The 2000 season was a breakthrough year for Bryan Reffner, 37. The Wisconsin Rapids, Wis., native scored his first Craftsman Truck Series victory in his 111th start and equaled his best finish in the point standings when he ended up ninth, driving the No. 3 Chevrolet for team owner John Menard.

Luck hadn't been on Reffner's side for several seasons and the beginning of 2000 didn't look all that different for the team led by long-time Reffner confidant Les Back. The team failed to finish the first two events of the year and stood 30th in the championship standings leaving Miami. But Reffner and crew chief Back bounced back and, after winning the second stop at Texas Motor Speedway in October to snap Reffner's 111-race winless streak, completed the year as one of the strongest teams on the circuit.

In 2001 Reffner and Back are looking to improve on their consistent record of 16 top-10 finishes -- including nine in a row -- in 24 starts. After spending most of the 1999 season pursuing sponsors, Reffner -- a former rookie of the year in the RE/MAX Challenge Series and ASA ACDelco Challenge Series as well as that tour's champion in 1995 -- hooked up with Indy Racing Northern Light Series championship owner John Menard in the biggest move of his racing career. The 1996 CTS rookie of the year drove for Irvan-Simo Racing that year, won three poles and again finished ninth in points.