Sutton part of historic weekend at Kansas

KANSAS CITY, Kan. -- As Kelly Sutton prepares to re-enter the world of racing in the Craftsman Truck Series for the first time in 13 events, she will also be a part of history in joining six other female drivers scheduled to compete this weekend at Kansas Speedway.

Erin Crocker, Lelani Munter and Gabi DiCarlo are slated to start in the Kansas Lottery 150 Grand ARCA race on Friday. Sutton will compete in the O'Reilly Auto Parts 250 on Saturday. Danica Patrick, Sarah Fisher and possibly Milka Duno will be on the Kansas track for Sunday's Kansas Lottery Indy 300 IRL race.

Something to prove

Kelly Sutton has three starts at Kansas, and three crashes. "Kansas Speedway hasn't been very kind to me," she said. "I really want to go back there with a vengeance and conquer the track. I've had some pretty hard hits there, but I know that this Billy Ballew Motorsports team has put together a great truck for us and we are excited to see what we can do."

"It's a great feeling to be a part of a milestone in racing," Sutton said. "The sport is moving to the level of acceptance and admiration of females in auto racing and I think it is an honor to be a part of that."

Sutton will return to Kansas Speedway after a hard crash at the track last year that sidelined her for two events in the Truck Series season. It was the second time in 2006 that Sutton has been injured in a crash. Sutton was involved in a practice crash at Atlanta Motor Speedway in March that caused a puncture wound to her left knee.

"It feels great to come back and be a part of the NASCAR family again," Sutton said. "I missed everyone and missed being on the track. I'm ready to go back to Kansas Speedway and conquer the track. I know what this Billy Ballew Motorsports team has put underneath me and I'm really excited to jump back in there and give it all I have."

Sutton's start in Kansas will mark the sixth consecutive season a female driver has participated in a NASCAR series race. She is scheduled to run in three more Craftsman Truck Series events in the No. 51 Billy Ballew Motorsports truck at Mansfield, Texas and Milwaukee.

Billy Ballew Motorsports, who already fields a successful truck team with Bill Lester at the helm, has six starts at Kansas Speedway with one top-10 finish in 2005 (John Andretti), with his highest starting position of 17th in 2004 (Shane Hmiel). Lester has five starts at the 1.5 mile tri-oval track with one pole and a fifth-place finish in 2005. Sutton has three starts at Kansas Speedway and led a lap in 2006.

The Truck Series drivers take to the track for the fifth of the 25-race schedule beginning at 6 p.m. ET. Live television coverage on SPEED begins at 5:30 p.m. ET and the race can be heard live on MRN and their affiliate stations beginning at 6 p.m. ET.