Rookie Driver Chase Miller was running fourth and once again turning heads in the opening laps of the Easy Care Vehicle Service Contracts 200 at Atlanta Motor Speedway Saturday night when a cut right rear tire forced him to pit road under green flag conditions. Miller went two laps down to the leader and was working his way through the field when another cut right rear tire caused Miller to crash in turn four. Miller slammed the outside wall and then slammed the inside wall before driving the No. 4 Fastenal Dodge down pit road. Miller went behind the wall and the No. 4 Dodge Racing Team worked to repair the rear end damage. He returned to the track on lap 93. The two cut tires resulted in a 33rd place finish for Miller in his fifth NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race.

No. 4 Dodge Motorsports Dodge Race Recap

• Miller qualified 4th for the EasyCare Vehicle Service Contracts 200 on Saturday morning.
• On the first lap Miller moved to the outside line of the race track and shot past second and third place. He battled leader Mike Skinner for the top spot as they crossed the line.
• The second caution waved on lap 14 for a wreck on the backstretch. “She is really good at first,” said Miller while running fourth. “but gets tighter as the run goes on.” Crew Chief Marcus Richmond made the call to not pit under the caution. Miller restarted in the fourth position.
• On lap 34 Miller felt his right rear tire going down and immediately hit pit road. By the time he made it to his pit box the tire was shredded and caused extensive damage on the No. 4 Fastenal Dodge. The Dodge Racing Team changed right side tires, made a track bar adjustment and repaired the damage. Miller returned the track two laps down in 32nd position.
• The third caution waved several laps later and Miller came back down pit road for left side tires. He restarted in the 33rd position on lap 47.
• On lap 61 Miller radioed in to the crew, “I have a bad vibration.”
• A mere 10 laps later the bad vibration proved to be another cut tire. The tire let go in turn three and Miller crashed coming out of turn four causing extensive rear end damage to the No. 4 Fastenal Dodge. Miller drove behind the wall and the Dodge pit crew worked to repair the damage.
• After 14 laps behind the wall Miller returned to the track on lap 93 in the 33rd position.
  On lap 104 Miller made the trip down pit road once again for a tire rub.
  Miller finished the event in 33rd position, 39 laps down to the leader.

“I am disappointed with how our day ended because we started off so strong, said Miller after the race. “I got up into the wall on lap two and I think that is why we had so much tire trouble. This team worked really hard this weekend and I am proud of how much effort they put in on pit road today. We will cross this one off our list and head to Texas.”

Mike Bliss won the EasyCare Vehicle Service Contracts 200. Terry Cook, Erik Darnell, David Reutimann and Rick Crawford rounded out the top five finishers.

The next NCTS event is scheduled for Friday at Texas Motor Speedway.