RACE-VEM-BER 20, 2006 - FRIDAY NIGHT…IN MIAMI
RACE # 25 OF 25…NONE…REMAINING

WHILE…RR-AZ ALUM…MARK MARTIN…WAS…KICKING BUTT…AND TAKING NAMES…FOR THE 6^TH TIME IN JUST A DOZEN TRIES…THIS SEASON…IN HIS FINAL TRUCK RIDE FOR…JACK ROUSH…TODD BALDEEN…WITH A LESS THAN SPECTACULAR…21^ST PLACE RUN BACKED INTO HIS 1^ST NASCAR TRUCK CHAMPIONSHIP AS…AN UNBELIEVEABLE TURN OF EVENTS ONCE AGAIN…DID IN THE EFFORT OF…HIS CLOSEST PURSUER…JOHNNY BENSON

MARTIN’S…EFFORT…GOES WITHOUT EXPLANATION…AS SEEMINGLY EACH TIME HE CLIMBS INTO HIS TRUCK…THE ONLY THING THAT CAN SLOW HIM IS A MECHANICAL ISSUE…AND THERE WAS NONE OF THAT IN THE SERIES FINALE…TO CONTEND WITH…

THE SAME CAN’T BE SAID FOR SERIES RUNNER UP…BENSON… HOWEVER …AS FOR THE 3^RD TIME IN THE PAST 4 RACES…BENSON…WAS DONE IN BY MYSTERIOUS OUTSIDE FORCES SUCH AS COUPLE OF RACES AGO… WHEN…BENSON’S… DRIVESHAFT… FELL OFF THE TRUCK… WHILE LEADING…COSTING HIM A POTENTIAL WIN…

ON FRIDAY NIGHT…AT HOMESTEAD…BENSON…NEEDED TO RUN STRONG …AND HAVE BALD-DEEN…FINISH ABOUT WHERE HE DID (21^ST) TO HAVE A SHOT AT THE CHAMPIONSHIP…BUT IN HIS CHARGE TO THE FRONT…FROM DEAD LAST…BENSON…GOT "CLIPPED"…BY THE SPINNING TRUCK OF… CHASE MILLER…

THE DAMAGED TRUCK OF…BENSON…GOT REPAIRED…AND HE BEGAN ANOTHER CHARGE AS THE FINAL TRUCK ON THE LEAD LAP…WORKED HIS WAY INTO THE TOP 10…AND THEN HAD A TIRE "BLOW"…EFFECTIVELY ENDING HIS RUN FOR THE NEEDED WIN…AND THE CHAMPIONSHIP…

WATCHING BENSON’S EFFORT WAS…PRETTY ENTERTAINING STUFF…TO THAT POINT…BUT IT’S ALL HISTORY NOW…AS…TODD BALD-DEEN… CELEBRATES HIS 1^ST NASCAR TITLE…

RACE-VEM-BER 13, 2006 - FRIDAY NIGHT…IN PHOENIX
RACE # 24 OF 25…ONE…REMAINING

RR-AZ ALUM…JOHNNY BENSON…WHO HAS BEEN CHASING…TODD BALDEEN…FOR THE LAST HALF OF THE SEASON…HAS PROBABLY SEEN IT ALL BE FOR NOTHING…AS HE STILL SITS…-112 POINTS BACK OF… BALDEEN…WITH JUST ONE RACE TO GO TO DECIDE THE 2006 TRUCK CHAMP…

BENSON…WHO OVERCAME HIS OWN…FIRST LAP MISTAKE…WHEN HE "LOOPED IT"…FROM HIS POLE STARTING SPOT…AND THEN RESTARTED FROM…DEAD LAST…RECOVERED TO PASS…MARK MARTIN…FOR THE LEAD…AND THE WIN…HIS SERIES LEADING…5^TH RACE OF THE YEAR…

BUT LIKE WE SAID…HE WON’T WIN THE CHAMPIONSHIP UNLESS… BALDEEN…MANAGES TO SOMEHOW…"WRECK IN TECH"…IN THE SEASON FINALE …AT HOMESTEAD…NEXT WEEK…

BEYOND…BENSON’S…DRIVE…IT WAS A PRETTY SEDATE AFFAIR…SO WE WON’T CONTINUE TO BELABOR A…DIMINISHING POINT…

NEXT UP FOR THE TRUCKERS…WILL BE…THE SEASON ENDER AT HOMESTEAD…WHERE THE CHAMPIONSHIP WILL BE DECIDED BETWEEN… …TODD BALD-EEN & RR-AZ ALUM…JOHNNY
BENSON…

RACEVEMBER 6, 2006 FRIDAY NIGHT IN TEXAS..IN A PICK UP TRUCK…
WHAT COULD BE BETTER? (# 23 OF 25)

