Track: Kansas Speedway, 1.5-mile oval
Race: 7 of 23
Event: Digital Ally 250 (167 laps, 250.5 miles)
Entries:
No. 17 Tyler Ankrum
No. 54 Natalie Decker
Schedule:
Friday, May 10
9:35 a.m………..Practice
10:35 a.m……….Final Practice
4:40 p.m…….….Qualifying (FS1)
8:30 p.m………..Race (FS1)
(all times ET)
Tyler Ankrum, No. 17 May’s Hawaii Toyota Tundra
Tyler Ankrum and his No. 17 May’s Hawaii Toyota team are looking to continue their positive momentum as they head to Kansas Speedway in Kansas City, Kan. for the NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series Digital Ally 250. The team is searching for their third consecutive top-10 finish.
Friday’s 167 lap race will mark Ankrum’s first time racing at Kansas Speedway and his second 1.5-mile start since turning 18-years-old in March of this year. In his first 1.5-mile start at Texas Motor Speedway, the No. 17 team put together a solid finish crossing the line in the sixth position. After Texas, Ankrum and his Toyota Tundra took on the Monster Mile of Dover (Del.) International Speedway where he was able to secure a ninth-place finish.
Ankrum hopes to continue his top-10 run again this weekend at Kansas Speedway. Even more so, he’s searching for a win after missing the first three races on the Gander Trucks schedule. He currently sits 16th in driver points standings but needs a win to make the Playoffs.
Ankrum on Kansas: “I’m really excited to be heading to Kansas with my DGR-Crosley guys this weekend. It will be my first time there, and I feel like I’ve said it a lot this year, and I’m going to be saying it a lot more since we are visiting most of these tracks for the first time. My confidence continues to increase and we continue to have really strong finishes. Texas and Dover were strong runs running around the top-five and inside the top-10 all day. With the speed we had at Texas earlier this year, I don’t think Kansas will be an issue. Bono told me it’s an easy, wide-open track for trucks, so I think we should have speed as long as the driver does his job and we continue with our communication. I feel confident that we’ll be knocking down top three finishes and possibly a win soon.
Natalie Decker, No. 54 N29 Technologies Toyota Tundra
Natalie Decker and her No. 54 N29 Technologies Toyota team are set to take on the 1.5-mile tri-oval at Kansas Speedway (Kansas City, Kan.) this Mother’s Day weekend for the Digital Ally 250.
Although Friday will mark Decker’s first time at Kansas Speedway in a Toyota Tundra, she is no stranger to the speedway located in the heart of Kansas City. She has two previous starts at the track which occurred in the ARCA Menards Series. In those two starts, she led laps and went on to finish 12th and 6th respectively.
Friday’s 250-mile race will mark Decker’s fifth NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series start. She is confident heading into the weekend and visiting a track that she’s made laps around before. In her first four starts, Decker has a best finish of 13th which occurred at Las Vegas (Nev.) Motor Speedway. Last weekend at Dover (Del.) International Speedway, Decker went to school at the Monster Mile. She learned and continued to get better throughout the entire competition. She went on to finish 17th.
Decker on Kansas: “I am so happy to be racing at Kansas this year. I have two starts there in the ARCA Menards Series, and last year we were able to earn a sixth-place finish. I’m ready to get back to another mile and half track to learn more and I feel confident going to Kansas since I’ve been there before. It’s going to be a fun weekend for my N29 Technologies Toyota team and I.”
