Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Top-10 finish for Truex at Michigan
Martin Truex Jr. and the NAPA/TireMonkey.com racing team finished Sunday’s Carfax 400 race in eighth place and claimed the sixth top-10 finish for Michael Waltrip Racing.
“Overall, it was a good day for the NAPA Toyota,” Truex said. “Pat (Tryson, crew chief) did a really good job calling the race.”
Truex started the Michigan International Speedway race in ninth place and stuck within the top-12 for much of the race. When a caution came with about 45 laps to go, Tryson kept Truex on the track while most of the front runners pitted. Because of Tryson’s decision, the NAPA Toyota restarted second and quickly took to the front of the field for five laps. Truex pitted during the following caution and battled his way to eighth place when the checkered flag waved. He remains 20th in the point standings.
“We were a lot better than we were here last time,” Truex said. “The guys are working good and making the cars better and we feel good about that."
By taking a gamble and staying out on old tires, Kevin Harvick was able to catch Denny Hamlin with only 10 laps to go and ultimately pull ahead. In third place was Carl Edwards.
The Sprint Cup series returns to action Saturday night for the Irwin Tools Night Race at Bristol Motor Speedway in Tennessee.
Race information courtesy of Michael Waltrip Racing.
“Overall, it was a good day for the NAPA Toyota,” Truex said. “Pat (Tryson, crew chief) did a really good job calling the race.”
Truex started the Michigan International Speedway race in ninth place and stuck within the top-12 for much of the race. When a caution came with about 45 laps to go, Tryson kept Truex on the track while most of the front runners pitted. Because of Tryson’s decision, the NAPA Toyota restarted second and quickly took to the front of the field for five laps. Truex pitted during the following caution and battled his way to eighth place when the checkered flag waved. He remains 20th in the point standings.
“We were a lot better than we were here last time,” Truex said. “The guys are working good and making the cars better and we feel good about that."
By taking a gamble and staying out on old tires, Kevin Harvick was able to catch Denny Hamlin with only 10 laps to go and ultimately pull ahead. In third place was Carl Edwards.
The Sprint Cup series returns to action Saturday night for the Irwin Tools Night Race at Bristol Motor Speedway in Tennessee.
Race information courtesy of Michael Waltrip Racing.
Labels: Bristol Motor Speedway, Carl Edwards, Denny Hamlin, Irwin Tools Night Race, Kevin Harvick, Martin Truex Jr., Michael Waltrip Racing, Michigan International Speedway, NAPA Auto Parts, TireMonkey.com
Another accident claims Monkey truck
For the second week in a row, an accident took the TireMonkey.com No. 12 Chevrolet Silverado out of the running.
Driver Mario Gosselin’s truck became loose during lap 96 of the Too Tough To Tame 200 race on Saturday and struck the wall of the Darlington Raceway before clipping Ricky Carmichael’s No. 4 truck. Both trucks were unable to complete the race, and Gosselin finished in 23rd place.
Gosselin started the race in 23rd place after posting a time of 30.352 seconds at 162.019 mph on the South Carolina 1.366-mile oval. He climbed to 17th place by lap 20 before falling behind.
Also for the second week in a row, Todd Bodine took home the checkered-flag finish. Trailing were Timothy Peters of the No. 17 truck, Ron Hornaday of the No. 33 truck, Johnny Sauter of the No. 13 truck and Austin Dillon in the No. 3 truck.
The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series’ next stop is Bristol Motor Speedway for the O’Reilly 200 race on Wednesday.
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Driver Mario Gosselin’s truck became loose during lap 96 of the Too Tough To Tame 200 race on Saturday and struck the wall of the Darlington Raceway before clipping Ricky Carmichael’s No. 4 truck. Both trucks were unable to complete the race, and Gosselin finished in 23rd place.Gosselin started the race in 23rd place after posting a time of 30.352 seconds at 162.019 mph on the South Carolina 1.366-mile oval. He climbed to 17th place by lap 20 before falling behind.
Also for the second week in a row, Todd Bodine took home the checkered-flag finish. Trailing were Timothy Peters of the No. 17 truck, Ron Hornaday of the No. 33 truck, Johnny Sauter of the No. 13 truck and Austin Dillon in the No. 3 truck.
