Potentially Race-Winning Run Ends in the Wall for Miguel Paludo in Kansas

Miguel Paludo
No. 32 Duroline Brakes and Components Chevrolet
Kansas Speedway – SFP 250
April 20, 2013

KANSAS CITY, Kan. (April 20, 2013) – Miguel Paludo’s potentially race-winning run ended in the wall at Kansas Speedway. After starting on the front row and leading his first laps of the 2013 season, the No. 32 Duroline Brakes and Components Chevrolet was one of the trucks to beat before getting run into the wall on lap 35, ending Paludo’s race in the garage and relegating him to a 31st-place finish in the SFP 250.

The Turner Scott Motorsports fleet set the pace for the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series event at Kansas Speedway, taking the top-three spots in Keystone Light qualifying Saturday morning. Paludo laid down the second-quickest lap, putting him on the front row for the start of the 250-mile race. After taking the green flag, Paludo backed up his starting position, holding the runner-up spot until the first caution flag of the day waved on lap 15.

Reporting to crew chief Jeff Hensley that the No. 32 was a little snug, Paludo visited pit road for fuel and a track-bar adjustment. Consistently fast on pit road in 2013, the Turner Scott Motorsports team did not disappoint, and Paludo returned to the track with the race lead.

Pacing the field for five laps once green-flag racing resumed, Paludo was in the second position when the yellow flag waved on lap 24. Another caution came just three laps after the green, and Paludo was still scored second as the field restarted on lap 34. The No. 32 Duroline Silverado had a strong restart, but the truck to his inside got loose and went wide, pushing Paludo into the outside wall. The Brazilian was able to navigate his wounded truck to the garage, but the damage sustained in the crash was too much to return to the racetrack, and Paludo was forced to retire after 35 laps of competition.

“This is a tough one to swallow,” said Paludo after the wreck. “Today should have been our first win, a top-three for sure, and instead we’re in the garage. I’m so disappointed for my guys, they’ve been doing such a good job, both on pit road and in the shop, so I hate that this is how our race ended. This is going to be a huge hit for us in the points, unfortunately. But the bright side is that for the fourth race straight, we had a truck that could have won. We had the handling right from the first lap of practice. This is a race-winning team, a championship-winning team.”

The Truck Series has a three-week break before a “home game” at Charlotte Motor Speedway on May 17.

About Turner Scott Motorsports: Turner Scott Motorsports was established in 1999 by Texas businessman Steve Turner, who was joined by partner Harry Scott Jr. as co-owner in 2013. This season will mark the fourth season of full-time NASCAR competition for the organization, which expanded in 2011 from a two-truck operation in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) to become the largest stand-alone multi-series team in NASCAR’s top-tier touring series. The team earned its first championship when James Buescher captured the NCWTS title in 2012. Turner Scott Motorsports operates out of an 110,000 square-foot state-of-the art facility in Mooresville, N.C.  The Chevrolet-backed team has created alliances with General Motors’ powerhouse team Hendrick Motorsports, which provides engine support for both its NNS and NCWTS programs, and Earnhardt Technology Group for drive train and suspension technology assistance. For more information on Turner Scott Motorsports, visit www.TurnerScottMotorsports.com