The 2007 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series season was the 13th season of the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, a pickup truck racing series sanctioned by NASCAR in the United States. the season began on February 16, 2007, at Daytona International Speedway with the Chevy Silverado HD 250, and ended on November 16, 2007, with the Ford 200 at Homestead–Miami Speedway. Ron Hornaday Jr. of Kevin Harvick, Inc. was crowned champion, tying Jack Sprague for most Truck Series championships at three.
Top storylines One month before the season started, team owner and driver Bobby Hamilton succumbed to cancer. Two series drivers, Tyler Walker and Aaron Fike, were suspended by NASCAR indefinitely for violations of the organization's substance abuse program. Fike's suspension came after he and his girlfriend were arrested on possession charges at the parking lot of the Kings Island theme park near Cincinnati, Ohio. Ted Musgrave, the 2005 champion, was suspended for one race due to an altercation with Kelly Bires during a caution period at the Toyota Tundra Milwaukee 200 at the Milwaukee Mile. In the race Musgrave sat out, Brad Keselowski almost drove the No. 9 truck to victory until a late-race crash with Travis Kvapil took him out. Keselowski's performance is credited with his discovery by JR Motorsports and eventually signing with that Busch Series team. Mike Skinner won three straight races (California, Atlanta and the first at Martinsville) and led in poles as well. Skinner led the standings all season until the race at Gateway International Raceway, when he was overtaken by Ron Hornaday Jr. Tripp Bruce, crew chief for the No. 23 team and driver Johnny Benson, was suspended for two races for allowing a driver not licensed by NASCAR to test the truck at Lowe's Motor Speedway. The team and Benson Jr. also lost 25 points in the respective standings and Bruce was fined. Speed Channel began a new eight-year contract to continue NCTS telecasts, but two races were moved to Fox. The second of those, the Ohio 250 at Mansfield Motorsports Park, aired on that network for only 19 laps before rain came and the rest of the event aired on Speed Channel while MLB on Fox aired on the main network. However, most of the race was moved to tape delay due to more rain and a conflict with the Busch Series race at Lowe's Motor Speedway running simultaneously (NASCAR prohibits more than one national series from being televised at the same time). The other Fox telecast was the Kroger 250 at Martinsville Speedway.
Schedule The season schedule consisted of 25 races held at tracks across the United States.
No.Race titleTrackLocationDateTV1Chevy Silverado HD 250Daytona International SpeedwayDaytona Beach, FloridaFebruary 16Speed2San Bernardino County 200California SpeedwayFontana, CaliforniaFebruary 233American Commercial Lines 200Atlanta Motor SpeedwayHampton, GeorgiaMarch 164Kroger 250Martinsville SpeedwayRidgeway, VirginiaMarch 31Fox5O'Reilly Auto Parts 250Kansas SpeedwayKansas City, KansasApril 28Speed6Quaker Steak & Lube 200Lowe's Motor SpeedwayConcord, North CarolinaMay 187City of Mansfield 250Mansfield Motorsports ParkMansfield, OhioMay 26Fox8AAA Insurance 200Dover International SpeedwayDover, DelawareJune 1Speed9Sam's Town 400Texas Motor SpeedwayFort Worth, TexasJune 810Michigan 200Michigan International SpeedwayCambridge Township, MichiganJune 1611Toyota Tundra Milwaukee 200Milwaukee MileWest Allis, WisconsinJune 2212O'Reilly 200Memphis Motorsports ParkMillington, TennesseeJune 3013Built Ford Tough 225Kentucky SpeedwaySparta, KentuckyJuly 1414Power Stroke Diesel 200O'Reilly Raceway ParkBrownsburg, IndianaJuly 2715Toyota Tundra 200Nashville SuperspeedwayLebanon, TennesseeAugust 1116O'Reilly Auto Parts 200Bristol Motor SpeedwayBristol, TennesseeAugust 2217Missouri/Illinois Dodge Dealers Ram Tough 200Gateway International RacewayMadison, IllinoisSeptember 118New Hampshire 200New Hampshire International SpeedwayLoudon, New HampshireSeptember 1519Smith's Las Vegas 350Las Vegas Motor SpeedwayLas Vegas, NevadaSeptember 2220Mountain Dew 250Talladega SuperspeedwayLincoln, AlabamaOctober 621Kroger 200Martinsville SpeedwayRidgeway, VirginiaOctober 2022EasyCare Vehicle Service Contracts 200Atlanta Motor SpeedwayHampton, GeorgiaOctober 2723Silverado 350KTexas Motor SpeedwayFort Worth, TexasNovember 224Phoenix 150Phoenix International RacewayAvondale, ArizonaNovember 925Ford 200Homestead–Miami SpeedwayHomestead, FloridaNovember 16
Television coverage Fox-owned Speed again covered the entire 2007 Truck Series season, except for two races on Fox.
