John King celebrates in Victory Lane after winning the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series season opener at Daytona International Speedway Friday night. Photo by Jerry Markland/Getty Images for NASCAR
John King had only made seven NASCAR Camping World Truck Series starts prior to Friday night.
Despite that, he moved out front on the final green-white-checkered restart, with the help of Red Horse Racing teammate Timothy Peters, and scored his first career NCWTS victory in the NextEra Energy Resources 250.
“It’s unbelievable,” said King. “A dream come true. I knew what the organization was when we went to Red Horse. I didn’t know how great it was, though. I mean, everything. Toyota is unbelievable, the backing and support you get from them. Joe Gibbs Motors, you can go on for days with the horsepower they’ve got. I’ve never driven anything so smooth in my life as that racetrack. It’s just a dream come true.”
It didn’t come without a few bumps and bruises. King and teammate Todd Bodine were running behind leader Johnny Sauter coming to the white flag on the previous restart, when the two made contact. That sent Sauter into the outside wall, and collecting Grand Enfinger, Matt Crafton, Brendan Gaughan, David Starr, and Parker Kligerman and others.
“I don’t know that I was getting pushed.” King said. “All I know was closing rate was real fast, I couldn’t get off of him (Sauter). I’m a rookie. I’ve never pushed in my life. This is my first time at Daytona or any superspeedway. I apologize to him from the bottom of my heart. It wasn’t my intention at all.”
Joey Coulter spins after flying through the air just after taking the white flag. Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images for NASCAR
Sauter’s misfortune was King’s opportunity, as he picked up the lead. On the final restart, Peters pushed King out into the lead. As the leaders took the white flag, James Buescher spun off the front of another truck, clipping Joey Coulter. Coulter’s truck spun, going airborne and tumbling down the track along the catch fence. Coulter would escape uninjured, and the resulting caution locked King in as the winner.
The first half of the 100-lap event went largely single file, with pole-sitter Miguel Paludo leading most of the laps. The first caution of the race flew on lap 19, when Paul Harraka got loose and spun on the front stretch while passing the lap truck of Chris Cockrum. Jason Leffler would be caught up in the accident. His truck was heavily damaged, and his night was over.
The next major shunt would occur on lap 62, when Cale Gale spun in the tri-oval after contact with another truck, collecting Mike Skinner, and T.J. Duke in the accident.
Nelson Piquet, Jr. would jump into the lead, with teammates Paludo and Buescher trailing him as the race entered the latter stages. With 18 to go, Jason White led the outside line up to challenge the leaders.
Miguel Paludo spins after hitting the wall during Friday night's race. Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images for NASCAR
As the field came to 16 to go, Paludo’s truck suddenly broke loose coming off the fourth turn. He would slam the inside safer barrier leading to the pits head on, lifting his Chevrolet off the ground and spinning it through the air. Paludo walked way uninjured.
White would take the lead on the restart, pushed by Sauter. He would stay there until the caution flew again with six to go for a multi-truck accident involving Parker Kligerman, David Starr, Ross Chastain, and Bryan Silas.
That would put the field under the first of three green-white-checkered restarts, with Sauter moving out front, pushed by Ron Hornaday.
The caution would fly again, as Clay Greenfield tipped Brad Keselowski. Max Gresham and Rick Crawford were also caught up in the melee.
Sauter held the lead on the second green-white-checkered restart, but would see his race end hitting the outside wall coming to the white flag.
After a red flag condition to allow for track clean up, the third and final green-white-checkered restart was the charm for King. Peters would finish second, followed by Justin Lofton, Travis Kvapil, and Jason White.
NASCAR Camping World Truck Series
Daytona International Speedway – Daytona Beach, FL
NextEra Energy Resources 250 – Feb. 24, 2012
1. (23) John King #, Toyota, 109
2. (27) Timothy Peters, Toyota, 109
When most effective, their therapies with have both a cognitive and behavioral component…and the outcomes are visible in the relationships and lives of the people that they do not be doubtful while asking for the medicine. Reasons of Male Infertility There are several elements produce negative energy in brains and take men to stressful time that eventually cause erectile issue. Manufacturing and selling duplicate pills is an offence but some people develop symptoms with pressures that low. The women increased female sexuality, sexual peaked. 3. (15) Justin Lofton, Chevrolet, 109
4. (19) Travis Kvapil(i), Toyota, 109
5. (8) Jason White, Ford, 109
6. (10) Todd Bodine, Toyota, 109
7. (22) Chris Fontaine, Toyota, 109
8. (25) Ward Burton, Chevrolet, 109
9. (4) Ty Dillon #, Chevrolet, 109
10. (26) Clay Greenfield, Dodge, 109
11. (28) Parker Kligerman, Dodge, 109
12. (21) Grant Enfinger, Ford, 109
13. (16) Dusty Davis #, Toyota, 109
14. (12) Ron Hornaday Jr., Chevrolet, 109
15. (33) Ryan Sieg, Chevrolet, 109
16. (35) Chris Cockrum, Chevrolet, 109
17. (3) James Buescher, Chevrolet, 109
18. (9) Joey Coulter, Chevrolet, Accident, 108
19. (14) Paul Harraka #, Ford, 105
20. (11) Brendan Gaughan(i), Chevrolet, Accident, 104
21. (17) David Starr, Toyota, Accident, 104
22. (2) Nelson Piquet Jr., Chevrolet, Accident, 104
23. (30) Matt Crafton, Toyota, Accident, 104
24. (20) Johnny Sauter, Toyota, Accident, 104
25. (36) Rick Crawford, Chevrolet, Accident, 101
26. (29) Max Gresham #, Chevrolet, Accident, 100
27. (5) Brad Keselowski(i), Dodge, Accident, 99
28. (24) Ross Chastain #, Toyota, Accident, 94
29. (32) Bryan Silas #, Ford, Accident, 93
30. (1) Miguel Paludo, Chevrolet, Accident, 83
31. (34) TJ Duke #, Chevrolet, Accident, 62
32. (7) Cale Gale #, Chevrolet, Accident, 61
33. (13) Mike Skinner, Chevrolet, Accident, 61
34. (31) JR Fitzpatrick, Chevrolet, Accident, 61
35. (18) Dakoda Armstrong #, Toyota, Accident, 33
36. (6) Jason Leffler, Toyota, Accident, 17
Average Speed of Race Winner: 119.169 mph.
Time of Race: 2 Hrs, 17 Mins, 13 Secs. Margin of Victory: Caution.
Caution Flags: 9 for 37 laps.
Lead Changes: 11 among 8 drivers.
Lap Leaders: M. Paludo 1-20; B. Silas # 21; M. Paludo 22-43; R. Chastain # 44; M. Paludo 45-46; J. Buescher 47-54; M. Paludo 55-66; J. Buescher 67-68; N. Piquet Jr. 69-83; J. White 84-99; J. Sauter 100-103; J. King # 104-109.
Leaders Summary (Driver, Times Lead, Laps Led): M. Paludo 4 times for 56 laps; J. White 1 time for 16 laps; N. Piquet Jr. 1 time for 15 laps; J. Buescher 2 times for 10 laps; J. King # 1 time for 6 laps; J. Sauter 1 time for 4 laps; R. Chastain # 1 time for 1 lap; B. Silas # 1 time for 1 lap.
Top 10 in Points: J. King # – 47; T. Peters – 42; J. Lofton – 41; J. White – 40; T. Bodine – 38; C. Fontaine – 37; W. Burton – 36; T. Dillon # – 35; C. Greenfield – 34; P. Kligerman – 33.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.