The Lucas Oil 250 was a NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series stock car race held at Mesa Marin Raceway, in Bakersfield, California. One of the inaugural events of the series from its 1995 season, it was one of two races at the track in 1995, and then was the series' lone annual event at the track from 1996 to 2001, then after skipping the 2002 season was run once more in the spring of 2003, the series' final visit to the track.[1] In addition, the track hosted the first series exhibition race in 1994, a 20-lap, 10 miles (16.1 km) event won by P. J. Jones.[2] Points-paying events were 200 laps (100 miles (160.9 km)) in 1995, 300 laps (150 miles (241.4 km)) from 1996 to 1999, and 250 laps (125 miles (201.2 km)) from 2000 to 2003; the event changed from running in the fall to a spring race in 1999.[1]
| NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series | |
|---|---|
| Venue | Mesa Marin Raceway |
| Corporate sponsor | Lucas Oil |
| First race | 1994 |
| Last race | 2003 |
| Distance | 125 miles (201.2 km) |
| Laps | 250 |
| Previous names | Mesa Marin 200 (1994) Spears Manufacturing 200 (1995) Ford Dealers/Ford Credit 300 (1996) Dodge California Truck Stop 300 (1997–1999) Dodge California 250 (2000) OSH 250 (2001) Lucas Oil 250 presented by Glidden (2003) |
Mike Skinner and Dennis Setzer each won the event twice, the only drivers to win more than once; drivers who scored their first series wins at the track were Randy Tolsma in 1997,[3] and Setzer in 1998.[4]
Past winners
edit| Year | Date | Driver | Team | Manufacturer | Race Distance | Race Time | Average Speed (mph) | Ref | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Laps | Miles (km) | |||||||||||
| Exhibition race | ||||||||||||
| 1994* | July 30 | P. J. Jones | Vestar Motorsports | Ford | 20 | 10 (16.093) | 0:07:02 | 81.818 | [5] | |||
| Official races | ||||||||||||
| 1995 | October 15 | Mike Skinner | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 200 | 100 (160.934) | 1:28:03 | 61.193 | [6] | |||
| 1996 | October 14 | Mike Skinner | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 300 | 150 (241.402) | 2:16:48 | 65.789 | [7] | |||
| 1997 | October 12 | Randy Tolsma | Xpress Motorsports | Chevrolet | 300 | 150 (241.402) | 1:57:58 | 76.293 | [8] | |||
| 1998 | October 18 | Dennis Setzer | K-Automotive Motorsports | Dodge | 300 | 150 (241.402) | 2:10:29 | 68.974 | [9] | |||
| 1999* | April 10 | Rick Carelli | Chesrown Racing | Chevrolet | 301* | 150.5 (242.206) | 1:58:18 | 76.331 | [10] | |||
| 2000 | March 26 | Mike Wallace | Ultra Motorsports | Ford | 250 | 125 (201.168) | 1:48:34 | 69.082 | [11] | |||
| 2001 | March 17 | Ted Musgrave | Ultra Motorsports | Dodge | 250 | 125 (201.168) | 2:01:41 | 61.618 | [12] | |||
| 2002 | Not held | |||||||||||
| 2003* | March 23 | Dennis Setzer | Morgan-Dollar Motorsports | Chevrolet | 255* | 127.5 (205.191) | 2:09:59 | 58.854 | [13] | |||
- 1994: Exhibition race[5]
- 1999 and 2003: Race extended due to a green–white–checker finish.[10][13]
Multiple winners (drivers)
edit| # Wins | Driver | Years Won |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | Mike Skinner | 1995, 1996 |
| Dennis Setzer | 1998, 2003 |
Multiple winners (teams)
edit| # Wins | Team | Years Won |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | Richard Childress Racing | 1995-1996 |
| Ultra Motorsports | 2000-2001 |
Manufacturer wins
edit| # Wins | Make | Years Won |
|---|---|---|
| 5 |  Chevrolet | 1995–1997, 1999, 2003 |
| 2 | Ford | 1994, 2000 |
| Dodge | 1998, 2001 |
References
edit- ^ a b "Race Results at Mesa Marin Raceway". Racing-Reference. USA Today Sports Media Group. Retrieved 2013-08-24.
- ^ Lunkenheimer, Beth (March 1, 2007). "History of the Truck Series". Frontstretch.com. Archived from the original on May 4, 2013. Retrieved 2013-08-24.
- ^ "From Last Week: Craftsman Truck Series". The Mount Airy News. Mount Airy, NC. October 17, 1997. p. 9B. Retrieved 2013-08-24.
- ^ "Setzer Crafts Truck Win By Edging Out Sprague". Contra Costa Times. Walnut Creek, California. October 19, 1998. p. B10. Retrieved 2013-08-24.
- ^ a b "1994 Supertruck Mesa Marin 20". Racing-Reference. Retrieved November 18, 2021.
- ^ "1995 Spears Manufacturing 200". Racing-Reference. Retrieved November 18, 2021.
- ^ "1996 Ford Dealers / Ford Credit 300". Racing-Reference. Retrieved November 18, 2021.
- ^ "1997 Dodge California Truck Stop 300". Racing-Reference. Retrieved November 18, 2021.
- ^ "1998 Dodge California Truck Stop 300". Racing-Reference. Retrieved November 18, 2021.
- ^ a b "1999 Dodge California Truck Stop 300". Racing-Reference. Retrieved November 18, 2021.
- ^ "2000 Dodge California 250". Racing-Reference. Retrieved November 18, 2021.
- ^ "2001 OSH 250". Racing-Reference. Retrieved November 18, 2021.
- ^ a b "2003 Lucas Oil 250 presented by Glidden". Racing-Reference. Retrieved November 18, 2021.
External links
edit- Mesa Marin Raceway race results at Racing-Reference