Teams and drivers
Complete schedule ManufacturerTeamDriver(s)Crew chief Chevrolet Billy Ballew Motorsports 15 Bill Lester Richie Wauters Doug George Nate Monteith J. R. Norris Shane Sieg Buddy Lazier Denny Hamlin Andrew Myers Green Light Racing 07 Tim Sauter (R) Jim Sauter Doug Howe 08 Chad McCumbee Dan Glauz Bobby Dotter Eric Norris Shane Sieg Boris Jurkovic Dennis Setzer Johnny Chapman Marc Mitchell Chris Jones Travis Kittleson Kevin Harvick, Inc. 33 Ron Hornaday Jr. Rick Ren Key Motorsports 40 Mike Bliss Barry Dodson Tommy Morgan Gary Showalter Clay Rogers Shane Huffman Stacy Compton Brandon Miller Chad Chaffin Morgan-Dollar Motorsports 47 Kraig Kinser Rodney McGehee Chris Showalter Eric Phillips Regan Smith Aric Almirola MRD Motorsports 8 Blake Bjorklund (R) Dan Glauz Steve Genenbacher Chad McCumbee Travis Dassow Spears Motorsports 75 Dennis Setzer Dave McCarty Tom Ackerman Clay Rogers ThorSport Racing 13 Willie Allen (R) Lance Hooper Danny Gill 88 Matt Crafton Bud Haefele Dodge Bobby Hamilton Racing 4 Chase Miller Marcus Richmond Kevin Hamlin (R) Mike Bliss Joe Ruttman Bobby Labonte Ryan Mathews (R) 18 Ken Schrader Jeff White Joe Ruttman Dennis Setzer South Point Racing 77 Brendan Gaughan Bryan Berry Ford Circle Bar Racing 10 David Starr Dennis Conner 14 Rick Crawford Kevin Starland Roush Fenway Racing 6 Travis Kvapil Mike Beam 50 Carl Edwards Matt Puccia John Quinn T. J. Bell Peter Shepherd III (R) Danny O'Quinn Jr. Colin Braun 99 Erik Darnell John Quinn Matt Puccia Wood Brothers/JTG Racing 09 Joey Clanton (R) Dennis Conner Gary Cogswell Stacy Compton 21 Kelly Bires (R) Jon Monsam Mark Martin Stacy Compton Keven Wood Jon Wood Toyota Bill Davis Racing 5 Mike Skinner Jeff Hensley 23 Johnny Benson Trip Bruce Billy Hagerthy 27 Tyler Walker (R) Doug Wolcott Ryan Mathews (R) Jacques Villeneuve Darrell Waltrip Motorsports 00 A. J. Allmendinger Jason Overstreet Randy Goss Josh Wise Ken Butler III Justin Labonte TRG Motorsports Andy Lally Germain Racing 9 Ted Musgrave Rick Gay Mike Hillman Mike Abner Brad Keselowski 30 Todd Bodine Mike Hillman Jr. HT Motorsports 59 Terry Cook Danny Rollins Donny Lia Red Horse Racing 1 Aaron Fike (R) Jamie Jones David Green Jason Leffler Brandon Whitt Wyler Racing 60 Jack Sprague Tony Furr Rick Gay Chevrolet Dodge Pennington Motorsports 7 Derrike Cope Gary Showalter Barry Dodson Steve Kuykendall Casey Kingsland (R) Brad Keselowski Jason White (R) Ford Chevrolet Xpress Motorsports 16 Stacy Compton Dave Fuge Kelly Bires (R) Kenny Hendrick Mike Bliss Chris Fontaine Scott Lagasse Jr. Derrike Cope Boston Reid Benny Gordon Brian Scott
Limited Schedule ManufacturerTeamDriver(s)Crew ChiefRounds Chevrolet Andy Belmont Racing 12 Patrick Sheltra Andy Belmont Wayne Edwards Billy Ballew Motorsports 51 Paul Menard Richie Wauters Kelly Sutton Kyle Busch Aric Almirola Kenny Wallace Coffman Motorsports 58 John Coffman Green Light Racing 0 Brandon Knupp Paul Rice Wayne Edwards 06 Morgan Shepherd Bobby Dotter Josh Cummings Blake Mallory Randy MacDonald Bobby DotterCasey Kingsland made the field at Las Vegas (Race 19) but he was replaced in the race by Bobby Dotter. Wayne Edwards Brandon Knupp Casey Kingsland (R) Davin Scites Mike Davis 78 Johnny Chapman Bobby Dotter Jeff Milburn Racing 76 Chris Wimmer Jeff Milburn Peyton Sellers Jim Rosenblum Racing 28 Brandon Knupp Dick Rahilly Shane Sieg Kevin Harvick, Inc. 2 Cale Gale Charlie Wilson Kevin Harvick Clint Bowyer Daniel Pope Key Motorsports 44 Larry Foyt Tony Lambert Morgan Shepherd Frank Kreyer LCS Motorsports 87 Chris Jones Greg Tester Morgan-Dollar Motorsports 46 Mike Wallace Eric