ROAD COURSE - NO PROBLEM: Red Horse Racing driver Germán Quiroga has been looking forward to the Canadian Tire Motorsport Park race all season long. The three-time Mexico Series champion has road course racing under his belt because road course racing is part of that series. The No. 77 OtterBox Toyota Tundra driver also has a Nationwide Series start at the Mexico City road course where he led nine laps.
In preparations for the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park (CTMP), Red Horse Racing went through two different avenues. Quiroga along with his teammates Timothy Peters and John Wes Townley took a trip to Bondurant driving school in Phoenix, Arizona in June for a two day training session on the techniques of road course racing. The team took their skills from Bondurant to a test at Virginia International Raceway (VIR). The team is prepared as any to race around the 2.46-mile road course.
OTTERBOX®: As the Series crosses the border, so does OtterBox with Germán Quiroga and his No. 77 Toyota Tundra team. OtterBox will serve as primary sponsor for the 64-lap race around the Canadian Tire Motorsport Park. The company known for their protective solutions for the leading global handheld manufacturers, wireless carriers and distributors will sport the OtterBox yellow and black paint scheme. For more information on OtterBox visit www.OtterBox.com.
CHASSIS HISTORY: The No. 77 OtterBox Toyota Tundra team will unload Chassis No. 103 this weekend to turn left and right at the Canadian Tire Motorsport Park. Most recently the chassis got a little dirty at Eldora Speedway. In addition, the chassis finished in the runner-up position at Bristol Motor Speedway in 2012 and competed in three races (Phoenix International Raceway, Kansas Speedway, Texas Motor Speedway) in 2011.
MEET & GREET: Quiroga, along with teammates John Wes Townley and Timothy Peters will join the NASCAR Camping world Truck Series drivers for an autograph session on Saturday, August 31st from 1:45 - 2:45 pm in Paddock G in the north/west corner next to the Truck Series Garage.
REARVIEW MIRROR - BRISTOL: Germán Quiroga made his debut at Bristol Motor Speedway in the NET10 Wireless Toyota Tundra and was fast from the start. The driver qualified fifth and stayed in the top-10 for the majority of the race. Quiroga suffered a fuel issue and crossed the finish line in the 21st position.
Germán Quiroga on Canadian Tire Motorsport Park:
You have a lot of road course experience from the NASCAR Mexico Series. Do you feel like you have an advantage?
"I think the race will be equal for everyone because it's the first time the Truck Series will be at the track. I would say that I might have a small advantage because of my experience in the Mexico Series -- I'm certainly not at a disadvantage by any means. Hopefully we will use that and put our No. 77 OtterBox Toyota Tundra in contention for the win.
How do you think your visit to Bondurant and VIR will help you?
"Working with the coaches at Bondurant made me realize things that as a driver, how or why I was doing them. It helped me to be a better driver for sure. I'm going to use that so that I can go a little faster this weekend. The test at VIR was good for the team. It gave us an idea of what we want and how we want our Toyota Tundra to be. Hopefully we can utilize that information and be close on our setup when we unload."
RHR PR
RIGHT AND LEFT: Turning left and right isn't new for the driver of the No. 17 Parts Plus Toyota Tundra. Timothy Peters cut his teeth racing go-karts and earned 10 World Karting Association National titles. With momentum on his side, the Red Horse Racing driver is planning on keeping all four tires on the blacktop to earn the best finish possible on his championship hunt.
In preparations for the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park (CTMP), Red Horse Racing went through two different avenues. Peters along with his teammates Germán Quiroga and John Wes Townley took a trip to Bondurant driving school in Phoenix, Arizona in June for a two day training session on the techniques of road course racing. The team took their skills from Bondurant to a test at Virginia International Raceway (VIR). The team is prepared as any to race around the 2.46-mile road course.
IT'S YOUR BIRTHDAY: Timothy Peters will celebrate his 33rd birthday on Thursday, August 29th. Peters not only shares his birthday with NASCAR Hall of Fame nominee Wendell Scott, they also share the same home town of Danville, VA. Be sure to send @TimothyPeters17 a Happy Birthday tweet.
