TRUCKS: Greg Seevers Parks For Benning In Truck Series Debut
Greg Seevers picked up the first last-place finish of his NASCAR Camping World Truck Series career in Saturday’s Coca-Cola 200 presented by Hy-Vee at the Iowa Speedway when his unsponsored #75 Norm Benning Racing Chevrolet fell out with overheating problems after 3 of the race’s 200 laps. The finish came in Seevers’ series debut.
Seevers, a 45-year-old Ohio driver, was enlisted by fellow ARCA competitor Norm Benning to field a second truck, #75, to help fund Benning’s still-unsponsored #57 Chevrolet. Though new to the Truck Series, Seevers had helped Benning raise money in ARCA for years. From 2004 through 2009, Seevers drove Benning’s backup ARCA cars in 20 races, never completing more than two laps of a race with the exception of his most recent start at Kentucky in 2009, where he finished 35th after 13 laps.
Seevers was guaranteed to make his Truck Series debut in this capacity as only 32 trucks were on the entry list at Iowa, even when he joined the field as a late entry. This allowed him to time in 31st at a speed of 97.866 mph, nearly 40 mph slower than polesitter David Mayhew’s lap of 136.482 mph. Benning timed in 30th at 124.104 mph.
Three laps into the race, with the green flag still out, Seevers pulled behind the wall. Benning, who has two ast-place finishes in 2011, went on to finish 26th, seventeen laps down to race winner Matt Crafton.
LASTCAR STATISTICS
*This was the first time the #75 had finished last in a Truck Series race since 2006, when Aric Almirola picked up his first Truck Series last-place finish in the 2006 Con-Way Freight 200 at Michigan. Almirola, whose Spears Manufacturing Chevrolet was involved in a single-truck accident on Lap 12, finished the race under power 33 laps down to race winner Johnny Benson, Jr.
*Seevers is the fourth first-time last-place finisher in the Truck Series this season, joining Travis Kvapil, Brad Sweet, James Buescher, and, most recently at Kansas, Scott Riggs.
*A Truck Series driver had not finished last due to overheating problems since 2010, when Tim Andrews’ #95 Team Gill Racing Dodge fell out after two laps of last year’s EnjoyIllinois.com 225 at Chicagoland.
THE BOTTOM FIVE
32) #75-Greg Seevers / 3 laps / overheating
31) #96-Todd Peck / 34 laps / brakes
30) #93-Mike Garvey / 46 laps / brakes
29) #63-Jack Smith / 86 laps / crash
28) #66-Justin Marks / 101 laps / crash
LASTCAR TRUCK SERIES DRIVER’S CHAMPIONSHIP
1st) Norm Benning, Mike Garvey (2)
2nd) James Buescher, Travis Kvapil, Chris Lafferty, Johanna Long, Scott Riggs, Greg Seevers, Brad Sweet (1)
LASTCAR TRUCK SERIES OWNER’S CHAMPIONSHIP
1st) #38-Shane Sieg, #57-Norm Benning Racing (2)
2nd) #5-Randy Moss, #10-Jennifer Jo Cobb, #20-Panhandle Motorsports, #31-Turner Motorsports, #32-Turner Motorsports, #75-Norm Benning Racing, #07-SS Green Light Racing (1)
LASTCAR TRUCK SERIES MANUFACTURER’S CHAMPIONSHIP
1st) Chevrolet (8)
2nd) Toyota (3)
Seevers, a 45-year-old Ohio driver, was enlisted by fellow ARCA competitor Norm Benning to field a second truck, #75, to help fund Benning’s still-unsponsored #57 Chevrolet. Though new to the Truck Series, Seevers had helped Benning raise money in ARCA for years. From 2004 through 2009, Seevers drove Benning’s backup ARCA cars in 20 races, never completing more than two laps of a race with the exception of his most recent start at Kentucky in 2009, where he finished 35th after 13 laps.
Seevers was guaranteed to make his Truck Series debut in this capacity as only 32 trucks were on the entry list at Iowa, even when he joined the field as a late entry. This allowed him to time in 31st at a speed of 97.866 mph, nearly 40 mph slower than polesitter David Mayhew’s lap of 136.482 mph. Benning timed in 30th at 124.104 mph.
Three laps into the race, with the green flag still out, Seevers pulled behind the wall. Benning, who has two ast-place finishes in 2011, went on to finish 26th, seventeen laps down to race winner Matt Crafton.
LASTCAR STATISTICS
*This was the first time the #75 had finished last in a Truck Series race since 2006, when Aric Almirola picked up his first Truck Series last-place finish in the 2006 Con-Way Freight 200 at Michigan. Almirola, whose Spears Manufacturing Chevrolet was involved in a single-truck accident on Lap 12, finished the race under power 33 laps down to race winner Johnny Benson, Jr.
*Seevers is the fourth first-time last-place finisher in the Truck Series this season, joining Travis Kvapil, Brad Sweet, James Buescher, and, most recently at Kansas, Scott Riggs.
*A Truck Series driver had not finished last due to overheating problems since 2010, when Tim Andrews’ #95 Team Gill Racing Dodge fell out after two laps of last year’s EnjoyIllinois.com 225 at Chicagoland.
THE BOTTOM FIVE
32) #75-Greg Seevers / 3 laps / overheating
31) #96-Todd Peck / 34 laps / brakes
30) #93-Mike Garvey / 46 laps / brakes
29) #63-Jack Smith / 86 laps / crash
28) #66-Justin Marks / 101 laps / crash
LASTCAR TRUCK SERIES DRIVER’S CHAMPIONSHIP
1st) Norm Benning, Mike Garvey (2)
2nd) James Buescher, Travis Kvapil, Chris Lafferty, Johanna Long, Scott Riggs, Greg Seevers, Brad Sweet (1)
LASTCAR TRUCK SERIES OWNER’S CHAMPIONSHIP
1st) #38-Shane Sieg, #57-Norm Benning Racing (2)
2nd) #5-Randy Moss, #10-Jennifer Jo Cobb, #20-Panhandle Motorsports, #31-Turner Motorsports, #32-Turner Motorsports, #75-Norm Benning Racing, #07-SS Green Light Racing (1)
LASTCAR TRUCK SERIES MANUFACTURER’S CHAMPIONSHIP
1st) Chevrolet (8)
2nd) Toyota (3)
