Tundra driver Timothy Peters, who resides in Danville, Va., earned his first career NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) win in Saturday afternoon's race at Martinsville Speedway. Peters led the final 84 (of 200) laps to earn the 12th victory for Toyota in 2009 and the 63rd since joining series competition in 2004.
Along with Peters, five Tundra drivers also earned top-10 finishes at half-mile Virginia short track, including Todd Bodine (second), Denny Hamlin (sixth), David Starr (eighth) and Terry Cook (10th).
Toyota drivers Aric Almirola (12th), Stacy Compton (14th), Max Papis (21st), Mike Skinner (23rd), Brian Scott (24th), Tayler Malsam (28th), T.J. Bell (30th) and Peyton Sellers (31st) were also in the field.
Five Tundra drivers are among the top-10 in the unofficial point standings -- Skinner (third), Bodine (fourth), Scott (fifth), Peters (seventh) and Starr (ninth) - with four races remaining in the 2009 season.
TIMOTHY PETERS, No. 1 Strutmasters Toyota Tundra, Red Horse Racing Finishing Position: 1st
How does it feel to get your first truck series victory at your home track? "Words can't describe what I'm going through right now. These two guys up here -- Tom DeLoach (team owner) for believing in me and giving me an opportunity. Chad Kendrick (crew chief) for sticking with me when neither one of us knew what would happen in our future. Chip Lofton with Strutmasters.com. Mike Smith (track public relations) and Clay Campbell (track president) -- I can't say enough about these guys for the show that they put on not only for the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series here at Martinsville Speedway but the Balley's 300 also, a Late Model stock race. It's been bitter sweet -- a long time coming. This was is for my dad."
Were you worried that you would run out of fuel? "I was a little worried about that in the beginning. What a great call Chad (Kendrick) made at the beginning to come down pit road to get tires. We were just so loose on forward bite on the beginning of the run in this Strutmasters.com, Red Horse Racing Toyota Tundra. I can't thank these guys enough. Everybody involved with us. The No. 1 was number one today."
What were you thinking the last few laps? "The last 10 laps, I was saying my prayers. 'C'mon Lord, let's go 10 laps.' Thank the Lord above. This right here is awesome to win at Martinsville for my Dad, who I lost in (2001). I have a lot of memories right here. I'm speechless."
Did you feel anything special this morning that made you think you could win? "It's nothing out of the ordinary other than I wanted to race today really bad because I knew in race trim we had a real good truck. We were just a little too free in qualifying and didn't get the starting position that we like, but again, the beginning of the race, we were just a little too free as far as our drive off. We came down pit road somewhat out of sequence. Chad made great calls. Nothing is any different. I got up and put my clothes on the same way I do every day."
What did it mean to have veteran drivers congratulate you in victory lane? "I had Todd (Bodine) and Ron (Hornaday) come up. I thought I was going to have a heart attack from that cold Gatorade he dumped on me. Terry Cook, Stacy Compton, all the guys that have had success in this sport, especially Todd and Ron with their championships -- it's an awesome feeling. Tom (DeLoach) talked about the last time that he had been victory lane was '06, and the last time I was in victory lane was '05 and it was here. It feels great to be in victory lane. Four years is a long time, especially when you come off Saturday night short tracks and you're used to winning week in and week out. We knew we had to get the respect of these guys because they're professionals. Hopefully they see that with us."
CHAD KENDRICK, crew chief, No. 1 Strutmasters Toyota Tundra, Red Horse Racing
What were your thoughts in the final laps of the race today? "Since Vegas this race right here - I have a calendar in my office and this race was marked. So as soon as Vegas as over our thought concentration and everything went into this race. We went and tested and tested and went to the seven-post and we put a lot of effort. We also put a lot of effort into the fuel because we were here in the spring and was running fifth with eight to go and ran out. So we sat down and we looked at it and looked at it and in practice we probably spent just as much time on the fuel mileage stuff as we did getting the truck prepared to win. When the race started the truck was actually a lot freer than I anticipated it being and it was almost to the point where I could visually see that he (Timothy Peters) didn't have a truck to win at the front of the race and he was telling me that he didn't have a truck to win at the front of the race. When that caution fell we had planned from the set of the race that we were going to do one stop and we knew we could go all the way so when that caution came out it kind of came out exactly where we kind of planned. Came down pit road, took the four tires, came back for fuel and made some big swings at it and was just hoping it was going to be enough. When he fired off back racing he was running his fastest time like every tenth lap. I knew we had a good truck. At this point it was just a little tight off but it was free rolling the center better than any truck here and I could see that so I told Timothy (Peters), 'If you take your time and get to the lead I really feel confident we could win this thing.' He did the rest."
