Bang Racing switched crew chiefs and crews on their No. 24 Line-X Tundra and No. 42 Toyota Tundra teams earlier this week. Rick Ren and his Toyota Tundra team united with driver of the No. 24 Line-X Tundra, Travis Kvapil, while Eric Phillips and his Line-X crew joined forces with Mike Skinner, driver of the No. 42 Toyota Tundra.

“From the beginning we have stressed that we are one team fielding two trucks,” CEO and Owner of Bang Racing, Alex Meshkin, said. “We came out of the gates at Daytona very strong and have worked to give both teams the best in equipment and support. With that in mind, we want to give each of our unique drivers what we feel will work in their best interests. We have been consistent and strong, and want to continue to stay within striking distance of the championship. But to keep the momentum going, the BANG RACING teams are making a switch to accommodate their driver’s unique needs. We believe it is in the best interests of both drivers to have crew chiefs that can bring out the best in their driver’s performance.”

This won’t be the first time Ren has called the shots atop the pit box for Kvapil. The pair had a winning, two-year relationship in 2001 and 2002 at Addington Racing and notched two wins, 21  top-five’s and 32 top-10’s together. Kvapil’s first career win in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series came with Ren at the Silverado 350 on October 5, 2001 while driving the No. 60 Cat Rental Store Silverado Chevy. Ren has also had a hand in Kvapil’s NASCAR career from its infancy having hand picked him to test for Addington Racing in the fall of 2000 at Kentucky Motor Speedway.

You joined forces with your former crew chief, Rick Ren, this week. Does that give you a new outlook on the year and how does that affect your mindset for the race?
I feel comfortable going back to work with Rick Ren. We have won races in the past and have had a number of top-five finishes together. There shouldn’t be a big learning curve with Rick trying to figure out what type of adjustments we need to make together. Both teams were struggling with results and should be running in the top five every week, not outside of the top-10. It may be a little tough but things will work out, and both teams will rise to the occasion. It should help us in getting the results that we had at the beginning of the year and what we know we are capable of week in and week out. It’s definitely going to make me buckle down and work a little harder to communicate well with Rick and make sure my new crew knows what I want and what I need this weekend. 

• Looking back at Memphis: The defending series champion finished in 13th position after struggling to recover track position from an ill handling ride.
• The Janesville native returns to his home state with one top-five and three top-10’s in three events at the historic mile.
• The Line-X team will be taking BR010 to Milwaukee. Toyota Racing Development (TRD) delivered BR010 prior to the Lowe’s event.
• Travis has accumulated two top-fives and three top-10’s this season in eight races. He currently sits in 12th place in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series driver’s points race, only 74 points out of teammate Mike Skinner’s sixth place standing.

Travis Kvapil on the Milwaukee Mile
Milwaukee’s a place that I enjoy going to because I get to race in front of my friends and family, and it’s one of the most unique tracks in the country. It’s always nice to go home to a race where you have people to support you, and Milwaukee’s really the only race where I’ll have that. I’ve run descent there in the past. Milwaukee’s a challenging track and is one of the oldest race tracks in the country with a lot of history. It’s a challenging track because there’s no banking, and it’s got really flat, long corners. As a driver, you have to use a lot of brake going into the corners and because of that, it’s hard to find the right setup to be fast through the corners.

Growing up in Wisconsin, what was your first experience like at the Mile?
I was probably about seven or eight the first time I went to Milwaukee. I remember watching Dick Trickle, Jim Sauter, Tom Refner and Joe Shear running in the ASA Series. It was exciting and definitely influenced my wanting to be a driver watching legends like that compete against each other. And Milwaukee was the first big track that I had been to. Before that, I had only been to ¼-mile tracks like Rockford, Columbus and Jefferson, and Milwaukee was really cool because I got to see what racing was like on a larger track. It was truly exciting.

Do you feel more pressure going home and racing in front of a home crowd or does it put you more at ease?
I do feel a little bit more pressure. I go to every race putting the same pressure on myself to perform and do the best that I can. There’s a little bit of added pressure because there are a lot of eyes on me watching everything I do, and I always like putting on a good show for the hometown crowd.

Rick Ren on the Milwaukee Mile
Travis has had good runs at Milwaukee, and I was with him his rookie year when he ran third. He’s had one top-five and two top 10’s in three visits there, so I feel good about going to Milwaukee. I was with another team last year that sat on the pole and I’ve been there with a Busch team and ran well. With our former successes, we will be alright. The only catch is that it is a one day event, so everything is in race trim and is then impounded. There just isn’t much room for error.

What are your feelings about reuniting with Travis?
I’m excited to work with Travis Kvapil again. We already have a winning, two-year relationship and don’t have to learn what each other likes or dislikes, so everything will probably go back to the way it was before. It will work out fine, and it is what we needed to do to get both trucks turned around and run consistently in the top-five and back in the top-five in points. I don’t see how it will affect the team’s day-to-day operations. I think that it is definitely a positive for both teams.

Travis Kvapil’s Milwaukee Appearances
Travis Kvapil will sign autographs at the March of Dimes NASCAR Fan Fair on Friday, June 25 from 3:15-4 p.m. The event is located on the state fairgrounds just outside the track in the Rupena's building on the Central Mall.

(Favorite Cheeses) of the No. 24 Line-X Tundra Team Members
Driver: Travis Kvapil (Cheese curds)
Crew Chief: Rick Ren (Colby)
Truck Chief/Rear Tire Changer: Chad Rainey (Colby)
Front Tire Changer: Ryan Langley (Cheese heads - Green Bay Packers fan)
Front Tire Carrier: Ryan Crellin (American)
Rear Tire Carrier: Chris “Goose” Burger (Swiss)
Jackman: Steve Hill
Gasman: Jimmy Sprinkle (American)
Catchcan: Hughston Caldwell
2nd Can/Runner/Hauler Driver: Tom Czoka (Fromunda)
Spotter: Mike Swaim Sr.
Engineer: Brad Whaley (Cheddar)
Shock Specialist: Colby Crooks (Colby, of course!)