Chatting with Cody Coughlin:
What is your take on the new racing format and how do you think it will effect racing at Atlanta Motor Speedway this weekend?
“After this past weekend in Daytona, I think the new racing format has shown that bonus points are everything; not just in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, but in all three series. Heading into Atlanta Motor Speedway this weekend, I am anticipating aggressive driving, similar to what we saw this past weekend. After this weekend we have a three week break in the schedule, so I think that our main objective is to come home with a solid finish, so that we can carry that momentum forward to Martinsville.”
News & Notes:
- Chassis Chatter… The No. 13 ThorSport Racing team will unload chassis No. 57 for Saturday’s Active Pest Control 200 at Atlanta (Ga.) Motor Speedway (AMS). This chassis made its debut in 2016 at Chicagoland Speedway with teammate Ben Rhodes behind the wheel.
- Rookie Year, Debut Track… Coughlin will make his first career NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) start at AMS on Saturday. Although the ThorSport Racing driver has never competed on the 1.54-mile track, the JEGS driver has five intermediate track starts since 2015.
- Chasing Rookie of the Year… Coughlin, who finished 11th in the season opener at Daytona International Speedway (DIS), was the third highest finishing Sunoco Rookie of the Year contender in the 100-lap event.
- Changes for 2017… Atlanta will feature three Stages (Stage 1 – 40 laps, Stage 2 – 40 laps, Final Stage – 50 laps), with approximately a five-minute break in between.
- Truck Series Stats… Coughlin has made 13 NCWTS starts since 2015, with a career-best start of seventh at Talladega (Al.) Superspeedway (2016), and a career-best finish of 11th at DIS (2017).
- Race Rewind – Daytona…In his second career start at DIS, Coughlin started 17th and led the ThorSport Racing camp to an 11th-place finish, a career-best for the JEGS.com driver.
- Catch Cody at Atlanta… Coughlin along with his TSR teammates, will participate in the series autograph session from 9-9:45am in the ballroom at AMS.
Team Information:
Crew Chief: Michael Shelton
Manufacturer: Toyota
Engine: Triad Racing Technologies
2017 Driver Point Standings: 12th
2017 Owner Point Standings: 15th
Sunoco Rookie of the Year Contender
Race Information:
Date: Saturday, March 4, 2017
Time: 4:30pm ET on FOX Sports 1
Track: 1.5-mile oval
Distance: 130 laps/200 miles