Another Third-place Finish

Hey ya'll... Bubba here, back from the vast cornfields of Iowa. Well, we went to another new track, and scored another third-place finish. The Iowa Speedway is a nicely built race track I look forward to racing at in the future. The fans there were very gracious to have NASCAR visiting their town. Plus, it always helps when you run well in the race. Chassis No. 55 ran so well we decided to do a quick turnaround and bring it this week to St. Louis. Because we are bringing the same two trucks this week, it made some of my job a little easier. All the specific parts for these two trucks were already in the trailer. So basically all I had to do this week was re-stock any used items and re-organize the toolbox.

I've never really had much luck at St. Louis with any driver I've worked with. It's one of the flatter tracks we go to, and it also has two distinctly different corners. Although we have not run well there in the past, I am very optimistic we can keep our stretch of good luck rolling in the right direction. Hopefully this year will be the beginning of some fonder memories of St. Louis.

Now to answer some questions and comments from my last blog... Although it’s been reported that we are going to the Nationwide Series next year, I know that Colin, the team, and myself remain 100 percent focused on the truck series this year. We are really pushing hard to get ourselves into the top five in driver points. It's a very attainable goal I think we can definitely meet. As for myself, I've spent most of my NASCAR career in the truck series, and with Roush Fenway not running a truck next year, I am a little saddened but excited at the same time to move on... I really love truck racing. Con-way has been the best sponsor I've worked with, and I really hope they will continue with our team in some form or another next year. Colin and Con-way are definitely a perfect fit.

To answer the next question, my opinion of the Iowa Speedway is a good one. Rusty Wallace has built a first-class facility that lends itself to great racing. Although it was out in the middle of nowhere, the fan base at this track is amazing! Well done Newton, Iowa!

Now to answer the question about my sleeping arrangements while on the road... While at the racetrack, the team, including myself, spends all nights in a hotel. The hauler actually doesn't have any sleeping quarters. Only my tractor has a place to sleep. While traveling, my co-driver, or myself, will spend our non-driving time sleeping in the tractor. Or, if we get to the track early, and we can't get to the hotel, we will stay in the truck. A night or two in the tractor will make you appreciate even more the comforts of a hotel room.

Next question... Although I can't speak for the whole team, I prefer racing under the lights at night. I love to see the sparks when the trucks hit the track, and the shine of the reflective decals some teams use, in the lights. It's also a plus to not be working in the sun.

And finally... our team does full pit stop practice, usually about two times a week, with full workouts following right after. In the middle of the season, with everyone traveling all the time, it's very hard to get the whole team together much more than one or two days. Usually on a Monday or Tuesday we will all sit down, watch film from the previous week, and work on any issues we had. Roush Fenway takes pit stop practice and workouts very seriously, and so do we. Keep all the questions coming! Look forward to seeing you at the track, or on the road.


Stay safe...
Bubba