Cameron Hayley – Daytona International Speedway Preview

Feb 17, 2016

Hero Card Requests:

Send a Self Addressed Stamped Envelope to: ThorSport Racing Attn: Hero Card Request PO Box 2218 Sandusky, OH 44871

TSR-Hayley-Web-NewsPg Team Information:

Crew Chief: Eddie Troconis
Manufacturer: Toyota
Engine: Triad Racing Technologies
2015 driver point standings: 6th
2015 owner point standings: 8th

Sounding Off – Cameron Hayley:,
How would you characterize your rookie season?
“2015 was a big learning curve for me. It was my first year in a national series, and it was difficult. I had a lot of obstacles to overcome – I think I had 18 track debuts in 23 races. I was just a big sponge last year, soaking everything up. The learning curve is steep at this level, and you have to soak it all up so quickly. You’re racing competitively with some of the best drivers every lap, so you don’t have a lot of room for error. I was fortunate to have my teammate, Matt Crafton to learn from. I’ll still be that sponge this year, but I at least have that baseline this year to go off of.”

What one piece of advice could you give to your rookie teammates?
“Everyone talks about being aggressive, but it doesn’t really soak in until your there. For example, I ran in the top-five at the first Martinsville race last year, and wasn’t aggressive enough at the end, and finished top-10. After that I realized how aggressive I needed to be. You can’t just lay back you have to go for gold every single lap.”

The caution clock is new to the Truck Series in 2016. What are your thoughts on the new rule?
“Personally, I think the caution clock will bring an entirely new strategy to things. The truck series already has great racing, and this will add another element to that – some good, some bad, just depending on if you are leading or about to get lapped. It could work in your favor, or against you. It’s definitely one of the biggest topics right now. I’ve been working with Eddie Troconis, my crew chief, on a plan because this obviously takes away the element of green flag pit stops, or long-race strategy, so your just working with the shorter runs. It will be interesting to see how it plays out this year.”

News & Notes:

Chassis Information…The No. 13 ThorSport Racing team will utilize chassis No. 16 for Friday night’s NextEra Energy Resources 250 at Daytona International Speedway (DIS). This particular chassis was rebuilt for the 2016 season, and will make its debut in the 100-lap NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) season opener.
Daytona Fast Facts…Hayley will make his second career start at DIS on Friday night. In 2015, the Calgary, Alberta, Canada native started 14th and finished 23rd after getting caught up in a lap 48 accident.
Calling The Shots… Eddie Troconis will call the shots for the No. 13 ThorSport Racing team in 2016. Troconis, who has an engineering background, came to ThorSport Racing from fellow NCWTS Toyota team, Kyle Busch Motorsports (KBM). In addition to his engineering role, Troconis has called the shots for 12 NCWTS races from 2012-2015, most recently at KBM for the No. 51 team and drivers Christopher Bell, Gray Gaulding and Matt Tift. 2016 marks Troconis’ first season at TSR, and his first full-time season as crew chief.
To The Point… Hayley’s 2015 points were transferred to the No. 41 ThorSport Racing entry for the 2016 season. Therefore, Hayley will be required to qualify into the 32-truck field on time for the first five races on 2016 NCWTS schedule.
Eyes In The Sky… Hayley will utilize NASCAR Sprint Cup Series spotter, Ron Lewis, who spots for Casey Mears, during the 2016 NCWTS season.
2015 Recap… The Canadian driver joined ThorSport Racing for his first full-time season in the NCWTS in 2015, piloting the No. 13 Toyota Tundra. Making 18 track debuts, Hayley capped off his rookie season with a sixth-place finish in the driver point standings, four top-five and 13 top-10 finishes. The TSR driver also led his first laps in the series, leading 78 laps in 2015, with a season-best start of second, and a career-best finish of third at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway (October).