|| *Comments on the 1996 Florida Dodge Dealers 400:* View the most recent comment <#35> | Post a comment <#post> Tweet 1. Darrell posted: 03.17.2006 - 3:16 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Dave Rezendes happens to be a pretty good racecar driver. He wasn't a constant winner, but he always had a decent amount of finishes. He used to be an underdog in the Busch Series. It's a shame he's not around anymore. 2. J. Kircher posted: 04.19.2006 - 1:23 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) I don't remember the exact chain of events here, but this was a thrilling finish. I think someone almost wrecked giving the lead to Dave Rezendes who barely held off Jack Sprague. So far the Truck Series is two-for-two in exciting season openers. 3. J. Kircher posted: 04.19.2006 - 1:29 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) John Nemechek scores his career best Truck finish...ironically a year before he would be killed in a crash at the same track. 4. Steve posted: 04.20.2006 - 6:19 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) 1996 Rookie-of-the-Year Bryan Reffner debuts with a Top 5 and Terry McCarthy (who?) debuts in the Truck Series with a 6th place finish. A little more about Dave Rezendes; he was a competitor in the Busch Series in the late 80's and early 90's, with a best finish of 2nd (twice in 1990). After 3 or 4 full seasons he scaled back to a limited schedule, and eventually quit running in the Busch Series when a better opportunity came in the form of a Truck Series ride with Geoffrey Bodine, and it paid off with 3 wins. 5. Darrell posted: 07.14.2006 - 2:35 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Jay Sauter makes his NASCAR debut. 6. Steve posted: 09.01.2006 - 5:53 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) The late John Nemechek's best career finish (7th). 7. Darrell posted: 12.31.2006 - 12:42 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Also the first start for Lance Norick. 8. RaceFanX posted: 01.01.2008 - 4:33 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) Last NASCAR race for Ritchie Petty. Kyle's cousin had previously made 4 starts in the Cup series from 1993-1994. 9. Patrick posted: 03.13.2008 - 1:13 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) Bobby Gill's Nascar debut 10. Matt posted: 11.06.2008 - 4:07 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Truck owners for sthis race and the entire 1996 season: 31. Bob Brevak (Bob Brevak) 37. Bob Strait (Bob Strait) 77. Scott Lagasse, Gary St. Amant, and Bobby Labonte (Kevin Doran) 11. Matt posted: 11.14.2008 - 12:45 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) Also: 00. Frank Kimmel (Andy Campbell) 12. RaceFanX posted: 03.25.2009 - 12:10 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Last Truck race for ARCA veteran Bob Strait. Straight had been a regular in the Trucks during 1995 13. jr88fan posted: 08.13.2009 - 9:59 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) Jay Sauter makes his NASCAR debut. Bobby Gill's Nascar debut. Ron barfeld's 1st start. Also the first start for Lance Norick. 14. ND posted: 09.27.2009 - 7:05 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) Terry McCarthy was a road racer from Northern California 15. Unser1 posted: 11.08.2009 - 7:51 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Charlie Cragan's Truck series debut and best finish in 14th 16. Anonymous posted: 12.19.2009 - 11:10 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) DNQ Mark Gibson Doug Thorpe Randy Churchill Gary Lloyd Mike Chase Andy Genzman T.J. Clark George Talles Mike Hurlbert Guy Thomas 17. RaceFanX posted: 12.30.2009 - 1:07 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) Bob Brevak's best Truck series finish, 11th 18. Kevin Nauta posted: 04.18.2013 - 3:18 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) http://www.theautochannel.com/news/homestead/news4252.html This gives you the missing car numbers and sponsors for the trucks that did not qualify, as well 8 other trucks that did not make timed attempts and also did not qualify. 19. 83andJoe posted: 06.27.2013 - 1:31 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) #16 crew chief: Doug Richert (same for all races through Milwaukee) 20. 83andJoe posted: 07.06.2013 - 5:10 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) #3 crew chief: Rich Burgess (same for all 1996 races) 21. 83andJoe posted: 09.17.2013 - 3:09 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) #30 crew chief: Fred Graves (same for all races this year) 22. 83andJoe posted: 10.08.2013 - 7:38 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) #42 crew chief: Brad Noffsinger 23. 23andJoe posted: 04.02.2014 - 8:12 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) #8 crew chief: George Church (same for all races this year) 24. 23andJoe posted: 04.02.2014 - 10:44 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) #65 crew chief: Barry McKibbon (same for all races this year) 25. 23andJoe posted: 06.05.2014 - 8:23 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) #52 crew chief: Tim Kohuth (same for all races this season) 26. 