Fort Worth, TX (November 7, 2015) – Sunoco Rookie of the Year contender, Cameron Hayley continued to impress in Friday night’s WinStar World Casino 350k at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth. The ThorSport Racing driver topped the speed charts in final NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) practice on Thursday evening, qualified 14th for the 147-lap event, and led one lap en route to a 10th-place finish. The solid run was Hayley’s fourth consecutive top-10 finish in the last four NCWTS races.
Hayley, who started 14th, radioed into his No. 13 Carolina Nut Co. team that he was fighting a “six or seven loose” Toyota Tundra, just 20 laps into the 147-lap event. Able to hold on for 20 more laps, the Calgary, Alberta native hit pit road, under green on lap 42, for four tires, fuel, a track bar and air pressure adjustment to aid in his “extremely loose” condition.
Just 13 laps later, on lap 55, the race’s only yellow flag would wave for debris. With nothing to lose due to very few lead lap trucks pitting, track position-wise, crew chief Jeff Hansley called Hayley down pit road for four tires, fuel and to insert a left rear rubber. Restarting 15th, on lap 60, the 19-year-old driver methodically worked his way within the top-10 over the ensuing 29 laps at the “No Limits” track.
As the leaders began hitting pit road for green flag pit stops, Hayley was able to stay out on the race track and progress to the top spot, leading one lap, before hitting pit road on lap 100 for four tires, fuel and adjustments to aid in a still “loose” Toyota Tundra.
After green flag pit stops cycled through for the leaders, Hayley found himself back within the top-10, but fighting a Toyota Tundra that had swung to the “extremely tight” side of the spectrum. Holding on for the remaining 30 laps, the ThorSport Racing driver found himself crossing the finish line 10th behind eventual race winner, Erik Jones.
Hayley’s 10th-place finish was his fourth consecutive top-10 finish, and his 12th top-10 finish of the 2015 NCWTS season.
Quote:
“Our Carolina Nut Co. Toyota Tundra was really good in practice on Thursday, so I was optimistic for tonight’s race. We just couldn’t nail the setup tonight like we had before. We started off way to free, and it just got worse. At the end of the race we tightened it up way too much, and I just had no grip out there. It’s not the kind of night we wanted, but on the bright side, it was another top-10 finish, and a good points day overall. We’ll just move forward and get them next week.”
Notes:
- Cameron Hayley was 13th and first, respectively, in both NCWTS practice sessions on Thursday evening at TMS
- Hayley qualified 14th for Friday night’s WinStar World Casino 350k, and finished 10th in his third career start at the 1.5-mile track
- Hayley’s 10th-place finish was his 12th top-10 finish of the 2015 NCWTS season
- In 2015, Hayley has led 78 laps en route to four top-five and 12 top-10 finishes
- The ThorSport Racing driver maintained his sixth-place position in the 2015 NCWTS driver point standings. Hayley is currently 20 points behind fifth-place, Timothy Peters, and 126 behind points leader, Erik Jones
- Erik Jones won the WinStar World Casino 350k at Texas Motor Speedway, followed by Daniel Suarez (second), Ryan Blaney (third), ThorSport Racing teammate, Matt Crafton (fourth) and Tyler Reddick (fifth). ThorSport Racing teammate, Johnny Sauter finished 13th
- Up next: The Lucas Oil 150 at Phoenix International Raceway on Friday, November 13
