Chaffin to replace Miller in 40 for rest of Truck slate

MOORESVILLE, N.C. -- Chad Chaffin is returning to Key Motorsports to drive the team's No. 40 Chevrolet Silverado in the Craftsman Truck Series.

In an effort to give his team the best chance possible to run up front and lead races, team owner Curtis W. Key Sr. has hired Chaffin to replace rookie driver Brandon Miller for the final eight races on the 2007 season.

"Brandon [Miller] did an OK job for us, but we had a truck capable of running up front in a couple of those races in which Brandon drove for us. We need to evaluate our race team over the final eight races to determine where our weaknesses are and how to fix them because we have several sponsors looking at us for 2008 and we want to make sure that we compete at the absolute best level," Key said.

The 39-year-old Chaffin was Key's driver at the start of the 2006 season in what was the team's very first attempt to run a full NCTS schedule.

Chaffin qualified 28th out of the 42 trucks that took time for the season-opener in Daytona but was a non-qualifier since the 40 truck did not finish in the top 30 in owner points the season before. Nine of the trucks that Chaffin out-qualified in Daytona had guaranteed starting positions based on the previous season's points.

Chaffin did qualify a damaged truck at California Speedway, led that event for six laps and finished 18th, but it was to be the only race in which Chaffin was successful in putting the 40 into the field. The truck did start the race at the Gateway International Speedway in April when the lineup was determined by owner points and attempts, and Chaffin enjoyed a decent run in that race until a cut tire put the 40 into the first-turn wall and cost the team 11 laps en route to a 26th-place finish.

After failing to qualify at Charlotte, Chaffin left the team after just six races.

"It was one thing not to qualify for a [Nextel] Cup race then, but not to qualify for a Truck Series race was something I just couldn't tolerate, so I elected to make a change," Chaffin said. "We were down in horsepower and just could not get into many races, and I really felt bad for Curtis because he wasn't seeing a return on his investment which meant making races and running well.

"But we remained in contact with one another since then and remain good friends, and I am truly excited to be able to get back onto the track in the Truck Series and with Curtis' operation. His team has come a long way since I last drove for it and has now qualified for and competed in the last 35 NCTS races run over the last two seasons, so I know that I am coming back to a much different situation," Chaffin added.

This is the second time this season that Chaffin has been approached by Key, although the first one in mid-season never did materialize because of Nextel Cup duty.

Also different from Chaffin's last tenure with Key Motorsports is the race team itself, that is now operating with entirely different personnel than it did in 2006.

Gary Showalter is now the crew chief and veteran mechanic and former Roush Racing Busch Series crew chief Tommy Morgan is the team's director of competition. The team has 11 race trucks on the floor as opposed to the five that Chaffin had at his disposal in 2006, 10 motors that Key owns, all of which are 30 to 50 horsepower better than the four motors Chaffin ran before, a totally different crew and a race shop that has expanded by more than 50 percent in operating space.

"I know that Curtis has done a phenomenal job in building his race team, and I know that I am not going to face the struggles that I experienced the last time I drove for him. I'm excited about the new opportunity, though, and this time it's for keeps," said Chaffin, who has driven with Showalter as his crew chief before.

"I liked working with Gary then, and Tommy's experience speaks for itself. I cannot wait to get into that race truck this weekend and get this new deal off on the right foot."

Chaffin enjoyed his best seasons of his NASCAR driving career in 2003 and 2004 when he drove for Bobby Hamilton Racing and earned his two career victories in the series and finished 10th in driver points both seasons.

"Chad's decision earlier this season put us in a bind for several races, and that's actually how we came to hire Brandon [Miller] to drive for us at Kentucky," Key said. "Obviously, driving a Cup car as opposed to a Craftsman Truck is a lot more attractive and better financially for a driver, so we'll excuse Chad for that decision.

"However, that is all behind us now, and we know what Chad has the ability to do if he is given the right equipment. We'll concentrate on giving him that to see if he can finally put our race truck up front."

Key also indicated that Miller has been given the opportunity to remain with the team, and maybe get the chance to drive again before the season is over in the Key Motorsports' No. 44 truck.

"Brandon can learn a lot by watching and listening to a veteran like Chad, and if he believes that this can help his own driving career, then he will be with us at the next few races," Key said.