Full Throttle

Joe, Nemechek you didn’t really send former CCWS star, NCTS rookie and EasyCare Vehicle Services Contract 200 (whew, what’a mouthful!) pole winner A. J. Allmendinger into the fence did you?

Opps, my bad, I guess you did. And so early to. So much for gaining any experience at the super fast Atlanta Motor Speedway, least for this year.

Other than that, most of the other NCTS rookies had good days along with one veteran. Mike Bliss, the veteran, won his first truck race since 2002 and was followed by Terry Cook and the top finishing rookie Eric Darnell.

Other rookie finishers were Chad McCumbee (7^th), Bobby East (15^th), Marcos “Tasmanian Devil” Ambrose (16th) (Sorry Dutton that moniker was thought of looog before the press in the US), Scott Lagasse Jr. (18th), Kerry Earnhardt (21st) and Evernham’s Side Dish in 23^rd.

For a while the series points race looked to gain a new leader with three events left on the NCTS schedule. Points leader Todd Bodine had a flat tire under the green flag and lost two laps early but second place Johnny Benson Jr couldn’t capitalize on Bodine’s misfortune.

Benson looking for his first championship at any level of NASCAR competition fell fell seven laps down to the leader after crashing on lap 89. Bodine wound up 25^th and Benson 29^th, giving Bodine an 86-point lead with Texas, Phoenix and Homestead remaining on the schedule.

Mike Bliss, A.J. Allmendinger, NCTS, NASCAR, NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, Atlanta Motor Speedway, Sports, Auto Racing, Motorsports, Full Throttle