Testing SpeedwayMedia.com

Category: Truck Series

NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series news and information

  • MB Motorsports #63 Preview: American Ethanol 225 At Chicagoland Speedway

    MB Motorsports #63 Preview: American Ethanol 225 At Chicagoland Speedway

    EXCEL BOTTLING / SKI SODA INCREASES SUPPORT AT CHICAGOLAND

    Driver: Justin Jennings
    Crew Chief: Trip Bruce
    Twitter: @MBMotorsports, @JJenningsRacing

    Justin Jennings and the MB Motorsports crew will enjoy the “ultimate ahh factor” that Ski Soda’s uniquely refreshing punch of caffeine and real fruit delivers, as Excel Bottling / Ski Soda becomes the primary sponsor of the #63 Chevy Silverado for the American Ethanol e15 “225” At Chicagoland Speedway.

    “Excel is one of a few remaining “mom & pop” bottlers left in the nation,” notes driver Justin Jennings, “which makes them a perfect match for our little team. As the slogan says, Ski Soda is ‘Real Lemon, Real Orange, Real Good’. Our team runs on it.”

    Based in Breese, IL, not far from the team’s Missouri based shop, Excel Bottling Company has been a partner with MB Motorsports since the 2014 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series season.  “Excel has a long and storied history in our part of the world, back in St. Louis.  It’s great that MB Motorsports can work with local companies who understand you can harness the marketing power of NASCAR and do so with a hometown team,” says team owner Mike Mittler.

    Established in the summer of 1936, the family run company continues today, operated by the founders’ sons and grandchildren.  Excel Bottling Company produces flavored soda using cane sugar, returnable bottles, and vintage bottling equipment. Ski was added in 1961 and accounts for the majority of soda produced.

    “We have an extra incentive to do well at Chicagoland,” states Jennings.  “Excel Bottling / Ski Soda has increased their support for this race and they have a large group of folks joining us at the track.  LG Seeds is continuing their support as well and they have a lot of people coming to the track, too.”

    “The guys have gone above and beyond in preparing the truck for Chicagoland,” notes Mittler.  “As Justin says, you’ve always got to run well when your marketing partners are in the garage with you. Hopefully all the extra effort will pay off and we can finally get a finish at Chicagoland that reflects how hard the guys have worked on the Excel Bottling / Ski Soda – LG Seeds Chevy.”

    “We’re really looking forward to getting the 63 on the track at Chicagoland,’ says crew chief Trip Bruce.  “We’ve been working really hard on our intermediate track program and this will be the first test of our efforts, so we’re all very anxious to see what the results are.”

    The American Ethanol e15 “225” will be broadcast live on Fox Sports 1, MRN Radio and Sirius Channel 90 Friday September 18 at 8:30 pm ET.  Practice will be broadcast earlier that day on Fox Sports 1 at 10:00 am ET with Qualifying following at 4:30 pm ET.

    FAST FACTS:
    • Justin Jennings will be making his third start at Chicagoland Speedway when he slides behind the wheel of the #63 Excel Bottling / Ski Soda – LG Seeds Chevy.
    • The UNOH 200 at Bristol Motor Speedway will be Jennings’ fifth NASCAR Camping World Truck Series start in the #63 truck this season.
    • Jennings started 20th and finished 22nd in his last outing at Chicagoland Speedway.

    MB Motorsports Marketing Partners:
    • The #63 Chevy Silverado features the Excel Bottling / Ski Soda colors this weekend at Chicagoland Speedway. Joining them are LG Seeds, WIX Filters and eTape16.

    For more information on MB Motorsports’ marketing partners, visit  http://mbracing.net/sponsors.html

    Eagle Rock Camp:
    • MB Motorsports continues its support of Eagle Rock Camp, which helps military families dealing with both the visible and invisible wounds of war.  Visit eaglerockcamp.org /@eaglerockcampWW

    Tune-in:
    • The American Ethanol e15 “225” will be broadcast live on Fox Sports 1, MRN Radio and Sirius Channel 90 Friday September 18 at 8:30 pm ET.  Practice will be broadcast earlier that day on Fox Sports 1 at 10:00 am ET with Qualifying following at 4:30 pm ET.

    QUOTE:
    Justin Jennings on racing at Chicagoland Speedway:
    “With all the effort we have put into this truck for Chicagoland, I can’t wait to get the race started.  I’m pretty confident we have put together a pretty stout truck for Chicagoland.”

    About MB Motorsports:
    MB Motorsports is the sole surviving original team in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, having competed in every season since the series debuted in 1995.  The team has given many young drivers their start in NASCAR, including Sprint Cup Series winners Carl Edwards, Jamie McMurray, Brad Keselowski and Regan Smith.

    For more information on MB Motorsports and its marketing partners, visit www.mbracing.net

  • NASCAR National Series News & Notes — Chicagoland Speedway

    NASCAR National Series News & Notes — Chicagoland Speedway

    NASCAR Sprint Cup Series

    Next Race: MyAFibRisk.com 400

    The Place: Chicagoland Speedway

    The Date: Sunday, Sept. 20

    The Time: 3 p.m. (ET)

    TV: NBCSN, 2:30 p.m. (ET)

    Radio: MRN, SiriusXM Ch. 90

    Distance: 400.5 miles (267 laps)

    NASCAR XFINITY Series

    Next Race: Furious 7 300

    The Place: Chicagoland Speedway

    The Date: Saturday, Sept. 19

    The Time: 6 p.m. (ET)

    TV: NBCSN, 5:30 p.m. (ET)

    Radio: MRN, SiriusXM Ch. 90

    Distance: 300 miles (200 laps)

    NASCAR Camping World Truck Series

    Next Race: American Ethanol E15 225

    The Place: Chicagoland Speedway

    The Date: Friday, Sept. 18

    The Time: 8:30 p.m. (ET)

    TV: FS1, 8 p.m. (ET)

    Radio: MRN, SiriusXM Ch. 90

    Distance: 225 miles (150 laps)

    NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES

    ‘Chasing’ Earnhardt And Petty: Johnson Sets Sites On Seventh Series Title

    Ten races separate Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup No. 1 seed Jimmie Johnson from potential immortality. If Johnson wins NASCAR’s 16-driver, four-knockout round playoff, he will capture his seventh series title, tying Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt Jr. for the all-time lead.

    Johnson begins his quest in Sunday’s MyAFibRisk.com 400 at Chicagoland Speedway (3 p.m. ET on NBCSN). He has never won at the Windy City track, but boasts seven top fives, and seven top 10s to go along with the series-best average running position (7.129) and driver rating (115.5) there. Chicago remains one of four active tracks at which Johnson has not won (Homestead, Kentucky and Watkins Glen).

    The No. 48 Chevrolet driver has won four races this season, but has made 13 starts since his last victory. He tends to elevate his elite skill to an even higher level during NASCAR’s playoffs though, as he leads all drivers with 25 total Chase wins.

    Johnson is the only driver to make all 12 Chases since NASCAR first implemented the playoff format in 2004. Click here to see how others compare to Johnson in terms of Chases made.

    Kyle Busch Tries To Put Disappointing Chase History In The Rearview Mirror

    After reeling off four wins in just 15 races, Kyle Busch enters the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup as one of the favorites, if not THE FAVORITE, to take home NASCAR’s ultimate crown.

    Don’t mark Kyle Busch as the champion on your Chase Grid in Sharpie just yet.

    Busch has the same amount of victories in the Chase as Brian Vickers, Dale Jarrett and Joe Nemechek – one. And that lone victory came in his first full-time season (2005) at Phoenix (when he wasn’t a member of the Chase field).

    If you can’t win, the new Chase format makes it hard for a driver to get very far. A visit to Victory Lane in any race automatically advances a Chase driver to the next round.

    Busch gets his first shot at a checkered flag at Chicagoland where he claims one win, four top fives and five top 10s in 10 starts.

