Rookie Tayler Malsam of Mill Creek and the rest of the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series heads to Iowa Speedway this weekend. It is the series’ inaugural race at Iowa, but Malsam has been there before. Here’s the preview from Randy Moss Motorsports:
Pre-Race Notes and Quotes for the Lucas Oil 200
at Iowa Speedway on Sept. 5, 2009
MALSAM AT IOWA SPEEDWAY: Tayler Malsam will be making his 19th start in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) when the green flag drops for the Lucas Oil 200 at Iowa Speedway Saturday evening. Though this is the first time the NCWTS will race on the .875-mile track, Malsam has some experience at the Newton, Iowa venue. Malsam ran the ARCA Series race at the track in 2008, starting 11th and earning a top-10 finish.
WATCH AND LISTEN: Race coverage will be televised on SPEED and heard live on select affiliates of MRN Radio and Sirius-XM NASCAR Radio Channel 128, beginning at 6:30 p.m. (Pacific).
TAYLER’S TAKE ON IOWA: “I remember the track being small and flat. What I’m hoping for the most is that the grooves have changed so that we will be able to run the high line, which we weren’t able to do yet during the ARCA race last year. You could only run one groove then and I really like to run the top so I’m hopeful we’ll be able to do that this time around. Doug [Wolcott, crew chief,] has been there a couple of times testing in the last couple of years, so I’m confident that we’ll get there and be fast right off the bat, even though we’re taking a brand new truck. The track itself is really nice and they really did a good job making it a nice venue for the fans and the crews. I think the trucks will put on a great race there and I think our NO. 81 Randy Moss Motorsports truck will be strong.”
WOLCOTT ON IOWA: “Iowa Speedway is a beautiful facility for both fans and crews alike. The garage area is really nice, which makes it easy for the crews to work. We spent two days testing there a couple of years ago and we found that the track was pretty easy to read. It’s a fast, responsive track and the handling of the truck does change as the temperature goes up and down. If you have a good, close setup on your vehicle, then the driver can get a good read on what the truck is doing and you can make the necessary changes.
“It was a super smooth track when we were there the last time, I’m just hoping that during the time it’s been sitting there since, it hasn’t become really rough.”
ROTY BATTLE UPDATE: Malsam lost a little bit of ground in the Raybestos Rookie of the Year points battle after getting caught up in an accident late in last week’s event at Chicagoland Speedway, but his sights are still set on the prize. Malsam stands second in the competition, just seven points behind fellow rookie Johnny Sauter.
BRING YOUR SHARPIE: Malsam will take part in a track-sanctioned autograph session from 4-5 p.m. CT Saturday behind the Manatt Grandstands.
MALSAM’S RIDE: Crew Chief Doug Wolcott and the No. 81 team have prepared a brand new truck for this weekend’s race. The team will utilize Randy Moss Motorsports chassis No. 107 for this Saturday’s event.
SPONSOR SWITCH: PC*MILER Navigator will serve as primary sponsor on the No. 81 Randy Moss Motorsports Toyota this weekend. PC*MILER Navigator has partnered with RMM several times already this season, sponsoring the No. 5 machine at Nashville (Tenn.) Superspeedway and last weekend at Chicagoland Speedway. PC*MILER Navigator is the first GPS navigation system specifically designed for company drivers, owner operators, and leased operators and the only way to get industry standard PC*Miler directions in the cab.
POINT AND CLICK: Fans can continue to vote for their favorite driver for the Most Popular Driver Award through the end of October. The results of the online balloting will be announced at the NCWTS awards banquet at the end of the season. Visit www.nascar.com for more details and to cast your vote for Tayler.
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