Not even having had to replace an engine or running out fuel could put a damper on the teams enthusiasm after the Toyota Tundra 250 at Kansas Speedway. Bobby Pierce, making his debut on a mile and a half track, performed flawlessly. Working with spotter Coleman Pressley, Bobby continued to improve his performance in the #63 Vatterott College / Champion Oil Chevy with each lap he completed.
"This kid is so impressive. He's the real deal," says team owner Mike Mittler. "Bobby performed so much better than the results sheet will show. For never having driven on an intermediate track, he was unbelievable. He out-drove his equipment, that's for sure."
Add crew chief Trip Bruce, "Going to the back up engine cost us time on the track, as it didn't have the power our primary engine did. Knowing that, Bobby's lap times are even more impressive."
From the time green flag flew, Bobby, with guidance from Pressley, continued to adjust his line. As the race drew to a close, Pierce had found his groove and was turning the third fastest laps times on the track.
"I kept searching for traction," according to Pierce. "Once we found it, we were good. I was cautious at the beginning of the night, never having raced at Kansas or any track like it. After a while, Coleman and I figured out what we needed to do."
Unfortunately, the gas tank ran dry, a situation the #63 was not alone in. However, that did guarantee the team would not score a finish representative of how well Bobby drove.
"All in all it was a great day," notes Mittler. "Bobby was fantastic, it was the first race to have Vatterott College back on board with us and it was the debut for Champion Oil with our team. Both had people join us at the track and that's always great."