No. 20 NAPA Toyota team Recap, Hayley and the No. 24 Cabinets by Hayley team Top-five Finish at the Bullring
No. 20 NAPA Toyota team at the Bullring at Las Vegas Motor Speedway
Antelope, CA (June 5, 2012) –NASCAR K&N Pro Series West teams went the Bullring at Las Vegas Motor Speedway for the Star Nursery “200”. The No. 20 NAPA Toyota posted quick times in the searing heat at the Bullring. Holmes was third quick during the first practice and fourth in the second. He would qualify the NAPA Toyota Camry on the second row to start the 200-lap race on the .375-mile high banked track.
The No. 20 NAPA AUTO PARTS Toyota Camry, driven by Eric Holmes, suffered an electrical problem with a engine fan that ended the championship NASCAR K&N Pro Series team’s night early resulting in a 19th place finish.
It only took Holmes one lap to move into the top-three. Knowing how important it is to take care of the NAPA Toyota Camry, Holmes radioed in to the team at lap 15 that he was making some adjustments from inside the car not “to take care of the brakes”. Holmes was patiently taking care of the NAPA Toyota Camry during the first 100 laps. A mandatory caution period came out at lap 100. The NAPA team went to work during the 10-minute break adding fuel to the car and adding a few rounds of wedge in the right rear. Under the next few cautions, the No. 20 NAPA Toyota began spitting some water through the overflow with Holmes reporting in that the water temperature was 250 degrees. At lap 130, smoke could be seen coming from underneath the front of the car. Holmes was forced to bring the NAPA Toyota Camry to pit road at lap 140 at which time the crew determined that their night was done.
“It was a disappointing finish to our night but these things happen from time to time,” said Holmes. “We’re looking to do well at Sonoma where we have finished in the top-five in the last five visits. It’s a great road course with great fan support. We are working hard to turn our season around and Sonoma Raceway is the perfect place to do that.”
Next up for the NAPA AUTO PARTS Toyota team will be at the Sonoma Raceway on Saturday June 23rd. The race is scheduled to be televised on Thursday July 12th on SPEED Channel. Please check for air times in your local area.
Holmes is fifth in the chase for the 2012 West Series championship title as the series comes to the halfway point in the season. He is only 22 points out of the top-three.
Hayley and the No. 24 Cabinets by Hayley team Top-five Finish at the Bullring
Antelope, CA (June 5, 2012) – Bill McAnally Racing’s Cameron Hayley and the No. 24 Cabinets by Hayley Toyota team recorded a top-five finish as he made his first NASCAR K&N Pro Series West start at the Bullring at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
It was hot on and off the track as 15-year old rookie was second quick during the first practice and on the top of the timing chart in the final practice with a 15.378 second time. He would better that time with a 15.164 second lap during qualifying putting the No. 24 Cabinets by Hayley Toyota Camry on the outside of the front row.
Hayley and his team from Bill McAnally Racing had a plan for the 200-lap race. Be patient and be there at the end. As Hayley settling into the top five, he radioed in to the team during the first caution that he was going to “hang around here for awhile. The car feels good. I’m happy.” Often updating crew chief Mario Isola with information on the handling of the No. 24 Toyota Camry, the team went to work making minor adjustments and filling up with fuel during the mandatory pit stop at lap 100.
Hayley knew he’d need to take care of his brakes during the final 100 laps. He moved into fourth at lap 116. As the brake rotors heated up on the .375-mile track, Hayley made adjustments from inside the car. With three laps to go, Hayley was in fifth where he would take the checkered flag.
“This weekend at the Bullring in Las Vegas was a great step forward for our team,” said Hayley “The Cabinets by Hayley Toyota felt great throughout the entire weekend and everyone put a ton of effort in despite the heat. We all just slowed everything down and broke it up into steps and came out with a solid top 5 finish that we can build on going into the future races.”
Hayley is leading in the 2012 Sunoco Rookie of the Year points for the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West.
Next up for the Cabinets by Hayley Toyota team will be at the Sonoma Raceway on Saturday June 23rd. The race is scheduled to be televised on Thursday July 12th on SPEED Channel. Please check for air times in your local area.
Cameron Hayley was recently name one of the Next 9 of NASCAR. Hayley is one of nine drivers that are 21-and-under running in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series who represent the next wave of young talent set to make an impact on the national series scene. To read the full article, please visit www.hometracks.nascar.com/Next-9_See-The-Future_NASCAR_NKNPS.