PARTS PLUS: Parts Plus joins Timothy Peters as primary sponsor on his No. 17 Toyota Tundra as the Series crosses the border this weekend to Bowmanville, Ontario. The Memphis-based warehouse distributor originated more than 56 years ago tracing back to a series of jobber programs. Since 2005, Parts Plus has been a member of the Automotive Distribution Network that has over 300 member distributors under five brand names and from over 400 separate warehouses across the United States, Mexico, Canada and Puerto Rico. For more information on Parts Plus and locations near you, visit PartsPlus.com.
CHASSIS HISTORY: Timothy Peters and his No. 17 Parts Plus Toyota Tundra team will unload chassis No. 137 this weekend at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park. Peters last raced his chassis at Martinsville Speedway where he qualified third and finished fifth. Last fall at Martinsville, Peters put chassis 137 on the pole, setting a new track record of 96.411 mph (19.641 sec.).
MEET & GREET: Peters, along with teammates Germán Quiroga and John Wes Townley will join the NASCAR Camping world Truck Series drivers for an autograph session on Saturday, August 31st from 1:45 - 2:45 pm in Paddock G in the north/west corner next to the Truck Series Garage.
REARVIEW MIRROR - BRISTOL: Timothy Peters and the No. 17 Parts Plus Toyota Tundra took on the role of a modern day gladiator as he battled his way around Bristol Motor Speedway. Peters captured the race lead on lap 63 and was determined to repeat his win at the half-mile. A late race caution forced the Tundra team to make a last minute decision to stay out on track with less than 10 laps to go. On the restart, Peters suffered a fuel issue and fell back to fourth. In spite of this Peters fought his way back through the field with seven laps to go. Peters battled for the lead all the way to the checkered flag spinning out as he captured the second-place finish. The second-place finish moves Peters up two positions in the driver point standings to fifth.
Timothy Peters on Canadian Tire Motorsport Park:
What are you most anxious/nervous about racing at CTMP?
"I'm really anxious. I know my only experience is behind the wheel of a go-kart but I think we will do well. It'll be like a riding a bike. Hopefully we'll pull off a good finish in our Parts Plus Tundra."
How will the test at VIR and Bondurant help you at CTMP?
"I think the most important aspect of both Bondurant and VIR was learning the technique with how you work the wheel and brake the left and right. They teach you a lot about eye sight and that you have to look at things differently. When we went to Bondurant, we were in a street car. The best part about it was learning the technique on how to approach and attack the corners differently. It really helped me when we went on to the test at VIR. I knew to be smooth with the throttle and when to use it and always be looking."
RHR PR
In preparations for the Truck Series race at CTMP, Red Horse Racing went through two different avenues. Townley along with his teammates Germán Quiroga and Timothy Peters took a trip to Bondurant driving school in Phoenix, Arizona in June for a two day training session on the techniques of road course racing. The team took their skills from Bondurant to a test at Virginia International Raceway (VIR). The team is prepared as any to race around the 2.46-mile road course.
NEW MENU ITEMS AT ZAXBY'S: Zaxby's, a southeast favorite for chicken fingers and wings, has been indescribably good for more than 20 years. The Athens, Georgia based chain offers its guests prepared-at-order Chicken Fingerz, Traditional or Boneless Wings, sandwiches, Zalads and Zappetizers, along with a variety of nine sauces ranging from Wimpy and Tongue Torch to Nuclear and Insane. Mixing things up, guests can now enjoy Zaxby's new Cobb Zalad through summer's end. Additionally, Zaxby's offers a new line of premium milkshakes including the popular Birthday Cake and Banana Pudding Milkshakes and the new Chocolate Cookie Milkshake. The company operates more than 575 locations in 13 states. John Wes Townley will compete with Zaxby's serving as primary sponsor for the entire 22 Truck Series race schedule. For more information, please visit zaxbys.com, facebook.com/zaxbys or follow on Twitter @Zaxbys.
CHASSIS HISTORY: The No. 7 Zaxby's Toyota Tundra will be racing Chassis No. 132 at the Series first visit to Canadian Tire Motorsport Park. Most recently, Townley raced this chassis at the historic dirt track of Eldora Speedway. Prior to Eldora, the chassis was last seen on track at Homestead-Miami Speedway in 2011 and earlier that year at New Hampshire Motor Speedway and Lucas Oil Raceway where it finished 10th and fourth respectively.
