EARNHARDT LOOKS TO BUILD MOMENTUM AT BRISTOL

Kerry Earnhardt and the No. 13 Pork Racing team enter Wednesday night’s NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series O’Reilly 200 at Bristol Motor Speedway on the strength of a season-best 11th place finish at Nashville, a result the team desperately needed and one which Earnhardt hopes becomes the norm. “We really needed that solid finish at Nashville,” said Earnhardt. “It’s got our guys pumped up again, and we’re excited to get to Bristol and see if we can build on it.”

Earnhardt’s Chevy Silverado will feature the eye-catching, neon-yellow paint scheme the team debuted at Nashville. Perhaps the change in color scheme on Earnhardt’s truck signifies a turn in the team’s fortunes as well. Prior to Nashville, Earnhardt’s best finish this season was 18th at Daytona in the season-opener. He remains in 22nd place in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series standings. In recent weeks, Earnhardt has sought the advice of ThorSport Racing teammate Matt Crafton, especially with regard to short-tracks, and the improved communication between the pair has rejuvenated Earnhardt as he gears for his first NASCAR Craftsman Truck series start at Bristol. In 3 Busch Series starts at the track, Earnhardt's best finish was 28th.

“I’ve learned quite a bit from Matt about short-track racing, and hopefully I’ll be able to apply some of it at Bristol,” Earnhardt said. “But Bristol is a different animal in some ways. It can be especially tough to stay out of trouble there. The speeds we reach are crazy for a track that size, and things tend to get out of control quickly. Our goal is to stay up front and out of trouble and see how well we can do this weekend.”

Earnhardt believes the relationship with Crafton – a veteran of 138 races and fifth-place finisher in the 2004 title race – is paying dividends.

“We tested last week and our lines of communication have gotten much better,” said Earnhardt. “We bounced ideas off each other at (Indianapolis) and again at Nashville and just having him to talk to is a big help.”

Earnhardt and the No. 13 team are looking forward to Bristol. “I am excited to have some momentum going there,” he said.

“I am having fun and I really enjoy the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series,” he said. “I like the shorter schedule because it gives me time to spend at home with my family. That’s important to me (because) family is the most important thing and I wouldn’t do anything differently.”

Crafton overcame a  flat right front tire early in the race to finish ninth.  "We had cleared the No. 77 and I got together with the No. 5 truck of Skinner when he bounced off the wall", said Crafton. "We finished with a top-ten, but if I didn't get blocked by a couple of trucks we could have finished a few positions higher.  Our truck wasn't handling good in the early part of the race, and we actually went up eight pounds on the right side tires, which is unbelievable.   We had single digits (of air pressure) on the lefts, so it was a really crazy race out there for us.  All in all, we'll take away another top-10 finish and keep the momentum going at Bristol.