Coming off of a start on the front row at Chicagoland Speedway, Brennan Newberry, Crew Chief Ryan McKinney and the entire NTS Motorsports team traveled north for some Loudon lobster and the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series’ return to New Hampshire Motor Speedway. After two starts at “The Magic Mile”, in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series and NASCAR Nationwide Series events in July, Newberry was confident in his knowledge of how to make the most speed on the 1.059-mile oval. Charging through the field and primed for a spot well inside the top five at the closing laps, Newberry was involved in a late race spin that took him just outside the top ten. At the end of the day however, he walked through the tunnel, knowing that he and his team continue to get stronger with each race weekend.
The event was separated into two days of track time and, with the UNOH 175 being the NCWTS first visit to New Hampshire since 2011, teams were given three total practice sessions to learn the track and prepare for the race. Newberry spent the entirety of the day inside the top ten on the speed charts and worked with McKinney to make sure he had enough grip and forward drive on entry, as passing is notoriously tough in Loudon. With shifting temperatures throughout the day, getting a gauge for the track conditions was a challenge. McKinney gambled and set up his No.9 Qore-24 Chevrolet Silverado hoping for cooler temperatures during qualifying and for the start of the race.
When the garage opened at 6 a.m. on Saturday morning for race day, the coolest temperatures of the weekend brought out the heavy coats and hats for crew members, as the morning hours were considerably cooler than the previous day. With a track temperature 15-20 degrees cooler than during practice, McKinney’s gamble had paid off and he got the cooler temperatures he had hoped for. After two rounds of qualifying, Newberry showcased his team’s new focus on qualifying and earned his second top five starting spot in a row. Newberry and the No.9 NTS Motorsports team would take the green flag in fifth for the 175 lap main event, the UNOH 175 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.
With the drop of the green flag, Newberry settled into that fifth spot after 10 laps, reported that the truck was starting to get tight. By lap 53, Newberry was struggling to stay inside the top ten and was fighting the handling on his Qore-24 Chevrolet. Approaching the halfway point, Newberry came onto pit road in tenth spot and took four tires and adjustments under green flag conditions. As the race approached lap 100, the first caution of the day was displayed with 76 laps to go and Newberry was listed in the twelfth position and had raced hard to stay in that position for the ‘lucky dog’ to move him back onto the lead lap, McKinney and Newberry were confident in their adjustments and began moving forward when the green fell on lap 106.
With the checkered flag rapidly approaching, Newberry had held on to his lead lap position and said the truck was “getting better and better each lap.” With 19 laps to go, Newberry and McKinney gambled once again and took four fresh Goodyear Racing tires when most of the leaders only took two. With fresh rubber, the No.9 made its way into the top five, then was passing for a spot on the podium, third, when Newberry was pinched down inside another competitor and spun. Staying on the lap with the leaders, Newberry bounced back by the fall of the checkered flag and came home 14th. Newberry’s next event will be the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East season finale at Dover International Speedway on September 26th, 2014. Next on the schedule for the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series is a trip to Sin City, Las Vegas Motor Speedway, on September 27th, 2014.
Brennan Newberry’s Post Race Thoughts: “My crew chief Ryan (McKinney) and I knew going into the New Hampshire Motor Speedway event that passing would be limited. The best way to rule out passing would be to secure a top starting spot in qualifying. In practice we worked on qualifying setup a lot and that led to my No.9 Qore-24 Chevrolet Silverado starting inside the top five two weeks in a row. The truck was very balanced to start off the race, but faded in the middle of the runs. Approaching the end of the race, our pit strategy put me in contention for a top three finish. While racing hard for position I got spun around and didn’t have the laps I needed to get back up front. While 14th wasn’t the result we wanted as a team, our short track program has improved tremendously and will keep getting better. Again, it was another solid weekend for my confidence and the entire team moving forward.”
Crew Chief Ryan McKinney’s Post Race Thoughts: “Throughout the season, we have had fast equipment and strong Chevrolet Silverados. We have been working hard on every small detail to make sure that we can run inside the top five and race for the win. We have been focusing hard on strengthening Brennan’s qualifying efforts and it paid off this weekend. We started inside the top five and raced with the leaders the whole day. Unfortunately, racing and going for the top spot at the end, we spun and fell back right before the end of the race. We keep getting stronger and faster and I can’t wait to get to Vegas with the Qore-24 team.”
NTS Motorsports PR