MEET & GREET: Townley, along with teammates Germán Quiroga and Timothy Peters will join the NASCAR Camping world Truck Series drivers for an autograph session on Saturday, August 31st from 1:45 - 2:45 pm in Paddock G in the north/west corner next to the Truck Series Garage.
REARVIEW MIRROR - BRISTOL: John Wes Townley came to Bristol Motor Speedway with high hopes after a career best finish at Michigan International Speedway. While the UNOH 200 turned out to be less than desired for Townley and the No. 7 Zaxby's Toyota Tundra team, he managed to demonstrate his ability to drive under difficult conditions. Townley qualified in the 22nd position and managed to pick off one truck at a time. Townley raced his way into the top-15 and was racing in the 12th position when he spun coming out of turn four sustaining a fair amount of damage to his Tundra. The Zaxby's team secured the Tundra to get back out on track and finish 30th.
John Wes Townley on Canadian Tire Motorsport Park:
How will the test at Bondurant help you at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park?
"We weren't testing our Toyota Tundras, but it was a lot of good information to soak in over the course of two days. We learned very valuable information, as far as car control and the general line you would take going into turns on the road course. The most important piece I learned was how to downshift correctly and flip the throttle, all great techniques that the road course experts use. I didn't prefect the techniques but I am in a lot better shape heading into CTMP now."
How different do you think it will be being in a Tundra?
"Our Toyota Tundras will be a lot different. We were just driving production cars which are only about 2300-2400 pound cars. Our trucks are 3400 pounds, so the weight difference is significant as well as the balance. With standard production cars, their weight is split even from the front to the rear where our Trucks have more front weight than rear. Getting the truck to handle around sharp corners and the anti-locking breaks vs. non anti-locking breaks will be different. The overall experience was great and it will give my Zaxby's team a good foundation for techniques that I can polish on when I do get into the truck."
Crafton well-prepared for Silverado 250 debut
Matt Crafton hasn't road-raced in more than 13 years -- the time frame in which the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series last raced on a road course -- but Crafton and his No. 88 Ideal Door / Menards Toyota team feel they're ready for Sunday's Chevrolet Silverado 250 at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park in Bowmanville, Ontario, Canada.
"I'm looking forward to it," Crafton said. "I wish we had more than just one in the season to go race, but we'll make the best of the one we're going to race. I had a lot of fun doing it and we ran fairly well in the road-course racing that I've done."
Both Crafton and his crew chief, Carl "Junior" Joiner raced together on road courses, beginning in 1999 when Joiner joined Crafton's family-run team that won the 2000 championship in the NASCAR Featherlite Southwest Series for late model cars, ironically the last year the trucks road-raced, at Watkins Glen International.
Joiner thinks history will be in his and Crafton's favor -- even if a refresher course might be in order initially.
"Granted, we're going to have to be a little conservative on practice time to save our stuff, but I think we'll be good, and as long as we stay on the racetrack all day I think we'll be battling for a top-five and possibly a win at the end."
Crafton's maintained all season the road race at the former Mosport Park circuit is the next-to-last "wild card" race this season, with the Talladega round the final "bullet" he'll have to dodge as the Truck Series' point leader.
That's why Crafton, who's the only Truck Series driver to score a top-10 finish in all 13 races this season, tested there earlier this month with ThorSport Racing teammate Johnny Sauter.
"I went up there a couple weeks ago and drove a Canadian Tire Series car for the full day and I was very, very thankful that I went up there and did that because that place is going to be tough," Crafton said. "I'm just telling you the way I saw it, but it's a very, very cool and very fast road course.
"I ran quite a few road courses in my days in karts and the Southwest Tour, but (Canadian Tire Motorsport Park) is going to be interesting, to say the least. It's got very, very blind corners where you'll be blind for a good third of the corner before you can see (where) it's going."
"It's just about having good people," Crafton said. "I've got great people, great trucks each and every week. When we're off and there's places -- like we almost got lapped at Martinsville and made some really good adjustments on the truck and came back and finished second.
"That's the difference from last year and previous years -- we've been able to work on our trucks and make them so much better throughout a race. It's just all about the guys."
