Kyle Busch Motorsports to run Truck teams in 2010
Driving stable includes Ickler, Malsam; Benson possibly

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Nationwide Series champion and full-time Sprint Cup driver Kyle Busch on Friday announced he would field at least two Toyota trucks in the 2010 Camping World Truck Series under the Kyle Busch Motorsports banner.

Busch will drive the No. 18 Miccosukee Resort & Gaming Toyota whenever the Camping World Truck Series runs in companion with the Sprint Cup Series. For the non-companion races, the No. 18 Tundra will be driven by 24-year-old Brian Ickler. Running the full schedule for KBM will be 20-year-old Tayler Malsam in the No. 56 Toyota Tundra.

Ickler
Busch, who won seven 2009 Truck Series races for owner Billy Ballew, thanked another owner, James Finch, for facilitating the sponsorship from the Miccosukee Tribe of Florida for the No. 18 Toyota. That sponsor was on Busch's trucks fielded by Ballew for the past two seasons, when the pair won 10 races.

Busch said Miccosukee would be on his truck for the full 25-race schedule. Malsam's truck will have sponsorship from Talking Rain for an "undetermined number of races," Busch said, "with other opportunities available on that truck."

Former Truck Series champion Johnny Benson was at the announcement, at SPEED's studio, but Busch said sponsorship negotiations to put Benson in a third full-time truck couldn't be finalized in time for the conference.

General manager Rick Ren, who led Ron Hornaday to two of the past three Truck Series championships at Kevin Harvick Inc., said the team was still working on hiring crew chiefs for the two trucks.

"Everyone knows how much I love to race, and the Camping World Truck Series is one of my favorite places to race, so to be a team owner in this series is a perfect match," said Busch, who has won 16 races the Truck Series and a combined 62 wins among NASCAR's top three divisions. "We started KBM two years ago with the Late Model program and this seemed like the next natural step. I'm also very pleased with our driver lineup -- having young and talented guys like Tayler Malsam and Brian Ickler."

Ren
Busch said "having the right people in place" would prevent him from being distracted from his Sprint Cup responsibilities with Joe GIbbs Racing. As key personnel, Busch cited Ren and motorsports veteran Emmett Byrd, who Busch hired from the former Xpress Motorsports to be his operations and marketing manager.

"Rick Ren is an important part of what we're trying to build at Kyle Busch Motorsports," Busch added. "Rick has won multiple championships as a crew chief and is the perfect person to lead this race team and build it into an organization capable of winning races and contending for championships. His record speaks for itself, and in order for me to take on a team ownership role in the Camping World Truck Series, it was important to have the right people in place to make this work. Having Rick on board is a great first step in that process. It's no secret how much I want to win as a driver, and I want to win as a team owner just as badly."

Busch recently purchased the assets of Xpress Motorsports, the Camping World Truck Series team that won in June at Dover and finished the 2009 season among the top-10 in points. KBM will operate from the Xpress Motorsports shop in Mooresville, N.C., until its new shop, also in Mooresville and currently under construction, is completed.

"A person can work their whole career in any profession and not get an opportunity like this," Ren said. "I've been involved in some other start-up, ground-floor programs, but not of this magnitude. It's a great opportunity for me and everyone who will be a part of Kyle Busch Motorsports. There have been great race car drivers, but Kyle has the opportunity to be one of the all-time greats. Getting the chance to help a guy like that who has a dream of building his own race team is an honor."

Malsam
Malsam raced his first full season in Trucks in 2009 and finished 12th in the championship with 10 top-10 finishes.

"It can be a little intimidating for a young guy like me to work for a guy like Kyle Busch, who has already done so much in his career," said Malsam, whose path came via winged Sprint cars. "But we have a lot of the same characteristics in the way we drive, so I think it's a good fit. And to have Rick Ren on board -- he's been successful wherever he's been. To team with someone who has won two of the last three series championships is going to be awesome. And I'm proud to continue my relationship with Toyota. The support they give to each of their teams is impressive, and it shows by how many Tundras are usually running up front. This is going to be one of the best years of my life."

Ickler made 11 starts in the Truck Series in 2009, with two top-fives and three top-10s.

"Kyle has done so much for my career by helping me get some experience in the Truck Series last year, along with some Late Model races for KBM," Ickler said. "I'm really looking forward to racing for Kyle with all the success he's had in the sport. I hope we can continue the winning tradition. Every ride I've had since I moved to North Carolina has been because of Kyle. He's been able to get me some valuable seat time."

