It is no secret that General Motors Racing had substantially increased its efforts in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series for the 2004 season and beyond.  The 2003 NCTS championship team as well as the runner-up in last years’ points chase are now proudly carrying the Chevy Trucks and Silverado logos as their primary sponsors.

The only three-time NCTS champion Jack Sprague is the driver of the #16 Chevy Trucks Silverado and Dennis Setzer, second in points last season, pilots the #46 Silverado logoed machine. In addition, GM Goodwrench has their familiar paint scheme on the #6 driven by Matt Crafton. The fourth Team Silverado member is David Starr in the #75 Spears Manufacturing Silverado.

Two more drivers who have the Right Truck also have the distinction of being the only women competing in the NCTS, Tina Gordon Kelly Sutton.  Both of the girls have excellent racing resumes and are tough competitors on the track. It is the first time that any national NASCAR touring series has had two women running a full-time schedule. It’s a major milestone, but both women shrug off the significance. They want to be known as racers, not women who race.

Being one of two women competing in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, Gordon usually knows what question is coming when a reporter approaches: Are you treated any differently because you’re a woman?  She laughs and says emphatically that no, she doesn’t get treated any differently. As if to prove her point, fellow Silverado driver Starr approaches at that moment, engulfing Gordon in a big bear hug.

“It’s like that with all of the guys,” Gordon said. “I don’t know how many times David has taken me out on track to show me the line before practice starts. Or how many times other of my fellow Chevrolet drivers have come over, taken time out of practice, to help me. All of them have been great to me.”

“All my life I’ve been working around men, whether it be working in a garage or working for the county driving dump trucks and shoveling asphalt,” said Sutton. “This is my world, one filled with guys. And when I put my helmet on and climb in my Silverado, I’m just like everyone else.”

Even if being a woman in the male-dominated world of racing could be considered a challenge, both Gordon and Sutton are up to the task. Especially for Sutton, this is not the first challenge she’s faced.

Seven years ago, Sutton was in a wheelchair. She was diagnosed 13 years ago with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis. She began taking Copaxone via daily injections, which has helped her manage her disease and put her back in the driver’s seat.

“I’m lucky, because Copaxone helped me become more active, and then they made my dreams come true by sponsoring my racing career,” Sutton said. “But I was never out of the running. I’m a pretty determined person, and I’ve always liked a challenge.”

That determination will come in handy this season, as Sutton and Gordon attempt to break down even more barriers by trying to become the first woman to take their Silverado to victory lane in a major national racing series.

Their next stop will be March 13 at Atlanta Motor Speedway for the EasyCare Vehicle Service Contracts 200.