Crafton and Joiner hope it's more of the same this weekend. Joiner, at least has an idea what he's going to try to do.
"You're going to have to pit right when you get in your window and then, just hope you stay on the racetrack and be smart."
Joiner also puts quite a lot of stock in Crafton's test.
"I think the fact that Matt tested there puts us a step ahead, for sure," Joiner said. "We're not going in quite as blind as we would have, if we knew absolutely nothing. As far as setting up the truck, it won't really help us but as far as Matt's knowledge and him being a little more comfortable with his shifting points and braking points -- that will be similar, though of course we'll be going faster.
"It'll just be up to us to give him a good, solid truck -- like we always try to -- make sure nothing falls off it and then it'll be his job to stay on the racetrack and keep all the fenders on it for the end because I'm sure there'll be a yellow at the end and then everybody will have a shot at it."
Ron Hornaday and David Starr are the only current Truck Series drivers that have road-raced a NCWTS truck, so the weekend has plenty of track time. On Friday, two Truck Series practice sessions are scheduled, from 11:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. ET, and again from 2:30-5 p.m.
"It's going to be interesting," Crafton said. "Seven hours of practice... I would sit back and watch if I didn't have to be driving."
Two more hours of Truck Series practice are scheduled Saturday, from 9:30-10:30 a.m. and 12-1 p.m. Coors Light Pole Qualifying to set the starting lineup is scheduled for 5:05 p.m.
The 64-lap, 157.37-mile Chevrolet Silverado 250 will be telecast live on FOX Sports 1 at 1:30 p.m., preceded at 1 p.m. by The Setup pre-race show. MRN Radio's live broadcast begins at 1:30.
Thorsport PR
Ortiz Scores Career Best Finish of Second at VIR
Bryan Ortiz (@BryanORacing) went into the race weekend at Virginia International Raceway (VIR) with confidence unmatched at any track he’s raced at in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series (NKNPS) East. The driver from Puerto Rico has experience racing at VIR in the Grand-AM series, and was looking forward to the first NKNPS East race at a road course since 2010. Ortiz ran near the front of the field all day, and relied on his road course background to bring his No. 4 Rev Racing Toyota Camry to a second place finish.
It was a tough day for the other three Rev Racing drivers. Daniel Suarez (@DnlSuarez) took the lead on lap 10 and battled up front the rest of the race before engine failure ended his night early on lap 50. Ryan Gifford (@RyanGifford2) raced his way up front after qualifying 12th, he ran in the top-five and even led a lap before engine failure ended his day. This was Mackena Bell’s (@MackenaBell) first race on a road course. The rookie driver ran consistent all day and came home 17th.
Ryan Gifford (No. 2 NASCAR Technical Institute/UTI Toyota Camry) – It was an unfortunate night for Gifford who raced his way to the front after qualifying 12th. He ran in the top-five and even led a lap, before engine failure ended his night early. He’s currently fifth in points.
Bryan Ortiz (No. 4 Rev Racing Toyota Camry) – Ortiz ran near the front of the field all day after qualifying second, and relied on his road course background to bring his No. 4 Rev Racing Toyota Camry to a second place finish. This was his career best finish in the series.
Daniel Suarez (No. 6 Visit Acapulco Toyota Camry) – Suarez was fast all weekend, and put himself in position to battle for the lead early on by qualifying third. He was able to pass the race leader on lap 10. Suarez led the next 17 laps and battled up front the rest of the race before his night ended early due to engine failure on lap 50. He’s currently eighth in points.
Mackena Bell (No. 21 Toyota Racing Development Toyota Camry) – This was Bell’s first time competing on a road course. The rookie driver was patient throughout the race and gained valuable road course racing experience, she came home with a 17th place finish. Bell is currently 13th in points.
The next race for the drivers in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East will be next Monday, September 1, at Greenville-Pickens Speedway.
Rev Racing PR
Kyle Larson NNS Preview: Atlanta Motor Speedway
Pickin' Them Peaches...The NASCAR Nationwide Series (NNS) heads to Atlanta Motor Speedway (AMS) for their only stop at the 1.54-mile track this season. Kyle Larson will make his NNS debut at AMS in Saturday night's Great Clips/Grit Chips 300; however, the young driver does have one previous start at the Hampton, Ga. track. Larson competed for Turner Scott Motorsports (TSM) at AMS last season, finishing sixth in only his second NASCAR Camping World Truck Series start.