    Keselowski Quietly Roars Into The Chase

    What a difference a year makes.

    Last season, Brad Keselowski roared into the Chase with much fanfare after leading the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series with four regular season wins, including the finale at Richmond. He kept his momentum going in the Chase winning the opener at Chicagoland on a banzai move, further asserting himself has the championship favorite.

    This year, Keselowski roars into the Chase again, but without the same outside expectations. Quietly, he has the longest streak of top-10 finishes entering the Chase (9). His teammate Joey Logano has the next-best string of top 10s with five. Included in Keselowski’s streak are three runner-up finishes.

    Chicagoland may be the perfect place for Keselowski to get his momentum going. The No. 2 Ford driver owns two wins, three top fives and four top 10s in six starts at the 1.5-mile track.

    Speaking of Logano ….

    He enters the Chase as the only non-Joe Gibbs Racing driver who has won in the last nine races – twice, at Watkins Glen and Bristol. He will attempt to get back to the Championship 4 Round for the second consecutive season.

    Harvick Begins Second Leg Of Title Defense

    Kevin Harvick begins the 2015 Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup with his mind on one goal, retaining his title of NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion.

    Harvick’s two victories put him in a four-way tie for fifth in the series in wins, but he tops the leaderboards in almost every other category. The No. 4 Chevrolet driver ranks first in top fives (18), top 10s (22), average running position (7.5), laps led (1,450) and driver rating (118.8). His 10 runner-ups mark the first time a driver has logged double-digit second-place finishes since Bobby Allison tallied 12 in 1972.

    Harvick begins the second leg of his title defense in Sunday’s MyAFibRisk.com 400 at Chicagoland Speedway, where he has two wins, eight top fives and nine top 10s in 14 starts.

    All They Do Is Win: Joe Gibbs Racing

    T-Pain helped the New England Patriots unveil their Super Bowl banner last Thursday by performing his hit song “All I Do Is Win.”

    (Side note: He collaborated on the jam with Ludacris who is scheduled to address the media on Saturday at Chicagoland Speedway prior to the NASCAR XFINITY Series Furious 7 300)

    He should probably head down to Huntersville, North Carolina and blare out the tune at the Joe Gibbs Racing shop.

    JGR has won eight of the last 11 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races with drivers Kyle Busch (4), Matt Kenseth (3) and Carl Edwards (1). Denny Hamlin hasn’t won since Martinsville in March, but has finished sixth, third, third and fifth in his last four races.

    In its tune-up for the Chase at Richmond, all four JGR drivers placed in the top 11: Kenseth (first), Busch (second), Hamlin (sixth) and Edwards (11th). Also of note, Edwards will be making his 400th NASCAR Sprint Cup Series start Sunday at Chicagoland.

    When asked Saturday about potentially having all four of his drivers make the Championship 4 Round at Homestead-Miami Speedway, owner Joe Gibbs replied: “Obviously you’d love that.  But that’s a dream.  It’s hard for a dream to come true.  I don’t think anybody here is realistically thinking about that as a possibility. I think there are so many good cars in there.  We were just talking about the 4 car (Kevin Harvick), the 22 (Joey Logano), the 2 (Brad Keselowski).  All those cars are capable of winning a championship, period.”

    Jeff Gordon – NASCAR’s New Iron Man

    When Jeff Gordon rises out of his car following Sunday’s MyAFibRisk.com 400 at Chicagoland Speedway, he can pull a Tony Stark and say, “I am Iron Man.”

    That’s because Gordon will join Ricky Rudd as NASCAR’s “Iron Man” when he ties Rudd’s record of 788 consecutive NASCAR Sprint Cup Series starts by beginning Sunday’s race. When Gordon competes at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on Sunday, Sept. 27, he will subsequently break Rudd’s mark.

    While the consecutive starts record is quite the milestone, Gordon is also focused on trying to capture his fifth career NSCS championship. The 13th seed entering this season’s Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup, Gordon is trying to win his first title in the Chase era.

    In 14 Chicagoland starts, Gordon has one win, seven top fives and nine top 10s. He finished second in the Chase opener at the 1.5-mile track last season.

    In his 23 full-time NSCS seasons, Gordon has tallied 92 victories, which rank third in NSCS history behind Richard Petty and David Pearson.

    Chasing At Last! Sprint Cup Series Veterans McMurray and Menard Ready for Playoff Debuts

    After more than 10 years of NASCAR Sprint Cup Series competition for each, Jamie McMurray and Paul Menard have finally made their first Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup.

    McMurray, one of NASCAR’s best big-race drivers, has come painstakingly close to previous Chase berths, but had always fallen just short. After being active in the NSCS for 14 years, the 39-year-old Chip Ganassi Racing driver finally made NASCAR’s playoffs. McMurray boasts seven wins in his career including the Daytona 500 and Brickyard 400 (both in 2010). He has also visited Victory Lane in the Sprint All-Star race (2014) and Rolex 24 (2015). He enters the Chase as the 12 seed.

    Menard heads to the Chase for the first time as its 15 seed. The 2015 campaign marks his 12th season competing in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. In 317 starts, he claims one win, 17 top fives and 51 top 10s. Menard’s lone win was a big one – the 2011 Brickyard 400.

    Similar to last season with AJ Allmendinger and Aric Almirola, McMurray and Menard are the only two drivers making their Chase debuts. For an infographic on McMurray and Menard’s Chase debut, click here.

    Spoiler Alert: Stewart and Larson Attempt To Block Advancing Spot From Chase Drivers

    Any Chase-eligible driver who wins a race in a specific round automatically advances to the next segment of NASCAR’s playoffs.

    Non-Chase drivers can nullify these automatic advancements by making their own visits to Victory Lane.

    At Chicagoland, non-Chasers Tony Stewart and Kyle Larson are prime candidates to play spoiler.

    Stewart holds the Chicagoland track record with three wins and also has three Coors Light Pole Awards there.  His 105.0 driver rating is the third-best total at the 1.5-mile track.

    Larson led 20 laps and finished third in his only career start at Chicagoland last season.

    Chase Fest Set for Thursday in Chicago

    As The Chase rapidly approaches, so too does the fan celebration that will help kick it off in Chicago – Chase Fest sponsored by Toyota. The free outdoor fan fest will feature all 16 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Challengers and culminate with a live concert by Grammy-nominated band, 3 Doors Down.

    NASCAR Chase Fest will take place on Weed Street between Fremont and Kingsbury streets from 2 p.m. to 9 p.m. CDT on September 17 and will feature appearances and autograph sessions from all 16 drivers competing in the Challenger Round, as well as a number of recognizable NASCAR personalities. Fans in attendance will be treated to good from renowned Dinosaur Bar-B-Que, beverages from Coors Light (with proper ID), attractions such as the Toyota Ferris Wheel and NASCAR on NBC Sports Bumper Cars, activations from event sponsor Sprint including an appearance by Miss Sprint Cup and the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Trophy, and another live musical performance by a Chicago favorite, country cover band the Suburban Cowboys.

    NASCAR XFINITY SERIES

    Joe Gibbs Racing Returns To Pull 2015 Sweep At Chicagoland

    Joe Gibbs and the No. 54 Toyota team relished the spoils of Victory Lane thanks to the skills of Erik Jones back in June when the NASCAR XFINITY Series made its first stop at Chicagoland Speedway. This weekend, the JGR camp looks to sweep both NASCAR XFINITY Series races at Chicagoland Speedway in 2015 and has tapped Daniel Suarez, Matt Kenseth and the series’ all-time winningest driver Kyle Busch to accomplish the feat.

    Joe Gibbs Racing is currently tied with Richard Childress Racing for the most series wins at Chicago with four victories each.

    Kyle Busch will be in the No. 54 this weekend. He has made 11 starts at Chicago posting three wins (tied for the series most with Kevin Harvick), seven top fives and an average finish of 12.0.

    Kenseth has made eight starts at Chicago posting three top fives, five top 10s and average finish of 10.8.

