Malsam Settles for 23rd-Place Finish at Iowa Speedway

Tayler Malsam and his Turner Scott Motorsports (TSM) team battled handling issues on Friday night as the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) raced under the lights at Iowa Speedway during the American Ethanol 200. No stranger to the 0.875-mile track, Malsam arrived with one previous NCWTS start, as well as three Nationwide Series starts at the Newton, Iowa facility. The one-day show kicked off with a lengthy practice session where Malsam ran 30 laps, laying down the 18th-fastest time among the field without a mock-qualifying run. Due to severe weather in the area, the final NCWTS truck practice was cancelled and the No. 32 team prepared to qualify just hours later. Although not the outcome he had hoped for, the 25-year old found himself battling his Chevrolet Silverado during his qualifying laps and had no choice but to settle for a 22nd-place starting position for the 200-lap night race. As the green flag waved at the Midwest track, Malsam told crew chief Mike Hillman Jr. that his Outerwall Chevy was extremely tight. The first caution arose on lap 40 and Hillman called Malsam to pit road for four Goodyear tires, Sunoco fuel and several adjustments to help with the handling issues. Despite the teams’s efforts, the No. 32 truck remained tight throughout the next two yellow flags, forcing Malsam to battle the racetrack each lap. On lap 125, a frustrated Malsam revisited pit road for four tires and yet another air-pressure adjustment; but once again, the No. 32 Outerwall truck remained tight all around. By the time the field had reached its final laps, Malsam was three laps down and running outside the top 20. Malsam and his TSM team refused to give up throughout the race, but ultimately the No. 32 Outerwall Chevrolet crossed the finish line in 23rd position.

 

Tayler Malsam on Racing at Iowa Speedway 

“That was such a disappointing night for us. I wanted nothing more than to go out there this weekend and show everyone what we were capable of; it definitely went the complete opposite for us though. We struggled with handling throughout the entire day and as the track conditions changed, things seemed to get worse. I really wasn’t able to make any passes or work with any other track position all night. It was really frustrating for me, as well as the entire team. This is racing though; you have your good nights and you have your bad nights. All we can do is shake it off, put it behind us and move on. I’m looking forward to being back in the Outerwall truck in Michigan and I hope we can get ourselves a little redemption.”

 

TSM PR