TOYOTA NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) Post-Race Notes & Quotes Kansas Speedway – April 21, 2012
Tundra driver Timothy Peters (second) was the highest-finishing Toyota driver in Saturday’s NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) race at Kansas Speedway.
Todd Bodine (fifth) also recorded a top-five result for Toyota on the 1.5-mile track.
Toyota drivers Matt Crafton (12th), John King (13th), Dakoda Armstrong (15th), John Wes Townley (16th), Jason Leffler (18th), Johnny Sauter (24th), David Starr (31st), Ross Chastain (34th) and Chris Jones (35th) were also in the field.
Following Kansas, eight Tundra drivers are in the top-20 in the unofficial NCWTS driver points standings — Peters (first), King (eighth), Crafton (10th), Bodine (11th), Starr (15th), Sauter (16th), Armstrong (17th) and Chastain (19th).
TIMOTHY PETERS, No. 17 Red Horse Racing Toyota Tundra, Red Horse Racing Finishing Position: 2nd Did your truck get faster as the run got longer? “It did. We moved up a lane there just past halfway and it just seemed like it kept chugging all along. It’s a testament to this team and Butch Hylton (crew chief) and the hard work that he’s put in over the off season. Every employee back at Red Horse Racing — we’re proud of you. It starts back at the fab (fabrication) shop. Joe Gibbs Racing, Strutmasters.com, Toyota — all our partners that are involved with this race team.”
How did the truck evolve during the race? “We just tried our best to keep up with it with the temperature going up and the sun out. It got a little slick. We ended yesterday’s practice a little tight and I think that played in our favor for today.”
How was your race? “I feel like we won — it was pretty close all race long. We just had to keep up with the way the race track changed with the sun coming out. I am really proud of everyone on this Red Horse Racing Toyota Tundra. They all worked their butts off over the off season. We struggled on these tracks last year. We got our program together and I’m looking forward to going to Charlotte — I feel like I left a little bit on the table there last year. Just want to thank everyone that’s involved with this company. Just a good day.”
What do you mean when you say this finish ‘feels like you won’? “We were running good lap times, obviously we just ran out of laps. It just feels like a win because we struggled really bad on the summer stretch last year on these tracks. We were just missing it body and setup-wise and there towards the end of the year we hit on a little something on both and we just kept going a little bit each race and then over the winter Butch Hylton (crew chief) and everybody at Red Horse Racing really worked hard on trying to build it up a little bit further. This was the first designed body and chassis. I’m pretty excited about it. We came in here and did what we needed to do and look forward to going to Charlotte and hopefully repeating.”
TODD BODINE, No. 11 Toyota Care Toyota Tundra, Red Horse Racing Finishing Position: 5th How was your race? “I really think that we were really the only ones that had anything for James (Buescher). We both took off there and drove away from everybody and I just kept cooling it behind him. It was a long race and I knew that. Pitting under green and then that caution came out and really messed a lot of people up. I never thought being the lucky dog would be a bad thing, but it was. We were the lucky dog, which put us behind all the wave around trucks. We should have just stayed as a wave around truck and we would have been middle of the pack. That really hurt us because I had to drive the heck out of the truck to get it through the traffic and get up there and end up fifth. The truck was fast and that’s the main thing. The guys did a great job. Rick Gay did a heck of a job as the crew chief and I’m really pumped to be able to be with this race team. Toyota Care came on for the last couple races and they’re on again for Charlotte. We still don’t have anything for the rest of the year, but we have a fast Toyota Tundra if anyone wants to get on the sides of it.”
MATT CRAFTON, No. 88 Menards/Jeld-Wen Toyota Tundra, ThorSport Racing Finishing Position: 12th
JOHN KING, No. 7 Consol Energy Toyota Tundra, Red Horse Racing Finishing Position: 13th How was your race? “It was good. We kind of overcame the practice incident after we pulled out a backup truck. We didn’t start the race where we wanted to, but I had a decent qualifying lap this morning and worked on the truck. Our Consol Energy Toyota Tundra was pretty sporty at the end.”
DAKODA ARMSTRONG, No. 98 EverFi.com Toyota Tundra, ThorSport Racing Finishing Position: 15th How was your race? “We just weren’t very good on new tires. Even though we stayed pretty consistent over the run, I think we just lacked overall grip and drive off the corner. The last run we were better, but there was still something missing. We have some work to do at the shop before the next one — top-15 finish isn’t bad overall.”
JOHN WES TOWNLEY, No. 09 Toyota Tundra, RAB Racing Finishing Position: 16th
JASON LEFFLER, No. 18 Shore Lodge Toyota Tundra, Kyle Busch Motorsports Finishing Position: 18th
JOHNNY SAUTER, No. 13 Hot Honeys/Curb Records Toyota Tundra, ThorSport Racing Finishing Position: 24th
DAVID STARR, No. 81 Advocare Tundra, Arrington Racing Finishing Position: 31st
ROSS CHASTAIN, No. 08 Florida Watermelon Association Toyota Tundra, Green Light Racing Finishing Position: 34th
CHRIS JONES, No. 07 ASI Limited Toyota Tundra, Green Light Racing Finishing Position: 35th
