1-13-2008 - Road racers among Truck rookie contenders

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DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- While road racers have been part of the Craftsman Truck Series since its inception, none have won rookie of the year honors.

Boris Said came close in 1997, finishing third to the late Kenny Irwin.

This, however, may be the season that breaks the string.

Three top road-racing veterans will be among the 2008 rookie class -- each in equipment capable of winning both races and the rookie award.

Colin Braun, a 19-year-old Texan, will drive the No. 6 Ford for Roush Fenway Racing, a team that has produced five previous rookies of the year.

Rolex Grand Am champion Andy Lally will be behind the wheel of the No. 7 TRG Chevrolet. The Racer's Group is one of the most successful contemporary professional sports-car organizations.

Justin Marks, who has a half decade of experience racing BMWs and Porsches, takes the seat in Germain Racing's No. 9 Toyota. He'll partner with 2006 Craftsman Truck champion Todd Bodine No. 30 Toyota.

All figure to be quick learners. But the challenges are obvious.

"Everything is so completely different," said Lally, a Daytona International Speedway veteran on the track's 3.56-mile combination infield and banking road course. "You really do have to kind of separate one from the other. This well may be a different property in a different state."

The Dacula, Ga., driver's move from one course to the other appeared seamless on Day 1 of the Craftsman Truck Series' Preseason Thunder test. Lally ranked second in Friday's drafting speeds with a lap of 184.604 mph, second only to the 184.638 of veteran Brendan Gaughan.

Braun got off to a good start as well before a Friday afternoon incident involving contact with teammate Joey Clanton cut short his test. He'd earlier ranked second in single-truck runs at 176.790 mph.

"Everybody at Roush Fenway Racing has been so helpful," Braun said. "From the truck drivers and crew chiefs all the way up to the Sprint Cup drivers and crew chiefs, they have all taken time to help me."

Braun admits that NASCAR racing is a world apart from his previous experience.

"In road racing, you race two or three other cars," he said. "In NASCAR you might be racing 10 to 15 cars at the same time. It makes it a lot more fun for me since I get to race a lot more."