Fuel Strategy Finds Townley a Top-Five Finish at Texas

John Wes Townley posted a fifth-place finish in the running of the WinStar World Casino 400 Friday night at Texas Motor Speedway in No. 5 Zaxby’s Toyota Tundra after crew chief Richie Wauters fuel strategy pays off.

Townley placed the Wauters Motorsports entry in the ninth-place position on the starting grid for the 167 lap NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race.  Townley posted a second fastest time in the first round, 11th-fastest in the second round and ninth in the third and final round of knockout qualifying.  

From the beginning of the WinStar World Casino 400 Townley reported in that the Zaxby’s Tundra was loose.  The team brought the driver down pit road under caution on lap on lap 36 for adjustments.  The changes made the race truck tight but Townley held on pitting twice more during caution flags to make adjustments. 

After the last pit stop on lap 106 the team knew the driver would be short on fuel but Townley was able to conserve while other leaders needed to pit, giving the Zaxby’s team a second top-five finish of the 2014 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series season.

“Wow, what a great call by Richie (Wauters) to have us conserve those last few laps while the other leaders had to pit,” John Wes Townley said.  “We ran out on the last lap in (turn) three and were passed right by the flag stand.  We’ll take the fifth-place finish for Zaxby’s and Toyota.”

The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series makes their return to Gateway Motorsports Park since 2010 next Saturday, June 14, 2014.

Wauters Motorsports PR