Nelson Piquet Jr.
No. 30 Qualcomm Chevrolet Camaro
Royal Purple 300
NASCAR Nationwide Series
Auto Club Speedway | March 23 2013
Piquet Jr. Fights Loose Race Car En Route to a 16th-Place Finish at Auto Club Speedway
FONTANA, Calif. (March 24, 2013) – Making his first career start at Auto Club Speedway in the NASCAR Nationwide Series on Saturday, Nelson Piquet Jr. looked to gain momentum in the Royal Purple 300 before heading into the upcoming off weekends. Piquet Jr. and his No. 30 Qualcomm Chevy team started the weekend off strong by qualifying fifth on the two-mile oval. Fighting a loose car most of the day, Piquet Jr. was able to drive his Qualcomm Chevy to a 16th place finish.
During the lone practice session on Friday afternoon, crew chief Chris Carrier and the No. 30 Turner Scott Motorsports team worked to find speed for the Qualcomm Chevy. Their hard work paid off as Piquet Jr. and his team had their best qualifying effort of the young season, starting the 300-mile race on Saturday from the fifth position.
Shortly after the green flag dropped, Piquet Jr. radioed to the crew that he was battling a loose race car. During the first caution of the day, on lap 35, Carrier called Piquet Jr. down pit road to change four tires, add fuel and make a chassis adjustment to fix the loose condition the No. 30 Qualcomm Chevy was experiencing. A few laps after the restart, Piquet Jr. told his crew that the car was still too loose and he was working to find a line he could run until the next caution. Working under long green-flag conditions, Piquet and team found themselves in the 18th position at the halfway mark of the race.
Still getting accustomed to the two-mile oval, Piquet Jr. relied on his Qualcomm team to get adjusted to the different racing grooves on the track during the second half of the afternoon. The final pit stop came on Lap 110, after a spin in turn 4 brought out the final caution of the day. Piquet Jr. brought his Qualcomm Camaro down to the attention of the crew to make chassis adjustments and added fuel only, gaining the No. 30 Qualcomm team three spots. During the remaining portion of the race, Piquet Jr. would turn top-10 lap speeds en route to a 16th-place finish.
“After a rough week last weekend in Bristol, our Qualcomm crew put in a solid effort this week here in California,” Piquet Jr. said. “With this being my first start at Auto Club Speedway, I feel like I learned a lot that I can apply to the rest of the year. My Turner Scott Motorsports team and I will use the upcoming off-weekends to get prepared for a strong race at Texas.”
Final Practice
Position: 8
Fastest Lap: 41.148
Laps: 25
Qualifying
Position: 5
Fastest Lap Time: 40.708
Race
Position: 16
Laps Completed/Total: 150/150
About Turner Scott Motorsports: Turner Scott Motorsports was established in 1999 by Texas businessman Steve Turner, who was joined by partner Harry Scott Jr. as co-owner in 2013. This season will mark the fourth season of full-time NASCAR competition for the organization, which expanded in 2011 from a two-truck operation in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) to become the largest stand-alone multi-series team in NASCAR’s top-tier touring series. The team earned its first championship when James Buescher captured the NCWTS title in 2012. Turner Scott Motorsports operates out of an 110,000 square-foot state-of-the art facility in Mooresville, N.C. The Chevrolet-backed team has created alliances with General Motors’ powerhouse team Hendrick Motorsports, which provides engine support for both its NNS and NCWTS programs, and Earnhardt Technology Group for drive train and suspension technology assistance. For more information on Turner Scott Motorsports, visit www.TurnerScottMotorsports.com.
About Qualcomm
Qualcomm Incorporated is the world leader in next-generation mobile technologies. For 25 years, Qualcomm ideas and inventions have driven the evolution of wireless communications, connecting people more closely to information, entertainment and each other. Today, Qualcomm technologies are powering the convergence of mobile communications and consumer electronics, making wireless devices and services more personal, affordable and accessible to people everywhere. For more information, please visit www.qualcomm.com
