Ben Kennedy Earns 12th-Place Finish at Chicagoland Speedway

The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series headed to Chicagoland Speedway for the American Ethanol e15 225. All activity was scheduled to be a one-day affair, with a single practice session, qualifying and the 150-lap event on Friday. Ben Kennedy and the No. 11 Local Motors team turned in the ninth-fastest lap time during the morning’s final practice. As inclement weather approached, NCWTS teams attempted to complete the first round of single-truck lap time trials but qualifying was halted by rain and the field set by the practice speeds. As the precipitation continued into the evening, NASCAR officials postponed the race until the following morning. Under partly cloudy skies Saturday morning, Kennedy took the green flag in ninth. He reported a tight-handling condition on the black and white Toyota Tundra, slipping to 15th by lap 70. During routine pit stops, crew chief Scott Zipadelli called for four tires, Sunoco fuel and chassis adjustments. Following a visit to pit road on lap 77, the yellow flag was displayed on lap 82 before the field could cycle through the green-flag pit stops, catching Kennedy a lap down to the leader. The race remained under green-flag conditions for the final 55 laps and the Daytona Beach, Florida native took the checkered flag in the 12th position.
 
Start – 9
Finish – 12
Driver Points Position – 10
Laps Led – 0
 
Ben Kennedy Quote:                                            
“It was a combination of bad luck and bad timing today. Our Local Motors Toyota Tundra was a little tight, especially in the center of Turns 1 and 2. Zippy (crew chief Scott Zipadelli) was working to get us some more front grip during pit stops, but that caution coming out during the green flag stops didn’t help at all. I was trying to keep us in the Lucky Dog position, but we didn’t get another caution so it didn’t matter. We’ll take 12th and look ahead to next week at Loudon (New Hampshire Motor Speedway).”

RHR PR