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GMS Racing race report: Phoenix International Raceway‏


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Joey Coulter and the No. 21 Allegiant Travel Team Exit Phoenix International Raceway Early - Coulter Finishes 30th in Dark Night at Phoenix International Raceway

On Friday a major power outage in Phoenixs West Valley left fans and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) drivers in the dark causing a one-hour and 17-minute delay to the start of the Lucas Oil 150 at the Phoenix International Raceway. When the scheduled 150-lap event eventually started at 8:04 p.m. (MT), Joey Coulter and the GMS Racing No. 21 Allegiant Travel Chevrolet Silverado team rolled off the grid from the fifth position. It was the second time the 24-year-old posted his season-best starting position of fifth this year. The race was slowed as soon as it started with a chain-reaction incident that included four competitors before the 34-truck field reached the start/finish line on the opening lap. The track cleanup was extensive, resulting in a restart on Lap 18. Coulter restarted sixth behind teammate Spencer Gallagher, but two laps later, the yellow flag waved again for the second time. Immediately picking up positions, the Miami Springs, Fla., driver restarted third on the Lap 26 restart. Moments after the restart, Coulters teammate, Gallagher, was involved in an incident. For 28 of the first 33 laps, the field circulated under yellow. Moving to the front of the field, Coulter was in the fourth position for the Lap 33 restart. On Lap 39 Coulter saw his promising night derailed when a tire blew and he hit the outside wall. The Allegiant Travel Chevrolet Silverado had to be removed from the racing surface on a roll-back to the garage and led to an eventual red flag on Lap 42. Unable to make repairs, the No. 21 Chevrolet Silverado retired from the race with 38 laps logged, and Coulter was credited with a finishing position of 30th.

Start 5 Finish 30 Laps Led - 0

Joey Coulter Quote:

Im really disappointed for our No. 21 Allegiant Travel Chevrolet Silverado team. We worked way too hard all year at GMS Racing, as well as this weekend at Phoenix International Raceway with our teammates to get this Chevrolet Silverado better. Its just really disappointing. It's frustrating, of course, but we'll just turn our focus to Homestead-Miami Speedway next week."

Early-Race Incident Relegates Spencer Gallagher to a 31st-Place Finish at Phoenix International Raceway

Under an almost full moon, a power outage plagued the Avondale, Arizona area. The start of the Lucas Oil 150 was put on hold Friday night for more than an hour as utility crews worked to restore power to the Phoenix International Raceway and the surrounding area. Once the power was restored, Spencer Gallagher and the rest of the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) field climbed into their trucks and strapped in for a scheduled 150 laps of action around the one-mile track. Gallagher and the No. 23 Kingman Chevrolet-Buick / Allegiant Travel Chevrolet Silverado team started the 150-mile affair from the sixth position. As the green flag waved, an accordion-style four-truck incident on Lap One halted the action. With a lot of fluid on the track, the 34-truck field remained under caution until Lap 18, where the Las Vegas native restarted fifth. Moments after the restart, on Lap 22 the caution flag waved for the second time of the night and Gallagher was shuffled back to ninth position. On Lap 26, Gallagher restarted tenth, and on Lap 27, Gallagher spun underneath another competitor in Turn 3. Gallagher was able to nurse the No. 23 Kingman Chevrolet-Buick / Allegiant Travel Chevrolet Silverado back to pit road where the GMS Racing crew determined that the damage needed a trip to the garage for repairs. However, the team concluded the damage was too extensive from the on-track incident, so the teams day came to an early end with only 27 laps completed, forcing Gallagher to settle for a 31st-place result.

Start 6 Finish 31 Laps Led 0

Spencer Gallagher Quote:

I have to thank my GMS Racing team for all of their hard work this weekend. Our No. 23 Kingman Chevrolet-Buick / Allegiant Travel Chevrolet Silverado ran well all weekend at Phoenix International Raceway and I am proud of everybody. I'm disappointed - exceptionally disappointed. But, I'm not going to hang my head. The effort was too good to be disappointed about."


PREMATURE FINISH HAULTS JONES PHOENIX PROGRESSION

Jones Late-Race Efforts Cut Short at Phoenix

Brandon Jones led the way for GMS Racing in the Lucas Oil 150 with a 12th-place finish at the Phoenix International Raceway (PIR). Originally scheduled for 150 laps, the race was shortened to 126 circuits after failures in the power grid brought an early end to the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) penultimate event.

Jones first NCWTS start at PIR began from the 16th position, and was immediately slowed by a caution flag on Lap One. The 17-year-old patiently endured the ensuing 17 lap caution, and restarted 16th on Lap 19. The races disorderly start would continue, as Jones was forced to take evasive action to elude multi-truck incidents on Lap 22 and Lap 28. After an eight lap green flag run that ended with a caution on Lap 42, Jones radioed his crew that his No. 33 Russell / ColdZone Refrigeration Chevrolet felt really good.

Jones restarted 10th on Lap 46, and comfortably ran inside the top 15 throughout the races only extended green-flag run. On Lap 67 Jones reported to crew chief Shane Huffman that he was really aero tight in traffic, which hindered his forward progress. When green flag pit stops began, Jones inherited ninth position before making his pit stop on Lap 88. Huffman gave Jones four tires, fuel, and air pressure adjustments to alleviate the tight handling condition. On Lap 101, an inopportune caution flag trapped Jones a lap down in 12th position before the complete cycle of pit stops had completed.

From the Lap 111 restart, Jones focused on earning the Lucky Dog award to regain his lap. Under the Lap 114 caution, Jones reported that the No. 33 Chevrolet Silverado was really good and had a neutral balance. By running in the 12th position on the restart at Lap 119, Jones was in the Lucky Dog position as the first truck one lap down. On Lap 126, failures in the local power grid caused the track lights to suddenly dim and brought out the yellow flag. The caution would put the Georgia native back on the lead lap, but unfortunately brought the Lucas Oil 150 to a premature conclusion. Jones was credited with a 12th-place finish, his second best result in five NCWTS starts this season.

Start - 16 Finish - 12 Laps Led - 0

BRANDON JONES Quote:

We had a great Russell / ColdZone Refrigeration Chevrolet near the end. We fired off pretty good at the start, and better than what I expected. We got a little tight, but Shane (Huffman) got it freed back up with the adjustments. We just got aero-tight in traffic and it kept wanting to shove the nose. We made some great gains near the end on the last pit stop and needed to restart the race to move towards the top-10. I want to thank everyone at GMS Racing. We had a great truck tonight, and felt like we could race our way well inside the top-10.

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