You have to give Red Horse Racing’s German Quiorga credit.
An ill-fated four-wide pass in the final 12 laps of Saturday’s Kroger 200 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway would have easily been the move of the year, if Quiroga had pulled it off.
Instead, Quiroga’s No. 77 OtterBox Toyota Tundra carried too much speed entering Turn 3, which shot his truck up the racetrack and into a solo spin, nearly collecting race winner Darrell Wallace Jr.
The spin brought the event’s 11th and final caution of the night, which didn’t give Quiroga an opportunity to contend for the win again, but the Mexico City, Mexico driver did battle back for a top-10 finish.
It may have been Quiroga’s aggression that ultimately hindered him from scoring that coveted first win in Truck Series competition, but at this point, the 34-year old is running out of time.
Running out of time to score his first win this season at the place he’s called home the last two years, but maybe, yet more importantly the opportunity to score a win in one of NASCAR’s top three national series.
With the 2014 season nearing its conclusion and Quiroga’s plans still unannounced for next year, the aggression may be a form of desperation. A desperation to keep racing, something Quiroga knows he can’t live without.
“I tried, it didn’t work, but I don’t regret it,” said Quiroga talking about his attempted four-wide pass for the lead at Martinsville. “It was fun racing like, but I’m in a position where I have to try and make it (winning) happen. Thankfully, the only one that spun was myself, but I had to try. I’m a racer. This is what I do.”
Some of Quiroga’s competitors have spoken publicly about his aggressive racing demeanor, but the 2011 NASCAR Toyota Series champion notes he doesn’t intentionally plan to be overly aggressive, but that his determination fuels a fire that some may not understand.
“I want to win, not just for myself and my sponsors, but for this Red Horse Racing team,” added Quiroga. “Time and time again, they have given me some of the best trucks I’ve ever had, but for one reason or another, whether it’s me or just something else, we haven’t gotten there yet, but we will.”
“Am I aggressive? Yes. (because) I want to win. I never plan to take anyone (intentionally) out, but I do race hard.”
Race hard is something that Quiorga isn’t afraid to showcase, and while he’s come under fire at times for being impatient, one of the best finishes of the year came at a place where Quiroga showed extreme patience while keeping his composure, which ultimately led to one of the most electrifying finishes of the year.
Quiroga battled Ryan Blaney for a thrilling side-by-side battle for the win at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park in late September. The two exchanged the lead over the final turns, before a drag-race coming to the start finish line put forth one of the best outcomes in recent truck series history.
In the same event, a year earlier, Chase Elliott dumped Ty Dillon in the final corner to score his first career NASCAR Camping World Truck Series victory. Chaos and tempers soon flared. Quiroga finished 15th that day, and while that finish sparked controversy and made several highlight reels, Quiroga doesn’t want to be known for winning like that.
“I remember what happened in Canada last year, and it was (playing) in my head that last lap racing with Ryan,” Quiroga recalled. “I wasn’t going to dump him to win. I don’t want to win like that. I don’t think anyone knows, but when you get in that moment, sometimes the adrenaline takes over. That’s what happened in Martinsville, the adrenaline took over.”
Quiroga has three more chances to win this season – at Texas Motor Speedway, Phoenix International Raceway and Homestead-Miami Speedway. Last year, the Hispanic delivered top-15 performances in all three races. This year, he knows that won’t make the cut.
“I know the Red Horse Racing team is going to bring some really fast trucks,” Quiroga sounded. “It’s my job to go out there and put us in contention for the win. Believe me, I’m going to do that, even if that comes with a little aggression.”
After 19 races, Quiroga sits sixth in the championship standings, with three top-fives and 10 top-10 runs, compared to just two top-fives and six top-10s the year before, in his first full season of competition.
Follow Chris Knight on Twitter @Knighter01.
