Backstretch Motorsports

MARTINSVILLE, Va. (March 29, 2008) — For the first time since the late Bobby Hamilton won at Mansfield, Ohio, in 2005, Dennis Setzer took Bobby Hamilton Racing back to victory lane.

“This win right here is for Bobby Hamilton only — he is the man!” shouted crew chief Marcus Richmond after Setzer, who had run 173 laps since his final pit stop, crossed the finish line with trucks wrecking in his wake.

Setzer’s victory in the Kroger 250 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race Saturday at Martinsville Speedway was his third at the .526-mile short track and the 18th of his career. Setzer won for the first time since taking the checkered flag at Mansfield on May 26, 2007.

Hamilton, who posted 10 wins in the truck series before his death from cancer on Jan. 7, 2007, claimed his last victory at that same track on May 15, 2005.

“I ran second to Bobby Hamilton the year he won the championship (2004),” Setzer said. “We raced really hard against each other, but off the track, we were the best of friends. I don’t think we ever had a harsh word for one another. I respected him a lot.”

The 15th and final caution of the race on Lap 248 necessitated a green-white-checkered-flag finish that took Saturday’s race three laps beyond its scheduled distance. As Setzer rounded Turn 3 on the final circuit, Kyle Busch powered his No. 51 Toyota beneath the second-place No. 23 Toyota of Johnny Benson as the trucks entered the corner.

Busch’s truck clipped Benson’s and both spun out of control. Matt Crafton dodged the wreck to finish second, and Rick Crawford came home third. Ken Schrader inherited fourth place and Erik Darnell fifth, as Benson and Busch dropped to 25th and 26th at the finish, respectively.

“Kyle drove in underneath that 23 and wheel-hopped it and opened the door for me,” said Crafton, who had an up-close view of the accident. I kind of shut my eyes and went through the middle. In Kyle’s defense, he wheel-hopped and got sideways, and that’s why he wrecked the 23.”

Setzer took the lead on Lap 128 when Brent Raymer spun in Turn 4 in front of Busch, who had surged past teammate Denny Hamlin on Lap 97 and stayed in front until the mishap with Raymer. Setzer remained in the lead the rest of the way, through nine more cautions that helped him stretch his fuel mileage.

Notes: Martinsville Speedway president Clay Campbell is part of the ownership group for Bobby Hamilton Racing, which relocated from Nashville, Tenn., to Martinsville after Hamilton’s death. . . Busch retained the series points lead by 35 over Todd Bodine, who finished 12th Saturday.

NASCAR Race Number 4
Unofficial Race Results for the Kroger “250″ - Saturday, March 29, 2008
Martinsville Speedway - Martinsville, VA - .53 Mile Paved
Total Race Length - 253 Laps - 133.08 Miles - Purse: $520,137

