Dana Dodge Race Report: Hubert at Phoenix
3 November 1997
Hubert Heads Dana Dodge to Front From Provisional Start FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Cornelius, NC (November 1, 1997) -- Tom Hubert made his fifth start in the #18 Dana Dodge this weekend for the GM Goodwrench/Delco Battery 300 at Phoenix International Raceway, and the final scheduled NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race for him in 1997. He wheeled the Dana Dodge from a 35th starting position to a solid 11th place finish, avoiding all the trouble spots and adroitly picking off competitors in a methodical fashion to post the highest Dodge finish in the second-to-last race of the season for the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. The team's trials and tribulations of the weekend make this finish even more dramatic for the Dana Racing team. "We had a long struggle this weekend," said team manager Scott Treichler. "Our motor blew only six laps into practice on the first day. We arranged to have another motor flown in and it was supposed to arrive by 6:00am on Friday, qualifying day, but it was apparently routed wrong and it ended up in Ontario, California. They put it on a truck and sent it to Phoenix, but it didn't arrive in time for qualifying, so we couldn't even attempt a qualifying lap on the first day. By the next day, Saturday, the motor had arrived, so we got it in the truck and Tom had all of maybe 18 or 20 laps of practice before second round qualifying. We ended up having to take a provisional starting spot, and started the race in 35th. I just can't say enough about Tom Hubert- he drove the wheels off that truck to get it to the front. He did a great job of getting through traffic. There were a bunch of times that he could have wrecked, but he managed to avoid the problems and brought the truck home near the front and in one piece." Hubert brought the #18 Dana Dodge from a 35th starting position to 15th by lap 58, and hovered between 11th and 14th for most of the race, finally cracking the top-10 with less than 20 laps to go, but losing the battle to Mike Bliss in the closing laps to bring the Dana Dodge home in 11th. "It was definitely a workout today," said Hubert. "The truck was real good today- the changes we made at halftime might have been a little too much, but we worked it back in and tried to pull off a top-10 at the end. I've run at Phoenix five or six times in a Southwest Tour car, and actually had a ride offered for this weekend, but I needed to concentrate on the Dana Dodge. I really want to thank the guys on the crew because they put a great truck under me this weekend." Hubert's last time behind the wheel of the Dana Dodge was four weeks ago at Sears Point Raceway, where he started fourth, lead 14 of the 60 laps, and finished second after a last lap battle with eventual winner Joe Ruttman. Next up for the DANA Dodge... ...is 1997 ASA points champion Kevin Cywinski. The CARQUEST 420k will be Cywinski's debut race at the 1.5 mile facility, and, coming off a win in the ASA season finale at Kenly, North Carolina, Cywinski is ready to let it all hang out. "This will be the longest track I've ever raced on," said Cywinski. "It's a fun and challenging new venue for me, and I'm really excited to go to Vegas for my second time up in the Dana Dodge." The CARQUEST 420k will be 175 laps around the 1.5 mile oval, and will be broadcast live on CBS at 3:00pm, EST. Radio coverage will also begin at 3:00pm on Truck Racing Network, a division of Motor Racing Network. Dana Dodge Off Duty Activities... The Dana Racing team helped team owner Kurt Roehrig celebrate his 41st birthday on Tuesday while traveling out west for the GM Goodwrench/Delco Battery 300... ...Bob Hussler, crew chief for the #19 Pennzoil/Dana Dodge, went skydiving for the first time ever on this west coast venture. Said team manager Scott Treichler, "His eyes were as big as saucers when he came back, but he said he had a good time!" In Team News... Roehrig Motorsport teammate Tony Raines started the GM Goodwrench/Delco Battery 300 22nd on the starting grid, and suffered terminal motor problems just four laps into the event. Raines ended the day with a 36th place finish. The #19 Pennzoil Dodge carries associate sponsorship from Dana Corporation. In Sponsor News... Jay Neilson and wife Teresa were honorary pit crew members for the #18 Dana Racing team this weekend as winners of the SpicerŪ Driveline Dash Sweepstakes hosted by Dana Automotive Sales Division. About DANA Corporation... Dana Corporation and four of its major brands- Spicer, Victor Reinz, Wix, and Perfect Circle, comprise the primary sponsorship of the #18 Dana Dodge. Dana is the worldwide leader in the engineering, manufacturing, and distribution of products and systems for the vehicular, industrial, and off-highway markets. A unique aspect of the relationship of Dana Corporation and Roehrig Motorsport is in the product and engineering provided. Many of the automotive components that Dana Corporation manufactures are used on the race truck, including filtration products, sealing products, gasket technology, driveshaft, and drivetrain technology. For more information on DANA Corporation's products and technology, check out the DANA web site at http://www.dana.com.