    Suarez has made two starts at Chicago posting a best finish of seventh earlier this season.

    Last season, JR Motorsports swept both races at Chicago in the first season the track had hosted more than one race in a year – Chase Elliott (June) and Kevin Harvick (September).

    Consistent Chris Buescher Tough To Catch

    For the 15th time in 25 starts, ‘Mr. Consistent’ Chris Buescher, posted a top-10 finish and sustained his points lead over second-place Chase Elliott (-21) and third-place Ty Dillon (-27).

    Buescher has been the series standings leader for the last 16 races, dating back to May 17 at Iowa Speedway.

    Buescher’s 2015 season has been nearly flawless. In 25 starts this season, he has posted two wins (Iowa-1, Dover-1), 11 top fives, 15 top 10s and an average finish of 8.3. He has zero DNFs and his worst finish of 2015 is 20th. Buescher has led 263 laps this season, 5.9% of his laps completed.

    Chicagoland Speedway is a track Buescher has excelled at. In three starts at the 1.5-mile speedway, Buescher has posted one top five and two top 10s. His average finish at Chicago is an 8.3.

    Chase Elliott Looks To Make It Back-To-Back Victories

    JR Motorsports star Chase Elliott snapped a 39-race winless streak last weekend at Richmond International Raceway to claim his fourth career NASCAR XFINITY Series victory. The 19-year-old Dawsonville, Georgia native now sits second in the XFINITY Series standings and is primed to make it back-to-back wins and close the gap on standings leader Chris Buescher in Saturday’s Furious 7 300 (6 p.m. ET on NBCSN).

    Back in the winning saddle again, Elliott has posted one win (Richmond-2), 10 top fives, 20 top 10s and an average finish of 9.2 in 2015.

    Elliott is no stranger to consecutive wins in the NASCAR XFINITY Series. The 2014 series champ did it last season winning at Texas and then Darlington.

    This weekend, Elliott will need to ride the momentum of last week to continue his push for the 2015 title. Elliott has made three starts at Chicago, posting one win (June, 2014), two top 10s and an average finish of 8.3.

    Ty Dillon Still Amongst The Scramble For The Title

    Despite dropping to third in the NASCAR XFINITY Series standings this past weekend at Richmond — six points behind second-place Chase Elliott and 27 points back from standings leader Chris Buescher — Ty Dillon is still in the thick of the scramble for the title this season.

    Dillon’s performance in 2015 has been solid. In 25 starts, he has posted seven top fives, 18 top 10s and an average finish of 9.0.

    With eight races to go this season, any mistakes by the top three in points will be vastly exacerbated by the lack of time left in the season to recover in the standings. In the last eight races last season, Chase Elliott (7.6) had the best average finish, followed by Dillon (10.1) and Buescher (10.8).

    Who Needs A Win Most? Winless Streaks To Watch

    With Chase Elliott snapping a 39-race winless streak last weekend at Richmond International Raceway; it shined a light on the list of drivers dealing with a winless streak, begging the question, who needs a win the most among the championship contenders?

    The first name that arises amongst the victory starved is Roush Fenway Racing’s Elliott Sadler. Sadler is currently fifth in points, having posted four top fives and 12 top 10s in 25 starts this season. His last win came at Talladega Superspeedway on May 3, 2014 a total of 49 races ago. His best finish since his last win was a second-place showing in the 2015 season opener at Daytona. Sadler has made 12 starts at Chicago posting one win (2012), six top 10s and an average finish of 14.0.

    The driver with the next-longest stretch since his last win is Richard Childress Racing’s Ty Dillon, with 39 races since his last win at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on July 26, 2014. Dillon is currently third in the series standings, having posted seven top fives, 18 top 10s and an average finish of 9.0. Dillon’s best finish since his last win was a third-place result posted four times: Kentucky (2014), Daytona-1, Atlanta and Mid-Ohio (2015).

    Sunoco Rookie Update: Top Three Of 2015

    The 2015 Sunoco Rookie of the Year class has been outstanding this season. Below is a quick snapshot of the top three rookies in the standings and how they have progressed this season:

    1.)        Daniel Suarez (Joe Gibbs Racing, No. 18 ARRIS Toyota) from Monterrey, Mexico currently leads the Sunoco Rookie of the Year standings by 30 points over second-place Darrell Wallace Jr. In 25 starts this season, Suarez has posted two poles, six top fives, 11 top 10s and an average finish of 12.7. Suarez’s best finish this season was second at Bristol Motor Speedway.

    2.)        Darrell Wallace Jr. (Roush Fenway Racing, No. 6 Ford EcoBoost Ford) from Mobile, Alabama is currently second in the Sunoco Rookie of the Year standings, just 30 points behind Suarez. In 25 starts this season, Wallace has posted one pole, two top fives, nine top 10s and an average finish of 12.5. Wallace posted his best finish of the season (fifth) twice – Charlotte and Road America.

    3.)        Ross Chastain (JD Motorsports, No. 4 teamjdmotorsports.com Chevrolet) from Alva, Florida is currently third in the Sunoco Rookie of the Year standings, 80 points back from the standings leader Daniel Suarez and 50 points back from second-place Darrell Wallace Jr. Chastain has posted four top-10 finishes this season. His average finish in 25 starts in 2015 is 20.3. Chastain’s best finish was in the season opener at Daytona where he palced ninth.

    NASCAR XFINITY Series Etc.:

    Furious 7 Star Chris “Ludacris” Bridges to be Grand Marshal at Chicago: Big news for Chicagoland Speedway this weekend as Furious 7, the $1.5 billion worldwide box-office blockbuster and most successful installment of the Fast & Furious franchise will be the title sponsor for its NASCAR XFINITY Series race on Saturday, Sept. 19. The Furious 7 300 will feature cast member Chris “Ludacris” Bridges as the Grand Marshal.

    Seven Former XFINITY Series Champions Made The Chase: Of the 16 drivers that made the 2015 Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup, seven are former NASCAR XFINITY Series champions – Dale Earnhardt Jr. (1998, 1999); Kevin Harvick (2001, 2006); Martin Truex Jr. (2004, 2005); Carl Edwards (2007); Clint Bowyer (2008); Kyle Busch (2009) and Brad Keselowski (2010).

    NASCAR In Illinois: NASCAR has held 73 national series events (NSCS 16, NXS 34, NCWTS 23) in the state of Illinois among five different tracks. The first NASCAR national series event was a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race held in Willow Springs, Illinois at Santa Fe Speedway in 1954 – the event was won by Dick Rathmann (72.216 mph, 1:23:05, 07-10-1954). … The NASCAR XFINITY Series has held 34 races among two tracks in the state of Illinois (Chicagoland Speedway 19 and Gateway Motorsports Park 15). The first NASCAR XFINITY Series race held in Illinois was at Gateway Motorsports Park in 1997 – won by Elliott Sadler (78.803 mph, 3:48:25, 07/26/1997). … Four drivers posted their first NASCAR XFINITY Series career win at Chicagoland Speedway: Casey Mears, Johnny Sauter, Jimmie Johnson and Justin Labonte.

    Illinois Drivers In NASCAR: 78 different drivers that have competed in a NASCAR national series race have their home state recorded as Illinois. Of the 78 Illinois drivers, only 14 have competed in the NASCAR XFINITY Series. Of the 14 Illinois drivers to compete in the XFINITY Series, only two have won – Justin Allgaier (three wins) and Bobby Dotter (one win). Allgaier is the only Illinois native to win an XFINITY Series race at Chicagoland Speedway (2011). …

    Milestones: Matt Kenseth (29) can become just the sixth driver in series history to post 30 or more series wins in his career with a victory this weekend.

    NASCAR CAMPING WORLD TRUCK SERIES

    Jones vs. Crafton vs. Reddick: Three-Horse Race For NCWTS Championship

    The race for the NCWTS title is jam-packed, with Erik Jones leading second-place Matt Crafton by three points and third-place Tyler Reddick by 15 points.

