INDIANAPOLIS, IN (Aug. 6, 2004) – On the final lap coming off turn two Square D driver Bobby Hamilton jumped to the outside of Travis Kvapil.  The duo battled door-to-door into turn three and as Hamilton came off turn four, he took the position and finished third in the Power Stroke Diesel 200 at Indianapolis Raceway Park.  As a result of his seventh top-five finish this year, Hamilton took the lead in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series points championship.   

The one-day show started with a two-hour practice session in which Hamilton was listed in the top five.  Then teams qualified around the short track and Hamilton earned his spot on the outside pole.  Immediately following qualifying the trucks were impounded by NASCAR and not touched until the race started. 

Once the 200-lap event began the Square D driver showed his smooth techniques around the .686-mile oval.  Hamilton radioed to his Crew Chief Danny Rollins during the first caution on lap nine saying, “I’m a little snug, but it seems to be coming out of it.” Rollins continued over the next several laps to tell Hamilton his lap times as they were compared to the leader. 

Then the fourth of eight cautions came out on lap 78.  Hamilton came onto pit road in the third spot for four fresh Goodyear Wranglers and Sunoco fuel.  The Square D Racing Team had a minor problem, losing two lug nuts, on the rear during the stop and Hamilton resumed his position on the track in sixth for the restart on lap 83.

“You guys stay calm out there,” Hamilton said trying to motivate his team.  “We don’t need slow stops at a short track, so shake it off and find your rhythm.  The next stop will be like they always are, so put it behind you and stay with me.” 

Hamilton didn’t waste any time getting back to third.  By lap 89 he was already challenging for second.  He held his position until lap 147 when his tires started to wear making him loose.  Hamilton, going into veteran mode, started to preserve the tires in case the race went under green-flag conditions the rest of the time.  He fell back to eighth spot when the seventh caution came out on lap 177. 

Since tires were such a critical part of the night’s speeds and there was 20 laps left in the race, the team didn’t second guess its decision to pit for the last set.  Hamilton drove on pit road with Travis Kvapil and Chad Chaffin while Johnny Sauter and Dennis Setzer stayed out on the track.  The Square D Racing Team cranked out a fast, flawless pit stop and Hamilton picked up three spots on pit road. 

The race restarted and Hamilton was fifth behind his BHR teammate Chaffin.  Immediately the duo passed Dennis Setzer to pick up another spot.  The final caution came out on lap 192 which allowed the field to restart the race in single file on lap 195.  Hamilton and Chaffin raced to the outside groove.  Chaffin challenged leader Sauter as Hamilton battled with Kvapil.  As the four trucks toured the .686-mile oval for the last circuit, door-to-door beating and banging each other for position, it was BHR who prevailed.  Chaffin won the Power Stroke Diesel 200 and Hamilton finished third over Kvapil.    

“That’s two wins this year, and that’s five for Bobby Hamilton Racing,” Hamilton said.  “That’s the most wins of any company in the NCTS.  I’m really proud of that. We had a tire that was working up on us and needed that caution.  We took our time and we were able to get set after that.  You get to where you can’t win the race, so you sort of points race a little bit.  But that was still a lot of fun.”

Following Chaffin in the top five was Johnny Sauter, Hamilton, Kvapil and Carl Edwards.