MADISON, Ill. (September 13, 2009) – Tayler Malsam and the One Eighty Racing team overcame issues with a tight handling truck to score a fifth-place finish in the Copart 200 at Gateway International Raceway Saturday afternoon. Malsam’s fifth-place effort was the first top-five for the team this season and the first of his NASCAR career.
Malsam was the 22nd truck to take to the track for his two-lap qualifying run Saturday morning. Malsam, who battled a tight handling truck in Friday’s practice sessions, fought the same thing during his qualifying effort, but posted a speed of 131.614 miles per hour around the 1.25-mile track, which was quick enough to earn the One Eighty Toyota Tundra 17th place on the starting grid.
Malsam took the green flag for the start of the 160-lap event and immediately communicated to crew chief Doug Wolcott that the truck was again handling extremely tight in the corners. Wolcott made major changes to the machine, including air pressure and track bar adjustments, during the first pit stop of the day, which came on lap 10. Few trucks made pit stops and Malsam lined up for the ensuing restart in 29th place.
Malsam continued to battle a tight handling Toyota Tundra and Wolcott made changes to the truck during every possible opportunity. At the lap 100-mark, Wolcott called his rookie driver into the pits to add two spring rubbers to the right rear. Not long after that change, Malsam let the team know that the truck was handling better and was not as tight as it had been all day long.
Malsam moved into 15th with about 55 laps remaining in the event and patiently made his way into the top 10, running laps that were some of the best of the day. With three scheduled laps remaining in the Copart 200, the One Eighty Racing truck stood in the seventh position, and with help from a couple of last lap accidents and a call by NASCAR officials to penalize the leader for aggressive driving, Malsam took the checkered flag in the fifth spot. It was the No. 81 Randy Moss Motorsports team’s best finish of the season. A veteran of 20 races, it was also Malsam’s best career NASCAR Camping World Truck Series effort.
Scoring his ninth top-10 finish of the year, Malsam continues to hold down 11th place in the driver point standings and stands just eight points outside of the top 10. Malsam is in the middle of a tight points battle, with just 100 points separating him from fifth place.
Tayler Malsam and the No. 81 Randy Moss Motorsports team will return to action next weekend at New Hampshire Motor Speedway next weekend. The Heluva Good® 200 will be broadcast live at 2:30 p.m. (ET) on SPEED TV and on select affiliates of MRN Radio and Sirius-XM NASCAR Radio on Saturday, September 19.
ABOUT ONE EIGHTY: One Eighty, founded in 1976, encompasses hospitality, senior housing, and international brands, all of which require their customers to “Twist Your Thinking.” One Eighty’s hospitality brand has three divisions – Edibility, PrimeFit, and Twist Travel, which offer a bold take on their individual specialties. Edibility includes retirement community food services, corporate and social event catering, restaurant development and management, culinary classes, and signature food items. Also, PrimeFit and Twist Travel take a similar cover-the-all bases approach. For more information about One Eighty, please visit www.oneeightytwist.com.
ABOUT RANDY MOSS MOTORSPORTS: Randy Moss Motorsports ownership consists of Randy Moss, New England Patriots All-Pro Wide Receiver; and David Dollar, a long-time participant in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. The team fields the No. 81 Toyota Tundra and the No. 5 Toyota Tundra full-time in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. For more information about Randy Moss Motorsports, please visit www.randymossmotorsports.com.
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