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Houston Hammers Home Hard Fought 11th Place Finish At
Martinsville
Team ASE/CARQUEST Dodge Battles For Best Finish Of 2004 NCTS Season
Andy Houston faced a variety of challenges in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck
Series event Saturday afternoon at Martinsville Speedway - lapped traffic,
inexperienced drivers and NASCAR legend Darrell Waltrip - but was
ultimately unable to win the track position battle. Houston charged from
dead last in the 36 truck field to the 11th position, but could advance no
further as the laps wound down in the Kroger 250, held at the tight and
demanding Virginia short track.
"Track position means everything here at Martinsville," Houston said
following the event. "We worked hard for that. The NASCAR Craftsman Truck
Series division is as tough as I've ever seen it. Everybody runs the same
speed. It's kind of like the NEXTEL of trucks. The whole field is very
competitive. To start dead last and come home 11th, we're not jumping up
and down about it, but it's a good momentum builder. We took a hit in the
points the first two races, so this was a good points day for us. When we
get to Mansfield (Ohio) we're going to have something for them. I feel 100
percent confident. Dennis Connor is a great crew chief, and this is a
great race team. They gained me as many spots in the pits as I gained on
the track today. We're getting this Team ASE/CARQUEST Dodge back up front
where it needs to be. We're going to put all the stuff that happened in
the first two races behind us and move along because I think we have
something to build on."
Houston was forced to start shotgun in the field after his Team
ASE/CARQUEST crew made an engine change following his 14th place
qualifying run. When the green flag fell he quickly worked his way through
the field, running lap times commensurate with the leaders. Shortly before
the halfway mark of the event Houston passed his Ultra Motorsports
teammate Ted Musgrave to climb into the top ten. It was a combination of
skirmishes, however, that hampered his bid for a top finish. Just past the
lap 160 mark, Houston was involved in an incident with the lapped truck
driven by Joe Aramendia. The damage to the right front bumper required
immediate attention and crew chief Dennis Connor called Houston to pit
road for the much needed repair. After exiting the pits in the 17th spot,
Houston once again made a mad dash toward the front. When NASCAR extended
the race for its green-white-checker scenario, Houston's run set up a
confrontation with NASCAR veteran and former three-time Cup champion
Darrell Waltrip.
"Darrell Waltrip got a little excited there at the end I think," Houston
said. "Chad Chaffin didn't get started real good on the restart, and not
wanting to crash him for just one position, I cut him a little break there
getting into one and Darrell got in the side of me and got me crossways.
He had a pretty good head of momentum getting into three and I think he
just got in there too deep. I went up the racetrack on purpose because I
knew he was underneath me. I tried to give him all the room I possibly
could. I knew all I had to do was drag race him off two more corners and
we'd beat him. I felt him hit me a little bit and I guess he spun around,
but that says a lot about a guy that races only two or three times a year.
It was real hot today, and he was up on that wheel at the end of the race,
that's for sure."
Rick Crawford won the event in a close battle with short track ace Dennis
Setzer. Houston moved up five positions - from 24th to 19th - in the chase
for the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series points championship. He currently
sits only 79 points out of the 10th position. A series record 24 drivers
completed all 254 laps of the Kroger 250. Only two starters in a field of
36 failed to finish, establishing another series mark.
The next race for the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series is at Mansfield
Motorsports Speedway on Sunday May 16th. The event will be broadcast live
by MRN Radio, XM Satellite Radio and the Speed Channel at 2pm ET.
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