Ready to “Launch” Back Into the Top-10 in Points at Michigan
8/14/2013
JOEY COULTER
Ready to “Launch” Back Into the Top-10 in Points at Michigan
MOORESVILLE, N.C. (August 14, 2013) – Nestled in the Irish Hills of the Great Lakes state, you will find Michigan International Speedway (MIS) in Brooklyn, the 12th stop on the 2013 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) schedule for Joey Coulter and the No. 18 Kyle Busch Motorsports (KBM) team. Not only is MIS the first stop in the second half of the 22-race Truck Series schedule, it will also mark the first race and live event for America’s new sports network, FOX Sports 1. The new network will debut on Saturday, Aug. 17 with more than 17 hours of programing including NCWTS qualifying at 9:30 a.m. ET, NCWTS SETUP with Krista Voda at 12 p.m. ET and live coverage of the NCWTS Michigan National Guard 200 at 12:30 p.m. ET.
Being No. 1 is the goal for any athlete and it’s no different for NCWTS driver, Joey Coulter, who will be carrying the colors of FOX Sports 1 for the second consecutive race. Coulter, who is trying to make it to No. 1, is on the right path following two consecutive top-five finishes - in the Inaugural Mudsummer Classic at Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio and the Pocono Mountains 125 at Pocono (Pa.) Raceway. The KBM driver, who was 13th in the 2013 NCWTS driver’s point standings, 17 points outside the top-10 and 50 points outside the top-five entering Eldora, is now 11th in the championship points battle a mere nine points outside the top-10 and 25 points behind fifth-place Ty Dillon entering this weekend’s 100-lap event.
Coulter, who started first in the 2012 Truck Series event at MIS, has led laps at the 2-mile oval and has never finished outside the top-10 in two starts. With a consistent record in the Irish Hills, the FOX Sports 1 driver looks to continue his momentum in this weekend’s event and hopes to be the first driver to cross the finish line in the first race on FOX Sports 1 – launching him back into the top-10 in points for this first time since April.
Joey Coulter, Driver of the No. 18 FOX Sports 1 Toyota Tundra:
This is a really big weekend for FOX Sports 1 and the Truck Series. What does this weekend’s network launch mean to you?
“I may be a race car driver, but I’m a fan of many sports and FOX Sports 1 will have everything for the diehard sports fans – NASCAR, college basketball and football, soccer, UFC and even Sprint Cup Series races down the road. There will be something for everyone. I believe this is a great opportunity to introduce sports fans that aren’t necessarily NASCAR fans to our sport and vice versa. It will be great for all involved and I’m so lucky to be able to represent America’s new sports network on my No. 18 Tundra at Michigan.”
You get a really cool opportunity to train with the Michigan National Guard this weekend. Is this something you are looking forward to?
“It’s going to be really tough; I know that for sure, but a really neat opportunity. To be able to show America how hard these men and women train every day to protect this country will be an eye opener for most. Their sacrifice to this country is what allows us to be free – for me to race and for every NASCAR fan out there to enjoy coming to a race. It’s an honor to be able to spend some time with them in their work environment and with them being the title sponsor of our race; they will also be able to experience mine. I can’t thank them enough for the opportunity.”
You have had some success at Michigan in the past. Are you looking forward to this weekend’s race?
“Michigan is definitely a track that I enjoy going to. With the new pavement it’s one of those tracks that are just fun to drive and it suits my driving style. It’s a fast, multiple groove race track that makes for a good show for the fans and fun for me as a driver. With all that we learned there last year, I’m looking forward to getting back there this year. We have had a couple strong runs the last few weeks and these summer months have always been good for me, so I’m ready to get back to work and continue our momentum.”
Harold Holly, Crew chief of the No. 18 FOX Sports 1 Toyota Tundra:
A year after the repave, what kind of racing can we expect at Michigan International Speedway this weekend?
“The track surface has a year of wear and weather on it now – not freshly paved like it was the last time we were there. Based on the last Sprint Cup Series race there earlier this year, the cars seem to be a little freer than what they were last year. The track has probably given up some grip and these trucks have so much drag that we have to somewhat set them up like we were going to a superspeedway. The draft and track position will be pretty important and you will have to run wide open all the way around the track. It will be interesting to see how seasoned the track is from last year.”
