In 1995, Butch Miller joined the fledgling Craftsman Truck Series, driving the No. 98 Raybestos/Herrick Racing Ford. He continued to run full-time through 1998. Irwin had 2 wins at Homestead-Miami Speedway and Texas Motor Speedway, seven top-5s, and 10 top-10 finishes in 1997, on his way to a 10th-place finish in the final point standings. He also won Rookie of the Year honors that season. The manager in 1997 was Tim Stevens and the mechanic was Dave Carriere.[3]