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November 4, 2002
Robert
Pressley Contends Until Final Pit Stop of the Day
Click Here For Robert Pressley
Career Statistics
Robert Pressley and the No. 18 Dickies Square D Dodge Team
led 17 laps of the 100 laps that were run on Saturday
afternoon enroute to a seventh place finish in the American
Racing Wheels 200 at California Speedway.
Pressley started the race from the fifth position and ran in
the top ten until the first pit stop of the day on lap 21
for four tires, fuel, and a chassis adjustment. Pressley had
been communicating that the truck was a little tight off the
turns and if the crew could get that fixed he could get to
the front.
After the caution the race restarted, with Pressley in the
eighth position. Three laps later, he was in second place
and contending for the lead. On lap 37, Pressley led for the
first time. Over the next 13 laps Pressley and Ted Musgrave
put on a show dueling for the lead each taking a turn at the
front.
On lap 50, Pressley took over the top spot and led the next
13 laps before making a green flag pit stop with 35 laps to
go in the event. During the stop Pressley revved the engine
waiting to exit the pit stall. When the jack dropped,
Pressley raced away, but little did the team know that the
take off had damaged the engine. When Pressley returned to
action he was in fifth place, but with problem he could not
hold onto the spot. He raced three wide at some points but
to no avail. When the checkered flag flew Pressley flashed
across the strip in the seventh position.
"Right after that last caution, we just didn't get back up
to go there," said Pressley. "Something happened, we were
just a little bit slow there on the straightaway, and I
don't know if we maybe over-revved in the pits or what it
was. By gone, we had a good truck today, and I wished we
could've got up there with Ted (Musgrave) and raced him a
little more for the win."
Pressley and the team's finish helped keep them alive for
the championship mathematically, but only a miracle will
keep them in the hunt following the next event in Phoenix,
Arizona.
Driver: Robert
Pressley, No. 18 Dodge Team
Starts
Pole Wins Top Fives Top Tens Earnings Points Position
20 0 2 6 14 $ 388,415 7th
Race-by-Race Run Down:
Location Start Finish Laps Status Money Won
Daytona 10 1 100 of 100 Running $ 81,635
Darlington 3 2 147 of 147 Running 25,875
Martinsville 17 14 248 of 250 Running 7,365
St. Louis 7 31 141 of 160 Running 7,985
Pikes Peak 10 30 152 of 200 Engine 8,590
Dover 9 2 200 of 200 Running 32,875
Texas 3 6 167 of 167 Running 15,500
Memphis 7 12 200 of 200 Running 10,865
Milwaukee 8 7 203 of 203 Running 11,775
Kansas 7 7 167 of 167 Running 13,125
Kentucky 13 3 150 of 150 Running 37,875
Loudon 6 9 207 of 207 Running 11,525
Michigan 8 1 100 of 100 Running 48,250
IRP 4 5 200 of 200 Running 14,025
Nashville 4 9 150 of 151 Running 9,100
Richmond 11 15 199 of 200 Accident 8,765
Texas 11 7 146 of 146 Running 12,295
South Boston 8 24 241 of 257 Accident 5,465
Las Vegas 15 7 146 of 146 Running 11,075
California 5 7 100 of
100 Running 14,450
Phoenix (Next Event)
Totals 3208 of 3351 (95.7%) $ 373,965
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Bill Lester Captures
14th Place Finish After Third Place Qualifying Effort at
California Speedway
Click Here For Bill Lester Career
Statistics
Bill Lester and the No. 8 Dodge Motorsports Bobby Hamilton
Racing team began the day from a career best third place on
the starting grid, but a tight race truck resulted in a 14th
place finish. Lester and the team fought an ill-handling
truck for most of the day before finish in the top fifteen
for the seventh time this year.
"I not too pleased with how everything went today," said
Lester. "I appreciate the effort that everyone's putting in,
but we didn't come here to qualify third and finish 14th. We
kept trying to get the truck so it wasn't so free in the
middle and tight off the corners. We were fighting that all
day and we couldn't shake it. I'm elated that we were able
to qualify as well as we did, but we've just got to finish
better. I'm not sure what it is. I don't know if it's my
lack of experience that's hurting us, or if we missed the
setups or what. I didn't come out here to run outside the
top-10."
Lester and the team did run as high as second place during
green flag pit stops midway through the race. The team had
been working on the fuel mileage of the No. 8 truck and if
the race had gone green they would have had to stop for fuel
one time. Other than the near miss in leading a lap during
the event it was a fairly uneventful race for the No. 8
team.
Lester and the No. 8 Dodge Motorsports Team remained in the
17th position in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series points
standings with just two races remaining on the 2002
schedule.
