NASCAR did what they could Friday night to start the Ford 200, the final race of the 2005 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series season, but the rain poured down dampening every effort.  So Saturday morning Bailey’s driver Bobby Hamilton started in the 21st position and finished the race in 31st after he blew a tire and crashed in turns one and two totaling his No. 04 Bailey’s Dodge. 

“I was going along picking up some positions thinking I had my truck adjusted pretty well when my tire just blew up,” Hamilton said.  “It sent me straight into the wall flattening the right side of my truck.  When I saw it had cracked the windshield at the A post, I knew we couldn’t get that fixed before the race was over.”

No. 04 Bailey’s Dodge Recap

• Hamilton qualified his No. 04 Bailey’s Dodge in the 21st starting position for the final race of the season.  On Friday night Hamilton and the starting grid followed the pace truck for 12 laps under green-yellow conditions until the rain finally won the battle to stop the race.
• The race resumed at 8:30 am on Saturday morning.
• By the second caution on lap 32 Hamilton asked to be tightened up getting in the corner.  Crew Chief Danny Rollins called for an air pressure adjustment and to put a little cross in Hamilton’s Dodge. 
• Hamilton restarted the race on lap 37 in the 21st position.
• By the fifth caution on lap 52 he had worked his way into the 15th spot. 
• The leaders started to pit under green flag conditions on lap 93.  Hamilton’s scheduled time to pit was lap 98.  Then on lap 95 he careened into the wall when his tire blew out and because of the extensive damage had to park his truck for the remainder of the race.

“I hated to end the season like that,” Hamilton said.  “I had a good truck and was taking my time just going for spot after spot.  After I hit the wall, there was nothing I could do except to park it.  But ending like that will keep me hungry for next season.”

Todd Bodine won the Ford 200.  Jack Sprague, Johnny Benson, Mike Bliss and Bill Lester followed in the top five.

Ted Musgrave won the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Championship.  Hamilton finished the season in the sixth position in the NCTS battle.