Dennis Setzer | No. 46 Team Silverado | Morgan-Dollar Motorsports

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Setzer Glad to Get Back to Martinsville

Statesville, NC – Dennis Setzer, driver of the #46 Chevrolet Silverado has always considered Martinsville his favorite track. Setzer, a native of Hickory, North Carolina, also considers the .586-mile track his home track, and for good reason. “Martinsville is just one of those special places,” said Setzer. “Drivers all have their favorite tracks and Martinsville Speedway is definitely mine.”

Setzer, who cut his teeth on the short tracks of North Carolina and Virginia found an early fondness for the paperclip-shaped speedway many years ago. “Martinsville used to be the Daytona of the Late Model series down south. Everyone wanted to go and run Martinsville, but it was a tough show to make. About 140 cars would try and make up a 32-36 car field. I was able to make a lot of those, got some top-fives and finally got a win in 1990.”

Dennis has posted two victories at Martinsville over the past two seasons in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. His win in the 2002 Advance Auto Parts 250 set a record for winning from the farthest starting position in the field. That day, Setzer started 33rd but rallied to take the lead by the halfway point of the race, and on to victory lane after a dominating performance. With a win this weekend, Setzer could set another record by becoming the first driver in the NCTS to post at least one win in seven consecutive seasons.

Setzer and his Morgan-Dollar Motorsports teammates re-visited victory lane again last spring at Martinsville, but it wasn’t quite the race Dennis wanted as the team fought handling problems all day. He eventually took the lead with fifty laps to go, and cruised his second straight win. The win in 2003 was significant in that it was the 100th win for Chevrolet in the Craftsman Truck Series, it was the team’s second win in a row in 2003, and second win in a row at Martinsville.

In 2003, Martinsville hosted a second race date for the Craftsman Truck Series much to the delight of Setzer and Morgan-Dollar. Dennis and the #46 crew put on a good show and led most of the race. However, when the caution flag fell with just 80 laps to go, Setzer and crew chief Danny Gill had a tough decision to make. Pit or Stay out. They decided to stay out and forgo the last opportunity to get tires. Several other top trucks stopped for tires and were able to catch Setzer in the waning laps. Dennis held off numerous charges by John Wood and Carl Edwards, but was passed by both with just 24 laps to go.

Dennis went on to finish third, but it would not be until two races later and the end of the season when he and the #46 crew would realize just how important that ten points would be. The team finished second to Travis Kvapil and IWX Racing for the championship in the final race of the season – by a mere nine points.

Setzer has been a dominant force at Martinsville ever since joining the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series six years ago. With strong sponsorship backing from Chevrolet Silverado, this could be the season that Setzer and Morgan-Dollar take home the big prize at that end of the season.
“We had our best run ever at Daytona to start the season,” said Setzer, who ran sixth in the season-opening event. “We think we’ve got the package this season to make another charge for the title.” And of course, considering Setzer’s Martinsville success, two visits to the half-mile track in 2004, the Kroger 250 on April 17 and the Kroger 200 on October 23, won’t hurt a championship bid.
Live green flag coverage begins on the Speed Channel Saturday, April 17th at 1:00 pm EST with radio coverage coming on MRN Affiliates at 12:30 p.m.