No. 7 Duroline Brakes and Components Toyota Tundra

Miguel Paludo

Under the caution Paludo reported to the team that he had a problem. Paludo’s spotter and Red Horse Racing Director of Competition, Terry Cook, saw the truck was leaving a trail of something. Smoke from the tailpipes indicated that the No. 7 Toyota Tundra had an internal issue. Paludo took the truck to the garage area where an internal mechanical issue was discovered. The damage was determined to be terminal and Paludo retired from the race early, relegating him to a 32nd-place finish in the final race of 2011.

Red Horse Racing (RHR)

Founded in 2005 by former Mobil Corporation executive Tom DeLoach and NASCAR veteran Jeff Hammond, Red Horse Racing aims to be a professional racing team that strives for excellence on and off the race track. Red Horse Racing hopes to build and maintain solid, mutual relationships with its partners to win races and championships and to represent itself in a professional manner. The team has four victories and five poles in its brief existence. DeLoach and Hammond also own Performance Instruction Training (PIT), the number one pit crew training center in the world that also has many corporate training options that include team-building, lean manufacturing, motorsports demonstrations and more.

- Red Horse Racing Press Release

No. 17 Tire Kingdom / Service Central Toyota Tundra

Peters was unable to make a mock qualifying run in practice, which would have given him a faster speed, so he started deep in the field from the 22nd position. The first caution of the evening waved on lap three. Peters reported to the team the truck was a little too free, but they chose to leave the No. 17 Tire Kingdom/Service Central Toyota Tundra on track as it was too early to give up track position. Peters continued to fight a loose-handling race track until the competition caution waved on lap 20.

Under the caution period, Peters brought the No. 17 Tundra to pit road for four tires, fuel and an air-pressure adjustment. A quick stop by the No. 17 team returned Peters to the track in the 17th position for the restart on lap 23. Six laps later the caution was displayed again for a spin on the front stretch. As the caution was displayed, Peters’ Red Horse Racing teammate, Miguel Paludo, experienced a mechanical issue and retired from the race early due to an internal issue.

Timothy Peters

A quick stop by the Tire Kingdom/Service Central team placed Peters back on track in the 11th position for the restart on lap 101. The adjustments the team made under the final pit stop were just what Peters needed. Within 10 laps the No. 17 Toyota Tundra took over the eighth position. The caution waved on lap 117 for rain, as a storm blew over Homestead-Miami Speedway. The down-pour resulted in NASCAR calling the event official with 17 laps remaining.

Peters finished eighth and recorded his 12th top-10 finish of 2011, clinching his career best Truck Series point standings finish of fifth, only 56 points out of the lead position. In 2011, Peters recorded one win at Lucas Oil Raceway in July, seven top-five and 12 top-10 finishes in route to his fifth-place point’s finish.

About TBC Retail Group

Headquartered in Juno Beach, Florida, TBC Retail Group, Inc., a subsidiary of TBC Corporation, operates more than 800 tire and automotive service centers under the brands: Tire Kingdom, NTB – National Tire and Battery, and Merchant’s Tire and Auto Centers, along with over 400 franchised Big O Tires locations. The contingent of over 1200 stores has trained and certified ASE technicians who use state-of-the-art equipment to provide quality service on cars and trucks. The nationwide warranty provides peace of mind while it protects consumers and their investment in over 40 states. TBC Retail Group employs more than 300 associates at its Juno Beach, Fla. headquarters and approximately 10,000 associates nationally. To locate a store near you, call 800-NEW-TIRE. TBC Corporation, headquartered in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, is one of the nation’s largest marketers of automotive replacement tires through a multi-channel retail and wholesale strategy.

Red Horse Racing (RHR)

Founded in 2005 by former Mobil Corporation executive Tom DeLoach and NASCAR veteran Jeff Hammond, Red Horse Racing aims to be a professional racing team that strives for excellence on and off the race track. Red Horse Racing hopes to build and maintain solid, mutual relationships with its partners to win races and championships and to represent itself in a professional manner. The team has four victories and five poles in its brief existence. DeLoach and Hammond also own Performance Instruction Training (PIT), the number one pit crew training center in the world that also has many corporate training options that include team-building, lean manufacturing, motorsports demonstrations and more.

- Red Horse Racing Press Release

No. 23 GunBroker.com Chevrolet Silverado

This was White’s fifth top-10 of the 2011 season and a track-best finish for the veteran driver at the 1.5-mile speedway.

Starting 12th after Friday afternoon’s time trials were cancelled due to rain, White spent the opening laps of the 119-lap event inside the top-15 fighting a tight-handling Chevrolet.

Just past the half-way point, White began running lap times as fast as or faster than the leader. When the fourth caution flag was displayed for a spin in turn-two, White made his way down pit road for four tires and fuel. Restarting 11th, White picked up two positions in the closing 18 laps to finish ninth behind race winner, Johnny Sauter.

White finished the 2011 NCWTS season 15th in driver’s standings behind series champion, Austin Dillon.

Notes:

- In four starts at HMS, this was White’s first top-10 finish.

- In 25 starts, Jason White has two top-five, five top-10, top-15 and 17top-20 finishes.

- In 2011, White had an average starting position of 18.8 and an average finish of 16.8. The veteran driver led 50 laps and completed 95.75 percent of laps attempted (3675 of 3838).

