Musgrave Rallies Back After Early Penalty to Finish Seventh

HAMPTON, Ga. (March 10, 2007) – Ted Musgrave rebounded from an early race penalty to finish seventh in Friday night’s American Commercial Lines 200 at Atlanta Motor Speedway recording his second consecutive top-ten finish in the No. 59 Team ASE/Harris Trucking Toyota Tundra.

Rain showers canceled the first scheduled practice session on Friday morning, but when the trucks took the track hours later Musgrave would be in the top-five on the speed charts.  Musgrave would later match his practice efforts by qualifying the No. 59 Team ASE/Harris Trucking Tundra fourth for the 200-mile event. 

Musgrave, who has been under the weather for the last few days, felt good as he got set to take the green flag.  However things quickly shifted out of his favor as he crossed the start/finish line when he was forced to dive to the inside of the truck in front of him to avoid causing a wreck on the start.  Musgrave radioed he “had to go low” or he would have “taken out the whole field” when the truck ahead spun its tires on the start.  NASCAR disagreed with Musgrave, black flagging him for the attempted pass and sending him through the pits for a pass through penalty on lap four.  Musgrave rejoined the field in 32nd and soon found himself one lap down to the leaders.

With his work cut out for him, Musgrave quickly began making his way through the pack.  Continuing to turn laps as quick as the leaders despite battling traffic, Musgrave earned the Lucky Dog award when the second caution flew on lap 41.  After four tires, fuel and a trackbar adjustment, the over-the-wall crew sent Musgrave out 21st and back on the lead lap, for the lap 45 restart.

Within ten laps, Musgrave was back in the top-ten, and he took over the eighth spot on lap 61.  One of the only trucks able to run the highline around the race track, Musgrave continued to move forward and was scored fifth as he brought the Team ASE/Harris Trucking Tundra down pit road for a green flag stop on lap 92.  After a set of Goodyear tires, a full tank of Sunoco fuel and two rounds up on the trackbar, Musgrave rejoined the field in seventh. 

Still feeling the effects of his illness, Musgrave said little over the radio.  Caution came out for the final time on lap 110, giving crew chief Danny Rollins one last chance to make adjustments for his driver.  Rollins put the original tires from the beginning of the race back on, added fuel and went one round down on the trackbar.  The stop improved the handling of the truck as well as improving Musgrave’s track position to fourth for the lap 115 restart.  Musgrave fought to keep his position in the closing laps, but lost a hard fought battle on the final lap to come home with a seventh-place finish. 

“I’m happy with the way the truck ran today and proud of how hard the guys worked to come back from the early penalty,” Musgrave said.  “We just did not have the side bite we needed in our truck tonight and I am not so sure that wasn’t a product of this tire we had. But if we continue getting top-tens, we will be right in the thick of it come Homestead this fall.  We had a good point’s day today, and I’m looking forward to getting over this cold and coming back healthy to Martinsville in a few weeks.”  

After three events, Musgrave is tied for eleventh in the driver point’s standings and is only one point out of the top-ten heading in to the Kroger 250 at Martinsville Speedway on March 29, 2008.   The No. 59 Team ASE/Harris Trucking Toyota Tundra will take part in the Martinsville test session this upcoming week in preparation for that event.