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Martinsville Speedway has played an important role in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series since the series’ inception in 1995.
In the first race at the track, Joe Ruttman edged Mike Skinner (No. 5 Toyota Tundra Toyota) by one second to take the victory. Skinner eventually got the last laugh, winning the season’s final two races to take the first series championship.
Twelve years later, Martinsville is one of four tracks that has hosted the series each season (along with The Milwaukee Mile, O’Reilly Raceway Park and Phoenix International Raceway). When the track was awarded a second date in 2003, it became the second track (with Texas Motor Speedway) to have two races. Atlanta Motor Speedway became the third track with two races in 2005.
There have been 15 different winners in the 16 races at the track. Dennis Setzer (No. 75 Spears Manufacturing Chevrolet) is the track’s only repeat winner.
Skinner, who won the 1996 race, is hoping to join him this weekend. Skinner currently is the standings leader and has won the last two races at California Speedway and Atlanta Motor Speedway. A third consecutive win would make him the only driver in series history to win three consecutive races on two different occasions. He first accomplished the feat in 1996 with wins at Tucson, Denver and Topeka – three tracks no longer on the schedule.
The only other drivers to win three in a row are Ron Hornaday Jr. (No. 33 AES Chevrolet) in 1997, Greg Biffle in 2000 and Todd Bodine (No. 30 Lumber Liquidators Toyota) in 2005.
