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Hello everyone and welcome to our first driver diary. I guess the best place to start is to catch everyone up on what we've done since last season. As far as our team, the 14, there haven't been many changes which is probably the reason we’re running as good as we’re running. A team that doesn’t change much or adds people or this, that and the other usually keeps that momentum going. We had a good run going up until October of last year and then the last few races cost us a top five in the points or a top three in the points, but you know the team stayed together and we battled back. We added a second program, the International MaxxForce Diesel with David Starr and Dennis Connor, about four weeks prior to the season starting. I think that’s regenerated the 14 crew. With the 14 ramped up it helped us get off to a decent start and I still feel like the 14 team has not reached potential yet.
As for the second team, if it’s used the right way I think it is a benefit. Teams in Nextel Cup and Busch Series, they share information and you can see the ones, multiple car teams and multiple Cup drivers over there involved, who benefit. I think the Cup owners that have truck teams, their truck team benefits more than probably a two-truck operation. It’s up to us to make our two-truck team at Circle Bar Racing work with the MaxxForce Diesel and the Ford Power Stroke Diesel by International. We added the second team to enhance the performance of the 14 truck, period. It wasn’t to give David Starr a job; it wasn’t to give Dennis Connor a job or to add 23 people to the workforce here at Circle Bar Racing. So if it’s to help the 14 truck win the championship, that’s what we’re doing it for. That having been said we're committed to making the 10 run up front. We’ve got to see David in the right equipment and the right setup because we know David can drive, we know Dennis can crew chief, we know he’s got good equipment coming up these next few races. I’m not saying he started with bad equipment, but we were trying to run some inventory we picked up from PPC. We started this four weeks prior to the season starting so it wasn’t like we could go build a fleet of trucks and have them ready for David by Daytona. That was impossible. Since we’ve had some relaxed times in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series schedule, we were able to build David some new trucks similar to the 14 truck. Now that our trucks are similar we can put stuff on his truck to bounce off of him, back and forth to us, where we can improve the performance of the 14 team. The benefits of this second program are moving forward at a high rate of speed and the schedule in the Craftsman Truck Series here really worked in our favor. I can’t wait to get in victory lane either with the 14 or the 10. Either one would be fine.
Our season to date with the 14 truck, the performance has been OK. We’ve had some good finishes, we’re in the top three in the points. I’m going to take it and run with it but it’s almost like writing your own insurance policy. You've got to keep doing good and you’ve got to be at your potential in order to beat these guys week in and week out. We’ve found some weaknesses in other teams that have helped us stay in the top three in points or gain to the top three in the points but they’re not going to be weak all the time so we’ve got to get stronger week in and week out.
Of course there's always the championship picture to think about and I think my chances are good every year. I hate to say that my chances aren’t that good or say I’m trying to win a championship, which I am. Each and every year I go after it, I want to win a championship; each and every race I go to I want to win it so to come up short or second is just part of it or part of the business. Each and every week I’m out there trying to do my best for Tom Mitchell, the Circle Bar Truck Corral folks, and the Power Stroke Diesel by International and the Ford guys. I’m trying my best but I’m going to win each and every race and if I think I can’t, then why go?
We've got a variety of tracks coming up here in the next few weeks. I like the bigger speedways, I like the fast tracks, so I’m looking forward to Charlotte coming up, and Dover. I grew up on the short tracks so you throw Mansfield in the mix and then all of a sudden we come to what I call my home track of Texas Motor Speedway. We’re trying to win that particular race for Tom Mitchell. All of the tracks on the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series are favorites of mine and I look forward to going to each and every one of them.
The family tradition is continuing too as my son Adam works on his racing career. He’s racing the 26th of May, back at Mobile International Speedway in Mobile, Alabama. He’s going to run the second race of the Miller Lite 100 lap super late model series, so good luck to him and his team. That’ll be the same day as what we’re in Mansfield, Ohio, so I'll have to keep up by telephone. As far as where this will take him, you can never tell about that. My name’s not even on the truck anymore so you never can tell who’s name is going to be above that door one day. I’m not ready to quit, I’ve still got a lot of fire in my eyes but Adam’s doing a good job and who knows, maybe next year we can start him off in a truck race or two and see how he does. This year I’m hoping he’ll bring his car owner a win one day.
In addition to racing, we have some other things we like to do off the track. Thursday we went on a tour of the socket plant for Craftsman Tools and saw how the sockets are made with some of the guys from Craftsman and some of the other drivers. Next week I’m in a charity poker tournament for Speedway Children’s Charities and I'll be in Detroit rolling out a new Harley Davidson Ford F-150. I just like for the fans to keep in touch, find out where we’re at, especially the charity events. Not only the races but the charity events, I like for the fans keep in touch with us and show up for those, and especially get their wallets and their hearts out for the kids.
People can keep up with us on our website, rickcrawford.com. We’re coming out with a new version of it coming out in the next couple of weeks so I hope it can be updated. If not, call Circle Bar Racing in Concord, NC, and they’ll keep you informed of what Rick Crawford is doing. And in case you are wondering, we are keeping the intro on our website. It’s not going anywhere; we’ve got to have the flash.
That's all for now but check back here in a few weeks. I'll be keeping you updated on how we're doing all season long. Hopefully from victory lane!
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