Saturday

Colin Braun Slips to 12th On Final Lap At Talladega

Filed under Press Releases, Truck Series

TALLADEGA, Ala. (October 31, 2009) – Colin Braun won the pole and led the most laps during the race, but did not lead the most important lap – the final one. After coming back from some damage on lap 65, Braun was in fifth when he took the white flag but ended up 12th when the checkered flag fell.

Braun won the pole Friday evening, his fourth of the season. For the second consecutive week the race was delayed a bit due to rain earlier in the day. Once the trucks rolled off pit road Braun took the lead and several trucks formed a single-file line behind him. The first caution of the race came on lap seven for debris. Crew chief Mike Beam brought Braun to pit road for a quick fuel stop. He returned to the track in second place but soon regained the lead on the restart on lap 11.

Braun led the single-file line until lap 28 when Mike Skinner and Kyle Busch formed an outside line and pushed their way to the front. Braun remained in the top 10 and drove a careful race, knowing he had a fast Con-way Freight Ford F-150. Just as the crew was preparing for a green-flag pit stop for fuel, another caution for debris came on lap 40. After stops for four tires and fuel, Braun was seventh when the race resumed on lap 43.

He remained a contender running in the top 10 until lap 65 when he got hit from behind and spun. There was damage to the left-rear quarterpanel so Braun pitted several times under caution to repair it. He was back in 23rd, but still on the lead lap for the restart on lap 71.

Even with the damage, Braun’s truck was still very good. He was up to 16th place by lap 79, and ninth with eight to go. He narrowly escaped a multi-truck accident in front of him on lap 91, and lined up sixth for the green-white-checker finish.

Braun drafted behind Matt Crafton and made a charge for the front with two laps to go. The pair was making a strong run on the outside and Braun was scored in fifth with one lap to go. On the final lap he lifted just a bit to avoid hitting Crafton and was hit from behind by Terry Cook which got Braun loose and out of line. He slid up the track just enough to allow several trucks to pass him on the inside. By the time he could get back in line, he had fallen to 12th place to finish the race. Kyle Busch won with help from his teammate Aric Almirola pushing him across the finish line.

“We sure had a fast truck today so it’s pretty disappointing to end up 12th,” Braun said. “We won the pole and led the most laps but we couldn’t get the win. The Con-way Freight team did a great job patching up the damage on my truck and it didn’t slow us down at all. I just got loose on the last lap and got out of line which cost us about seven spots. It was still a good day in the points though. At least we got out of here with 10 bonus points and gained a position.”

The No. 6 Con-way Freight True LTL team gained one position and is now fifth in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series point standings. The next race will be on Friday, November 6 at Texas Motor Speedway. It will be live on SPEED at 9:00 p.m. (ET).

- Roush Fenway Racing Press Release