Drew gains valuable experience at unique short track
On an overcast and humid day, Jake Drew would finish 17th after a long green flag run after a flurry of cautions to start stage three of the TSport 200 at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park (LOIRP). The Fullerton, Calif. native fought a tight handling truck most of the evening and gained some valuable knowledge about the Craftsman Truck series in his second start on the season, first with Hattori Racing Enterprises.
The action packed weekend started with practice on Friday with humid and breezy conditions at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park. Drew would report early on in practice that the truck was just a tick tight in the center, but he liked the overall drive he was getting off the corner and could manage his tires pretty well compared to the field. Drew would time in 21st fastest on the speed charts on Friday afternoon for the TSport 200. Drew said after practice he liked the direction the truck was heading and would transition well to the nighttime conditions at LOIRP. Drew would time in 20th out of 39 competitors for the weekend. The No. 61 AISIN Toyota Tundra TRD Pro would start the TSport 200 on the outside of row number 10.
At the start of the TSport 200, Drew would go to school on short track Craftsman Truck Series racing. He would fall back a few spots, but throughout the run would progressively get better and better. He would fall back to the 19th position, but didn't waste any time making progress during stage one. By the green and white checkered flag, Drew and the No. 61 AISIN Toyota Tundra TRD Pro would cross the finish line in the 11th position.
Following a pit stop, Drew would cycle out to restart 13th for the second stage. Like many on the night, Drew would start to fight a tight condition that would affect his drive off the corner at LOIRP. Drew would hover around the 15th position for most of stage two, ultimately finishing stage two in the 17th position. The action didn't slow down for stage three. After a few quick cautions, a long green flag run would ensue. Drew would try to conserve his tires and would cross the finish line in the 17th position in his first start with the team.
Jake Drew Quote:
“It was nice to get back into the Craftsman Truck Series after my first start at Nashville a couple weeks ago. These truck races are no joke, the battling is constant and these guys don't give an inch. I felt we had a really good run when it was all said and done. I love where our truck started the race, I felt we could make some moves and really show what we are capable of when it comes to performance. Being so new to the trucks, there are a few things that I still have to work on when it comes to me performing at a high level. I just want to thank Shige and AISIN for this opportunity along with the guys and gals who put this truck together".