NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Carquest Auto Parts 420: Carrelli Runs out of Gas, Ruttman Wins
10 November 1997
LAS VEGAS, NV -- Oh but for a gallon of gas. That has got to be what Rick Carrelli is saying after feeling his truck burp and stutter with only one lap to go. When Carrelli dropped off the track to get fuel it was Joe Ruttman that was in position to inherit the lead and the win of the CarQuest 420K. "I didn't know I had won," said Ruttman, who also won the last event at Phoenix two weeks ago. "I didn't know that Carrelli had to come in. He was so far gone I never saw him come into the pits." Ruttman, who looked to be in shock, joked about his approach to the race, "When you get this old you don't want to get too excited. You just never know what will happen." The drivers that followed Ruttman across the line were - 1997 NASCAR truck series champion Jack Sprague, Ron Hornaday, Jay Sauter and Mike Bliss. All Jack Sprague really had to do was start this, the last race on the series schedule, to become the 1997 NASCAR Craftsman Truck champion; But he took it a step further when he went to race to a second place finish. Sprague, driver of the #24 Quaker State - Hendrick Motorsports prepared Chevrolet, with 3969 markers. Darrell Waltrip protégé - Rich Bickle will finish second in the series standings with 3735 points. And Joe Ruttman will take the third position. Ruttman's average speed of 125.849 miles per hour breaks Jack Sprague's previous record of 120.782 miles per hour set in 1996. The race took 2 hours 5 minutes and 9 seconds to complete - Ruttman's margin of victory was 1.5 seconds. There were 9 lead changes among 4 drivers in the race that was slowed 5 times for 26 laps. The CarQuest 420K was the last race on the 1997 NASCAR Craftsman Truck series schedule. The series will resume racing in January when the trucks open their 1998 schedule at the Walt Disney World Speedway in Orlando Florida
