TriStar Motorsports Post-Race Report: Charlotte Motor Speedway

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In: Xfinity Series News
Race Highlights: 
 
Blake Koch qualified 24th for the Drive for the Cure 300, followed by David Starr in 27th, Eric McClure in 32nd and Cale Conley in 40th.
 
The 200-lap race included three cautions for 13 laps and seven lead changes among five drivers.
 
David Starr finished the race 25th, followed by Cale Conley in 26th, Eric McClure in 28th and Blake Koch in 33rd.                        
   
David Starr Finishes 25th in the Drive for the Cure 300
A 25th place finish ended the night for NASCAR XFINITY Series driver David Starr in the No. 44 Zachry Camry at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Starr qualified 27th to start the Drive for the Cure 300, racing under the lights for the 200 lap event. Varying between 26th to 28th position early in the race, Starr reported the Zachry Camry was loose and too free into Turn 1. With debris causing a caution on lap 49, Crew Chief Matt Lucas called Starr to pit for four tires, fuel, left rear wedge and spring rubber adjustment sending Starr out to rejoin the field in 24th position. As the race progressed, Starr held steady scoring in 25th until another caution allowed for a pit stop for much needed adjustments as the Zachry Camry had become “tight, tight, tight” according to Starr. A tight handling condition remained consistent throughout the remainder of the 200-laps along with Starr holding a steady pace at 25th where he ultimately crossed the finish line to conclude the Drive for the Cure 300.
Start- 27th        Finish- 25th       Laps Led- 0      Points- 19 points
 
Cale Conley Finishes 26th in the Drive for the Cure 300
Cale Conley and the No. 14 IAVA team returned to Charlotte Motor Speedway to compete in the Drive for the Cure 300. Conley reported handling issues in practice,which subsequently plagued him throughout the weekend. Conley lost control of his Toyota Camry in qualifying and made contact with the wall, relegating him to a 40th-place starting position. Within 25 laps of the green flag, Conley had advanced 14 positions to 26th. Unfortunately, the field began to spread out and it became difficult to continue to move forward. This coupled with the poor handling saw Conley finish the 200-lap event in the 26th position.
Start- 40th    Finish- 27th      Laps Led -0      Points- 18 points
 
Driver QUOTE: “This was a terrible night for us. The car was battling the racetrack the whole race and we had a number of issues. I don’t think any of my guys were happy with that and hopefully we don’t have anymore runs like that this season.”
                                               
Eric McClure Finishes 28th in the Drive for the Cure 300
In his 15th NASCAR XFINITY Series start at Charlotte Motor Speedway, Eric McClure rolled off the grid in the 32nd position.  A car notorious for being tricky for McClure, posed handling issues out of the gate. Fighting a tight handling Reynolds Wrap® Camry, McClure began trying to carry his driving line higher to aid his car. The event’s first caution on lap 49 allowed the Reynolds Wrap® team to change tires and add fuel to their Camry.  As the 200-lap event proceeded McClure and his team continued work on track and on pit road.  With 50 laps to go, the Reynolds Wrap® Camry started to become more in-sync with the conditions of the 1.5-mile quad-oval. The long green flag runs assisted the Reynolds Wrap® team in dialing-in the Camry to finish 28th.
Start- 32nd        Finish- 28th      Laps Led- 0     Points- 16 points
 
Driver QUOTE: “My guys worked hard to try to make the car better. With minimal cautions and long green flag runs, it kind of limited our opportunities to dial the car in. My pit crew was really strong again this week, which helped our efforts on pit road.”
 
Blake Koch Finishes 33rd in the Drive for the Cure 300
Blake Koch qualified 24th for the Drive for the Cure 300 on Friday afternoon. Early into the race, Koch reported loose racing conditions in turns three and four. On lap seven, Koch came over the radio and reported that his LeafFilter Gutter Protection Camry had lost power. The team went to the garage to diagnose the problem and was able to return to the track. Shortly after returning to the track, Koch reported that his Camry was loose and came to pit for four tires, fuel and adjustments. Koch never gave up on his LeafFilter Camry and brought home a 33rd place finish.

Start -24th       Finish- 33rd     Laps Led- 0      Points-11 points

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