For more information on Joe Denette Motorsports please visit: www.JoeDenetteMotorsports.com

For more information on Jason White and GunBroker.com please visit: www.GunBrokerRacing.com

Follow Joe Denette Motorsports on Twitter: www.Twitter.com/TeamJDM23

Follow Jason White on Twitter: www.Twitter.com/JasonWhite23

Follow GunBroker.com on Twitter: www.Twitter.com/GunBroker

- Joe Denette Motorsports Press Release

SS Green Light Racing Thumbnail

Rain showers forced NASCAR officials to cancel qualifying so the trucks were lined up by time from the morning practice session giving Starr the 23rd starting spot for the season ending race.

David would not stay in 23rd for long as he moved his way up to 18th when a competition caution was displayed on lap 20. A problem on the first pitstop dropped the Zachry Toyota back to 28th challenging David to work his way to the front of the 36-truck field.

As he made his way through heavy traffic, David was very fortunate to avoid a spinning German Quiroga on lap 31 avoiding some of the bad luck that has plagued the team this season. He restarted from 20th place when the green flew again on lap 35 and made a bold move on the restart charging up to fifteenth before settling into 18th place where he would stay through a long green flag run that included the full field making green flag stops.

On lap 98 a caution would slow the field for the last time and Starr would restart the Zachry Toyota 18th as the trucks were set for a 36-lap run to the end of the seasons last race.

David charged through the field after the restart, powering his way toward the top-ten moving to 14th on lap 110 and challenging Austin Dillon for tenth when the rain showers came and shortened the race on lap 117. Johnny Sauter held of a charge by Denny Hamlin as the rains began and won the race.

“The finish result does not show how good our truck was,” Starr said. “The SS Green Light team did a great job. We had a hiccup on the first stop and that dropped us all the way to the back but we didn’t give up.”

“When they dropped the green after the last caution our Zachry Toyota was like a rocket ship. I mean the truck was awesome and it was unfortunate the rains came because I felt we had a 7th or 8th place truck. If the caution had come out and we got back some of the real estate, I felt we had a truck capable of getting up to the top-five.”

David Starr - Photo Credit: John Harrelson / Getty Images for NASCAR

Starr finished thirteenth in the NCWTS driver’s standings behind Austin Dillon.

“Overall it was a great season, although we did not live up to our expectation, we had some bad luck and we went through some growing pains; the whole team stuck together, nobody complained or pointed fingers and we learned a lot. You can take everything we learned and apply it to next year and come out stronger. I want to thank everyone who supported us this season including Zachry, NCCER Build Your Future Campaign, Allegro, Advocare, Akzo Nobel and ASI Limited.”

For more information on SS Green Light Racing visit www.SSRacingonline.com.

- SS Green Light Racing Press Release

No. 6 CollegeComplete.com Chevrolet Silverado

After rain canceled qualifying, the team took the green flag in the finale from the ninth position. Just as the weather played a role in the starting spot, it also affected the outcome, with a heavy downpour forcing NASCAR to shorten the event on lap 119 of 134. The condensed race took away from a final run to the front following a final pit stop, leaving Lofton and team 18th.

“I wish we could have finished the race, but it would have taken a while to dry the track for the last 15 laps. I am so proud of my crew chief Dan (Bormann) and all of the guys. They have worked really hard the last few months. From rejoining Eddie to switching to Chevrolets, we’ve got a lot accomplished,” Lofton said.

Just as the teams were preparing to hit the track for the first time on Friday morning for practice, a pop-up rain shower soaked the track, postponing the session. Once underway, rain forced a yellow flag in the closing minutes. Once the yellow was lifted, a final two-lap run at the end of the session boosted Lofton, as he drove his CollegeComplete.com Chevrolet up the speed chart from 21st to ninth.

Re-occuring rain showers fell throughout the afternoon, forcing the cancelation of qualifying. With the field set based on practice speeds, Lofton was given the ninth starting position for the start of the race.

Since the rain washed all of the rubber off of the racing surface, Lofton noted early in the race that the track was slick, with little grip. With a competition caution waving on lap 20, crew chief Dan Bormann called Lofton to the pits for the team’s first stop of the day. After swapping out right side tires, Lofton rejoined the race in the fifth position.

Justin Lofton

The California racer dug in, picking up one more position before the rain came less than 18 laps later. The track condition and amount of time needed to dry the track forced NASCAR to end the race shy of the scheduled distance, leaving the team in 18th as the season came to a close.

Lofton ended the season with three top-10 finishes with a best finish of seventh. He also closed out the year 14th in the driver point standings. Team owner Eddie Sharp closed out the season 16th in the owner point standings.

With the 2011 NCWTS season behind him, Lofton will now focus on an off-road event in two weeks in the desert, followed by his charity golf tournament in January, which benefits the Boys and Girls Clubs of the Imperial Valley. More information, as well as registration and donation information, can be found on the tournament’s Facebook page found under “Justin Lofton Charity Golf Tournament.”

- Justin Lofton Media Relations Press Release

No. 14 Hefty® BlackOut™ / Reynolds™ Chevrolet Impala (Eric McClure) - Photo Credit: Chris Graythen / Getty Images for NASCAR

“I believe if we had not been caught up in the wreck with the 39 car, we almost certainly would have had a better finish. I don’t exactly know what happened other than he just came up into us, but our group battled hard and we made the best situation out of it. We had a decent car for the damage, but couldn’t totally overcome it. That’s just about a perfect summary of our season.”

“With all of the bad luck we have had this season, I am glad this season’s over. On a positive note, as a whole, we were competitive more times than not. We just need to continue to get better and capitalize when we can. It was a fun year; I love the guys on my team and couldn’t ask for a better group of guys to have my back. I’m looking forward to next year.”

