RACE REPORT
Striping Technology 350
Texas Motor Speedway
November 4, 2016
Red Horse Racing at Texas Motor Speedway

NASCAR Camping World Truck Series teams traveled to the Lone Star State and Texas Motor Speedway for the Striping Technology 350. On Thursday, two practice sessions were scheduled, but Mother Nature had other ideas and both sessions were canceled. One session was rescheduled for Friday morning and Matt Tifft posted the third fastest time in the No. 11 Waste Connections Toyota Tundra, while Timothy Peters was 15th fastest in the No. 17 Toyota Tundra. In the afternoon, both teams transferred to the second round of single-truck, knockout qualifying, where Tifft earned the fourth starting spot, while Peters would start the 147-lap event in sixth. After the sun set, the green flag flew and both Peters and Tifft battled loose conditions on their Tundras. Peters came to pit road and was hit with a speeding penalty resulting in a loss of track position, while Tifft also fell back. Peters would fight to a 14th-place finish and Tifft would finish on the lead lap in 17th.
Newsletter – Dance Drop Shadow Image
Timothy Peters No. 17
No. 17 Red Horse Racing
Toyota Tundra

Timothy Peters Finishes 14th in Texas

After battling a poor handling Toyota Tundra and a speeding penalty, Timothy Peters earned a 14th-place finish at Texas Motor Speedway in the Striping Technology 350. Two practice sessions were scheduled for Thursday, but were postponed due to inclement weather to one session on Friday morning, where the Danville, Virginia native was 15th fastest. In two rounds of single-truck, knockout qualifying on Friday afternoon, Peters transferred to the second round and earned the sixth starting position. When the green flag waved for 147 laps, Peters encountered a very free red and white Toyota Tundra. On lap 40, the caution flag flew and crew chief Shane Huffman called Peters to pit road for four Goodyear tires, Sunoco fuel and adjustments. NASCAR issued the team a penalty for speeding on pit road, and Peters was sent to restart at the tail end of the field. After restarting in 20th, he was still fighting a free handling condition. Following another four-tire pit stop under caution on lap 84, Peters lined up in 15th and continued to fight the balance of the Red Horse Racing Tundra. Visiting pit road for four tires, fuel and further adjustments for a final time on lap 127, Peters restarted in 10th after a quick stop by the pit crew. In the closing laps, Peters, unable to find speed early in a run, was mired in traffic and crossed the finish line in 14th. Next week, the series visits Phoenix International Raceway, where Peters is the defending winner, for the final race in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Championship Chase Round of Six.

Start – 6
Finish – 14
Driver Points Position – 5
Owner Points Position – 9
Laps Led – 0

Timothy Peters Quote:
“Track position was important, but we just never could go. The initial run for about the first five laps was probably our best run all night. I didn’t do a good job managing my speed, I thought I did and I put us in a box with the first pit stop by speeding on pit road. The crew did a great job getting me back up there, but I never could go. What we would gain on pit road I would lose on the race track. It’s a little frustrating for sure, but everyone worked hard on our Red Horse Racing Tundra and we’re on the outside looking in right now, but we’re going to a place next week where we’ve won before and whatever happens, happens.”

Matt Tifft
No. 11 Waste Connections Inc.
Toyota Tundra

Matt Tifft Records 17th-place finish at Texas Motor Speedway

Matt Tifft’s first-career NASCAR Camping World Truck Series start at Texas Motor Speedway concluded with a 17th place finish at the drop of the checkered flag. Tifft began the day by posting the third-quickest time in the only practice session, and followed that up by advancing to the pole round of qualifying, earning the fourth spot on the starting grid in the No. 11 Waste Connections Inc. Toyota Tundra. From the outset, the 147-lap contest had a green-flag flavor, and was only slowed three times by the caution clock. As track conditions changed under the lights, Tifft immediately battled an extremely loose condition through both corners, and came to pit road running 13th at the race’s first caution on lap 40. Crew chief Scott Zipadelli offered air pressure, wedge, track bar, and spring rubber adjustments, to rectify Tifft’s handling conditions. By lap 80, Tifft went down a lap to the race leaders, still fighting the same balance characteristics, but earned the Lucky Dog free pass to regain his lap on the race’s second caution on lap 83. The following run would play out the same way for Tifft and the No. 11 team, losing a lap and receiving the Lucky Dog award on the final caution on lap 126. Over the final 18-lap dash to the checkers, Tifft gained a position and collected a 17th-place finish. With one race remaining in the Round of Six, the No. 11 team is positioned 15 points behind the cutoff in the Owners’ Chase Grid.

Start – 4
Finish – 17
Owner Points Position – 6
Laps Led – 0

Matt Tifft Quote:
“Every week, these No. 11 guys never quit working to get our trucks better, and we tried a lot of things tonight, but never hit on the right balance. We had good speed in our Tundra in practice and qualifying earlier today, but when the sun went down, we were way too free to contend up towards the front. We wanted to give all the folks from Waste Connections, Inc. something to cheer for tonight, but we kept our heads in the game to stay on the lead lap and keep ourselves in the mix in the Owners’ Chase. We’ll unload at Phoenix next week, see what we have, and race for a top-five finish and hopefully get ourselves into the final four at Homestead.”