|| *Comments on the 1997 Colorado 250 By Snap-On Tools:* View the most recent comment <#11> | Post a comment <#post> Tweet 1. RaceFanX posted: 02.29.2008 - 11:04 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Ron Hornaday makes it three in a row from the pole Road course ringer Tom Hubert makes his Truck series debut, replacing Michael Dokken in the Roehrig's DANA #18 Dodge. The truck would have several different drivers, including both Hubert and Dokken, throughout the rest of 1997 Last Truck series race at Colorado National Speedway. The track was still on the schedule for 1998 but the event was switched to the new track at Pikes Peak instead 2. Matt posted: 11.14.2008 - 4:31 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Truck owner for the 32 was Steve Lucore. 3. Dodge posted: 01.11.2009 - 1:59 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Not true about Hornaday. At the race before this one, the site shows that he started 4th. 4. RaceFanX posted: 08.21.2011 - 11:06 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) I meant in the context of his third win in a row and it was from the pole here but that was vague on rereading. 5. bill posted: 01.27.2018 - 9:07 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) The weekend of this race track owner Marshall Chesrown announced plans to reconfigure Colorado National Speedway from a 3/8 mile oval to a 5/8 mile D-shaped oval similar to Richmond. Those plans ultimately did not come to fruition as Chesrown admitted that while the change would have been good for the truck series, that layout would not have been good for the weekly program that CNS has to this day. Chesrown ultimately sold the track at the end of the '97 season and the investor group that bought the track moved its truck series date to Pikes Peak International Raceway 110 miles south on I-25 for the '98 season as noted above. 6. RaceFanX posted: 03.29.2018 - 1:01 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Stacy Compton turns in a third-place run to claim his first top-5 finish in Truck series competition. 7. Z posted: 05.09.2020 - 10:35 am Rate this comment: (1) (0) More To Come... LR @ what Marshall Chesrown planned to become "the Charlotte of short-tracks" (direct-quote), resulting in Hornaday's 4th Win in x5 races; Hornaday would score x6 of his x7 wins for the season in a x8 race span. From 1997-10/1997-20, Hornaday started outside the T5 once (1997-19) & finished outside the T5 once (1997-11, a race Hornaday ran T5 until the last Caution w/ 12TG) Despite all that, Sprague would win the title b/c while Hornaday finished outside the T20 x8 times, Sprague only did so once; in fact, his 16th place here was Sprague's 2nd worst finish of the year. FR Lucas Oil acted as a Truck sponsor. FR Orleans Hotel sponsored (A) x2 drivers @ once, (B) a driver other than Butch Miller. It seems likely Kenny Allen was running a Miller back-up car to explain why. 95/97: Mike Bliss, Ron Hornaday Jr, Rick Carelli, Butch Miller, Dave Rezendes, Joe Ruttman, Jack Sprague, Bill Sedgwick, Kenny Allen BF: Hornaday (tied), Bliss (@COL), Bickle (@COL), Carelli (@COL, tied), Reffner (@COL), Keselowski (@COL) FR: Randy Nelson (OR @COL) Gary Higgs (OR @COL) 2R: Jerry Robertson ('97, w/ Mike Mittler; WF @COL) OR: Stacy Compton (@COL), Jay Sauter (@COL), Rick Crawford (@COL), Tony Raines (@COL), Tony Roper (@COL), Kenny Irwin Jr (@COL), Tammy Jo Kirk (@COL), Mike Wallace (@COL), Terry Cook (@COL), Kevin Harvick (@COL), Boris Said (@COL), Tom Hubert (@COL), Chuck Bown (@COL) LR: Kenny Allen ('97) WF: Butch Miller (@COL), Dave Rezendes (@COL), Joe Ruttman (@COL), Jack Sprague (@COL), Bill Sedgwick (@COL), Kenny Allen (@COL), Jimmy Hensley (@COL), Doug George (OR w/ Steve Lecore) 8. Z posted: 05.09.2020 - 11:07 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) CBS Broadcast -Booth of Ned Jarrett, Mike Joy, & Buddy Naker, w/ Ken Squier, Dick Berggen, & Bill Stephens in other roles- (They spared no expense... Dang) Pit Road: 35 mph Pre-Race Interviews: Carelli, Ruttman, Hornaday, Wallace Weather Conditions: Temp 84°, Humidity 42%, Wind NW 10mph, Possible Showers, In-Truck 101°, Track 126° "Gentlemen, start your engines" Bickle/Kirk changed engines prior, Said qualified 5th but to the rear: When truck lined up on-line, fluid dripped from nose; blocks of dry ice b/w grill & radiator - further action expected "A hot rookie, Kevin Harvick - watch the little fella" (Joy; wrong pertaining to this race) -Kenny Allen Late Addition- Manufacturer's Breakdown: Ford 14T, 3W, 81pt Chev 12T, 9W, 101pt Dodg 4T, 1W, 65pt CBS Race Analysis: Trucks 30, Length 250 laps/93.8 mi, Seg I: 126 laps, Seg II: 124 laps, Open Pits, Purse $321,869, RacRec 57.630mph (Skinner '96) On-Board: Hornaday, Raines, Said, Bliss, Hensley GF: Robertson smoke left, dropped instantly; Wallace large early lead, Hornaday drops back to save truck for later, 5th by L4 C1: Jerry Robertson; had been running well off-pace on apron, dropped fluid on-track "What You Gotta Do To Beat Hornaday": Ruttman: "Knock him out... give 'em a quarter panel, rear deck lid or something" Said: "I outdrove Hornaday all day yesterday on the golf course, so hopefully one of these days we'll be able to do it on the track" (Day prior a charity golf match was held for John Nemechek & the Nemechek family) R10: Reffner -> Hornaday L16: Wallace, Raines, Reffner, Bliss, Crawford, Hornaday, Bickle, Miller, Hensley, Sauter, Rezendes, Ruttman, Keselowski, Sprague, Kirk, Carelli, Compton, Roper, Harvick, Bown, Sedgwick, Higgs, Said, Irwin, Cook, Hubert, Nelson, Allen -6, George -11, Robertson -12 L19: Bown 360, gets down into dirt - no caution; L20: "Designated spin" (Joy), Gary Higgs - right past S/F, No Caution (-1); L25: (1-6 Unchanged); C2: Brake duct hose debris; LR fender rubbing on Bown's tire, something to watch R2: Said 19th CBS Race Summary: Laps 38, Leader 1, Change 1, Avg Sp 59.422, Cautions 2, OFF 3 L39: Wallace 71.870, Reffner 70.725, Bliss 69.437, Hornaday 70.662, Raines 69.480, Crawford 69.970, Bickle 69.930, Hensley 69.941, Miller 70.441, Sauter 70.514, Rezendes 71.877, Ruttman 71.690, Carelli 71.583, Compton 71.816, Sprague 71.463, Kirk 72.031, Said 71.762, Keselowski 71.109, Roper 71.451, Irwin 71.759, Hubert 72.378, Cook 71.000, Harvick 71.482, Bown 68.268, Nelson 68.709, Sedwick 71.522, Higgs 67.041, Allen (OUT), George (OUT), Robertson (OUT) 9. Z posted: 05.09.2020 - 12:05 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) Bliss FL: 74.549 (L14) L43: Wallace, Reffner -0.466, Bliss -1.110, Hornaday -2.058, Crawford -2.318, Raines -2.650, Bickle -3.855, Hensley -4.343, Miller -4.775, Sauter -5.025, Rezendes -5.266, Ruttman -5.543, Carelli -5.781, Compton -6.100, Kirk -6.388, Sprague -6.511, Sedgwick -6.856, Said -7.106, Keselowski -7.361, Roper -7.559, Irwin -7.663, Cook -7.833, Hubert -7.868, Harvick -8.117, Bown -1, Nelson -1, Higgs -1, Allen (OUT), George (OUT), Robertson (OUT) [Said CC: Jay Smith] L51: Wallace, Bliss, Reffner, Hornaday, Raines, Crawford, (7-11 Unchanged), Carelli Mike Bliss: 6th(ST), 4th(L15), 4th(L31), 3rd(L46), 2nd(L62) L63: Hornaday w/ gutsy pass through Wallace/Bown CBS Race Summary: Laps 65, Leaders 3, Changes 3, Avg Sp 63.860, Cautions 2, OFF 3 L75: Leaders hit lapped traffic, Hornaday charges under pack of x5 - INT .891 L76: Hornaday 70.461, Bliss 70.744, Wallace 69.580, Bickle 70.651, Crawford 70.423, Hensley 