RR-AZ ALUM…CLINT BOWYER…NEEDED A WIN …AND NEEDED IT BAD…SO LIKE ANY DRIVER WHO CAN’T DO IT WITHIN THE RULES…YOUR FINAL OPTION IS TO…BLOCK REPEATEDLY…AND WHEN THAT FAILS…RUN THE FASTER GUY OFF THE TRACK…AND THAT’S EXACTLY WHAT BOWYER… DID…TO PICK UP THE WIN IN THE TRUCK RACE…AT TEXAS…FRIDAY NIGHT…

BOWYER…GOT AHEAD OF…MIKE SKINNER…FOLLOWING A LATE RACE PIT STOP…AND AS HAD HAPPENED EARLIER IN THE RACE…SKINNER…RAN DOWN …BOWYER…AND WHEN HE TRIED TO MAKE THE PASS FOR THE LEAD …BOWYER…ADMITTEDLY CUT HIM (SKINNER) OFF…AND DROVE HIM INTO THE GRASS…ALMOST WRECKING THE FORMER SERIES CHAMP…

BUT…HEY…THIS WAS FOR A…"WIN"…AND AS LONG AS…SKINNER… DIDN’T WRECK…OR GET KILLED…NASCAR WAS O.K. WITH IT…

AFTER…BOWYER…HAD "SOLVED" THE …SKINNER…AND HIS FAST TRUCK PROBLEM ONLY KYLE BUSCH…HAD A SHOT TO WIN…AND HE TOLD HIS CREW CHIEF…RICHIE WATERS…THAT IF…BOWYER…TRIED THE SAME "STUNT" WITH HIM…HE (BUSCH) WOULD "PUT HIM INTO THE HOT DOG STAND"…

BUT…ALAS…BUSCH…COULDN’T GET CLOSE ENOUGH TO THE…"KANSAS BULLY"…TO PRESS THE ISSUE…AND…BOWYER…ENDED UP RECORDING THE WIN…HE OBVIOUSLY NEEDED IN THE WORST WAY…AND HE…GOT IT…

OUR CONGRATULATIONS GO OUT TO…MIKE SKINNER…FOR HAVING ENOUGH CLASS AND DIGNITY…TO RACE…THE WAY …RACING IS MEANT TO BE…

TO…CLINT BOWYER…WE SAY…"ENJOY YOUR TROPHY"…AND ALL THE LACK OF RACING CLASS THAT…EARNED IT FOR YOU…

THE SERIES HEADS TO THE…PHOENIX DESERT…NEXT WEEKEND… WITH THE REST OF THE NASCARIANS…

RACETOBER 30, 2006 - RUNNIN’ WITH THE CUPPERS IN…ATLANTA (# 22 OF 25)

FORMER CRAFTSMAN TRUCK SERIES CHAMP…AND…COPPER WORLD CLASSIC CHAMP… MIKE BLISS…PASSED…RR-AZ ALUM…AND SERIES ROOKIE…ERIK DARNELL ON THE FINAL RESTART WITH EIGHT LAPS LEFT…TO TAKE THE LEAD FOR GOOD…AND THEN HELD OFF A HARD CHARGE FROM…TERRY COOK ON THE FINAL LAP…TO WIN…AT ATLANTA ON SATURDAY.

IT WAS…BLISS'…FIRST WIN SINCE HIS CHAMPIONSHIP SEASON OF 2002…BUT IT DIDN’T COME EASY…AS…BLISS HAD TO OVERCOME A…PIT ROAD PENALTY…EARLY IN THE RACE…WHEN A LUGNUT WAS LEFT OFF DURING A TIRE CHANGE…

FOLLOWING…BLISS…AND…COOK…ACROSS THE FINISH LINE IN 3^RD… WAS…DARNELL…WHO RECORDED HIS 2^ND TOP 5 FINISH IN A ROW…

THE…TWO DRIVER (TODD BALDEEN & JOHNNY BENSON) POINT BATTLE …FOR THE TRUCK CHAMPIONSHIP…STAYED CONSTANT…AS…BOTH DRIVERS HAD PROBLEMS…

BALDEEN…HAD TIRE ISSUES…WHICH PUT HIM A PAIR OF LAPS DOWN …RESULTING IN A 25^TH PLACE FINISH…WHILE…BENSON…LOST HIS … DRIVESHAFT…BUT WAS ABLE TO GET IT REPLACED…AND WAS SHOWN FINISHING IN THE 29^TH SPOT…SO AT THE END OF THE DAY WITH 3 RACES REMAINING…BODINE…LEADS BY 79 POINTS…

HERE’S THE…PEACHTREE…FINISH…AND A PEEK AT THE POINTS …AS THE SERIES HEADS OFF TO…TEXAS…NEXT WEEKEND…WITH THE REST OF THE…NASCAR-I-ANS…

RACETOBER 23, 2006 - RUNNIN’ WITH THE CUPPERS IN…VIRGINNY - (# 21 OF 25)

