Spencer, No. 2 Dodge Recap: Dover
TruckSeries.com Report
June 06, 2005

Jimmy Spencer fought a loose truck throughout the race to bring home a 24th-place finish for the No. 2 Team ASE/Ultra Wheels Dodge in the rain-delayed MBNA Race Points 200 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race at the Dover International Speedway.  Spencer qualified 29th and avoided a major accident coming out of turn two in the opening lap to pick up several positions early on - but was never quite able to find a handle on the quirky Monster Mile concrete.

Even with a record number of cautions, Spencer and his Team ASE/Ultra Wheels crew fought hard to maintain track position and not lose laps.  But with leader Ron Hornaday setting a blistering pace and lapping up to the 13th position by lap 70, it was all Spencer could do to keep his truck in one piece. 

With the field scattered, and several drivers on laps of their own late in the going, Spencer displayed good sportsmanship by staying out of the leaders’ way while trying to bring the truck home in one piece for the best possible finish.  Spencer maintained the 27th position for over 50 laps before a spate of late race cautions knocked out several drivers ahead of him in the running order, allowing him to pick up three positions and valuable Championship points.

With Hornaday’s Top-5 finish, Spencer and the Ultra Motorsports team slid one position in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Championship standings, fifth overall and a mere 116 points behind leader and Ultra Motorsports teammate Ted Musgrave.  He holds a 20 point advantage over Dennis Setzer, who sits sixth in the point standings.  In eight NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series starts in 2005, Spencer has picked up two top-5 finishes and four top-10 finishes.

Spencer and the No. 2 Team ASE/Ultra Wheels Dodge return to action this Friday evening in the Chex 400k at Texas Motor Speedway.  Speed Channel will have live coverage of the race starting at 9 pm Eastern, with Motor Racing Network broadcasting live on select radio affiliates nationwide.  TruckSeries.com will carry practice, qualifying, and race updates online at www.truckseries.com.