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Ryan Hemphill
No. 4 Dodge Race Notes
New Driver: After Ryan Hemphill finished in the tenth place at
South
Boston, Virginia in his first race for Bobby Hamilton Racing, it
did not
take long for the team to select him to drive the No. 4 truck
again this
week at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
"We had a good finish in South Boston, but we're looking for
even more
this week," said Hemphill. "This is a great organization and
they gave
me a great truck last time out, and there is no reason to think
the Las
Vegas truck will be any different. The most important thing for
me to do
right now is to finish the races, but when you have a great
truck, it's
hard not to go for it a little when you're out there racing."
Hemphill is in the process of auditioning for a ride next year
with the
team, but each one knows that a sponsor is needed to make that
dream a
reality.
"We're in a tough spot," said Hemphill. "I know I want to be
here with
this team and I think they want me, but we both need a sponsor
that
would like to come on board and build a motorsports program with
us. The
only thing we can do is just go out there and perform as well as
possible and hope someone sees our potential together and joins
us."
Petty Driving School: Hemphill spent his time off over the last
few
weeks learning everything he could about the Las Vegas Motor
Speedway.
Hemphill spent three days at the Petty Driving School, giving
rides to
students all the while learning how he should drive the
speedway.
"I think it was a big help," said Hemphill. "I had never seen
the place
before last week, so to get a chance to drive around the track
at speed
is a big help in my learning curve. I know we will be going
about seven
seconds quicker with the trucks, but it still helps a person
learn where
the bumps are and where the best line is on the track."
Points Battle: Entering The Orleans 350 at Las Vegas Motor
Speedway,
Hemphill will be trying to improve on his points standings
position of
44th place, and also help the team improve on their 15th place
standing
in the owner's points standings. Hemphill is 442 points out of
his goal
of 25th place in the driver points standings, and the team is
379 points
out of tenth place in the owner's points standings.
"The team and I sat down over the break and looked at where we
could
finish in the owner's and driver's points standings and decided
to set
two goals," said Hemphill. "Together we're going to aim at the
top ten
in owner's points and 25th or better place in the driver points
standings."
Earnings: Hemphill has earned $ 29,555 in just three races in
the NASCAR
Craftsman Truck Series. The No. 4 Team has earned just over $
200,000
this season with five different drivers.
Championship Hunt: With four races remaining in the 2002 season,
there
are still 12 teams that can win the Truck Series Championship.
Pit Crew Challenge: On Friday, October 11, 2002, the finals of
the
"Dodge Pit Crew Challenge" will take place at the Suncoast Hotel
and
Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada. During the course of the year, all
three
Bobby Hamilton Racing teams won their first rounds to qualify
for the
finals in Las Vegas. They will face off against the No. 2 Dodge
Team for
the 2002 crown.
This Week's Truck: Hemphill will be driving "Homer" at Las Vegas
Motor
Speedway. Homer was a new truck that was built over the winter
before
racing three times this season. It is the same truck that
Hemphill drove
to a tenth
place finish at South Boston Speedway two weeks ago. Performance
Chart:
Homer
DATE RACE START/FINISH DRIVER
7-13-02 Kentucky 19 24 Brian Rose
7-20-02 Loudon 10 25 Brian Rose
9-21-02 South Boston12 10 Ryan Hemphill
www.bobbyhamiltonracing.com
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