RACE REPORT
fred’s 250
Talladega Superspeedway
October 22, 2016
Newsletter – Dance Drop Shadow Image
Red Horse Racing at Talladega Superspeedway

For the final race of the Round of 8 in the The Chase to the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Championship, teams traveled to Talladega, Alabama and the 2.66-mile Talladega Superspeedway. On Friday, two practice sessions were scheduled and Timothy Peters posted the 10th fastest lap in the first and did not participate in the second. Matt Tifft returned to the No. 11 Surface Sunscreen/BrainGear Toyota Tundra and posted the ninth and sixth fastest laps. On Saturday morning, teams returned for two rounds of single-truck elimination qualifying and Peters transferred into the final round, then secured the sixth starting spot, while Tifft also transferred and started the fred’s 250 in the 12th position. In the afternoon, the green flag flew for 94 laps at the legendary facility, and Peters quickly charged to the front, leading 14 laps. Tifft also made his way to the front and led three laps. A late race caution flag derailed Peters’ run for the win, but the veteran driver finished third and secured his spot in the second round of the drivers’ Chase for the championship. Tifft also picked up a top 10 finish and crossed the line in ninth earning the No. 11 team a spot in the next round of the Owners’ Chase.

Timothy Peters No. 17
No. 17 Red Horse Racing
Toyota Tundra

Timothy Peters Finishes Third to Secure Place in Chase Round of Six

Timothy Peters and the No. 17 Red Horse Racing team finished third at Talladega Superspeedway to secure a berth in the second round of the Chase for the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Championship. The weekend began with two practice sessions scheduled for Friday, but Peters and crew chief Shane Huffman decided the No. 17 Tundra was dialed in after posting the 10th fastest lap in the first session and sat the second session out. In two rounds of single-truck, knockout qualifying on Saturday morning, Peters transferred to the final round and secured the sixth starting spot for the fred’s 250 with a lap of 53.982 seconds. Peters charge to the front of the field right off the bat, jumping to second place on the first lap. The Danville, Virginia native took the lead on lap 32 and led several laps until the caution flag flew. Huffman brought Peters to pit road for fuel only and the No. 17 returned to the track in the second position. He would pick up the lead again on lap 40 for several more laps, but a series of cautions and a slow pit stop would set him back in traffic. The series veteran made his way back to the top five, but a lack of drafting partner and a caution in the closing laps limited him to a third-place finish. Peters will enter the Chase Round of 6 as the third seed.

Start – 6
Finish – 3
Driver Points Position – 3
Owner Points Position – 9
Laps Led – 14

Timothy Peters Quote:
“Martinsville, bring it on. Red Horse Racing is an awesome team and we superspeedway race really well and we race good all year long. All the races we’re strong, but this is for the guys and women back at the shop that prepare these Tundras that makes my job a lot easier to come here and perform the way we do. Shane (Huffman, crew chief) did a great job and the pit crew did a great job. I don’t know how much more exciting you want to get plus this is Toyota’s 1000th start on Sunday so they’re going to have to make it a little more exciting than we just did. All in all, great effort. Triad horsepower is great and I’m ready for the next three.”

Matt Tifft
No. 11 BrainGear/Surface Sunscreen
Toyota Tundra

Matt Tifft Scores Top-10 at Talladega

Matt Tifft capped off a stout weekend in his second appearance at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway with a ninth-place finish in the fred’s 250, his third top-10 finish of 2016. Tifft led his first-career laps in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series on his way to advance Red Horse Racing’s No. 11 Toyota Tundra to the Round of 6 in the NCWTS Owners’ Chase. The Ohio native drove his BrainGear/Surface Sunscreen Toyota Tundra to the second round of qualifying on Saturday morning, and began his afternoon from the 12th position. A delicate balance of patience and aggression kept Tifft in contention for the lead all afternoon, in addition to several strategy calls by crew chief Scott Zipadelli to preserve track position. After a fuel only stop on lap 16, Tifft continued his steady effort inside the top 10 until he had to return to pit road under yellow on lap 39 for a wedge wrench in the left rear, left after a pit stop the previous lap. Tifft restarted 27th, and rapidly returned to the top 10 by avoiding a pair of wrecks on lap 44 and 52. A fuel only pit stop under the lap 52 caution put Tifft on the front row for a restart, where he would find his way to the race lead on lap 57. From a restart on lap 69 through the final stages, Tifft would valiantly lead the outside lane, but a lack of drafting help thwarted a bid for his first-career victory. Tifft took the checkered flag in ninth after a two-lap dash to the checkers, and advanced Red Horse Racing’s No. 11 team into the Round of 6 in the NCWTS Owners’ Chase.

Start – 12
Finish – 9
Owner Points Position – 6
Laps Led – 3

Matt Tifft Quote:
“I thought we had a Brain Gear/Surface Sunscreen Tundra that we could go up and lead laps and with. We could definitely contend up there. Unfortunately, I guess the No. 88 (truck) lost a cylinder and we just lost our help in the outside lane. We got ourselves back outside the top 10 there, and it’s just so hard to make those spots up. The Red Horse Racing guys did an awesome job. I thought when we were up front, given the right circumstances, we could have stayed up there with the No. 24. I thought he and I could battle up there pretty equally. It’s a positive day to come out and get this truck to the next round of the Owners’ Chase and head on to Martinsville, which is my favorite track. I’m excited about it. It’s good to come out of Talladega leading laps and finish in the top 10.”