Dennis Setzer's win at MIS last week sent him from fifth to second in the standings. Credit: CIA Stock Photo

Points race tight as series hits Milwaukee

Setzer just five points behind Hamilton after win at Michigan

Dennis Setzer had gone winless for a maddening 27 races before his surprising win at Michigan, but he is peaking at just the right time.

The series heads to Milwaukee this weekend, the mile-long, century-old track with a decidedly short-track feel. And short tracks are where Dennis Setzer is most comfortable.

	Dennis Setzer
	Inside the Numbers Truck Series: Last six races Driver T-5 Points D. Setzer 3 946 T. Musgrave 2 799 B. Hamilton 2 796

The Toyota Tundra Milwaukee 200 ( 9 p.m. ET Friday, SPEED) is the Craftsman Truck Series' second night race at The Milwaukee Mile. The track made $20 million in upgrades two years ago, including the installation of lights.

Setzer finished third in this race a year ago. He's never won in eight truck starts at Milwaukee, but he finished second there in 1995 in the first year of the series.

"Milwaukee is a great track," Setzer said. "You have really got to be at the bottom of both corners to pass. This is one of those tracks where chassis setup is real important.

"This year, with the new gear rule, a good chassis is going to be real important. Our team has been really good there in the past and we have had some great runs there."

Setzer's win at Michigan -- coupled with Ted Musgrave's blown engine with two laps to go -- really changed the face of the Craftsman Truck Series standings.

Since taking over the Craftsman Truck Series lead at Charlotte, Musgrave has finished out of the top 10 in four consecutive races.

Meanwhile, Setzer has five top-10s in the last six races -- best in the series during that span -- and now sits five points back of leader Bobby Hamilton.

Truck Series briefs for Milwaukee

2005 CRAFTSMAN TRUCK SERIES •   Results •   Standings •   Schedule •   Best 25 Over Last Six Races •   Best Starts •   Best Finishes

Martin Truex Jr. makes his series debut this weekend, driving for Billy Ballew ... The Ballew entry had finishes of first, first and second with Kyle Busch behind the wheel ... Setzer and Jack Sprague are the only drivers to win a race in at least eight of the series' nine seasons ... Setzer has not qualified better than 10th in the past eight races ... Mike Skinner has qualified out of the top 10 just twice this year, but he hasn't finished better than fourth ... Five Wisconsin natives (Ted Musgrave of Franklin, Rich Bicker of Edgerton, Johnny Sauter of Necedah, Chris Wimmer of Wausau, Todd Kluever of Deerfeld) will compete at The Milwaukee Mile ... Musgrave is the track's only two-time winner in the trucks.