Dodge returns to Bakersfield to defend race win

DODGE CALIFORNIA TRUCK STOP 300

When you look at the quintet of drivers in the Dodge Motorsports stable in 1999, there emerges a pattern among them - they're all winners, having earned trips to the winner's circle in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series (NCTS).

Mesa Marin Raceway in Bakersfield, Calif., is one of those tracks where many of the Dodge drivers have performed well. In the past two years, two drivers in the Dodge team have won races -- in 1997, Randy Tolsma edged out Stacy Compton (now his Impact Motorsports teammate) for the win, while in '98, Dennis Setzer led the final 10 laps of the race in his Mopar Dodge and won the race by almost a second.

Even though the last Dodge California Truck Stop 300 was contested in mid-October, and this year's is a full six months earlier, the Dodge drivers relish the thought of returning to the 1/2-mile Mesa Marin track.

"I really enjoy racing at tracks like Bakersfield. The short tracks are where I started, and they're where I can really work my way to the front," said Setzer. "Winning the Dodge California Truck Stop 300 last year was one of those moments in my racing career that I'll never forget. It was my first win in the series, and winning a Dodge-sponsored race was really an awesome feeling."