Purdy Scores Top-15 in Charlotte

Chase Purdy earned his fifth top-15 finish of the season on Friday night at Charlotte Motor Speedway (CMS) with a 15^th-place result. The driver of the No. 61 BAMA Buggies Toyota Tundra TRD Pro earned a his best finish at HRE’s home track in his second appearance at CMS and gained one position in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series championship standings.

 

The Meridian, Miss. native posted the 17^th-fastest lap in qualifying during the heat of the afternoon after battling a loose balance in practice. Purdy fired off too free at the outset of the race but maintained position inside the top-20 until the end of Stage 1 on lap 30. Crew chief Matt Lucas and the HRE team bolted on a fresh set of four tires, fuel and adjusted the track bar down to combat Purdy’s loose condition.

 

Purdy restarted 19^th on lap 37 and made some forward progress during the second stage. While he maintained the 19^th position until a caution on lap 53, another four-tire pit stop under the yellow set Purdy up to restart on the inside lane on lap 58, which allowed him to avoid a wreck on the green flag. Purdy would be scored 17^th at the end of Stage 2 on lap 60.

 

After staying out under the stage caution, Purdy lined up 14^th for a restart on lap 66, and ran 16^th as the green flag run extended until the window of a green flag pit stop cycle. Lucas and the BAMA Buggies team called Purdy to pit road on lap 101 for four tires, but surrendered a lap to the leaders on lap 107. Purdy regained the 16^th position and caught a fortuitous caution flag on lap 129 and earned the Lucky Dog award to regain his lap. He took advantage of avoiding a crash on the first overtime restart at lap 136 and took the checkered flag in 15^th in the second overtime.

 

“We tried to stick with it all night and were able to grind out another top-15. Matt (Lucas) and all the guys on our BAMA Buggies Toyota Tundra TRD Pro team kept making adjustments on it all night to get enough security and we were able to get our lap back before the overtime restarts. It helps to stay focused, stay in the game, and we were able to get another top-15 out of it. We’ll keep digging and try to improve even more next week at Gateway.”

 

HRE PR