Photo Credit: Getty Images
Team Information:
Started: 17th
Finished: 11th
Laps: 167/167
Laps Led: 0
Status: Running
Driver Points: 11th
Cody Coughlin Race Recap:
Cody Coughlin, driver of the No. 13 RIDE TV Toyota Tundra, persevered after a long battle in Friday night’s NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) NextEra Energy Resources 250 at Daytona (Fl.) International Speedway. Leading the ThorSport Racing camp, Coughlin was able to salvage a career-best 11th-place finish, despite several on-track incidents.
The No. 13 team showed speed during the lone practice session Thursday afternoon – leading the ThorSport Racing fleet with the third fastest time overall. Starting from the 17th position for the 100-lap, three segment race, Coughlin had a long night ahead of him after being collected in a wreck on lap two. After several pit stops for repairs, Coughlin fought his way back through the field several times to put himself in position to compete at the end of the third segment.
With four laps to go, the fifth caution of the night was displayed for a spin in Turn 2, setting the field up for a green-white-checker flag finish. Unfortunately, Coughlin, who was scored 10th, would be collected in the “Big One” on lap 99 of 100 and relegated to an 11th-place finish behind race winner, Kaz Grala. The result was the Sunoco Rookie of the Year contenders career-best finish in 13 NCWTS starts.
Quote:
“Well, we thought we had a really strong RIDE TV Tundra. It sucked up really well all night. The guys got crossed there at the beginning and unfortunately we just had nowhere to go. My team did a great job fixing up my Toyota Tundra every time we came down pit road tonight, and kept us from going a lap down. We had to start at the tail-end of the field several times, but we were able to work our way back up to the front. I was confident we would have had a Top 5 finish there at the end if we wouldn’t have wrecked, but that’s the deal here at this track, you know its going to happen, you just hope you’re not going to be the one involved.”
Notes:
- The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) had one practice session on Thursday evening in preparation for Friday night’s 100-lap event. Cody Coughlin was scored third-quick overall.
- Friday night’s NextEra Energy Resources 250 marked Coughlin’s second NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) start at the 2.5-mile Daytona International Speedway (DIS). The RIDE TV driver started 17th, and finished a career-best 11th in the 100-lap event.
- Coughlin was the third-highest finishing Sunoco Rookie of the Year contender in Friday night’s NCWTS season opener at DIS.
- Coughlin’s ThorSport Racing teammates finished 12th (Rhodes), 14th (Crafton) and 16th (Enfinger).
- Up Next: The Active Pest Control 200 on Saturday, March 4, 2016 at Atlanta (Ga.) Motor Speedway.