GMS Racing Race Report
Joey Coulter takes Third-Place in “Tricky” Finish at Pocono Raceway
Joey Coulter and the No. 21 Allegiant Travel Chevrolet team finished third in the Pocono Mountains 150 on Saturday at Pocono (Pa.) Raceway, scoring his third top-five result this season. The Miami Springs, Fla., native started the 11th race of the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) season from the 11th position and worked his way into the top 10 during the early laps. Under the first caution of the day at the 2.5-mile triangle, crew chief Jeff Stankiewicz attempted to remedy Coulter’s handling woes with a two right-side tire stop along with fuel. Coulter was a mainstay at the front of the field throughout the first half of the race and by the halfway maker he was in ninth place, despite struggles with a tight-handling condition during the 60-lap affair. Due to varying pit strategies, Coulter found himself running fourth as scheduled green-flag pit stops began on Lap 35. Stankiewicz called his driver to pit road one final time, on Lap 36 under green-flag conditions for left-side tires, a variety of adjustments and fuel, positioning Coulter strategically in between varying pit strategies among other teams. By Lap 50, Coulter was running eighth, but the Florida-native wouldn’t stay there for long, as he was able to drive his GMS Racing machine toward the front of the field each time he found himself mired in race traffic. Following a series of late-race caution flags, Coulter rallied from sixth on the final restart to finish third, posting his fourth top-10 finish in four races at the “Tricky Triangle.” Following the event at Pocono Raceway, Coulter remains ninth in the NASCAR Camping World Series driver championship point standings.
Start – 11 Finish – 3 Laps Led – 0
Joey Coulter Quote:
“It was a great day for us. I can’t thank Chevrolet enough for all the support they have given us. I’m really pumped about our GMS Racing team and what we’ve accomplished.”
Spencer Gallagher Earns Top-15 Finish at Pocono Raceway
Driving the No. 23 Allegiant Travel Chevrolet Silverado for GMS Racing, Spencer Gallagher earned a top-15 finish in his career-first NASCAR Camping World Truck Series start at Pocono Raceway by finishing 15th in the Pocono Mountains 150 at the Long Pond, Pa. facility. The Las Vegas native started from the 12th position, right next to teammate Joey Coulter, and reported the Chevrolet Silverado’s handling was tight during the early laps of the scheduled 60-lap event. When the caution flag displayed on Lap 18, crew chief Ryan “Pickle” London called Gallagher down pit road for four Goodyear tires, an air pressure adjustment, fuel, and a track bar adjustment. He restarted the Allegiant Travel Chevrolet Silverado 17th on Lap 21 and worked his way into the eighth position by Lap 35. As green-flag stops began at the 2.5-mile track, Gallagher advanced to fifth across the next five laps. While running third, the caution flag was displayed on Lap 48, so London called his driver to pit road for the final time, swapping out four tires, making adjustments, and reloading the truck with fuel. This stop positioned Gallagher in 18th for the restart on Lap 52, but the 24-year-old radioed to his crew that the truck was still tight as laps wound down, until the caution flag was displayed with approximately three laps remaining in the scheduled race. For the final restart, Gallagher restarted 12th as he was shuffled back in the field, and he finished 15th in the green-white-checkered finish.
Start – 12 Finish – 15 Laps Led – 0
Spencer Gallagher Quote:
“Wow, what an afternoon! We set goals all weekend and with the effort of this GMS Racing team, we were able to achieve them and leave here with a top-15 finish.”
Grant Enfinger’s Day Ends Early at Pocono Raceway
Grant Enfinger had disappointment and frustration apparent on his face as he walked out of the Pocono Raceway infield care center only a few laps into Friday’s rain-delayed ModSpace 125. The Fairhope, Ala., driver started the 50-lap ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards event from the sixth position and finished 26nd after being involved in an early-race accident on Lap 13. Early in the race, on Lap Three, Enfinger moved into the top-five. An early yellow flag on Lap Five provided Enfinger and the GMS Racing crew the opportunity for pit strategy when crew chief Ryan “Pickle” London told his driver to stay out under caution. Under caution, Enfinger communicated about rain drops in Turn One to the No. 90 Motor Honey/Casite, Allegiant Travel team. Enfinger restarted sixth on Lap 12, but shortly after, Enfinger’s Chevrolet was knocked into the outside wall, an incident resulting from contact with another competitor. Enfinger was running his line and had committed to his turn, and did not anticipate a car on the inside. Enfinger’s GMS Racing team briefly looked over the car in hopes of repairing it enough to return to the track and salvage any championship points, but ultimately there was too much damage to the car, and Enfinger finished the day in 26th-place. In his 64 ARCA Racing Series career-starts, this was the first time Enfinger would not finish due to an accident. More significantly, the 29-year-old came to Long Pond, Pa. as the ARCA Racing Series points leader, with Mason Mitchell trailing by 40 points, thanks to four victories and seven top-five finishes in the first 13 races. However, his early end to the race this weekend leaves him in second place, 75 points behind the leader.
Start – 6 Finish – 26 Laps Led – 0
Grant Enfinger Quote:
“I did not know that the other car had dived below me until I felt the impact and started spinning. We were both racing hard. This sort of thing happens when both drivers are trying hard to win – especially with the anticipation of a possible rain-shortened event. We’ll put this behind us and stay friends.”
semper nibh non odio feugiat, id condimentum ex interdum.