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Martinsville II: Toyota Motorsports race notes, quotes

Kyle Busch (second) was the highest finishing Tundra driver in Saturday's NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) race at Martinsville Speedway. Todd Bodine (third), Jason White (fourth), Aric Almirola (fifth), Mike Skinner (sixth) and David ...

Kyle Busch (second) was the highest finishing Tundra driver in Saturday's NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) race at Martinsville Speedway.

Todd Bodine (third), Jason White (fourth), Aric Almirola (fifth), Mike Skinner (sixth) and David Starr (seventh) also posted top-10 results for Toyota at the half-mile Virginia track.

Tundra drivers Justin Lofton (13th), Jason Bowles (18th), Johanna Long (22nd), Matt Lofton (31st) and Timothy Peters (34th) were also in the field.

Bodine continues to lead the unofficial NCWTS driver standings following Martinsville, holding a 282-point advantage over Almirola. Peters (seventh), Skinner (eighth) and Starr (ninth) are also in the top-10 in points after 21 of 25 races.

Germain Racing leads the unofficial NCWTS owner standings by 39 points over Kyle Busch Motorsports with four races remaining in 2010.

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KYLE BUSCH, No. 18 Toyota Tundra/Z-Line Designs Toyota Tundra, Kyle Busch Motorsports
Finishing Position: 2nd

How did your truck handle in today's race? "It was normal Martinsville, just don't know how to find speed when you need it. Overall, just a good day. Ran real competitive. We were right behind the 2 (Kevin Harvick) and the 33 (Ron Hornaday Jr.) for most of it trying to make our way back up to the front. Once getting there, just too tight. We just couldn't get the thing to roll the center of the corner the way it needed to roll the center of the corner the way it needed to. Just got beat. We'll go on to next week I guess."

Was the racing just as hard up front as there was toward the middle of the pack? "There was enough rooting and gouging and bumping and banging up front as there was anywhere else. It's a short track - everyone runs the same speed so you're trying to get any position that you can and when you're all running the same speed, the only way to do that is to run in the back of somebody and move them out of the way. I don't necessarily call that racing, I just call it mayhem I guess. Just disrespect and you'll see the same thing tomorrow. We all run the same speed and it's hard to pass so guys will be running over each other and especially coming down toward the end of the race. Just all hell breaks loose so the same thing will happen again."

***

TODD BODINE, No. 30 Germain.com, Germain Racing
Finishing Position: 3rd

How eventful was today's race? "It was a little eventful for us - not a normal, typical Martinsville for us. Starting 24th we knew we had to strategize our way to the front and (Mike Hillman) Junior (crew chief) did a great job and had a plan laid out to get track position that we needed and it worked. We had a really, really good truck. It kind of went away a little bit at the end. I was overdriving it a little bit probably. This was one of the wild cards we were worried about with the points race and anything can happen like in the spring time. A guy stopped in front of me in the middle of the back straightaway and I ran into him, popped the radiator and blew the motor. Stuff that you can't control. To come out of here third is a great day, a good run for us. We've got a lot of good runs at Martinsville - we finally led some laps and ended up leading the most laps today so that was good points wise. I'm proud of everybody at Germain Racing for sticking with me and doing a great job every single week."

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JASON WHITE, No. 23 Gunbroker.com/Pursuit Channel Toyota Tundra, Green Light Racing
Finishing Position: 4th

How was your first race in a Tundra? "It was pretty cool - first time in a Toyota. Qualified seventh, which was the best we ever qualified here. We were able to finish fourth and Todd (Bodine) just had more drive off the corner and I was right there. I just wanted to run him clean because he's a good guy. I have to thank Gunbroker.com and the whole team - they all worked hard to get this truck ready so it was pretty cool."

***

ARIC ALMIROLA, No. 51 Billy Ballew Motorsports Toyota Tundra, Billy Ballew Motorsports
Finishing Position: 5th

How was your race truck today? "The truck was pretty good. We fought tight all day. I was happy - that was the best we've ever run together as a team here at Martinsville Speedway. Proud of the run. It's good to come here - this is not one of our best places. To get out of here with a top-five is a good day. We know we have a really good truck for these next four races coming up. I'm excited about Talladega - Richie (Wauters, crew chief) and all the guys have been working really, really hard on our Talladega truck. All in all a good day. Our truck is pretty much in one piece so we'll get her cleaned up and back together and ready for Phoenix."

Did the cautions hurt you at the end? "The cautions really hurt us at the end. Our truck seemed to be better on the long run. We were just really tight at the get-go and then it would get better and better. Really proud of the day and hopefully we'll get it all fixed up and go to Phoenix."

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MIKE SKINNER, No. 5 International Trucks/Monaco RV Toyota Tundra, Randy Moss Motorsports
Finishing Position: 6th

How was your race today? "It was really good. We got it a little bit tight right there in the middle of the race and just couldn't get track position. I kind of wanted to stay out the first stint and then pit with everybody on the second one. The team did a good job though. We came in with 50 or so to go and had a really good truck. Had fresher tires than everybody, just like in the spring, but the problem was the caution kept coming up and let everyone's tires equal ours. If it would've stayed green right there, I think we had at least a top two or three truck."

***

DAVID STARR, No. 81 Zachry Toyota Tundra, Green Light Racing
Finishing Position: 7th

How was your race today? "It was fun. Man, I had a lot of fun. My hat's off to our sponsor, Zachry, for all their support. We couldn't do this without them. Jason Miller (crew chief) and everyone on the team. They did a great job. We fought and fought and (Mike) Skinner had some new tires and I was trying to hold him off and he got into my left rear into turn three there and I thought I was gonna spin out, but I was able to hang onto it. Two of them got by me and I was able to get one back. Just a fun, exciting race. We were just a little tight in the center. We thought we were going to be able to capitalize, but as it went tight, that's all we had. It was a great day for the team and for Zachry. This was Toyota Tundra was awesome."

***

JUSTIN LOFTON, No. 7 visitPIT.com Toyota Tundra, Red Horse Racing
Finishing Position: 13th

JASON BOWLES, No. 15 Billy Ballew Motorsports Toyota Tundra, Billy Ballew Motorsports
Finishing Position: 18th

JOHANNA LONG, No. 20 Panhandle Grading & Paving Toyota Tundra, Panhandle Motorsports
Finishing Position: 22nd

MATT LOFTON, No. 97 Strutmasters.com Toyota Tundra, Lofton Motorsports
Finishing Position: 31st

***

TIMOTHY PETERS, No. 17 Nelson Toyota Tundra, Red Horse Racing
Finishing Position: 34th

What happened that took you out of the race? "I got run over from behind and it could have been avoided. We had a lot of good folks helping us this week - Hayes Iron and Metal, Thunder Road Harley Davidson and Nelson Toyota. We'll gather back up and go to Talladega. It was just Martinsville racing."

-source: toyota motorsports

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