SETZER ON BRISTOL MOTOR SPEEDWAY: “I am really excited about the re-configuring they did to Bristol a few years ago. It has always been a great place for the fans and they just made the track that much better for us drivers. There are now multiple grooves for racing which I believe produces even better racing than Bristol had in the past – and that is saying a lot. The crowds at Bristol are just incredible for our Wednesday night race and as a driver you can sense the excitement in the air – what more can you ask for.”
SETZER ON PIT STALL SELECTION: “The selection of your pit stall with the front stretch versus the back stretch is not that big of an issue since they changed having to come down both sides of pit lane. My crew chief, Randy Dean, is a master at pit strategy and no matter where we pit on Wednesday night he will make the call that gives us the best chance out there on the track. Of course there is always the desire to be on the front stretch and in front of the start-finish line and most of the fans. But wherever we pit it will not affect us too much during the race.”
SETZER’S THOUGHTS ON HIS SEASON THUS FAR: “Other than Ron Hornaday, I would think that most of us drivers are going to say that we are not having the season that we had hoped for. Even though I have not been locked into a full-time ride this season I think I am having a darn good year considering the circumstances. I was lucky to hook up with Dave Malcolmson and Randy Dean on this MRD Motorsports team and we have had some pretty solid runs. You could consider this team still relatively young and I think we are growing with each race. I had to take start and park opportunities for the first two races of the season so for me to be sitting in the top-ten in points is really saying something. Again, this has not been an ideal year for me but no bad given the hand I have been dealt.”
SHORT TRACK SETZER: Long considered one of the best short track racers in the sport, Setzer has held true to form this season on the mile or less distanced tracks. In the five races on these tracks so far this season, Dennis has captured four top-ten finishes including a second place finish at Dover. The veteran racer looks to continue this trend on Wednesday night in the running of the O’Reilly 200 at the “World’s Fastest Half-Mile”.
SETZER AT BRISTOL: In seven previous NASCAR Camping World Truck Series starts at “The World’s Fastest Half-Mile,” Setzer has two top-five and three top-ten finishes, with a best of fifth coming in 1999 and 2003. He has completed 98.6% of laps competed (1389 of 1409) and has recorded zero DNF’s. Setzer’s average starting position is 13.9 and his average finishing position is 12.9. The short track veteran also has seven career Bristol starts in the NASCAR Nationwide Series and one in the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series.
DENNIS SETZER NCWTS CAREER STATS:
Starts: 281
Wins: 18
Poles: 4
Top-Five: 81
Top-Ten 156
Laps Led: 2,009
Career Winnings: $5,772,125
MRD MOTORSPORTS HISTORY:
Team owner Dave Malcolmson and his No. 8 MRD Motorsports Chevrolet entered into the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series in 2003. Dave slowly built the race team before competing full-time in the series for the first time in 2008. This week’s race in Bristol will be the 87th career start for the team. In the previous 86 starts with 11 different drivers, MRD Motorsports has accumulated five top-five and 18 top-ten finishes. In true dedicated form to the sport and series, these starts have all come with no corporate sponsorship but from the funding of the ownership. These situations are the backbone of the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. MRD Motorsports and its ownership welcome the opportunity to partner with corporations for the remainder of this season while they set their sights on a 2010 partner.
ABOUT MRD MOTORSPORTS:
MRD Motorsports is owned by Dave Malcolmson, owner of Malcolmson Construction based in St. Petersburg, Florida. The MRD Motorsports team operates out of a state-of-the-art race facility in Concord, North Carolina. For more information, visit them at www.teammrd.com.
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