SPEED reporter Ray Dunlap sees similarities between what Busch is doing now and that of Kevin Harvick, who along with wife, DeLana, has built Kevin Harvick Inc. into a championship-winning organization.

"I certainly expect Kyle Busch's dedication to this sport and the kind of people who want to be associated with a driver of his caliber to make his team a formidable one from the get-go," he said. "I anticipate Kyle will put together an organization that will rival or outperform KHI and you can't ask for anything better than that in the series."

TAYLER MALSAM CREDITED WITH A 27TH-PLACE FINISH AFTER MULTI-TRUCK ACCIDENT IN TALLADEGA

TALLADEGA, Ala. (October 31, 2009) – NASCAR Camping World Truck Series rookie Tayler Malsam qualified in the eighth position in his second Truck Series start at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway. Patiently waiting to make his move, Malsam was riding in the 15th spot when he was involved in a multi-truck accident that cut the team’s day short. The Randy Moss Motorsports team was credited with a 27th-place finish.

The trucks had only one practice session Friday prior to qualifying and Malsam’s truck posted the 22nd quickest lap of the day. His was the 11th of 38 trucks to take to the track for qualifying that afternoon and his speed of 177.468 miles per hour around the 2.66-mile superspeedway earned him 8th place on the starting grid. Malsam was the highest qualifying rookie for the event.

Rain showers in the area began Friday evening and lasted into the afternoon Saturday. NASCAR and track officials did a great job drying the expansive track and the start of the Mountain Dew 250 was delayed only slightly. Malsam lined up in the eighth spot and moved into the top five on the first lap of the race. Several laps later, Malsam let crew chief Doug Wolcott know that the truck was a little loose entering the corners, but otherwise handling pretty well. Wolcott was able to make a track bar adjustment to the truck during the first caution period, and Malsam lined up for the lap 11 green flag in the 12th spot.

Malsam fell to 27th position after a pit stop for fuel on lap 16. Content to ride on the inside line and patiently wait to make his move later in the event, Malsam did a nice job working with the draft in the middle stages of the event. After a quick pit stop for fuel on lap 42, the No. 81 One Eighty Racing Toyota Tundra held down the 15th spot with 30 laps to go. Unfortunately, while exiting turn four, several trucks got together and Malsam was hit from behind by the truck driven by Ricky Carmichael. Making heavy contact with the inside wall, the No. 81 Toyota Tundra was not able to continue, but Malsam was fine. The team was credited with a 27th-place finish.

Malsam lost only one spot in the driver point standings and now holds down 13th place. 107 points separate him from the top 10.

The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series returns to action next weekend at Texas Motor Speedway. The WinStar World Casino 350k will be broadcast live at 9 p.m. (ET) on SPEED TV and on select affiliates of MRN Radio and Sirius-XM NASCAR Radio on Friday, November 6.

 

Talladega Superspeedway Mountain Dew 250
October 31, 2009

MALSAM AT TALLADEGA: Tayler Malsam will be making his 24th start in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) when the green flag drops for the Mountain Dew 250 at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway Saturday afternoon. This will be Malsam’s first NCWTS start at the 2.66-mile track, but he has been to the track in an ARCA RE/MAX Series car. Malsam took part in the ARCA RE/MAX Series race in Talladega last year, but his day was cut short when he was involved in a lap 11 multi-car accident.

MALSAM’S RIDE: Crew Chief Doug Wolcott and the No. 81 team are utilizing chassis 79 for this weekend’s event. This is the same car the team utilized in the season opening race at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway. Malsam drove to a 10th-place finish in that event.

MALSAM’S THOUGHTS ON TALLADEGA: “I went to Talladega last season in an ARCA car and didn’t have a lot of luck, so I’m hoping for better things this time around. Obviously the most important thing at a place like Talladega is to be around at the end, so we’ll try to be a little patient for a while and see if we can avoid any problems. Our last couple of races in the One Eighty Toyota Tundra have been a little rough, so we are hoping that we can finish the season off strong. A good finish at Talladega would get us off to a good start for this final stretch.”

THE SEASON’S STATS: The No. 81 team has posted one top-five and 10 top-10 finishes in 21 events this season. Malsam posted his best career finish at Gateway International Raceway in Madison, Ill., when he took the checkered flag in the fifth spot. He currently holds down 12th position in the driver points battle, sitting 89 markers outside the top 10.

WATCH AND LISTEN: Race coverage will be televised on SPEED and heard live on select affiliates of MRN Radio and Sirius-XM NASCAR Radio Channel 128, beginning at 4 p.m. (ET).