Starting the race from the 34th position, McClure was scored in the 30th position by the time one full circuit was made around the speedway. Before the field could make another lap, however, the team’s spotter, Stevie Reeves, informed the team that another competitor, who had been racing inside of the No 14 car, slid up into the orange and black Chevrolet, forcing it into the outside wall. After visiting pit road three times under the ensuing caution to fix the damage on both front fenders, McClure was sent back on track in the 38th position.

When the event’s second caution flag waved for debris on lap 13, McClure returned to pit road so the team could make certain the fenders were still clearing all tires, as well as make a small chassis adjustment as the car was showcasing a loose handling condition on entry. As McClure was exiting the pits in the 36th position, the field was taking the green. Although the team hoped to remain on the lead lap before the scheduled competition caution flag on lap 35, the deficit was too great as the leaders overtook McClure just before the caution was displayed. After visiting pit road for four tires, fuel, and a track-bar adjustment, the No. 14 Chevrolet returned to the track in the 34th position.

As the race continued, the car’s handling improved on the exit of the turns but was still too tight on entry. As such, when the event’s fourth caution flag waved on lap 92, McClure, who was scored in the 31st position, visited pit road for tires with an air-pressure adjustment, fuel, and another chassis adjustment. A quick stop by the Hefty Racing® crew placed McClure in the 29th position for the restart.

Eric McClure - Photo Credit: John Harrelson / Getty Images for NASCAR

When the race resumed on lap 136, McClure once again began working his way through the field, and by lap 140, he was once again scored in the 28th position. Since the car’s handling was much improved over the last run, the team decided to not visit pit road when the caution flag again waved on lap 146. When the race resumed on lap 152, McClure slipped to the 31st position as he radioed the crew of a possible flat tire as the car was, “all over the place.” As the team prepared to change tires should the car enter pit road, both Reeves (spotter) and Cogswell (crew chief) informed McClure that no smoke could be seen and all tires looked inflated, so the team opted to not visit pit road and hope for a caution. When a caution did occur on lap 174, McClure was on a lap by himself. With nothing to gain by visiting pit road, Cogswell instructed the driver to stay on track to receive the wave around, which would allow the team to gain a lap back when the race restarted on lap 179.

The event’s eight caution flag waved two laps later for a two-car accident, which allowed McClure to visit pit road for four scuffed tires and fuel. Scored in the 29th position when the race resumed on lap 186, the TriStar Motorsports team was able to hold the position for the final circuits of the 2011 Nationwide Series season.

- Team McClure Inc. Press Release

No. 23 Tia Rosa Tortilla / Takis Chevrolet Impala

After qualifying 37th for the 200-lap race, Richardson didn’t waste too much time making his move when the initial green flag flew. Within 10 laps, he was already up into the 20s looking for more on the scoring pylon.

When the first caution waved on lap four, the Greg Conners-led team remained out and waited until the competition caution waved on lap 35 to make their first start for adjustments, fuel and tires. From there, Richardson would do his best to remain on the lead lap for the middle segments of the race.

It would be 100 laps more before the Tia Rosa Tortilla/Takis Chevrolet could take advantage of a caution to their liking. When the No. 41 of Stanton Barrett made contact with the outside wall in Turn 2, Richardson was in the Lucky Dog position to get back on the lead lap.

Now back on the lead lap, the team’s strategy switched from trying to stay on the lead lap to “go man go!” for the remainder of the race. Aside from the great work by the R3 Motorsports crew on pit road, Richardson and team were aided by four of the nine cautions taking place from lap 140 to 200.

This not only slowed the pace of the race, but allowed Richardson to gain more positions than where he was running. Needing just one more stop for fuel, tires and an adjustment; the Pilot Point, Texas resident did what was needed to stay on the lead lap right to the finish.

And, that’s exactly what he did when the checkered flag flew on lap 200 as Richardson came across the stripe in 22nd place. As a reward for all of their hard work this year, Richardson treated the team to a deep sea fishing expedition off the Florida Keys on Sunday.

Robert Richardson Jr.

“This team has really been coming on the last few races and I hate to see it end right now. We raced right where we needed all day long to take advantage of the Lucky Dog when it came our way. And, that’s exactly what happened there and we raced the rest of the way on the lead lap.

“It’s nice the season is over and everyone can take a little bit of a breather. For all of their hard work, we’re keeping the crew over for another day of fun in the sun and I’m taking them all deep sea fishing on Sunday as a way of saying “thanks” for their efforts.

“I’d like to thank everyone who’s supported R3 Motorsports this year and hope you all have a great holiday season. See you in Daytona.”

- R3 Motorsports Press Release

Event: Ford 200 (Race 25 of 25)

Series: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series

Location: Homestead-Miami Speedway (1.5-mile oval)

Start / Finish: 27th/26th (Running, completed 118 of 119 laps)

Winner: Johnny Sauter of Thorsport Racing (Chevrolet)

Kyle Busch Motorsports (KBM)

Quiroga, who started the race from the 27th position, had advanced to the 20th spot on lap 30 when Max Gresham got loose off of Turn 4 and slid up the track into the No. 51 Telcel Tundra. The contact sent Quiroga sliding sideways towards the inside wall along the frontstretch. The veteran driver held the brakes as the truck harpooned along the slippery apron until the front end responded. Once the front end responded, he was able to right the path of the truck and pulled away having avoided contact with the wall.

With two flat tires on the No. 51 Telcel Tundra, the 31-year-old driver proceeded slowly around the track to avoid further damage before bringing the truck down pit road. The over-the-wall crew put four fresh tires on the truck, examined it for further damage, filled it with fuel and returned their driver to the track still on the lead lap.

