TOYOTA: Post-Race Notes & Quotes Memphis
06-28-2009 10:33 am

Brian Scott (second) was the highest-finishing Toyota driver in Saturday's NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) at Memphis Motorsports Park. It is his second straight top-three finish -- third at Milwaukee (June 20) -- after suffering a broken right wrist at Michigan (June 13). Scott led 20 laps in the No. 16 Albertsons Tundra for Xpress Motorsports.

Tundra drivers David Starr (third), Aric Almirola (fourth), Mike Skinner (sixth), Timothy Peters (seventh) and Todd Bodine (10th) also posted top-10 finishes on Saturday.

Toyota drivers Brian Ickler (12th), Terry Cook (13th), Tayler Malsam (16th), Stacy Compton (17th), T.J. Bell (18th) and Brent Sherman (22nd) were also in the field.

BRIAN SCOTT, No. 16 Albertsons Toyota Tundra, Xpress Motorsports Finishing Position: 2nd

What does this run show about your team?
"I think we showed that if we don't have bad luck or get caught up in an accident, we're a top-five truck week in, week out. My hat's off to our guys. Everybody on our Xpress Motorsports Albertson's Toyota Tundra -- they put in really hard work and a good effort in the shop. That ultimately translates to how we showed up at a race. We unload well and we run well. That' just their preparation… All the guys, they just work tirelessly. Jeff Hensley is the best crew chief when you get to a race track. He calls a great race and he can see it through to the end. He knows our fuel mileage. He knows our pit strategy. He has it figured out. I'm just lucky enough to go out there and drive. If I don't screw up and we don't have any bad luck, we can contend for a win every week and definitely a top-five."

Do you think the lapped trucks allowed Ron Hornaday to catch and pass you?
"The lapped down trucks plagued us the whole last part of the race. When we had the lead, I had no idea where they were going when I got to them. The lack of thinking ahead on that part. We got messed up on the 90 (Brent Sherman). I might have been able to stay in front of (Ron) Hornaday a little bit longer. I don't know if we could've beat him. He was awfully good. I can't adjust the brake adjuster in our trucks with my broken wrist. It just started getting tight. We were low on fuel so our nose-weight percentage kept picking up. I just needed to keep dialing rear brake as the run went on and wasn't able to do it. Ultimately, we just overused our front tires. We were sliding in the center of the corner and loose off because I was trying to make time back up and stay in front of David (Starr). It's unfortunate, but you can never be upset with second."

Was your broken wrist an issue on the final restart?
"I got a good jump on the restart and got to his (Ron Hornaday) bumper and drove in the corner right there with him. Unfortunately, I drove in a little harder and it wouldn't stick quite as well as his because I slid my front. Once I lost the bottom, I was like, 'Maybe I can get to the gas and get to his outside quarter-panel here and make a shot at him.' He got off the corner really well and there was nothing I could do. I was just lucky to settle back in second and not lose second to David (Starr). That was all I was thinking about. I knew he could at times run faster than me and at times I could run faster than him. I was just hoping to run faster than him that last little bit. I think somebody got side-by-side with him, and that helped me out. I was just able to hold on for second." Were you distracted by the heat? "You definitely know it's hot the whole time out there. You're sweating, you're doing everything you can, drinking water. It's not just hot for drivers. The pit crews, they're in full uniform. The Sunoco guys, the track help, the cleanup guys, the fans. I can't believe all the fans that endured the heat to watch us race. That was really cool to see. At times you look up under caution and just before the race started and you're like, 'Wow, there's a lot of people sitting in the 110-degree heat on steel bleachers or aluminum bleachers.' They're hot too. It was hot for everybody, not just us. I think everybody did an awesome job just staying hydrated and dealing with it. You try to block it out, but there's only so much you can do."

DAVID STARR, No. 24 Zachry Toyota Tundra, HT Motorsports Finishing Position: 3rd

How encouraging is this finish for your team?
"Our Toyota Tundra, all the people at TRD (Toyota Racing Development), they're engineering staff and being able to use their pull-down machines and engineering stuff they give us -- it's incredible. It's just a testament to Toyota. I have to say, Jim Harris and this HT Motorsports team, week in and week out we have a fast Toyota Tundra. This seems like we can't catch a break. Last week we had a bad break at Milwaukee. We had a great truck. The weeks before then, they just didn't fall our way. We had a great truck. We had to pull a spring rubber out of the left rear because our truck wouldn't rotate that good. It was a little tight in the center. That took a little bit of time -- we lost about 12 spots on pit road. We got back on the race track and passed six or seven people. The (engine) temperature was 260 degrees… The caution came back out and we had to come back in and take tape off it. We had to go back to the back again. We got back on the race track and didn't pass them as fast as the next time. The caution came back out and my crew chief said we had to pit for fuel. I said, 'Are you sure?' I was tired of going to the back. We came in. I kind of questioned my crew chief there and I apologized to him right before we pitted. I was just frustrated because we had to keep going to the back. It ended up being a really great call because we had a great truck. It was fun racing with Brian (Scott). I think we were both trying to save some fuel. I would get close to him and try to get a little bit more and I'd end up messing up. It was a great race. We had a good race going on when I could get to him. (Ron) Hornaday was just the class of the field. Congratulations to him. It was a great day for everybody. You can't thank the fans enough. I looked up in the stands and saw how many people were here and I was really proud to be part of the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series because it was pretty hot today. We did our job, we worked hard, but I think they're the ones that need to get all the credit because they did a great job and we appreciate their support."

