Butch And Sundance? Maybe Not, But Willy T. And Joe Will Provide Plenty Of Excitement At Dover Downs On June 1 : Raceway Media

In the movie "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid," actors Paul Newman and Robert Redford portrayed two wisecracking, free-spirited cowboys who always seemed to be one step ahead of danger. Now showing in 2001, "Willy T. and Joe, Truckin' Across America," starring Willy T. Ribbs and Joe Ruttman as two wisecracking, free-spirited NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series racers attempting to stay one step ahead of danger (and the field) on the way to the checkered flag. The dynamic duo will be bringing their own style of racing excitement to the Dover Downs International Speedway on June 1 in the MBNA e-commerce 200.

The new season started for the two racers in slightly different ways. After having gained the pole for the Florida Dodge Dealers 250 in Daytona, Ruttman, at the tender age of 56, showed he still can race with the best of them, holding off the rookie Ricky Hendrick in a dash to the finish line. But Ribbs had early race problems that set him back a couple of laps and had to be content to post a finish of 23rd.

Both Ruttman, who drives the #18 DANA Corporation Dodge, and Ribbs, who is in the #8 Bobby Hamilton Racing Dodge, are nothing if not straightforward and funny. Each is ready with a quip and a smile. They are teammates at Bobby Hamilton Racing in 2001 on the Craftsman Truck Series, which should, at the very least, make for a most interesting season. Ribbs, who at 42 years of age, is the young gun of the pair.

"I guess you could say we are the Batman and Robin of racing," joked Ribbs, adding, "although,
I'm not sure which of us is Batman and which is Robin. But since he's older, I'll say Joe is Batman. I do know that Joe has a tremendous amount of knowledge about this sport and I hope to gain from that."

"I'm still green as far as my knowledge about truck racing," said Ribbs, who among other things, has raced (and won) in CART, IRL, Formula Ford and IMSA competition. Oh, and he's also run in two Winston Cup Series races. He's run in the Indianapolis 500 and most recently ran in the Trans-Am Series.

As for Ruttman, it is business as usual for the ever-smiling Californian. His win in Daytona marked his 12th on the Craftsman Truck Series since joining the series in 1995. Last season he won three races, posted eight poles and finished sixth in the points chase. But at Dover Downs last September he could only muster a 17th-place finish.

"I was really looking forward to coming to Dover Downs last season because that's where I got my first Winston Cup pole," Ruttman said. "We were just a little off there and I was really disappointed. We'll have to just see if we can't do better in June."

As for running with Willy T, Ruttman smiles and says "I've known Willy for some time. I know we'll be able to kibitz over any and everything. He's smart, educated and a really good driver. And since I'm Batman, I know he'll listen to me."

Tickets are now on sale to the public and may be ordered by calling 1-800-441-RACE (1-800-441-7223) toll free outside Delaware or 302-734-RACE (302-734-7223). Or, they can also be ordered by going online to the Dover Downs website at www.doverdowns.com, 24 hours a day.

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