Photo – Sean Gardner/Getty Images
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‘Townley gives Wauters Motorsports Team Second Top-five of Series Season to Date’
John Wes Townley posted a fifth-place finish in the running of the WinStar World Casino 400 Friday night at Texas Motor Speedway in No. 5 Zaxby’s Toyota Tundra after crew chief Richie Wauters fuel strategy pays off.
Townley placed the Wauters Motorsports entry in ninth-place on the starting grid for the 167 lap NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race. Townley posted a second fastest time in the first round, 11th-fastest in the second round and ninth in the third and last round of knockout qualifying.
From the beginning of the WinStar World Casino 400 Townley reported in that the Zaxby’s Tundra was loose. The team brought the driver down pit road under caution on lap on lap 36 for adjustments. The changes made the race truck tight but Townley held on pitting twice more during caution flags to make adjustments.
After the last pit stop on lap 106 the team knew the driver would be short on fuel but Townley was able to conserve while other leaders needed to pit, giving the Zaxby’s team a second top-five finish of the 2014 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series season.
“Wow, what a great call by Richie (Wauters) to have us conserve those last few laps while the other leaders had to pit,” John Wes Townley said. “We ran out on the last lap in (turn) three and were passed right by the flag stand. We’ll take the fifth-place finish for Zaxby’s and Toyota.”
After competing in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series event at Texas Motor Speedway on Friday night, Townley arrived at Pocono to pilot his second race in less than 24 hours. While Townley was in Texas, Venturini teammate Brennan Poole practiced and qualified the Zaxby’s Toyota in the second place. The pre-race driver change, forced Townley to start from the rear of the field.
During the first stages of the 80-lap event, there was a hole punctured in the nose of the No. 15 Camry, but the Brad Parrott-led team repaired the damage under the first caution. The 24-year-old took the wave around to return to the lead lap on lap 60 and broke into the top-ten by lap 65.
Over the last ten laps, Townley picked up six positions to cross the finish line in third-place. This marked Townley’s third top-five finish in the last four ARCA races.
The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series makes their return to Gateway Motorsports Park since 2010 next Saturday, June 14, 2014.
The next event on the ARCA Racing Series schedule is the Michigan ARCA 200 at Michigan International Speedway on Friday, June 13, 2014. The race starts at 5:15PM ET, with live television coverage airing on FOX Sports 1. ARCAracing.com will also have live timing and scoring throughout the weekend.
For more information on Wauters Motorsports visit www.WautersMotorsports.com. Also be sure to follow on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @WautersMotors5, John Wes Townley on Facebook and @JWTownley on Twitter.
Follow Venturini Motorsports at www.VenturiniMotorsports.com Also be sure to follow on Twitter @VenturiniMotor and Facebook at Venturini Motorsports