No. 18 FOX Sports 1 Toyota Tundra – Michigan International Speedway Advance Page Two
Joey Coulter’s No. 18 FOX Sports 1 Toyota Tundra:
Chassis KBM-14: Coulter will pilot KBM-014 in this weekend’s Michigan National Guard 200 at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn. This Toyota Tundra was built new for the 2013 season and happens to be the same chassis Coulter piloted to a fourth-place finish at Pocono (Pa.) Raceway earlier this month and his season-best finish of second at Kansas Speedway in Kansas City in April.
KBM-14 Performance Profile:
Date Site Driver Start Finish Laps Laps Led Status
04/20/13 Kansas Coulter 11 2 167/167 15 Running
05/17/13 Charlotte Coulter 17 32 90/134 0 Running
08/03/13 Pocono Coulter 10 4 54/54 2 Running
Notes of Interest:
Joey Coulter – Michigan International Speedway (MIS):
• In two NCWTS starts has one pole and one top-10 finish
• Best Start: First (2012)/Best Finish: Seventh (2012)
• Completed 99.0% of laps attempted (200 of 202)
• Average Start: 10.5/Average Finish: 12.5
• Has one pole, two top-five and four top-10 finishes, including four laps led across four ARCA Racing Series starts
Joey Coulter MIS Performance Profile:
Series Races Win T5 T10 Pole Laps Led Avg. Start Avg. Finish
NCWTS 2 0 0 1 1 200/202 7 10.5 12.5
ARCA 4 0 2 4 1 398/400 4 7.5 5.8
Joey Coulter NCWTS Performance Profile at MIS:
Date Start Finish Laps Status Laps Led
8/18/12 1 7 100/100 Running 0
8/20/11 20 8 100/100 Running 7
Joey Coulter 2013
• Ranks 11th in the NCWTS driver point standings with 336 points; nine markers behind 10th-place Johnny Sauter, 25 points behind fifth-place Ty Dillon and 93 points behind series point leader Matt Crafton
• Recorded a season-best second-place finish at Kansas Speedway (4/20/13)
• Recorded a season-best fifth-place start in the UNOH 225 at Kentucky Speedway (6/27/13)
• In 11 starts in 2013, Coulter has led 17 laps en route to three top-five and five top-10 finishes
• Has completed 92.5% of laps attempted (1676/1780) and has an average start of 12.7 and an average finish of 13.6
• Third full-time season in the NCWTS
FOX Sports 1 NASCAR Programming Schedule for Aug. 17 (all times live and Eastern):
8 a.m. – NASCAR LIVE
8:30 a.m. – NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Practice
9:30 a.m. – NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Qualifying
11 a.m. – NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Final Practice
12 p.m. – NCWTS SETUP with Krista Voda
12:30 p.m. – NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Racing from Michigan International Speedway
Notes of Interest:
Kyle Busch Motorsports’ No. 18 Toyota Tundra:
• In three starts since 2010, has led 89 laps and produced one top-five (Kyle Busch, 2010) and two top-10 finishes at Michigan International Speedway
• In 2013 has an average start of 12.7, an average finish of 13.6 and has led 17 laps en route to three top-five and five top-10 finishes
• Currently 14th in the 2013 NCWTS owner’s point standings
• Finished fifth in the 2012 NCWTS owner championship standings
• Over the final 18 races of the 2012 season, collected 683 owner’s points, the most among Truck Series teams during that span
• Led the NCWTS with 17 top-10 finishes in 2012, including nine straight to end the season, while collecting seven top-five finishes and one win (Brian Scott 11/9/12 at Phoenix International Raceway)
• All seven drivers that made a start in 2012 posted a top-10 finish (Ku. Busch, Ky. Busch, Hamlin, Herring, Leffler, Mayhew and Scott) and six of the seven led at least one lap
• Since debuting in the Truck Series in 2010, has compiled 17 wins, 8 poles, 42 top-five and 61 top-10’s across 83 starts
• Led the Truck Series in wins in each of its first two seasons: 2010 (8) and 2011 (8)
• In 2010, became first team since the NCWTS originated in 1995 to win the owner’s championship in its inaugural season
Last NCWTS Event-Pocono Mountains 125 at Pocono Raceway:
Joey Coulter started the 50-lap event from the 10th position - when NASCAR was forced to cancel qualifying due to rain - and went on to lead seven laps en route to a fourth-place finish in the Pocono Mountains 125.
