Drew's First Visit to Thunder Valley was quite a learning experience
On a beautiful Thursday night under the lights, Jake Drew would finish 20th after a long green flag run in stage three of the UNOH 200 presented by Ohio Logistics at Bristol Motor Speedway. The Fullerton, Calif. native had another top 20 finish while fighting a loose handling truck most of the evening and gained more valuable knowledge about the Craftsman Truck series in his fourth start on the season, third with Hattori Racing Enterprises.
The action packed weekend started with practice on afternoon Thursday at Bristol Motor Speedway. Drew would report early on in practice that the truck was just a tick loose in the center, but was still trying to figure out the legendary half mile concrete oval. Drew would time in 19th fastest on the speed charts on Thursday afternoon for the UNOH 200 presented by Ohio Logistics. Drew said after practice he liked the direction the truck was heading and looked forward to the intense short track racing at Bristol Motor Speedway. Drew would time in 15th out of 38 competitors for the weekend. The No. 61 Cyclum Renewables Truck Stops Toyota Tundra TRD Pro would start on the inside of row number eight for the UNOH 200 presented by Ohio Logistics.
From the start of the UNOH 200 presented by Ohio Logistics, it was pretty clear track position was going to be at a premium. Drew would go to school straight away for his first competitive laps at Bristol Motor Speedway. He reported early on that he was still a little free, which meant he couldn't run the bottom on both ends of the race track. Still relatively new to the track, Drew would search around the track for speed, which proved to be a benefit. Drew and the No. 61 Cyclum Renewables Truck Stops Toyota Tundra TRD Pro would finish stage one in the 17th position.
Following a pit stop, Drew would cycle out to restart 24th for the second stage. Like many on the night, Drew would start to fight a tight condition that would affect the handling of his race truck. Drew would hover around the 20th position for most of stage two, ultimately finishing stage two in the 22nd position. The action didn't slow down for stage three. The final stage would see a long green flag run that spanned most of the stage. Drew would battle around the top 20 for most of the third stage. Drew would continue his streak of top 20 finishes for the end of 2023. When the checkered flag flew, Drew would cross the finish line in the 20th position.
Jake Drew Quote:
“I just have to say to start, that this race was tons of fun. This place really takes a toll on your body. I have to say that was one of the more demanding tracks physically on the circuit so far. The guys and gals at HRE brought a good truck, I feel like if we had one more chance to come down pit road and work on it, we would have had something for them. Either way, I'm excited for what's to come and look to build on this performance for my next race."