MILLVILLE, NJ (8/16/10) – Heading into the second and final road course race of the season, second year ARCA racer Joey Coulter, prepared himself better than ever before for a top finish. The Miami Spring, FL native did just that, as he wheeled his No. 16 Darrell Gwynn Foundation, Rip It Energy Fuel Chevrolet through the left and right hand turns en route to a second place finish.
“Road courses are so technically different than any other track we race each year, and they make you posses a totally different driving ability,” commented Coulter. “Going into this race (NJMP) in 2009, I had never driven a road course in a stock car and it was an awakening on my part. Going out to Bondurant (School of High Performance Driving) earlier this year, the race at PBIR (Palm Beach International Raceway) and our test at VIR really helped me earn this second place finish this weekend.”
Spending a busy week on the road leading up to the Garden State ARCA 150 at NJMP on Sunday, Coulter further prepared for the event by studying track maps and notes he had amassed over the last year. The busy week kicked off Tuesday (8/10/10) with an autograph session at Cedar Point amusement park in Sandusky, OH. On Wednesday (8/11/10), Coulter participated in a charity golf tournament as part of the Rip It Energy Fuel team in Conover, NC, before heading to New Jersey. Thursday and Friday (8/12-13/10) saw the 20 year old UNCC student traveling around downtown Philadelphia with the Rip It Energy Fuel Wild Ride Tour, signing autographs and handing out free samples.
Racing action at NJMP got underway Saturday (8/14/10) morning with the first of two practice sessions. Coulter Motorsports crew chief Harold Holly, devised a plan with Coulter, separating the changes they would make during the two sessions before sending him out. Coulter would take the track, pacing himself at first to regain shifting and braking points along the track. At practices end, he would turn the sixth fastest lap with a time of 85.192 seconds at 95.079 MPH.
After making some adjustments to the No. 16 Darrell Gwynn Foundation, Rip It Energy Fuel Chevrolet, Coulter headed back on track for the second and final practice run of the day. After making several runs, he radioed Holly that the car “feels stuck to the track in the corners and I feel much more comfortable pushing it harder now.” Coulter would finish off the session with the fifth fastest time at 84.097 seconds at 96.317 MPH therefore placing him in the first qualifying group when Menards Pole qualifying began later in the afternoon.
For qualifying, ARCA sent groups of five cars out on track at a time, allowing them 10 minutes to complete their fastest lap. After all of the sessions were complete they would take the single fastest lap from each driver to form a qualifying order. Coulter, running in the first group, would lay down the eighth fastest time at 83.560 seconds at 96.936 MPH.
“My guys really did their homework, and prepared a great car this weekend,” said Coulter. “I was pleased with the way it handled throughout both practice sessions and our qualifying effort was right where we expected it to be. I am really excited for the race Sunday and can’t wait to get it underway.”
With a large rain cell quickly approaching, the 35 car ARCA field took the green flag to start the Garden State 150 at NJMP. Coulter wasted no time working his way to the front, and found himself in fifth before even completing the first lap. During a lap seven caution, he would radio to Holly that the car is “too free on the back end and I can’t whip it around. But I think I’ve got the braking thing finally figured out around this place.” Holly would plan for an air pressure adjustment whenever he brought Coulter to the pits for the first time.
On the lap ten restart, Coulter in the sixth position, would continue to try and work his way to the front. A three wide incident on lap 11 in the right-hander section of the course, forced Coulter to go off track and into the dirt. The front nose and valence section would be crushed in, but would not require pit road attention. Coulter would rejoin the field in the fourteenth spot.
He would once again set his sights to the front, and began slowly picking his way back through the field. On the lap 30 green flag pit stop, Coulter would find himself in ninth, coming to the pits for four fresh Hoosier tires, Sunoco gas and an air pressure adjustment. He would go back on track in the eighth position before a full course caution would be displayed on lap 39. Shortly before the caution, Coulter was once again crowded off the track and into the dirt. He jokingly radioed under caution to Holly that “we need to figure out how to get better traction on all of this dirt, since I keep getting on it today!” Holly would let Coulter know he was running the fourth fastest time on the track and the attitude of the car looked really good.
ARCA would wave the green flag on lap 43, and as a result of some competitors coming to the pits, Coulter would restart fourth. He immediately went back to work, passing the second and third place cars before the next completed lap. Racing side by side, Coulter would jostle between second and third before taking the lead in turn one on a lap 58 restart. He would hold the lead until being passed by eventual race winner Casey Roderick in an intense side-by-side battle through several turns on lap 60. Coulter would race the last seven laps in hot pursuit of Roderick, before bringing his No. 16 Darrell Gwynn Foundation, Rip It Energy Fuel Chevrolet across the finish in second place. Coulter, Roderick and Chris Buescher would all participate in a customary podium finish after the race, spraying champagne and receiving their trophies.
The ARCA Racing Series presented by RE/MAX and Menards visits the dirt of the Illinois State Fairgrounds in Springfield, Ill. on Sunday, August 22. The 100-lap, 100-mile Allen Crowe 100 begins at 2 p.m. Eastern, with live timing and scoring and live audio coverage presented by ARCA Nation at ARCARacing.com.
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Team Release
JOLIET, IL (8/29/10) – Entering into this weekends Ansell Protective Gloves 150 at Chicagoland Speedway, second year ARCA racer Joey Coulter had his sights firmly planted on winning the Bill France Four Crown Championship. With the point’s battle being so close, the Miami Spring, FL native knew he had to earn a solid top-ten finish to have a chance of taking home the award. He did just that, earning a hard- fought eighth place finish in Friday night’s race and taking home the Four Crown Championship in his No. 16 Rip It Energy Fuel, Darrell Gwynn Foundation Chevrolet. Continue reading 
