Columnist Brian Hilderbrand: Kingsland quits DCCS team because truck not ready

Tuesday, Aug. 24, 2004 | 9:53 a.m.

Brian Hilderbrand covers motor sports for the Las Vegas Sun. His motor sports notebook appears Friday. He can be reached at bh@lasvegassun.com or (702) 259-4089.

Local racer Casey Kingsland has left the DCCS Motorsports team in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series and will not attempt to qualify for Wednesday's race at Bristol Motor Speedway, Kingsland said Monday.

Kingsland, a 19-year-old Las Vegas native, was to have made his Truck Series debut earlier this month at Indianapolis Raceway Park, but the No. 55 Dodge truck he was supposed to drive arrived at the track with parts missing in the engine and he was unable to practice, let alone make a qualifying attempt.

DCCS Motorsports owner David Cushner assured Kingsland that he would have the truck ready in time for Wednesday's race. When it became clear the truck would not be ready, Kingsland said he ended his association with the start-up team.

"They called us two days ago and said they weren't going to be ready for Bristol, so we're done with them and we'll just start all over with somebody else," Kingsland said of the team.

The No. 55 truck was to be sponsored by Langers Juices -- a deal Kingsland and his father, Roger, brought to the DCCS team.

"We did our part," Kingsland said, "but they didn't do their part by having the truck ready. Maybe it's a sign that we've got to spend more money and go with somebody bigger."

The Aug. 6 race at IRP marked the second time in as many years that Kingsland was denied a chance to make his Truck Series debut. Last season, the Kingslands bought a ride with MLB Motorsports -- also at IRP -- but the underfunded team had trouble getting the truck on the track for practice. Kingsland eventually made only a handful of laps in practice and just missed qualifying for the race.

Kingsland said he likely would compete in one of the divisions at The Bullring at Las Vegas Motor Speedway until he and his father can line up another opportunity in the Truck Series.

WALLACE TO RETIRE? Less than a week after saying during a national teleconference that he wasn't thinking about retirement, veteran driver Rusty Wallace likely will announce next Monday that the 2005 season will be his last in the Nextel Cup Series.

Wallace has called a press conference at Daytona International Speedway on Monday for a "special announcement," which reportedly will be to announce plans for his final season in the No. 2 Penske Racing Dodge. The Speed Channel announced plans to carry the press conference live beginning at 8 a.m. (PDT).

MOVING UP: With his fifth-place finish Sunday at Michigan International Speedway, rookie Kasey Kahne moved into the top 10 in NASCAR Nextel Cup points for the first time since mid-April.

Only the top 10 drivers -- and those within 400 points of the leader -- after 26 races will be eligible for the final 10-race shootout for the Nextel Cup championship. With three races remaining in the "regular season," the five drivers in positions 11 through 15 all are within 70 points of 10th place and drivers ranked 11th through 24th have a mathematical chance of securing a top-10 points finish by the 26th race.

The final three races of the "regular season" will be held at Bristol Motor Speedway (Saturday), California Speedway (Sept. 5) and Richmond International Raceway (Sept. 11).

GOOD COMPANY: With his series-leading fifth victory Saturday at Michigan International Speedway, Las Vegas native Kyle Busch became one of 17 drivers to win at least five NASCAR Busch Series races in a single season and tied the rookie record set by Greg Biffle in 2001.

Sam Ard holds the all-time single-season record with 10 victories in 1983.

CORRECTION: It was reported Friday in this space that Christian Fittipaldi would attempt to run four NASCAR Busch Series races later this year for Innovative Motorsports. Fittipaldi, who remains under contract with Petty Enterprises, no longer is affiliated with Innovative Motorsports, which fields two Toyota Tundra trucks in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series.

The Sun regrets the error.