- Martinsville opens 2004 short track season … Seven of this season’s 25 events will be held on tracks measuring less than one mile. The Kroger 250 opens a stretch in which three of the next six races are contested on short tracks. Following is the May 16 inaugural Ohio 250 at Mansfield Motorsports Speedway. The series returns to Memphis Motorsports Park for the O’Reilly 250 on June 15.

- Etc. … Kvapil’s crew will welcome a distinguished visitor at Martinsville, 1st Sgt. Clinton Reiss, an 18-year U.S. Army veteran and Desert Storm Bronze Star winner. Reiss, a member of the 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment stationed at Fort Carson, Colo., is recently returned from duty along the Iraq/Syria border. He is the brother of the No. 24 team’s rear tire carrier, Herman Reiss. … Both 2003 races at Martinsville saw 17 lead-lap finishers, most of any series race. The fall event produced a Martinsville-low number of laps run under caution – 32 of 200. … No driver has competed in all 10 Martinsville races. Hamilton, Setzer and Rick Crawford (No. 14 Circle Bar Motel & RV Park Ford) have started eight times. Setzer has completed the most miles of any driver, 916.292, while Hamilton has led the greatest number of miles, 265.104.

ON THE RIGHT TRACK

- Musgrave eyes record Bud Pole qualifying attempt … Ted Musgrave (No. 1 Mopar Dodge) has won the pole for each of the past two Kroger 250 races. A third consecutive pole run would match the series record for consecutive poles in the same event. Ron Fellows holds the mark, set at Watkins Glen International from 1997-99. Musgrave finished second in last year’s event. The Bud Pole winner has captured just one of nine races at the .526-mile venue. Rich Bickle won both the pole and the Kroger 250 in 1997.

- Setzer also streaks at Martinsville … The only double series winner at Martinsville, Setzer can run his Kroger 250 victory streak to three. He won from 33rd in 2002 – the deepest in the field by any series competitor – and repeated a year ago. Musgrave remains the only series driver to win the same event three straight times. His continuing California Speedway streak began in 2001.

- Most former winners in Martinsville race … The Kroger 250 marks the first time that four former winners have entered the same series race at Martinsville Speedway. Three former winners have started an event at the track – most recently in October 2003. The four are Skinner, 1996; Hamilton, 2000; Setzer, 2002-03 and Jon Wood (No.50 Roush Racing Ford), 2003.

QUOTEBOOK

“This team is not going to lay off of me if DW outruns me at Martinsville.” - David Reutimann, No. 17 NTN Bearings Toyota, who’ll be competing for the first time against team owner Darrell Waltrip, No. 11 Toyota, at Martinsville Speedway.

“He’s got his work cut out for him.” - Darrell Waltrip on Reutimann’s initial visit to Martinsville where Waltrip finished seventh in each of the 2002 events.

“The challenge of Martinsville is that it’s kind of like a road course and kind of like an oval in the fact you have to master your braking and throttle techniques. It is hard to do, which is why you see a lot of repeat winners here.” – Jon Wood, winner of last October’s Kroger 200.

“I wouldn’t say I’m better-suited at that type of track but I do feel totally comfortable at a short track. (Martinsville) puts the emphasis on finding the right handling package which our team has excelled at to this point.” – NASCAR Craftsman Truck points leader and defending champion Travis Kvapil, who finished second in his first Martinsville Speedway appearance in 2001.

FROM THE ARCHIVES - Two of 10 series winners at Martinsville Speedway have hailed from the Commonwealth of Virginia, a state that’s hosted the most races – 22 – in NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series history. They are Jimmy Hensley of Ridgeway (1999) and Jon Wood of Stuart (fall race of 2003).
 

Fast Facts
What:  Kroger 250 (Race No. 3 of 25).
Where:  Martinsville (Va.) Speedway.
When:  1 p.m. ET, Saturday, April 17.
Track layout: .526-mile paved oval.
Race length:  250 laps/131.5 miles.
Posted awards: $444,480.
TV:  SPEED Channel, 1 p.m. ET.
Radio: MRN, XM Satellite.
2003 winner:  Dennis Setzer.
2003 polesitter:  Ted Musgrave.

Pre-race schedule (all times local): Friday – Practice, 9 – 11:15 a.m. Qualifying, 1:30 p.m. Final practice following NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series practice, time permitting.

Top 10 In Points: 1. Travis Kvapil 340. 2. Carl Edwards 336. 3. Bobby Hamilton 320. 4. David Reutimann 313. 5. Dennis Setzer 285. 6. Shane Hmiel 276. 7. Terry Cook 269. 8. Mike Skinner 264. 9. Chad Chaffin 262. 10. Matt Crafton 261.