Minutes prior to Friday’s NASCAR Camping World Truck Series practice for the Victoria’s Voice Foundation 200 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, full time competitor of the No. 23 Chevrolet for GMS Racing, Grant Enfinger discussed his expectations with consideration for track conditions, equipment and his recent transition from Thor Sport Racing.
When it comes to his thoughts walking into LVMS for practice Friday morning, Enfinger had this to say:
“With the cooler temperatures I feel like the trucks will be packed up a bit more. Normally, more grip here in the spring race.
Don’t know 100% about this tire, what it’ll allow us to do--but, the track I feel like, will feel a little more grouped up than the other mile and a halves we go to.
Obviously, it’s a bumpy place. I’ve just found out that they’ve ground the bump in the tunnel turn so I feel like that will affect us some. Hopefully for the better.
Just an enjoyable place. Like I said, I don’t feel like we get quite as stretched out here as we do at some of the mile and a halves on the circuit."
Enfinger, who in his tenth season in the truck series has returned to GMS after driving the No.98 Ford F-150 for Thor Sport racing this year. When asked about the start of the 2022 season and his transition back to GMS, he said:
“The transition for me has been really good so, you know…Very soon after Phoenix, I was able to go over to the shop, and get acclimated really quickly.
I’ve never worked with Charles Denike, my crew chief before but, I do know him from being at GMS the first time.
Really thankful to be working with him. Really, really smart engineering-type crew chief which I’ve never worked with before.
Looking forward to that and overall, the transition has been very, very good. Biggest thing I could say so far is just, there’s been a lot of effort in our #23 Champion Power Equipment Chevy.
A lot of people find great things here at GMS but also at Chevrolet--that they are invested heavily in this so, for that I am extremely thankful. So, that’s been the biggest change for me at this point.
I really don’t know how we’re going to stack up, you know, that’s why I’m really anxious for this practice here in a couple of hours and I guess not even that. Pretty soon here."
Practice was less than 30minutes away from the NCWTS final practice however, with anxiety time-blindness is to be expected. Enfinger continued,
"I’m really anxious to see where our program is at.”
Practice and qualifying are now complete at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
John Hunter Nemecheck of the No.4 Mobile 1Toyota for Kyle Busch (KBM) won the Pole Award for the 5th Annual Victoria's Voice 200 presented by Westgate Resorts with a lap of 30.238 seconds, 178.583 mph. This is his third pole in 126 Camping World Truck Series starts, second top-10 start in 2022, and his first pole in 9 races at LVMS. Las Vegas local and 2-time Cup Series Champion, Kyle Busch will lead the field in 1-2-3 with Chandler Smith to the green flag for KBM tonight.
Although finishing 5th in final practice, a qualifying lap of 30.643 put the No. 23 Champion Power Equipment for GMS in the 6th row in 11th position on the starting grid for tonight's race with Grant Enfinger as its wheelman.
As the old adage goes; its not where you start, it's where you finish. Enfinger reached a victory at LVMS in 2018 for Thor Sport Racing after race leader Brett Moffitt lost his footing on the final restart in a 2-lap NASCAR overtime shootout. Will Grant find his way to the Neon Garage tonight for the Victory Lane celebration? Find out tonight on FS1 at 6p PST/ 9p EST.