Unfortunately, Quiroga’s bad luck continued as the crew had sent their driver back on the track before securing all of the lug nuts and were issued a penalty from the NASCAR officials. Quiroga was forced to return to pit road to serve the penalty and by the time the No. 51 Telcel Tundra returned to the track, it was scored one lap down in the 31st position.

German Quiroga

When the race restarted on lap 35, the Mexico City native was in the “Lucky Dog” position, where he ran for several laps, but as the race proceeded caution free for over 60 laps, the leaders began lapping other drivers. Eventually, the leaders once again worked their way around the No. 51 Tundra, putting Quiroga two laps down.

A single car spin brought out the fourth caution of the race on lap 98. With all of the lead-lap cars in front of Quiroga electing to pit, veteran crew chief Rick Ren kept his driver on the track in order to receive the wave around.

When the race restarted on lap 102, Quiroga was scored one lap down in the 27th position. The No. 51 Telcel Tundra was in the 26th position when the caution came out for precipitation on lap 119. Shortly after the field parked on pit road, the rain strengthened and the race was ruled official with 119 of the scheduled 134 laps complete.

“After seeing the poise German showed tonight, you can tell why he is a three-time champion in the NASCAR Mexico series” said Ren, the all-time winningest crew chief in the history of the Truck Series. “Unfortunately, because it rained late in practice, we weren’t able to complete both laps of our mock-qualifying run and we had to start the race near the back of the field. German ended up getting spun early in the race, but showed impressive truck control in avoiding the wall. Then, our guys made a costly mistake on pit road and we went a lap down. I think if that error didn’t occur, he would’ve had a top-15 finish. Instead of getting frustrated after the mistake, he maintained his composure and just took advantage of gaining valuable seat time. I’ve been very impressed with German during the two races that he drove for us this season. Hopefully, we can get things worked out for him to run full-time next season.”

Johnny Sauter picked up his second win of the season. Quiroga’s teammate, Denny Hamlin, finished second and Kevin Harvick third. Rookies Nelson Piquet Jr. and Joey Coulter finished fourth and fifth, respectively. Ty Dillon, Elliott Sadler, Timothy Peters, Jason White and Austin Dillon, who became the youngest driver to win a Truck Series championship, rounded out the top-10 finishers.

There were five caution periods for 16 laps, with seven drivers failing to finish the race.

- Kyle Busch Motorsports Press Release

Johnny Sauter basks in the Victory Lane celebration at Homestead-Miami Speedway after winning a rain-shortened season finale in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. - Photo Credit: John Harrelson, Getty Images for NASCAR

Talk about the win tonight. Did you leave anything on the table?

JOHNNY SAUTER: “Yeah, what an eventful day. This place here during the daytime typically doesn’t — your truck doesn’t handle very well, and last year same deal, and I knew the racetrack was going to come to us, or at least I thought it was, and sure enough, it did. Joe made a great change on that first pit stop and that thing came to life. Phenomenal year. I’ve always wanted to have two wins in the NASCAR series in the same year, and to some people that probably doesn’t mean much. I’ve been fortunate to win some Nationwide races and some Truck races but never two in a year, so that was a huge accomplishment.”

“To come out of here six points back is kind of a bummer with some of the problems we had or whatever throughout the course of the year, but I couldn’t be more proud of Joe and everybody at ThorSport, Duke and Rhonda Thorson. This is essentially the race that I consider you thank everybody, and Safe Auto Insurance, Curb Records. Mike Curb has been a huge supporter, Mud Jugs, UCoat It, Carrier Heating and Cooling, Chevrolet, ECR Engines, Goodyear Tires, everybody that helps get this deal to the racetrack. It’s a pleasure to drive this truck.”

Crew chief Joe Shear, Jr., talk about the effort out there tonight by the No. 13 truck.

JOE SHEAR, JR.: “Just like Johnny said, we came here knowing we had to do what we did tonight. We had to dominate. We had to lead the most laps. And I can’t thank my guys — my guys worked hard all year, and it showed tonight. We had awesome pit stops. You know, we chased the track and everything and we made some adjustments, and we worked very hard to get where we were. It’s just awesome to be here. Really, I’m kind of lost for words. Working as hard as we do, and we’re working on it, and I think we’re pretty strong, and I can’t wait until next year.”

For both you guys, with what Duke and Rhonda’s organization has done this year, looking ahead and moving ahead, would you guys consider yourselves the championship favorite for next year, and why would that be?

JOHNNY SAUTER: “Well, first of all, I don’t think it’s any secret Duke and Rhonda’s commitment to not only NASCAR but to the Camping World Truck Series, 16 seasons full-time. There’s not a lot of people that can say that, whether they were sponsored or unsponsored. I know Duke and Rhonda spend a lot of their own money to make sure I get to the racetrack every weekend. I couldn’t appreciate that more first and foremost. Built a brand new 100,000 square foot shop, we moved into it in August up in Sandusky, Ohio, which is an anomaly in this business, being outside the Charlotte hub, so to speak. I think it’s a huge accomplishment, but I also know what I have for a team, and those guys work hard, and I guarantee you they work harder than anybody in the garage, and I guarantee you that we are a championship team. Even though we’re not champions right now, we are a championship team, and I do believe we’re the favorites for next year.”

At what point did you know the rain was going to be an issue?

JOHNNY SAUTER: “I had no clue until there was rain on the windshield. That’s the only time I knew. We went down into turn 3 there, the lap before, and it started to sprinkle pretty hard, and I came on the radio and I probably was yelling so loud that they probably didn’t even understand what I was saying, and I said, “it’s raining, it’s raining,” and we went down into turn 3 and it was pouring by the time I got to the back stretch, and I knew this was no good.”

