MADISON, Ill – One of the most respected figures in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series will miss his first race in five years Saturday night at Gateway (Ill.) Motorsports Park.
Tom DeLoach, owner of the No. 11 and No. 17 Red Horse Racing Toyota Tundras is attending his daughter Caroline Turner’s High School graduation today in North Carolina and will watch Saturday night’s Drivin’ for Linemen 200 from home.
The team believes it is the first truck race that the former Mobile 1 executive has missed since Iowa Speedway in 2010.
“First, we want to wish her many congrats on that big achievement and the next step of her life,” said Timothy Peters of Caroline. “It’s definitely something special for Tom to be back to see her walk across the stage.”
In practice Saturday at the 1.25-mile track, both RHR trucks showed speed with Timothy Peters 13th quickest while sophomore driver Ben Kennedy wound up 15th overall. Both drivers spent a fair amount of time secured in the top-10 before being bumped as drivers made their qualifying runs.
Peters, the eight-time truck series winner noted strategy will lead to being a factor in the second-annual event.
“Just gotta complete the laps,” added Peters on his outlook for tonight’s race. “The last two weeks we’ve had good trucks, just had bad luck when we’re running well, but that’s the encouraging part. “We gotta keep it turning all night, track position is going to be very high, high key. Just do my part on getting pit road, getting in my pit box, getting out of my pit box.
“The guys have been on it all year long, so very comforting and makes it even more confident when I can come to pit road and know that we can gain a couple spots in the pits.”
Red Horse Racing is still searching for their first win of the season in what some have described as an uncharacteristic start for the Mooresville, North Carolina-based team. While the team has shown flashes of consistency this season, the long-time NASCAR truck team hasn’t yet shown their dominant-no fear presence as many have come to expect over the years.
Peters, the team’s veteran has one top-five and three top-10s through the series’ first seven races, while Kennedy, the Daytona Beach, Florida native holds the same pattern, just with different races. They sit ninth and 11th respectively in points, entering the third of a four-race stretch.
Before qualifying runs shuffled the running order, both Red Horse Racing trucks looked strong.
And with hot, humid conditions, not to mention a new tire throwing some a curveball in the garage, it’s a similar type of scenario in the past where RHR has excelled above the rest.
Tonight, that door could open to excellence and reboot both teams back into championship-like contenders.
Follow Chris Knight on Twitter @Knighter01
