Compton, Knaus and a Short Track Test: "Long before Chad Knaus become known for calling the shots for Jimmie Johnson he was my crew chief when I drove for Mark Melling in the Sprint Cup Series. One time we were testing at a short track preparing for an upcoming race. I had been screaming all afternoon that the car was extremely loose. I think Chad half believed me because toward the end of the day he decided to climb behind the wheel to see the feel. I helped him get strapped in and reminded him that it was loose. He smiled back at me and took off. I climbed on top of the hauler so that I could talk to him on the radio. He got a little braver as he completed each lap. Then the car got loose, the back end kicked out from under him and it headed straight for the wall. I keyed the mic and made sure he was okay. He didn’t say anything at first, but I could see him moving around so I knew he was okay. I couldn’t resist so I keyed the mic again and said, "It was loose wasn’t." He was a really good sport about it and so was Mark (Melling). We headed back to the shop and worked all night to repair the car. It is still one of my favorite memories."

If you could be Mike Helton for a Day what would you change about the NCTS, "It is kind of like being asked what you would do if you were President for a day. It is one thing to voice our opinions when we are not the ones doing it. If I was given the chance I don’t think I would want to be Mike Helton for a day. Those guys have a really hard job of directing our sport on both a competition and marketing level. It is easy for us as drivers, owners and fans to think we have the solutions to all the problems. Sometimes I think we do, but other times we are only looking at it from one angle. Their job is to look at it from all angles. We all have the same goal and that is to continue to grow the truck series. We have some teams who have lost funding or are unable to travel to all the races because the costs are so high in the economy now. I think those are the things we need to take a look at and how we can make this better on that angle. I just want to keep trucks on the track."

Concrete Keeps Nashville Consistent: "I have not met too many drivers in my time who don’t love the Nashville Superspeedway. It is a race car driver’s dream track due to the surface. An asphalt track is very temperature sensitive and conditions can change several times throughout the race. A concrete track is the total opposite. No matter what the temperature is it never wavers. When you set up the truck the night before during practice you can be pretty confident it will be almost the same when you climb in the truck for qualifying the next afternoon."

Compton Picky about His Superstitions: "I am not superstitious about some things, but I will never pick up a penny on tails. It has been the only one I have ever really believed I guess. I won a championship in the number 13 so numbers and colors don’t bother me at all. However, the moment I see a penny on tails I take off in the other direction."

Creative Communication: "One of the best wins I have witnessed at Nashville came when Bobby Sr. won there in 2004. He didn’t even have radio communication with his crew chief. We are spoiled by the current technology, but sometimes it doesn’t always work. When that happens you have to get creative, go high on the track to show you are loose, or hit the roof with your hand to let them know you are tight. Take Montréal as an example, it was the first time for rain tires during a race, but the rain plagued the radio communication. They were forced to an alternative way of communicating and once again it paid off for the winner."

 Bobby Hamilton Racing Virginia announced today that the team and Crew Chief Bryant Frazier, who worked with Stacy Compton, are amicably parting ways. Charlie Wilson will fill in as interim crew chief this weekend at O’Reilly Raceway Park for the No. 4 Dodge Dealers Dodge entry in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series.

Through 13 races this season Compton has scored three top-10 finishes and four top-15 finishes.

Setzer Short Track Bound: "I might just be the happiest person in the garage this weekend at Indy. We had a great run last weekend in Kentucky with the No. 18 Tahoe Dodge. Bringing Jeff Hensley on board has really made a difference in how our team communicates. We won at Martinsville in March and had a really good truck at Mansfield before a parts failure took us out of contention. I feel like if we can keep our nose clean we will have a good chance at winning on Friday night. Both the team and myself have scored victories at ORP in the past and I hope we can add another to that list this weekend."

