Dana racing, Joe Ruttman Watkins Glen Preview

Dana Racing Notes

Joe Ruttman's Watkins Glen International NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Results

Date Start Finish Laps Status Money Won

8-25-96 5 6 61 of 61 Running $ 6,500 8-24-97 7 4 62 of 62 Running 12,075 5-30-98 2 1 65 of 65 Running 40,780

Total 188 of 188 (100%) $ 59,355

* Joe Ruttman, driver of the Bobby Hamilton Dana Racing Dodge arrives in Watkins Glen this weekend with the hope of repeating his performance of a year ago, when he came home victorious in the Bully Hill Vineyard 150, after NASCAR penalized Ron Hornaday for jumping a restart. "It was a bad deal for Hornaday last year," said Ruttman. "But everytime a judgment call is made someone benefits and someone doesn't. This time I came out on the good side." The Dana team also comes into this event with their heads high after Ruttman took the #18 truck from 31st to 10th at last weeks road course. So once again the expectations are very high that Ruttman can give the Dana team their first top five finish of the year.

* The Dana team also enters this weekend's event at the Glen, 102 points out of 10th place in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series owner's points. The goal at the beginning of the 1999 season was to finish in the top 10 in owner's points. Owner's points are awarded just like the driver points. Each position is worth x-number of points, which are totaled after every race. At the end of the year the teams are ranked according to their point totals.

* Joe Ruttman enters this weekend's event at the newly paved Watkins Glen International Raceway with the second best average finish (3.6) at the track, in the truck series. Ron Hornaday has the best average finish, 3.3. * Joe Ruttman and the Dana Racing team will be racing the same truck (Catfish) they ran at Portland last week. In fact like many of the teams the Dana team did not go back to their race shop following the running of the Granger 225K at Portland.