Race 3 of 33: Boyd Gaming 300 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway
Track Details: 1.5-mile oval / 213 laps
No. 08: Gray Gaulding Result: 12th
No. 07: Ray Black Jr. Result: 11th
Team 08 Flywheel Taxi Chevrolet Camaro:
For the second consecutive week, Xfinity Series qualifying was cancelled due to rain, thus the field was again set by last year’s owner standings. Gaulding started from the 35th position in his red Flywheel Taxi Camaro.
Much like last week the green flag dropped and Gaulding took off. At the conclusion of stage one Gaulding made his way up to the eighteenth position and would receive the ‘lucky dog” at the stage break. Gaulding complained to crew chief Patrick Donahue that he was way too free especially when turning off the wall. At the end of the second stage the 08 team had fallen back to the twentieth position and were fighting the balance of the car.
With rain in the area, Donahue made the gutsy call to stay on track under caution to inherit the lead. The Flywheel Taxi Camaro team suddenly found themselves in position to possibly steal a win, but no such luck. The skies cleared and Donahue called for the 08 to pit. The team made positive changes during the final stage of the race and slowly crept up the scoreboard. After surviving a couple late race incidents Gaulding scored his best career Xfinity Series finish of twelfth in Vegas.
Gray Gaulding:
“We had a great weekend in Las Vegas. I can’t thank Flywheel Taxi enough for their support and for being a part of our race team. We battled a loose race car most of the day and we never really could quite get the car where we needed it, but we kept grinding all day long. Overall I’m really happy to get a P12 finish for everyone at SS Green Light Racing. It was a great points day and it feels great to have back to back solid runs. I’m excited for Phoenix.”
Bobby Dotter Thoughts on the 08 Team:
“Gray had a great car and drove a smart race. It was exciting that we were able to give our new sponsor, Flywheel Taxi a lot to cheer about this weekend. We feel like we can continue to improve this car to make it even better for California.”
Team 07 Isokern Fireplaces & Chimneys Chevrolet Camaro:
Ray Black Jr. would once again roll off from the twentieth position in his No. 07 Isokern Fireplaces & Chimneys Chevy Camaro after rain washed away qualifying. The 07 team unloaded with great speed starting in practice on Friday afternoon. The team was confident if they could stay out of trouble they could have a really promising day.
In stage one Black hovered right around where he started. As the first stage came to an end, the 07 team found themselves battling their teammate for the lucky dog. The 08 team would edge them out for the free pass, but no one panicked. Jason Miller made an air pressure adjustment and encouraged his driver they would be the next to receive the lucky dog. On lap 59 the caution waved and the 07 was the first car one lap down.
Miller continued tweaking the 07 Isokerm Fireplaces & Chimneys Camaro for Black. By the end of the second stage the team found themselves up to the eighteenth position. During the course of the final stage the 07 team fought a tight handling race car, but continued moving up the score sheet. After avoiding the late race mayhem, Black managed to bring home an eleventh place finish for his team. Like his teammate, this was also Ray Black Jr’s best career finish in the Xfinity Series.
Ray Black Jr:
“I am so pumped after that race. Jason did a great job tweaking the car throughout the day and we were fast. We had great speed all weekend and I’m just so happy we were able to execute today. It was a great day for SS Green Light Racing all around.”
Bobby Dotter Thoughts on the 07 Team:
“A lot like last week, Ray and the team showed great speed in practice and were able to back it up on long runs. Finishing eleventh and moving up in the points standings is exactly what we needed. This was definitely a career best day as a team for SS Green Light Racing. I’m extremely proud of both our teams.”
Looking Ahead:
After a fantastic weekend in Las Vegas, SS Green Light Racing drivers Gray Gaulding and Ray Black Jr. sit eighteenth and nineteenth respectively in the NASCAR Xfinity Series points standings. With Las Vegas in the books, the team will continue it’s ‘West Coast Swing” with a stop in Phoenix. Coverage from ISM Raceway will begin Saturday March 9th at 4:00 PM ET on FS1.
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