    On Friday, the trio will continue their battle for the series crown in the American Ethanol E15 225 at Chicagoland Speedway (8:30 p.m. ET on FS1).

    Crafton’s five top 10s at Chicagoland rank tied with Kyle Busch for the track record. His highest finish at the 1.5-mile track was a runner-up result last season.  Dominant at intermediate courses, the No. 88 ThorSport Racing driver boasts a streak of 13 top-10 finishes at 1.5-mile tracks dating back to Kansas Speedway in 2014. Included in the streak are five wins captured at Kentucky (2015, the last 1.5-mile NCWTS race), Texas-1 (2014,’15), Atlanta (2015) and Kansas (2015). The only driver other than Crafton to win at a 1.5-mile track this season was Kasey Kahne at Charlotte.

    Jones has never competed in a truck at Chicagoland, but won the XFINITY race there earlier this season. He won the last NCWTS race, at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park.

    Reddick, who has led the standings five weeks this season, finished fourth in his lone start at Chicagoland last season.

    New Winner Guaranteed At Chicagoland

    No driver on the entry list for Friday’s American Ethanol E15 225 at Chicagoland Speedway has won at the 1.5-mile track, guaranteeing a new visitor to Victory Lane.

    Drivers in the field with the highest Chicagoland finishes include:

    Matt Crafton – Second (09/12/14)

    Timothy Peters – Third (07/12/12)

    Tyler Reddick – Fourth (9/12/14)

    Johnny Sauter – Fourth (8/27/10)

    John Wes Townley – Sixth (09/13/13)

    Crafton leads the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series with a career-high four wins, while Erik Jones and Reddick each have two victories.

    Mr. 200: Timothy Peters

    Competing in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series for the 11th consecutive season, Timothy Peters will make his 200th start in Friday’s American Ethanol E15 225 at Chicagoland Speedway.

    For his career, Peters owns eight wins, 42 top fives, 94 top 10s and six Keystone Light Pole Awards. His high championship finish was a runner-up showing in 2012.

    This season, the 35-year-old Toyota driver ranks seventh in the NCWTS with two top fives and eight top 10s. In six starts at Chicagoland, he claims two top 10s with a high finish of third (2012).

    Peters made his first career start at his home track – Martinsville Speedway – on April 9, 2005. Coincidentally, he won his first career race at Martinsville on Oct. 24, 2009, defeating two-time NCWTS champion Todd Bodine by 1.815 seconds.

    Larson To Pilot JR Motorsports No. 00

    Dale Earnhardt Jr. has tabbed Kyle Larson to take the wheel of his JR Motorsport No. 00 Chevrolet in Friday’s American Ethanol E15 225 at Chicagoland Speedway.

    The race will be Larson’s first NCWTS start of the season. In nine Truck Series starts in his career, Larson has one win, four top fives, six top 10s and two poles. His last NCWTS appearance came in last year’s season finale at Homestead where he finished second after starting from the pole.

    Larson earned his first NASCAR national series win in a truck at Rockingham on April 14, 2013. That day, he became the first Asian-American and first NASCAR Drive for Diversity alumnus to visit Victory Lane in a NASCAR national series race.

    NASCAR Next driver Cole Custer has made seven starts in the No. 00 this year, while Kasey Kahne, Kevin Harvick and Alex Bowman have each competed in it once. Custer piloted the No. 00 to Victory Lane at Gateway in June, while Kahne won in the truck in May at Charlotte.

    Additionally, Larson is scheduled to run in all three races at Chicagoland this weekend.

    NASCAR Next Takes Windy City

    Two NASCAR Next drivers are set to make their first career Chicagoland starts this weekend – John Hunter Nemechek and Jesse Little.

    Nemechek has notched a top-10 finish in his last two races, including a career-best third-place result at Bristol. Friday night’s race marks his second career start on a 1.5-mile track (he finished 11th at Kentucky in July).

    Jesse Little takes the seat of the No. 97 Toyota Tundra for his second NCWTS start this season. He made his debut at Dover and is also scheduled to compete at Texas and Homestead later this year. Little has one win in five NASCAR K&N Pro Series East starts in 2015.

    Mark It On Your Calendar – 500th NCWTS Race At New Hampshire

    At New Hampshire Motor Speedway on Saturday, Sept. 26, the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series will run its 500th race. The NCWTS began in 1995 and is in its 21st season of operation. Ron Hornaday Jr. has won the most NCWTS championships (4) and races (51). Mike Skinner earned the first series title driving for legendary owner Richard Childress. Over the years, many of NASCAR’s stars have matriculated in the NCWTS, including Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Challengers: Kevin Harvick, Carl Edwards, Kurt Busch, Kyle Busch, Jamie McMurray and Brad Keselowski.

  • Roush Fenway Advance – Chicagoland Speedway

    Roush Fenway Advance – Chicagoland Speedway

    Roush Fenway Advance – Chicagoland Speedway, 1.5-mile

    It’s Jack’s World! Jack’s World!

    Roush Fenway Racing heads to the land of deep dish pizza, Al Capone’s tax evasion, every John Hughes movie and “Da Bears!” this weekend as the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS) returns to Chicagoland Speedway, excellent!

    Sprint Cup Series
    Chicago
    Sun. 9/20/15 – 3:00 PM ET
    NBCSN, MRN, Sirius 90

    Trevor Bayne, No. 6 AdvoCare Ford Fusion
    Greg Biffle, No. 16 Safety-Kleen Ford Fusion
    Ricky Stenhouse Jr, No. 17 Fastenal Ford Fusion

    NASCAR XFINITY Series
    Chicago
    Sat. 9/19/15 – 6:00 PM ET
    NBCSN, MRN, Sirius 90

    Elliott Sadler, No. 1 OneMain Financial Ford
    Bubba Wallace, No. 6 Roush Performance Ford
    Ryan Reed, No. 16 Lilly/American Diabetes Ford
    Chris Buescher, No. 60 Fifth/Third Ford

    Planes, Trains and Automobiles

    Overall, Roush Fenway has started 114 races at Chicago, earning a total of one win, 23 top-five and 44 top-10 finishes, four poles and 1,106 laps led across the NSCS, NASCAR XFINITY Series and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS).

    The Breakfast Club

    Roush Fenway has started 61 NSCS races at Chicago, recording six top-five finishes, 17 top-10 finishes, an average finish of 17.7 and has led 528 laps.

    Uncle Buck

    Roush Fenway has finished in the second position on three separate occasions in the Windy City with former drivers Matt Kenseth (2005 and 2007) and Carl Edwards (2010).

    Sixteen Candles

    Roush Fenway has earned one victory, 16 top-five finishes, 26 top-10 finishes and an average finish of 12.6 at Chicago in the XFINITY Series.

    Ferris Bueller’s Day Off

    Ricky Stenhouse Jr. earned Roush Fenway’s first victory at Chicago in the Sept. 2012 XFINITY Series event after starting from the third position and leading 22 laps. The victory, Stenhouse’s fifth of the 2012 season, helped catapult the Roush Fenway driver to his second-consecutive XFINITY Series championship.

    Extreme Close Up

    Roush Fenway currently has all four XFINITY Series drivers inside the top 10 in the championship standings. Two-time race winner Chris Buescher remains first, with Elliott Sadler, Bubba Wallace and Ryan Reed ranking fifth, seventh and 10th, respectively.

    Party on Wayne

    Reed earned his first career ARCA Racing Series victory at Chicago earlier this season after starting from the 28th position and leading 70 of the 100 total laps en route to the win.

    Party on Garth

    Sadler went to victory lane at Chicago in the July 2012 XFINITY Series event after starting 15th and leading 35 laps, including the final 32.

