O'Reilly 200
Bristol, Tennessee
- Bristol Motor Speedway put down a new racing surface and the Truck Series will break it in.
- The track now has progressive banking in the turns in hopes of getting more side-by-side action.
- There was an open practice on tuesday for the trucks because of the new surface.
- Ted had a top speed of 118.269 for that practice.
- Then on race day in the 1st practice Ted had a top speed of 118.848.
- In final practice Ted had a top speed of 117.848.
- Qualifying was right before the race and Ted qualified 30th with a speed of 118.044.
- After his qualifying run Ted said they worked on getting the truck to roll in the corner all day and no matter what Team ASE tried to do, they could not make the truck any better.
- On to the race!
- It took a lap and a half for Caution #1 as the #46 truck spins.
- Restart on lap 6 and Ted is 29th.
- The racing at least early on seems to be what they were looking for (side-by-side).
- Lap 16 and Ted is now 26th.
- It appears that Ted got into another truck on lap 20.
- We can see smoke from what is probably a tire rub on the right rear.
- Lap 30 and Ted pits for 4 tires because the right rear went flat.
- Ted is now 36th and 3 laps down.
- Caution #2 as #22 spins and drops a lot of fluid on the track.
- Being that many laps down it will be hard to get back on the lead lap without a high number of cautions.
- Restart and Ted was 32nd.
- 57 laps in and Ted is now 31st and and 2nd of the trucks that are a lap down but still 3 laps down.
- Caution #3 and now Ted is still the 2nd guy down any laps and still 3 laps down.
- Restart on lap 75 and Ted is 30th.
- Ted's truck must be total junk now because on lap 102 he gets lapped by the leader.
- Ted is now 4 laps down and now 6th of the trucks laps down.
- Caution #4 as #07 blows up.
- Restart on lap 110 and Ted is still 30th.
- I am sick to my stomach!
- Lap 114 and Ted is now 29th and still 4 laps down.
- The only way to gain spots now is from other trucks wrecking or blowing up.
- Caution #5 for debris.
- Caution #6 just after the restart for a wreck.
- The commercial breaks for this race are terrible!
- Back to green around lap 129 and Ted is still 29th.
- Ted is now 28th and 11 laps down at lap 135.
- Ted is now 27th after 140 laps.
- At this point in the race Ted is the last truck of the trucks still racing in 27th and 11 laps down.
- Caution #7 for debris again,
- Ted is still 27th but now 12 laps down.
- Restart with 34 to go.
- Caution #8 and Ted is involved.
- There was two accidents.
- Ted got by the first one and the the #75 Setzer who got a piece of the first one blew a tire and came up and hit Ted in the turn.
- Restart with 22 to go.
- Caution #9 as the leaders wreck.
- The #51 K. Busch drives in the turn too hard and gets sideways and spins the leader #6 Kvapil.
- Restart with 16 to go.
- Caution #10 as #30 Bodine gets spun by Kvapil.
- I can't tell from the coverage but Ted is most likely off the track.
- Red Flag with 8 to go.
- The racing itself has been good, trucks can pass both high and low.
- I feel the other series' will be just as good.
- Restart with 5 to go.
- #23 Johnny Benson wins.
- Ted finished the race in 27th.
- He is now -724 points back and still 8th in points.
- Matt Crafton in now just 8 points behind Ted in 9th.
- Very frustrating night for Team ASE.
- The night started out not so good and just kept getting worse.
- Not sure how Ted got the initial damage but it all snowballed from there.
- Then the 2nd wreck was just bad luck again.
- Not sure how many, if any, spots Ted may have gotten up from 27th but it was ended with that 2nd wreck.
- Hard race to watch if your a Ted fan.
- Team ASE will have to re-group and head to Gateway for the next race.
- It's time for a win!