Daytona - Dodge wins season opener

Friday was another great day for the Dodge team as veteran Joe Ruttman and the Dana Dodge Ram won the season's first NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race.

Ruttman started from the pole and led the race for a time before taking a detour through the pits to change tires and fix some body damage. He worked his way back to the front and eventually won a green/white/checker dash to the finish for his 12th truck series win.

"We're really excited that we were able to extend Dodge's streak of excellent results during Daytona Speedweeks," said Ray Richard, Dodge Program Manager for the truck series.

"Our Dodge Engineering Support Team worked very closely with all of our truck teams during the off-season as part of our 'one team' approach, and winning the first race of the season at Daytona is a great accomplishment for Dodge. We're looking forward to the next event at Homestead-Miami Speedway where we hope to again visit Victory Lane." Sophomore Scott Riggs was 3rd in the ASE/Ultra Wheels Dodge Ram, his best finish in the series to date. Other Dodge-sponsored drivers and their finishing positions were: <pre> * Carlos Contreras, Mattel Mexico/Coca-Cola Dodge Ram, 20th * Ted Musgrave, Mopar Dodge Ram, 22nd * Willy T. Ribbs, Dodge-sponsored Dodge Ram, 23rd

</pre> Musgrave's truck had a water pump problem, running hot all day and ultimately expiring. Ribbs experienced a number of disappointments beginning with electrical problems during the first lap. His transmission later stuck in second gear. Ribbs' truck was running at the end but finished several laps off the pace due to lengthy stops for repairs.

The next event for Dodge and the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series will be the Florida Dodge Dealers 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. The race will be televised on ESPN beginning at 1 p.m. Sunday, March 4.

-Dodge Motorsports