Did you think you had a shot at the win on the final restart?
"I tried to get a good restart. I didn't have enough of my front end underneath Brian (Scott). It's tough trucks, tough drivers and a tough series. It's tough on the race driver racing side-by-side, beating and banging, trading a little paint. When you go in there and blatantly knock you out of the way, they'll definitely pay you back down the road. When you do something like that, you might take yourself out too. We race hard, that's what this series is about, but when you blatantly take someone out, I don't think that's what this series is about. I just didn't have enough to get my nose up in there. I could've stayed in there and taken him out, but what's the point? We're good friends and we drive for the same manufacturer and I might've taken myself out. That ain't racing. If I couldn't pass him hard or clean, I wasn't going to get the pass done. He was a little bit better than me anyways. Like (Brian Scott) said, I got in there a little hot. You try to get a little extra, and when you do that, you put yourself in a spot to lose a spot. Just trying to drive as hard as I could and get all I could without taking somebody out. It was a hard-fought race, but a clean race."

ARIC ALMIROLA, No. 15 Phoenix Toyota Tundra, Billy Ballew Motorsports Finishing Position: 4th

Have you ever raced in such hot conditions?
"Yes. The first time I ever came here to Memphis, it was just as hot. At least it was under the lights, but it was just as hot. It makes a lot better when you have a really good truck to drive. I thank Billy Ballew (team owner) for the opportunity. It has been a lot of fun to race this truck here with these truck guys. They race hard every lap. It's been a lot of fun and I can't wait to do some more."

Do you think you had something for the leaders at the end?
"We did the set of tires before that, but for whatever reason -- I don't know why -- but this last set of tires was really up on top of the racetrack and I had no grip at all. We missed our final adjustment there a little bit, but all in all, it was a great run. I'm really proud of the guys. We got snookered a little bit on strategy. I didn't realize we didn't have to come back for gas. To come home fourth, though, was pretty good."

MIKE SKINNER, No. 5 Randy Moss Motorsports Toyota Tundra, Randy Moss Motorsports Finishing Position: 6th

Do you think you had a race-winning truck tonight?
"We had a top-four, top-five Exide Batteries Toyota, but we were just racing there at the end and lost some ground. It's frustrating when we are on a different field to the rest of those guys that run up front every week. But overall our day wasn't bad. We were able to bring home a sixth-place finish and Eric (Phillips, crew chief) and all my guys on this Randy Moss Motorsports team did a great job all day. We will take this and head to the next one in Kentucky."

TIMOTHY PETERS, No. 17 Strutmasters Toyota Tundra, Red Horse Racing Finishing Position: 7th

TODD BODINE, No. 30 Copart Toyota Tundra, Germain Racing Finishing Position: 10th

Can you talk about your race tonight?
"The pit stops were just incredible tonight. The Copart Tundra crew picked up spots, even after I got held up by slower trucks coming down pit road to get into the pits. They really did a great job keeping the Copart Tundra in a good position tonight. Our truck was definitely better at the end. Our first adjustments we made, we definitely went the wrong way. We changed it back and went the other way and it was better. Brakes were an issue the whole race - between vibrating and having too much rear brake. I couldn't put more front brake bias into the truck because it made the vibration worse - it was kind of a 'catch 22' setup. We missed the setup a little but it was better than we've been here so we can't complain."

BRIAN ICKLER, No. 51 Miccosukee Resort Toyota Tundra, Billy Ballew Motorsports Finishing Position: 12th

TERRY COOK, No. 25 Cajun Industries Toyota Tundra, HT Motorsports Finishing Position: 13th

TAYLER MALSAM, No. 81 One Eighty Toyota Tundra, Randy Moss Motorsports Finishing Position: 16th

Can you talk about your race tonight?
"Our One Eighty Toyota Tundra was good for most of the day. We had brake problems during qualifying which put us to the back for the start of the race. Doug (Wolcott, crew chief) and all of these guys worked really hard this weekend and it sucks when you have something go wrong there in the final 10 laps of the race. But we will put this one behind us and move forward."

STACY COMPTON, No. 60 SafeAuto Insurance Toyota Tundra, Wyler Racing Finishing Position: 17th

T.J. BELL, No. 11 Red Horse Racing Toyota Tundra, Red Horse Racing Finishing Position: 18th

BRENT SHERMAN, No. 90 Great Clips Toyota Tundra, Stringer Motorsports Finishing Position: 22nd