THE KEY MOTORSPORTS TEAM, DRIVER CHAD CHAFFIN STILL HUNGRY; SEEK THIRD STRAIGHT TOP TEN FINISH IN ATLANTA TRUCK EVENT

MOORESVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA (October 24, 2007) – The Key Motorsports #40 Chevrolet race team and driver Chad Chaffin are still hungry and this could spell trouble for the rest of the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series teams.

With the Easy Care Vehicle Service Contracts 200 race just a few days away, Chaffin is riding a streak of two consecutive top ten finishes for his new employer after taking over the #40 Chevy Silverado ride in mid-September. Momentum is clearly with this team that is competing in only its second full season of NCTS competition.

After a very disappointing run in his first race for his new team in New Hampshire when the Murfreesboro, Tennessee driver crashed out early, Chaffin promptly proved that his driving skills were still sharp by running strong all day in the Las Vegas race in September, albeit for a bad set of tires mid-way through the race that caused him to lose a lap. He rebounded, however, to eventually get that lap back and posted a 16th place finish – the best finish for the team since a 19th place effort by Brandon Miller, the driver Chaffin replaced, in Kentucky.

Then came the back-to-back top ten finishes at Tallageda (8th) and last week in Martinsville (7th) in the last two outings representing the best-ever NCTS finishes for Key Motorsports in 49 overall starts for the 40 and 44 trucks. This is what has observers taking far more notice of this fledgling race team.

“Everyone is really working hard to finally put the #40 up towards the front, and I thank Curtis (team owner Key) for giving me the opportunity to be the one behind the wheel to make that all happen,” said Chaffin, who is rejuvenating his driving career after brief stints with three NCTS and two NASCAR Nextel Cup Series teams over the last two seasons.

The 7-year NCTS veteran driver, who has two career wins and finished 10th in championship driver points in 2003 and 2004 while driving for Bobby Hamilton Racing, had a brief stint with Key Motorsports at the start of the 2006 campaign. Unfortunately for Chaffin, the infrastructure at Key Motorsports then was nowhere near what it is like today. Fortunately for team owner Curtis Key, Chaffin was available when he needed him now to help evaluate his team in preparation for the 2008 season.

“Chad is doing what I basically hired him to do, and that is to see if my equipment was capable of running up front,” Key explained. “He’s doing a great job, and with everyone on the team coming together to support him and each other, our performances have picked up. Gary (Crew Chief Showalter) and Tommy (Director of Competition) Morgan have worked really hard to give Chad the best truck possible and we are also starting to catch some breaks. We appear to be headed in the right direction,” Key added.

During this string of solid performances, Chaffin has helped the #40 team come close to fulfilling its goal set a few weeks ago to finish 25th in owner’s points by the end of the season. In just the last three races alone, the #40 has moved from 28th to 26th in the standings and has moved to within four points of the 25th spot now occupied by the Roush-Fenway Racing’s #50 truck.

So strong has the latest hot streak been for Key Motorsports that the #40 has a legitimate shot at finishing as high as 22nd in the final owner’s point count as it trails the #00 truck of Michael Waltrip Racing that occupies the 22nd position by only 88 points with four races remaining.

The #40 is but 25 points behind the #47 of Morgan-Dollar Racing in 24th place and trails the 23rd place #13 truck of ThorSports Racing by just 40 markers. Heading to Atlanta where Chaffin has had a reasonable amount of success over the years and driving the same truck he drove in Las Vegas, one can certainly understand the team’s enthusiasm.

In his four NCTS starts at the fast AMS tri-oval, Chaffin has posted a pair of top ten finishes (a 7th in 2005 and a 9th in 2004) and an average finish of 17th. He has also qualified fairly well with three of his starts in the top 14.

“I don’t try and analyze or predict how I’m gonna run in a race or where I’m gonna finish because there are just too many variables,” Chaffin explained. “I am looking for at least a top 20 in this upcoming race though, and I would be disappointed if we didn’t accomplish that. But if we run smart like we have the last few weeks, and I have a good, competitive vehicle to drive, we are very capable of running in the top ten again.

“I have had some really great races at the Atlanta Motor Speedway in the trucks in the past, and I can’t really think of any time where I have ever run badly there. I’ve led some laps there and really like how the groove opens up during the race. I am looking forward to this race and to try and keep our momentum up,” Chaffin ended.

Chaffin may just as well be speaking for entire the Key Motorsports team that for the first time in its rather short NCTS history is eyeing something real special and is gaining confidence. That’s what a series of good runs can do.