    Roush Fenway Chicago Wins

    2012-2    Stenhouse   NXS

    Roush Fenway at Chicagoland Speedway

    Race      Win     T5          T10       Pole    Laps          Led           AvSt        AvFn       Miles

    CUP                 61           0          6             17         1          15655       528           17.6         17.7         23482.5

    NXS                  52           1          16          26         3          10102       578           12.9         12.6         15153

    TRUCK            1             0          1             1            0          150            0                10            3               225

    114         1          23          44         4          25907       1106         13.5         11.1         38860.5

  • Tyler Reddick Looks to Secure First Career Championship

    Tyler Reddick Looks to Secure First Career Championship

    Going into this past weekend’s event at Canadian Tire Motorsports Park, Tyler Reddick was in the catbird’s seat for the championship. Though following some contact late in the race and a 19th place finish, he has fallen from first to third in points.

    The 19-year-old entered the weekend without any road course experience and got up to speed quickly, qualifying fourth for the event.

    “I think our weekend has gone well so far,” he commented pre-race. “Practice, we got up to speed pretty quick and we’re going to be rolling off fourth. It’s gone pretty good considering a lot of people I’m competing against have ran this course before or have road course experience.”

    He added that in learning the course, there isn’t one particular spot to watch – but rather how you handle the whole track.

    “The whole course is (tough) in general and understanding it’s about momentum and not getting back to the gas too quick cause in a sense if you get off in one little area, it can mess up your whole lap for you,” he explained. “It’s very important to not make a mistake and stay in your pattern and rhythm.”

    The youngster also added that it was great to have Alex Tagliani as a teammate in leaning on him for advice.

    “He’s given me a lot of valuable information to get up to speed in practice,” he commented.

    Throughout the race, Reddick was able to up front and looked to on his way to a solid finish. However, he would get tangled up with Gray Gaulding in turn eight with three laps to go, bringing out the caution. He would then lose two laps getting cosmetic repairs on pit road, resulting in a 19th place finish.

    It marks only the third time this season that Reddick has finished outside of the top-10, and the first finish outside of the top-10 since Texas Motor Speedway in June.

    “I think our season has gone pretty good,” he commented. “We’ve been fortunate to have two wins. I feel that we could’ve had a few more wins, but that’s the way racing goes at times.”

    While he has gone to a lot of these tracks without any experience, he has had experience in his corner with the boss Brad Keselowski. He notes that Keselowski has been great on helping at those tracks.

    With the 19th place finish at CTMP, he now currently sits third in points, 15 points behind Erik Jones. Though when it comes to the points situation, it’s something that Reddick doesn’t focus on, but whether just continuing to be strong at each track.

    “We’re just here trying to get the best finish that we can each and every week,” he commented. “I don’t know what the points are unless someone tells me; that’s the only reason I do know. People come by and tell me, ‘you’re leading by this or trailing by this much’ and its like, ‘I guess I know now. I wasn’t thinking about it beforehand’. I just focus on the next race ahead and don’t let it too carried away.”

    With that in mind, he also doesn’t look forward to a particular race on the schedule, but whether the next race that is ahead. For him, there’s no favoritism from track-to-track as he believes he and team “have a great, fair chance of winning every single one”.

    When the Camping World Truck Series returns to action, it will be at Chicagoland Speedway. Reddick ran the event last year, scoring a solid fourth place finish. Another strong run could certainly help in getting closer to possibly his first career series championship.

  • Daniel Hemric Finding Groove with String of Success

    Daniel Hemric Finding Groove with String of Success

    On Sunday at Canadian Tire Motorsports Park, Daniel Hemric kept his nose out of trouble throughout the entire race, coming home for a fourth place finish.

    Going into the race, he admitted that the weekend thus far had been a battle with this year’s event being his first on a road course.

    “You may have one good section of the race track, and clearly mess up the other side,” he told SpeedwayMedia.com pre-race. “It’s about putting it together and coming out in one piece. Everybody at NTS Motorsports on the California Clean Power Chevy has given me a great opportunity with a great truck to drive. I just have to do my part to put it all together, and get to the front during the race.”

    For Hemric, it marks his second straight top-five, and fifth straight top-10 as he looks to close out his rookie campaign in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series.

    “It’s been up and down, but we’ve definitely hit our stride and taken advantage of situations where we weren’t on our game, and the days we were had some off moments,” he commented of his season. “We’ve been trying to take all that in, and put ourselves in a decent position for the rest of the year.”

    The season hasn’t gone this smooth all year, as in the first five events, Hemric only posted one top-10 finish, a 10th at Kansas Speedway. Though since Charlotte in May, it seems he has found his groove with only one finish outside of the top-10 in the last 10 races.

    He says the success has come in learning to how to take advantage of the opportunities out there to make the most of a day where they may be off a little bit.

    “Earlier in the year when we were having an off-day, we’d get ourselves in trouble and have a DNF or bad finish,” he commented. “Later in the year, just make the most situations that aren’t great and maximize your points to put yourself in a better position down the road.”

    With the string of success, it’d certainly be huge for the rookie to close out his 2015 campaign with a win, especially since he isn’t sure whether he will be back next season. Though turning the solid finishes into a win is something Hemric says is all about making their program better.

    “We’re really trying to take our program to the next level and thanks to everybody at California Clean Power and NTS for giving us everything to build our team,” he commented. “We just have to put it all together. It’s tough to win races in the series – it’s really tough. These guys – (Matt) Crafton, (Johnny) Sauter – they’ve been doing it a long time. Everything has to go right, but in the same sense, we just have to put ourselves in the right position and have it fall our way.”

  • SERVICE KING COLLISION REPAIR CENTERS, CHARLIE 1 HORSE SIGN SPONSOR AGREEMENTS FOR AAA TEXAS 500 NASCAR TRIPLEHEADER

    SERVICE KING COLLISION REPAIR CENTERS, CHARLIE 1 HORSE SIGN SPONSOR AGREEMENTS FOR AAA TEXAS 500 NASCAR TRIPLEHEADER

    FORT WORTH, Texas (Sept. 2, 2015) – Texas Motor Speedway announced the addition of Service King Collision Repair Centers and Charlie 1 Horse to its family of sponsors with both signing entitlement deals for the AAA Texas 500 NASCAR tripleheader weekend scheduled for Nov. 5-8.

    Service King Collision Repair Centers, the Richardson, Texas-based company that operates 253 locations across 23 states, will serve as the event’s qualifying day sponsor for the NASCAR Sprint Cup, XFINITY and Camping World Truck Series. Service King Qualifying Days will feature Sprint Cup and Camping World Truck Series qualifying Friday, Nov. 6, and XFINITY Series qualifying Saturday, Nov. 7.

    “Service King’s roots run deep in the Dallas-Fort Worth area and because of that our teammates are thrilled to partner with Texas Motor Speedway,” Service King Collision Repair Centers CEO Chris Abraham said. “NASCAR and Texas Motor Speedway are home to some of the most loyal fans in sports. It’s our hope that Service King Qualifying Days set the tone for a thrilling and memorable weekend of racing.”

    Charlie 1 Horse, the Garland, Texas-based manufacturer of the iconic cowboy hat awarded to the winning driver at Texas Motor Speedway, will culminate the race weekend excitement with the Charlie 1 Horse Running Rouge Post-Race Show featuring Roger Creager. The concert, free to all AAA Texas 500 ticketholders, will take place on the frontstretch infield approximately 30 minutes following the conclusion of the race.

    “With roots deep in NASCAR history, we are proud to join Texas Motor Speedway as a sponsor,” Charlie 1 Horse Director of Product Development Kaci Riggs said. “Charlie 1 Horse hats are almost as legendary as the man who wears them: Richard Petty. The King has always sported an unmistakable style with his custom Charlie 1 Horse hat. Recognized by the horseshoe fire brand on the front, Charlie 1 Horse is worn by folks who genuinely want to express their own personal style day in and day out.”