70.360, Reffner 69.224, Sauter 70.721, Miller 70.929, Carelli 70.740, Compton 70.272, Rezendes 69.919, Ruttman 68.765, Raines 67.979, Kirk 69.840, Sprague 68.022, Sedgwick 69.167, Said 68.929, Roper 71.607, Hubert 68.814, Irwin 69.047, Harvick 68.024, Cook 68.147, Keselowski 67.446, Nelson 64.928, Bown 67.251, Higgs 64.819, Allen (OUT), George (OUT), Robertson (OUT) L77: Bickle 69.163; L79: Higgs pits (-3 laps); C3: S/F debris (another brake duct), Hensley nearly spun prior but excellent save; L87: Hornaday, Bliss, Bickle, Crawford, Wallace, Sauter [Wallace CC: Tim Kohuth] During YF, NASCAR called Wallace in to allow themselves/other teams to inspect tire wear R3: Hornaday foot-cam; many teams de-tuned engines prior, Hornaday didn't CBS Race Summary: Laps 94, lead 3, change 3, Avg Sp 58.510, caution 3, OFF 3 L98: Bown pits L99: Reffner handling issues, used up tires; Wallace 5th -> 7th since restart L101: Raines 67.111 L102: Hornaday, Bickle -0.870, Crawford -1.165, Bliss -1.787, Sauter -2.803, Hensley -3.157, Carelli -4.157, Wallace -4.730, Miller -6.160, Compton -6.319, Rezendes -6.834, Ruttman -7.130, Reffner -8.095, Kirk -9.301, Raines -9.678, Sprague -9.883, Roper -10.044, Sedgwick -1, Irwin -1, Cook -1, Said -1, Harvick -1, Hubert -1, Keselowski -1, Nelson -2, Bown -6, Higgs -25, Allen (OUT), George (OUT), Robertson (OUT) L107: Hornaday 70.773, Bickle 70.415, Crawford 70.859, Bliss 70.353, Hensley 70.294, Sauter 69.570, Carelli 70.836, Compton 69.710, Rezendes 70.166, Ruttman 69.380, Miller 70.068, Wallace 66.538, L116: x11 lead lap Trucks; L124: Hornaday +7.159, cool shot of Raines' under-truck - Hornaday/Ruttman race to S/F, Hornaday laps Ruttman @ S/F, x10 lead lap Trucks HALF: Hornaday, Crawford, Bickle, Bliss, Hensley, Carelli, Sauter, Compton, Miller, Rezendes, Ruttman, Roper, Sprague, Reffner, Wallace, Raines, Kirk, Cook, Irwin, Sedgwick, Harvick, Said, Hubert, Keselowski, Nelson, Bown, Higgs (OUT), Allen (OUT), George (OUT), Robertson (OUT) CBS Race Summary: laps 126, leaders 3, change 3, Avg sp 61.097, cau 4/15, Off 3 Bickle: "We're a little bit off on our setup, little bit tight & it killed the RF, made the RF build up air pressure, I couldn't even drive in the corner very hard, but we're gonna make the right changes & we'll come out & put it on that #16" Hornaday: "Same as Louisville, just a great combination, great package" -Loosening truck, running 4th gear- Mike Bliss: Truck overheating & lost battery in 1st half Rick Crawford: "I'm pulling the reins back on my horse & my horse's like Secretariat, it's wanting to go to the front - I don't wish anything bad on anybody but Hornaday's just playing with us" (Same truck Crawford ran week prior) Jay Sauter: "Probably used up a little more tire than I should've, lost a few spots @ the end there, but we're in good shape for the 2nd half" Rich Carelli: "With 20 to go, we're gonna use everything we have" (Came into this one w/ x31 wins @COL) Stephens: "This track's like a 3/8ths emory board" 10. Z posted: 05.09.2020 - 1:51 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) R127: "And the Trucks on the lead lap are going to stroll a bit here (Joy - the inside lane gor the jump) -Crawford's truck Petty Blue (no affiliation); Bliss' replacement battery wasn't fully charged, question of ignition lasting- L134: Hensley 71.451 Hornaday FL: 73.382 (L25) Baker: "If you cain't stand the heat, get out the kitchen" (short-track racing; the mix of lapped drivers running full speed & leaders saving equipmemt made for great side by side throughout the whole field) L143: x16 LL Trucks Jimmy Hensley: ST 9th, L35 8th, L71 7th, L106 5th, L143 5th CBS Moving Up [L147]: Carelli (21st -> 6th) Sauter (13th -> 3rd) Irwin (27th -> 19th) ~L147: Irwin taps Bown, Bown good Truck control; L149: Trucks more single-file , w/ occ. weaving; L153: Bliss, Hornaday, Sauter, Hensley, Crawford, Carelli CBS Race Summary: Laps 161, leaders 4, changes 5, Avg Sp 49.808, Cautions 4, OFF 4 L162: Kirk slaps T3 wall, had just gotten on LL a few laps prior - whole grandstand stood & cheered when Kirk got lap back [Bliss CC: Barry Dodson] An Interview was done from L165 from the grandstands, where CCs spotted @COL L165: (1-4 Unchanged), Carelli, Compton, Rezendes, Crawford, Miller, Bickle, Ruttman, Reffner, Sprague, Wallace, Raines, Roper, Kirk, Cook -1, Irwin -1, Said -2, Harvick -2, Hubert -2, Keselowski -2, Sedgwick -4, Nelson -4, Bown -7, Higgs (OUT),.Allen (OUT), George (OUT), Robertson (OUT) L173: Bickle 72.274 [Carelli CC: Rick Ren] - Carelli radio-in L156, down a cylinder; L178: Bliss, Hornaday, Sauter, Carelli, Hensley, Compton, Rezendes, Crawford, Bickle, Miller, Ruttman, Reffner; L188: Sauter -> 2nd, Sauter/Hornaday scrape side by side @ S/F; L190: Hornaday 71.603; L194: Hornaday -> 2nd L197: (1-4 Unchanged), Bickle, Compton, Crawford, Hensley, Rezendes, Miller, Ruttman, Raines, Reffner, Roper -1, Wallace -1, Kirk -1, Sprague -1, Irwin -1, Cook -1, Harvick -2, Said -2, Keselowski -2, Hubert -2, Sedgwick -5, Nelson -5, Bown -7, Higgs (OUT), Allen (OUT), George (OUT), Robertson (OUT) -Bliss 1st USAC Driver to win x3 different division features @ single track in single season (IRP - Silver Crown, Sprint Car, Midget); Baker: "I got some advice for those other drivers out there - leave, Hornaday, alone" L202: Bliss, Hornaday, Sauter, Bickle, Carelli, Compton; L211: Lightening striking nearby, clouds looming; CAU: Nelson spins behind leaders, Bickle fastest truck ATM; L216: Hornaday, Bliss, Sauter, Bickle, Carelli, Compton Mobil 1 Race Summary: Laps 217, Leaders 4, Changes 6, Avg Sp 53.768, Cau 4/16, OFF 4 11. Z posted: 05.09.2020 - 6:50 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) -CONCLUSION- R221: Hornaday jumps ahead Lindy Hornaday: "I think Dale would be proud [Ron] eats his Wheaties every morning" L225: Hornaday (+0.32), Bliss, Sauter, Bickle, Carelli, Compton, Crawford, Hensley, Miller, Rezendes, Raines, Ruttman -1, Reffner -1, Roper -1, Wallace -1, Sprague -1, Kirk -1, Irwin -1, Cook -2, Harvick -2, Said -3, Keselowski -3, Hubert -4, Sedgwick -6, Nelson -6, Bown -8, Higgs (OUT), Allen (OUT), George (OUT), Robertson (OUT) CAU: Kirk spins, backs RR into outside wall in front of leaders - tapped by Irwin, clipped by Harvick post-spin Jarrett: "Got some pretty good damage to that but it's still *going" R235: Hornaday, Bliss, Sauter, Bickle, Compton, Crawford, Carelli, Hensley, Raines, Miller, Rezendes L238: Hornaday, Bliss -1.140, Sauter -1.396, Bickle -1.616, Compton -1.921, Crawford -2.215, Carelli -2.646, Hensley -3.013, Raines -3.267, Miller -3.612, Rezendes -4.368 L248: Sauter sideways after Compton contact, saves it but loses position - Compton looked to've entered too deep, was trying to tap bumper but caught a tad of QP; L249: Hubert an extra lap down Post-Race Interviews: Hornaday/Graves, Bliss, Compton, Sauter, Bickle, Carelli, Hensley, Crawford -Not much offered: Carelli racked a small fine for slipping "cars" instead of "trucks" in his interview, Bliss/Bickle mentioned lapped traffic, Sauter gave a "that's short-track racing" line, & Compton mentioned this was one of the few races his team owner hadn't attended- ------------------------------------------------------------------------ *Post a comment:* Your comment may not appear immediately - all comments must be approved by the moderator. 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