Athenian Motorsports Michigan/Mid-Ohio Recap/Bristol Preview

By:
On:
In: Xfinity Series News

The race results reflect a 17th-place finish for John Wes Townley in Saturday’s NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at Michigan International Speedway. But this is a classic case of the box score not telling the entire story.

After starting eighth in the No. 05 Zaxby’s Chevrolet, Townley worked to overcome a loose-handling truck before making his first pit stop on lap 28. That’s when crew chief Michael Shelton called for four new Goodyear tires and sweeping changes on Townley’s Silverado.

The adjustments resulted in Townley’s ride becoming a rocket ship as he zoomed toward the front of the field. From laps 40 to 65, he was clearly the class of the field posting lap times consistently faster than the race leader.

After climbing to second on lap 75, Townley dashed onto pit road for what would be his final pit stop of the day.

The caution flag was displayed for debris several laps later. On the ensuing restart, Townley restarted in the fifth position.

With 11 laps remaining, Townley found himself going four-wide entering Turn 3 with defending series champion Matt Crafton to his outside. Townley lost the air on the right side of his truck, leaving it sliding toward Crafton. Both drivers wound up going into a synchronized slide but each stayed out of the Turn 4 wall. Townley wound up blowing a right-front tire that forced him onto pit road for new rubber and repairs.

It also left him one lap down and wondering what could have been.

“We definitely had a truck capable of winning the race,” said Townley, who is eighth in the Truck Series driver points. “Unfortunately, things got crazy at the end of that race and it just didn’t work out.”

Later that same day, California native Dylan Lupton wheeled the No. 25 Zaxby’s Chevrolet to a career-best ninth-place finish in the NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. Lupton, a NASCAR Next driver, ran near tenth-place much of the afternoon

Townley will now turn his attention to double-duty at Bristol Motor Speedway. He’ll compete in Wednesday night’s NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race and in the No. 25 Zaxby’s Chevrolet during Friday evening’s NASCAR Xfinity Series event at Thunder Valley.

“Bristol is one of my favorite tracks,” Townley said. “Things happen fast there. I think that place fits my driving style. I’m looking forward to running both races.”

Lupton will return to the seat of the No. 25 Zaxby’s Chevrolet at Road America on Saturday Aug. 29th while Townley heads to Canada for the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race in Bowmanville, Ontario on Sunday Aug. 30th.

Athenian Motorsports PR

Speedway Digest Staff
Follow Me
Latest posts by Speedway Digest Staff (see all)
Post Views: 52