THE NASCAR…BRAINTRUST…(AND YES…WE KNOW THAT’S AN… OXYMORON)…CONTINUED LAST WEEK’S…MELTDOWN…WHICH SAW THEM …"CONFUSED"…WHEN LINING UP THE FIELD FOR A RESTART IN THE BUSCH RACE…AND THEN…WAVE THE…GREEN FLAG…WHILE SAFETY TRUCKS WERE STILL ON THE TRACK IN THE…"CUP RACE"…KEPT THEIR … INCOMPETENCE STREAK IN TACT…AS THEY ELECTED TO…EXERCISE THE …"WHO YA’ GONNA’ BELIEVE NASCAR…OR YOUR OWN LYIN’ EYES"… RULE…YET AGAIN… AS THEY DECIDED TO…BLACK FLAG…RACE LEADER …TED MUSGRAVE…FOR AN…"IMPROPER RE-START"…WHICH CAUSED THE REIGNING SERIES CHAMP…TO GIVE UP THE TOP SPOT AFTER LEADING…MORE THAN 100 OF THE RACES 138 LAPS…TO THAT POINT…

POST RACE INTERVIEWS WITH DRIVERS…HAD EVERYONE OF THEM…TO A DRIVER…CONFUSED AS TO WHY NASCAR…DID WHAT THEY DID…TO MUSGRAVE…BUT THEY ALL AGREED THAT…"IT WAS NASCAR’S CALL"… AND DIDN’T COMMENT FURTHER…(THEY KNOW BETTER)…

AFTER NASCAR’S…"INTERVENTION"…JACK SPRAGUE…INHERITED THE LEAD…AND STAYED OUT FRONT THE REMAINDER OF THE RACE’S 200 LAPS…TO PICK UP HIS 2^ND WIN OF THE SEASON…FOLLOWED BY…DAVID STARR…IN 2^ND…

RR-AZ ALUMS…ERIC DAR-NELL…AND MARK MARTIN…WHEELING FORDS … INTERRUPTED THE USUAL…TOYOTA…TOP 5 SWEEP…FINISHING…3^RD & 4^TH…WHILE…2^ND IN POINTS DRIVER JOHNNY BENSON…DROVE HIS TOYOTA TO A 5^TH PLACE FINISH…WHICH ALLOWED HIM TO MOVE WITHIN 79 POINTS OF POINT LEADER…TODD BAL-DEEN…WHO RECORDED A 14^TH PLACE FINISH…

THE SERIES HEADS OFF TO ATLANTA…NEXT WEEKEND WITH THE REST OF THE…NASCARIANS.

RACETOBER 9, 2006 - (# 20 OF 25)

THE NASCAR TRUCKERS TOOK TO THE NEWLY…PAVED…TALLADEGA… SPEEDWAY…FOR THE VERY 1^ST TIME…SATURDAY AFTERNOON…AND THE TRUCKERS GAVE A GOOD ACCOUNT OF THEMSELVES…ALL THE WAY TO THE FINAL LAP…WHEN THE TALLADEGA "OBLIGATORY"…BIG ONE… FINALLY REARED IT’S UGLY HEAD…

AS EXPECTED…MARK MARTIN DOMINATED AGAIN…WINNING THE POLE AND THEN BENEFITING FROM THE…"NO RACIN’…DUMB ASS"…NASCAR…LUCKY DOG RULE…TO PICK UP HIS 5^TH WIN IN 9 TRIES …THIS YEAR…BUT…NOT BEFORE A LITTLE…NASCAR STYLE CONTROVERSY WHICH SET UP THE…"BIG ONE"…

DEPENDING ON…WHO’S DOING THE INTERPRETING…BODINE…DROVE UNDER THE…DREADED YELLOW LINE…TO PASS…MARTIN…OR… MARTIN…FORCED…BODINE BELOW THE YELLOW LINE TO…"BLOCK" BODINE’S…PASS…AND THE NASCAR CALL…NOT SURPRISINGLY…WENT IN MARTIN’S…FAVOR…RESULTING IN A…BODINE…PENALTY…AND A…GREEN-WHITE-CHECKER FINISH…AND A WHOLE BUCH OF WRECKED RACE CARS…

THE RESULT…BODINE…ON NEW TIRES…JOINS A 5 WIDE GROUP…AND BOTH HE…AND…MIKE SKINNER…"CLIP"…OTHER CARS…TRIGGERING THE "BIG ONE"…AND A FROZEN FINISH…THAT SAW…MARTIN WIN…SKINNER… FINISH 2^ND…AND…BODINE…4^TH…WHILE…MUCH OF THE REMAINING FIELD …LEFT THE TRACK ON A FRONT END LOADER…

THANK NASCAR FOR MANUFACTURING THIS ONE…

THE SERIES GOES…SHORT TRACKIN’…IN MARTINSVILLE…IN A PAIR OF WEEKS…