Joey Coulter has had the type of success in his early racing career that most “young guns” only dream about. At the ripe age of 22, with 49 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series starts under his belt, Coulter’s resume already includes a Rookie of the Year award, one win (Pocono, 2012), three poles, 120 laps led, 13 top-five and 28 top-10 finishes. Entering his 50th career Truck Series start this weekend in the N.C. Education Lottery 200 at Rockingham (N.C.) Speedway, the young but experienced wheelman is showing no signs of slowing down anytime soon.
After producing a third-place finish in the 2012 championship standings, Coulter enters his third full-time season in the Truck Series and his first for Kyle Busch Motorsports (KBM) with only one goal in mind this year, to win the first-ever driver’s championship for his new team. After two subpar finishes to start the season, a 22nd-place finish at Daytona (Fl.) International Speedway and a 15th-place finish at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway, he knows that he needs to begin producing the results that he is capable of if he hopes to accomplish that goal.
This weekend he will pilot the No. 18 Darrell Gwynn Foundation Tundra and although only 22, serves as the veteran among KBM’s crop of young talent. Making his fifth start at Rockingham (N.C.) Speedway, Coulter has logged 748 laps around the high-banked track including one start in the Truck Series (2012) and three ARCA Racing Series starts. At a track that is still very “green” to the series, Coulter feels he will have an advantage on many drivers in the field with his experience managing tires on the aged surface.
Coulter comes into the third event of the season 15th in the Truck Series championship point standings; a mere 13 points behind 10th-place Ryan Blaney and 43 markers behind point’s leader Johnny Sauter. He knows that although those results aren’t ideal, his championship bid is still very much alive. After the second race of the season in 2012, Coulter was 26th in points; 17 points behind 10th-place, Todd Bodine and 42 points behind leader, John King. A rock solid finish in this weekend’s event will allow the young driver to continue his assault up the leader board.
KBM PR
