Philadelphia, PA (Sports Network) - After two weeks on the West Coast, the
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series returns east to one of the fastest tracks on the
circuit, Atlanta Motor Speedway. The Camping World Truck Series kicks off the
Atlanta weekend.
e Sieg is behind the wheel of the No.15 Toyota for Ballew. Sieg is
currently 15th in points.
Meanwhile, Bodine's team continues its sponsorship search in hopes of
continuing their season efforts. Bodine won at Atlanta in 2006, holding off
Mark Martin and Johnny Benson in a thrilling last-lap battle.
Busch and Kevin Harvick are those Sprint Cup regulars pulling double duty at
Atlanta this weekend. Harvick will compete in a truck race at Atlanta for the
first time, driving his No.2 Chevrolet. Ryan Newman, in his first career
series start, drove the same truck to victory in last October's E-Z GO 200 at
Atlanta.
Ricky Carmichael, a newcomer to the series, is driving Harvick's No.4
Chevrolet in a majority of truck events this year.
"He wasn't actually scheduled to race in Atlanta this week, but we're going go
ahead and race him," Harvick said. "I was scheduled to run the (No.4), and
we're going to move that to the (No.2) truck, let him keep going."
After finishing eighth at California, Carmichael sits 14th in points.
Rick Crawford plans to celebrate a career milestone this weekend as he is
expected to make his 300th start in the series. Crawford has spent all of 13
seasons with the same team, Circle Bar Racing, and team owner, Tom Mitchell.
The team made its 300th start at California.
"I think about our first start at Walt Disney World," Crawford said. "We were
there on a wing and a prayer. One truck, one motor, and our All Pro Late Model
team was my crew. It's hard to believe we've been here ever since."
Crawford currently holds the series record for most starts with 299, followed
by Jack Sprague (297), Terry Cook (292), Dennis Setzer (269) and Ron Hornaday
Jr. (227).
Crawford, a Mobile, AL-native, has collected five wins, five poles and 150
top-10 finishes so far. He finished a career-best second in points in 2002.
"The perfect ending to start 300 would be to deliver another trophy to the
Circle Bar Truck Corral in Ozona, TX," he said.