Stats:
Started: 8th
Finished: 5th
Laps: 167/167
Status: Running
Driver Points: 5th
Owner Points: 8th
Kansas City, KS (May 9, 2015) – Showing speed every time his No. 13 Cabinets by Hayley Toyota Tundra was on the track, Sunoco Rookie of the Year contender Cameron Hayley brought home a career-best fifth-place finish in his debut at Kansas Speedway in Kansas City, KS on Friday night.
Topping the leaderboard in the weekend’s lone NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) practice session on Thursday, Hayley continued his stout trip to the Midwest with an eighth-place qualifying effort on Friday afternoon.
Hayley struggled with a, “tight” condition throughout the Toyota Tundra 250 on Friday night. Running as high as fifth and as low as 16th, Hayley maintained an average running position of 9.7 throughout the 167-lap event.
Crew chief Jeff Hensley brought the Calgary, Alberta, Canada native to pit road for four tires, fuel, and adjustments under caution at laps 42, 67 and 111, respectively, to aid in the handling. Hensley also made the call to bring the Sunoco Rookie of the Year contender back down pit road on the final caution to top-off with fuel before going back to green on lap 115. The call proved to be the right one.
As the laps started winding down, the fuel mileage pressure began to heat up. Running 11th, with five laps remaining in the 167-lap event, the race leaders slowly began to run out of fuel, and Hayley, who was good to the finish on fuel, coasted to his career first top-five finish, finishing fifth.
The solid performance in Kansas allowed Hayley to propel himself into the top-five in the NCWTS driver point standings following the fourth race of the season at Kansas. The Sunoco Rookie contender is currently fifth, 52 markers behind teammate, Matt Crafton.
Quote:
“This was truly an amazing night for me. To be a Canadian and get a top-five in the series is unreal. We have been good everywhere in practice and qualifying; we just needed to back it up with a solid run. We did that tonight. It’s just a testament of what this team is capable of. I can’t thank Duke and Rhonda Thorson for this opportunity. I’m really looking forward to Charlotte next week.”
Notes:
- Cameron Hayley finished fifth in his Kansas Speedway debut on Friday night
- The top-five result was Hayley’s career-best NCWTS finish
- Hayley was the highest finishing Sunoco Rookie of the Year contender in Friday night’s Toyota Tundra 250
- The ThorSport Racing driver is up three positions to fifth in the 2015 NCWTS driver point standings following the fourth race of the season
- Running as high as fifth, and as low as 16th, Hayley maintained an average running position of 9.7
- ThorSport Racing teammate, Matt Crafton won the Toyota Tundra 250 followed by Ryan Newman (second), Johnny Sauter (third), Timothy Peters (fourth), and Hayley (fifth)
- Up next: NC Education Lottery 200 at Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway on Friday, May 15
