RCR Post Race Report — Good Sam Roadside Assistance 200

[media-credit name=”rockinghamspeedway.com” align=”alignright” width=”281″][/media-credit]RCR Post Race Report — Rockingham Speedway

NASCAR Camping World Truck Series

RACE: Good Sam Roadside Assistance 200

TRACK: Rockingham Speedway

Race Highlights:

Richard Childress Racing teammates finished sixth (Joey Coulter), eighth (Ty Dillon) and 16th (Tim George Jr.).

According to NASCAR’s Loop Data Statistics, Dillon and Coulter spent 100 percent of the race running in the top-15 while George Jr. spent more than 50 percent of the race running in the top-15.

Coulter and Dillon tied for third in quality passes, each gaining 18 positions while running in the 200-lap event.

George Jr. made 22 green-flag passes during the Good Sam Roadside Assistance 200. Coulter ranked fourth in the Closers category.

Kasey Kahne took the checkered flag followed by James Buescher, Matt Crafton, Johnny Sauter and Timothy Peters. The next scheduled Camping World Truck Series race is the SFP 250 at Kansas Speedway on Saturday, April 21. The fourth race of the 2012 season is scheduled to be televised live on SPEED beginning at 1:30 p.m. Eastern Time and broadcast live on Sirius XM NASCAR Radio.

Tim George Jr. Finishes 16th at “The Rock”

Tim George Jr. drove the No. 2 Applebee’s Chevrolet Silverado to a 16th-place finish after overcoming handling issues and a pit-road penalty during the NASSAR Camping World Truck Series’ inaugural event at Rockingham (N.C.) Speedway on Sunday afternoon. The Good Sam Roadside Assistance 200 marked the first of 12 appearances for the New York City native in the Richard Childress Racing fielded machine. George Jr. started the race from the 29th position and began to work his way toward the front of the field, climbing into the top-20 within the first 50 laps. The 31-year-old driver continued to work his way up the leader board, settling into the 13th-position when NASCAR officials displayed the third caution flag of the day on lap 122. Crew chief Marcus Richmond directed his driver down pit road so the team could bolt on four tires, add fuel and make an air-pressure adjustment. During the stop, NASCAR penalized the team for an uncontrolled tire, sending the No. 2 machine back on track in the 15th position for the lap 130 restart. As green-flag racing resumed, George Jr. continued to battle a loose-handling truck, causing the No. 2 Chevrolet to slip back to the 16th position when the checkered flag fell ending the 200-lap affair.

Start – 29                            Finish – 16 Laps Led – 0                  Owners Points – 6

TIM GEORGE JR. QUOTE:

“I don’t think we did too bad considering this was my first time out of the box with the No. 2 team. We had a decent run and were pretty good when the tires were right. I’m looking forward to getting back in the truck and working with Marcus (Richmond) and the team again next weekend in Kansas.”

Ty Dillon Finishes Eighth in Inaugural Race at Rockingham Speedway

Ty Dillon and the No. 3 Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet team finished eighth in the first NASCAR Camping World Truck Series’ first race at the historic Rockingham Speedway. Dillon took the green flag Sunday afternoon from the 12th position in front of an estimated 27,500 fans. The 20-year-old driver soon reported a loose-handling Chevrolet but was able to move into the top 10 before lap 20. The Scott Naset-led team made a series of pit stops during caution periods to adjust the handling on the No. 3 machine with fresh tires and chassis adjustments to assist the Welcome, N.C., native. On a lap 123 pit stop, Dillon’s pit crew fired off a quick pit stop allowing the young driver to gain three positions to restart the race in the fourth position. However, a tight condition developed during the latter part of the race relegating Dillon to an eighth-place result in the Good Sam Roadside Assistance 200. The top 10 finish did allow Dillon to gain one position, and he now sits third in the driver championship point standings, just seven points behind the leader.

Start – 12        Finish – 8       Laps Led – 0            Points – 3

TY DILLON QUOTE:

“I thought we would have had a better finish than eighth today. Flash (crew chief, Scott Naset) and the guys put together a really fast truck, but we struggled with the handling on it all day. It got really tight halfway through the race, and we couldn’t figure it out. It was a good points day. We moved up to third place just a few points out of first. We’ll put this in the past and focus on next week as the No. 3 Bass Pro Shops team heads to Kansas Speedway.”

Joey Coulter Earns Sixth-Place Finish at Historic Rockingham Speedway

Joey Coulter and the No. 22 STRUTMASTERS.COM Chevrolet team finished sixth in the inaugural running of the Good Sam Roadside Assistance 200 at Rockingham Speedway on Sunday afternoon. Coulter started the 200-lap affair from the 17th position and quickly began his trek into the top 10. By lap 45, Coulter had driven the black and white Chevrolet Silverado into the 10th position while battling a tight condition that developed throughout the first part of the run. Over the course of two pit stops, under yellow-flag conditions, crew chief Harold Holly called the 2011 Sunoco Rookie of the Year to pit road for fresh Goodyear tires, fuel and chassis adjustments to combat the handling issue. With fewer than 50 laps remaining in the event, Coulter informed the Holly-led team the No. 22 Chevrolet had switched to the loose side and began losing grip. Under a late-race caution, Coulter brought his No. 22 Chevrolet Silverado down pit road for another round of adjustments. Restarting seventh for the lap-180 green flag, Coulter was able to gain an additional position and post a sixth-place. Coulter’s finish catapulted him from 24th to 12th in the driver’s championship point standings, 43 markers from the leader.

Start -17                  Finish – 6                  Laps Led – 0                     Points – 12

JOEY COULTER QUOTE:

“We struggled with the handling of the No. 22 STRUTMASTERS.COM Chevrolet throughout most of the race. Rockingham (Speedway) is a fun track. I wish we could have gotten a top-five finish, but I’m proud of the guys for working hard on the truck all day and finishing sixth. It was a great points day for us. We gained 12 spots with this top-10 finish.”