Notebook: Top teams to tangle at Kentucky

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- Game on.

And this heavyweight scrap between two teams that have consistently raised the competitive bar in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series figures to go all the way to the end of the 2003 season.

Roush Racing, which held the record of most victories by a series team since late 2000, saw its mark of 28 wins matched by Ultra Motorsports when Ted Musgrave (No. 1 Mopar Performance Dodge) triumphed at Memphis Motorsports Park on June 21.

The Roush organization, however, promptly returned the favor last weekend at Kansas Speedway when Jon Wood (No. 50 Graham For President Ford) scored the organization's 29th victory.

The fierce but respectful rivalry continues Saturday with The Built Ford Tough 225 at Kentucky Speedway where each team counts a victory -- Roush's Greg Biffle in 2000 and Ultra's Scott Riggs the following year.

Winning the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series championship is a priority for both teams. But bragging rights for which organization has won the most races also is a matter of pride.

And don't believe for a moment that Jack Roush and Jim Smith aren't counting wins -- as well as points.

"Right now, we have the upper hand in the most wins and championships but we only have one more than them in each category," said Roush. "I hope we can pad our lead in the win category since it's only a matter of time before Carl Edwards (No. 99 Roush Racing Ford) ends up in victory lane. And I think Jon will be a return visitor there this year."

The pair finished one-two at Kansas Speedway, a feat unmatched since September 2000 when Roush teammates Kurt Busch and Biffle were winner and runnerup at Dover International Speedway.

Wood's victory also broke a Roush winless drought that extended to Biffle's October 2001 win at Phoenix International Raceway.

Smith's Ultra Motorsports has closed quickly, on the strength of seven victories by Musgrave and Jason Leffler (No. 2 Team ASE Racing/Carquest Dodge) over a 33-race span.

"I think the rivalry between Ultra Motorsports and Roush Racing has been very healthy for the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series," said Smith. "One of the reasons for Jack's success and our success here at Ultra Motorsports has been the respective organizations.

"Jack has built a solid group that helps oversee his operation and we have done the same with our group."

Ironically, both teams scored their first victories at the same track -- North Wilkesboro (N.C.) Speedway. Mike Bliss won for Ultra in 1995 while Mark Martin was Roush's first winner the following season.

Driving talent on both sides of the garage has made the rivalry what it was and is, according to Ultra's General Manager Tim Kohuth, a nine-time winning crew chief with the Ultra organization.

"One of the things that has made the competition between the two teams so fierce is the drivers who have driven for those two owners," he said.

Roush's roster of winners has included Biffle, Busch, Martin, Wood and Joe Ruttman. The Ultra list of Bliss, Leffler, Musgrave, Riggs and Mike Wallace is equally rich in talent.

"Both Jim Smith and Jack Roush have made a major commitment to the series and that is reflected in their on-track performance," said Kohuth.

NEWS & NOTES, PART II

TV Timeout ... According to Nielsen Media Research, the average cable ratings for the first nine races of the 2003 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series schedule are 17 percent higher than 2002. The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series has the highest average rating of NASCAR programming on SPEED Channel. The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series also ranks third in motorsports cable ratings -- behind only the NASCAR Winston Cup and NASCAR Busch Series -- earning a higher average than IRL, CART, and Formula One.

Wood second youngest to win on series ... Wood's July 5 O'Reilly Auto Parts 250 victory ranks the Stuart, Va. competitor as the second youngest (at 21 years, eight months) to win a NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race. Ricky Hendrick was 21 years three months when he won at Kansas Speedway in July 2001. There have been seven different winners in 10 races thus far in 2003.

Lester finally sheds top-10 jinx ... Bill Lester (No. 8 Dodge Motorsports Dodge) finished 10th in the O'Reilly Auto Parts 250 to post his first top 10 in his 38th series start. The last African-American competitor to finish among the top 10 in a NASCAR national touring event was Wendell Scott, who placed seventh in a NASCAR Grand National (now Winston Cup) Series race at Malta, N.Y., July 14, 1971.

Kvapil is third in three races to lead points ... Xpress Motorsports ended 2002 as the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series championship team and -- 10 races into this season -- is back on top following Travis Kvapil's (No. 16 IWX Motor Freight Chevrolet) fourth-place finish at Kansas Speedway. Kvapil holds a six-point lead over previous leader Brendan Gaughan (No. 62 Orleans Hotel Dodge). Bobby Hamilton (No. 4 Square D Dodge), who led the standings from March through mid-June, is third. Four different competitors have headed the points so far -- one short of the 1999 record of five.

ETC.

Softball again is on tap this week for NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series competitors, who face a team comprised of SPEED Channel personalities. Thursday's third annual Craftsman-sponsored game takes place at 6 p.m. on Northern Kentucky University's diamond in Highland Heights. ... Last year's The Built Ford Tough 225 was won by Bliss at an average speed of 143.515 mph -- second fastest in series history. ... 1995 series champion Mike Skinner returns to competition this week behind the wheel of the No. 15 Vokal Clothing/Fasscore Ford, following the release of Rich Bickle.

ON THE RIGHT TRACK

Ultra's No. 2 team is a perfect three-for-three in top-five finishes at Kentucky Speedway -- with three different drivers. Wallace finished third in 2000, Riggs won the following year and Leffler was fifth in last season's race.

Dennis Setzer (No. 46 ACXIOM/Computer Associates Chevrolet) looks for his third consecutive top-five finish at Kentucky Speedway. Setzer finished fifth in 2001 and was runnerup to Bliss a year ago. His third-place effort at Kansas Speedway extended Setzer's current top-five streak to four races.

QUOTEBOOK

"Anytime you can be in the point lead, it's good. But, the season isn't even halfway over yet." -- Crew chief Dave Fuge (No. 16 IWX Motor Freight Chevrolet).

"Kentucky Speedway is not your typical mile-and-a-half racetrack. It has some rough spots and some bumps and I like that. Those bumps give it a lot of character." -- Jason Leffler.

"One of the things we wanted to do when the season started was to eliminate the goose eggs in our performance columns. Now, after 10 races, we've knocked two of them off with the Bud Pole at Lowe's Motor Speedway and last week's top 10 but we've got a few more to go." -- Bill Lester.

"It's not the motor, it's not the crew chief, it's not the team; it's just a combination of things." -- Terry Cook (No. 29 Power Stroke Diesel/Oil Mate Ford), a four-time winner in 2002 who has yet to finish among the top five this season.

"Every win is special but this one, this is his first win. Those other guys, it wasn't their first win ever." -- Crew chief John Monsam (No. 50 Graham For President Ford), after Wood became the fifth different driver he's quarterbacked to victory lane.

FROM THE ARCHIVES

Monsam was the winning crew chief at Kentucky Speedway in 2002 -- as he was at Kansas Speedway with Bliss and the No. 16 IWX Motor Freight Chevrolet team. Since joining the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series in 1997 with Dale Earnhardt Inc., Monsam has fashioned victories for Ron Hornaday Jr., Rick Carelli, Setzer and Bliss. Wood's win was No. 6 for Monsam. He's the only crew chief to win with five different drivers and five different teams -- DEI, Phelon Motorsports, Morgan-Dollar Motorsports, Xpress Motorsports and Roush Racing.