Chevy Silverado 350K Report

OVERVIEW

posted on October 31, 2008

JUSTIN, Texas (October 31, 2008) – Ryan Lawler didn’t have the debut he was hoping for in the Chevy Silverado 350K at the Texas Motor Speedway Friday night. The rookie from Colleyville, Texas was caught in a wreck on lap 1 that forced the Ergon Racing team behind the wall to repair the No. 15 truck. Lawler returned to the race and finished in 22nd-place, 41 laps down to the leader.

After finishing practice with the sixth-fastest speed, Lawler was confident of the truck’s ability to quickly improve on the 14th-place starting position. On lap 1, however, the lead trucks spun out of control and caused a chain reaction through the field. The multi-truck incident collected the Ergon Tundra and caused severe damage to the front-end of the truck. Extensive maintenance was needed, including a new radiator and widespread sheet metal repairs. The crew pulled their machine behind the wall to fix the injured vehicle. Once the work was complete, Lawler rejoined the race in 29th-place, 35 laps down to the field.

The Ergon Racing team’s determination to get Lawler back on the track paid off. Lawler picked up seven positions to take the checked flag in 22nd-place.

“This was definitely disappointing,” said Lawler after the race. “We had such a good truck tonight and we never had the opportunity to show it. A few trucks ahead of me got together and everyone started spinning. My spotter told me to go high, but by the time I got up the track, the hole was closed and I got caught up in the mess.

“It’s too bad. The Ergon Tundra was really fast in practice, and I felt like we had a good run in store for my home crowd. Staying positive, I’m really proud of the Ergon team. Most guys pack it up and quit after wrecks like that, but this crew never gave up and were able to get us back on the track. The hard worked proved to be worth it. We gained positions and finished better than many others who were also involved in the wreck on the first lap.”