NXS: TriStar Motorsports Post Race Report Hisses 300 at Charlotte Motor Speedway

NASCAR XFINITY Series

Hisense 300

Charlotte Motor Speedway

Date: Saturday, May 23, 2015

Race Highlights:

Cale Conley qualified 26^th for the Hisense 300, followed by Blake Koch in 30^th, David Starr in 32^nd and Eric McClure in 36^th.

The 200-lap race included three cautions for 22 laps and nine lead changes among seven drivers.

David Starr finished the 200-lap race 22^nd, followed by Blake Koch in 23^rd, Eric McClure in 30^th and Cale Conley in 34^th.

David Starr Finishes 22^nd in the Hisense 300

David Starr qualified 32^nd for the Hisense 300. Early in the race, on lap 4, Starr reported that the car was tight and lost grip as he drove it hard into the corners. Under caution on lap 47, the No. 44 Zachry team made a track-bar adjustment, 4 tires and fuel in an effort to free up the car for better handling. Starr went two laps down while continuing to battle a tight set up but received a wave around under caution on lap 90, scoring the No. 44 one lap down. With a caution on lap 158, Starr radioed in that the No. 44 was remaining consistent, but still difficult to drive. Crew Chief Greg Conner brought Starr down pit road for additional adjustments and cycled back through to restart the race in the 21st position. The final adjustments did not seem to affect the handling of the No. 44 Zachry Camry and Starr concluded the race with a 22^nd place finish.

Start- 32^nd        Finish- 22^nd       Laps Led- 0      Points- 22 points

Driver QUOTE: “Tough day for us, our Zachry Toyota Camry wasn’t very good. We did the best we could, but we couldn’t drive the car like it needed to be raced. Everyone did the best that they could do, it just wasn’t very good. Very frustrating as a driver and everyone on the team, because they are trying to get where you can race the car and the harder you race the worse it got. It was challenging, but I never gave up. The positive thing we can take away from this, is that no one gave up. We can go next week and start over. I commend everyone on doing their best, it just wasn’t pretty. I am just glad to be a part of the NASCAR XFINITY Series and we will keep digging.”

Blake Koch finishes 23^rd in the Hisense 300

Blake Koch qualified 30^th for the 200-lap race at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Koch was quiet on the radio early into the race, but on lap 23 Koch reported that he was lacking grip. On lap 50, Koch came to pit road for four tires, fuel and an air pressure adjustment. After a great pit stop by the No. 8 Dealer Associates pit crew, Koch restarted 23^rd. On lap 68, Koch reported that his Camry was tight in the center off while running 26^th. Koch’s spotter came on the radio on lap 80 and told him to drive into the corner further. With 77 laps to go, Koch was scored in the 23^rdposition and reported that his Camry was too tight. With 12 laps to go, Koch was running 24^th and would advance one position to finish the 200-lap race 23^rd.

Start- 30^th     Finish- 23^rd     Laps Led -0      Points- 21 points

Driver QUOTE: “We had a tough weekend, but my team and I never gave up. We had a good car; we just fought tight conditions throughout the 200-lap race. Next weekend we go to one of my favorite tracks, so I am excited to unload a good Camry in Dover.”

Eric McClure Finishes 30^th in the Hisense 300

Eric McClure and the No. 24 Hefty® Camry rolled off 36^th for the 34^th Annual Hisense 300. The 200-lap event started comfortable for McClure, who was in his second start back with TriStar Motorsports. Gaining four spots by lap-five, McClure radioed to his crew that the No. 24 Camry was lacking front grip. Upon the event’s first caution, Crew Chief Wes Ward called the orange and blue Toyota to pit road for fuel, four tires and a track bar adjustment to help with the lack of grip McClure was experiencing.  As the field approached the 70 lap mark, McClure still feels he needs more security in the Hefty® Camry. Feeling more of a balance with his racecar, McClure seemed content. With only 35-laps to go, McClure lost all power to the Hefty® machine. Coasting down pit road, the Hefty® team sprung in to action and found a faulty battery was the reason for lack of power. A quick battery change and McClure headed back out on track. Experiencing a loose condition in the closing laps, McClure hung on to finish 30^th.

Start- 36^th        Finish- 30^th       Laps Led- 0      Points-14 points

Driver QUOTE: “We started behind the eight ball a little. My guys worked hard in making adjustments allowing us to improve significantly in the race. We had a nice rally going on and would have ended up with a respectable day if not for the battery failure. I’m really proud of the guys and their efforts. We will give it another go next week and I hope for a better result.”

Cale Conley Finishes 34^th in the Hisense 300

The Hisense 300 weekend began on a high note after Cale Conley and TriStar Motorsports revealed the new #GoSilent paint scheme for Memorial Day. Conley qualified in the 26^th position and spent the first half of the afternoon maintaining position. After the second round of pit stops, Conley reported a vibration and brought his Toyota Camry to the garage for repairs. The culprit was a transmission issue, but the TriStar Motorsports crew made swift work and Conley returned to the racetrack with 46 laps to go. Unfortunately, he was unable to overcome the laps he lost and he ended the Hisense 300 in the 34^th position.

Start -26^th       Finish- 34^th      Laps Led- 0      Points- 10 points

Driver QUOTE: “Not the day we wanted but it was awesome having IAVA here and I hope they enjoyed their time. Now I’m looking forward to Dover.”

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