RACE REPORT
Kroger 200
Martinsville Speedway
October 31, 2015
Red Horse Racing at Martinsville Speedway
From the longest track on the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series circuit to the shortest, teams traveled north of Charlotte to the 0.526-mile Martinsville Speedway in Ridgeway, Virginia for the 20th race of the 2015 season. Timothy Peters was fastest in both practice sessions on Friday afternoon, while Ben Kennedy was 11th in the first and 14th in the second practice. On Saturday morning, teams completed three rounds of knockout, group qualifying, with both drivers transferring to the final round. Kennedy secured the 10th starting position, while Peters took the green in 11th. Peters would eventually score a sixth-place finish in a race marred by 12 cautions, and Kennedy took the checkered flag in 14th.
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Timothy Peters No. 17
No. 17 Red Horse Racing
Toyota Tundra
Timothy Peters Rebounds to Sixth-Place Finish After Rough Day at Martinsville Speedway
The No. 17 Red Horse Racing team unloaded a fast Toyota Tundra at Martinsville Speedway, and after several mishaps, Timothy Peters piloted it to a sixth-place finish in the Kroger 200. Peters was fastest in both practices Friday afternoon. In three rounds of knockout, group qualifying on Saturday morning, the veteran driver transferred to the final round and ultimately earned the 11th starting position for the 200-lap race. After the green flag flew, Peters brought out the first caution on lap 8 after the truck snapped around on him and he spun in Turn 4. Crew chief Marcus Richmond brought him to pit road for four fresh Goodyear tires and sent him back out in the 29th position. By lap 61, Peters had worked his way up to the top 10. Two further incidents sent Peters back in the field, but each time the Danville, Virginia native made up ground both on track, recording 65 green flag passes on the day, and off the track with pit strategy. With 39 laps to go, Peters restarted in 25th and fought his way back into the top 10 to bring his Tundra across the finish line in sixth place.
Start – 11
Finish – 6
Driver Points Position – 5
Laps Led – 0
Timothy Peters Quote:
“We had a good result after a bad day. I’m so proud of our Red Horse Racing team for building a Toyota Tundra that was so fast. We unloaded with a great truck. I’m kind of disappointed in myself, spinning out on lap 8. I want to thank all of the guys back at the shop for really tuning in this thing. The Triad horsepower was unbelievable again. After a tough up-and-down day we were still able to get a solid sixth-place finish, so we just need to keep doing this right here.”
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Ben Kennedy
No. 11 Local Motors
Toyota Tundra
Ben Kennedy Finishes 14th at Martinsville Speedway
Ben Kennedy and the No. 11 Local Motors team returned to Martinsville Speedway this weekend, starting from the 10th position and finishing 14th in the Kroger 200. The Daytona Beach, Florida native posted the 11th and 14th fastest times in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series practice sessions, returning the following morning to earn the 10th starting position for the 200-lap event after advancing to the third and final round of knockout qualifying. After taking the green flag, Kennedy ran inside the top 10 until a lap-42 restart when he was trapped in the outside lane, losing valuable track position. He battled his way back into the top 10 by the halfway point, and the Local Motors team gained him another two positions on pit road during the lap-120 caution period. He fought hard during subsequent restarts, enduring numerous green-flags where he had to work to get down to the inside line. With 26 laps remaining, crew chief Scott Zipadelli called Kennedy to pit road for four new Goodyear tires. Restarting 23rd, Kennedy clawed his way forward, reaching the 11th position by lap 193, when the 12th and final caution of the afternoon was brought out by a multi-truck incident on the frontstretch. In the closing laps, Kennedy slipped to 14th to take the checkered flag at Martinsville Speedway.
Start – 10
Finish – 14
Driver Points Position – 9
Laps Led – 0
Ben Kennedy Quote:
“Today was a perfect example of how important track position and restarting on the inside line are here at Martinsville Speedway. We had a good truck and the pit crew was on it today. I think we had a truck that was better than our 14th-place finish, but restarting on the high side cost us.”