POINT AND CLICK: This Saturday is the last day during which fans can vote for their favorite driver for the Most Popular Driver Award. The results of the online balloting will be announced at the NCWTS awards banquet at the end of the season. Visit www.nascar.com for more details and to cast your vote for Tayler.

 

TRANSMISSION WOES END DAY EARLY FOR MALSAM IN MARTINSVILLE

MARTINSVILLE, N.C (October 24, 2009) – Mother Nature wreaked havoc on the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series event at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway last weekend, forcing shortened practice sessions and a race day delay. Rookie contender Tayler Malsam and his One Eighty Racing team were looking forward to getting back on track after a month long Truck Series break, but their day was cut short on Saturday after transmission issues forced them out of the event. Malsam earned a 28th-place finish in the Kroger 200.

Rain showers early in the day on Friday shortened the first practice and delayed the start of qualifying, but the skies cleared and Malsam’s was the 25th truck to take to the track for his two-lap qualifying run Friday evening. The Raybestos Rookie of the Year candidate posted a speed of 95.675 miles per hour around the .526-mile track, which earned the One Eighty Toyota Tundra 10th place on the starting grid.

Rain showers once again blanketed the area Saturday morning and into early afternoon, but NASCAR and track officials worked diligently to dry the track in a timely manner once the precipitation finally stopped. Led by teammate Mike Skinner, who was making his 200th start in NASCAR Camping World Truck Series competition, Malsam fell several positions in the early laps of the Kroger 200 after communicating to his Randy Moss Motorsports crew that the truck was tight in the center of the corners and off.

Crew chief Doug Wolcott made plans to make a chassis adjustment to the Toyota Tundra during the first pit stop of the day, which came during a caution on lap 35 of the 200-lap race. Wolcott opted for fuel only during the stop and Malsam returned to the track for the lap 39 restart in the 14th position.

There were several differing pit strategies taking place during the event and Malsam was able to run as high as seventh in the middle stages of the race. A yellow flag just prior to the halfway point enabled Wolcott to call his driver back into the pits for four fresh tires and fuel. Malsam returned to the track in the 20th spot and was able to work his way into the top 15 by lap 116. The Seattle-area native was running in 13th place on a lap 120 restart when he suddenly radioed to his crew that there was something wrong with the truck, which eventually stopped on the track. After getting a push into the pit area, the RMM team assessed the problem to be in the transmission and was forced to call it a day. Malsam was credited with a 28th place finish in the event.

Malsam lost only one spot in the driver point standings and now holds down 12th place. Eighty nine points separate him from the top 10.

The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series heads to Talladega Superspeedway next weekend for the running of the Mountain Dew 250. The event will be broadcast live at 4 p.m. (ET) on SPEED TV and on select affiliates of MRN Radio and Sirius-XM NASCAR Radio on Saturday, October 31.

TAYLER MALSAM POSTS TOP-10 FINISH IN FIRST START AT LAS VEGAS MOTOR SPEEDWAY

LAS VEGAS, Nev. (September 26, 2009) – Tayler Malsam and the No. 81 Randy Moss Motorsports team headed west to Las Vegas to tackle another track on which Malsam had never before raced. Malsam qualified for the 146-lap event in the 22nd spot and came back from an early race spin to finish in the 10th position.

Malsam’s was the 11th truck to take to the track for his two-lap qualifying run Saturday afternoon. The Raybestos Rookie of the Year candidate posted a speed of 170.821 miles per hour around the 1.5-mile track, which earned the One Eighty Toyota Tundra 22nd place on the starting grid.

Following a brief delay caused by malfunctioning lights in turn one, Malsam took the green flag for the start of Saturday evening’s event and found himself in a bit of trouble early on. On lap four of the 146-lap event, Malsam’s Toyota Tundra became loose heading into turn four. Malsam looped the truck in the corner, but was able to keep it off the wall. Malsam drove his truck to the attention of his awaiting crew, who bolted on four fresh tires and made a track bar adjustment before sending him back out on the track for the lap eight restart in the 30th spot.

Malsam did his best to put the incident behind him and broke into the top 20 by lap 20. Malsam let crew chief Doug Wolcott know that the truck was loose around other trucks and Wolcott made a track bar adjustment during a pit stop several laps later. Malsam returned to the track in 13th place, and though he fell back through the field a bit in the laps that followed, he communicated to his team that the truck was fine and that he was working to get comfortable with the truck and the track.

Wolcott made the strategic decision to take on fuel and not tires during a yellow flag pit stop on lap 52. That decision moved the No. 81 truck up closer to the front of the field as many of its competitors took on four fresh tires. Malsam was able to exit pit road ahead of those teams.

