CRAFTSMAN TRUCKS

• Trucks join Nationwide at Gateway

  Madison, IL (Sports Network) - Series: NASCAR Camping World Truck. Date: Friday, July 16. Race: CampingWorld.com 200. Site: Gateway International Raceway. Track: 1.25-mile oval. Start time: 9:00 p.m. (et). Laps: 162. Miles: 200. 2009 winner: Mike Skinner. Television: SPEED. Radio: Motor Racing Network(MRN)/SIRIUS NASCAR Radio.

  The Camping World Truck Series join the Nationwide Series at Gateway International Raceway on the same weekend for the first time.

  With the Sprint Cup Series taking a break this weekend, three series regulars -- Kevin Harvick, Brad Keselowski and Max Papis -- are entered in Friday's truck race at Gateway. Harvick and Keselowski also will compete in Saturday's Nationwide event here.

  Rookie Austin Dillon is hoping his winning momentum will continue at Gateway. Dillon, the grandson of NASCAR multi-team owner Richard Childress and the son of Richard Childress Racing General Manager Mike Dillon, won his first career truck race in dominating fashion last Sunday at Iowa Speedway.

  Dillon started on the pole and led 187 of 205 laps to claim his maiden victory in just his 12th truck start. He is the only member of the Childress family to win a race in one of NASCAR's top-three series. His grandfather's highest finish in 258 NASCAR starts was third at Nashville Speedway in 1978, while his father's best run in 154 starts was fourth, which came at Dover International Speedway in 1997 and Hickory Speedway the following year.

  The 20-year-old Dillon has yet to compete at Gateway.

  "I've been getting a few notes from dad, and some other people have been telling me about the track," Dillon said. "The way our equipment and trucks have been handling, I feel like there's no reason we shouldn't be able to go out there and run well. We might not be able to pick up as fast as we usually do in practice and make the adjustments we're able to make when we were fast right off the truck." Dillon also set a record at Iowa by becoming the first rookie in the series to win three consecutive poles. Can he make it four poles in a row at Gateway? "There's a good shot at it," he said. "Four in a row would be awesome. I don't know what the record is for the Truck Series for how many poles in a row, but I'd love to go for it." Four drivers on the entry list -- Todd Bodine, Ron Hornaday Jr., Mike Skinner and David Starr -- have won a truck race at Gateway in the past. Ted Musgrave is the only driver with multiple truck wins here.

  Skinner won last year's race at Gateway in the most unlikely circumstances. Matt Crafton spoiled Hornaday's opportunity for a dominating victory when Crafton spun him out just after a late-race restart. Hornaday hit the wall and slid down the track, with Jason Young slamming into the back of his truck.

  Crafton took the lead, but NASCAR penalized him for rough driving.

  That allowed Skinner to take the lead for the first time. Skinner then held off Johnny Sauter in a green-white-finish for his third and final victory of the 2009 season.

  "We won with a fourth-place truck, and at the end of the day when the smoke cleared, the No.5 was in victory lane," Skinner said. "I kept asking myself, 'How did this happen?' But I'll take it." Hornaday, who led 116 of 162 laps, attempted to become the first driver to win a truck race at Gateway in consecutive years.

  Forty-four teams are on the preliminary entry list for the CampingWorld.com 200.

  07/13 15:24:33 ET