CHAD CHAFFIN, KEY MOTORSPORTS ELECTS TO STAY WITH PRIMARY TRUCK AFTER PRACTICE CRASH AT CALIFORNIA SPEEDWAY ON THURSDAY

Chad Chaffin will pilot his primary #40 Key Motorsports Chevrolet Silverado in NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series qualifying this morning at California Speedway in Fontana as his Lance Hooper-directed team elected not to bring out the back-up piece following Thursday afternoon's practice crash.

In just four practice laps preceding the turn two accident in which Chaffin cut down a right front tire, Chaffin had posted what turned out to be the 29th fastest time during the second practice session. A slower than normal inspection process prevented the Key Motorsports entry from getting onto the track during the first practice session.

Chaffin's truck had shown smoke going through the third and fourth turns once he got onto the track to test his machine for tonight's racetickets.com 200. The smoke turned out to be a severe tire rub that eventually cut down the tire and sent Chaffin's truck into the second turn wall.

"The truck was running well, and I never really mashed the pedal when the tire just exploded", Chaffin said. "We were just shaking down the truck to see what we had and what we needed to work on, and I really hated to put all the guys through all the hard work they put out last night and this morning. I really appreciate it (the work), and I hope to reward them for their efforts by getting in a good qualifying lap later today and making their first race this season", he added.

The team elected to stay with the primary truck and work the additional hours putting it back together because it was a far better truck then the back-up.

"Deciding to fix the primary truck was really our only option", Crew Chief Hooper said. "We didn't have a motor in the back-up, and quite honestly, the primary truck would be better for us in the long run a little beaten up then the back-up. Our guys really worked their tails off after the wreck and until 8 p.m. last night when NASCAR finally kicked us out of the garage, and they put the finishing touches on it this morning. If Chad can give us one good lap, we expect to be the show", said Hooper, alluding to tonight's race that starts at 6:15 PST.

Chaffin failed to qualify for last week's Craftsman Truck Series season opener in Daytona despite posting the 28th best qualifying time. Because of NASCAR's rule giving starting berths in this season's first four races to teams that finished in the top 30 in owner points in 2005, Chaffin and his Key Motorsports entry were bumped from the field. They face the same dilemma this week but only need to run quicker than two trucks without the benefit of owner points today to make the field instead of the six they had to beat last week.