Joey Coulter: Expects the new surface at Kansas to be a fresh start in his bid for the 2013 driver championship

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In: NASCAR Truck Series News

Kansas Speedway in Kansas City will have a different feel when Joey Coulter and the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) return to action at the Midwestern track this weekend. Since racing at the 1.5-mile tri-oval in April of 2012, the track went through a massive renovation project that included a repave to the racing surface. The old, worn-out pavement was stripped away and the result is a paved tri-oval with variable banking. Although the Truck Series will make its debut on the new racing surface this weekend in the SFP 250, NASCAR’s premier division, the Sprint Cup Series, was called to action in the “Sunflower State” and completed 267-laps on the new surface last October. Many of NASCAR’s veteran driver’s compare the “new track” to Pocono (Pa.) Raceway and Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn, saying its “smooth and fast with a lot of grip.”

Coulter who captured his first Truck Series victory at Pocono and his first of three poles at Michigan is looking forward to the series debut on the new racing surface. Prior to his success at both tracks, the 2.5-mile triangle in Long Pond, Pa. and the 2-mile track in Brooklyn, Mich. were both freshly repaved. So, while many repaves come with criticism from the NASCAR family of drivers, Coulter will embrace the new surface and continue his climb in the Truck Series driver point standings with his new team at the new track.

 

Following a 22nd-place finish in the season-opener at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway, Coulter has been playing catch-up in the Truck Series driver point standings. A solid effort by the 22-year-old driver in the last two races has allowed him to progress eight positions in the standings and currently sits 13th overall with 82 points; a mere seven points out of the top 10 and just 18 markers behind fifth-place, Ryan Blaney. Although the young driver has been solid this season – running consistently in the top 10 every week – completing 100% of laps attempted (555 of 555) and producing progressively better finishes each week, the dedicated driver is not where he feels he should be three races into the season with a goal of a driver’s championship on the line.

 

Making his third start at Kansas Speedway this weekend, Coulter has two top-15 finishes, including a fifth-place finish in 2011. The Florida native knows there is, “no better place than Kansas” to get back on track and bring home his first top-10 finish of the season.

 

KBM PR

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