Lookin' Fly...Cessna returns as primary sponsor on the No. 32 this weekend at AMS. This marks the sixth time Cessna has adorned the No. 32. In the previous five starts, Larson has three top-10 finishes, including a second-place finish at Michigan in June. Cessna, the world's leading general aviation company, has designed, produced and delivered more than 193,500 airplanes around the globe. This includes more than 6,300 Citation business jets, making it the largest fleet of business jets in the world.
This Week's Camaro...Crew chief Trent Owens and the No. 32 Cessna team will bring chassis TSM-403 to this weekend's race at Atlanta Motor Speedway. This chassis has been used only once, earlier this year at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, where Larson overcame a part failure to bring home an 11th-place finish.
Watch and Listen...The Great Clips/Grit Chips 300 at AMS will be broadcast on ESPN2, with pre-race coverage beginning at 7:00 p.m. EDT. The race will also be broadcast live on PRN Radio as well as SiriusXM Satellite Radio, channel 90.
Previous Race Recap...After finishing second in the spring race, Larson and his No. 32 Cottonelle team traveled to Bristol Motor Speedway with high hopes for the NASCAR Nationwide Series' second and final trip of the 2013 season to the 0.533-mile track. Larson was consistently fast, setting the fifth-fastest time in practice and qualifying in the top five for Friday night's event. The 21-year-old spent the entire 250-lap race in the top 10, leading 22 laps before finishing the Food City 250 in the fifth position.
Trent Owens on Atlanta Motor Speedway
"The team is ready to head to Atlanta and see what our car can do. We went to Nashville to test this week and continue to work on our mile-and-a-half program. Kyle has impressed me all season, so I have no doubt he can go out and contend in his first Nationwide Series race at Atlanta."
Kyle Larson on Atlanta Motor Speedway
Justin Allgaier NNS Preview: Atlanta Motor Speedway
The Peach State...The NASCAR Nationwide Series (NNS) heads to its one and only stop at Atlanta Motor Speedway (AMS) this Labor Day weekend for Saturday night racing. Justin Allgaier will make his fifth start this weekend at the 1.54-mile oval. Last year, he led 13 laps and finished in the fifth position in the No. 31 BRANDT Chevrolet Camaro.
This Week's Camaro...This weekend the No. 31 Wolf Pack Energy Services Chevrolet team will utilize chassis TSM-404. TSM-404 has raced one time this season at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Wolf Pack Energy Services...This week the No. 31 Turner Scott Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro welcomes aboard Wolf Pack Energy Services. Wolf Pack Energy Services is a diversified company supplying a wide range of products and services to the oil and gas industry - from top-quality wellsite accommodations to oil and gas industry rental equipment and pipe storage, inspection, threading and refurbishing. To learn more, visit www.WolfPackEnergy.com.
Meet Justin...Allgaier will appear for a fan Q&A at AMS's Club One on Saturday, August 31 at 3:15 p.m. Allgaier will also appear at the Chevy stage located in the AMS Fan Zone on Saturday, August 31 at 6:15 p.m.
Recapping Bristol...The NNS made its second and final stop of the 2013 season at Bristol Motor Speedway (BMS) for racing underneath the Friday night lights. The one-day show meant a long day for Allgaier and the BRANDT racing team with a two hour, 50 minute practice session to start Friday morning. After running 146 laps in the only practice session of the weekend, Allgaier finished second on the practice chart. Qualifying for the Food City 250 began in the afternoon on Friday. After a short delay due to rain, Allgaier laid down a lap time of 15.382 seconds which put him in the fourth starting position for the 250-lap race and continued his streak of all top-10 starts in the fall race at BMS. After four cautions, three pit stops and staying in the top-10 all night, Allgaier brought his No. 31 BRANDT Professional Agriculture Chevrolet Camaro home in the fourth position for TSM.
Crew chief Scott Zipadelli on Atlanta Motor Speedway:
"Atlanta [Motor Speedway] is another mile-and-a-half track and we've been working on our program. We went to Nashville [Superspeedway] this week with a few of the other Chevrolet teams to work on our program, and we learned a lot. We have a couple of practice sessions this weekend, one in the evening which will be closer to race conditions and one in the morning. Justin has consistently improved every time he's been there, so I look forward to a great weekend."
