Toyota Tundra 200
Nashville Superspeedway
Lebanon, Tn.
- Ted has finishes of 2nd-3rd-2nd-3rd-2nd-4th.
- No better place to end the 58 race winless streak!
- He would be 12th in the first practice.
- He would then be 14th in the final practice.
- Then he would go on to qualify 7th for the race.
- Before the race we got news that Todd Bodine would drive a full-time Toyota for Germain Racing in the Busch Series next year. So the #30 seat will have to be filled for next year. It was also said that Germain will look for some young talent to fill the seat for next year. I can think of no one better than Ted to teach a young driver the in's and out's of racing in the Craftsman Truck Series.
- On to the race.............
- Ted got caught behind #00 Josh Wise on the start, he would then lose a few spots and drop to 9th.
- When the field all got single file, Ted starts to move back forward and by lap 14 he was up to 6th.
- A few laps later he would be 5th.
- We hear Ted is a touch tight and Team ASE will fix that on the 1st pit stop.
- We also hear that Ted is driving the oldest truck in the Germain stable. Ted reallt likes the truck balance.
- BTW Skinner is out front again.
- We see that in 2005 at this point in the season Ted was -158 points behind Setzer and would go on to wil the champioship.
- Ted would make it to 4th before Caution #1 comes out for debris?
- Ted would pit with everyone else and Team ASE would get him out 3rd!
- Restart on lap 46.
- Lap 48 and Ted makes it up to 2nd!
- Lap 53 Caution #2 as the #4 Mike Bliss spins with help from #60 Sprague.
- Restart on lap 58 and Ted is 2nd.
- Caution #3 as #08 Chad McCumbee hits the wall on lap 62.
- Restart on lap 68 and Ted is still 2nd.
- This time he clears the lap traffic quickly.
- Lap 72 and Ted is right on Skinner's bumper.
- Lap 80 and Ted is still knocking on the door for the lead.
- Lap 90 and still on the bumper of Skinner.
- Lap 95 and the top 2 catch the tail of the field.
- Now 3rd and 4th place are catching up.
- Ted appears to be faster than Skinner right now but passing him is another thing.
- With 45 to go #6 Kvapil comes flying up and passes both Ted and Skinner for the lead.
- A few laps later and Ted goes by Skinner and just takes off.
- Then Caution #4 as #23 Benson blows a tire and hits the wall.
- All will pit as there is under 40 laps to go.
- Ted comes in for 4 tires and fuel and a minor adjustment.
- Ted will restart in 3rd as #10 Starr joins the front.
- Back from break and we hear that a tire got away from Ted's pit!
- He will have to go to the back of the field and restart 20th with 36 to go.
- 35 to go and he is 18th.
- 33 to go and he is now 13th.
- 31 to go and Ted is 12th.
- Caution #5 as #13 Allen smokes.
- Ted had made it to 11th by that time.
- It's going to be tough to go all the way back to the front but Ted is going for it!
- Restart with 26 to go and Ted is 11th.
- 22 to go and Ted is now 10th.
- 20 to go and Ted is 9th.
- 17 to go and Ted is now 8th.
- 10 to go and still 8th but right on the back of 6th and 7th place.
- 5 to go and still there in 8th.
- Ted woul finish 8th.
- Kvapil would win.
- Ted's streak of top 4's at this track ends.
- Ted had a great truck all day and the late pit penalty really set him back.
- A tough finish on the day but the truck was fast and Team ASE can build on that and try to climb back up to the top 5 in points before the year is over.
- An interview with Ted after the race and said he finished the best he could after being sent to the back. Handling of the truck back in the pack made some aero issues for him.
- Ted is still 8th in points and now -646 back of Skinner.
- However he did narrow the points he was behind on a few right ahead of him.
- On to Bristol on 8-22-07.