Rookie Driver is Just Eight Points Out of 10th Place in the Championship Standings
FORT WORTH, Texas (June 6, 2015) – Ray Black Jr.’s second trip to the Texas Motor Speedway with the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) was a hard-fought one, as a loose wheel served as a bump in the road for the driver of the No. 07 ScubaLife.com Chevrolet Silverado. Black’s truck was fast all night, but a mid-race vibration altered Team Scuba’s race plan and caused the rookie driver to secure a 16th place finish.
After qualifying in the Top-20, Black was looking forward to the WinStar World Casino 400, as he felt his truck was fast enough in race trim to run with the leaders. Once the green flag dropped, he quickly moved up through the field. Thanks to the strategy of crew chief, Jason Miller, Black managed to lead a lap during an early race caution and earned a bonus point in the championship standings.
Right after a green flag stop at Lap 75, Black came over the radio to report a severe vibration in the truck and immediately came back to pit road. While the move put the team a few laps down, it was the right call to make as it was discovered there was a loose wheel on the truck. Once back out on the track, Black fought hard to make up ground but ultimately ran out of time in the end.
“It’s a bummer the vibration happened because we had a really fast truck. When I did run next to the leaders, I was able to keep up with them and even pass a few. I know we could have scored a Top-10 finish tonight if we had stayed on the lead lap,” said Black. “But I’m proud of the way my team hung in there. We really fought for every position we could get tonight. If we keep bringing fast trucks to the tracks and working hard each weekend, we are bound to hit our stride and grab some more solid finishes.”
With this finish, Black falls to 12th in the NCWTS driver standings. It’s still a tight race for the championship, as he is only eight points behind 10th place driver, Justin Boston.
Next up for Ray Black Jr. and Team Scuba Racing is the Drivin’ for Linemen 200 at the Gateway Motorsports Park on Saturday, June 13.
