RACE REPORT
NextEra 250
Daytona International Speedway
February 19, 2016
Newsletter – Dance Drop Shadow Image
Red Horse Racing at Daytona International Speedway

To kick off the 2016 season, the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series teams traveled to Daytona Beach, Florida for the NextEra 250. In two practice sessions on Thursday afternoon at Daytona International Speedway, Timothy Peters posted the fastest time and second fastest time and Ben Kennedy was third and ninth on the board. On Friday afternoon, teams completed two rounds of knockout, single-truck qualifying. Peters transferred into the final round, securing the third starting position. Kennedy used a provisional starting position to start 31st after smoke out of his Tundra caused him to abort his qualifying run. After getting caught up in a wreck on lap 93, Kennedy ended the night with a 23rd-place finish, with Peters finishing 15th after involvement in a multi-truck incident on the last lap.

Timothy Peters No. 17
No. 17 SRI Performance
Toyota Tundra

Timothy Peters Finishes 15th in Season Opener at Daytona International Speedway

Timothy Peters earned a 15th-place finish in the No. 17 SRI Performance/Stock Car Steel Toyota Tundra in the NextEra 250 at Daytona International Speedway. In the two practice sessions on Thursday afternoon, Peters was first and second fastest respectively at the Daytona Beach, Florida facility. After advancing to the second and final round of knockout, single-truck qualifying, Peters earned the third starting spot for the 100-lap event. After the green flag, Peters remained in the top-five for most of the race, leading three times for 15 laps. Peters hit pit road for fuel only under a caution on lap 12 and restarted in the seventh position. The Danville, Virginia native and teammate Ben Kennedy were able to move up to second and third position before pitting for two tires and fuel under green flag conditions as the 20-minute caution clock wound down. On the following lap, the yellow flag flew for a wreck, but Peters stayed out under caution and after stops cycled through, took the race lead. Peters remained in the top-five as the pack raced two-by-two, visiting pit road and crew chief Shane Huffman once more for Sunoco fuel on lap 66 under caution. On the last lap, Peters was battling for second place, when he was caught in a multi-truck incident, but he was able to make it across the finish line on the lead lap, finishing 15th.

Start – 3
Finish – 15
Driver Points Position – 13
Laps Led – 15

Timothy Peters Quote:
“We had a great night. Our SRI Performance Tundra was fast all race long. Shane (Huffman) made great calls, even coming down pit road for a green flag stop. What more can you ask for? We ran in the top three and top five all night long and it was just circumstances at the end that we weren’t able to cross the start/finish line and have a shot at the win. We’ll go to Atlanta (Motor Speedway) and rebound and it’s a great start to the season.”

Ben Kennedy
No. 11 Jacob Companies/Florida Lottery
Toyota Tundra

Ben Kennedy and the Jacob Companies Team Finish 23rd at Daytona International Speedway

In the season-opening event at his home track, Daytona International Speedway, Ben Kennedy and the No. 11 Jacob Companies/Florida Lottery Toyota Tundra team started in the 31st position and finished in 23rd. On Thursday afternoon at the Daytona Beach, Florida facility, Kennedy posted the third fastest and ninth fastest speeds in the two practice sessions in the blue and white machine. On Friday, the Daytona Beach, Florida native was unable to make a lap in the first round of knockout qualifying as an oil line parts failure caused him to abort the run. Kennedy took the green flag under the lights in 31st, but after a pit stop to top off on fuel on the first caution at lap 4, he stayed out under the next caution and moved up to the fourth position. Kennedy paired with teammate Timothy Peters and the duo moved to second and third. Crew chief Scott Zipadelli called Kennedy to pit road under green as the 20-minute caution clock wound down, for two Goodyear tires and Sunoco fuel. After completing the pit stop, the caution flag flew for a wreck on lap 42, but Kennedy stayed out and restarted in the third position, right behind the No. 17 of Peters. Under a caution for debris with 35 laps to go, Kennedy again topped off with fuel, and restarted in the ninth position. With just seven laps remaining in the 100-lap event, the No. 11 was involved in the “Big One” and was relegated to a 23rd-place finish.

Start – 31
Finish – 23
Driver Points Position – 21
Laps Led – 0

Ben Kennedy Quote:
“We had an awesome Jacob Companies/Florida Lottery Tundra all weekend, but we just had a little bad luck and weren’t able to get the finish we wanted. Other than the result, it was a great weekend and a good start to the season. These Red Horse Racing guys have worked really hard and I can’t wait to get to Atlanta (Motor Speedway) next weekend and see what we can do. We had a good run there last year and I’m excited to see what we can do this year.”