Justin Fontaine, No. 66 ProMATIC Automation Toyota Tundra
NASCAR Camping World Truck Series
Pocono Raceway / Overton’s 150
Box Score Report
Race No. 12 of 23
Started: 30th
Finished: 15th
Laps: 60 / 60
Status: Running
Quick Recap:
After an unfortunate accident in qualifying Saturday morning at Pocono Raceway, Asheville, N.C. native Justin Fontaine had a spectacular rebound in the Overton’s 150 earning a career-best NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) finish.
In practice on Friday, Fontaine throttled his AM Racing / Bolen Motorsports-prepared machine to 15th quickest in final practice after turning the 17th lap in the opening session nearly two hours earlier.
While his team led by crew chief Bill Henderson was adjusting his No. 66 ProMATIC Automation Toyota, rain began to fall around the 2.5-mile triangle, NASCAR would be forced to cancel the remainder of the session.
In qualifying, Fontaine admitted he hit the apron of the race track which caused him to lose control of his machine and slap the outside wall.
Quick work by his team allowed them to repair Fontaine’s No. 66 Toyota in time to make the starting grid for the 1:00 p.m. race.
From the drop of the green flag, Fontaine methodically worked his way forward. By the end of Lap 1, the short track ace had maneuvered to 21st.
By the conclusion of Stage 1 at Lap 15, Fontaine had muscled his car to 18th on the lead lap.
Needing help with rotating his truck through the exit of the turns, Fontaine pitted under the yellow flag for tires, fuel and a chassis adjustment.
Restarting 17th “ Fontaine found himself 11th in the rundown at the conclusion of Stage 2, as several of the competitors ahead of him opted to make their final pit stop under green flag conditions.
Deciding to utilize a safer strategy for Fontaine, the 19-year-old made his stop between Stage 2 and the start of Stage 3. Tagged for speeding in the process, Fontaine restarted 24th but through the races final 22 laps, he climbed back through the field to take the checkered flag in 15th.
The finish was the best effort for Fontaine in two NCWTS starts. Previously, Fontaine finished 26th last fall at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway.
On Friday afternoon at Pocono Raceway, Fontaine competed in the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards ModSpace 150. After qualifying 13th, the driver of the No. 33 ProMATIC Automation Toyota Camry lifted himself to eighth in the running order, when he experienced a third straight mechanical failure sending the team to the garage and ending their day prematurely.
Fontaine was credited with a 26th place finish.
Driver Quote:
“I can’t thank the AM Racing and Bolen Motorsports team enough for their support at Pocono Raceway. We had a very solid No. 66 ProMATIC Automation Toyota Tundra, but the driver made a mistake in qualifying and I put my guys in a tough position.”
“They never gave up though. They worked hard to put the truck back together and it was really competitive during the race. I still have a lot to learn with these trucks, but it was fun afternoon.”
“We went forward, made some changes and the truck responded well. I think we could have finished 14th, but we ran out of laps to catch T.J. (Bell). Of course, I want to thank my team and our partners including ProMATIC, Snap-Track and AM Technical Solutions. They allowed us to race at Pocono.”
“We’ll regroup and see if we can’t have an even better showing in our next truck race.”
Event Notes:
- Justin Fontaine finished 15th in the Overton’s 150 at Pocono (Pa.) Raceway in his NASCAR Camping World Truck Series debut at the famed 2.5-mile triangle.
- In two NASCAR Camping World Truck Series starts, Fontaine earned his career-best finish of 15th this past weekend at Pocono Raceway. Previously, he finished 26th after starting 28th at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway in October 2016.
- Christopher Bell won the Overton’s 150 followed by Ben Rhodes (second), Ryan Truex (third), John Hunter Nemechek (fourth) and Johnny Sauter (fifth).
Next Race: LTi Printing 200 at Michigan International Speedway on Sat., Aug 12.
To learn more information on AM Racing please visit amracingteam.com.
For more on Justin Fontaine, please like his Facebook page (Justin Fontaine) or follow him on Twitter @driverFontaine.
Follow Win-Tron Racing on Twitter @WinTronRacing, like on Facebook (WinTron Racing) or click on WinTronRacing.com.
About AM Racing:
AM Racing is a second-year NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) team owned by entrepreneur Tim Self. Established in December 2015, AM Racing is headquartered in Mooresville, N.C. Operated by Self, a native of Austin, Texas, the team is prided on faith, honesty and intelligent performance. The team has named Austin Wayne Self, Justin Fontaine and J.J. Yeley as AM Racing drivers for 2017.
About Win-Tron Racing:
Located in Mooresville, North Carolina, Win-Tron Racing is a professional race team headquartered in “Race City USA.” Owned by former racer Kevin Cywinski, the team will compete for the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards championship in 2017 with driver Gus Dean in the No. 32 GREE Toyota Camry. The team will also field a second entry in the No. 33 Toyota Camry with Justin Fontaine and others. Learn more at WinTronRacing.com or on Twitter @WinTronRacing.
About ProMATIC Automation:
ProMATIC Automation Inc. specializes in the design and build of custom factory automation equipment. With complete in-house capabilities of design, programming, fabrication, machining, electrical and mechanical assembly, ProMATIC can manage project resources and coordinate manufacturing efforts to provide quality, on-time automation project implementation.
ProMATIC Automation, Inc. has extensive experience in the integration of high-level automation technologies like robotics, laser, vision, and dispensing systems along with many years of combined experience in the design and machining of custom manufactured components.
For more information on ProMATIC Automation please visit promaticautomation.com.
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