[media-credit name=”Barry Albert” align=”alignright” width=”225″]
[/media-credit]RCR Post Race Report — Martinsville Speedway
NASCAR Camping World Truck Series
RACE: Kroger 250
TRACK: Martinsville Speedway
Race Highlights:
Richard Childress Racing teammates finished first (Kevin Harvick), second (Ty Dillon) and 30th (Joey Coulter). Harvick and Dillon ranked first and second, respectively, in NASCAR’s Loop Data category for Fastest Drivers Early in a Run and Fastest Drivers Late in a Run. According to NASCAR’s Loop Data Statistics, Harvick and Dillon spent 100 percent of the race running in the top-15. Harvick scored a perfect driver rating of 150, the best of the event while Dillon scored the second-best driver rating of 121. Combined, RCR led all of the contested laps during the Kroger 250. Harvick earned his first NASCAR Camping World Truck Series win of the 2012 season and was followed across the finish line by Dillon, James Buescher, Justin Lofton and Timothy Peters. The next Camping World Truck Series race is the Good Sam Roadside Assistance 200 at Rockingham Speedway on Sunday, April 15. The third race of the 2012 season is scheduled to be televised live on SPEED beginning at 12:30 p.m. Eastern Time and broadcast live on Sirius XM Satellite Radio.
Harvick Dominates at Martinsville Speedway to Claim Victory
Kevin Harvick led all but two of the 250 laps and turned in one of the most dominating performances in NASCAR history to claim the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series victory in the Kroger 250 at Martinsville Speedway. The win came in Harvick’s first Camping World Truck Series start with Richard Childress Racing after merging his three-time championship-winning Kevin Harvick, Inc. operation with his NASCAR Sprint Cup Series team owner during the off season. The dominant performance began earlier in the day as the 36-year-old driver claimed his first Camping World Truck Series pole position of the season in the No. 2 Kroger/Tide Chevrolet. Once the green flag flew on the 250-lap event, the Marcus Richmond-led team never looked back. With the luxury of a strong-handling Tide Chevrolet, the No. 2 team was able to make minor adjustments during Harvick’s two visits to pit road and maintain the lead in the process. Harvick paced the field as the laps ticked away and saved his equipment for the end of the 250-lap affair. The Bakersfield, Calif., native pulled away on the final restart with six laps remaining to cross the finish line ahead of his RCR teammate Ty Dillon and claim his third Camping World Truck Series victory at Martinsville Speedway and 14th win of his career.
Start – 1 Finish – 1 Laps Led – 248 Owner Points – 6
KEVIN HARVICK QUOTE:
“It’s been a long time since we’ve dominated like that and actually won. We made a lot of changes over the offseason, moving teams to RCR, and this is what we’d hope for — to make what was a good Camping World Truck Series team even better.”
“I knew we had a little bit better truck than what they (Ty Dillon and the No. 3 Chevrolet team) had but I didn’t want him to get hung on the outside. They’re racing for a championship, and it’s our job as the No. 2 team to go out there and help them and try to make sure they win the championship and we win races.”
Ty Dillon Finishes Second in his Short Track Debut at Martinsville Speedway
Ty Dillon and the No. 3 Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet team finished second in the Kroger 250 at Martinsville Speedway in their first appearance at the half-mile short track. Dillon took to the track Friday for two practice sessions ending the day with the 20th fastest time, but that didn’t stop the 20-year-old from posting the second-quickest lap in Saturday’s qualifying. The Welcome, N.C., native took the green flag from the second position for Saturday afternoon’s 250-lap affair. Crew chief Scott Naset and the No. 3 Bass Pro Shops team made minor chassis adjustments on the first pit stop to improve the handling on the black Chevrolet. As the halfway point of the race neared, Dillon reported the handling had improved and didn’t need any adjustments on the last stop of the day. While not running outside the top-three at all during the 250-lap event, Dillon held on to all of his fenders driving the No. 3 Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet to a second-place result at Martinsville Speedway jumping to fourth in the Camping World Truck Series driver championship point standings.
Start – 2 Finish – 2 Laps Led – 2 Points – 4
TY DILLON QUOTE:
“I’m so proud of Flash (crew chief Scott Naset) and the guys. We struggled a lot yesterday, but they worked hard and made us fast. The No. 3 Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet was great. On a few of the last runs, I told Flash not to touch it because the handling was so good. I’m really happy to finish second to my teammate Kevin Harvick. I learned a lot from him these past two days. This second-place finish almost feels like a win seeing how it was my first time in a truck at Martinsville (Speedway).”
Tire Issues Plague Joey Coulter at Martinsville Speedway
Joey Coulter and the No. 22 Steak-umm Chevrolet team finished 30th at Martinsville Speedway after cutting a tire before the halfway mark derailing their run. Starting the 250-lap race in the 21st position, Coulter reported to crew chief Harold Holly early on that the Chevrolet Silverado was a little tight in the center of the 11-degree banked corners of the half-mile paperclip-shaped short track. Holly advised the 21-year-old NASCAR Camping World Truck Series sophomore to adjust his brake fans under the first caution-flag period of the day instead of making a pit stop. Coulter remained on track, but a tire issue on lap 76 sent Coulter into the outside retaining wall, causing significant damage to the right side of the No. 22 machine. The Miami Springs, Fla., native was able to drive the battered truck down pit road for repairs, but went several laps down to the leader in the process. Once returning to the track, Coulter raced competitively for the remaining laps and gain five crucial positions. He wrapped up his third-career start at Martinsville with a 30th-place effort and now sits 24th in the Camping World Truck Series driver championship point standings, 42 points in arrears to current leader John King.
Start -21 Finish – 30 Laps Led – 0 Points – 24
JOEY COULTER QUOTE:
“It was a tough day for the No. 22 Steak-umm Chevrolet. While I was happy we were able to get back on the track and gain some positions, we needed a good run to gain some points after the race in Daytona.”
