FT WORTH, (Oct. 16, 2004) – Square D Driver Bobby Hamilton tested at a similar track two days before the Chevy Silverado 350K at Texas Motor Speedway and the extra practice session paid off.  Even though Hamilton had to start in the rear after a motor change on Friday night, he finished the race in third, his best finish at that track.  His 11th top-five finish this season allowed him to spread out the points gap to 79 points ahead of Dennis Setzer with only four more races in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series 2004 season.

Hamilton practiced twice on Friday before he got his chance to make a two-lap stint around the 1.5-mile tri-oval race track.  Both times he was among the fastest trucks on the track.  Then when Hamilton got the chance to make his qualifying attempt, he said the truck lost over 300 horsepower during the run.  His 32nd starting spot proved something was not right according to the earlier practices.  So the team changed motors, and Hamilton started the race from the rear.

At the end of the first lap, Hamilton had already passed 12 trucks to land in the 24th spot.  Then on lap five the first caution came out.  “I knew we would fight this starting so far in the back, but the dirty air is making my truck too loose,” Hamilton said.  Crew Chief Danny Rollins called Hamilton to pit, saying the team did not have many positions to lose, and several to gain.  Hamilton pitted and the team made adjustments to the left rear tire, track bar and added fuel. 

Hamilton rode around the next few laps hanging on while his fuel burned off.  Several laps into the run and by the third caution on lap 52 he said it was a little snug.  He pitted on lap 54 and the team made another adjustment to air pressure in the tires.  Hamilton restarted the race in 12th. 

He dodged two more cautions and when NASCAR said there was debris on the race track which brought out the sixth of nine cautions, Hamilton was now in his fuel window.  So the team pitted on lap 99 cranking out a fast pit stop with no adjustments.  Hamilton restarted on lap 102 in the eighth position. 

Only two laps later, a horrendous crash brought out the red flag.  Hamilton parked his Square D Dodge in the seventh spot on turn three for over 20 minutes.  Finally NASCAR got the mess cleaned up and the soft walls fixed so the race resumed.  By lap 114 he was sixth.  On lap 118 he took over the fifth spot.  Then on lap 119 he passed Carl Edwards on the high side for fourth. 

On lap 129 the ninth and final caution came out when Chad Blount wrecked his Dodge.  When the restart happened with only 10 laps left Hamilton knew it was time to get what he could.  On lap 138 he passed David Starr on the outside taking over the third spot where he finished the race.

“This is all about my people,” Hamilton said after the race.  “We had an engine problem after qualifying.  We found some metal pieces in it and so we put in a new motor.  My guys did a great job with that, and then it was up to me.  I had to hang on a couple of times out there I was so loose, but this is our best finish here.  We’re happy.  I hope we can come back here next year and win it.”

Todd Bodine won the Chevy Silverado 250 at Texas Motor Speedway.  Johnny Benson, Hamilton, David Starr and Jack Sprague followed in the top five.