    Creager, a native of Corpus Christi, has been playing some of Texas country music fans favorite songs since bursting onto the scene in 1998. His list of hits includes “Long Way to Mexico,” “The Everclear Song,” “Fun All Wrong,” “Things Look Good Around Here” and “I’m From the Beer Joint.” Creager is set to release his new album this month entitled Gulf Coast Time that includes the single “If You Had to Choose.”

    The Charlie 1 Horse Running Rouge Post-Race Show featuring Roger Creager will be the second of two free concerts for fans attending the AAA Texas 500. Sammy Hagar and The Circle featuring Michael Anthony, Jason Bonham and Vic Johnson will perform during the Loud and Proud Pre-Race Show fueled by American Ethanol.

    The AAA Texas 500 is the eighth race of the 10-event Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup and second of three races in the pivotal Eliminator 8 segment of the Chase. The AAA Texas 500 is the feature race of a NASCAR tripleheader weekend that also includes the Camping World Truck Series WinStar World Casino and Resort 350 on Friday, Nov. 6, and XFINITY Series O’Reilly Auto Parts Challenge on Saturday, Nov. 7.

    Tickets are available by visiting www.texasmotorspeedway.com or by calling the Texas Motor Speedway ticket office at (817) 215-8500.

  • Alex Tagliani Comes Up Short on Victory Bid

    Alex Tagliani Comes Up Short on Victory Bid

    Starting from the pole position, Alex Tagliani ran up front throughout the Chevrolet Silverado 250, and despite falling back mid-race following a poor pit stop, he was able to work his way back up into contention. He would come up short in his bid for victory, though, as a third gear would break coming up the final straightaway on the last lap. Tagliani limped his truck home to finish fifth.

    “It was a really good day for us and a really good weekend, in all,” he commented. “The BKR team did a really good job.”

    Starting from the pole, Tagliani led the first six laps of the event before heading down pit road at lap seven. He returned to the track, making his way back up through the field to retake the lead on lap 27. He then headed back down pit road at lap 35, where there would be a slight mishap with taking one of the wheels off.

    “We had an unfortunate situation first in the pits when we couldn’t get the left rear tire off of the truck,” he explained. “We lost valuable time and track position is important. Without that, we could’ve stayed in the lead and maintained the lead.”

    Running in the fifth spot once the cycle worked itself out, he moved back up through the field, moving into second on lap 54. He then worked at chasing down race leader Erik Jones, having a chance to close the gap when a late caution flew.

    “After that, when I have to race those guys, I have to think that they’re there for the championship, I don’t want to make anybody mad – it’s kind of catch-22,” he explained. “You want to win the race, but you have to respect those guys. I want to do many more of those races, like I said yesterday, so I’m not about making too many people mad out there. I want to be good for the team, Brad, and the sponsor. So overall, I think mission accomplished.”

    He would stay right on Jones’ back bumper throughout the course, making a move in turn five, but Jones would shut the door. Tagliani admitted that he could’ve got in there and spun him around, but didn’t feel that was the right move.

    “I was in the pick-up truck before and told him, ‘You don’t have to worry about me. I’m not going to take you out. You’re in for the championship.’ and I respected my word,” Tagliani commented. “If I would’ve stayed in there, he would’ve been gone in 5b. I don’t drive that way. I just want to continue the trend and hopefully that will get me in the truck and XFINITY more times.”

    Coming off that corner and working his way through the back half of the course, the gear would then break as he came up the Andretti straightaway.

    “It shredded completely,” he said. “It felt good all race. I felt a couple of times it was kind of scratchy on downshift, but no sign that it was going to be bad. As soon as I put third gear on the backstraightaway, it went. There was no third gear to go and the RPM went really down so I put fourth in and it just kind of limped all the way home in fifth.”

    If the gear hadn’t broke, Tagliani felt that he had a piece strong enough to get around Jones for the lead and the victory as he felt he was quicker in the final three turns of the course.

    “I had a plan – you’re trying to play the strengths to your advantage and where you’re quick, and for the final checkered flag run, trust me – I had something,” he noted.

    But he was able to make that run to the checkered, he wasn’t going to try and win the race with a pass that involved contact as he noted he’s not there to mess up things for the regulars and their championship battle.

    “Winning races is hard enough when you’re running for the championship, but when you’re doing 25 races a year, to win three is really amazing,” he commented. “When you do one and everything is into that one, it’s tough, but I’m not willing to throw everything into it just for that one because there’s going to be 30 guys out there that are gonna wanna kill me and I’m going to have a target on my back.

    “That’s not the way I drive, but I was going to try something.”

  • Erik Jones and Rudy Fugle Put Right Pieces Together for Road Course Success

    Erik Jones and Rudy Fugle Put Right Pieces Together for Road Course Success

    On Sunday at Canadian Tire Motorsports Park, Erik Jones checked off another box on his resume – road course race winner.

    Starting from the second spot, Jones ran up front throughout the race, getting by Cole Custer on a late race restart to take the lead. He then held off Alex Tagliani in the closing laps to score the victory.

    “I knew we had to clear him (Alex Tagliani) in (turn) one and if we didn’t clear him in one that (turns) two and three were going to be tough and he was obviously wanting to win bad,” Jones noted. “We raced hard and hopefully we put on a good show. It was fun to be out there and have him chase you down. It’s nerve-wracking and you’re doing all you can and wondering how he’s finding speed in some corners and you’re not. It’s just cool to see it play out like that and get the lead real late and be able to hold it off and bring home the win.”

    Crew chief Rudy Fugle admits the team played a conservative strategy with the points situation but felt that they would have a shot based on the speed they had shown.

    “We were right there with the 29 (Alex Tagliani) and depending on how things worked out, I knew we’d have a shot and the 00 (Cole Custer) was faster today than I thought he was going to be, so we had to deal with him. It all worked out and this is a great win up here,” he added.

    Jones came into the event as one of the early race favorites as he has been strong at each track this year, but also finished third last year. He credited the team on the victory with bringing a good piece, noting that this was the same truck from last year, but just improved. Fugle noted that it starts with Toyota and Toyota Racing Development giving them the support and tools that they need.

    “These races are won back at the shop and then once we get here, we see how things are going,” Fugle explained. “I have a strategy and the team comes up with a strategy with my engineer and stuff and you just keep getting – you learn more, you learn what your fuel mileage is, you learn how the tires wear and you just take a guess at it and then there’s still a little bit of feel, you know? We almost missed the first pit stop with the caution coming out right when it did – it could have been way worse. It just worked out perfect where we didn’t get hurt. Some of that is just that race feel and experience and the difference there, but it’s definitely won at the shop –everybody back there and everybody back at Toyota.”

    Jones has also worked at perfecting his road course craft, going to the Ron Fellows School last year, and the Bondurant School this year.

    “I saw it as if, ‘Hey, if I can get a tenth each time I go to those schools, it’s worth it,’ and I feel like I did,” he commented. “Just kind of put all that together and came here for the first year and downloaded everything and tried to get a little bit better for this year and figure out where I needed to better and where I needed to improve and just kind of figured it out as I went I guess and it’s just fun. I just always enjoyed it from the start. It wasn’t something I went out and did and was like, ‘Oh, man, I don’t like this at all,’ so it’s just something that always was fun for me and I wanted to get good at.”

    For Jones, it marks his second win of the season and hands him the points lead, three points ahead of Matt Crafton. With knowledge that he will be moving up to the XFINITY Series next year with Joe Gibbs Racing, certainly scoring a truck championship before he moves up the ladder is high on the list.

  • Jones Cruises To Victory In Canada, Takes Points Lead

    Jones Cruises To Victory In Canada, Takes Points Lead

    By Stephanie Wallcraft

    BOWMANVILLE, Ontario – Two weeks ago in the NASCAR XFINITY Series race at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, Alex Tagliani got turned out of the lead by Regan Smith and lost his shot at a win.

    Today in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Chevrolet Silverado 250 at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, Tagliani had a chance to be the one doing the turning.

