Dallas truck series racer will steer the No. 38 Toyota for Red Horse

11:07 PM CST on Thursday, December 15, 2005

By TERRY BLOUNT / The Dallas Morning News

Dallas-based racer David Starr has signed a deal to drive the No. 38 Toyota Tundra in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series next season for Red Horse Racing.

Starr, 38 and a Houston native, replaces Brandon Whitt, a second-year driver who won his first race last season.

Whitt finished 18th in the NCTS standings in 2005 with five top-10 finishes. Starr was seventh with 10 top 10s.

"This is the type of situation I've been looking for," Starr said.

"Toyota is the way to go in the Craftsman Truck Series. Couple that with a hot team like Red Horse Racing, and this gives me the type of people I want to work with and win with."

The team is co-owned by Jeff Hammond, a Fox broadcaster and former Nextel Cup crew chief.

Starr has raced in the truck series since 1998. He competed in the No. 75 Spears Manufacturing Chevy the last four seasons.

Starr finished in the top seven in the standings each year except 2003, when he missed several races with an injury.

Starr has three wins, 28 top-5 finishes and $2.1 million in career earnings.

"David brings a new element to our race team," said Marty Gaunt, Red Horse Racing's general manager and co-owner. "A veteran driver with the proven talent of David was too good an opportunity to pass up."

E-mail tblount@dallasnews.com