When the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series teams hit the track at Kentucky Speedway it was evident that the No. 77 OtterBox Toyota Tundra would be the truck to beat in the UNOH 225. Germán Quiroga led both practice sessions on Thursday, June 26, with a top speed of 176.028 mph during the final session. The team advanced to the final round of knockout qualifying and secured a sixth-place starting position for the race. Quiroga spent the early laps of the race running in the top five but he was relegated to the 21st position after a green-flag pit stop on lap 50. He worked his way back through the pack, and by the midway point of the race he was in the top-five, running third. Quiroga battled a tight-handling Tundra after receiving two right-side tires and fuel during a pit stop on lap 76, and continued to face tight conditions throughout the race. His crew chief, Butch Hylton, called for a track bar adjustment to be made during the final pit stop of the night, with hopes of giving Quiroga a Toyota Tundra he could fight for positions with at the end. With seven laps to go Quiroga reported to the team that he felt a strong chattering in the tires. He was able to continue his pace for the final laps despite the difficult handling Truck, and – finished in the 15th position. Quiroga remains sixth in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series championship point standings, 25 points behind the leader.
Start – 6
Finish – 15
Driver Point Position – 6
Laps Led – 0
Germán Quiroga Quote:
“It wasn’t the night we had hoped for, especially after having such a strong OtterBox Toyota Tundra and leading both practice sessions. Sometimes you’ll have weeks like this but there’s still a lot of racing left this season, we’re going to move forward and focus on [our next race at] Iowa (Speedway).”
RHR PR
