Ted Musgrave No. 59 Team ASE/Harris Trucking Toyota Tundra

Round 12 of 25 – Memphis Motorsports Park: O’Reilly Auto Parts 200

Ted Musgrave makes his return to Memphis Motorsports Park after missing the event last season. Ted is the 2003 winner at Memphis.

Are there any similarities to Memphis and the other short tracks we’ve raced on so far this season? 

“About the only thing similar at Memphis and Martinsville is the transporter you bring the truck to the track in. They are very different. Memphis produces a lot of good side-by-side racing. You have two really good grooves that you can run, so if you need to get around someone you have the option to run high or run low. It is almost the perfect size for the Trucks. It is a short track with a lot of really close racing but it still has a lot of speed. It is very unique too. Turns 3 and 4 are totally different than anything we see all season long.”

How challenging is finding the right setup at Memphis? 

“Memphis has a lot of character to it. The bump on the backstretch really isn’t that big of a deal because we’re going straight when we hit that. There are some pretty good bumps getting into the corners and those are a real challenge. Don’t get me wrong though, that’s not a bad thing. It makes the track a little different and it presents a challenge to the drivers and the teams. Some of the other tracks that don’t have that type of character can be kind of boring. That certainly isn’t the case at Memphis.”

How important is pit strategy at Memphis?

“It’s not as crucial at Memphis as it is at say Martinsville or Mansfield. The big reason why is you can run two wide at Memphis. Say you do have a problem and you have to go to the back of the field. At Mansfield if that happens, you are doomed. If that happens this week at Memphis and you have a good enough truck, you can race your way back towards the front.”

This Week’s Truck:

During Saturday night’s O’Reilly Auto Parts 200, Ted will be driving HT 11. Ted has already raced this truck twice in the 2008 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series season, finishing 15th at Martinsville Speedway and 17th at Mansfield Motorsports Park.  

Ted Musgrave’s Memphis Motorsports Park stats: 

Musgrave has made six previous NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series starts at Memphis Motorsports Park. He has one win (2003), three top-five finishes, and four top-ten finishes. His average start is 8.7 and his average finish is 9.7. He has completed 1,179 of 1,204 possible competition laps, and led a total of 170 laps in two separate races (102 in 2003 and 68 in 2004).

Introducing the 2008 No. 59 Team ASE/Harris Trucking Toyota Tundra:

Led by Crew Chief Danny Rollins:

About Team ASE: 

The National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) has been involved in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series since 1995, with a mission to salute the technicians and other automotive professionals who demonstrate high performance every day.

ASE, a national non-profit organization, was founded in 1972 to help improve the quality of automotive service and repair through the voluntary testing and certification of automotive service professionals.  More than 400,000 ASE-Certified professionals work in dealerships, independent shops, service stations, auto parts stores, fleets, schools and colleges across the nation.