NASCAR Camping World Truck Series
American Ethanol 200 | Media Advance
Iowa Speedway | Race 9 of 22
Race Information:
American Ethanol 200
Saturday, July 14, 2012
Iowa Speedway
.875-Mile Oval
Banking: 12-14° turns, 10° frontstretch, 4° backstretch
200 laps/175 miles
Team Facts: Current Point Standings: 16th Chassis: 43 Crew Chief: Dan Stillman Engines: TRIAD
Broadcast Information: TV: SPEED broadcast live, 7:30 PM EST Radio: MRN broadcast live, 7:45 PM EST
Revisiting the Place of Firsts: Visiting the birthplace of his NASCAR Camping World Truck Series career one year after his first start last July, Dakoda Armstrong will be wheeling a nearly brand new EverFi Toyota Tundra this Saturday at Iowa Speedway. Though he finished 21st in his debut at Iowa, Armstrong has two top-10 finishes in the ARCA Racing Series and carries confidence to the .875-mile oval. In his 15 career NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) starts, Armstrong feels he has learned a lot, but still has a long way to go.
“I definitely have more experience just racing these trucks and figuring out how they handle since the last time I was here, but everyone is so good in this series that you have to make sure you just don’t make any mistakes. The EverFi team has gotten a lot better and I’m sure they’ll say they have some growing left to do, but they get better each time we go to the track,” Armstrong said.
Though the track nestled in the heart of the Midwest presents challenges, Armstrong is prepared to put down a solid finish in the record books this weekend.
“Iowa seems like it’s a tricky track, but it’s small enough where the aerodynamics aren’t a major factor. The racing is more in the hands of the driver and how well your truck handles and sticks to the track,” Armstrong explained.
“It’s multi-grooved so the racing is always good and you can comfortably make passes and run side by side with another truck. The track throws you a lot of situations really quick, but it helps you learn fast.”
The on-track schedule at Iowa Speedway kicks off with first practice on Friday from 7-8:20 pm EST, followed by final practice on Saturday from 1:30-2:30 pm EST. Qualifying for the American Ethanol 200 will broadcast live on SPEED at 6:30 pm EST, followed by the 200 lap main event airing at 8:00 pm EST.
Special Appearances: Armstrong will greet fans and sign autographs with the rest of the NCWTS competitors on Saturday from 2:15-3:15 pm CST at Iowa Speedway. He will also visit with a special group of children as a part of the Iowa Speedway Junior Pit Crew Kids Fan Club shortly following the autograph session. Both events will take place in the fan midway behind the main grandstands on the frontstretch.
A Look Back at Kentucky: Facing triple digit heat for the first time in 2012, Dakoda Armstrong and the rest of the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series competitors struggled to conquer slick track conditions and survive the UNOH 225 on Thursday, June 28, at Kentucky Speedway. Armstrong’s No. 98 EverFi Toyota Tundra team had high hopes entering the event after their driver scored his best career NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) finish in the last visit to the Bluegrass State. The intense heat served up a challenge for Armstrong and his team during practice and qualifying, but after starting from the 26th postion, the rookie gained traction as the sun went down and claimed a 13th place finish.
Chassis History: Chassis No. 43 will travel to the track with the No. 98 EverFi team this weekend for 200 laps of racing at Iowa Speedway. This particular chassis is nearly brand new and has only seen competition one previous time, surviving a pileup mid-race to finish 21st at Martinsville this spring.
Dakoda Armstrong on Iowa Speedway
The EverFi Tundra you’ll be racing at Iowa has only seen competition one other time. How do you think it’ll stack up against the rest of the field?
This truck was built specifically by the 98 guys and Dan Stillman for short tracks like Martinsville. It raced great there in the spring, but we had some pretty significant damage and had to put a new body on it anyway. So they were able to tailor it to race this time at Iowa and I think we’ll be pretty good.
How important is qualifying at Iowa?
Qualifying up front is pretty important everywhere we go, especially since it’s pretty hard to pass in these trucks. Even though Iowa has progressive banking and it’s good for side-by-side racing, it’s still a pretty short track and you can get behind quickly. Hopefully we can just unload in good shape and have a strong qualifying run that’ll put us near the front.
About EverFi, Inc.:
EverFi, Inc. is the leading education technology company to teach, assess, and certify students in critical skills. EverFi’s education learning platforms include Financial Literacy, Student Loan Management, Digital Literacy, Cyberbullying, and Alcohol Abuse Awareness. The company uses the latest technology, including rich media, high-definition video, simulation, diagrams and avatars. EverFi teams with major corporations and foundations to provide the programs at no cost to K-12 schools. For more information visit www.EverFi.com, Facebook.com/pages/EverFi , or Twitter.com/EverFi.
About Drive For Savings:
Drive For Savings (DFS) was founded as a fundraising company. DFS provides solutions to the lack of funding problem that most organizations face on a daily basis. Innovative fundraising programs are designed to meet the specific needs of any organization. The Drive For Savings programs are based on members of organizations selling discount cards. DFS cards are linked to a nationwide discount program that offers discounts at over 260,000 locations. The goal of Drive For Savings is to help organizations succeed by earning necessary funds. The DFS program will increase revenue without adding labor to any organization. Drive For Savings is proud to be part of a network that has been built over the past 27 years and has served over 15 million members.
About ThorSport Racing:
ThorSport Racing, based in Sandusky, Ohio, is the longest tenured active NASCAR Camping World Truck Series team. ThorSport Racing’s first came at the Milwaukee Mile on July 6, 1996. NASCAR’s only Ohio-based team, which has run full season schedules annually beginning in 1998, currently runs the No. 88 Menards Toyota Tundra driven by Matt Crafton, the No. 13 Hot Honeys/Curb Records Toyota driven by Johnny Sauter and the No. 98 EverFi Toyota driven by Dakoda Armstrong.
ThorSport Racing has wheeled into Victory Lane with Terry Cook, Matt Crafton, and Johnny Sauter since its inception and has finished a dominating eight times within the top 10 in points with both trucks. In 2011, ThorSport Racing moved into a state-of-the-art, world-class, 100,000 square-foot facility in Sandusky.
