John Wes Townley Iowa Recap/Daytona Preview

Many drivers would view a top 10 finish in a NASCAR national touring series as a reason to celebrate. But that is no longer the case for NASCAR Camping World Series veteran driver John Wes Townley.

The 25-year-old Townley drove his No. 05 Zaxby’s Chevrolet to a solid tenth-place finish in Friday night’s American Ethanol 200 at Iowa Speedway. But considering that he’s fifth in driver points, Townley viewed the 200 lap race on the .875-mile oval as a missed opportunity.

“I felt like we had a really good truck after the first and second rounds of qualifying on Friday,” said Townley, who posted the third and seventh-fastest speeds in the first two rounds only to start 12th in the race after his Silverado got loose on his qualifying run in round three. “So I thought we’d be able to get after those guys in the race.

“But we struggled with the handling on the truck most of the night.”

Just when it looked like Townley might be saddled with a finish outside of the top 15, he benefitted from some smart calls from crew chief Michael Shelton that resulted in two wave arounds. Quick service from his over-the-wall team put Townley into top 10 on a late-race restart. But after charging through the field when the green flag was displayed, the handling woes returned leaving Townley to settle for a tenth-place effort.

“I enjoy racing at Iowa and really wanted a top-five,” he said. “But we’ll take a tenth and our truck team will get ready for Kentucky next month.”

Townley will get back into action on Friday night July 4th when he climbs behind the wheel of the No. 25 Zaxby’s Chevrolet to compete in the NASCAR Xfinity Series Subway 250 at Daytona International Speedway.

“I’ve always loved the tight racing at Daytona,” said Townley, who owns a win at Daytona in the ARCA Series. “It can get a little nerve-wracking, but I think it gives me a chance to excel. I can’t wait to get there to kick off the second half of the racing season.”

Athenian Motorsports PR