Courtesy: Mansfield Motorsports Park

The complete weekend schedule for the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Ohio 250 at Mansfield Motorsports Park has been announced. As has been the case in years past, practice and qualifying runs will take place on Friday May 23 with the 250-lap race on Saturday May 24.
 
Spectator gates will open on Friday at 9 A.M. and the on-track action kicks off with the first practice session on Graham Auto Mall Pole Day at 11:30 A.M. That ninety minute session will be followed by the final hour of practice at 1:30 P.M. The teams will then have a break to work on getting their trucks ready for qualifying, with each driver taking two timed laps starting at 6:30 P.M.
 
Spectator gates will open on race day at 9 A.M. Fans will have a chance to walk the track from 9 A.M. until 10:30 A.M. when security will close the track and pre-race preparations will start to pick up pace. At 11 A.M. the driver and crew chief meeting will take place adjacent to the grassy hill overlooking turns three and four, with the public welcome to listen in as the drivers are given their instructions for the day by NASCAR officials. Driver introductions will take place at the start-finish line at 12:30 P.M. with the green flag for the fifth annual Ohio 250 expected shortly after 1 P.M.
 
“We have a lot of action on the track over the course of two days,” said MMP public relations manager Charles Krall. “The practice sessions on Friday are always intense because there are ten or twelve teams entered that need to make the field based on qualifying speed. They are doing everything they can to find that last tenth of a second and sometimes they push the envelope in practice. Then we set the 36-truck starting field with qualifying on Friday evening. Even if you can’t make it out for practice, it’s fun to watch the drivers go out and go against the clock and see who makes the race and who has to load up and head for home.
 
“On race day, the fans’ experience at Mansfield Motorsports Park is unmatched at any other track on the circuit,” Krall continued. “No other track allows the fans to walk on the track and really get up close to the teams as they start getting ready for the day. A lot of the drivers will be out signing autographs too. Then the fans can move to the hillside and listen in to the drivers meeting. Again, Mansfield is the only track on the schedule where you can do that. Once all the pre-race ceremonies are finished we have 250 of the hardest fought laps the drivers will run all season long. It’s close quarters racing on the smallest track on the schedule. We expect a lot of bent fenders and some hurt feelings, but that all adds up to one great show from the grandstands.”
 
Tickets for the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Ohio 250 are now on sale, and can be purchased via the track website, www.mansfieldmotorsportsonline.com. Fans can also call the track ticket office at (419) 525-RACE (7223), or visit the speedway office at 100 Crall Road.
 
-MMP-

Courtesy Mansfield Motorsports Park News Release

NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series driver David Starr will make an appearance at Mansfield Motorsports Park during The Rehab Wing and Chili Cook-Off on Saturday May 17. Starr will compete the previous night in the series’ sixth event of 2008 at Lowe’s Motor Speedway in Charlotte before making his way up to Mansfield. He will return to action the following Saturday, May 24, in the track’s fifth annual Ohio 250.
 
“I’ve always enjoyed racing at Mansfield,” Starr said. “The fans are great, and the staff at the track really goes out of their way to make it seem like it’s the Daytona 500 for the drivers and teams. It was a real honor when they asked if I would come up and make an appearance during The Rehab Wing and Chili Cook-Off. I always like to support a good cause, and my schedule was open so I was happy to do it.”
 
The Rehab Center Wing and Chili Cook-Off has been a part of the Mansfield community for two decades. It will be held at MMP for the first time in 2008.
 
“We are so proud to have the chance to host this event,” said MMP president Mike Dzurilla. “We are a race track first and foremost, but we also want the community to know we can host just about any type of community event you can think of. We’ll have thousands of people on hand and we have plenty of room for everyone. It’s going to be a great event with the proceeds going to a great cause.
 
“We can’t thank David enough for taking time out of his busy schedule to help promote the Cook-Off,” Dzurilla continued. “Hopefully some of the people that get a chance to meet him then will come on back and watch him race the next weekend. He’s such a great guy, hopefully he’ll make some new fans and they’ll have a chance to see him fight for a win up here too.”
 
Gates open to the public at 3 P.M. on Saturday May 17. Tickets are just $5 for adults. For entry information, contact Pam Jacobs at (419) 756-1133.
 
Tickets for the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Ohio 250 are now on sale, and can be purchased via the track website, www.mansfieldmotorsportsonline.com. Fans can also call the track ticket office at (419) 525-RACE (7223), or visit the speedway office at 100 Crall Road.
 
-MMP-
 
Official 2008 Mansfield Motorsports Park Schedule and Events Calendar

(**Editors: It has come to our understanding that some publications and websites have published conflicting scheduled dates for MMP events; please note that the dates listed below are the correct dates for all events at MMP in 2008.)
 
2008 Mansfield Motorsports Park Racing Schedule

2008 Mansfield Motorsports Park Community Events Calendar