When the BHR team decided to go back to the basics before racing at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and change the nose on Bobby Hamilton’s No. 04 Bailey’s/Stratosphere Dodge, it proved to be the right choice.  On the final green-white-checkered flag finish Hamilton wheeled his Dodge on the outside and inside passing three trucks in one corner to finish the Las Vegas 350 in the fifth position. 

“I’m proud of my team tonight,” Hamilton said to MRN Radio after the race.  “We made a decision last week to go back to the basics and change our front end around.  They worked their tails off trying to get it turned around in such a short week.  The truck was predictable and I was able to maneuver through the traffic a whole lot easier.  It helped us get another top five, so we’re back on track.” 

No. 04 Bailey’s/Stratosphere Dodge Las Vegas 350 Recap

• Hamilton qualified his Dodge in the ninth spot three hours before the race began at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.   
• The multi- truck pile up on lap two happened behind Hamilton, so his truck was spared any damage in the opening laps.  During this red flag condition, Hamilton radioed saying he needed to be freed up entering the turns and in the middle.  He said, “When I get on the gas it wants to wiggle, the left front shock feels too tight.”
• On lap 54 Hamilton pitted under green flag conditions while he was running in the 12th position. 
• On lap 66 the second caution of the night came out.  The Bailey’s team changed four tires, opened up the front shocks and filled Hamilton’s Dodge with Sunoco gasoline.
• Following the restart Hamilton dropped back to the 16th position. 
• By the time the third caution waved Hamilton had worked his way up to 10th.  He pitted on lap 112 for four tires, more gas and the team made more adjustments to the shocks and a track bar adjustment.  Hamilton restarted 11th.
• On lap 145 Steve Park spun bringing out the fifth and final caution.  Hamilton, who was eighth, swerved to miss his truck as it spun in front of him.
• On the green-white-checkered flag finish Hamilton drove on the outside, then ducked on the inside of three trucks to finish the event in the fifth spot.

“We were trying some things lately because we didn’t have a lot to lose,” Hamilton continued.  “They weren’t the right choices, but you never know until you try them.  Technology has come so far in the Craftsman Truck Series and it is a really tough series right now.  You can’t just go out there and log good finishes…you have to work really hard, drive these trucks as hard as you can go and stay ahead of everyone’s program.  We’ve come a long way with this finish, so during this off time we’ll take advantage of some testing and see what we come back with.”

Todd Bodine won the Las Vegas 350 passing eventual second place Ted Musgrave on the white flag lap.  David Starr, Jack Sprague and Hamilton followed in the top five.