23andJoe posted: 06.19.2014 - 10:58 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) #52 crew chief: Tim Kohuth 27. RaceFanX posted: 09.30.2016 - 2:59 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Dave Rezendes picks up his first career Truck win in an amazing finish... The last lap on this one was wild. Ron Hornaday, Jr. ran down Dave Rezendes and tried a dive bomb move in turn 3, he couldn't hold it and ended up in the outside wall. At the same time third place Jack Sprague put the bumper to Rezendes and got the #7 QVC Ford sideways. Dave saved it with he and Jack racing back to the line. Rezendes came off turn 4 with the lead and Sprague tried one more move, he never completed the pass as the #7 and the #24 came together breaking Jack's momentum. Sprague came across the line a little sideways and spun right afterward. 28. RaceFanX posted: 10.01.2016 - 2:24 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Withdrawn Trucks (Present at the track but elected not to attempt to qualify): Wayne Lowery- #06 Carolina Cellular & Paging Chevrolet Jimmy Davis- #13 MCI Calling Cards Ford Steve Mendenhall- #32 C-R Racing Chevrolet Ray Daniels- #34 DuPont Thompson PBE Chevrolet Lonnie Cox- #36 DuPont Thompson PBE Chevrolet John Pruitt- #50 Fraternal Order of Police Ford Joe Madore- #60 Eyecare Direct Chevrolet Ernest Winslow- #68 Winslow Farms Chevrolet Daniels was an occasional competitor in 1995, this withdrawn effort was his last in the Truck series. 29. RaceFanX posted: 10.01.2016 - 2:27 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Hornaday drove a red #16 Chevy in 1995 for Papa John's Pizza in 1995 but debuted a new navy blue-and-yellow scheme here as NAPA Auto Parts came onboard to sponsor him for 1996. His first race for NAPA didn't end up in victory lane despite his last lap efforts but the partnership would prove iconic across the next five seasons in both the Truck series and later the Busch series. 30. Mike posted: 04.14.2017 - 12:27 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) Good old "One Whack Jack" Sprague certainly tried to wreck his way into the win on this one, but he couldn't quite get Rezendes turned. 31. Bramblegrunt posted: 07.14.2017 - 12:54 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) The race was the largest track to date for the Craftsman truck series and after a stellar opening season in 1995, sponsors, new teams and new drivers flocked to the series opener in Homestead. The race didnt disappoint even though there were a number of cautions slowing the event which included 2 competition cautions. The mid-race 5 minute break caution was actually pre-empted by the big crash of the day which was for the lead. Mike Skinner caught the lapped truck of Kenny Allen. At this point Geoff Bodine saw an opportunity to take the lead and get the halfway bonus money. Skinner attempted a block in the turn and pinched Bodine to the apron and rumple strips causing him to spin into Skinner and they took the innocent Allen with them. All 3 into the wall. Skinner repaired the truck after extensive damages but Bodine retired and was not happy with Skinner who he had a prior run-in with in 1995. The last lap as stated also proved to be a great battle for the lead and RaceFanX talked about it perfectly so theres nothing more to add to that besides the fact that these trucks didnt end up wrecking each other like Bodine and Skinner did. All crossed the line with some donuts and a little fender damage but all drive-able. Rezendes, a first time winner was interviewed and with his accent, there was no doubt what state hes from carrying that thick Boston-northeastern accent as he stated teammate Bodine was on the radio with him coaching him home to a thrilling first win 32. nascar_vd / racing-reference.info posted: 04.24.2018 - 10:44 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) C1996-01 Awards Busch Pole Award: Geoffrey Bodine Gatorade Front Runner Award: Jack Sprague Plasti-Kote Winning Finish Award: Danny Dias (#7) Ventvisor Brand Super Deflector Award: Mike Skinner Featherlite Trailers Long Haul Award: Dave Rezendes Cintas Rookie-Of-The-Race Award: Ron Barfield, Jr. 33. Jimnsimforever posted: 03.18.2019 - 12:52 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) Before this race and the 1996 season started, Mike Skinner and Ron Hornaday competed in ski ball then Joe Ruttman came along and challenged them both to a 3 man race with burlap sacks down a big slide. Then all 3 had a huge bumper car competition before heading off to Homestead to kick off the season. The above is not a lie and exactly how the TNN broadcast of this race opened. 34. SweetRich posted: 02.16.2020 - 9:44 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) The Commentators For The Race Were Eli Gold, Larry McReynolds And Dick Berggren With The Sole Pit Reporter Being Glenn Jarrett. 35. Z posted: 03.24.2020 - 12:40 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Ron Barfield Jr's CC Was Lonnie Rush Jr, per Rush Himself https://m.facebook.com/notes/the-doorstop-nation/catching-up-with-former-nascar-truck-series-driver-lonnie-rush/794755227247042/ ------------------------------------------------------------------------ *Post a comment:* Your comment may not appear immediately - all comments must be approved by the moderator. Name: Comment: