By Thom Watson
MILLINGTON, TN.: Dennis Setzer was Mr. Steady all day long, hung close enough to keep the leaders in sight and at the end of 200 laps, he was the man in front. As other drivers were having troubles, Setzer avoided most of them and went on to win the Memphis 200 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race at Memphis Motorsports Park. His was not the dominant truck as Jack Sprague was the force early, leading 90 of the first 139 laps before spinning in his own oil and tagging the wall. Chevrolet captured its second straight race after Dodge had won the first eight truck races of the year. Only three drivers in the starting lineup, Sprague, Greg Biffle and Jimmy Hensley, have led a lap at Memphis Motorsports Park and only about half the field had experience in a truck at MMP.

Sprague sat on the pole after losing his power steering during qualifying the day before. "I could barely physically turn the thing, I had my rear up off the seat pulling on the wheel" said a tired Sprague. He averaged 23.104 seconds per lap for a speed of 116.863 miles per hour. Joe Ruttman started on the outside pole and points leader Scott Riggs started third. Sprague was able to take off at the green flag and by lap eight had a four-truck length lead over Riggs. Setzer, who started fourth, had moved into third with an inside move of Ruttman on the front stretch on lap nine. By lap 16, Setzer went inside of Riggs in turn one and was in the runner-up spot.

The racing in the turns proved to be too much for most of the drivers all day long as numerous bumping and rubbing took place. If you were going to race someone, along the 1100-foot straightaways was the place to do it. On lap 27 Sprague picked up a little left front damage, which later on would be his downfall. Jason Thom brought out the first caution of the day on lap 29 with a single car spin on the backstretch. This allowed the top six leaders to pit, some took four new tires and gas, some took two tires and gas, and some took only fuel. Sprague took on two tires and fuel and came out just ahead of Busch Series regular, Greg Biffle who had taken fuel only.

On the restart, the leaders, who did not pit, were Lance Norick, Hensley and Chad Chaffin. This would last about 10 laps as Howard Bixman and Norick rubbed in turn four and the yellow was out again. On the restart, Sprague and Biffle were on the move to the front and were there by lap 41. Again Sprague started to dominate the 200-lap event. Biffle was able to pass him briefly for the lead and hold on to it for four laps before Sprague put on another charge to the front. Biffle had abused his tires to get to the front and Setzer was able to pass him on lap 65 to take over second. Meanwhile Sprague was able to build a 2 second lead at the halfway mark.

On lap 101 the yellow flew for debris on the track, (where? Was this the infamous phantom debris yellow to close up the competition?). The leaders pitted with Biffle and Ruttman both getting out before Sprague. On the restart Billy Bigley, Jr., who won a day earlier in the ARCA/Remax Memphis 150, tagged the wall in turn one, but was able to save it. Just as Willy T. Ribbs Dodge was spinning by himself in turn two, Sprague had moved around Ruttman to move back into second.

It didn't take long for Setzer to gain the lead. On the restart, he was fourth and on the move. By lap 122 he dove deep into turn four to blow by Biffle for the lead. Sprague was also on the move and moved into second on lap 136, but his day was done just three laps later as an oil line broke, started smoking then finally got to his tires and he backed it into the turn three wall. Sprague's day was done although he was able to return and gain some valuable points in his championship hunt.

Setzer pitted while others stayed on the track and he came back out in fifth. Two laps after the restart, Ribbs once again took a spin so Setzer picked up one spot and by lap 158 had moved into third place. A lap later Setzer went inside of Norick in turn two and had his sights on the leader, Riggs. After tailing Riggs for four laps, Setzer finally passed him coming out of turn four on lap 166. Riggs tried high and low, but never could seriously challenge for the lead.

Ribbs hit the hat trick with his third solo spin on lap 180 and that brought out the final caution of the day. Once again, Setzer fought off Riggs' challenge and eventually built a 1.6308 second lead by the end. Riggs remained in second, followed by Ruttman, Chaffin, and Coy Gibbs to round out the top five. Setzer won for the first time in a Dodge, after driving Fords the previous year and he also moved into the top 10 in the points chase.

The race took 1 hour 49 minutes and 23 seconds to complete with an average speed of 82.279. There were seven caution flags for 46 laps. Billy Bigley, Jr., of Naples, stayed in the lead lap and finished in the 11th spot.

-Thom Watson

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