“So I just knew that Denny was running the high line, so I knew that I needed to run the high line, but I got really loose getting down in there and just washed up the racetrack. It’s a good thing he’s as good of a driver as he is, or that could have been ugly. He’s amazingly talented and drove a hard race. I’ve gotta thank him for that.”

Race Recap:

Date: November 19, 2011

Track: Homestead-Miami Speedway

Race: 25 of 25

Started: 5th

Finished: 1st

Championship Point Standings: 2nd (-6)

Up Next on the Truck Series Schedule:

Date: November 22, 2011

Loew’s South Beach Hotel & Resort

Event Name: NCWTS Awards Banquet

Broadcast: SPEED at 8pmET

- ThorSport Racing Press Release

No. 88 Menards / Tarkett Chevrolet Silverado

Hoping to end the season on a high note, Crafton took the green flag from the 11th position after rain canceled qualifying. He fought his way through the pack into the top five by the time the competition yellow waved on lap 20. Relaying to crew chief Bud Haefele that the No. 88 was bouncing off the splitter, he brought his truck down pit road for four tires, fuel and an air-pressure adjustment.

Crafton took the green flag from the eighth spot after a quick stop, and muscled back into the top five once more. However, the Menards/Tarkett Silverado was now snapping loose center off, causing him to lose track position. A caution on lap 31 gave Crafton the opportunity to bring his truck down pit road, and the team adjusted the front springs and topped the No. 88 off with fuel. Making a second stop under yellow to further top-off on fuel in the event of a long green-flag run, Crafton returned to the track 27th for the restart.

As expected, a long green-flag run followed, but the adjustments to the truck only hurt its handling. Crafton said that his truck was “wrecking loose,” claiming it was a 15 out of 10 loose. With enough fuel to run a little longer than his competitors, Crafton led two laps as green-flag pit stops cycled through before bringing his truck down pit road for four tires, fuel, a wedge adjustment and an air-pressure adjustment on lap 76.

Crafton was 14th when the next yellow flag waved on lap 98, and the driver was baffled by how incredibly loose his truck was. The team took one final swing at the truck under caution, providing Crafton with four tires, fuel and another wedge adjustment. Unfortunately, another truck bumped Crafton while exiting the pits, so Crafton made a second stop to pull out the left-rear fender to ensure it wouldn’t cause a tire rub. When the field went green on lap 101, Crafton restarted in 21st. Although Crafton’s laps were now as fast as the leaders, he was only able to improve to 19th before rain began to fall, bringing out the yellow flag, followed by the red flag. With no end to the rain in sight, the race was called, ultimately scoring Crafton in 19th.

Matt Crafton

Crafton finishes the season eighth in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series point standings after leading the championship standings for three weeks (after races two, three and six). Crafton ultimately scored one win (Iowa Speedway), two pole awards (Michigan International Speedway and Martinsville Speedway II), five top-five and 13 top-10 finishes. He led 90 laps , had an average start of 9.8 and an average finish of 13.0.

Race Recap:

Date: November 18, 2011

Track: Homestead-Miami Speedway

Race: 25 of 25

Started: 11th

Finished: 19th

Driver’s Point Standings: 8th

- ThorSport Racing Press Release

No. 98 Ferrellgas / Agrisure Viptera / Drive for Savings Chevrolet Silverado

Representing a new partnership with EverFi and a cause close to his family, the United Mitochondrial Disease Foundation (UMDF) this weekend, Armstrong was optimistic to give both organizations a solid finish. Precipitation delayed the day’s lone practice session and eventually cancelled qualifying. Since the team wasn’t able to make a mock qualifying run due to the rain-shortened practice, Armstrong started in the 20th position based on practice speeds.

Handling issues rose within the first three laps of the 200 mile event as Armstrong radioed to his crew that the truck was super loose on entry. Sliding back further into the field, the Indiana-native rode around the back of the pack until the competition caution on lap 20. The crew made the first of many adjustments under the yellow and sent their driver back out into battle. Unfortunately, the Ferrellgas/EverFi/Drive For Savings machine was still loose, and Armstrong reported he felt like he was doing a “four wheel slide” through the turns. Stillman brought his driver back down pit road just 10 laps later under the next caution for some more major adjustments, hoping this round would do the trick.

Dakoda Armstrong

“It wasn’t easy to get a feel for the truck during practice because the tires lost grip so fast, and I had a hard time adjusting between old and new tires with the changes we made. Then when the rain came and washed what rubber we had laid down during practice off the track, it just made conditions worse.

“We were really loose for the first half of the race and that put us too far behind to come back from once we got it right. I’m proud of Dan and my guys for sticking with it though and making all of the adjustments they did to get it feeling better. I just wish we hadn’t lost that initial track position at the beginning because we would’ve really had something to race with there at the end.”

“We were really fast for about 10 laps, but we needed to be fast for 134 laps tonight,” Stillman said. “But this is why we competed in these races this season, so we’re more prepared for the full season next year. We’ll work hard in the off season so we’re ready for Daytona and just keep making improvements.”

Armstrong and the No. 98 ThorSport Racing crew will return to the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series full-time in 2012 to compete for Rookie of the Year honors. During the off season, Armstrong plans on returning to his roots to run select USAC open wheel races across the country, including the Irwindale Speedway Turkey Night Midget Grand Prix over Thanksgiving. For updates leading up to Daytona on Dakoda Armstrong and ThorSport Racing, follow us on Twitter and Facebook (@ThorSportRacing), and visit our website ThorSport.com.

