First-time Truck race winner Timothy Peters heads to Talladega on high note
Red Horse Racing's Timothy Peters (center) won the first NASCAR Truck race of his career at Martinsville Speedway last weekend.
// Sam Cranston, NASCAR Scene
Related articles: Timothy Peters wins first career Truck race at Martinsville
For the first time in his NASCAR Truck series career, Timothy Peters is set to arrive at a race track as the series’ most recent winner.
The 29-year-old went to victory lane for the first time in his 64-race history last weekend at Martinsville Speedway.
The win was particularly special for Peters because it came at a track 20 minutes away from his home in nearby Danville, Va. It also gave Red Horse Racing’s Tom DeLoach his third victory as a team owner.
Peters will roll into Talladega Superspeedway for Saturday’s Mountain Dew 250 with the momentum of a top performance and the confidence that he and his team have the ability to contend for wins in the Truck series.
“We are coming off a win in Martinsville and there is no greater high to be on headed into this race,” Peters said. “We plan to keep the momentum going and get this No. 17 [Toyota] Tundra back in victory lane. No matter what, we have had a heck of a year.”
Peters left the Premier Racing team he co-owned in mid-June to join Red Horse when a spot became available following the departure of defending series champion Johnny Benson.
Peters brought sponsor Strutmasters.com with him to Red Horse and has recorded 10 top-10s in 13 starts.
Peters has never driven in a Truck series race at Talladega but does have one start at the 2.66-mile high-speed track, in an ARCA race.
“I ran an ARCA race at Talladega in 2006 so that gives me confidence heading into this race,” Peters said. “Talladega is one of those places where you never really know what to expect because anything can happen.”
While Talladega is unpredictable because of the track’s tendency to produce three-and four-wide racing, crew chief Chad Kendrick expects another strong outing from his driver. Peters moved up two positions to seventh in the standings with the Martinsville win and is only 47 points behind fourth-place Todd Bodine.
“I am so proud of these guys after last weekend,” Kendrick said. “We knew a win was going to come eventually but to get it at our home track was so special. We don’t stop there, though.
“We are heading into these last four events trying just as hard as we did at Martinsville. Our goal is to get Timothy in the top five in points by the end of the season.”
