Grant Enfinger Event Preview - Atlanta
Grant Enfinger, No. 98 Champion Power Equipment/Curb Records Ford F-150
NASCAR Camping World Truck Series
Atlanta Motor Speedway – Atlanta 200
Race No. 2 of 23
Team Info/Stats:
Crew Chief: Jeff Hensley
2019 Driver Point Standings: 2nd
2019 Owner Point Standings: 2nd
Spotter: Chris Lambert
News and Notes:
This Week's No. 98 Champion Power Equipment/Curb Records Ford F-150... The No. 98 ThorSport Racing team will unload chassis No. 52 for Saturday’s NASCAR Gander Outdoor Truck Series (NGOTS) Atlanta 200 at Atlanta Motor Speedway (AMS). This is the same chassis Grant Enfinger piloted to a 12th-place finish at Charlotte Motor Speedway in 2018, and two top-five and three top-10 finishes in 2017.
All About Atlanta… Enfinger has three starts at AMS since 2016. The ThorSport Racing driver has a track-best start of fourth (2016), and a track-best finish of fifth (2016). In three previous starts, the Champion Power Equipment driver has completed 100% of the laps he’s attempted (394 of 394), and led four laps en route to one top-five and three top-10 finishes.
Ford Fact… Ford powered F-150's have found victory lane 98 times since 1995 in the NGOTS, but have yet to claim the checkered flag at AMS, one of four tracks on the 2019 schedule.
Intermediate Track Facts… In 25 starts on an intermediate-size track (1.5-1.54-miles) in his NGOTS career, Enfinger has one pole (Homestead, 2018), one win (Las Vegas, 2018), and has led 109 laps en route to seven top-five and 18 top-10 finishes.
Take Me Back – Daytona… The Curb Records driver started the NextEra Energy Resources 250 from the fifth position, finishing fifth in Stage 1, and sixth in Stage 2. Unfortunately, the No. 98 Ford F-150 was involved in an incident on lap 55 and ultimately went two laps down to the race leaders, with less than 30 laps to go in the season opener at Daytona International Speedway. However, with a little bit of luck, and a never give-up attitude, Enfinger was able to get back on the lead lap, as the race went into overtime, and finished a track-best second to race winner, Austin Hill.
Truck Series Stats… Enfinger has 61 career NGOTS starts to his credit. His success includes three poles, and 271 laps led en route to two wins, 19 top-five and 36 top-10 finishes.
Catch Grant at Atlanta… Enfinger will join his fellow ThorSport Racing teammates for the NGOTS Autograph Session, in the Infield Kids Fan Zone at AMS, from 9:00 - 9:45 a.m. ET, and will participate in a Q&A at the Fan Stage in the Fan Zone at AMS at 12 p.m. ET, on Saturday, Feb. 23.
Chatting with Grant Enfinger...
How does your second-place finish at Daytona last week hurt or help you going into Atlanta, and the 2019 NGOTS season?
“We always go to the race track to win, but a second-place finish last week, after all that happened at Daytona, is a good thing. It’ll definitely help us as we get going because we can use that to start building some momentum for the season.”
You’ve had three top-10 finishes in three starts at Atlanta. Is the worn-out AMS track, a track you enjoy racing on?
“Atlanta is definitely a track that I look forward to. It’s so rough and abrasive that you have your hands full the entire time. We had a decent truck there last year, on old tires, but we’ve made a lot of improvements on our mile-and-a-half program at ThorSport Racing, since then. I feel like we will unload with a good Champion Power Equipment/Curb Records Ford F-150, and be in contention for a win on Saturday.”
