James Buescher Martinsville report

[NickHolt]

James Buescher No. 31 Wolfpack Rentals Chevrolet Martinsville Speedway – Kroger 250

 

April 2, 2011

 

James Buescher and the No. 31 Wolfpack Rentals Chevrolet Silverado team made their first short track start of the year at the famed Martinsville Speedway on Saturday afternoon. The 21-year-old Texas-native had a strong run going before an incident in turn three right past the halfway mark took him out of the event.

 

Throughout the two practice sessions on Friday afternoon, Buescher knew he had a strong machine for the Kroger 250. He radioed to his team explaining his truck was a tick loose on entry and tight right after the center of the paperclip-shaped track. The team made a couple of small tweaks to the front end geometry trying to dial it in for the race. At the end of final practice, Buescher had his machine inside the top-10 and had high hopes for a strong run in his Wolfpack Rentals Chevrolet Silverado.

 

Buescher started Saturday afternoon’s race at the half-mile Martinsville Speedway from the sixth spot but was immediately on his way to the front. He radioed to his crew chief Michael Shelton on lap five, explaining the truck was a bit right from the center of the corner through the exit. The tight condition was certainly not hindering his ability to run fast laps. By lap 15, Buescher was consistently running top-three lap times and was making up ground on the leaders.

 

By lap 50, Buescher had the Wolfpack Rentals Chevrolet in the fifth position. He again called in to Shelton to explain that the truck was getting a bit loose on entry and he was really having to float his 3400 pound machine into the corners.

 

When the caution flag was displayed to the 36-truck field on lap 71, the Wolfpack Rentals Chevrolet team started to prepare to see their machine on the pit lane. Buescher rolled into his pit stall two laps later for service. The team went to work changing four tires and filling the truck up with Sunoco racing fuel. They also made a small chassis adjustment hoping to dial No. 31 in on the next run.

 

Buescher restarted the race on lap 77 back in the 19th spot. He knew he would have to be patiently aggressive to get back towards the front. He started to march forward and, by lap 100, he had managed to get his machine up into the top-15. He again called in to his team, explaining that the truck was still too tight through the center of the corners. The tight condition was not keeping Buescher from making up ground as he was picking off his competitors one at a time.

 

By the midway point, he had the Wolfpack Rentals Chevrolet inside the top-10 continuing to make his way towards the race lead. Buescher was battling for the eighth position on lap 135 when he made contact with the No. 1 machine while racing into turn three. The contact sent both of them into the outside wall. The damage was too severe to continue and ended Buescher’s day at Martinsville Speedway.

 

The No.31 Turner Motorsports team will return to action in three weeks on Friday, April 22 at the Nashville Superspeedway. The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series event can be seen live on SPEED with coverage beginning at 7:30 p.m. EST. The event will also be aired on both MRN Radio and Sirius Satellite Radio channel 128.