- ThorSport Racing Press Release

Turn-One-Racing-Logo Thumbnail

EVENT: Homestead 200 (NASCAR Camping World Truck Series)

DATE: Friday, Nov. 18, 2011

TRACK: Homestead-Miami Speedway, Homestead, Fla.

RESULT: Start 6 / Finish 22

HOMESTEAD, Fla. — No win. No championship. No rookie of the year.

“Hell yeah I’m disappointed,” Whitt said, looking back on his first season in NASCAR’s Camping World Truck Series. “Almost every week we were fast. That’s all you can ask for out of the trucks, out of everybody at Turn One Racing. But you can’t change your luck. It seems like every time we were running good, something bad would happen … an engine failure, a loose lug nut or we’d get caught up in something. I guess you pay your dues. I hope I’m
around long enough so it comes back the other way.” Like most drivers, however, Whitt’s a little hard on himself.

After a 22nd-place finish in the season finale Friday at Homestead-Miami Speedway, Whitt ended up ninth in the Truck Series points standings —
not bad for a driver who only 20 months ago was making his first stock car start.

The 20-year-old Whitt finished with two top fives, 11 top 10s, 18 top 15s and one pole, which came his first time out at Darlington — widely
considered NASCAR’s trickiest track. After a season-best second-place finish at Dover followed by a third at Charlotte, Whitt, at only 19, became
the youngest driver and first rookie to lead the Truck Series standings.

But consecutive finishes of 28th and 26th at Texas and Kentucky became the defining moment of Whitt’s swing at the championship. The first was
an engine failure. The next, Ron Hornaday Jr. slapped Whitt’s truck into the outside wall. He fell to third in points, and two months later another
engine failure dropped Whitt from fifth to eighth.

Cole Whitt, driver of the No. 60 Fuel Doctor / Red Bull Toyota Tundra - Photo Credit: Tom Whitmore / Getty Images for NASCAR

Whitt outran all but one truck in the early going Friday night. He started sixth and drove to second after disposing of race winner Johnny Sauter on lap 50. With only leader Elliott Sadler ahead, Whitt’s truck was one of the first to begin green-flag pit stops with 65 laps to go. He gave up second with the hopes of gaining time on fresh tires, but a right front vibration forced Whitt to return to pit road. He re-entered the race one lap down in 23rd.
“We came back in to get another set, get all five lugs on tight,” Whitt said. “That’s all it needed. When we got back out there, we were plenty fast to lead the race. Probably was a truck to win, but things didn’t go right.”

Whitt was in free-pass position (22nd) when it began raining at about 9:45 p.m. ET. Rather than dry the 1.5-mile track and re-start the race near midnight, NASCAR officials opted to call the race 15 laps from its scheduled finish.

It’s not long until Whitt’s back in the cockpit of a car. He’ll participate in the Dec. 1 Red Bull Kart Fight, which matches stars from NASCAR, IndyCar, Grand-Am, American Le Mans, NHRA and the X Games in a karting event at the Performance Racing Industry Trade Show in Orlando.

“It’ll be the first time I’ve done it, and I’m looking forward to it,” Whitt said. “Go down to Orlando and just relax, have fun with it. I haven’t been in a kart in years …”

- Red Bull Racing Press Release

Date: Nov. 18, 2011

Event: Ford 200 (Race 25 of 25)

Series: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series

Location: Homestead-Miami Speedway (1.5-mile oval)

Start / Finish: 17th/2nd (Running, completed 119 of 119 laps)

Winner: Johnny Sauter of Thorsport Racing (Chevrolet)

No. 18 Dollar General Toyota Tundra

Celebrating his 31st birthday, Hamlin was like a kid patiently waiting until the end of the party to eat his cake and open his presents. His No. 18 Dollar General Tundra was riding in the catbird seat, tucked behind Sauter’s No. 13 truck, as he patiently waited for the right opportunity to make his move in the final stages of the Ford 200.

With 20 laps remaining Hamlin’s spotter, Curtis Markham, made his driver aware that rain was fast approaching the area and if he felt like he could challenge for the win, he needed to get by Sauter in a hurry. One lap later, Hamlin made a strong run on the outside line through the middle of Turn 3 but just as he began to pull around Sauter coming off of Turn 4, Sauter got loose, slid up the track and brushed Hamlin into the wall. To avoid possibly wrecking both trucks, Hamlin checked up, and Sauter maintained the lead. As the field approached the start-finish line, the rain began falling and the caution waved.

Shortly after the field was parked on pit road, the rain strengthened and the race was ruled official with 119 of the scheduled 134 laps complete.

“I knew I had a Dollar General Tundra that could get around Johnny (Sauter), but I just wanted to be patient and wait until later stages of the race, and also to ensure that we kept the third-place guy behind us and tried to use the draft,” said Hamlin who posted a win and a runner-up finish in two starts for KBM this season. “Strategy didn’t work out. It probably cost us a win today, but they told me one lap before the rain came that it looks like rain is coming, so if I got anything, I’d better go. That was my last-ditch effort on the corner to try to get around him. He slid up and got into us and we got in the wall, and it was one of those things. We were not in a position to really race him that hard anyway.”

With Friday afternoon’s qualifying washed out by rain, the field was set by practice speeds from the morning practice session. Hamlin started the race from the 17th position, but began marching towards the front of the field once the green flag dropped. By lap 11 he had cracked the top 10 and had advanced into the seventh position when the competition caution occurred on lap 20.

