Kerry Earnhardt
2006

8/22
EARNHARDT LOOKS TO BUILD MOMENTUM AT BRISTOL

Kerry Earnhardt and the No. 13 Pork Racing team enter Wednesday night’s NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series O’Reilly 200 at Bristol Motor Speedway on the strength of a season-best 11th place finish at Nashville, a result the team desperately needed and one which Earnhardt hopes becomes the norm. “We really needed that solid finish at Nashville,” said Earnhardt. “It’s got our guys pumped up again, and we’re excited to get to Bristol and see if we can build on it.”

Earnhardt’s Chevy Silverado will feature the eye-catching, neon-yellow paint scheme the team debuted at Nashville. Perhaps the change in color scheme on Earnhardt’s truck signifies a turn in the team’s fortunes as well. Prior to Nashville, Earnhardt’s best finish this season was 18th at Daytona in the season-opener. He remains in 22nd place in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series standings. In recent weeks, Earnhardt has sought the advice of ThorSport Racing teammate Matt Crafton, especially with regard to short-tracks, and the improved communication between the pair has rejuvenated Earnhardt as he gears for his first NASCAR Craftsman Truck series start at Bristol. In 3 Busch Series starts at the track, Earnhardt's best finish was 28th.

“I’ve learned quite a bit from Matt about short-track racing, and hopefully I’ll be able to apply some of it at Bristol,” Earnhardt said. “But Bristol is a different animal in some ways. It can be especially tough to stay out of trouble there. The speeds we reach are crazy for a track that size, and things tend to get out of control quickly. Our goal is to stay up front and out of trouble and see how well we can do this weekend.”

8/11
EARNHARDT SEEKS SPARK AT NASHVILLE

Kerry Earnhardt will make his first NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series start at Nashville SuperSpeedway in the Toyota Tundra 200 on Saturday.

Earnhardt has made four Busch Series starts at the track, and perhaps his familiarity with the facility will contribute to a solid finish and serve to boost a flagging ’06 season. Earnhardt is 24th in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series standings. He finished 23rd at Indy last week, and has finished inside the top-20 twice this season. Despite the lack of success, Earnhardt remains upbeat.

“Hopefully, we can get a good finish at Nashville and get things turned around a little bit,” Earnhardt said. “Our guys on the No. 13 Pork Racing Silverado have been working their tails off, and even though we’ve struggled, I still feel like we’re making progress. We tested last week with (ThorSport teammate) Matt Crafton, and our lines of communication have improved. Just having him to talk with is a big help. I haven’t raced at Nashville in the Truck Series, but hopefully we can have a good run there and start turning things around.”

8/4
EARNHARDT READY FOR SHORT TRACK BATTLE AT ORP

His first season as a full-time driver in the cutthroat NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series has been a learning experience for Kerry Earnhardt, and the driver of the No. 13 Pork Chevrolet Silverado accelerated his education on Monday with assistance from teammate Matt Crafton.

Under the watchful eye of short track master Crafton, Earnhardt tested at Jennerstown Speedway in Pennsylvania on Monday in preparation for Friday’s Power Stroke Diesel 200 at O’Reilly Raceway Park at Indianapolis, home of the demanding .686 mile oval. Earnhardt, a relative short-track rookie who has struggled at such tracks this season, valued the on-track class time.

“I feel like I went to Matt Crafton Driving School 101”, Earnhardt chuckled. “I’ve kind of struggled on short tracks this year, and Matt took time out of his schedule to come up to Pennsylvania to work with me. He helped me a whole lot as far as figuring out some of the things I was doing wrong, and how to correct them. I always had a problem being tight in the center, and Matt helped me learn how to drive the truck better going into the corner. It’s made me more excited about racing at short tracks, and I’m looking forward to applying what I learned from him.”

The testing tutelage was only part of what Earnhardt describes as a concerted effort to improve communication between the teammates. “We really haven’t communicated very much until now, and that’s mostly been my fault,” Earnhardt said. “I’m not much of a talker, and I’m working on opening up more and talking to Matt and asking him questions. He’s had a lot of success at short tracks over the years, and there are many things I can learn from him.”

Earnhardt is 24th in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series standings. Friday’s race will be his first in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series and second overall at ORP. He started a Busch Series race there in ’01.