RCR Post Race Report — Nashville
NASCAR Camping World Truck Series
RACE: Bully Hill Vineyards 200
TRACK: Nashville Superspeedway
DATE: April 22, 2011
Race Highlights:
• RCR teammates finished 11th (Austin Dillon) and 24th (Joey Coulter).
• Dillon started second and spent the first 108 laps running in the top three before a spin on lap 109 dropped him back in the running order.
• Coulter started 16th and finished 24th in his first appearance at Nashville Superspeedway.
• Despite his 11th-place showing, Dillon boasted an average running position of 7.5 during the race, ranking him fourth among all drivers.
• Dillon moved up one position in the NCWTS’ point standings, to sixth, and is now 12 markers outside of the top five.
• Coulter lost two positions in the NCWTS’ point standings, moving to 21st, just one marker outside of the top 20.
• Kyle Busch earned his 26th career NCWTS victory and was followed to the finish line by Nelson Piquet, Jr., Timothy Peters, Ron Hornaday and James Buescher.
• The next NCWTS race is a 200-miler at Dover International Speedway on Friday, May 13, televised live on SPEED and broadcast live on the Motor Racing Network and Sirius XM Satellite Radio beginning at 8:30 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time.
Austin Dillon Salvages an 11th-place Finish at Nashville Superspeedway Despite Late-Race Spin
Austin Dillon finished 11th in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at Nashville Superspeedway on Friday despite dropping back to as far as 23rd in the running order following a lap-108 spin in the No. 3 Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet. Dillon qualified second and started the 150-lap race on the outside front row, pitting under green-flag conditions on lap 51 for four Goodyear Tires, Sunoco Fuel and an air pressure adjustment designed to correct a loose-handling race truck. Dillon was in the eighth position following the pit stop, and drove his way up to second within two laps as pit stops cycled through for the 36-truck field. The third caution flag of the race was displayed on lap 103 and Dillon was positioned in fourth, on the outside line, for the lap-106 restart. The 20-year-old High Point University student dropped back in the running order on the restart, but soon began his forward ascent. He jumped to the inside line and made a move on the backstretch to pass Nelson Piquet, Jr. in the No. 8 Chevrolet, but got loose and spun. The rest of the field scattered around the track to avoid the spinning black No. 3, and luckily, no one hit Dillon. Crew chief Danny Stockman immediately called the driver down pit road, where the Bass Pro Shops crew serviced the Chevrolet with two separate pit stops, taking on two tires each time. Restarting at the tail end of the lead lap, Dillon knew it was “go” time. Despite the spin, his Chevrolet was still fast and he was able to advance to 11th before the end of the race. He is now sixth in the point standings heading into the series’ next race at Dover International Speedway on May 13.
Start – 2 Finish – 11 Points Position – 6 Laps Led – 0
AUSTIN DILLON QUOTE:
“It’s disappointing. I got a little bit anxious. I dove to the inside of Nelson Piquet Jr. in the No. 8 truck and got loose when I caught some air on the side of his truck. We never touched. I’m just so thankful no one hit us when we went sliding through the field.”
Coulter Finishes 24th in First Appearance at Nashville Superspeedway
Joey Coulter went one lap down early in Friday’s NCWTS race at Nashville Superspeedway, but worked hard to earn his lap back and finish in the top 25 in his first appearance at the Lebanon, Tenn.-based track. Starting in the 16th position in front of an estimated 12,000 race fans, Coulter dropped to 17th in the first segment of the race and went one lap down to the race leader as he acclimated himself to the 1.33-mile concrete race track and fought a loose-handling condition. He was able to make a green-flag pit stop on lap 56 for four tires, fuel and an air pressure adjustment. Coulter ran within the top 20, with additional pit stops on laps 77 and 102 for tires, fuel and adjustments. The 20-year-old University of North Carolina-Charlotte student dropped to 25th soon after his pit stop on lap 102 when the Richard Childress Racing team developed communication problems in which the team’s spotter lost radio communication with the driver. Luckily, RCR vice president Mike Dillon was able to fill in, and Coulter continued to focus on gaining positions on the racetrack. He was running 24th when he earned the Lucky Dog Award during a caution period on lap 136, allowing him to get back on the lead lap. The team pitted again on lap 139 for four scuff tires and a wedge adjustment. After restarting 22nd on lap 143, Coulter survived one additional pit stop and finished 24th in the No. 22 RCR Chevrolet. He is now 21st in points heading into the next NCWTS race at Dover International Speedway on May 13.
Start – 16 Finish – 24 Points Position – 21 Laps Led – 0
JOEY COULTER QUOTE:
“I had a blast, and I learned a lot. Unfortunately, we just didn’t have luck on our side this weekend. It was rough, but we’re ready to move past this weekend and go to the Monster Mile.”