The 31-year-old driver communicated to crew chief Eric Phillips that the Dollar General Tundra was tight off the exit of the corners in the early stages of the race. When pit road opened, Hamlin brought his truck down pit road where the KBM over-the-wall crew put on right side tires, filled it with fuel and returned their driver back to the track in the runner-up position.

Hamlin made his way to the lead on lap 25, but after one lap on point, relinquished the lead to James Buescher and settled into the runner-up spot. He remained in the second position when the second caution of the race occurred for a spin involving his teammate, Germán Quiroga, on lap 31.

After the race restarted on lap 35, a long green flag run ensued allowing competitors who took four tires during the competition caution to take advantage of having fresher tires. Hamlin had slipped back to the eighth position when he made a green flag stop for four fresh tires and fuel on lap 70.

When pit stops had cycled through on lap 90, the Virginia native had worked his way back up to the third position. He remained third when the third caution of the race occurred on lap 97. He communicated to Phillips that the biggest issue with the Dollar General Tundra was being loose into the corners.

Hamlin brought the Dollar General Tundra down pit road for four fresh tires and full tank of fuel. Phillips used an air pressure adjustment to try and secure Hamlin’s entry for the final stages of the race and communicated to Hamlin that his truck had enough fuel to make it to the end of the race.

The race restarted on lap 102 with the No. 18 Tundra scored in the third position. On lap 105, Hamlin made his way into the runner-up spot and tucked in behind race-leader Sauter. The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series regular, making just his 13th career Truck Series start, kept within two truck lengths of the lead, applying just enough pressure to try and force Sauter into making a mistake or abusing his equipment.

In the end, Sauter finally slipped up, but Hamlin ran out of both space and time and was forced to settle for a runner-up finish in the rain-shortened race.

Sauter’s win was his second of the season. Hamlin was second and Kevin Harvick third, while rookies Nelson Piquet Jr. and Joey Coulter finished fourth and fifth, respectively. Ty Dillon, Elliott Sadler, Timothy Peters, Jason White and Austin Dillon, who became the youngest driver to win a Truck Series championship, rounded out the top-10 finishers.

Quiroga, the three-time reigning NASCAR Mexico Series champion, finished 26th in KBM’s No. 51 Tundra.

There were five caution periods for 16 laps, with seven drivers failing to finish the race.

The No. 18 Tundra led the Truck Series with eight wins in 2011, but the defending Truck Series owners’ champions finished second in the 2011 standings, 104 points behind KHI’s No. 2 team.

- Kyle Busch Motorsports Press Release

Truck owner and Grandfather Richard Childress (L) celebrates the 2011 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series championship with grandson Austin Dillon (R) at Homestead-Miami Speedway (Photo Credit: RCR)

The accomplishment marks the second NCWTS championship for RCR, who earned the inaugural NCWTS series championship in 1995 with Mike Skinner, also in a No. 3 Chevrolet. The 42-year-old racing organization, headed by Dillon’s grandfather Richard Childress, now has 14 motorsports championships overall, spread across the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, NASCAR Nationwide Series, NCWTS and the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards.

“It’s so special when you’re family,” said patriarch and team owner Richard Childress. “Our whole family is involved, and I remember the very first championship with Dale Earnhardt. I had the same feeling tonight watching Austin, my grandson. It’s just so special to have the family and know how hard all of them worked. Danny Stockman (crew chief), Bass Pro Shops, everybody on the No. 3 team did so much to help put it together. Austin kept it together so good under the pressure. For a 21-year-old guy, man, to be able to hang in there and do what he did was very special.”

Dillon, the 2010 NCWTS Rookie of the Year, becomes the first driver in the 11-year history of the NCWTS to earn the rookie title and then the driving championship the subsequent year. He also holds the honor of youngest champion to be crowned in the series’ history. Along with Ty Dillon, the 2011 ARCA Racing Series champion, the Dillon’s are the only brothers who have earned same-year championships on a national stock car tour.

“We definitely worked hard this year and accomplished this as a team,” said Dillon. “This was our goal at the beginning of the year and no one ever gave up. Danny Stockman and every member of the Bass Pro Shops team worked nonstop. We rebounded from so many little mistakes and unfortunate incidents this year-the hood flipping up at Kentucky Speedway, for example. It’s the way you react to the undesirable situations that show what a championship team is made of, and these guys reacted in all the right ways. This championship means so much to me and I’m thrilled to be able to represent my family, Richard Childress Racing, Bass Pro Shops and NASCAR as a champion.”

En route to the 2011 title, Dillon and his Danny Stockman-led Bass Pro Shops team celebrated in Victory Lane at Nashville Superspeedway and Chicagoland Speedway, posting an impressive five pole awards among 10 top-five and 16 top-10 finishes in 25 races. Dillon finished second on four separate occasions.

At 29-years-old, the 2011 championship marks crew chief Stockman’s first in only his second year as a crew chief. Prior to joining RCR in December 2009, he earned two championships (’07 and ’09) in the NCWTS as a truck chief at Kevin Harvick, Inc.

“Like Austin said, the last restart was quite gut wrenching,” added Stockman. “Just awesome to be a part of this deal with Richard, Mike, Austin and Tina, and everybody that just let me have this opportunity to be a part of it. Austin Dillon is just a great up-and-coming race car driver. I am just really happy to be a part of it. We have a heck of a good race team, and just got to thank everybody back at the shop for all their hard work.”

