Jeb Burton Raising Eyebrows Again At ThorSport Racing:
Jeb Burton has no doubt experienced his highs and lows thus far in 2014.
Burton, the son of former Daytona 500 winner Ward Burton had an exceptional rookie season at Turner Scott Motorsports, but after losing his sponsor to financial difficulty before the start of the 2014 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series season, one the sport’s future stars suddenly found himself homeless.
To their credit, ThorSport Racing stepped up to the plate and put Burton in their third No. 13 Toyota Tundra entry. While Daytona went off quietly with a top-10 finish, their Martinsville performance was forgettable.
With a talented and frustrated driver on-hand and a team who won the championship in NCWTS 2013 with Matt Crafton, the two clearly had work to do.
A private test session at Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway after Easter put some grounding into the Sandusky, Ohio-based race team showcasing one of the best times in the two-day test session.
Still, many were left asking the question, if they would be able to back It up in the third race of the season at Kansas Speedway? They did. While they didn’t contend for the win, a strong and season-best sixth place finish. The speed carried to Charlotte, but a last-lap incident derailed another top-10 finish.
But, Burton’s season may just be taking off. In Dover last weekend, Burton and ThorSport Racing announced a new partner in Estes, a Richmond, Virginia based trucking company. While the team suffered multiple mechanical gremlins, they salvaged a 18th-place run.
Friday night, Burton returns to the site where everything is bigger and no doubt it would be indeed be bigger if Burton was able to defend his WinStar World Casino & Resort 400 with the No. 13 team to Victory Lane.
“It would be huge to get a win for ThorSport and Estes and for my whole family,” said Burton. “This new tire is throwing everyone for a loop. I’m kinda worried about that. I don’t know exactly what I have. We’re going to try and repeat though.”
German Quiorga Standing Strong:
Red Horse Racing’s German Quiorga is showing that he can be a title contender in 2014. Through the first five races of the 2014 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series season, Quiorga has yet to finish outside the top-10. Quiorga, the only three-time NASCAR Mexico champion has yet though been able to maneuver a top-five finish.
Despite the consistency, the driver of the No. 77 Net10 Wireless / Otter Box Toyota Tundra sits fourth in the championship standings, just six markers behind teammate Timothy Peters. Maybe more important though, Quiorga is searching for his first NASCAR Camping Word Truck Series victory.
Could that come in Friday night’s WinStar World Casino & Resort 400?
Possible.
Quiorga rolled off the truck eighth quickest, but adjustments made to his Japanese nameplate during the short half-hour break paid off. In final practice, Quiorga hustled to the top of the charts early and never relinquished.
Some would say that time may be running short for the Mexico City, Mexico native with Daniel Suarez being bred through the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East and even a few NASCAR Nationwide Series starts, but the 34-year old is focused on making his mark.
Tonight, he could continue to do that in a big way. He starts eighth.
Justin Lofton Earns Second Career NCWTS Pole At Texas Motor Speedway:
Justin Lofton surprised many on Friday afternoon at Texas Motor Speedway by winning the pole for Friday night’s 18th annual WinStar World Casino & Resort 400. Lofton in his second race of the 2014 season with NTS Motorsports whipped his No. 20 sponsorless Chevrolet Silverado around the 1.5-mile track in second amounting to a speed of miles per hour.
This is Lofton’s second-career pole. He also started at the point at Chicagoland Speedway in 2012 driving for Eddie Sharp Racing. He finished 21st.
“It feels awesome to be on the pole here at Texas,” said Lofton. “I gotta thank everyone at NTS Motorsports. I don’t get very many opportunities, which makes this very special. Looking forward to the race tonight.”
Lofton made his 2014 debut in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series last month at Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway where he qualified 14th and finished 10th.
Matt Crafton will start second followed by Ryan Blaney, Johnny Sauter and graduate Erik Jones. Joe Nemechek, Darrell Wallace Jr., German Quiorga, John Wes Townley and Ron Hornaday Jr. rounded out the top-10.
Points leader Timothy Peters will roll off 15th.
Follow Chris Knight on Twitter @Knighter01.
