TRUCKS: Garvey Jump-Starts 2010 Title Bid In #95 Team’s Absence At Martinsville

Mike Garvey picked up the 5th last-place finish of his NASCAR Camping World Truck Series career in Saturday’s Kroger 200 at the Martinsville Speedway when his #93 S&W Towing Chevrolet fell out with brake problems after completing 27 of the race’s 206 laps.

Garvey qualified 22nd for Saturday’s race at a speed of 94.013 mph, more than enough to make Dover last-placer Chris Lafferty’s #89 the only truck to miss the show. He then fell out during the second caution of the race for Cody Cambensy’s spin with an unrelated brake problem.

The finish was Garvey’s series-leading 4th of 2010, but his first in twelve races, dating back to July’s Lucas Oil 200 at Iowa. Team Gill Racing, whose #95 now holds a one-finish lead in the LASTCAR Owner’s Championship standings, did not enter Saturday’s race after the team failed to qualify for the previous event at Las Vegas. Team #95 will return this weekend at Talladega, where ARCA upstart Grant Enfinger will attempt his first series start with the team. Both Enfinger and Garvey will be guaranteed starting spots this Saturday if the entry list remains at 34 trucks.

Regardless, with four races to go, both the Driver’s and Owner’s Championships are still up for grabs, though the latter has become a two-team race between trucks #93 and #95. Third-ranked Chris Lafferty, the only driver to miss the race at Martinsville, will also have his #89 at Talladega with Mike Harmon behind the wheel.

TRUCK STATS AND FACTS
*This is the first time in Truck Series history that the #93 has swept both last-place finishes at Martinsville.

THE BOTTOM FIVE
36) #93-Mike Garvey / 27 laps / brakes
35) #12-Mario Gosselin / 116 laps / engine
34) #17-Timothy Peters / 163 laps / crash
33) #10-Jennifer Jo Cobb / 172 laps / running
32) #24-Cody Cambensy / 198 laps / running

LASTCAR TRUCK SERIES DRIVER’S CHAMPIONSHIP
1st) Mike Garvey (4)
2nd) Tim Andrews, Carl Long, J.C. Stout (2)
3rd) Landon Cassill, Johnny Chapman, Mike Harmon, Chris Jones, Narain Karthikeyan, Chris Lafferty, Johanna Long, Dillon Oliver, Shane Sieg, G.R. Smith, Jason White (1)

LASTCAR TRUCK SERIES OWNER’S CHAMPIONSHIP
1st) #95-Danny Gill (6)
2nd) #93-Shane Sieg (5)
3rd) #89-Chris Lafferty (2)
4th) #16-Rick Ware, #20-Donald Long, #23-Steve Urvan, #50-Mark Beaver, #60-Jeff Wyler, #72-Mario Gosselin, #87-Rick Jones, #98-Duke Thorson (1)