Driver: Bill Lester,
No. 8 Dodge Team
Starts
Pole Wins Top Fives Top Tens Earnings Points Position
20 0 0 0 0 $207,335 17th
Race-by-Race Run Down:
Location Start Finish Laps Status Money Won
Daytona 19 18 98 of 100 Running $ 15,165
Darlington 13 28 115 of 147 Running 7,090
Martinsville 13 25 230 of 250 Accident 7,865
St. Louis 12 17 158 of 160 Running 10,790
Pikes Peak 9 15 199 of 200 Running 11,690
Dover 22 12 197 of 200 Running 13,465
Texas 7 11 166 of 167 Running 13,350
Memphis 31 17 200 of 200 Running 12,065
Milwaukee 16 18 200 of 203 Running 9,665
Kansas 3 29 87 of 167 Vibration 9,295
Kentucky 3 14 149 of 150 Running 14,740
Loudon 20 14 205 of 207 Running 9,990
Michigan 19 15 100 of 100 Running 13,215
IRP 11 28 185 of 200 Accident 7,090
Nashville 12 16 148 of 151 Running 8,640
Richmond 18 36 5 of 200 Accident 5,215
Texas 6 28 49 of 146 Running 6,935
South Boston31 17 255 of 257 Running 8,315
Las Vegas 12 17 143 of 143 Running 10,040
California 3 14 100 of
100 Running 12,715
Phoenix (Next Event)
Totals 2989 of 3451 (86.6%) $ 207,335
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Ryan
Hemphill Crashes in Practice Ricky Bogart Gets Start
Click Here For No. 4 Dodge Ram Team Statistics
When the weekend started it appeared that Ryan Hemphill and
the No. 4 Bobby Hamilton Racing Team had a truck that was
going to be a contender. The were fast right off the trailer
running in the top five in first round practice and then
backing that up in qualifying. Hemphill posted the sixth
fastest time of the weekend.
"We were too tight in practice this morning, and we freed it
up a little bit," said Hemphill. "We didn't know how far to
go, but we went enough that it helped us pull a lap, almost,
in the top-five."
Then in happy hour practice Hemphill posted the second
fastest time, but with ten minutes left in practice all the
success of the weekend came to an end in turn two.
Hemphill was exiting turn two when the air was taken off his
rear spoiler by the No. 50 truck resulting in Hemphill
losing control and crashing into the outside wall. The Truck
came to a rest on the back straightaway. He was transported
to the Hospital where he was released late Friday evening.
After evaluating the options, Hemphill and Bobby Hamilton
Racing made the decision to put NASCAR Winston West Series
driver, Ricky Bogart, behind the wheel of the No. 4 Truck
for the event. Bogart made two laps in the backup truck
before pulling it in so the team could start getting ready
for Phoenix this week.
"Man I hate what happened," said Hemphill. "I though we had
a chance for a really great run. But after the crash it was
just best if I did not get in the truck, since we are not in
the points race. I hope to be back in the truck at Phoenix."
No decision has been made as to the driver on the No. 4
truck for the remainder of the season. Hemphill is scheduled
to compete in the final two events of the 2002 season, but
the final decision will depend on a day by day evaluation of
his progress.
Driver: Ryan Hemphill,
No. 4 Dodge Team
Starts
Pole Wins Top Fives Top Tens Earnings Points Position
4 0 0 0 1 $ 39,895 39th
Race-by-Race Run Down:
Location Start Finish Laps Status Money Won Driver
Daytona 4 3 100 of 100 Running $ 39,640 Brian Rose
Darlington 18 8 147 of 147 Running 9,975 Brian Rose
Martinsville 9 27 223 of 250 Running 7,815 Brian Rose
St. Louis 27 8 160 of 160 Running 14,425 Brian Rose
Pikes Peak 13 10 200 of 200 Running 12,675 Brian Rose
Dover 15 30 49 of 200 Running 9,415 Brian Rose
Texas 14 35 3 of 167 Accident 8,740 Brian Rose
Memphis 13 10 200 of 200 Running 12,100 Brian Rose
Milwaukee 12 19 200 of 203 Running 8,365 Brian Rose
Kansas 16 21 157 of 167 Accident 10,515 Brian Rose
Kentucky 19 24 144 of 150 Running 11,640 Brian Rose
Loudon 10 25 195 of 207 Accident 7,015 Brian Rose
Michigan 16 23 97 of 100 Running 10,390 Brian Rose
IRP 10 30 170 of 200 Suspension 7,045 B Hamilton
Nashville 7 4 151 of 151 Running 10,375 B Hamilton Jr.
Richmond 7 14 199 of 200 Accident 6,315 BHamilton
Texas 13 11 145 of 146 Running 10,945 Joe Ruttman
South Boston 12 10 257 of 257 Running 10,250 Ryan Hemphill
Las Vegas 4 14 144 of 146 Ignition 10,340 Ryan Hemphill
California 6* 36 2 of
100 Ignition 9,535 Ricky Bogart
Phoenix (Next Event)
Totals 2943 of 3451 (85.2%) $ 227,515
*Qualifying attempt turned in by Ryan Hemphill
NEXT EVENT:
Chevy Silverado 150 at
Phoenix International Raceway in Phoenix, Arizona on
November 8, 2002. The event will be televised live on ESPN2
at 3:00 PM Eastern Time.
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