Leader
Fin Str Trk Driver Team Laps Pts Bns Total Award Status Times Laps
1 10 18 Dennis Setzer Duck Head Footwear/Aquadock 253 195 10 $55,025 Running 1 126
2 24 88 Matt Crafton Menards/Ideal Door Chevrolet 253 170 $32,550 Running
3 5 14 Rick Crawford Power Stroke Diesel by Int’l Ford 253 165 $22,320 Running
4 28 52 Ken Schrader Federated Auto Parts Toyota 253 160 $12,910 Running
5 18 99 Erik Darnell Northern Tool + Equipment Ford 253 155 $13,085 Running
6 9 11 David Starr Red Horse Racing Toyota 253 150 $13,385 Running
7 14 09 Travis Kvapil Zaxby’s Ford 253 146 $11,435 Running
8 3 33 Ron Hornaday VFW Chevrolet 253 147 5 $12,385 Running 2 3
9 25 71 Donny Lia # AutismSpeaks.org Chevrolet 253 138 $10,085 Running
10 17 46 Scott Speed Red Bull Chevrolet 253 134 $11,835 Running
11 16 10 Brendan Gaughan International MAXXFORCE Diesel 253 130 $12,135 Running
12 15 30 Todd Bodine Lumber Liquidators Toyota 253 127 $11,110 Running
13 13 60 Terry Cook Wyler.com Toyota 253 124 $11,060 Running
14 7 6 Colin Braun # Con-way Freight Ford 253 121 $11,010 Running
15 21 59 Ted Musgrave Team ASE/Harris Trucking Toyota 253 118 $11,685 Running
16 12 22 Phillip McGilton # Three Wide Life Toyota 253 115 $11,260 Running
17 19 07 Ryan Lawler Deals Auto Auction of Dallas 253 112 $11,010 Running
18 35 03 Chrissy Wallace GEICO/Mobil Delvac Toyota 253 109 $8,510 Running
19 6 47 Timothy Peters Tahoe Chevrolet 253 106 $8,460 Running
20 23 9 Justin Marks # Construct Corps/Crocs Toyota 253 103 $11,335 Running
21 2 15 Denny Hamlin Miccosukee Resorts Toyota 253 105 5 $8,360 Running 2 64
22 29 40 Chad Chaffin Key Motorsports Chevrolet 253 97 $10,585 Running
23 33 20 Scott Lagasse Jr Nicholson Group Development Ford 253 94 $10,560 Running
24 1 2 Jack Sprague Camping World/RVs.Com Chevrolet 253 96 5 $10,160 Running 2 28
25 22 23 Johnny Benson Toyota Certified Used Vehicles Toyota 253 88 $9,185 Running
26 11 51 Kyle Busch Miccosukee Resorts Toyota 253 90 5 $8,135 Running 2 32
27 31 08 Jason White GunBroker.com Dodge 252 82 $9,110 Running
28 34 21 Jon Wood The Barnhill Group Ford 252 79 $8,085 Running
29 20 5 Mike Skinner Toyota Tundra Toyota 251 76 $8,035 Running
30 4 16 Brian Scott # Shark Energy Drink/Albertsons 250 73 $8,010 Running
31 32 85 Brent Raymer A&J Concrete/Cars,Trucks & RVs 250 70 $7,565 Running
32 30 8 Chad McCumbee Malcolmson Construction Chevrolet 249 67 $7,535 Running
33 36 42 Tim Cowen Cowen Truck Lines Ford 247 64 $7,510 Running
34 8 13 Shelby Howard ThorSport Racing Chevrolet 237 61 $7,485 Accident
35 26 4 Stacy Compton Shelor.com/Dodge Dealers Dodge 219 58 $7,460 Running
36 27 7 Andy Lally # TRG Motorsports/Adobe Road Winery 77 55 $7,405 Accident
Race Comments: Before an estimated crowd of 20,000 - Dennis Setzer won the Kroger 250 - his 18th NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series victory. No one dropped to the rear.
Failed to Qualify: N/A
Time of Race: 02 Hrs, 10 Mins, 14 Secs. Average Speed: 61.311 MPH Margin of Victory: Caution
Caution Flags: 16 for 83 laps: Laps: 42-45 (#22 accident turn 4); 51-55 (Debris); 64-67 (#85 accident turn 4); 80-91 (#08,7,9 accident turn 3); 103-107 (#22 spun turn 1); 129-134 (#85 spun turn 4); 137-148 (#2,4,21,47 accident turn 3 [Red - Lap 144 - 5:35]); 164-168 (#22 spun turn 4); 178-181 (#30,40 accident turn 4); 185-190 (#16 accident turn 3); 205-208 (#6 spun turn 4); 219-222 (#59 spun turn 2); 233-236 (#20 spun turn 3); 239-242 (#2,13 accident backstretch [Red - Lap 239 - 4-42]); 249-251 (#5 spun turn 4); 253-253 (#23,51 accident turn 4).
Lead Changes: 8 among 5 drivers: J. Sprague 1-4; R. Hornaday 5; J. Sprague 6-29; R. Hornaday 30-31; D. Hamlin 32-92; K. Busch 93; D. Hamlin 94-96; K. Busch 97-127; D. Setzer 128-253.
Top 10 Driver Points: (1) Ky. Busch 645;(2) T. Bodine 610;(3) R. Hornaday 580;(4) D. Setzer 578;(5) R. Crawford 576;(6) M. Crafton 539;(7) D. Starr 534;(8) E. Darnell 527;(9) J. Benson 501;(10) T. Cook 499.
Featherlite Most Improved Driver Award : David Starr, #11 (15 Places) Keystone Light Pole Award : Jack Sprague, #2 (96.327 mph)
Mahle Clevite Engine Builder of the Race : Dennis Setzer, #18 Mobil 1 Command Performance : Dennis Setzer, #18
Raybestos Rookie of the Race Award : Donny Lia, #71 Sunoco Diamond Performance : Dennis Setzer, #18
Wix Filters Lap Leader Award : Dennis Setzer, #18 (126 Laps)
Next Race: Apr. 26, 2008 - Kansas Speedway