HOMESTEAD, Fla. (Nov. 20, 2011) – Nelson Piquet Jr. and the No. 8 Kevin Harvick Inc. (KHI) team made their way to Homestead-Miami Speedway for the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series season finale on Friday night. After rain canceled Truck Series qualifying, the field was lined up by practice times positioning the rookie third for the start of the 134-lap event. Piquet Jr. maintained a position near the top 10 for the majority of the race and finished fourth after rain brought an early end to the race.
As the field roared to life under the lights at the South Florida track, Piquet Jr. maintained his starting position until the first caution of the night waved on lap five for oil on the track. Being early in the race, the No. 8 team elected to stay on track leaving the No. 8 machine to restart the race from the third position on lap eight.
The Brazilian native was shuffled back into the sixth position during the restart. Piquet Jr. informed his team that he was battling a tight-handling Chevrolet when NASCAR slowed the field for a second time on lap 20 for a competition caution. Crew chief Chris Carrier used the opportunity to bring his driver down pit road for an air-pressure adjustment, four tires and fuel. The visit to pit road positioned Piquet Jr. 16th as the field returned to green-flag racing on lap 23.
Piquet Jr. held onto his position until the yellow flag waved for a third caution on lap 31 for a two-truck incident in turn four. The No. 8 Chevrolet remained on track during the caution laps allowing Piquet Jr. to restart the race on lap 34 running 11th.
Back under green, Piquet Jr. began to pick off trucks one-by-one moving into the ninth position by lap 59 when he relayed to the team that the truck was becoming tighter with each lap. After a long green-flag run, scheduled green-flag pit stops began to cycle through the field. Carrier called his driver to pit road on lap 71 for an air-pressure adjustment, four tires and fuel. As Piquet Jr. returned to the track he continued to work his way toward the front settling into the seventh spot by lap 86.
As Piquet Jr. continued to make ground on the field a fourth caution fell on lap 98 for a spinning truck in turn two. Knowing they could not make it to the end on fuel, Carrier called his driver to pit road one final time. Piquet Jr. wheeled the No. 8 machine down pit road taking four tires and fuel. The quick stop gained the team one position allowing their driver to restart the race from the sixth position on lap 101.
The rookie driver quickly worked his way toward the front moving into the fourth position on lap 105. Piquet Jr. continued to gain ground as rain showers moved over the track bringing out the fifth and final caution of the night. With the heavy rain, NASCAR officials called the race early leaving Piquet Jr. with a fourth-place finish. The finish earned Piquet Jr. honors as the highest finishing rookie driver of the race and a position within the top-10 of the series Driver’s Point standings.
Thoughts from the Driver – Nelson Piquet Jr.:
“It’s a shame that the race had to end early. I think we really had something for the leaders at the end. My team did such a great job today, and I hate that I couldn’t have won the race for them this season. On a positive side, I was able to achieve my goal of finishing within the top-10 of the Truck Series Driver Points standings so I can walk away being proud of that accomplishment. Even though I wasn’t able to win the Sunoco Rookie of the Year, my team and I still had a great season and I was able to learn a lot that will help me in the future.”
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