Justin Allgaier on Atlanta Motor Speedway:
Nelson Piquet NNS Preview: Atlanta Motor Speedway
This Week's Camaro...The No. 30 WORX team will have chassis TSM-405 for Saturday night's race at AMS. TSM-405 is a brand new chassis for the No. 30 Turner Scott Motorsports team.
Bristol Recap...The NNS made its second and final stop of the 2013 season last weekend at the famed 0.533-mile Bristol Motor Speedway for the Food City 250. Working with new crew chief Pat Tryson for the first time, Nelson Piquet Jr. and his WORX Yard Tools team looked to get familiar with one another during the 250 lap race. Piquet Jr. and his Turner Scott Motorsports team started the weekend by qualifying 22nd at the "World's Fastest Half-Mile." After losing a cylinder during the middle portion of the race, Piquet Jr. and the No. 30 WORX Yard Tools team were credited with a 24th-place finish.
Yard Tools...Piquet Jr. will again display the WORX Yard Tools colors on the No. 30 this weekend at AMS. Established in 1994, WORX Yard Tools USA, based in Charlotte, N.C., is one of the fastest growing companies serving the global power equipment market today. A diversified manufacturer and marketer of a complete range of electric-powered lawn and garden equipment and related products, WORX has over 4000 employees worldwide. The WORX line-up includes innovative grass trimmers, chainsaws, lawn mowers, hedge trimmers, blowers and more. All WORX products are emission-free and feature intuitive functions, tool-less adjustments and best-of-industry ergonomics. You can find WORX yard tools at retailers such as Lowe's, Walmart, Sears, Amazon.com and local lawn & garden dealers. More information is available on the company's website, at www.WORX.com.
Come and See...Piquet Jr. will participate in a Q&A session at the Coca-Cola Fan Stage on Saturday, August 31 at 2:30 p.m.
Watch and Listen...The Great Clips/Grit Chips 300 can be seen live on Saturday, August 31 on ESPN2. Race coverage will begin at 7:00 p.m. EDT. The event can also be heard live on PRN Radio as well as SiriusXM Satellite Radio, channel 90.
Nelson Piquet Jr. on Atlanta Motor Speedway:
"I am looking forward to getting back on the track and racing under the lights again at Atlanta Motor Speedway this weekend. Atlanta is a very fast, high banked mile and a half oval. I have had some success there in the truck series, so hopefully some that success can carry over to the Nationwide Series. This will be the second weekend that Pat Tryson (new crew chief) and I are working together, so I am looking forward to our first practice on Friday evening. I think if we can find the right set-up and have a good couple practice sessions, we can bring the WORX Yard Tools Chevy home with a good finish on Saturday night."
TSM PR
Whitt and Takagi Together Again for Atlanta
Coming off of a top-15 finish at Bristol Motor Speedway, Cole Whitt will be back behind the wheel of the No. 44 Takagi Tankless Water Heaters Toyota for this weekend's Great Clips / Grit Chips 300 NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
Whitt will make his second Nationwide Series start at the fast 1.5-mile oval. Last year, Whitt earned an eighth place finish in his Nationwide Series debut at Atlanta and he hopes to capitalize on his fearless spirit to finish in the top-10 again.
"Atlanta is a really fast track," said Whitt, who will make his 11th start for TriStar Motorsports, under the lights, Saturday night. "Atlanta is definitely different than any other mile-and-a-half track on our schedule. It has multiple grooves so you are able to move around to figure out what works best with your car. Also, tire wear is a big thing. Once they're worn down you can slide all over the track," he said.
Takagi Tankless Water Heaters will be on the No. 44 Camry for the third time this season. In their first two outings, Whitt scored a 15th place finish at Michigan and a 17th place finish at Indianapolis. Having only competed in 10 of 23 events this year Whitt is currently 21st in the NASCAR Nationwide Series Driver Point Standings and has helped the No. 44 team maintain the 20th position in the Owners Point Standings. Tune in to the Great Clips / Grit Chips 300 from Atlanta Motor Speedway on Saturday, August 31st at 7:30 p.m. (EST) on ESPN2.