    Heading into Turn 5B on the final lap, Tagliani says he was in a position to push Erik Jones aside and claim victory for himself. But he didn’t. Instead, Tagliani held back as Jones cruised to his second win of the season and vaulted to the top of the NCWTS point standings.

    “If I would have stayed where I was he would have been gone in (Turn) 5B,” Tagliani said. “I don’t drive that way. I just want to continue the trend.”

    Tagliani thought he would have time to take one more clean shot at Jones through the final series of turns, but a broken third gear took that chance away.

    “It shredded completely,” he said. “It was pretty much good all race. I felt a couple of times it was kind of scratchy on the downshift, but no sign it was going to be bad. As soon as I put third gear on the back straight, it just went.

    “I put it in fourth and it just kind of limped all the way back home.”

    The 19-year-old Jones felt the pressure from veteran road course racer Tagliani down the stretch, but maintained his concentration to become the first driver to lead the entire last lap of a NCWTS race at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park.

    “It was a blast,” Jones said of the race. “It was nerve-wracking. It’s a little intense when you’ve got a guy like that running you down for 15 laps.”

    It turned out that Jones and Tagliani had shared a parade truck before the race and had a philosophical discussion about racing with respect. Tagliani told Jones he knew he was in a heated points battle and that Jones didn’t have to worry about him trying the same thing Smith had done to him at Mid-Ohio.

    “We had a pretty long talk about racing people the way you want to be raced,” Jones said. “I’ve never been one to want to move somebody to win a race, and he hasn’t, either. It’s nice to see that respect, especially from a veteran like that to me.

    “It’s not something he had to do. It means a lot to me that he did.”

    Jones worked hard to improve his road course craft coming into this weekend. Time spent at a pair of driving schools paid off, as did a strong effort by the team to improve their truck.

    “We had a good truck last year, and we were able to do some improving on our Tundra to get it to where it needed to be for this year,” Jones said. “I was able to improve on myself and fix some of my mistakes this year as well and get a little bit better.”

    Matt Crafton finished in second place, which keeps him second in the point standings behind Jones, who now holds a three-point advantage. Tyler Reddick, the standings leader entering the race, placed 19th and is now third (15 points behind Jones) in the championship hunt.

    Ben Kennedy, Daniel Hemric, and Tagliani rounded out the top five.

    Cole Custer mounted one of the strongest challenges to Jones in the late going, but contact between he and Tagliani took him out of the running with 11 laps to go. He ended up in 10th.

     

    NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Race – Chevrolet Silverado 250
    Canadian Tire Motorsport ParkSunday, August 30, 2015

        1. (2) Erik Jones #, Toyota, 64, $64245.

        2. (3) Matt Crafton, Toyota, 64, $48243.

        3. (6) Ben Kennedy, Toyota, 64, $35572.

        4. (13) Daniel Hemric #, Chevrolet, 64, $27034.

        5. (1) Alex Tagliani(i), Ford, 64, $26832.

        6. (9) Johnny Sauter, Toyota, 64, $21752.

        7. (7) Cameron Hayley #, Toyota, 64, $21202.

        8. (14) Spencer Gallagher #, Chevrolet, 64, $20651.

        9. (12) John H. Nemechek #, Chevrolet, 64, $19661.

        10. (5) Cole Custer, Chevrolet, 64, $20500.

        11. (8) Gray Gaulding, Toyota, 64, $19441.

        12. (19) Brian Wong, Toyota, 64, $16997.

        13. (18) TJ Bell(i), Chevrolet, 64, $19137.

        14. (17) Mason Mingus, Chevrolet, 64, $19027.

        15. (22) Ray Black Jr. #, Chevrolet, 64, $19406.

        16. (23) Jordan Anderson, Chevrolet, 64, $18697.

        17. (16) Tyler Young, Chevrolet, 64, $18586.

        18. (24) Korbin Forrister #, Chevrolet, 64, $18476.

        19. (4) Tyler Reddick, Ford, 62, $18367.

        20. (29) Jennifer Jo Cobb, Chevrolet, 61, $17506.

        21. (28) Norm Benning, Chevrolet, 59, $16896.

        22. (10) Timothy Peters, Toyota, 57, $15787.

        23. (15) Matt Tifft, Toyota, 56, $15566.

        24. (27) Travis Kvapil, Chevrolet, 55, $15455.

        25. (20) John Wes Townley, Chevrolet, 54, $15551.

        26. (11) Brandon Jones #, Chevrolet, Accident, 43, $15346.

        27. (21) Daniel Brown, Chevrolet, 42, $15291.

        28. (25) BJ McLeod, Chevrolet, Brakes, 21, $15013.

        29. (26) Justin Jennings, Chevrolet, Brakes, 12, $14958.

        30. (31) Josh Reaume(i), RAM, Engine, 10, $14458.

        31. (30) Ryan Ellis, Chevrolet, Engine, 0, $12958.

    Average Speed of Race Winner:  83.476 mph.
    Time of Race:  01 Hrs, 53 Mins, 07 Secs. Margin of Victory:  1.665 Seconds.
    Caution Flags:  5 for 13 laps.
    Lead Changes:  14 among 6 drivers.
    Lap Leaders:   A. Tagliani(i) 1-6; E. Jones # 7-12; C. Hayley # 13-25; C. Custer 26; A. Tagliani(i) 27; C. Custer 28-36; E. Jones # 37; M. Crafton 38; T. Bell(i) 39; C. Custer 40-46; E. Jones # 47; C. Custer 48-52; E. Jones # 53-61; A. Tagliani(i) 62; E. Jones # 63-64.
    Leaders Summary (Driver, Times Lead, Laps Led):  C. Custer 4 times for 22 laps; E. Jones # 5 times for 19 laps; C. Hayley # 1 time for 13 laps; A. Tagliani(i) 3 times for 8 laps; M. Crafton 1 time for 1 lap; T. Bell(i) 1 time for 1 lap.
    Top 10 in Points: E. Jones # – 590; M. Crafton – 587; T. Reddick – 575; J. Sauter – 535; D. Hemric # – 500; C. Hayley # – 489; T. Peters – 470; J. Townley – 466; S. Gallagher # – 452; B. Kennedy – 451.

  • Toyota NCWTS CTMP Post-Race Notes & Quotes

    Toyota NCWTS CTMP Post-Race Notes & Quotes

    TOYOTA NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS)
    Post-Race Notes & Quotes
    Canadian Tire Motorsports Park – August 30, 2015

    • Tundra driver Erik Jones was victorious in Sunday’s NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) race at Canadian Tire Motorsports Park (CTMP).
    • Jones started second and led 19 laps (of 64) over five stints in Bowmanville, Ontario to capture the checkered flag.
    • With his victory, Jones now leads the NCWTS point standings and has a three-point advantage over Tundra driver Matt Crafton, who finished second on the 2.5-mile circuit and led one lap.
    • Toyota has now won at every active NCWTS track. With Jones’ victory, Kyle Busch Motorsports has won at each active NCWTS track except Atlanta Motor Speedway.
    • Tundra driver Ben Kennedy finished third at CTMP to tie his career-best finish. Kennedy previously finished third at Atlanta Motor Speedway and Virginia’s Martinsville Speedway.
    • In addition to the results by Jones, Crafton and Kennedy, Tundra drivers Johnny Sauter (sixth) and Cameron Hayley (seventh) also finished in the top-10 overall.
    • Calgary, Alberta-native Hayley led 13 laps in his home country after starting seventh.
    • Tundra driver Brian Wong recorded a 12th-place result in his NCWTS debut.
    • Jones currently leads the unofficial NCWTS point standings with a three-point advantage over Crafton following CTMP. Tundra drivers Sauter (fourth), Cameron Hayley (sixth), Timothy Peters (seventh) and Ben Kennedy (10th) are also in the top-10 in the NCWTS point standings after 15 of the 23 events in 2015.