The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series’ next stop is Bristol Motor Speedway for the O’Reilly 200 race on Wednesday.
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Labels: Austin Dillon, Darlington Raceway, Johnny Sauter, Mario Gosselin, Ron Hornaday, TireMonkey.com, Todd Bodine, Too Tough To Tame 200
Monday, August 9, 2010
"Heluva" spin creates trouble for Truex at the Glen
NAPA Auto Parts / TireMonkey.com driver Martin Truex Jr. overcame a mid-race spin to post a 15th-place finish Sunday in the Heluva Good! Sour Cream Dips race. The Watkins Glen International race marked the second and final road course race of the 2010 NASCAR Sprint Cup season.
“The car wasn't where we needed it, but we battled and got a decent finish with it,” Truex said.
Truex started the race in 25th place and worked his way into the top 15 by lap 23 of the 90-lap race. He raced mid-pack through the race’s middle stages but spun on lap 48 and dropped to 33rd place.
“We fought our way up there once and spun out because the brakes went away,” Truex said. “I was inside the 77 (Sam Hornish), trying to pass him, and instead of spinning him out, I just spun myself out because I didn't want to take him out.”
But Truex charged from the back and moved into the top-20 during lap 69. He kept advancing the scoring chart and ended the race with a top-15 finish—his tenth of the season.
Juan Montoya of the No. 42 car won the race with Kurt Busch and Marcos Ambrose falling into second and third place respectively.
The Michael Waltrip Racing team returns to action at 1 p.m. on Sunday during the Carfax 400 race at Michigan International Speedway.
Race information courtesy of Michael Waltrip Racing
“The car wasn't where we needed it, but we battled and got a decent finish with it,” Truex said.
Truex started the race in 25th place and worked his way into the top 15 by lap 23 of the 90-lap race. He raced mid-pack through the race’s middle stages but spun on lap 48 and dropped to 33rd place.
“We fought our way up there once and spun out because the brakes went away,” Truex said. “I was inside the 77 (Sam Hornish), trying to pass him, and instead of spinning him out, I just spun myself out because I didn't want to take him out.”
But Truex charged from the back and moved into the top-20 during lap 69. He kept advancing the scoring chart and ended the race with a top-15 finish—his tenth of the season.
Juan Montoya of the No. 42 car won the race with Kurt Busch and Marcos Ambrose falling into second and third place respectively.
The Michael Waltrip Racing team returns to action at 1 p.m. on Sunday during the Carfax 400 race at Michigan International Speedway.
Race information courtesy of Michael Waltrip Racing
Labels: Carfax 400, Juan Montoya, Kurt Busch, Marcos Ambrose, Martin Truex Jr., Michael Waltrip Racing, Sam Hornish, TireMonkey.com, Watkins Glen
Crash sidelines Gosselin at Nashville
A little more than a third of the race completed, a wicked crash sidelined TireMonkey.com driver Mario Gosselin and caused him to finish Saturday’s Nashville 200 race in 26th place.
Gosselin was running in fifth place when, at about lap 64, Joe Aramendia’s No. 1 truck struck the No. 12 truck. The collision sent Gosselin into the outside wall and smashed in the front of the TireMonkey.com truck.
“He needs to learn how to drive,” Gosselin said later.
NASCAR officials were said to investigate the incident. It occurred when no other traffic was present and Aramendia was five laps down. Aramendia ultimately completed 142 of the race’s 150 laps and finished in 21st place.
Todd Bodine of the No. 30 truck won the race. Behind him were Austin Dillon of the No. 3 truck in second place, Aric Almirola of the No. 51 truck in third place, Timothy Peters of the No. 17 truck in fourth place and Johnny Sauter of the No. 13 truck in fifth place.
Next up for the NASCAR Camping World Series is Saturday's Too Tough To Tame 200 race at Darlington Raceway in South Carolina on. All the action begins at 7 p.m. E.T.
Gosselin was running in fifth place when, at about lap 64, Joe Aramendia’s No. 1 truck struck the No. 12 truck. The collision sent Gosselin into the outside wall and smashed in the front of the TireMonkey.com truck.