Compton Has Experience at Kentucky Despite No Truck Starts : "Even though I will be making my first start in a truck at Kentucky Speedway this weekend I don’t expect to hit any road blocks. I have had tons of laps in a Nationwide car and tested in 2000 when Dodge was developing their engine program several times. I can’t tell you how many laps I turned during those motor tests, but I know it was a lot. BHR’s mile and a half program has been getting better each week and I think what we have learned the last few weeks will show this weekend. Kentucky has always been a good track for me. I can’t really pin point why, but every time I raced there in a Nationwide car we finished well. For a long time I held the track record in qualifying, but it was recently beat. To be honest I am as excited about going to Kentucky as I have been about a race track in a long time. I think it could be a good weekend for us."

Setzer reflects on 2005 victory at Kentucky Speedway: "Leading up to my win in 2005 I had finished in the top five at Kentucky three times in a row (2001-2003). We finished just outside the top-10 in 2004 after starting on the pole. If there was a track I felt I needed a win at, it was Kentucky. I had been close so may times. We didn’t qualify as well as I thought we would in 2005, but I was confident we could make it up pretty quickly. My crew chief at the time made some really big changes to the truck after the practice on Friday night. It proved to be just what the truck needed. I was able to crack the top 10 by lap 30. We were running second with a few laps left in the race and the leader blew a tire. I was able to capitalize on his problem and finally score a victory. I hate when those things happen that way, but I’ve learned in racing you have to take them however they come. You never really know when you will win another one."

Millington, TN. (June 30, 2008) – After receiving an extra boost earlier in the week by adding Tahoe Smokeless Tobacco to his No. 18 Dodge for the rest of the season, Dodge Driver Dennis Setzer was itching to get to the birthplace of Rock and Roll. He qualified 11th on Saturday afternoon for the O’Reilly 200 at Memphis Motorspors Park and then Setzer poised himself for the fight ahead of him. A tight Dodge Ram that turned loose, a spin on lap 78, a loose camber shim, falling a lap down to the leader and receiving the lucky dog pass are just a few of the obstacles Setzer overcame to score an impressive 12th place finish.

Millington, TN. (June 30, 2008) – With just three NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series starts at Memphis Motorsports Park on his resume heading into this year’s O’Reilly 200, Stacy Compton could have been considered more of a rookie than a veteran. But he proved all of that did not matter when he crossed the finish line 10th in the O’Reilly 200, his third of the season. On Friday he finished second in the first practice session and followed it up with a 12th place in the final practice.  Throughout the event the Red River Dodge was tight but the condition did not hinder Compton from leading the race for 21 laps early on and coming home 10th in the end.

On occasion, people are brought together in the midst of the most unfortunate circumstances. But through those adverse circumstances, two widely-known female team owners in NASCAR, who in the past exchanged few words, were fortunate to form an unbreakable bond. Lori Hamilton, widow of the late Bobby Hamilton and DeLana Harvick, a self-described racing brat and daughter of fallen racecar driver John Paul Linville, both found solace in a friendship whose common denominator was loss.

Brooklyn, MI. (June 16, 2008) – While under cloudy conditions Friday afternoon Dodge Driver Dennis Setzer posted fast laps in both practice sessions. Qualifying was held the next morning under the hot sun which changed the handling of his No. 18 Melling Dodge. Setzer posted the17th fastest lap just behind teammate Stacy Compton. Once the green flag dropped Setzer began to fall back due to a loose truck. “I have lost total grip,” he said on lap 21. The condition worsened as the race went on. A late race pit stop while under the final caution on lap 95 for four fresh tires proved to help the Melling Dodge. Setzer gained four positions in the final three laps of the event to score a 16th place finish.

Ft. Worth, TX. (June 8, 2008) –After qualifying 18th for the Sam’s Town 400 at Texas Motor Speedway (TMS) Dodge Driver Stacy Compton made a charge to the front picking up six positions in only three laps. Little did the team know danger was lurking just around the corner. On lap 21 Compton received the first sign of trouble when the No. 4 Blake Fulenwider Dodge began missing down the straightaway. The engine eventually expired on lap 87. Compton retired from the event in 30th position.   

