The fifth race on the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) tour treks to Dover (Del.) International Speedway for Friday afternoon’s running of the Lucas Oil 200.
For the third time this season, Win-Tron Racing driver Mason Mingus will also compete at a place he’s never seen before. Sure, the Brentwood, Tennessee has been schooled on the track’s characteristics and often intimidating demeanor, but nothing reaps the benefits more than track time itself.
Mingus won’t have to wait too much longer, as he’ll hit the pavement for the first of two practice sessions in his No. 35 Call 811 Before You Dig Toyota Tundra Thursday afternoon.
The former ARCA Racing Series veteran has tried to give himself an easy crash-course on the circuit by reviewing video of previous races, but the Win-Tron Racing development driver knows that nothing will pay dividends more than actual track time itself.
“Dover has been near the top of my list of tracks I wanted to go to for a long time,” said the 19-year old freshman driver. “I think that this race track will be a great place for us to shake the bad luck. I think it will suit my driving style and I believe Mark (Rette, crew chief) already has a good idea of what I’m looking for at a place like Dover.
“From what I hear, it’s going to be a big Salem. I like Salem. So I’m pumped, everyone is.”
Not only is the Sunoco Rookie of the Year candidate after a strong rebound finish after being caught up in a late-race accident at Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway two weeks ago, but the rising star is dedicated on putting himself in a position where, together, the team can learn and more importantly finish races entering the grueling summer stretch.
“The season hasn’t gone exactly as we’ve planned,” added Mingus. “Some of it lays on us, some of it we’ve had to chalk it up to just bad racing luck, but one thing is for sure, we need to start seeing the checkered flag on a more consistent basis. We have too great of a team not to be doing that, we just need to get through this hump and we’ll start turning some heads on a weekly basis.”
As for taming the track dubbed the “Monster Mile?” Mingus had an easy explanation.
“You have to try and be the bigger monster,” he joked. “You have to play nice to start and when it’s time to attack, you must do so and fast. 200 laps will go by quickly at that place, so it’s important to be on your game, but use track position to the fullest and when it’s time to go – go.”
Nate Thiesse, co-truck owner of Win-Tron Racing offered his insights on the team’s anticipated debut at Dover International Speedway.
“It’s a bigger Salem,” he noted. “Not only do you have to race your competitors, but you have to race the track. It’s a place that deserves a lot of respect, a lot like Salem, so we’ve given Mason a lot of tips, which we hope will pay off. After Charlotte, we need to put our No. 35 Call 811 Before You Dig Toyota Tundra back in the top-10. I feel if we can play it smart, we should find ourselves in a good position.”
Mooresville, North Carolina-based Win-Tron Racing will utilize chassis No. 047 this weekend at Dover (Del.) International Speedway. Chassis No. 047 was also raced at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway in March.
Entering Dover, Mingus sits 17th in the championship standings, 23 markers from 10th place held by Darrell Wallace Jr. Mingus unofficially sits second in the Sunoco rookie of the year standings, behind current leader Ben Kennedy.
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