Kansas Proved Potential of Ergon Team
Mitchell Looks to Finish Job in Charlotte
OVERVIEW
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Lowe’s Motor Speedway Fast Facts:Mitchell has never raced at Lowe’s Motor Speedway prior to the N.C. Education Lottery 200.
Mitchell averages 17th-place starting position and a 27th-place finish at mile-and-a-half tracks this season.
Mitchell’s last run on an intermediate track was Kansas Speedway, where he started in fifth-place and finished 31st following an accident.
The #15 Ergon team has repaired the truck Mitchell drove at Kansas for this weekend.
The #15 Ergon Hyprene Chevrolet will compete in 21 races in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series in 2008. Mitchell is competing for Rookie of The Year Honors.
“Our run at Kansas gave the Ergon team a ton of momentum heading into this weekend. The race didn’t end how we hoped, but we were running up front until we got wrecked. Now we’re ready to get the finish we deserve. When we unload, we expect to be just as good as we were at Kansas. We’re bringing the same truck we used last race. We had to fix the damage, but it’s been repaired and ready to roll. Lowe’s (Motor Speedway) is a different beast than Kansas, and I’ve never raced there before, so I’m going to have to get acquainted with it. I know there will be a learning curve, but hopefully it won’t take long to get up to speed and show what we’re made of.
“I think one-day shows are in my favor, especially going against the veterans of the series. At Kansas we had practice one day, and then came back the next morning to qualify. I had never raced the truck there before, so it was harder for me to establish my rhythm for qualifying. The veterans have logged so many laps at each track that it’s a little easier for them to find their groove. A one-day show should gave me a little more consistency throughout the day.
“I hope it didn’t come as a surprise to many where we qualified at Kansas. I can see how some may think it was a little bit surprising, but for us it wasn’t. We know we have a good team. Doug (crew chief Doug George) builds great trucks and this team works hard. The move to Toyota was just that final piece we needed to bring us over that next hump. Now we feel we can be even better.
“It’s great to be racing in Charlotte (N.C.). This team has been working around the clock, making our switch to Toyota trucks, so it will be nice for them to be able to drive to the race track and not travel. It’s always nice to sleep in your own bed and not live out of a hotel for the weekend. What I love the most about Charlotte, though, is that most of our team lives in the area and I’m sure we’ll have lots of friends and family at the track to cheer us on. We’re going to do our best to give them a good show and get the Ergon Tundra in Victory Lane.”
