Rich Bickle Wins Craftsman Truck Hanes 250 from Pole
27 September 1997
MARTINSVILLE, VA -- Rich Bickle likes starting his #17 DieHard Chevrolet from the pole position. As well he should as each time he has, in the '97 season, he's gone on to win the race. And today's Hanes 250 run at Martinsville Speedway was no exception as he lead all but 53 circuits of the event.Bickle took the field to green but was shuffled out of the way by Winston Cup cross over Ernie Irvan on the first lap. Irvan looked to have the setup for today's track conditions but a slip coming out of turn four was all the opening Bickle would need to get the lead 53.
Once on the point he was not to be moved and leads in the second to a second and a half were common in the race that had only eight cautions for the entire event.
Bickle's luck the past six or so weeks has been pretty rotten with a combination of an onboard fire at Topeka, then broken ribs in a Winston Cup race at Indianapolis, then while recovering from that his appendix needed removing. Bickle kept up the pace through out the various recoveries.
Bickle under the influence of the most powerful of medications known to a racer - a trip to victory lane - said, "I've been beat up, broke up and cut up. Now I feel great. I'm amazed at how quick you get over those little aches and pains just by standing here in victory lane."
The second spot was hotly contested by Ernie Irvan and Mike Bliss.
The setup for the shootout came when Rick Carelli bounced off the wall coming out of turn four. The series points leader, Jack Sprague, came along and plowed into Carelli's crippled ride bringing out the final caution of the day on lap 249. According to series rules a NASCAR Craftsman truck series won't finish under yellow.
The field was set lose on lap 254 by the green white checkers meaning that a racer had 2 laps to get the job done. Irvan, who lined up third to Bliss, made his move for the second spot going into turn one. It took two laps but Irvan nudged, cajoled, and persuaded his way past Bliss for the position on the last lap of the event. Bliss was able to hold on for third position.
"We just used up the tires on the restart. I spun the tires and Ernie got by me," noted Bliss. "Ernie wanted second I guess. It don't matter. We couldn't have won anyway."
The drivers that took the fourth and fifth spot were Jimmy Hensley and Bobby Hamilton.
Bickle, who has been chasing down Sprague in the series points pulls to within 40 of the series points leader Jack Sprague. Ron Hornaday lost a spot and moves to fourth in series points after the NAPA truck lost a rear-gear. Joe Ruttman takes the third spot.
The race took 1 hour 47 minutes 18 seconds to complete and held a record average speed of 75.296 miles per hour. The caution flew 8 times for a total of 42 laps.
The next NASCAR Craftsman Truck race will be The Kragen to be run October 5th at the Sears Point road course.
Mike Snow -- The Auto Channel
