FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
NASCAR XFINITY Series
Buckle Up 200
Dover International Speedway
Date: Saturday, May 30, 2015
Race Highlights:
David Starr qualified 24th for the Buckle Up 200, followed by Blake Koch in 25th, Cale Conley in 26th and Eric McClure in 30th.
The 200-lap race included four cautions for 23 laps and seven lead changes among five drivers.
David Starr finished the 200-lap race 13th, followed by Eric McClure in 24th, Blake Koch in 30th and Cale Conley in 33rd.
David Starr Finishes 13th in the Buckle Up 200
Making his XFINITY Series debut at Dover International Speedway, David Starr qualified 24th for the Buckle Up 200. With a caution on lap 56, David reported the car was over rotating, loose on entry and tight through the center. The No. 44 Zachry team pitted for four tires, Sunoco fuel and a track-bar adjustment. A solid call from Crew Chief Greg Conner, as the adjustments proved positive in providing the grip Starr had requested. As the caution flag waved at the half way mark, lap 100, David Starr was the recipient of the lucky dog and was officially posted on the lead lap after cycling back through the field from the second pit stop of the day. As the race progressed, Starr radioed the handling of the car was getting worse and hitting the splitter. On lap 195 of 200, he was scored in the ninth position and ultimately crossed the finish line with a thirteenth place finish.
Start- 24th Finish- 13th Laps Led- 0 Points- 31 points
Driver QUOTE: “We brought home our Zachry Toyota Camry in 13th. Great effort by my Zachry team and a great job by Greg Conner calling the race. We actually were really loose at the start of the race and after the first pit stop we were able to tighten it up and it came alive. We started running good lap times and got a lap back. Unfortunately with 90 laps to go, something broke on the front and the splitter was hitting the racetrack. The call that Greg (Conner) made was brilliant and we were able to bring home our Toyota Camry in the top 15. My hats off to all of the guys on this team, because everyone did a tremendous job all weekend long. I am interested in learning what broke in the front end, because the splitter was hitting the front really hard and the front tires would loose grip and come up the track. All in all, a great effort by the team. We will go to Michigan in a few weeks and hopefully bring home a top 10 finish.”
Eric McClure finishes 24th in the Buckle Up 200
After not laying eyes on Dover International Speedway for two years, Eric McClure was eager to regain his confidence at the “Monster Mile”. With a car that wanted to go sideways in qualifying, for the Buckle Up 200, McClure held on to start 30th. In only their third outing back together McClure and the Hefty® team continued to build on their cohesiveness. Gaining track position out of the gate, McClure set in to find a line suitable for his loose Camry. Fresh Goodyear tires and fuel was what the doctor ordered to help the ailing orange and blue No. 24. With the help of a wave around and speedy pit stops, McClure was able to pick up track positions during the closing laps of the race. “Shaking off the dust” McClure finished his eighth start at the Monster Mile in the 24th position.
Start- 30th Finish- 24th Laps Led -0 Points- 20 points
Driver QUOTE: “Overall, we improved immensely this weekend at Dover. Wes [Ward] and the whole Hefty® team were great. I made a mistake on pit road and taking the wave around ultimately cost us with a late stop under green. But, for me at Dover, it was a huge improvement. This weekend really gave us something to build on. ”
Blake Koch Finishes 30th in the Buckle Up 200
Blake Koch qualified the No. 8 LeafFilter Gutter Protection Camry 25th for the Buckle Up 200. Koch avoided a wreck early into the 200-lap race while running in the 24th position. On lap 51, Koch was in the “Lucky Dog” position and reported that his Camry had lost front grip and was snappy loose. Mid-race, Koch reported that he believed he had a right front suspension issue and came to pit road for right side tires only. On lap 77, the driver came on the radio and said that he can’t turn his Camry and the team believed he was on the splitter. With less than 24 laps to go, Koch had a right front tire go down which forced Koch to take his Camry to the garage. The No. 8 LeafFilter Gutter Protection Camry came home 30th at Dover International Speedway.
Start- 25th Finish- 30th Laps Led- 0 Points-14 points
Driver QUOTE: “It was a tough day at the Monster Mile. Matt and my team put a great Camry together and we learned a lot in practice and qualifying. Unfortunately there was a series of events, which made the car un-drivable. I can’t thank my team enough for never giving up. We will work hard during our off week to get ready for Michigan.”
Cale Conley Finishes 33rd in the Buckle Up 200
The Buckle Up 200 weekend was a frustrating one for Cale Conley and the No. 14 IAVA team. Conley’s Toyota Camry handled well in practice, but by the time qualifying began, the car was wrecking loose. Conley managed to maintain control of the car and qualified in the 26th position. Once the 200-lap event got underway, it took Conley no time at all to break into the top 20. Unfortunately mid-way through the race, Conley reported that the track bar had broken and he took his Camry to the garage for repair. The damage was extensive enough to end the race early for Conley and he finished the Buckle Up 200 in the 33rd position.
Start -26th Finish- 33rd Laps Led- 0 Points- 11 points
Driver QUOTE: “We can’t seem to shake the bad luck for the last couple of weeks. Hopefully we can spend the off weekend refocusing and preparing the best we can for Michigan.”
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