Dover Compton’s Favorite Despite Physical Demands On the Track: “Dover is my all-time favorite race track we race on. Most of us know where we are good at and the track that fits our driving style best. Even though it is known as the Monster Mile, it is that perfect fit for me. I think it is a lot of fun to drive there for several reasons, but it may be the most physically demanding race track we visit based on its configuration. The combination of the fast speeds we turn there along with the extremely steep banking makes you feel like you are lifting 1000 pounds over your head for two solid hours. You actually have to position yourself in the seat holding the weight of your body upright, all while driving around tight corners on high banks at 150 mph.  It is excruciating at times.  One mistake and you’re spinning out of control.” 

Mansfield, OH. (May 26, 2008) – Dodge Driver Stacy Compton finally got the monkey of his back this weekend at the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Ohio 250 by scoring a 10th place finish. Before arriving in Mansfield on Friday morning Compton had never seen the race track, but proved his short track background came in handy during the course of the event after starting in the 25th spot. Compton struggled in the opening laps with the No. 4 Spitzer Dodge. “It will not turn,” he said to Crew Chief Bryant Frazier on lap 37 while running in the 26th position. Frazier made a gutsy call later in the race to bring Compton back down pit road for four fresh tires despite his pre-race plan to only pit once. The fresh tires proved to be just what Compton needed to make his way through the field and into 10th place. It was the team’s second top-10 finish. 

Mansfield , OH . ( May 26, 2008 ) – For Dodge driver and defending Ohio 250 race winner, Dennis Setzer, the scenery through his windshield was looking very familiar when took the lead on lap 72.   Setzer maintained a solid lead for several laps before an impatient second place driver, David Starr, punted him in the rear left side corner of the No. 18 Dodge. Setzer showed off his stellar driving skills by keeping the spinning Dodge Ram off of the wall and away from all other competitors. After receiving four fresh tires Setzer returned to the track in 30 ^th position and was on a mission. In just 84 laps he raced his way back into the sixth position. It was under the 11 ^th caution of the day that Setzer radioed in saying, “I have smoke in my cockpit.” Immediately, following the restart it appeared Setzer’s engine expired when a cloud of smoke bellowed from the rear. After pulling the No. 18 truck behind the wall it was determined a lower radiator hose busted draining out all the water out which resulted in a blown engine. Setzer finished in 34 ^th position and dropped to 12 ^th in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series driver point standings.

Compton Not Sure What to Expect in Mansfield: ¡§Thank goodness it is not every weekend that you go to a race track that neither the driver nor crew chief have ever been to, but that is the challenge Mansfield is giving us this weekend. Bryant (Frazier) and I have never seen the track. Last week at Lowe¡¦s we both talked to several drivers and crew chiefs on what to expect. One told us to ¡§bring our rain boots¡¨ because it always rains and another told us it was ¡§good ole short track racing.¡¨ Luckily, I have the defending winner as a teammate to lean on. I think you will see pit strategy at its best this weekend. It is going to be interesting to see who takes tires and who doesn¡¦t.¡¨

Concord, NC. (May 19, 2008) – Dodge driver Stacy Compton is in search of some good luck, but has been unable to find any in recent weeks.  The running of the NC Education Lottery 200 at Lowe’s Motor Speedway was no different. After starting the sixth NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series event of the season in 17th spot Compton was running 20th when a debacle happened on pit road. While receiving four fresh tires and fuel during a scheduled green flag pit stop the jack handle came loose and dropped the jack before service was completed on the No. 4 Crown Dodge. Compton was forced to come back in the pits for service again. Despite the pit road trouble he was able to finish the event in the 28th position. 

Concord, NC. (May 19, 2008) – Once again Dodge Driver Dennis Setzer showed off his veteran driving skills during the running of the sixth NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race of the season at Lowe’s Motor Speedway. After starting 28th and struggling with a tight race truck in the opening laps of the event Setzer worked his way into the top 10 by lap 108. Then coming out of turn four several laps later the No. 18 Dodge got loose and started spinning. Setzer was able to spin the truck completely around without hitting anything while dodging the outside wall and several competitors as they were speeding behind him. After hitting pit road for four fresh tires Setzer made a charge for the front finishing in the seventh position. It was the team’s second top-10 finish of the season.