Phillips Rodney McGehee Kurt Binkley Timothy Peters Travis Kittleson Scott Wimmer Prime Development Group Racing 64 Jimmy Simpson Robert McVay Stellar-Quest Racing 91 J. C. Stout Steve Mollnow Team Racing 86 Clay Rogers Phil Bonifield Steve Mollnow Dana White Kevin Lepage Dodge Blankenbaker Motorsports 53 Bradley Riethmeyer Dan Patrick Joe Ruttman Bobby Hamilton Racing 04 Bob Bissinger Cunningham Motorsports 41 Dario Franchitti Brian Pattie Reary Racing 54 Brian Sockwell (R) Steven Barfield Thompson Motorsports 61 Brett Thompson Lonnie Rush Trotter Racing 49 Bradley Riethmeyer Gary Huffman Windward Racing 29 Scott Lynch Larry Pryor 63 Mike Mittler Ford Collum Motorsports 32 Cory Collum Cowen Racing 42 Tim Cowen MB Motorsports 63 Jason White (R) Mike Mittler Tim Weiss Scott Lynch Jack Smith 68 Mike Mittler Upshaw Racing 95 Wayne Edwards Robert Ulery Xpress Motorsports 19 Travis Kittleson Kenny Hendrick Toyota Bill Davis Racing 22 Dave Blaney Doug Wolcott 36 Donny Lia Tommy Baldwin Jr. Darrell Waltrip Motorsports 17 Michael McDowell Patrick Donahue Germain Racing 03 Justin Hobgood Sean Caisse Mike Wallace Justin Marks Jason Overstreet HT Motorsports 92 Terry Cook Jason Miller Dodge Chevrolet Brevak Racing 31 Brad Mueller Tony Ave Tim Schendel Tony Mitchell Chevrolet Ford Fast Track Racing 71 Bryan Silas Rodney Jackisch Tony Blanchard Pierre Bourque Wayne Edwards Hermie Sadler
Notes
Driver changes On May 29, Bill Davis Racing driver Tyler Walker was suspended indefinitely by NASCAR for failing to follow its substance abuse policy. Driver Ryan Mathews took his place. On June 27, Germain Racing driver Ted Musgrave was suspended for one race by NASCAR following an altercation with Kelly Bires at the Milwaukee Mile. Brad Keselowski replaced him at Memphis. On July 9, Red Horse Racing driver Aaron Fike, along with his fiancée were stopped in Warren County, Ohio, and were arrested for possession of heroin. Fike along with his fiancée were later suspended by NASCAR for the incident. Busch Series champion David Green and Jason Leffler split time in the RHR truck for the rest of the season. On August 14, Green Light Racing dropped driver Chad McCumbee from the No. 08 team. Shane Sieg drove the No. 08 at Bristol. On August 20, McCumbee replaced Blake Bjorklund at MRD Motorsports in the No. 8 Truck.
Also, beginning this season, the trucks will be identical from the windshield to the rear of the truck. However, the noses will continue to be branded as the Chevrolet Silverado, Dodge Ram, Ford F-150, and Toyota Tundra.
Races
Chevrolet Silverado HD 250 This race was held February 16 at Daytona International Speedway. Jack Sprague won the pole and would win the race from the pole. On the final lap, Travis Kvapil, only a few yards short of taking the second consecutive victory at Daytona for the 6 truck, was passed by the Toyota Tundras of Sprague on the high side and Johnny Benson, who had given Sprague a bump, near (but not on) the apron in a three-wide finish reminiscent of the 2003 Daytona race which ironically Kvapil also lost.
Top ten results: Pos. Driver Truck Team 1.60 Jack Sprague Toyota Wyler Racing 2.23 Johnny Benson Toyota Bill Davis Racing 3.6 Travis Kvapil Ford Roush Fenway Racing 4.5 Mike Skinner Toyota Bill Davis Racing 5.30 Todd Bodine Toyota Germain Racing 6.09 Joey Clanton Ford Wood Brothers/JTG Racing 7.33 Ron Hornaday Jr. Chevrolet Kevin Harvick, Inc. 8.88 Matt Crafton Chevrolet ThorSport Racing 9.9 Ted Musgrave Toyota Germain Racing 10.14 Rick Crawford Ford Circle Bar Racing
Failed to qualify: Wayne Edwards (No. 95)
San Bernardino County 200