Team Red Horse Racing
Iowa Speedway – American Ethanol 200 Post-Race Recap
Timothy Peters
No. 17 Red Horse Racing Toyota Tundra
Start: 1st
Finish: 1st
Point’s Standings: 1st
NEWTON, IA (July 15, 2012) — It was a weekend of firsts for Red Horse Racing driver Timothy Peters as the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series raced into Iowa Speedway for the American Ethanol 200. Peters captured the pole for the 200-lap event and was able to stay in the top three positions all night, capturing his first win of the season. The pole position was Peters’ first of the season, alongside his first win at the 0.875-mile speedway. Peters leaves Iowa Speedway with a 12 point lead over second place in the championship point standings, the largest lead to date this year.
Peters led the field to the green flag and raced out front until the first caution flag was displayed on lap six for an accident in turn two. On the lap nine restart, Peters got loose racing into turn one and moved into the second position.
Lap 42 was when Peters regained the race lead, where he stayed for the next 34 laps. The team visited pit road during the lap 51 caution for four tires and fuel. A great stop by the No. 17 Toyota Tundra team kept Peters out front for the lap 56 restart.
The front position was taken from Peters on lap 75 but he continued to battle in the second spot for the race lead. The radio was quiet as Peters battled through lap traffic, slowly ticking away at the leaders pace.
At the halfway mark, Peters was just three tenths of a second behind the leader still sitting second. While racing through traffic, the driver was able to gain another tenth inching his way to the first position.
It was lap 135 when Peters regained the front running position after the leader fell victim to a blown right front tire that brought out the caution on lap 136. Crew chief, Butch Hylton brought Peters to pit road for four tires, fuel and a track bar adjustment. The No. 17 pit crew did not disappoint and once again put Peters out front for the lap 142 restart.
With 35 laps remaining, oil was spotted on the track bringing out the fifth caution of the race. The Toyota team elected to stay out on the track after having just visited pit road only 30 laps prior. Lap 168 was when the field went back to green-flag racing.
On lap 169, Peters was caught by a veteran driver for the lead. After 22 laps and two additional restarts, Peters had a great restart to regain the lead when the field when back racing with 10 laps remaining. The No. 17 Toyota Tundra collected the American Ethanol 200 victory, leading a total of 87 laps. In nine races, Peters has earned one win, six top five and eight top-10 finishes. This is his second top-10 finish in four races at Iowa Speedway.
For Red Horse Racing, this was the first time since 2005 that a driver has won the race from the pole position. It also marks the third win of the season for the organization, one for each of their three respective teams (John King – Daytona International Speedway and Todd Bodine – Dover International Speedway). Since joining Red Horse Racing in 2009, Peters has collected one win in each season. Out of four races at Iowa Speedway, Peters is the third driver to capture the race win from the pole position
Comments from the driver:
“You don’t get Toyota Tundras like this often and it was dominant. We sat on the pole. The testament goes to this team right here — Butch Hylton (crew chief), all the guys back in the shop — they work their butts off. Thank you so much. Joe Gibbs Engines — how about that horsepower? This right here is for my dad. It will be 11 years Tuesday that I lost my dad, so this was for him. Man, I’m going to be a dad — that’s kind of scary in itself too.”
Todd Bodine
No. 11 Toyota Care Tundra
Start: 11th
Finish: 12th
Point Standings: 11th
NEWTON, IA (July 15, 2012) — Todd Bodine brought his No. 11 Toyota Care Tundra to Iowa Speedway for the American Ethanol 200 looking for redemption. The two-time NASCAR Camping World Truck Series champion battled handling issues during the 200-lap event but was able to capitalize a 12th-place finish, moving him up one position in the driver’s points standings.
‘The Onion’ took the green-flag from the 11th starting position and quickly reported his Toyota Tundra was fighting loose conditions. Bodine was running 13th when an accident in turn two brought out the caution on lap six. The team stayed out on the track during the cleanup and restarted on lap 9 from the 13th spot.
The Toyota Care team was caught racing in the middle groove of the race track, shuffling Bodine into the 16th place on lap 33. When the caution came out for the second time of the night on lap 51, Bodine was scored 17th. Still fighting a loose Tundra, crew chief Rick Gay called the veteran to pit road for four tires, fuel and a chassis adjustment. A great stop by the No. 11 pit crew allowed Bodine to restart on lap 56 in the 13th place.
The team visited pit road for more chassis adjustments on lap 63 during the third caution for an accident in turn four. The stop on pit road moved the Toyota care team to the 20th place when the field went back racing on lap 69.
After nine laps of green-flag racing, Bodine had raced his way up four spots to the 16th place. He was shown 17th, when the field hit the halfway mark on lap 100. Bodine reported “loose getting into the corners” just three laps later. Gay assured the driver during their next trip to pit road, a big change would be made on his Tundra.
Bodine was scored 15th when the race went back under caution. The team came to pit road for four tires, fuel and an air pressure adjustment. The No. 11 pit crew earned one position on pit road and put Bodine in the 14th place on the lap 142 restart.
The Toyota Care team was putting down lap times equal to those trucks running in the top-10 with less than 50 laps to go. Oil was spotted on the track on lap 165 which brought out the fifth caution of the night. Bodine was 13th and would head back down pit road for more adjustments on his Tundra.
Green-flag racing resumed on lap 168 with The Onion scored 16th. With 18 laps to go, the final caution flag was displayed for an accident in turn three. Bodine had picked up two positions, racing in the 14th place and reporting his Tundra was now fighting aero tight.
The team came to pit road for a track bar adjustment, only falling back one position. With 10 laps to go, the field went green with Bodine scored 15th. The No. 11 Toyota Care Tundra would gain three positions and cross the finish line in 12th place. The finish moves Bodine up one position to 11th in the driver’s points standings, only two points out of 10th.
The Truck Series returns to action next Saturday, July 21st at Chicagoland Speedway for the American Ethanol 225 which can be watched live on SPEED at 7:30 p.m., ET.
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About Red Horse Racing:
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 hopes to build and maintain solid, mutual relationships with its partners, to win championships and races and to represent itself in a professional manner. The team has eight victories and seven poles in its brief existence. DeLoach and Hammond also own Performance Instruction and Training (visitPIT.com), 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.
