Greg Biffle Fan Forum

11-07-2007

COMPTON: Final Race in No. 09 Ford, Clanton Returns for HMS Finale~TruckSeries.com Report 

Stacy Compton hopes he saved the best for last when he makes his final appearance this year for Wood Brothers/JTG Racing.

After sharing the driving duties in the No. 09 Zaxby’s Ford F-150 all year with Joey Clanton, Compton will be making his final start in Friday night’s Arizona Casino 150 at the Phoenix International Raceway.

The Phoenix International Raceway has been one of Compton’s favorites since it joined the NASCAR schedule in 1988. He finished second at the one-mile oval in a Busch Series car in 2002. He also won the Craftsman Truck Series pole there in 1998 and had two Top-10 finishes there in the same year.

Compton has finished no worse than 22nd in all nine starts in the No. 09 Ford F-150 this year.

Clanton will close out the truck-racing season next week at the Homestead-Miami Speedway.

Stacy Compton, Driver No. 09 Zaxby’s Ford F-150:  "It’s no secret some of the best racing in NASCAR is in these trucks,” he said. “And it’s no secret our Zaxby’s Ford is one of the best trucks out there. I’ve had a lot of fun driving this year for Wood Brothers/JTG Racing, but we still have a little business left. I can’t think of a better curtain call than a victory. Talk about making a lasting impression.

“I like Phoenix. I’ve had a lot of success there in the past, and that’s always something you can draw on. Some of the things that worked way back in 1997 still apply today. The basics never really change. You want to run the bottom and make the truck rotate through the middle of the corners. That way you have a full head of steam for the straightaways.”

Gary Cogswell, Crew Chief No. 09 Zaxby’s Ford F-150:  “We’ve had a lot of fun with both of our drivers this year,” he said. “We made the most of our opportunities. Stacy had a different perspective than Joey, but together they seemed to agree on the basic things. We always had a good baseline when we came to the racetrack. We’ve been able to take a little of what we learned from Stacy and a little from Joey, and that’s given us a real good team for the future at Wood Brothers/JTG Racing.

- Stacy Compton has 100 career starts in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series with two wins, 26 top-fives and 47 top-10 finishes. Compton will become the 12th driver in Craftsman Truck Series history to make at least 100 starts.

- Counting the Craftsman Truck, Busch and Nextel Cup series, Compton has combined earnings of $10,289,743.

- Compton is one of seven drivers to make 80 career starts in the Craftsman Truck, Nextel Cup and Busch series.

- Joey Clanton will close out the season in the Zaxby’s Ford Nov. 16 at the Homestead-Miami Speedway.