     

    ERIK JONES, No. 4 Toyota Tundra, Kyle Busch Motorsports
    Finishing Position: 1st
    How does it feel to win on a road course?
    “It’s awesome – especially winning with (Alex) Tagliani here and all these guys. This is a good piece. We built it last year, improved on it for this year and pretty happy to get this KBM (Kyle Busch Motorsports) Toyota Tundra in victory lane. It’s just an awesome day. Joe Gibbs Racing Engines, Camping World, the fans – thank you. Just a great day. It’s awesome to get back in victory lane here again and hopefully get things rolling for the next few weeks.”What were you thinking during the final restart?
    “I knew we had to clear him (Alex Tagliani) in (turn) one and if we didn’t clear him in one that (turns) two and three were going to be tough and he was obviously wanting to win bad. We raced hard and hopefully we put on a good show. It was fun to be out there and have him chase you down. It’s nerve wracking and you’re doing all you can and wondering how he’s finding speed in some corners and you’re not. It’s just cool to see it play out like that and get the lead real late and be able to hold it off and bring home the win.”Was it important to capture your second NCWTS win of the year?
    “It’s nice. One win was great, but it’s always nice to get multiple wins in a season and hopefully we can get this Tundra back to victory lane a few more times before the season is out. Great day, a great truck and a great team. We brought such a good truck off the trailer that it really honestly made the whole weekend pretty easy. (Alex) Tagliani was fast all weekend and obviously was fast at the end. Just fun to race those guys. Joe Gibbs Racing Engines, Camping World, the fans – thank you all. What a day. So awesome to get a road course win. It’s only my second road course start, so just cool to be here and so happy to get another win for these guys.”

    How have you become so talented on this road course so quickly?
    “I did go to a school actually last year before I came here. I went to the Ron Fellows school and then this year I went to the Bondurant School with Chris Cook as well, so a couple of different mentalities between the two schools and just kind of merged together what I could pick up. I saw it as if, ‘Hey, if I can get a tenth each time I go to those schools, it’s worth it,’ and I feel like I did. Just kind of put all that together and came here for the first year and downloaded everything and tried to get a little bit better for this year and figure out where I needed to better and where I needed to improve and just kind of figured it out as I went I guess and it’s just fun. I just always enjoyed it from the start. It wasn’t something I went out and did and was like, ‘Oh, man, I don’t like this at all,’ so it’s just something that always was fun for me and I wanted to get good at.”

    RUDY FUGLE, crew chief, No. 4 Toyota Tundra, Kyle Busch Motorsports
    What was your strategy today?
    “It was sort of a conservative strategy with the points battle we were in – safe and good for tires and good fuel and making sure we were fine there. We just had all the speed all weekend that we needed to. We were right there with the 29 (Alex Tagliani) and depending on how things worked out, I knew we’d have a shot and the 00 (Cole Custer) was faster today than I thought he was going to be, so we had to deal with him. It all worked out and this is a great win up here.”

    How do you prepare to be successful at a road course?
    “First of all, setup stuff it starts back at the shop. It starts with Toyota and TRD (Toyota Racing Development) – all their support, all the tools that they have is why we’re as good as we are when we unload and get going. These races are won back at the shop and then once we get here, we see how things are going. I have a strategy and the team comes up with a strategy with my engineer and stuff and you just keep getting – you learn more, you learn what your fuel mileage is, you learn how the tires wear and you just take a guess at it and then there’s still a little bit of feel, you know? We almost missed the first pit stop with the caution coming out right when it did – it could have been way worse. It just worked out perfect where we didn’t get hurt. Some of that is just that race feel and experience and the difference there, but it’s definitely won at the shop –everybody back there and everybody back at Toyota.”

    MATT CRAFTON, No. 88 Ideal Door/Menards Toyota Tundra, ThorSport Racing
    Finishing Position: 2nd
    Could you have passed the leaders with one more restart?
    “Oh, I guarantee you we would have. It just would take our truck a lap or so to get going. I said the 4 (Erik Jones) and the 29 (Alex Tagliani) got away from me right there, but coming to the checkered it really starts coming to me and I felt like I could make a run at it then. I didn’t really want to see that last yellow, but I said it worked out and top-two finish – not too bad especially for where we were two years ago. Two years ago we were disgraced. I was pretty embarrassed. I knew I wasn’t that bad on a road course and Junior (Joiner, crew chief) and these guys worked so hard and brought something back a lot better last year and, like I said, they worked on it again and made it that much better again this year. Hats off to those guys for bringing these awesome trucks and I’m the lucky guy that gets to drive them.”

    How does it feel to be just three points behind the NCWTS points leader?
    “I’m not worried about that. Like I said, we’re straight taking it one race at a time and see if we can lead some more laps, win some more races.”

    Will this momentum help moving forward?
    “Oh, it’s very good to have momentum. We’ve been very fast each and every week. Junior (Joiner, crew chief) and these guys bring awesome trucks. I’m just the lucky guy that gets to drive them. To finish second here just knowing how bad we were two years ago and what wasn’t the best last year, so to have that momentum going into this last stretch that we’re going into is definitely huge for us.”

    BEN KENNEDY, No. 11 Local Motors Toyota Tundra, Red Horse Racing
    Finishing Position: 3rd
    How were you so fast all weekend long?
    “Yeah, we really were. These guys – the Local Motors team did an awesome job and I’m really happy for us to kind of rebound like this after the whole season we’ve had. We struggled a little bit on the restarts in (turn) one. That outside line was definitely the preferred line. If you got your nose up there, you could carry it through (turn) two and usually clear them. Really happy to bring it home third. This is awesome for our team. It’s a big momentum shift for us and hopefully we can carry it on to Chicagoland.”

    JOHNNY SAUTER, No. 98 Nextant/Curb Records Toyota Tundra, ThorSport Racing
    Finishing Position: 6th

    CAMERON HAYLEY, No. 13 Cabinets by Hayley/Carolina Nut Company Toyota Tundra, ThorSport Racing
    Finishing Position: 7th

    Are you proud of your finish in a home race?

    “We had great Cabinets by Hayley Tundra this weekend here in Canada. We got a little tight towards the end of the race and could never really gain much momentum on the leaders. It was great leading laps here in front of the hometown crowd. I love racing in Canada and the support I had all weekend from the great fans up here was fantastic.”

    GRAY GAULDING, No. 54 Krispy Kreme Toyota Tundra, Kyle Busch Motorsports
    Finishing Position: 11th
    What happened in the incident with Tyler Reddick?

    “I felt like we had a pretty good Toyota Tundra. KBM (Kyle Busch Motorsports) gave me a great truck. I just – we were probably going to have a good top-five, top-six, top-seven. We just – the truck was just a little bit tight, but 19 (Tyler Reddick) just decided to crash us. It’s all good. It’s just how it goes sometimes. You’ve just got to roll with the punches and go on to the next one. I just hate the fact that we were going to have a good run and it just got thrown away by a stupid move for no reason. Me and him were both better than the trucks in front of us and we were probably going to pass them, still a few laps to go and something dumb like that happens. It’s unacceptable, but, hey, it’s racing. It’s how it goes and we’ll move on to Loudon (New Hampshire Motor Speedway).”

    BRIAN WONG, No. 25 Momofuku/GT Channel Toyota Tundra, Venturini Motorsports
    Finishing Position: 12th

    TIMOTHY PETERS, No. 17 Gaunt Collision Centres Toyota Tundra, Red Horse Racing
    Finishing Position: 22nd

    MATT TIFFT, No. 51 Rally for Kids with Cancer Toyota Tundra, Kyle Busch Motorsports
    Finishing Position: 23rd
    How was your race?

    “We had a good run going and we were knocking on the door and then just had contact with the 15 truck (Mason Mingus) going into turn one and it caused us to blow the left front tire going into (turn) three and that pretty much ended our day going into the barriers there. Had a good Tundra – just didn’t get to put it together today. Hope to come back strong in Chicago.”