March 29, 2024

Peters: is three-peat tonight

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Timothy Peters has accomplished what no other NASCAR Camping World Truck Series driver has at Iowa Speedway.

Tonight, he’ll try to add to that accomplishment.

Peters is the only NCWTS driver to visit Victory Lane twice in Newton since trucks started running at the 7/8-mile oval in 2009. Winning tonight’s American Ethanol 200, set to start at 7:30 p.m., would give the 34 year old a victory for the third straight season at Iowa Speedway.

“We always hit our stride in the summer stretch,” Peters said. “This is where we kind of been able to pick that up, pick up our stretch of running well, and Iowa is always a place where we’ve been able to come and have great success at.”

The driver of the Red Horse Racing No. 17 Toyota Tundra is coming off a pair of top-5 finishes at Gateway June 14 and Kentucky June 26. He’s totaled four top-5s in the NCWTS first eight races of the season, placing second, third, fourth and fifth.

While his first win of 2014 has proven elusive thus far, it could come tonight, as did his first wins in 2012 and 2013.

“The year’s been good. We’ve been very consistent every time we’ve been to the race track and oh so close to getting that victory,” the Danville, Va., resident said. “What better momentum to have coming back into Iowa where we’ve won this race the last two years. Hoping the third time is the charm and go 3-for-3.”

Both of Peters’ victories at Iowa Speedway occurred under similar circumstances in which he regained the lead following a restart late in the race.

Peters credited his pit crew during a phone interview Thursday for success in those situations, adding the crew helped him out-perform his car in last year’s race.

“It goes back to our pit crew. My pit crew has been phenomenal on pit road every week,” he said. “Last year, we had a truck that was probably a fourth- or fifth-place truck and the guys came in and ripped off a killer stop and got me great track position where we could re-start second and clean air is very important in Iowa. Those guys put me in position. I had to do my part on the restart, be aggressive and get out front to take advantage of that clean air and that’s what we did.”

Peters explained his success at Iowa Speedway by talking about the experience he gained on short tracks earlier in his career in Virginia.

“I’m more in my element when I hit the tracks like this only because I grew up racing short tracks in Virginia with my late model,” he said. “It’s definitely more of my element. I like all of the race tracks on the schedule, but Iowa definitely holds a special place in my heart.”