After a few tough weeks, Timothy Peters and the No. 17 team returned to a 1.0-mile race track nestled in the heart of New England, New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Peters and the No. 17 team were able to overcome a late-race pit road mishap to battle back and earn their ninth top-10 finish of 2011.
“It feels good to be back in the top-10,” said Peters after the race. “We didn’t really have our GearWrench Tundra like we wanted, but we finished ninth. We fought tight all weekend long. We gave up a lot of track position on pit road, but that’s just the way our year has been. There is no “I” in team — we win as one and we lose as one. We will just go to Kentucky next week and try to get the best finish we can.”
Peters started the F.W. Webb 175 from the ninth starting position. By lap 15, the driver of the No. 17 GearWrench Toyota Tundra had not been able to make any forward progress, despite running lap times comparable with the leaders. Peters rode in the ninth position until the first caution of the day waved on lap 60. Peters had reported to the No. 17 team that the truck was too tight. Under the caution period Peters brought the truck to the attention of the crew for four tires, fuel and several chassis adjustments.
A quick stop by the team placed Peters back on track in the seventh position for the restart on lap 65. A few laps later the second caution of the day waved on lap 69 for debris. Unwilling to give up track position the No. 17 team made the call to stay out. Peters reported that his truck was maybe a little worse handling wise despite the improved lap times on the speed chart. The race restarted on lap 73, with Peters scored in the seventh position. At the half-way point on lap 88, Peters rode comfortably in the eighth position. The team was forced to give up the eighth position on lap 117 and “short-pit” before the rest of the field, due to the fact that the truck had not gotten full of gas on the previous pit stop.
Peters brought the No. 17 GearWrench Toyota Tundra to the attention of the crew for four tires, fuel and an air-pressure adjustment. The pit crew’s second and final stop of the afternoon was lengthy resulting in time lost on the track for the driver of the No. 17 truck. Peters returned to the track scored in the 15th position, two laps down to the leader.
As the round of green-flag pit stops cycled through, Peters was scored running in the ninth position one lap down to the leaders. Despite his best efforts, Peters was unable to gain his lap back by passing the leader on the track, even though his lap times were as good as, if not better, than the lead pack. Peters continued to battle but could not make any forward progress as a result of being one lap behind the leader. Peters crossed the finish line in the ninth position, his ninth top-10 finish of 2011.
Peters is currently fourth in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series point standings, 25 markers out of the first position.
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