“He needs to learn how to drive,” Gosselin said later. NASCAR officials were said to investigate the incident. It occurred when no other traffic was present and Aramendia was five laps down. Aramendia ultimately completed 142 of the race’s 150 laps and finished in 21st place.
Todd Bodine of the No. 30 truck won the race. Behind him were Austin Dillon of the No. 3 truck in second place, Aric Almirola of the No. 51 truck in third place, Timothy Peters of the No. 17 truck in fourth place and Johnny Sauter of the No. 13 truck in fifth place.
Next up for the NASCAR Camping World Series is Saturday's Too Tough To Tame 200 race at Darlington Raceway in South Carolina on. All the action begins at 7 p.m. E.T.
Labels: Aric Almirola, Austin Dillon, Darlington Raceway, Joe Armendia, Johnny Sauter, Mario Gosselin, Nashville 200, Timothy Peters, TireMonkey.com, Todd Bodine, Too Tough To Tame 200
Monday, August 2, 2010
Truex moves advances from 28th-place start to 9th-place finish at Pocono
That final pit stop made all the difference for Martin Truex Jr. Sunday during the Sunoco Red Cross Pennsylvania 500. That’s when crew chief Pat Tryson opted to take two tires for the No. 56 NAPA Auto Parts Toyota. The decision allowed Truex to restart seventh with 23 laps remaining in the race. Because most of the other teams elected to take four tires, Truex was able to hold off most of the field to cross the Pocono Raceway finish line in ninth place.
“A little bit of strategy played into it,” said Truex, a two-time Nationwide Series champion. “We were sitting about 12th before we took the two tires, so we gained a few spots. We were about a 12th or 15th-place car, and we finished ninth. That’s the kind of day we like to have and the kind of days we’ve needed to have the last two months – we’ve just been caught in wrecks.”
Greg Biffle of the No. 16 car won the race. Next came Tony Stewart of the No. 14 car, Carl Edwards in the No. 99 car and Kevin Harvick in the No. 29 car.
Truex started the race in 28th place after posting a time of 53.587 seconds at 167.951 mph. Truex’s No. 56 car came to life at about the 50-lap mark when it edged up from 22nd place to 17th place. By lap 123, he broke into the top 15. Truex’s car made contact with Edwards’ car during lap 132, but no damage was reported.
The race marks Truex’s fifth top-10 finish of the season, and he remains 20th in the Sprint Cup driver standings.
“I’m just glad we got a decent finish out of the NAPA Toyota, and I’m proud of all the guys on the team,” Truex said.
In fact, Truex’s team won the Mobil 1 Command Performance of the Race award.
Next up for the Sprint Cup Series is the Heluva Good! Sour Cream Dips at the Glen on Sunday, Aug. 8 in New York.
Race information courtesy of Michael Waltrip Racing
“A little bit of strategy played into it,” said Truex, a two-time Nationwide Series champion. “We were sitting about 12th before we took the two tires, so we gained a few spots. We were about a 12th or 15th-place car, and we finished ninth. That’s the kind of day we like to have and the kind of days we’ve needed to have the last two months – we’ve just been caught in wrecks.”
Greg Biffle of the No. 16 car won the race. Next came Tony Stewart of the No. 14 car, Carl Edwards in the No. 99 car and Kevin Harvick in the No. 29 car.
Truex started the race in 28th place after posting a time of 53.587 seconds at 167.951 mph. Truex’s No. 56 car came to life at about the 50-lap mark when it edged up from 22nd place to 17th place. By lap 123, he broke into the top 15. Truex’s car made contact with Edwards’ car during lap 132, but no damage was reported.
The race marks Truex’s fifth top-10 finish of the season, and he remains 20th in the Sprint Cup driver standings.
“I’m just glad we got a decent finish out of the NAPA Toyota, and I’m proud of all the guys on the team,” Truex said.
In fact, Truex’s team won the Mobil 1 Command Performance of the Race award.
Next up for the Sprint Cup Series is the Heluva Good! Sour Cream Dips at the Glen on Sunday, Aug. 8 in New York.
