Weekend Statistics and Notes
Dakoda Armstrong and the No. 43 team will visit the third different 1.5-mile track of the 2015 season this weekend at Texas Motor Speedway (TMS). The team looks to rebound strong after engine problems cut their efforts short in California. The Fort Worth track treated the team well last year, with Dakoda piloting the #43 Ford Mustang to a solid 10th-place finish in the fall. Currently, Armstrong sits 15th in the XFINITY Series Championship Point Standings. He has two prior starts at TMS in the NASCAR XFINITY Series.
The team welcomes new sponsor Purina Animal Nutrition to the NASCAR XFINITY Series.
Armstrong Weekend Chatter
"I'd say Texas is the fastest track we run at. If not the fastest, it's definitely in the Top-Three. It wears out tires now, a lot more than people think. You really have to have a good handling racecar. The track has a lot of character. It is very bumpy. Turns Three and Four are pretty good, but One and Two are really, really bumpy, especially over the tunnel turn. So, you have to make sure your car is turning really good in One and Two. It's hard to judge because when you're there in practice, these XFINITY cars are going very fast, almost wide open. It almost always feels good, but when you get into a very long run, you start to see where your car is messing up and then have to start making adjustments. It makes it pretty challenging to know what you're feeling and what you need.
"We're coming off a an off-weekend and feel refreshed to get back at it. We have a new sponsor on the car in Purina. I'm really excited for them to see what NASCAR racing is all about and what we can do to help their business."
About Purina Animal Nutrition
Purina Animal Nutrition LLC (www.purinamills.com) is a national organization serving producers, animal owners and their families through more than 4,700 local cooperatives, independent dealers and other large retailers throughout the United States. Driven by an uncompromising commitment to animal excellence, Purina Animal Nutrition is an industry-leading innovator offering a valued portfolio of complete feeds, supplements, premixes, ingredients and specialty technologies for the livestock and lifestyle animal markets. Headquartered in Shoreview, Minn., Purina Animal Nutrition LLC is a wholly owned subsidiary of Land O'Lakes, Inc.
About Richard Petty Motorsports
A performance and marketing driven company, Richard Petty Motorsports, co-owned by NASCAR Hall of Famer Richard Petty and successful business entrepreneur Andrew Murstein, is one of the most recognized brands in all of motorsports. With a history of over 200 wins and business partnerships with national and global leaders, today the race operation fields two teams in competition in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. Aric Almirola pilots the famous No. 43 Ford Fusion with primary partners Smithfield Foods, U.S. Air Force, STP, Strike Ten Entertainment and Fresh From Florida, and Sam Hornish Jr. drives the No. 9 machine with primary partners Medallion Bank and Twisted Tea. In addition, Dakoda Armstrong wheels the No. 43 WinField Ford Mustang full-time in the NASCAR XFINITY Series. The team is headquartered in Mooresville, N.C.