RACE REPORT
Alpha Energy Solutions 250
Martinsville Speedway
April 2, 2016
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Red Horse Racing at Martinsville Speedway
After just over a month off, the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series teams went north to Ridgeway, Virginia for the Alpha Energy Solutions 250 at Martinsville Speedway. On Friday, teams participated in three practice sessions. Timothy Peters was 2nd, 8th and 11th-fastest, and Ben Kennedy posted the 12th-fastest time in the first practice and the 11th-fastest time on the board in the second and 14th-fastest in the third session. On Saturday morning, teams competed in three rounds of knockout group qualifying. Kennedy and Peters both transferred into the second round, where Kennedy earned the 15th starting position and Peters the 16th. After 255 circuits and a NASCAR overtime finish at the 0.526-mile speedway, Peters crossed the finish line in fifth and Kennedy finished 11th.
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Timothy Peters No. 17
No. 17 Red Horse Racing
Timothy Peters Earns Second Top-Five Finish in Three Races
Despite fighting a tight handling No. 17 Red Horse Racing Toyota Tundra all day, Timothy Peters earned his second top-five finishing position in the first three races of 2016 with a fifth-place finish in front of his hometown crowd at Martinsville Speedway. On Friday, the Danville, Virginia resident was 2nd, 8th and 11th-fastest in three practice sessions. On Saturday, under sunny skies, Peters transferred to the second of three rounds of knockout group qualifying to earn the 16th starting position for the Alpha Energy Solutions 250. Peters fought a tight condition for the first 200 laps of the race, but crew chief Shane Huffman and the No. 17 team continued to make adjustments to the red and white Toyota Tundra during three four-tire pit stops. Within the last 50 laps at the paper clip-shaped oval, Peters battled into the top-10, climbing as high as fourth, before crossing the finish-line in fifth after a green-white-checkered finish.
Start – 16
Finish – 5
Driver Points Position – 3
Laps Led – 0
Timothy Peters Quote:
“The first part of the race we were just extremely tight and Shane (Huffman, crew chief) and the guys kept working on it every pit stop. They did a great job making adjustments. We still ended up with a top-five with the way that our day started, so our Tundra was pretty good there at the end, I just wish we could’ve had that balance from the green flag.”
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Ben Kennedy
No. 11 Jacob Companies
Ben Kennedy and Jacob Companies Team Persevere for 11th-Place Finish after Eventful Day at Martinsville
Ben Kennedy and the No. 11 Jacob Companies team fought through adversity to earn an 11th-place finish at Martinsville Speedway in the Alpha Energy Solutions 250. On Friday, NASCAR Camping World Series teams participated in three practice sessions and Kennedy posted the 12th, 11th and 14th-fastest times. On Saturday, three rounds of knockout group qualifying at the half-mile track determined the starting order for the 250-lap race. Kennedy transferred to the second round and secured the 15th starting position. The field took the green flag Saturday afternoon and Kennedy quickly started picking up positions. When the caution flag flew on lap 43, Kennedy was scored in 13th and visited pit road for four tires, fuel and adjustments after reporting that his Toyota Tundra was loose. After a second four-tire pit stop under caution on lap 97, Kennedy began to move forward, working his way as high as fifth. On lap 165, contact with another truck sent Kennedy spinning, but with little damage, the team changed tires and Kennedy stayed on the lead lap. However, within a few laps, Kennedy was caught up in another wreck and sustained substantial sheet metal damage. The No. 11 Jacob Companies team quickly repaired the damage and kept Kennedy on the lead lap and he restarted 19th. Under a subsequent caution, Kennedy visited pit road for the final time for sticker tires and further repairs. Kennedy restarted in 21st with 59 laps to go, and he was on the move in 16th-place when contact from another truck sent him spinning once again. After restarting in the 18th position with 25 laps to go, Kennedy narrowly avoided several more wrecks before recording an 11th-place finish.
Start – 15
Finish – 11
Driver Points Position – 13
Laps Led – 0
Ben Kennedy Quote:
“We had a really fast Jacob Companies Toyota Tundra this weekend, but unfortunately we were just in the wrong place at the wrong time and got caught up in a couple incidents that lost us track position. I’m proud of the way that Scott (Zipadelli, crew chief) and the guys battled back and made repairs so that we were able to finish 11th.”