John wes Townley Red Horse Racing Martinsville Speedway Team Advance

FINDING SHORT TRACK COMFORT: If you’re taking picks on drivers looking to compete for the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series win at Martinsville Speedway this weekend, don’t count John Wes Townley out of it. The driver of the No. 7 Zaxby’s Toyota Tundra has demonstrated considerable talent during this 2013 season with 4 top-10 and 11 top-15 finishes. Four of those top-15 finishes are on tracks one mile in length or less. As the young driver continues to gain confidence on track, you might just find him as one of the front runners in Saturday’s Kroger 200.

 

HE’S A STAT MAN: Crew chief, Mike Beam has been calling the shots in NASCAR for over 30 years. In that time, he has earned one win, four top-five and 11 top-10 finishes in the Sprint Cup Series. He has three Sprint Cup Series victories one which was collected at Martinsville Speedway in 2001 with Ricky Craven. Beam also has five top five and five top-10 finishes in 11 Truck Series races.

 

WHAT’S NEW AT YOUR LOCAL ZAXBY’S: Zaxby’s, a southeast favorite for chicken fingers and wings, has been indescribably good for more than 20 years. The Athens, Georgia based chain offers its guests prepared-at-order Chicken Fingerz, Traditional or Boneless Wings, sandwiches, Zalads and Zappetizers, along with a variety of nine sauces ranging from Wimpy and Tongue Torch to Nuclear and Insane. A meal to rival all others, fans can score big with Zaxby’s new Fan Special. The meal includes four signature Chicken Fingers, Crinkle Fries, Texas Toast, Zax Sauce and a Large Beverage. It’s a FAN-tastic deal and only around for a limited time. The company operates more than 585 locations in 13 states. John Wes Townley will compete with Zaxby’s serving as primary sponsor for the entire 22 Truck Series race schedule. For more information, please visit zaxbys.com, facebook.com/zaxbys or follow on Twitter @Zaxbys.

 

CHASSIS HISTORY: John Wes Townley and his No. 7 Zaxby’s Toyota Tundra team will unload Chassis No. 003 this weekend at Martinsville Speedway. Most recently, the chassis raced at Bristol Motor Speedway in August. At Iowa Speedway in July, Townley finished 12th with this chassis. The chassis was rebuilt after Martinsville Speedway earlier this season. Chassis No. 003 also competed in five races in 2012 including the win at Dover International Speedway, both Martinsville Speedway races, the series first visit to Iowa Speedway in July and Bristol Motor Speedway.

 

REARVIEW MIRROR – TALLADEGA SUPERSPEEDWAY: During Saturday’s Fred’s 250 presented by Coca-Cola, the driver of the No. 7 Zaxby’s Toyota Tundra was there at the end when it mattered most. Townley qualified for the 94-lap event in the 20th position and drove a steady, smart race paying close attention to his competitors around him. The young driver continues to show his development as a driver missing two big accidents on the 2.66-mile superspeedway. The No. 7 Zaxby’s Toyota Tundra team carried out its race strategy to put Townley in contention at the end. On the final restart, Townley picked up two positions as he maneuvered thru the melee at the end and crossed the finish line in the seventh place with his damaged truck. The finish marks his third consecutive top-10 finish, with his last five finishes marking 12th or better. His finish also moves him up one position in the driver point standings to 13th.

 

John Wes Townley on Martinsville Speedway:

What are your thoughts on racing at Martinsville?

“It takes a lot of races at Martinsville for you to get your bearings. Even the best of them can overdrive a corner. It’s really easy to do. It’s really racy and takes me back to the old days of when I first started racing.

 

How did the test go at Martinsville Speedway?

“Test went really well. We accomplished what we needed to. We changed a lot on our Zaxby’s Tundra to see what moved the needle the right way and the wrong way. We have a book now of what will work depending on the conditions of the track. All in all, I think we learned a lot that we can apply for the race. This being a track we come back to, from a driver’s stand point there is a lot you can do to prepare to get your mind right for the second go around. We are running really well right now and I’m really looking forward to this weekend.”

 

RHR PR