Fast & Fun Facts:
• The No. 18 FOX Sports 1 Toyota Tundra will once again carry the unique countdown to Saturday’s launch of FOX Sports 1 at MIS with the #The1ForFun on its quarter panels on Thursday and Friday, transitioning to the use of #The1isHere on Saturday. Saturday is the official launch day for FOX Sports 1, America's new sports network, which will feature 17 hours of programing starting at 6 a.m. ET, including live coverage of Saturday’s Michigan National Guard 200.
• Coulter will go through National Guard training with the Michigan National Guard on Thursday, Aug. 15 in an effort to promote the Michigan National Guard 200 on Saturday, Aug. 17. The Miami Springs, Fla. native will go through physical fitness training, electronic weapons simulator training, convoy and heat simulator training, and multiple obstacle courses in full gear with other Guard members. The Michigan National Guard 200 is the first Truck Series race on FOX Sports 1, and also marks the networks first live event.
Social Buzz - #The1ForFun:
• Post your pictures of Joey Coulter and the No. 18 FOX Sports 1 Toyota Tundra to Instagram tagging the #The1isHere during the Michigan National Guard 200 at Michigan International Speedway and you could win a FOX Sports 1 prize pack courtesy of Kyle Busch Motorsports and Joey Coulter.
• Have a question for Joey Coulter? Ask him on Twitter using the #The1isHere and it could be answered lived during the Michigan National Guard 200 on FOX Sports 1.
About FOX Sports 1
FOX Sports 1 is a new national 24-hour multi-sport channel launching on August 17 and boasts nearly 5,000 hours of live event, news and original programming annually. The channel has seven pillar sports: college basketball and football, MLB (in 2014), NASCAR, NFL (ancillary programs), soccer and UFC. College football is highlighted by regular season coverage of Big 12, Pac-12 and Conference USA games, while the college basketball spotlight shines on the Big East, Big 12, Pac-12 and Conference USA and the Big East men’s basketball tournament. Starting in 2014, select MLB League Championship Series and Division Series games as well as regular season games are coming to the channel. FOX Sports 1 also carries select NASCAR Sprint Cup Series events beginning in 2015; NASCAR Camping World Truck Series races; the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race; and all Speedweeks coverage, including Daytona 500 Qualifying, Sprint Unlimited at Daytona, (2014, 2017-22) the Budweiser Duel, and NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and NCWTS Practice and Qualifying sessions. Additionally, FOX Sports 1 carries NASCAR RACEDAY, NASCAR VICTORY LANE and RACE HUB shows. The channel also carries the world’s most prolific club soccer competitions, like UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League and CONCACAF Champions League, along with the world’s oldest soccer competition, the FA Cup; plus CONCACAF Gold Cup; CONCACAF Qualifiers, EURO 2016 Qualifiers; 2018 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers; FIFA Women’s World Cup in 2015 and 2019; FIFA Men’s World Cup in 2018 and 2022. In addition to Saturday pay-per-view preliminary cards, Wednesday nights are home to the UFC with UFC TONIGHT, live events and THE ULTIMATE FIGHTER. In Feb. 2014, FOX Sports 1 premieres FOX SPORTS 1 JOCKEY CLUB CHAMPIONS SERIES, a newly created package of nationally televised races featuring the leading horses in the country. FOX SPORTS LIVE is FOX Sports 1’s flagship 24/7 news, opinion and highlights program, providing around the clock coverage through regularly scheduled programs, hourly updates and an information rich ticker. Original programs include: FOX FOOTBALL DAILY, CROWD GOES WILD, a new live sports entertainment talk show hosted by Regis Philbin; and the groundbreaking BEING: documentary franchise. FOX Sports GO, a groundbreaking authenticated mobile sports experience for iPhone, iPad, Android devices and the web, serves as the channel’s digital extension. The app offers more than 1,100 live games and events from cross FOX Sports, FOX Sports 1 and FOX Sports’ 22 regional sports networks, as well as scores, highlights, news, stats and analysis. For more information visit: www.FOXSports.com/FOXSports1.