TOM DeLOACH, team owner, No. 1 Strutmasters Toyota Tundra, Red Horse Racing
How happy are you for your race team? "I'm thrilled with these guys. It was a real pleasure for me to get to know Timothy (Peters), get to see the passion and the drive in this guy. Many of you don't know -- Timothy comes down to our shop every day. He is there in the shop every day working on his truck and T.J.'s (Bell) truck. You don't see that in drivers today. You tell me any other driver that is going into any shop and participating with the guys building those trucks. It doesn't exist and that's what is so special about this guy. He can get out there, he can get up on the wheel, he can race hard but he's one of the team. And you keep saying there's no I in team, well there's a little bit of me in team and Timothy (Peters) is the me in that team. He gets out there and he gets it done. He works together with these guys. He and Chad (Kendrick) have a special relationship. Sometimes you hear them fussing at each other and you think it's two brothers about to get in a fight but that's just the way it is. They communicate that way and it works and you see the relationship and it's just really pleasing to me to see this thing kind of come to fruition at a track like this. We were here in 2006 with David Starr. It was a thrilling time then and I've got to tell you, there's something about a win -- you go three years because you're looking for that next win - and when I ran into this guy I knew we'd get a win. The question was when not where."
TODD BODINE, No. 30 Lumber Liquidators Toyota Tundra, Germain Racing Finishing Position: 2nd
How was your race today? "It was pretty good. We struggled a little bit in practice. Of course the first practice was shortened. (Mike Hillman) Jr. (crew chief) made some really good calls and made some good calls there at the second practice and we adjusted during the race and got pretty good. Got a little track position, saved some fuel. The Lumber Liquidators Tundra was decent. I tell you, though, for Timmy (Peters). He's such a good racer and such a good kid. It's about time he gets to victory lane. One other thing I want to say is that the pink helmet I had for breast cancer awareness month pay attention to EBay because it's going to go on there after Talladega. We're trying to raise money for a great cause."
How did your truck handle during the race? "We had a great Tundra. This Lumber Liquidators Tundra was really good. We struggled a little the first practice. We got the thing to turn through the middle of the corner. That's what you've got to have at Martinsville. Be able to turn and get good forward bite and we were. At the end of the race we got a little tight in the middle. I had to use it up a little more than I wanted to coming through traffic. When Ron (Hornaday) and (Mike) Skinner and those guys got behind me I knew I had to go then. I couldn't wait and I burned it up a little bit. It was a great day. A top-five here from what we we've had this year, we'll take it and go with it."
Did you feel like you had a race-winning truck today? "I'm really tickled to see Timmy (Peters) win. He's such a good kid. He's a great racer. I had a good Lumber Liquidators Tundra. I had to use it up a little more than I wanted coming back through the pack. I was doing pretty good taking my time. Ron (Hornaday) and Mike (Skinner) and those guys got up behind me and then I had to go and I had to use it up and beat the right-front up a little more than I wanted to. We got to the end barely. I think another 10 laps and Colin (Braun) probably would've got us but we had a good run. The guys worked hard. We weren't that good in the first practice but we made some great changes for the second one and we dialed it in fairly good. We didn't know what we had. We made a couple changes for the race. It was a pretty good day all in all."
What was the difference today compared to finishes at Martinsville in the past? "Better luck. We ran really well in the spring. I think we were running second and got a flat tire, had to go to the back, came all the way to fourth with the green-white checker and got spun out going into three on the last lap and crashed. We've had a lot of bad luck here but we've run really well too. We just came up a little short again. You're right. The family legacy here, I've got to get a grandfather clock before I'm done that's for sure to be the only three brothers to ever win here."
DENNY HAMLIN, No. 51 Miccosukee Resorts Toyota Tundra, Billy Ballew Motorsports Finishing Position: 6th
DAVID STARR, No. 24 Zachry Toyota Tundra, HT Motorsports Finishing Position: 8th
TERRY COOK, No. 25 Cajun Industries Toyota Tundra, HT Motorsports Finishing Position: 10th
How was your race today? "The Harris Trucking Cajun Industries Toyota Tundra was pretty good all day. This is probably one of the better trucks we've ever had here at Martinsville. Worked track position early but then we realized the competition was coming and it was time to get tires. And probably waited just a tick too long to get tires and lost some track position. We had a problem with the brakes at the beginning. We were just trying to be a little aggressive with our brake package and overheated the brakes early which coincidentally late in the race made the brakes work night quite as good. This is probably one of the better trucks that we've ever had here and this team has been in a little bit of a slump for the past five or six weeks so we wanted to come out here with a solid top-10 finish, we got it and it's on to Talladega."
ARIC ALMIROLA, No. 15 Graceway Pharmaceuticals/AKawareness.com Toyota Tundra, Billy Ballew Motorsports Finishing Position: 12th
STACY COMPTON, No. 60 SafeAuto Insurance/Melling Engine Parts Toyota Tundra, Wyler Racing Finishing Position: 14th
MAX PAPIS, No. 13 GEICO Toyota Tundra, Germain Racing Finishing Position: 21st
MIKE SKINNER, No. 5 PC Miler Navigator Toyota Tundra, Randy Moss Motorsports Finishing Position: 23rd
BRIAN SCOTT, No. 16 Albertsons Toyota Tundra, Xpress Motorsports Finishing Position: 24th
TAYLER MALSAM, No. 81 One Eighty Toyota Tundra, Randy Moss Motorsports Finishing Position: 28th
T.J. BELL, No. 11 Red Horse Racing Toyota Tundra, Red Horse Racing Finishing Position: 30th
PEYTON SELLERS, No. 17 Danville Ready Mix/SFP Toyota Tundra, Red Horse Racing Finishing Position: 31st
