Gander Trucks Advance: Las Vegas Motor Speedway

Dylan Lupton, No. 5 DGR-Crosley Toyota Tundra

Dylan Lupton will return to DGR-Crosley’s No. 5 Toyota Tundra entry this weekend as the NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series heads west to Las Vegas (Nev.) Motor Speedway. Friday’s World of Westgate 200 will mark Lupton’s fourth race of the season for the team.

While it will be the 25-year-olds first attempt at the 1.5-mile track in the Truck Series, Lupton has one previous start at the track in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. He also has two starts at tracks 1.5-miles or larger in the Truck Series this season where he earned a fifth and 10th-place finish at Kentucky Motor Speedway and Chicagoland Speedway. While Lupton averages a 14th-place starting position and a 14th-place finish with DGR-Crosley, he has one top-five and two top-10 finishes. His only finish outside of the top-10 occurred at Bristol Motor Speedway where he was caught up in an accident. With three races remaining on his schedule this season, Lupton is looking to capture his first Truck Series win this weekend in Las Vegas.

Lupton will have his regular team at Las Vegas in crew chief Blake Bainbridge leading the charge and Chris Monez guiding him from the spotter stand.

The World of Westgate 200 will broadcast live at 9:00 p.m., ET on FS1.

Lupton on Las Vegas: “It’s been a couple of weeks since I’ve been in a truck, but I’m looking forward to getting back in action with the DGR-Crosley guys this week. Obviously, Bristol didn’t go as we had hoped, but we have an opportunity to recover in a big way on Friday night. I’ve got three races left with DGR-Crosley, and I’m determined to put us in Victory Lane by the end of the season. I’ve never been to Las Vegas in a Truck, but I have some laps in an Xfinity car. I’m hoping the transition will be seamless, and we can carry a lot of speed for not only qualifying but the race.”

Anthony Alfredo, No. 15 Sim Seats Toyota Tundra

After a month hiatus, Anthony Alfredo will return to the seat of the No. 15 as the NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series heads to Las Vegas (Nev.) Motor Speedway. Alfredo will have a different look this weekend as Sim Seats will adorn the sides of his Tundra for the World of Westgate 200.

The 20-year-old Ridgefield, Conn. native has one previous start at Las Vegas Motor Speedway which occurred earlier this season. In his lone start at the 1.5-mile track, Alfredo started 14th and finished 18th. However, the result doesn’t show the impressive efforts of the No. 15 team. Alfredo was forced to rebound from several issues in the spring race, working himself inside the top-10 multiple times. A loose wheel ultimately relegated him to an 18th-place finish.

With six starts at 1.5-mile tracks this season, Alfredo has an average starting position of 14th and an average finish of 18th. His best finish of the season occurred at Charlotte Motor Speedway where he collected his first Truck Series top-10. Alfredo will have his regular team with him in Las Vegas with crew chief Chris Lawson and veteran Cup spotter Eddie D’Hondt.

The 134 lap World of Westgate 200 will be broadcast live on FS1 on Friday, Sept. 13 beginning at 8:30 p.m., ET.

Alfredo on Las Vegas: “I am really excited to head to Vegas since it is only the second track this year that I get to go to again for a second time. That helps us as a team because we already have a few notes from the first time we went there. We’ve also been improving every week, so we have some momentum to carry into the race. I’m also excited to have a new partner on board this weekend, Sim Seats Driving Simulators, and I’m determined to do my best to put them in Victory Lane. We’ve had some tough luck most of this year, so if it turns around anywhere it should be Las Vegas.”

Tyler Ankrum, No. 17 B/X Custom Designs Toyota Tundra
After a two week hiatus, the NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series will be back in action this weekend as the series travels to the 1.5-mile track of Las Vegas (Nev.) Motor Speedway. Tyler Ankrum and his No. 17 May’s Hawaii team head into the NASCAR Playoff cutoff race in a must-win situation.

Ankrum will be taking on the 1.5-mile track in Las Vegas for the first time in his young career after being forced to miss the first three races of the 2019 season due to age restrictions. However, the 18-year-old Sunoco Rookie of the Year has six speedway starts so far this season. In those six starts, Ankrum has a win, two top-five, and three top-10 finishes. Ankrum’s first career Truck Series victory occurred at the 1.5-mile track of Kentucky Speedway. The No. 17 team has shown great speed and consistency at 1.5-mile tracks so far this season where they have an average starting position of 6th and finish of 10th.

The 2019 Playoffs got off to a rough start for Ankrum at Bristol Motor Speedway when an electrical issues put the No. 17 team in a big hole. The team rebounded at Canadian Tire Motorsports Park where Ankrum earned a ninth-place finish in his first road course race at the Truck Series. Now the team shifts their focus to Las Vegas where they are looking to win and advance to the Round of 6 in the NASCAR Playoffs.

The World of Westgate 200 will all take place on Friday, September 13th with live coverage on Fox Sports 1 beginning at 8:30 p.m., ET.

Ankrum on Canadian Tire: “I feel good headed to Las Vegas. I think the mile-and-a-half tracks have been our strong suit all year compared to other teams. DGR-Crosley was pretty solid in the spring at Vegas, with the notes that they gained from that race and what we have been building on all year, I think we can go out and win. We essentially have to win, but there are a few guys close on the playoff bubble that if they have a bad day, we can steal that spot. All things considered, it’s been a fantastic ride so far, and I’ve been thankful for the opportunity.”

Natalie Decker, No. 54 Ruedebusch Development and Construction Toyota Tundra
Natalie Decker will rejoin the No. 54 team this weekend as the NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series travels to Las Vegas (Nev.) Motor Speedway. Decker will have new colors on the sides of her Tundra as she welcomes Ruedebusch Development and Construction to the team.

The World of Westgate 200 will be Decker’s second start at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Earlier this season, she earned a career-best 13th-place finish in her debut on the 1.5-mile track. Decker also scored her best qualifying effort in Vegas when she rolled off from the 12th position. This season Decker and her No. 54 team have six 1.5-mile speedway starts together where they average a 16th-place starting position, and 21st place finish. Decker heads into the weekend with confidence, looking to earn her first Truck Series top-10 finish.

Decker will have her regular team working on her No. 54 Tundra this weekend with veteran crew chief Frank Kerr calling the shots from the pit box. She will have a new voice guiding her from the spotter stand with Cup spotter, Coleman Presley.

The 134 lap World of Westgate 200 will be broadcast live on FS1 beginning at 9:00 p.m., ET on Friday, Sept. 13.

Decker on Las Vegas: “I’m looking forward to going to Vegas this week. We have some fun things leading up to the race going on with the Thunderbirds that I’m really excited about and then I’m confident going into this race weekend because we had a really good run there in the spring race. We qualified well and put together a solid race from start to finish. I think we can do the same thing this weekend.”