Race information courtesy of Michael Waltrip Racing
Labels: Greg Biffle, Heluva Good Sour Cream Dips, Martin Truex Jr., Michael Waltrip Racing, Pat Tryson, Pocono Raceway, Sunoco Red Cross Pennsylvania 500 race, TireMonkey.com, Tony Stewart
Sunday, August 1, 2010
Gosselin finishes inaugural Pocono Mountains 125 in 15th
Pocono Raceway’s unique 2.5-mile tri-oval has challenged NASCAR Cup Series since 1974, but the Truck Series took to the track for the first time Saturday during the inaugural Pocono Mountains 125.
TireMonkey.com driver Mario Gosselin started the race in 19th place and ultimately advanced the No. 12 Chevrolet Silverado to finish in 15th, putting him in 13th place in the driver standings. Elliott Sadler of the No. 2 truck won the race, his first in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. Next were Kasey Kahne of the No. 18 truck, Matt Crafton of the No. 88 truck, Aric Almirola of the No. 51 truck and Justin Lofton of the No. 7 truck.
The race featured six lead changes among four drivers and six cautions for 18 laps.
The next NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race, the Nashville 200 at Nashville Superspeedway, takes place on August 7.
TireMonkey.com driver Mario Gosselin started the race in 19th place and ultimately advanced the No. 12 Chevrolet Silverado to finish in 15th, putting him in 13th place in the driver standings. Elliott Sadler of the No. 2 truck won the race, his first in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. Next were Kasey Kahne of the No. 18 truck, Matt Crafton of the No. 88 truck, Aric Almirola of the No. 51 truck and Justin Lofton of the No. 7 truck.The race featured six lead changes among four drivers and six cautions for 18 laps.
The next NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race, the Nashville 200 at Nashville Superspeedway, takes place on August 7.
Labels: Chevrolet Silverado, Elliott Sadler, Kasey Kahne, Mario Gosselin, Pocono Mountains 125, Pocono Raceway, TireMonkey.com
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
No. 56's damage hinders Truex's performance at Indianapolis
Michael Waltrip Racing / TireMonkey.com driver Martin Truex Jr. saw a sure top-10 finish at Indianapolis spoiled in the final quarter of Sunday’s Brickyard 400 race when his No. 56 Toyota suffered front end damage during a restart. The accident took Truex out of contention for the victory.
“It's a shame,” Truex said. “We had a top-five Toyota and got back in traffic after a jack problem on our pit stop with about 40 to go. The restart bit us again when the cars started getting bunched up. We got damage to the nose and right side.”
Truex started the race in 12th place, but a late race pit stop for a loose wheel dropped him off the lead lap. Until then, the No. 56 looked to be the strongest Toyota and one of the strongest of all cars in the race, never venturing outside the top 10 except during pit stop cycles.
“The NAPA Know How crew did all they could,” Truex said. “It just didn't handle competitively after that, and then we had to pit late in the race for a vibration (loose right front wheel). I just hate it that our good runs are being taken away like this. I'm so disappointed.”
Truex’s 26th-place finish keeps him 20th in driver points. The NASCAR Sprint Cup series returns to action Sunday, Aug. 1, for the Sunoco Red Cross Pennsylvania 500 race at Pocono International Raceway.
“It's a shame,” Truex said. “We had a top-five Toyota and got back in traffic after a jack problem on our pit stop with about 40 to go. The restart bit us again when the cars started getting bunched up. We got damage to the nose and right side.”
Truex started the race in 12th place, but a late race pit stop for a loose wheel dropped him off the lead lap. Until then, the No. 56 looked to be the strongest Toyota and one of the strongest of all cars in the race, never venturing outside the top 10 except during pit stop cycles.
“The NAPA Know How crew did all they could,” Truex said. “It just didn't handle competitively after that, and then we had to pit late in the race for a vibration (loose right front wheel). I just hate it that our good runs are being taken away like this. I'm so disappointed.”
Truex’s 26th-place finish keeps him 20th in driver points. The NASCAR Sprint Cup series returns to action Sunday, Aug. 1, for the Sunoco Red Cross Pennsylvania 500 race at Pocono International Raceway.
Labels: Brickyard 400, Indianapolis, Martin Truex Jr., Michael Waltrip Racing, NAPA Know How, Pocono Raceway, Sunoco Red Cross Pennsylvania 500 race, TireMonkey.com
