Team Hopes to Return to Early Summer Form
After two weeks of road course racing, Dakoda Armstrong looks forward to a change of pace at Bristol Motor Speedway. While “The World’s Fastest Half Mile” hasn’t been kind to the second-year XFINITY Series driver, the track fits well with Armstrong’s driving style and racing background. With ARCA wins at renowned short tracks like Salem Speedway and Winchester Speedway, Armstrong has had success in a stock car at fast, tight quarter tracks. After two consecutive weeks of tough breaks, the No. 43 team hopes a return to short track racing can turn their luck around. Currently, Armstrong sits 13th in the XFINITY Series Championship Point Standings.
Armstrong has a total of five starts at Bristol in different racing series, two Truck Series and three XFINITY Series starts. In those five starts, he has one Top-20 finish with a best finish of 18th in the fall Truck Series race in 2013.
“I’m excited to get a quick break from the road courses. They haven’t been as good to us this year as they were last year. Bristol is a fast, tough track. There’s no room for error. The lap times are short and you can carry a ton of speed due to the banking. Three hundred laps goes by very quickly. The fast line is up against the wall. So you’re always trying to run the high line but there’s 39 other guys with the same idea. You try to be really focused on hitting all your marks, but at the same time, you have to be scanning ahead and listening to your spotter to try to avoid any wrecks. It’ll wear you out physically and mentally. The track has certainly earned its reputation. But, it’s a fun place. Everyone loves running here. A good finish at Bristol really is something to be proud of.”
A performance and marketing driven company, Richard Petty Motorsports, co-owned by NASCAR Hall of Famer Richard Petty and successful business entrepreneur Andrew Murstein, is one of the most recognized brands in all of motorsports. With a history of over 200 wins and business partnerships with national and global leaders, today the race operation fields two teams in competition in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. Aric Almirola pilots the famous No. 43 Ford Fusion with primary partners Smithfield Foods, U.S. Air Force, STP and Fresh From Florida, and Sam Hornish Jr. drives the No. 9 machine with primary partners Medallion Bank and Twisted Tea. In addition, Dakoda Armstrong wheels the No. 43 WinField Ford Mustang full-time in the NASCAR XFINITY Series. The team is headquartered in Mooresville, N.C.