The nation’s No. 1 outdoor retail leader, Bass Pro Shops, was positioned as the primary partner on Dillon’s No. 3 Chevrolet for the duration of the 2010 and 2011 race seasons. A long-time RCR supporter, Bass Pro Shops began its association with Richard Childress Racing in 1998 with associate sponsorship of the No. 3 GM Goodwrench Chevrolet Monte Carlo made famous by seven-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Dale Earnhardt. Bass Pro Shops’ partnership with RCR has also included sponsorship of the No. 29 Chevrolet driven by Kevin Harvick and primary sponsorship of Earnhardt’s eldest son, Kerry Earnhardt, in RCR’s No. 33 Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet for six Sprint Cup Series races in 2004. The company sponsored Ty Dillon for his season-finale race in the ARCA Racing Series this year.

“Congratulations to Austin from all of us at Bass Pro Shops, Tracker Marine and all our Tracker independent dealers,” said Bass Pro Shops founder Johnny Morris. “Austin is a fine young man who loves racing, loves the outdoors and has a great future ahead of him. What a proud moment for Austin’s grandparents Richard and Judy Childress and his mom and dad Mike and Tina Dillon.”

Dillon joins an exclusive list of NCWTS driving champions, including Todd Bodine, Ron Hornaday, Jr., Johnny Benson, Ted Musgrave, Bobby Hamilton, Travis Kvapil, Mike Bliss, Jack Sprague, Greg Biffle and Mike Skinner. He will be formally honored at the annual NNS and NCWTS Awards Banquet at the Loews Miami Beach Hotel on Monday, Nov. 21. SPEED will broadcast the banquet on Friday, Dec. 2 from 7-9 p.m. Eastern Standard Time.

About Bass Pro Shops Group:

Bass Pro Shops -58 retail stores in 26 states and Canada visited by over 110 million people annually, international catalog and internet retailing, American Rod & Gun wholesale division selling to over 7,000 independently owned retail stores worldwide, Outdoor World Incentives also selling Bass Pro Shops gift cards through over 132,000 retail outlets across America and a restaurant division with 26 locations. For more information regarding Bass Pro Shops store locations, products or special events, please visit www.basspro.com. To request a free catalog call 1-800-BASS PRO.

Tracker Marine Group –

Manufactures and sells Tracker, Nitro, SunTracker, Tahoe and Mako boats through Bass Pro Shops retail stores and over 400 dealers worldwide. Visit www.trackerboats.com

Resort Group –

Big Cedar Lodge and other resort properties including restaurants and golf course. Visit www.bigcedar.com for more information.

About Richard Childress Racing

Richard Childress Racing (www.rcrracing.com) has earned more than 200 victories and 14 NASCAR championships, including six in the Sprint Cup Series with the legendary Dale Earnhardt. RCR was the first organization to win championships in the Sprint Cup Series, Nationwide Series and Camping World Truck Series. Its 2011 Sprint Cup Series lineup includes Paul Menard (No. 27 Menards Chevrolet), Kevin Harvick (No. 29 Budweiser Chevrolet), Jeff Burton (No. 31 Caterpillar Chevrolet) and Clint Bowyer (No. 33 Cheerios/Hamburger Helper Chevrolet). Its Camping World Truck Series program includes 2010 Rookie of the Year Austin Dillon (No. 3 Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet) and Joey Coulter, Jr. (No. 22 RCR Chevrolet). Tim George Jr. (No 31 Applebee’s / Potomac Family Dining Group Chevrolet) and Ty Dillon (No. 41 RCR Chevrolet) will compete in the 2011 ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards.

- Richard Childress Racing Press Release

Johnny Sauter poses next the 2011 NCWTS Championship Trophy that eluded him prior to winning the Ford 200 - Photo Credit: Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images for NASCAR

With NASCAR’s decision to end the race, it was Johnny Sauter at the lead and pronounced the winner, but even though Sauter did all he could do by leading the most laps and winning the race, it wasn’t enough to win the championship that went to Austin Dillon (who finished the season 6-points ahead of Sauter).

This was Sauter’s second series win of the 2011 season, his fourth series career win and his first series win at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

Coming in second was Denny Hamlin followed by Kevin Harvick finishing in third Nelson Piquet Jr. fourth, Joey Coulter fifth, Ty Dillon sixth, Elliott Sadler seventh, Timothy Peters eighth, Jason White ninth and Austin Dillon rounding out the top-ten finishers.

As for Austin Dillon and his first series championship, Dillon (at 21 years, six months and 22 days) became the youngest series champion, the first driver to follow up his Sunoco Rookie of the Year season with a championship the following season, gives Richard Childress Racing their second championship.

The 2011 NCWTS Sunoco Rookie of the Year honor goes to Joey Coulter, who finished the season with five top fives and 13 top 10s.

RACE NOTES:

Average Speed: 125.385 MPH
Time of Race: 1 Hrs, 25 Mins, 25 Secs.
Margin of Victory: Caution
Lead Changes: 14 among 9 drivers
Cautions: 5 for 16 laps
Attendance: 22,000

Unoffical Top-Ten in the Points Standings: 1. Austin Dillon – 888 (Series Champion) 2. Johnny Sauter – 882 (-6 Points Finished Behind the Champion) 3. James Buescher – 859 (-29) 4. Ron Hornaday Jr. – 838 (-50) 5. Timothy Peters – 832 (-56) 6. Todd Bodine – 803 (-85) 7. Joey Coulter # – 796 (-92) 8. Matt Crafton – 785 (-103) 9. Cole Whitt # – 764 (-124) 10. Nelson Piquet Jr. # – 752 (-136).

Next Up: The 2012 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Season

2011 NCWTS Ford 200 Race Results

(i) Ineligible for Points in this Series
# Denotes Rookie