STATESVILLE, N.C. (June 13, 2018)—Located just outside of Des Moines, Iowa, and surrounded by acres of corn, NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) drivers know it is a tough test to reach the ‘Infield of Dreams’ as the victor at the Iowa Speedway. The ‘Fastest Short Track on the Planet’ will host the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series M&M’s 200 presented by Casey’s General Store on Saturday, June 16, with 200 laps of confined, tight racing. It offers a daunting challenge for Cody Coughlin, driver of the No. 2 JEGS Chevrolet Silverado, who will be fighting at over 130 miles per hour for the same piece of real estate as everyone else.
Decades after Kevin Costner's supernatural baseball diamond rose from an Iowa cornfield in the movie Field of Dreams, the same story played out for NASCAR Hall of Fame inductee Rusty Wallace, who designed this track. Under the lights of the Iowa Speedway, Coughlin hopes to fulfill his destiny by winning his first NASCAR Camping World Truck Series event of the 2018 season, in perfect movie storytelling fashion.
Iowa is known as the ‘Field of Dreams’ after all, and after the increased pace of the last several races, it feels like the right place.
This weekend marks Coughlin’s second Iowa Speedway appearance with the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. In 2017, the Delaware, Ohio, driver earned a 12th-place finish at the 7/8-mile track.
“The Iowa (Speedway) is its own unique place,” Coughlin said. “Being a short track, you need to have drive off the corner.
“Last year I struggled a bit, but I know when we go back to the Iowa Speedway our team will have a better run. GMS Racing has been working hard on their short track program, and I know that we will have a good grasp of the track as soon as we unload our No. 2 JEGS Chevrolet Silverado.”
Coughlin’s many years of short-track experience, success and knowledge in the Late Model ranks have given him a familiar, veteran’s mindset. With historic short track victories at Anderson Speedway, Baer Field Motorsports Park, Birch Run Speedway, New Smyrna Speedway, Salem Speedway, Toledo Speedway and Winchester Speedway make him a contender in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series event at the Iowa Speedway.
In NASCAR Camping World Truck Series starts on short tracks (less than one mile in length), Coughlin has five starts.
Coughlin will pilot Chassis No. 118 in the M&Ms 200 presented by Casey's General Stores at the Iowa Speedway. The Jerry Baxter-led team unloaded this GMS Racing prepared chassis at the Dover International Speedway on May 4, where Coughlin posted a sixth-place finish after starting in the 18th-place.
Since entering the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series in 2013, the Statesville, N.C.,-based GMS Racing team has logged 11 starts at the Iowa Speedway, resulting in three top-five finishes and seven top-10 finishes, with an average starting position of 9.5 and an average finishing position of 10.8 with 76 laps led at the Newton, Iowa,-facility.
Baxter, crew chief for the No. 2 JEGS Chevrolet Silverado, has three top-five and five top-10 finishes in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series at the Iowa Speedway in eight starts, and one pole (2014). In addition, he has one top-five finish and one top-ten finish in three NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) starts, as well as one pole.
Terry Cook, former NASCAR Camping World Truck Series driver and spotter for Coughlin, has one start at the Iowa Speedway in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series – finishing in the 11th-place in 2009.
The M&M’s 200 presented by Casey’s General Store will be broadcast live on FS1 on Saturday, June 16 starting with NASCAR RaceDay: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series at 6:30 p.m. (ET). It will also broadcast live at 6:30 p.m. (ET) on the Motor Racing Network (MRN) and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. Qualifying for the ninth event of the 2018 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series schedule will air on Saturday at 4:30 p.m. (ET) on FS2. In addition, the practice session on Saturday will be televised live on FS1 at 9:30 a.m. (ET) and final practice for the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series at 11:00 a.m. (ET) on FS2.
The M&M’s 200 presented by Casey’s General Store at the Iowa Speedway will re-air on Sunday, June 17 at 6:00 a.m. (ET) on FS1.
To keep up-to-date with the latest news, information and exclusive content, visit Cody Coughlin on his personal Twitter and Instagram page – @Cody_Coughlin, and on the official Facebook page at /CodyCoughlin2/. For more information on Cody Coughlin visit CodyCoughlin.com. Also, follow Team JEGS’ Twitter page – @TeamJEGS, and on Instagram at @team_jegs. You can also “like” Team JEGS on the official Facebook page at /TeamJEGS/.
For media relations / public relations, contact Courtney McGarry at Courtney.McGarry@JEGS.com.
ABOUT GMS RACING
GMS Racing competes full-time in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series with drivers Johnny Sauter, Dalton Sargeant, Justin Haley and Cody Coughlin, and also in the NASCAR Xfinity Series with Spencer Gallagher. Since the team's start in 2014, GMS Racing has grown to occupy several buildings located in Statesville, N.C. The campus also includes operations for GMS Fabrication. More information can be found at https://gmsracing.net/.
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