Austin Wayne Self all set for Pocono NASCAR Truck race

[NickHolt]

Austin Wayne Self and AM Racing ready for NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at Pocono's Brakleen 150

Fast Facts

No. 22 AM Racing Team:

Driver: Austin Wayne Self

Primary Partner(s): GO TEXAN | AM Technical Solutions

Manufacturer: Chevrolet Silverado
 
Crew Chief: Ryan Salomon
 
Spotter: Tony Raines
 
CRC Brakleen 150 Starting Position: 21st (Event Formula)
 
2021 Driver Points Position: 13th | 2021 Owner Points Position: 15th
 
Chassis Intel: AMR Chassis No. 116; previously raced at Texas Motor Speedway on June 12, 2021 (Start: 13th | Finish: 15th).  
 
Engine: Ilmor Racing Technologies

 Notes of Interest:

Texas Pride: Two Texas-based companies will return as the primary partners for Austin Wayne Self this weekend at Pocono (Pa.) Raceway.  
 
The Statesville, N.C.-based team will sport the signage of GO TEXAN and AM Technical Solutions on the No. 22 Chevrolet Silverado for the 13th NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) race of the season.
 
Career Year: Just past the halfway point of the 2021 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, Austin Wayne Self and AM Racing are enjoying a banner year.
 
12 races into the season, the team has only one finish worse than 23rd and maintains an average finish of 16.8 entering the CRC Brakleen 150.
 
Self’s current 13th place fitting in the championship standings is the highest he’s been this deep into the year. He is mirroring his 2018 Truck Series season where he finished a career-best 12th in the championship standings maintaining an average finishing position of 17.0.
 
Austin Wayne Self Truck Series Pocono Raceway Stats: Saturday afternoon’s CRC Brakleen 150 will mark Self’s sixth NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at the 2.5-mile Pocono (Pa.) Raceway. In his previous five starts, Self has a personal-track best of 15th in the 2019 Gander RV 150 after starting 18th. Last June, Self was involved in a Lap 5 accident with rookie Raphael Lessard and finished 38th.
 
Austin Wayne Self Truck Series Intermediate Stats: At NASCAR Camping World Truck Series tracks classified as a speedway 2.0-miles and larger, Self has made 21 starts throughout his career with two top-five and three top-10 finishes, while also carrying an average finishing position of 18.6.
 
Austin Wayne Self ARCA Menards Series Pocono Raceway Stats: Before graduating to the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS), Self competed in the ARCA Menards Series where he made six starts at the “Tricky Triangle.”
 
From 2014 to 2019, Self made five starts at the Long Pond, Pa.-based track and delivered three top-10 finishes including an ARCA track-best of sixth in his most recent series’ start in 2019 driving for AM Racing.
 
Nashville Superspeedway | Rackley Roofing 200 Race Recap: In the most recent NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at Nashville Superspeedway, Austin Wayne Self-made his 119th NCWTS start.
 
Qualifying 27th, the AM Racing team struggled with the balance of his No. 22 GO TEXAN | At Home Concert Experience | AM Technical Solutions Chevrolet Silverado throughout the night and soldiered to a 27th-place result.
 
Despite the lead lap finish, the finish was the team’s worst effort this season.
 
12 races complete, Self and his Statesville, N.C.-based AM Racing have two top-10s, five top-15s, nine top-20s and 11 top-23 finishes.
 
To The Point(s): Entering Pocono, Self sits 13th in the championship standings with 255 points earned and retaining the same position following the Rackley Roofing 200.  Just 56 points separate Self from 10th in the championship standings currently held by Carson Hocevar and 116 points in the arrears from fifth locked by Todd Gilliland  with 10 races remaining this season. In the race for a Playoff spot, Self is 41 points from the cutoff currently held by Chandler Smith. AM Racing also secures 15th in the NCWTS owner standings.
 
Calling the Shots: Ryan Salomon will continue to lead Austin Wayne Self and the AM Racing team this weekend at Pocono.  
 
This weekend marks his 16th race as crew chief for Self and in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. During his tenure, he guided Self to an average finish of 16.0 during the 2020 and 2021 seasons, respectively.
 
Career Rundown: Since 2016, Self has competed in 119 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series races, delivering two top-five and 10 top-10 finishes. He finished a career-best 12th in the championship standings in 2018.
 
Spanning six years of Truck Series competition, he maintains an average finish of 18.4.
 
Follow on Social Media: For more on Austin Wayne Self, please visit awsracing.com, like his Facebook page (Austin Wayne Self) or follow him on Twitter @AustinWSelf.

For more on AM Racing, please visit AMRacingteam.com, like their Facebook page (AM Racing) or follow them on Twitter @AMRacingNASCAR. 

Austin Wayne Self Pre-Race Quotes:

On Pocono Raceway: “I am eager for a little redemption this weekend at Pocono Raceway. We didn’t have a good race at Nashville, and I only ran five laps here in a truck last year because of a crash.
 
“I’ve always enjoyed racing at Pocono because it’s such a unique race track which provides the opportunity for strategies and some good racing. We need to get ourselves back on track with a top-10 finish on Saturday afternoon and I think with a little luck we can do that with our No. 22 GO TEXAN | AM Technical Solutions Chevrolet Silverado.”
 
On Nashville Superspeedway: “It was not the night we were looking for. We struggled with the handling of our No. 22 GO TEXAN | At Home Concert Experience Chevrolet Silverado throughout the day and night and never could get a comfortable balance.

“We’ll learn from this and be better. Hopefully, we have a major rebound at Pocono.”

On 2021 Season: “We are right there on the cusp of making the Truck Series Playoffs. It’s going to take a lot of work, but we still have a shot.
 
“We’ve been very solid to the start of 2021. We were a little off last weekend at Nashville, but we are determined to bounce back and produce some strong results in this crucial summer stretch.”

Race Information:

The CRC Brakleen 150 (60 laps | 150 miles) is the 13th of 22 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series races on the 2021 schedule. The 40-truck field will take the green flag on Sat., Jun. 26, 2021, shortly after 12:00 p.m. ET with live coverage on FOX Sports 1, the Motor Racing Network (Radio) and SiriusXM Satellite Radio NASCAR Channel 90. All times are local (ET).

About AM Racing:

AM Racing is a NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) team headquartered in Statesville, N.C.  Established in December 2015, AM Racing is prided on faith, honesty and intelligent performance.