[ad_1]
The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series (NCTS) to be held at the O’Reilly Auto Parts 250 at the Kansas Speedway will mark the fourth for Travis Kittleson. Kittleson will drive the No. 46 Bob Steele Chevrolet Silverado which looks good with push bars at the 1.5-mile tri-oval speedway.
Kittleson’s entry at the Kansas Speedway will be his first appearance in the NCTS since his last race in Las Vegas Motor Speedway in September 2006. Travis Kittleson is 27-year old native of Cross Plains, WI. He is always excited when speaking about getting on the track for Morgan-Dollar Motorsports (MDM), and fervently hopes to stand-out in the first stand-alone event of the 25-race NCTS schedule.
Kittleson said, “I haven’t actually raced since November, but I am going to concentrate on getting my discipline back, and really just on the little stuff like fan switches. I am really going to focus on my consistency in hitting my marks, and am going to have to learn in a hurry since practice time is of the essence. I know the guys on the team are going to come with their best game and I am going to do the same.”
To ensure his success, Kittleson has already formed an agenda for making the best use of his practice time wherein he will include a 30-minute rookie practice which he plans to make best use of.
Kittleson explained, “I am going to hit the track with getting myself acclimated to the truck, the track, and will be concentrating on getting solid laps under my belt. I hope I will be lucky and will be able to get around a seasoned veteran and will be able to follow and learn from them. I am also definitely going to work with Kraig (Kinser) and bounce things off of him. Although his time in the Truck Series has been over a year, we are close in age, and can understand each other’s lingo, and I really look to share ideas and discuss our trucks with him.”
Kittleson will also be working with teammate Kraig Kinser, the driver of the No. 47 Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Silverado. To manage the pit box is Eric Phillips, the seasoned MDM crew chief. Phillips has seven wins in the NCTS, and finished second in season-ending point standings with Dennis Setzer in 2004 and 2005.
According to Phillips, “Having Travis in our second truck this weekend in Kansas is something our team is excited about. He is a young, enthusiastic driver, and we are taking chassis No. 044, which is the truck that won Texas last year with Clint Bowyer, and also ran at Homestead with Joe Nemechek and finished 6th. This is one of the best trucks in our stable and we look for great results with Travis.”
The MDM team owner David Dollar is also looking forward to Kittleson piloting the No. 46 truck. Dollar with two poles (2001, 2004) and three top-5’s in the six events that have been held just outside downtown Kansas City.
Dollar said, “Kansas has been a great track for Morgan-Dollar Motorsports as a whole. The guys at the shop have been working hard preparing the trucks, and I am anxious to see how Travis runs in a truck that has performed so well for the team. It should also be beneficial for us to have two trucks at the track where the guys can share information and work together as one team, just with two trucks.”
Kittleson also stated, “I cannot tell you how exciting it is to be getting this opportunity with Morgan-Dollar. When you look at the record books, wins, and consistency, Morgan-Dollar has been one of the premier teams in the Truck Series. They have been Chevrolet’s best team over time, and to be able to drive for them is a chance in a lifetime. Getting to work with Eric Phillips is also something I look forward to. He has been with the team for quite a while, and his notebook has endless notes, setups, and he definitely knows the equipment. It is so great to work with someone who has been established with the team, and has countless races under his belt with the team, so the possibilities should be endless. I am also glad to get Bob Steele Chevrolet back on the hood and get a good run for everyone there.”