Erik Darnell, No. 99 Northern Tool + Equipment Ford Preview: Mansfield

The race at Lowes Motor Speedway in Charlotte last week was an exciting one for teams, drivers and fans alike. Our very own Erik Darnell and his No.99 team had a great race contending for the win while bringing home a strong 4th place finish. They hope to carry that momentum into this week's event at the short .5-mile track in Mansfield Ohio.

Erik qualified an impressive 7th last year but wasn't able to capitalize on his qualifying effort. His race went south in a hurry after getting caught up in several on-track incidents that ruined his chances for a top-10 finish. He hung on and drove his beaten and battered Ford F150 to a respectable 15th place. Erik and his team’s outstanding run last week shot them up to 9th place in the point’s standings. They're currently 103 points out of 1st place with 18 races left this season. We're back in contention for the championship and would like to continue to close the gap with another great weekend of racing.

Mansfield 2007 was a race to survive for most. The race experienced 13 cautions for 103 laps along with several delays for rain. When the action was underway most of it was out back with the lead only exchanging hands 3 times among 4 drivers. It finished in typical truck series fashion with drivers battling for the win right down to the final lap. Dennis Setzer was able to hold off the ever aggressive Jack Sprague for the win. Track position will be everything and a good qualifying effort along with clean pit-stops will be the key to running well in Mansfield.

Last week the Speed Channel saw a 41% increase in the broadcast viewership of the Charlotte race. The Craftsman Truck Series fan base continues to grow each week. If you want to see why, and would like to catch some of the some of the best racing action in the country, tune into Speed this Saturday afternoon.

Erik Darnell on racing at Mansfield Motorsports Park:
“Mansfield is a track that reminds me a lot of Martinsville. It’s a place where track position plays such an important part throughout the entire race. With Mansfield being a short track, it’s difficult to pass unless you are up near the front. I would like for us to get our pit stops out of the way early in the race, so we can focus on staying up front. We had a great run last week in Charlotte and I hope we can carry that type of performance into Mansfield.”

Crew Chief Matt Puccia on racing at Mansfield Motorsports Park:
“Our best bet to come away this weekend with a top-five finish would be for Erik to roll center during the race. If we don’t, it’s going to be tough to make up any kind of ground. I cannot stress enough how critical track position will be come Saturday afternoon. After a great finish last week in Charlotte, the team is finally showing some confidence heading into six consecutive weeks of racing.”