Cody Coughlin, No. 2 CoughlinChevrolet.com Chevrolet Silverado
Eldora Stats
2 starts, Best Finish: 11th (2017)
2018 Season Stats
12 starts, 6 top-10 finishes
Notes:
– Coughlin will utilize chassis no. 026 for the mid-week race at Eldora Speedway. This chassis has been raced two previous times, once in 2017 in the fall race at Martinsville Speedway, and then again at Martinsville, in the spring of 2018 by Coughlin.
– After the last NCWTS race at Chicagoland Speedway, Coughlin is 10th in the NCWTS driver point standings.
Quote:
“I do not know if ‘excited’ would be the word I choose to use for this week’s NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at the Eldora Speedway. It’s different for me. While dirt racing is not my background, I have had some speed at the Eldora Speedway in my last two races. My hope is to build that experience on dirt, and get even better this year with GMS Racing.
“I am excited that the Eldora Speedway is in my home state – which adds a more fun element for me with the support of my family and friends in attendance.”
Johnny Sauter, No. 21 Allegiant Chevrolet Silverado
Eldora Stats
5 starts, 1 top-10
2018 Season Stats
12 starts, 4 wins, 10 top-fives, 10 top-10s
Notes:
– Sauter will pilot GMS chassis no. 228 at Eldora Speedway.
– Sauter has a 42-point lead in the NCWTS standings after 12 races this season.
– In addition to competing at Eldora Speedway, Sauter will return to the No. 23 ISM Connect Chevrolet Camaro in the Xfinity Series entry at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. The Necedah, Wis., native last competed at NHMS in the Xfinity Series in 2006 when he drove to a sixth-place finish, his best result at the track. In Sauter’s last NXS start for GMS, he piloted the No. 23 to a sixth-place finish at Dover International Speedway.
Quotes:
On Eldora:
“Eldora is definitely not a race that I look forward to every year. When I grew up we didn’t do any dirt racing and we didn’t go to dirt races. I’m 40 now, so it’s like teaching an old dog new tricks. It’s tough. It’s fun, it’s a great atmosphere and there are always a lot of fans there, but it’s tough and I just wish I knew what I was doing. It’s a little different deal, but we’ll make the best out of it.”
On New Hampshire:
“I had a lot of fun running the No. 23 back in Dover. I appreciate ISM Connect and Mike (Beam) giving me another shot at it. Chad (Norris, crew chief) and that team have fast cars and the improvements that have been made to that program over the last year are incredible. It makes it really easy to get back in a car after so long when you can do it with a team that runs well and has the ability to win.”
Justin Haley, No. 24 Fraternal Order of Eagles Chevrolet Silverado
Eldora Stats
1 start, 1 top-10
2018 Season Stats
12 starts, 1 win, 4 top-fives, 8 top-10 finishes
Notes:
– Haley will utilize chassis no. 021 for Wednesday’s dirt race; a chassis built specifically for Eldora.
– After Kentucky, Haley now sits eighth in the NCWTS driver point standings, but is locked into The Playoffs after his win at Gateway.
Quote:
“I think everyone struggles at Eldora (Speedway). It’s just so unnatural. I run dirt cars every week for fun, but when I went out there last year I was just so confused. It’s a truck that you try to convert for dirt; it has no yaw and you set it up like a Martinsville (Speedway) truck. Plus, the track just gets so dry and slick throughout the day. That’s how you have to run these trucks because they have windshields. You can’t have it all tacked up and muddy like you normally would for a dirt race. We’re used to racing these mile-and-a-half tracks almost every weekend. There are so many factors that you can’t control when taking a NASCAR truck to a dirt track. It puts a lot of extra stress on the driver I feel like, but then again, it’s fun to go out there and race something different and get us out of our comfort zone. I’ve been to Eldora already a couple times this year with my modified to get some extra experience and to make sure I’m as ready as I can be for this race.”
Dalton Sargeant, No. 25 Performance Plus Motor Oil Chevrolet Silverado
Eldora Stats
This will be Sargeant’s first NCWTS start at Eldora Speedway.
2018 Season Stats
12 starts, 3 top-10s, 8 top-15s
Notes:
– Sargeant will pilot GMS chassis no. 009 at Eldora Speedway. This chassis was last used in 2015 before being designated specifically for use at Eldora.
– Having only raced on dirt in the ARCA Racing Series, Sargeant prepped for Eldora by running a dirt modified at Friendship Motor Speedway in Elkin, N.C., Saturday night, earning a top-five finish.
– The Boca Raton, Fla., native is currently 11th in the NCWTS driver point standings after picking up his third top-10 of the season in his first start at Kentucky Speedway last week.
Quote:
“I have no idea what to expect at Eldora. I’m either going to be really happy when I leave or really angry. If I just survive and don’t get torn up too bad, I think I’ll be really happy. I don’t have too high of expectations, I just want to go out there and try and learn as much as I can and be smart, see what we can do. If I go out there and make some stupid mistakes that are my fault I’m going to be disappointed in myself and end up leaving pretty upset.
“The biggest thing that will help is probably our GMS partner Stewart Friesen almost won the race there last year. He’s definitely a good guy to talk to. Justin Haley also races a lot on the dirt. I actually went out to Friendship Motor Speedway last week with Spencer (Gallagher) and Doug (Randolph, crew chief) and hopped in a dirt modified. Then I had a chance to race it Saturday night and ended up finishing fifth. I think that will definitely help out as far as comfort and feeling, like I’m not completely lost when I get to the track.”
ABOUT GMS RACING
GMS Racing competes full-time in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series with drivers Cody Coughlin, Johnny Sauter, Justin Haley and Dalton Sargeant, and in the NASCAR XFINITY Series. Since the team’s start in 2014, GMS Racing has grown to occupy several buildings located in Statesville, N.C. The campus also includes operations for GMS Fabrication.
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