Cody Coughlin, No. 2 JEGS.com Chevrolet Silverado
Bristol Stats
1 start, Best Finish: 17th (2017)
Season Stats
15 starts, 6 top-10, 10 top-15 finishes
Notes:
– The no. 2 team will unload chassis no.118 at Bristol this week. This will be the fourth time Coughlin has used this chassis, collecting two top-10 finishes earlier this season at Dover (sixth) and Iowa (seventh).
– Rallying to a 14th-place finish at Michigan, Coughlin remains 10th in the driver point standings.
Quote:
“We were running really well at the beginning of the race last year at Bristol (Motor Speedway) and we just lost the handle throughout the race after a cut tire early on. The big thing this year is going to be just keeping up with the changing track and, if I remember correctly, the fast guys moved up to the top last year, so making sure the truck handles well up there also. We need to make sure we have maneuverability and speed all night.”
Johnny Sauter, No. 21 GMS Fabrication Chevrolet Silverado
Bristol Stats
10 starts, 4 top-fives, 6 top-10s
2018 Season Stats
15 starts, 4 wins, 11 top-fives, 12 top-10s
Notes:
– Sauter will pilot GMS chassis no. 313 at Bristol Motor Speedway. This chassis was has been used twice this season, at Iowa Speedway and Gateway Motor Sports Park, with Sauter earning top-five finishes in both events.
– Sauter and the No. 21 team will attempt to claim the regular season championship Thursday night. In doing so, Sauter would add to his Playoff Point total and increase his championship points lead prior to the start of The Playoffs at Canadian Tire Motorsports Park.
– The Necedah, Wis., native is locked into The Playoffs with four wins and has 22 Playoff Points. He holds a 56-point lead over Noah Gragson in the driver championship point standings.
Quotes:
“We’ve had good speed at Bristol, but for some reason it seems like I always tend to get a little tight toward the end of that race. You always tell yourself when you’re going that fast and trying to run through traffic like that you need to be freer. That’s one place that I would love to get a win. I think every driver would. I just feel like that’s one of those places that you feel like you’ve done something big if you can get a win there. Having said that, for some reason we just come up a little short and last year we got roughed up on a late race restart and ended up sixth. That’s another race track that puts a big emphasis on grip and that track just seems to tighten up as it takes rubber.”
Justin Haley, No. 24 Fraternal Order of Eagles Chevrolet Silverado
Bristol Stats
2 starts, Best finish: 11th (2017)
Season Stats
15 starts, 1 win, 5 top-fives, 11 top-10 finishes
Notes:
– For the sixth time this year, Haley will utilize chassis no. 302 when the Fraternal Order of Eagles team unloads at Bristol. Haley has a chassis-best finish of third from earlier this year at Dover with no. 302, and most recently ran this chassis at Kentucky where he finished 10th.
– Aside from two previous NCWTS starts, Haley also has two NASCAR K&N Pro Series East starts at Bristol, resulting in one top-five and two top-10 finishes.
– With Bristol being the final race before The Playoffs begin, Haley is sitting seventh in the NCWTS driver point standings. He’s already locked in to the first round after his win at Gateway, but will use Bristol as a chance to gain more Playoff points for a better seeding.
Quote:
“Bristol (Motor Speedway) is always fun. Last year we struggled with the VHT. It’s hard there, you’re stuck on the bottom for the most part, but a lot of guys actually moved up to the top later in the race. I couldn’t get it working though, but a lot of guys could. We probably had a top-five truck but just got shuffled back after having some issues with lap trucks at the end of the race. Bristol has always been one of my favorites to go to. It’s fast, and as a short track, it’s one of those places where you can just get up on the wheel and go get after it.”
On one-day shows at Bristol
“You start the day not wanting to be the first one on track because the VHT is cold and there’s different rubber down. You have to wait until later in practice to get a good feel for what your truck actually has. By the end of practice it’s usually super hot and people are running up top. It’s a hard balance to find. You want to run as hard as you can, but even if you put half your right side tire above the VHT you’re going for a ride and you get real loose. It’s such a thin strip, you just have to try keep all four tires in it as much as possible. It really makes it difficult for qualifying runs, trying to get all you can.”
Dalton Sargeant, No. 25 Performance Plus Motor Oil Chevrolet Silverado
Bristol Stats
1 start, 1 top-10 (2015)
2018 Season Stats
15 starts, 1 top-five, 4 top-10s, 10 top-15s
Notes:
– Sargeant will pilot GMS chassis no. 115 at Bristol Motor Speedway. The No. 25 team has utilized this chassis once this season, earning a 13th-place finish at Dover.
– The 20-year-old is currently 11th in the driver championship point standings after 15 races.
Quote:
“I love Bristol, to be honest. The high banking, the short track atmosphere, all the beating and banging; it’s a lot of fun. We should have a pretty decent truck and hopefully, we can get a good finish. Bristol can definitely be a challenge though. As a driver you have to remind yourself to stay relaxed and ease up a little, not grip the wheel too tight or you’ll wear yourself out quick. You’ve got to be smart getting around there and not tear the truck up too much. With that, I think we have to take all the chances we can to make The Playoffs. We can’t get in on points so we just need to be smart about everything, and if there’s an opportunity that presents itself then you definitely have to jump at it and see if you can make the best of it.”
ABOUT GMS RACING
GMS Racing competes full-time in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series with drivers Cody Coughlin, Johnny Sauter, Justin Haley and Dalton Sargeant, and in the NASCAR XFINITY Series. Since the team’s start in 2014, GMS Racing has grown to occupy several buildings located in Statesville, N.C. The campus also includes operations for GMS Fabrication.
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