Kroger 250
Martinsville Speedway
NASCAR Camping World Truck Series
April 6, 2013
Race Highlights:
- Richard Childress Racing teammates finished 12th (Brendan Gaughan) and 18th (Ty Dillon).
- Dillon is eighth in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series driver championship point standings, 28 markers behind the leader; while Gaughan ranks 17th in the standings.
- The No. 3 Chevrolet team is ninth in the Camping World Truck Series owner championship point standings, and the No. 62 team 19th.
- According to NASCAR’s Loop Data Statistics, Gaughan earned a ninth-place Driver Rating (89.5), while Dillon ranked 10th with a rating of 87.4.
- Gaughan made 67 green-flag passes ranking him first among the rest of the field, and Dillon made 50 green-flag passes ranking him eighth.
- Gaughan scored the eighth-highest Average Running Position of 11.076, while Dillon ranked ninth with an 11.104.
- Gaughan spent 91.2 percent of the 250-lap affair running in the top 15.
- Johnny Sauter took the checkered flag at Martinsville Speedway for his second-consecutive win of the season and was followed to the line by Matt Crafton, Jeb Burton, Timothy Peters and Darrell Wallace Jr.
- The next scheduled Camping World Truck Series race is the North Carolina Education Lottery 200 at Rockingham Speedway on Sunday, April. 14. The third race of the 2013 season is scheduled to be televised live on SPEED beginning at 1 p.m. Eastern Time and broadcast live on Motor Racing Network.
Ty Dillon Finishes 18th at Martinsville Speedway
Ty Dillon and the No. 3 Bass Pro Shops team earned an 18th-place finish in the Kroger 250 at Martinsville Speedway after battling an ill-handling Chevrolet for the majority the 250-lap affair. Dillon took the green flag from the sixth position and was scored third on lap 65. As the track temperature began to rise, Dillon radioed to the Marcus Richmond-led crew his truck was too tight in the center of the corners. He fell to the eighth position before a caution flag slowed the field on lap 145. Richmond called the Richard Childress Racing driver to pit road for four tires, fuel and a chassis adjustment to combat the tight-handling machine. When Dillon was getting ready to leave the pit stall, the jack post broke delaying the team from returning to the racing surface as quickly as they would have desired. Dillon was forced to restart from the 23rd position on the ensuing restart. The 21-year-old driver maneuvered through the field and was scored ninth when another competitor spun in front of him and made contact with the No. 3 Chevrolet, causing slight damage to the right-rear fender. The RCR team pitted to repair the damage and sent Dillon back on track with new Goodyear dancing shoes. With only a few laps remaining in the race, he was unable to improve his position and crossed the finish line in the 18th position.
Start – 6 Finish – 18 Laps Led – 0 Points – 8
TY DILLON QUOTE:
“We had a fast truck, but didn’t get the result we should have today. We will learn from today and use it the next time around. We’ll put this behind us and head to Rockingham (Speedway) and work hard to get a good finish.”
Brendan Gaughan Captures 12th-Place Finish at Martinsville Speedway
Brendan Gaughan and the No. 62 South Point Hotel & Casino Chevrolet team collected a 12th-place finish in the Kroger 250 Saturday afternoon at Martinsville Speedway. The Las Vegas native rolled off the starting grid from the 11th position and became a fixture within, and near, the top 10 for the first 125 laps of the event. Following a four-tire pit stop on lap 146, the gold and black Chevrolet was scored in the 18th spot, positioning the truck in the outside line for the double-file restart. Forced to run a line where it was difficult to pass, Gaughan lost valuable track position and slipped back to 21st. As the race progressed, the 38-year-old driver methodically worked his way back toward the front settling into the top 10 by lap 181. Gaughan held on near the top 10 during the final laps and ultimately crossed the finish line 12th. The top-15 finish allowed Gaughan to gain 11 positions, moving up to 17th, in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series driver championship point standings.
Start – 11 Finish – 12 Laps Led – 0 Points – 17
BRENDAN GAUGHAN QUOTE:
“Man, that was an exciting race. We were stuck in the outside line for restarts a few times and I had some issues with the shifter, so that set us back a bit. Even with the few minor setbacks, we were able to keep the South Point Hotel & Casino near the front most of the day. I really had a lot of fun racing at Martinsville Speedway this weekend. The big thing is we were able to earn valuable points and gain 11 positions in the point standings.”
