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Truck Series Racing At The Milwaukee Mile

In racing the number ?13? is unlucky, however for the Milwaukee Mile it is lucky as this will be the 13th time the entertaining NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series will visit the historic one-mile oval.

The Milwaukee Mile is just one of four tracks to have scheduled the Craftsman Truck Series in all 13 seasons of existence. One driver who is happy to be returning to the Milwaukee Mile is Ron Hornaday, Jr. Hornaday who also has a Busch Series win at Milwaukee has only finished out of the top-5 in only once in seven starts at the Mile. Hornaday won in 1997 and has a fourth and third place finish in the last two events.

Jack Sprague is the other Milwaukee Mile meister as he has one win (1996) and nine top-10 finishes out of ten races. Seven of those races include top-4 finishes.

It all began on July 1, 1995 as Mike Skinner drove his Richard Childress Racing Goodwrench Racing Chevrolet to victory lane. The Ontario, CA native won the pole position and led 56 laps enroute to victory. The top-3 qualifiers started and finished were they started as Dennis Setzer and Ron Hornaday, Jr. followed Skinner across the finish line. The 1995 field was one of the most diverse ever to start in a race at The Mile. It included off-road icon Walker Evans, former NFL Head Coach Jerry Glanville, World of Outlaw Hall of Famer Sammy Swindell, Road Racing stalwart Scott Lagasse, ASA Stock Car legend Butch Miller and IMSA and Champ Car driver P.J. Jones.

In 1996 the NASCAR faithful saw Rick Hendrick Motorsports driver Jack Sprague dominate as he led 102 of the 200 laps in winning the Sears Auto Center 200. Sprague?s margin of victory was just over three seconds ahead of Bill Sedwick and Ron Hornaday, Jr. Mike Skinner led 92 laps before fading to seventh place.

The 1997 Sears DieHard 200 was all Chevrolet as the manufacturer swept the top-6 positions. Jack Sprague may have led 127 laps, however it was Californian, Ron Hornaday, Jr. who took the Dale Earnhardt Racing Chevrolet into victory lane. Hornaday held off Wisconsin?s Jay Sauter and Rich Bickle for the win.

Milwaukie meets Milwaukee. Mike Bliss of Milwaukie, Oregon wins at the Milwaukee Mile. Bliss the USAC stalwart led 91 laps in winning the 1998 DieHard 200. Jimmy Hensley driving the Petty Enterprises #43 came home second two seconds behind Bliss. Jack Sprague with another fine Milwaukee Mile run finished third.

The sun-drenched faithful at the Milwaukee Mile saw Ford win the second NASCAR Craftsman Truck race in a row at Milwaukee. Greg Biffle the Roush Racing phenomenon dominated the race by leading 109 of the 200 laps enroute to victory. Jack Sprague had another top-3 finish in coming home second. Texan Rick Crawford finished third. Pole winner, Biffle?s margin of victory was 1.88 seconds but seem to lead at will.

Jack Roush Racing won for the second time in a row at Milwaukee as Kurt Busch took the #99 Exide Ford truck to victory lane in winning the 2000 Sears DieHard 200. Busch held off former USAC midget driver Randy Tolsma and Roush teammate Biffle in victory. Like Biffle did the year before, Busch won the pole and then dominated leading 156 of the 200 laps.

Wisconsin?s own Ted Musgrave won the GNC Live Well 200 at the Milwaukee Mile. Musgrave?s win in a Dodge was the first at the Milwaukee Mile in that make since Don White won the 1975 USAC Governors Cup 250 in his Dodge Charger. Jack Sprague was second and Janesville, WI native Travis Kvapil chased Sprague across the finish line ending up third. Musgrave lead 30 laps and pulled away from Sprague at the end to a comfortable 2-second win.

Fans at the 2002 GNC Live Well 200 saw Terry Cook bring his Keselowski Racing Ford into victory lane. Cook led 131 laps of the 203 lap event as he was able to stay ahead of former USAC Midget Champion Jason Leffler and NFL Hall of Famer Joe Gibbs? son, Coy Gibbs. Cook who started on the pole survived a late caution and a green-white checker restart to win.

Las Vegas, NV native, Brendan Gaughan was an ecstatic winner after holding off Jason Leffler who came home second again at the Milwaukee Mile. Steady Rick Crawford was third across the finish line. Gaughan led 56 laps as six drivers also led the event. Previous winner Terry Cook won the pole earlier in qualifying. Only one caution for 5 laps slowed the event.

Ted Musgrave became the first repeat winner in Craftsman Truck Series competition at the Milwaukee Mile as the driver who once called Franklin, WI home led 109 laps of the 205 completed. Chad Chaffin and Dennis Setzer followed the second-generation driver. Musgrave gave Dodge it?s third victory in four races at the venerable Milwaukee Mile. The #1 truck started from the pole led most laps and had the field covered as the home town crowd cheered him to victory. 8 cautions for 45 laps slowed the event.

Dennis Setzer returned Chevrolet to victory lane for the first time since 1997 in Craftsman Truck Series completion at the Milwaukee Mile in 2005. Johnny Benson, Jr. earned Toyota?s first victory at the Milwaukee Mile last year.

If you qualify well at Milwaukee for the Truck Series then you have a chance to win. Five out of 12 drivers have won from the pole, 10 out of 12 winners have come from the first two rows. The furthest back a winner has come is Jack Sprague in 1996 (eighth).
Tickets are going fast to the Friday night June 22 Toyota Tundra Milwaukee 200 and Saturday night June 23 AT&T 250 events. Purchase tickets at The Milwaukee Mile?s ticket office at 7722 W. Greenfield Ave., by calling (414) 453-8277, or at ticket booths on Grandstand Avenue on race weekend at The Milwaukee Mile. For the latest event information, visiting the speedway?s website, www.milwaukeemile.com.

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