Shelby Howard enters Friday night's NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series American Commercial Lines 200 at Atlanta Motor Speedway confident that the No. 13 ThorSport Racing crew is on a fast-track to consistent strong finishes.

"We've got a great group of guys on this team, and everybody works well together and continues to grow together," Howard said.  "I feel it's only a short matter of time until we're running in the top-10 each week.'

In his return to the knock-down, drag-out competition for which the NCTS is known, Howard possesses the cool demeanor necessary for success.  "I'm learning each week, finding out pretty quickly about these trucks and what it takes to make them better," he said.  "I'm looking forward to seeing what we can do at Atlanta.  I have a lot of 'seat time' at AMS.  I've run several ARCA races and a Nationwide Series race there, and done a lot of testing.  I'm real comfortable with the track.  I like the top side thru turns 1 & 2, and the bottom thru 3 & 4.  But you can hold it wide-open, and run pretty much anywhere on the track.  Once the race gets going, I'll find out where the truck responds best."

Howard relishes the intensity of week-to-week racing in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series.  "The competition in this series is so intense, you have to be on the mark each time out," he said.  "It's exciting.  The margin for error is so slim.  You have to constantly be improving, finding the best ways to do things.  I'd love to come out of Atlanta with a strong finish and build early-season momentum."