JOLIET, Ill. – With the regular season of the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) set to take the checkered flag Friday night at Chicagoland Speedway, veteran Tyler Young looks to make the most his sixth start of the season in the Chicagoland 225.
After a much-deserved weekend off, the Young’s Motorsports team is set to battle the Windy City, where Young hopes to secure his first top-10 finish of the season, but more importantly, build on the team’s on-track performance from the most recent race at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park (CTMP).
While the team didn’t receive the finish, they were hoping for North of the Border, Young’s Motorsports driver Alex Tagliani wheeled the team’s No. 02 Chevrolet into the top-five only to be stalled by a mechanical gremlin.
With a full diagnosis of the issue and a plan in place, Young is headed to Chicago optimistic and looking to be competitive.
“I’m really proud of the team’s efforts this summer,” said Young. “We had some good trucks and some good performances, even if the finishes didn’t always come out on the positive end for us. We don’t bash too hard on that, we’re just focused to make sure we come to the track well prepared.”
A good finish for Young, a native of Midland, Texas will be to better his season-high 14th place finish earned earlier this season at Kansas Speedway and his most recent race at Michigan International Speedway in August.
“I’m looking for a top-10 on Friday night,” added Young. “A good run this weekend will carry me into my next planned race of the year of Las Vegas at the end of the month. I like Chicagoland. It’s a fast track with some good banking and we tend to turn some quick laps because it’s much cooler at night.”
Young will make his fifth start at Chicagoland Speedway and has earned three straight top-20 finishes, including a lead-lap 16th place finish last September after starting 19th.
Moving ahead post-Chicago, Young said his family-owned team is deep into the trenches working day and night to make sure their No. 02 Young’s Building Systems / Randco. Industries Inc. Chevrolet trucks are well-prepared for the final stretch while looking ahead to 2018.
“It’s going to be a busy two and a half months or so,” said Young. “We have all kinds of tracks coming up. From Chicago to New Hampshire to Talladega to Martinsville, my home track of Texas and then the checkered flag at Homestead, it will go by quickly.
“The team is working really hard. We’re building some new trucks and looking at our long-term scope to try and get ahead for next year, where we hope to maybe have a bigger presence in the series.
“Since Chad (Kendrick) joined the team, the mojo has really been positive and upbeat and I hope that continues.”
For Midland, Texas native Young, he is tentatively scheduled to compete in five of the final eight races, but the 26-year-old notes that his schedule could change.
“We’re all about bringing drivers through our Young’s Motorsports program and give them an opportunity to get in some quality truck with top-notch people for a fair and respectable price. We’ve worked with some good drivers this season.
“From Alex (Tagliani) to Austin (Hill), Sheldon (Creed), Max (Johnston) and even Scott (Lagasse Jr.), we have an open-door policy to try and make things work for approved and funded drivers who want to try and race in Trucks. I’m proud of the program we’ve built at Young’s Motorsports and with our outlook, we’re eager to show that our team will continue to get stronger with each weekend we’re on track.”
In 75 career NCWTS starts, Young holds four top-10 finishes to his credit with a career-best sixth at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway in February 2016. A sixth-place qualifying effort at Eldora Speedway in July 2015 is his best time trials effort to date. Young’s Motorsports has competed on the tour since 2012.
For more on Tyler Young, please visit YoungsMotorsports.com or click on his Facebook page. Young is also active on Twitter. You can follow and tweet with him @TylerYoung02.
The Chicagoland 225 (150 laps / 225 miles) is the 16th of 23 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series races on the 2017 schedule. Practice begins on Thurs., Sept. 14 from 2:30 p.m. – 3:25 p.m., with a final practice session is set for 5:30 p.m. – 6:25 p.m. Qualifying is set for race day, Fri., Sept. 15 beginning at 4:05 p.m. The 32-truck field will take the green flag shortly after 7:30 p.m. with live coverage on FOX Sports 1 (FS1), the Motor Racing Network (Radio) and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio (Satellite Radio, Channel 90). All times are local (Central).
No. 02 Young’s Motorsports Chicagoland Speedway Fast Facts:
Driver: Tyler Young (@TylerYoung02)
Owner: Randy Young (Young’s Motorsports)
Crew Chief: Chad Kendrick
Truck Chief: Andrew Abbott
Manufacturer: Chevrolet Silverado
Engine Builder: Collins Engine Works
