David Starr and the
No. 81 Randy Moss Motorsports team raced their way to a 10th-place
finish in Starr’s 250th NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race.
After a challenging weekend in the No. 81 Randy Moss Motorsports Toyota Tundra,
the team was able to rebound with their fifth top-10 finish of the 2010 season.
Rain showers passed
through the area on Sunday morning leaving the garage area unsure of what the
track conditions would really be like once the green flag fell. Luckily the
rain passed through early allowing track personnel to dry the surface and the
race was started as scheduled. Starr took the green flag in the 23rd
position and immediately began working his way through the field.
By the time the first
caution came out on lap 40, Starr had called into his crew to report a tight
handling Tundra through the center of the corner. The driver could race around
the bottom groove where the truck was not as tight, but he was unable to carry
the corner speed he wanted around the low line.
The crew utilized
every chance they had to improve the No. 81 Randy Moss Motorsports Toyota Tundra
throughout the afternoon, and even differentiated their tire strategy to help
Starr prepare for the finish. The crew saved a set of scuffed tires from early
in the event and elected to put them on the No. 81 Randy Moss Motorsports Toyota
Tundra during the lap 173 caution period. The strategy call put Starr on newer
tires than several of his competitors and enabled him to pick up positions in
the closing laps.
After 205 laps and a
green-white-checker finish, the No. 81 Zachry Toyota Tundra was scored in the
10th position. Starr remains eighth in the NASCAR Camping World
Truck Series driver’s points, and sits just 98 points outside of third-place.
“Today was a tough
day for the Zachry Toyota Tundra team, but we never gave up,” stated David
Starr, following the Lucas Oil 200 at Iowa Speedway. “We kept making
adjustments to our Tundra to make it run better, but we could never get it to
exactly where we needed it. We did what we could do and we fought to the
finish, so we will leave here today with our heads held high. Doug Wolcott and
the entire Randy Moss Motorsports team put a lot of time and energy into the
race and I appreciate all their hard work. We’re looking forward to the race at
Gateway [International Speedway] and to having the chance at getting back into
victory lane there. I won the race in 2004, and with the hard work and
determination of the Zachry Toyota Tundra team I believe we’ll be able to
contend for the win again this year.” David Starr and
the No. 81 Toyota Tundra team return to action this Friday evening at Gateway
International Raceway. The race can be seen live on Speed Channel. Check local
listing for start times.
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