June 3, 2003

Hamilton, Square D Racing Preview: Texas

Test, Test, Test: Square D driver Bobby Hamilton has been very busy these days. Before he raced and finished second at Dover International Raceway, he tested his No. 4 Dodge in Lakeland, Florida. This week the driver spent one day in his Tennessee-based race shop before he flew to Texas World Speedway for another two-day test session. "It gets crazy sometimes, but we need to test as much we can for the practice. It only helps our entire program at BHR if one of our teams tests at a racetrack. We started out this season with a whole new team, including a driver and crew chief. Since that time we have come so far and we want it to keep moving in that same direction. Dodge and Square D provide us with so much support on our racing program and we want to show them the best results. It's nice to go onto a race track where I have not ever raced a truck before and have a good finish. The best way to do that is to test, test, test."

Arrington Engines: "I can't say enough about Joey Arrington (of Arrington Manufacturing) and his engine program. I have worked with these guys for a while now and they continue to give us the best engines out there on the race track. We have a tremendous relationship with them. They provide us a ton of feedback and are continuously testing their engine program to make it better. When we go to a place like Texas it challenges the engine with the high rates of speed we drive. That is when we know without even asking that they will give us their best. I don't doubt it for a minute."

Leffler's Win: As soon as Hamilton did his interviews for his second-place finish at Dover International Raceway, he couldn't wait to run into victory lane to congratulate fellow Dodge driver Jason Leffler. "I'm proud of him for finally getting a win. I know he has waited long enough and tried his best to get one. He deserves the victory. Jason is a good kid with a lot of talent behind the wheel. He had the truck to beat there for sure. It's good for him, his team and our Dodge program."

Notes:
- After his second-place finish in Dover, Hamilton extended his points lead over driver Rick Crawford by 43 points.
- Hamilton has the most top-five finishes so far this season, with five-out-of-six finishes being top fives.
- The Tennessee native has lead laps in all six races.

Texas Motor Speedway Finish Key to Good Things for Drivers: According to Texas Motor Speedway, every winner of the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race there has gone on to have an outstanding season that particular year, including two who have gone on to win the series championship and two who have claimed Rookie-of-the-Year honors. Well if that is the case, the current points leader hopes to win this weekend's event. "It would be nice to make this statistic true for Texas Motor Speedway again this year. I hope that it is me in victory lane there. It's only our seventh race and we are the points leader, so we have to watch our P's and Q's everywhere we go. It's not that we are out there racing every weekend for the points championship, but we are trying to race smart. That is what will win the championship for whoever gets the trophy."