HT Motorsports Going For First Win
Racing at Martinsville Speedway means racing at home for members of HT Motorsports. Competing in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series since 2001, the team is still searching for that first win and would love nothing more than for it to come in front of family and friends.
With a veteran driver lineup, chances are good it could come this weekend. New to the HT team this season, David Starr in the No. 24 Zachry Toyota is no stranger to Martinsville’s Victory Lane. Starr led 121 laps in the Kroger 250 before he grabbed the checkered flag in 2006. Winless since that race, the driver is ready to get back to Victory Lane.
“Even just saying getting back to Victory Lane sounds so good,” said Starr. “All of us drivers go to the track each week trying to get the win, so Martinsville wouldn’t be any different in that category. Knowing that you have led laps there and been to Victory Lane there makes you have a different, more confident outlook.”
Starr’s teammate Terry Cook (No. 25 Harris Trucking Toyota), also winless since 2006, is ready to find his way back to Victory Lane as well. Sitting seventh in points, the Ohio native thinks his team has the determination and momentum it needs.
“I feel like things are finally falling into place for us,” he said. “Every team out there works hard and I cannot say enough about this HT Motorsports crew and how much time and effort they put in each week. We are hungry for a win, and won’t back down until we get there.”
Team owner Jim Harris, who hails from Lynchburg, Va., echoes his drivers’ sentiments. “I think winning at home would be great for this team, just as it was for Bobby Hamilton Racing last year. Winning at what is declared your home track is always where you want to win first.”
Harris has a little history with the track. He started coming to races back as a young teen. “I would come and sit on the concrete seats in Turn 4 and get covered up with black rubber and inhale the fumes. I was hooked,” he said.
While he enjoys reminiscing of his younger days, Harris does say the best seat in the house is the seat he has these days with his teams.
And Starr would like a win as a gift to wife Kim and new son David Jr., born March 12. It would be a great way for me to celebrate being a dad, but every day is a celebration in that department,” he said.
Premier Racing Takes Momentum Home
Like HT Motorsports, Premier Racing will be staying close to home this weekend. The Danville-based team is riding a wave of success in the first three races of the season. Driver and team co-owner Timothy Peters has his No. 17 Hayes Iron & Metal/Strutmasters.com Toyota sitting ninth in points. The top-10 ranking is a first for both the driver and team.
“We have built momentum in the first three races,” said Peters. “Our success early in the year should translate to a good finish at Martinsville, a place I’ve had a lot of success in previous races.”
While the driver believes racing at home doesn’t give him an edge necessarily over the other teams, it’s the strong support of your hometown fans that makes a difference.
A win is the team’s ultimate goal and would be even sweeter coming at the their home track. “A win in my backyard, in front of my family, friends, and sponsors would mean more than any other win on the circuit.”
Not only will the team be competing in front of friends and family, but sponsors too. Philip Hudgins, CEO of Premier Racing, said, “Most of our sponsors come from Virginia, and it would be a great way to reward them for their generous support.”
Votes Are In: Media Predict Hornaday And Carmichael To Win
Media voted in the first-ever poll to predict who they thought would be the 2009 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series champion and Raybestos Rookie of the Year. The results are in claiming Ron Hornaday Jr. (No. 33 VFW/Longhorn Chevrolet) will be the champion come Homestead. Hornaday edged Todd Bodine (No. 30 Germain Toyota) in the poll.
Johnny Benson (No. 1 Red Horse Racing Toyota) isn’t predicted to grab a historic back-to-back championship as they have him slated to finish third. Mike Skinner (No. 5 Bad Boy Mowers Toyota), Matt Crafton (No. 88 Menards Chevrolet), Kyle Busch (No. 51 Miccosukee Resorts/NOS Energy Drink Toyota), Rick Crawford (No. 14 Circle Bar Truck Corral/International Engine Ford), Colin Braun (No. 6 Con-Way Freight Ford), Terry Cook (No. 25 Harris Trucking Toyota), and Chad McCumbee (No. 07 SS Green Light Racing Chevrolet) round out the top 10.
In the rookie corner, media claim Rick Carmichael (No. 4 Oakley/Moster Energy Drink Chevrolet) as the series’ Raybestos Rookie of the Year.
Atop The Box With Jeff Hensley
Martinsville native Jeff Hensley knows a thing or two about getting around the .526-mile track. The veteran crew chief helped lead Mike Skinner to his sweep of the short track in 2007 and has a win in the NASCAR Nationwide Series with Chuck Bown in 1993.
Rookie Standings
This week the 2009 rookie class prepares for their first short track of the season.
Current standings leader J.R. Fitzpatrick (No. 7 Mammoet Chevrolet), who competed in last October’s Kroger 200, only has three points separating himself from Ricky Carmichael. Not originally on his schedule, his strong showing out of the box has Carmichael and his No. 4 Oakley Chevrolet headed to Martinsville.
Johnny Sauter (No. 13 Fun Sand/Rodney Atkins/Curb Records Chevrolet) has two previous starts in the series where he notched a 22nd and 23rd-place finish. The Wisconsin native also has one start in the NASCAR Nationwide Series and four in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.
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