Tuesday, November 23, 2010

Tayler Malsam Homestead-Miami Speedway Race Report

Tayler Malsam 
No. 25 Iron Horse Jeans Toyota Tundra
Homestead-Miami Speedway – Ford 200
November 19, 2010

For the final time in the 2010 season, Tayler Malsam took the green flag at Homestead-Miami Speedway in a Randy Moss Motorsports prepared Toyota Tundra.  The 21-year-old sported a brand new black, gray and gold paint scheme with logos from Iron Horse Jeans—a California-based company that has supported Malsam in both the NASCAR Nationwide Series and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series throughout the 2010 season.  Despite partnering with Tayler in the past, it was the debut of Iron Horse Jeans’ partnership with Randy Moss Motorsports.

Malsam was 14th quick in both the first and final practice session at the Southern Florida mile-and-a-half.  The effort put him 22nd in the qualifying line where he laid down a 32.149-second lap to roll off 11th for 134 laps in the 2010 NCWTS season finale. 

The No. 25 Iron Horse Jeans machine dropped three spots on the opening lap as Malsam struggled with the handling on his Toyota Tundra.  The team utilized the opening caution on lap 31 to remove the rubber from the right rear spring that they had added earlier in the day.  After a slight air pressure adjustment, four fresh Goodyear Eagles and Sunoco fuel, Malsam was back on the track.  The stop relegated him to the 22nd position as the team utilized precious seconds removing the rubber. 

During the 200-mile event, Malsam struggled with racing in dirty air, but did his best to diagnose the truck’s handling as the Iron Horse Jeans team made a variety of changes to their Toyota Tundra throughout the evening.  During the lap 76 caution period, Malsam came down pit road for four tires and fuel.  The team made an air pressure adjustment to the Iron Horse Jeans Toyota Tundra and got Malsam’s machine dialed in exactly how he needed it. 

Malsam made his final stop of the night on lap 105 assuring the team that the No. 25 machine could make it the distance on fuel.  Crew chief Dan Stillman called for no changes to their Toyota Tundra, but a four-tire stop pushed the Iron Horse Jeans team back in the running order as several competitors took just two Goodyear Eagles. 

The Sammamish, Wash., native restarted the race in the 19th position and proceeded to pick up nine positions during the closing 20 laps.  Malsam crossed the finish line in the 10th position at Homestead Miami Speedway, marking his best finish and only top-10 result of the 2010 NCWTS season. 

“The Iron Horse Jeans team struggled a bit with our Toyota Tundra early in the race tonight, but we kept working and improving it until we were able to be competitive,” commented Malsam following the race at Homestead-Miami Speedway.  “My guys did a great job preparing the truck, working on it throughout practice, and adjusting on it during the race.  It was great to get a top-10 finish and it will help build momentum for us going into the 2011 season.  We have a lot of work to do over the off-season, but I think we will be ready to win races and contend for the championship by the time we get to Daytona [International Speedway] in February.”

The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series will return to Daytona International Speedway to kick off the 2011 season on February 18th, 2011.