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Ruttman redemption 55-year-old scores first truck victory for Hamilton
Posted: Saturday March 18, 2000 07:10 PM
AVONDALE, Ariz. (AP) -- Joe Ruttman came away best from a brush with Andy Houston and won the Chevy Trucks 150 on Saturday, picking up his first NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series title in two years. The 55-year-old Californian, the oldest winner in series history, covered 150 laps on the one-mile Phoenix International Raceway oval in 90 minutes, averaging 99.797 mph. He won going away, taking the checkered flag with a .968-second lead over 1999 series champion Jack Sprague. "I've seen Jack whip us here a lot, so I know the truck was very good today," Ruttman said of Sprague, a three-time Phoenix truck champion. It was the first truck victory for Bobby Hamilton Racing, which hired Ruttman to drive its Dodge entry after Rousch Racing released him early last year. "It's thrilling to have a ride and to come through for the team," Ruttman said about his ninth career win, second in Phoenix and first since May 30, 1998, at Watkins Glen. "Obviously it's a little frightening being unemployed." Ruttman set a Phoenix truck record by qualifying at 129.204 mph, and picked up a $10,000 bonus from Craftsman for winning from the pole. His winner's share was $45,804 for only the ninth Dodge victory in 125 races since the Truck Series was born at Phoenix in February 1995. Houston, a Chevrolet driver who won Feb. 26 in Florida, finished third, ahead of Ford-equipped Kurt Busch and Greg Biffle, and took over the series lead for the first time in his career with a 27-point edge on Mike Wallace. Dodge drivers Dennis Setzer, Steve Grissom and Randy Renfrow were sixth, seventh and eighth, with Ford drivers Wallace, the winner Feb. 18 at Daytona Beach, and Rick Crawford rounding out the top 10. Ruttman led 81 laps, but gave up the lead to Houston on the 119th. However, Houston couldn't pull away because his truck had fender damage from an earlier scrape with Biffle that reduced its downforce. The two raced door-to-door for five laps until their trucks touched in a turn on the 124th lap. Houston, who was inside, had to slow to keep control, allowing Ruttman to pull away and Busch and Sprague to pass him. "We were trying to win the race today, and probably gave up second trying to win," Houston said. "I mean, I was up under Joe and the thing got loose and slipped on the racetrack, and we went back to fourth. When you lose that front downforce, it's hard to get it back somewhere else."
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