The #17 Red Horse Racing Tundra ran in the top-10 for much of the 150-lap event. Peters had secured the seventh spot when he radioed the crew that the engine was starting to go way. With 10 laps remaining, Peters tried to finish the race by nursing the engine enough to make it. With three laps left, the motor in the #17 blew and smoke was barreling out the back of Peters’ machine. He brought it to the garage and was forced to accept a DNF and a 21st place finish just three laps shy of the checkered flag.
The #17 Red Horse Racing team used two practice sessions on Thursday evening and Friday morning to prepare for the night race at Chicagoland Speedway. Having to adjust the truck during day time temperatures would be tricky but the team had a plan for getting the right set-up for the race. Peters qualified 15th for the 150-lap event that began just after 9pm.
When the green flag waved, Peters had already grabbed a spot before exiting turn one. He picked off the 13th spot on lap three and radioed the crew that his Tundra was loose getting into turn one and in the center of turns one and two. He worked his way to 11th by lap 15 and told the team his truck seemed to be coming to him the longer he ran. Running the second quickest lap times on the track, Peters broke inside the top-10 on lap 27. He radioed the crew that his truck was feeling pretty good just before the first caution came out on lap 29. Crew chief Jeff Hensley called his driver to pit road on lap 31 for four fresh tires, fuel, and an air pressure adjustment to help the loose condition. Peters restarted 10th.
It didn’t take long for Peters to start his charge to the front. He took the ninth spot on the restart and just one lap later had cleared two trucks to take over the seventh position. Reporting that his Tundra was just a hair loose in turns one and two but pretty good in turns three and four, Peters was making progress through the field. He found the sixth spot on lap 64. Just five laps later, Peters began reporting a vibration in his right front. Luckily the caution came out on lap 78 and gave the #17 team the chance to hit pit road. Deciding to go back a little on the air pressure adjustment from the first stop, Peters hit pit road on lap 80 for four fresh tires, fuel, and additional air pressure and track bar adjustments. Quick work on pit road put the #17 in the fourth spot for the restart.
Armed with a fast truck, Peters was able to work his way to the eighth spot by lap 133. With less than 20 laps remaining, the driver was focused on getting as many positions as possible before the checkered flag waved. Running in the seventh spot on lap 138, Peters came on the radio and told the team his motor was starting to go away. Hoping to make it the remaining laps, Peters took it easy and slipped back to the 12th spot as his speed diminished. On lap 147, with only three laps to go, the motor on the #17 blew and Peters was forced to bring his machine to the garage. Unable to finish the race, he was forced to accept a 21st place finish at Chicagoland Speedway.
The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series heads to Sparta, Kentucky this week. The Built Ford Tough 225 at Kentucky Speedway is scheduled for Friday, September 3rd and will be televised live on SPEED Channel at 8:00pm EDT.
- Red Horse Racing Press Release