TMI PR
Sauter craving Silverado 250 road course return
"I love road racing," the driver of the No. 98 Carolina Nut Co. / Curb Records Toyota said after his last Truck Series race, at Bristol. "Even though I've only been able to do it three or four times, and it's been six or seven years since the last one, it's something that I thought I did OK at, so needless to say I think it's something that we can go up there and capitalize on it."
In fact, Sauter's actually competed in six NASCAR national series road-course races, two in the Cup Series and four more in the former Busch Series. Sauter started third and finished a career-best sixth in his third career road-course event, the 2006 Busch Series race in Mexico City.
Even more significantly, Sauter scored lead-lap finishes in five of his six starts, including both his Cup Series races, in his most recent road-course starts, in 2007 for HAAS CNC Racing, the forerunner of Stewart-Haas Racing. The only race Sauter didn't finish on the lead lap was the 2005 Watkins Glen Busch race, where his Phoenix Racing Chevrolet's engine broke.
In all, Sauter's raced at three different road courses: Mexico City, Watkins Glen and Sonoma. But more than anything, Sauter hopes a full-day test session earlier this month in a NASCAR Canadian Tire Series stock car at the former Mosport Park circuit that he did with his ThorSport Racing teammate, Truck Series point leader Matt Crafton, will pay dividends.
"Hopefully we'll have a good enough truck that we can go up there and do a good job," Sauter said of the new road-course Toyota Tundra his team recently finished. "Hopefully we'll have a shot at racing for the win.
"I think we'll be able to race there. It's going to be fast and qualifying will be important because track position will be important and pit strategy will be important as well -- no different than any other racetrack that we go to. But I think the guys with a little bit of road-racing experience might have a little bit of the upper hand."
The biggest ace up Sauter's sleeve might be his three-race-old crew chief, the three-time Truck Series champion Dennis Connor. Connor bagged a top-five finish in the Truck Series' last road race, at Watkins Glen in 2000 with three-time series champion Jack Sprague.
In fact, in 16 road-course races over six years, Connor guided his drivers to 11 top-five finishes and 13 top 10s -- including top-five finishes at all four road courses he raced at with a truck. Connor also recorded a top-10 finish as a Cup Series crew chief with Ken Schrader at Watkins Glen.
"Some of these guys weren't even out of diapers, the last road race we ran with the trucks," Connor said, chuckling. "I think it's an extremely good opportunity for the 98 crew to excel because of how basically strong they are, coupled with the experience I have on the road courses we raced previously with the trucks.
"I kind of know how the trucks work on a road course, how you call the races and Johnny definitely knows how to drive 'em. If we can just go up there with a good truck -- which we've had everywhere we've been so far, thanks to the guys on this team -- we can finish turning this thing around, completely."
Connor joined the team three races ago, at Pocono and after being victimized by erratically-driving opponents at Pocono and Michigan the team finally got a fourth-place finish at Bristol, which propelled them to ninth in the championship, only 17 points out of the top five in the standings, while they're 89 points behind Crafton.
Sauter hopes his test will give him a little bit of a leg up on his competitors, especially given the unforgiving nature of the track owned by part-time NASCAR driver and Canadian legend Ron Fellows, a multiple Truck Series road-race winner.
"The most eye-opening aspect of the track was just how fast it is," said Sauter, who this season has already won on one of the series' fastest (Daytona) and slowest (Martinsville) tracks. "It's an extremely fast racetrack, which is cool and I like that. You leave Turn 5b and you're grabbing gears and you're in fourth gear going over elevation changes and it takes your breath away.
"You come up to a hard right-hand corner at the end of it all and you can't see where you're going when you get there. So you've got to trust your spotters and just trust everything."
Two more hours of Truck Series practice are scheduled Saturday, from 9:30-10:30 a.m. and 12-1 p.m. Coors Light Pole Qualifying to set the starting lineup is scheduled for 5:05 p.m.
The 64-lap, 157.37-mile Chevrolet Silverado 250 will be telecast live on FOX Sports 1 at 1:30 p.m., preceded at 1 p.m. by The Setup pre-race show. MRN Radio's live broadcast begins at 1:30.
Thorsport PR