engine trouble that forced his truck into the garage. Edwards did return to the race, but finished 17 laps off the pace.

Sprague won $93,375, a NASCAR Craftsman Truck record.


Jack Sprague celebrates his win in Victory Lane.

Event Notes

This year’s Daytona race carries record posted awards of $865,783. The figure tops last year’s $835,651. A year ago, Mark Martin’s victory was worth a record $88,850. … Several teams and drivers will extend records at Daytona. The race will be the 291st for Spears Motorsports and 275th consecutive start for Roush Racing. Crawford and Sprague will make their 248th starts while Cook will compete in his 223rd consecutive race in a streak that began Jan. 19, 1998 at Walt Disney World Speedway. … Last year’s 27 finishers was a Daytona high. Martin’s winning speed of 146.622 mph also set a track record. … Martin was the track’s first pole winner to reach Victory Lane. The trophy, however, has gone to a front row starter on three of seven occasions. … FOX carries two races live in 2006, the first time the series has appeared on national television since 2000; at Martinsville, March 31 and Mansfield Motorsports Park, May 26.

Pre-Race Storylines

This is the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series’ 13th season. The Feb. 16 Chevrolet Silverado HD 250 at Daytona International Speedway is its 293rd race.

The race marks the eighth consecutive time the season has opened at Daytona.

Former Daytona winners expected to compete in this year’s race include Mike Wallace (2000), Rick Crawford (2003) and Carl Edwards (2004).

A record seven former series champions boasting 10 titles and 119 victories will compete in the Daytona race. They are Mike Skinner (1995), Ron Hornaday Jr. (1996, 98), Jack Sprague (1997, 99, 01), Mike Bliss (2002), Travis Kvapil (2003), Ted Musgrave (2005) and Todd Bodine (2006).

Germain Racing, the defending series championship team, becomes the first to field a fulltime effort for two champions – Todd Bodine and Ted Musgrave.

Last season’s final top 10 saw series champions finish first, fifth, sixth, seventh and 10th.

There have been no repeat winners in series competition at Daytona.

The past two Daytona races were a study in extremes: Bobby Hamilton won the 2005 event from a start of 36th and last - leading only the final few feet of the ultimate lap. A year ago, Mark Martin won from the Budweiser Pole and headed 42 laps – the most by any of the race’s nine leaders.

The pole winner has won just once at Daytona but the trophy has gone to a front row starter on three of seven occasions. Two former pole winners – Ted Musgrave (2002) and Terry Cook (2004) are expected to compete in this year’s race.

Several teams and drivers will extend records in the season’s opening event. The race will be the 291st for Spears Motorsports (Dennis Setzer) and 275th consecutive start for Roush Racing (Erik Darnell, Carl Edwards and Travis Kvapil). Rick Crawford and Jack Sprague will make their 248th starts while Terry Cook will compete in his 223rd consecutive race in a streak that began Jan. 19, 1998 at Walt Disney World Speedway near Orlando, Fla.

Roush Racing and Spears Motorsports are the only two teams that will participate in a 13th consecutive NASCAR Craftsman Truck season. Roush is the series leader in total starters with 525. The team’s all-time, driver roster of 22 competitors, is the series’ longest. Todd Bodine drove his Ford to a finish of fourth in the team’s July 29, 1995 debut at Heartland Park Topeka, a 1.8-mile road course. Spears is one of just two active teams to participate in the series inaugural race Feb. 5, 1995 at Phoenix International Raceway in which Bill Sedgwick finished eighth. It is the only team to pursue a full schedule in each of the series’ 12 previous seasons.

Fourteen of last year’s top 15 in final series points expect to compete in the Daytona opener. Thirteen – including nine to the top 10 – will chase the championship this season.

Three drivers among last season’s top 15 running a full schedule in 2007 have changed teams: David Starr (to Circle Bar Racing), Terry Cook (to HT Motorsports) and Dennis Setzer (to Spears Motorsports).

One team among the 2006 top 15, South Point Racing (Brendan Gaughan), has switched manufacturers – to Chevrolet from Dodge.

Several current NASCAR NEXTEL Cup competitors are expected to compete in this year’s Daytona race including Mike Bliss, Carl Edwards and Ken Schrader.

Three of the six Daytona races have gone into “overtime” including last year’s event extended four laps for a green-white-checker finish. The longest race – 206 laps, 265 miles – took place in 2003 and resulted in the top three finishers (Rick Crawford, Travis Kvapil and Robert Pressley) finishing virtually side-by-side.

Travis Kvapil, absent from the series since 2005, finished second in his last two starts at Daytona.

OF NOTE: Rick Crawford is the Daytona money leader with $192,707. … Daytona’s fastest race was run a year ago at 146.622 mph. … The track’s race leader (17 in 2005) and lead change (31 in 200) records also are series highs. … Last year’s 27 finishers set a Daytona series record. Only 13 drivers – completed the track’s inaugural race in 2000.

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