Dakoda Armstrong NCWTS Post Race Report- Martinsville Speedway

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In: NASCAR Truck Series News

Visiting the final short track on the 2013 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series schedule, Dakoda Armstrong and the No. 60 WinField team headed to Martinsville Speedway Saturday afternoon. Rebounding from a practice crash that forced the team to a backup truck, Armstrong stayed out of trouble but was mired in traffic due to a one-lane racing groove for most of the Kroger 200. Fighting a tight handling condition, Armstrong was unable to move toward the front but brought home an 18th-place finish. 

A failed brake line during the final moments of the first practice session on Friday caused heavy damage to the primary WinField Silverado. The No. 60 team hustled to bring out their backup machine before the end of final practice, getting their driver valuable track time with the new truck. Though the WinField Chevy was originally scheduled and setup to run in two weeks at Phoenix International Raceway, Armstrong reported that he was more pleased with the stability than he was with the primary and was confident about his chances during the race. 

 
After a 29th-place qualifying effort, Armstrong began the Kroger 200 by telling crew chief Richie Wauters he was way too tight to make up any ground. Maintaining for most of the first half just outside the top-20,  Armstrong was given a new chance to make the most of the day by receiving his lap back on Lap 139 thanks to fighting for the “Lucky Dog” spot. Taking extra care to not tear up his equipment through the final portion of the 200-lap event, he cleared all four of the final incidents for caution flags. While staying away from contact, Armstrong was unable to make the passes necessary to move to the front of the field due to a narrow racing groove and was credited for an 18th-place finish. 
 

Quotes:

“The way the race played out here today really didn’t benefit us at all; We kept getting hung out on the outside line and you just can’t make any passes out there. The only way you could really pass is move people out of the way and I don’t race like that. I really am proud of how this WinField team worked together to get this truck ready after our practice crash and we had it handling better on the long runs at the end of the race. Most importantly, we needed to keep this thing in one piece for Phoenix and we were able to accomplish that.”

Dakoda Armstrong PR

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