JEROME, IDAHO (August 17, 2011) Brett Thompson, driver of the RTTI/Jerome Truck Service Inc. Chevrolet, continues to close the gap in the standings after a sixth place performance this past weekend at Montana Raceway Park in Kalispell, MT in NASCAR K&N Pro Series action.
The trip to Kalispell was the first for Thompson but the track was not unlike the one-third mile paved oval of Magic Valley Speedway where he cut his racing teeth. Thompson qualified his RTTI Chevrolet in the ninth position for the 150-lap race where he would need to draw upon his series experience and the experience of running the tight bull ring of his early career.
Passing is always at a premium on the short tracks and his starting position would put him in the middle of the field on the preferred inside line. While these races tend to be sprints, a driver must use patience and strategy in order to make the most of track position.
Over the first third of the race, Thompson essentially let the race pace dictate his strategy and he settled into saving tire mode and keeping the fenders on the car. By lap 65 he had moved up one position to eighth and by lap 85 he and Michael Self waged a battle for position that would last the rest of the event.
The duo took Alex Kennedy three-wide down the front stretch for position moving up to the seventh spot. By lap 125 there were only ten cars on the lead and Thompson and Self continued to battle going side-by-side multiple times with each exchanging the spot over the closing laps.
At one point, Thompson was able to tuck his nose to the inside of Self closing in on third place but lapped cars prevented his advance ultimately settling for sixth place in the final running order.
"We had a good car but track position was everything," Thompson said. "We needed to have a better qualifying position but it is a solid finish for the team. Anytime you can load up after a short track event with the car in one piece it is a pretty good race."
The finish edged Thompson closer to fourth place sitting 42-points back of Eric Holmes for the spot. Through eleven races this season he has three top five and six top ten finishes including three consecutive top tens. Next up for the Thompson Motorsports team is an inaugural event at Spokane (WA) County Raceway Saturday, September 3 on the high-banked half-mile paved oval.
The event is the first for the series and a first for Thompson. "I am really looking forward to the race," Thompson offered. "We have always been really good on the half-mile tracks and this event should allow us to make up more points and move up in the standings."
Thompson has averaged a finish of 10.5 while completing 95% of all laps contested and has been running at the conclusion at ten of the eleven races this season. He currently holds down the fifth position in the point standings and continues to add to his series stats. In his NASCAR K&N Pro Series career, Thompson has started 110 NKNPS races since 2000 scoring one win, one Coors Light Pole Award, 23 top five and 62 top ten performances. His best points finish was fifth in 2009.
Thompson Motorsports is a premier racing organization based in Jerome, Idaho providing complete race car preparation and fabrication supporting the local grassroots racer and experienced professional driver. TMS prepares and fields race vehicles in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, NASCAR K&N Pro Series, CarbonX Rocky Mountain Challenge Series, Intermountain Pro Truck Series, and entries at local area short tracks. TMS has corporate partnerships with Rich Thompson Trucking Inc. (RTTI), Jerome Truck Service Inc., Eibach Springs, Schroeder Torsion Bars, United Oil, Speedbear Fasteners, and Hagerman Valley Spring Water. For all the latest news and information about Brett Thompson and Thompson Motorsports, log onto www.brettthompsonracing.com or NASCAR Hometracks.
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