Driver Battles To 8th From 28th Starting Spot

David Starr (Ronda Greer Photo)

David Starr and the Red Horse Racing team were confident heading into the O'Reilly Auto Parts 250 at Kansas Speedway this past weekend. The team had been working on improving their 1.5-mile track program, and crew chief Jamie Jones felt like they had learned something a few weeks ago that would make the No. 11 Toyota Tundra a contender at Kansas.

"Jamie (Jones) told me that he thought we had something for them at Kansas, and I believed him," Starr said. "We had been working on our bigger track programs because we just hadn't been up to par with the other trucks.

"Jamie was right - we found something that worked. I think we have proven that we can be a contender at the 1.5-mile tracks after our race at Kansas. I couldn't be prouder of what we accomplished today."

With a 28th place qualifying effort, Starr would have a lot of ground to make up. Starr wasted no time driving the No. 11 Red Horse Racing Toyota through the field.

By Lap eight, Starr had picked up eight spots and sat in 20th place. When the first caution flag waved at Lap 29, Starr was in 15th place. He radioed the crew that he needed more stability on entry into the corner. If he could get that, he would be good by the day's end.   The team pitted for four tires and fuel. A quick pit stop helped Starr return to the race track in 13th place. Eight laps later, Starr told the crew he still needed to be a little better on entry.

"I can't get into the corners like I need to," Starr said. "But I'm working with it."

Starr hovered in the top 15 for several laps. At the Lap 78 caution, Starr reported to the crew that his truck was getting better. The truck was tight off turn two, and he still needed help getting into turn three, but overall he was happy with the truck.

Starr came down pit road in 16th place and pitted at Lap 81 for four tires, fuel and an air pressure adjustment. Another quick pit stop helped Starr gain several spots on pit road and he returned to the track in 11th place.

Within a lap, Starr had moved into the Top 10. He continued to move up through the order. At the Lap 102 caution, Starr sat in eighth place. He radioed the crew that the changes had helped, and he was getting into the corners better.

The crew pitted for four tires and fuel under the caution flag. After a brief red flag period, Starr restarted at lap 111 in ninth-place.

Starr remained in the Top 10 for the remainder of the race. At the Lap 125, Starr reported to the crew that he was still just a "tick free" in the center. Although many leaders pitted for fresh tires and fuel under the caution, crew chief Jones made the call for Starr to stay out. The gutsy pit call moved Starr into fourth-place on the race track.

With trucks with fresh tires behind him, Starr knew he had his work cut out for him to stay up front.

"I'm trying to be smooth with the wheel," Starr told his crew. And smooth he was.

As the laps wound down, Starr worked to stay in the top 10. A few trucks with fresher rubber won out, but Starr managed to keep the No. 11 Red Horse Racing Toyota in the lead pack. Starr brought home the No. 11 Tundra in eighth place.

"The Red Horse Racing Toyota was really good today and the pit crew was outstanding," Starr said. "I picked up positions every time I came down pit road and the adjustments were just what I needed to gain even more on the track. If we keep running like this, I think we will be in Victory Lane again soon."

Starr scored his fifth top 10 of the season at Kansas Speedway. He moved up to seventh in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series point's standings - 309 points behind leader Todd Bodine and 36 points out of the top five.