It Can Be Done Again Says Setzer: ¡§We have smaller fuel cells this season and I can¡¦t help but wonder if that is because of me. But I think if the right circumstances played out it could still be done at a short track such as MMP. NASCAR also changed the carburetor this season. We are seeing with the combination of the new carburetor and smaller fuel cells that we are getting within a few laps of the fuel mileage we got last year at certain tracks. It may never be done again, but I wouldn¡¦t write it off just yet.¡¨ 

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Setzer: Blown Tire Ends Run at Kansas Speedway
Kansas City, KS | 05-01-2008
Kansas City, KS. (April 26, 2008) – After scoring an emotional victory at Martinsville, Dodge Driver Dennis Setzer and crew went west to Kansas with high hopes of capitalizing on the team’s momentum. Dennis Setzer qualified his No. 18 ShopHemi.com in 20th position but made his way to the front of the pack, climbing as high as fourth position before disaster struck. On lap 73 as Setzer was coming out of turn one he was unable to miss a competitor who spun directly in front of his racing line. The Dodge Racing Team repaired the substantial front end damage and Setzer returned to the track still on the lead lap. Then as he was working his way back through the field a catastrophic blown tire sent Setzer careening into the wall and forced the team to retire from the event, finishing in the 25th spot.
 
Compton: Bad Luck Strikes Again at Kansas
Kansas City, KS | 05-01-2008
Kansas City, KS. (April 26, 2008) – Stacy Compton went to Kansas with the intention of getting rid of the monkey on his back that has been plaguing the Dodge Racing Team since their sixth-place finish in Daytona Beach.  Compton started out qualifying 15th for the O’Reilly Auto Parts 250 at Kansas Speedway, but struggled with a tight race truck in the opening laps of the event. Then on lap 37, bad luck once again struck the driver. As Compton was holding his line though the corner, a competitor jumped to his outside which took the air off his spoiler causing it to jump loose.  As the No. 4 Dodge slid sideways Compton showed his veteran driving skills by keeping the truck off the outside retaining wall, but as he slid down the race track to slow the truck down he went directly into the path of another truck thus causing major rear end damage. Despite the mangled truck, Compton was able to salvage a 20th place finish. 
 
Rising Fuel Costs and Kansas City On Compton's Mind
Martinsville, Virginia | 04-21-2008

Compton on Fuel and More: ¡§The increase in the price of fuel lately is really hurting our travel budget this season. We have been trying to find ways around it, but so far it has been an uphill battle. The fuel prices are almost triple the amount that they were three years ago, it¡¦s certainly putting a cramp on everything we're doing. Instead of us asking for dollars, we're offering to do things sponsorship-wise if you'll pay for the fuel for the haulers or something similar to that. When you do your budget at the beginning of the year you put fuel in the budget and pay for it, but honestly there is no real way to ¡§know¡¨ how much it will cost with the economy the way it is right now. I am not taking my motor home to Kansas this weekend because I can¡¦t justify spending that much money on it when I can stay at a hotel with the team.  It is a battle we are all facing right now no matter what series you are racing in.¡¨

Setzer Says Fuel Could Be the Key in Kansas: “Kansas is another track we visit that is really at its prime right now. It has been around for several years now and the racing only gets better every time we return. I think heading to Kansas you automatically think about fuel mileage strategy. It is not really a track you think about having a ton of cautions at therefore you have to be prepared for green flag pit stops and the chance of having to save fuel. I have a lot of experience when it comes to saving fuel so I kind of hope it comes down to that on Saturday afternoon.”

"No matter how hard you try you will never be able to master Martinsville Speedway," said Dennis Setzer, who currently sits eighth in the NCTS series point standings. "This Track changes way too much to master it. It used to be a bumpy track several years ago and was really rough to race on. Then they ground the bottom groove which I think was one of the best things they ever decided to do with the track. It helped smooth out the surface and made for great racing. Now the track has been reconfigured again. It has the most grip ever. But just as soon as you think you have this place figured out something else changes."