December 12, 2005
Musgrave Celebrates Championship Reign at NCTS Banquet
"Since awards are all about numbers, how about 3,930? Any guesses? That's the number of days it took to finally win a championship. It doesn't count how many races, sleepless nights and people it took to accomplish this goal."
Ted Musgrave, as quoted on nascar.com, on the long road he traveled on the way to his 2005 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series championship—his first.
Ted Musgrave and the No. 1 Ultra Motorsports team were honored as the 2005 series champions at the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series awards banquet on Sunday at the Portofino Bay Hotel in Orlando, Fla. Musgrave took his place in history for his efforts en route to winning his first NASCAR Touring Series title. The 2005 season marked not only Musgrave's first NCTS title, but also marked the first time in NASCAR's history that a racing vehicle carrying the No. 1 was driven to a championship.
Musgrave earned a payout of $880,553 for his efforts. His career NCTS earnings stand at $3,772,884, ranking him third in all-time series winnings. The newly crowned champion will turn 50 on December 18, making him the oldest NASCAR touring series champion in history. Musgrave and team owner Jim Smith Jr., will share in the championship season awards and winnings. The winnings include purse and point fund monies, Smith's share of the team owner's payout, and special awards from Goodyear Tire and Rubber, Dodge, Mobil 1 and Sunoco.
Musgrave began racing in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series in 1994. He earned several runner-up finishes in the series, though victory eluded him. He found a home with Ultra Motorsports and team owner Smith on the NCTS circuit in 2001. After posting several runner-ups and a third-place finish in the series points chase, Musgrave gave Mopar its first NCTS Championship at the conclusion of this season. Consistency marked the team's efforts, as Musgrave won only one race, at Gateway International Raceway, en route to becoming the eighth different series champion.
Race fans can watch the NCTS banquet on Speed Channel on December 26 at 10 p.m. EST. For more information regarding Musgrave, Speed Channel or the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, log on to tedmusgrave.com, speedtv.com or nascar.com.
Posted to Truck Racing - NASCAR Trucks by Motorsports Journal « Go Back
