Malsam Settles for 19th-Place Finish in Season Finale at Homestead

In his 12th and final NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) start with Turner Scott Motorsports, Tayler Malsam and the No. 32 Outerwall Chevrolet Silverado battled in the caution-filled 134-lap race before settling for a less-than-ideal finish in the 2014 season’s grand finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

 

The NCWTS veteran used the weekend’s two practice sessions to get reacquainted with the mile-and-a-half track. After running just 28 laps, Malsam qualified the No. 32 Chevy in the 20th position and geared up to fight his way to the front once the green flag waved. The field saw its first caution on lap six and Malsam told crew chief Shannon Rursch that his Chevy was tight center-off. Although early, Rursch called for the first pit stop of the night, giving Malsam four tires and fuel along with a wedge and air-pressure adjustment. Rursch brought Malsam back to pit road under the second caution for another set of tires, fuel and a quick track-bar adjustment to help his tight-handling truck. A little better after the previous adjustment, Malsam communicated to Rursch that his Outerwall Chevy was great on the long runs, but was still tight in dirty air. Not able to get a decent run on his competitors, Malsam visited pit road for another round of adjustments under the fourth caution. With less than 25 laps to go, Malsam made contact with the wall while running just outside of the top 15. When the caution flag waved for debris in Turn 1, Rursch brought Malsam to pit road to inspect the damage. The No. 32 Outerwall Chevy only suffered minor injuries to the right-front fender and right-side quarter panel, and quickly rejoined the field in 18th position. Throughout the final laps of the race, Malsam’s truck got tighter and tighter, making it impossible to gain track position around the oval. When the final checkered flag of the 2014 season waved on lap 134, Malsam crossed the finish line in 19th position.

 

Malsam and the No. 32 TSM team conclude their 12-race endeavor with three top-five and five top-10 finishes, scoring the team’s career-best finish of second at Talladega Superspeedway.

 

Tayler Malsam on his final race with Turner Scott Motorsports:

“This was a really disappointing way to end our season, but either way, I’m proud of what we’ve accomplished as a team. In my 12 races with this team, I’ve learned a lot and have accomplished several goals I set for myself at the beginning of the year. I can’t thank Outerwall enough for their continued support all season. It’s been really cool to represent a brand I personally love and believe in. This was their first year in the sport, and we’re hoping to continue our relationship in the future. Overall, this season has had its ups and downs, but at the end of the day, we’re a team. We win together and we lose together. I’m just really thankful for such a great opportunity this year.”

 

TSM PR