Malsam held down a position inside the top 10 for the remainder of the event, and when the checkered flag flew on lap 146, the No. 81 team stood in 10th place.

After scoring his 10th top-10 finish of the season, Malsam picked up one spot in the driver point standings and now holds down 11th place, 26 points outside of the top 10. He also remains in the middle of a tight points battle, with just 121 points separating him from fifth.

The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series takes a couple of weekends off before returning to action at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway on October 24. The Kroger 200 will be broadcast live at 1 p.m. (ET) on SPEED TV and on select affiliates of MRN Radio and Sirius-XM NASCAR Radio on Saturday, September 26.

 

TAYLER MALSAM POSTS TOP-20 FINISH IN FIRST START AT NEW HAMPSHIRE MOTOR SPEEDWAY

LOUDON, N.H. (September 19, 2009) – The New Hampshire track known as The Magic Mile was anything but that for Tayler Malsam and the One Eighty Racing team. Saturday afternoon’s event at New Hampshire Motor Speedway was a bit of a battle for the young driver and his Randy Moss Motorsports team. After qualifying in the 13th position for the Heluva Good 200, Malsam took the checkered flag in 20th place.

Malsam’s was the 14th truck to take to the track for his two-lap qualifying run Saturday morning. The Raybestos Rookie of the Year candidate posted a speed of 126.111 miles per hour around the 1.058-mile track, which was quick enough to earn the One Eighty Toyota Tundra 13th place on the starting grid.

Malsam took the green flag for the start of the afternoon event and immediately communicated to crew chief Doug Wolcott that the truck was tight in the center and off of the corners. Wolcott called for four fresh tires and a track bar adjustment to the No. 81 entry during the first pit stop of the day, which came at lap 40 of the 200-lap race. Malsam returned to the track for the lap 43 restart in the 15th spot.

Malsam, who had never before been to the Loudon, N.H. track, continued to struggle with a tight handling truck and went one lap down to the leader on lap 65. Several long green flag runs throughout the event hampered the team’s opportunity to adjust the handling of the truck, and Wolcott made a major change to the track bar during a scheduled stop on lap 94.

Malsam spent most of the day working to find a line that would best suit the truck, and the Toyota Tundra began to respond to the adjustments with about 50 laps left in the race. Malsam took the checkered flag in the 20th position.

“We just fought our One Eighty Toyota Tundra all day,” commented Malsam after the race. “We thought we had a good truck coming in here and it was just tight all day. Doug [Wolcott, crew chief] and the crew did a good job working on it. The lack of cautions hurt us because we couldn’t really work on it like we wanted to.”

Malsam fell one spot in the driver point standings and now holds down 12th place, 31 points outside of the top 10. He also remains in the middle of a tight points battle, with just 123 points separating him from fifth.

Tayler Malsam and the No. 81 Randy Moss Motorsports team will return to action at Las Vegas Motor Speedway next weekend. The Las Vegas 350 will be broadcast live at 9 p.m. (ET) on SPEED TV and on select affiliates of MRN Radio and Sirius-XM NASCAR Radio on Saturday, September 26.

 

CLICK HERE TO READ AN ARTICLE ABOUT TAYLER ON NASCAR.COM

Meet Tayler and Chip at Touchdown City

Tayler Malsam and hydroplane racing legend Chip Hanauer will be signing autographs at the One Eighty Racing Garage at Qwest Field Event Center before the Hawks take on the Chicago Bears on September 27th. Check out the #81 One Eighty Toyota Tundra and learn more about One Eighty Racing. The garage opens at 10:00 a.m. Admission is free.

 

New Hampshire Motor Speedway Heluva Good® 200
September 19, 2009

MALSAM AT LOUDON: Tayler Malsam will be making his 21st start in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) when the green flag drops for the Heluva Good® 200 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway Saturday afternoon. Malsam has never before raced at the 1.058-mile Loudon, N.H. venue.

MALSAM’S RIDE: Crew Chief Doug Wolcott and the No. 81 team are utilizing the same One Eighty Toyota Tundra they prepared for last weekend’s event at Gateway (Madison, Ill.) International Raceway. This is the third time the team will run Randy Moss Motorsports chassis No.107. Malsam posted his best qualifying effort of the season in Iowa in this Toyota Tundra and also drove it to his best career finish of fifth last weekend. The team also utilized this truck in the event at Chicagoland Speedway.

WOLCOT’S WISDOM: “This will another tough race. With the rules the way they are, you have to set the truck up really free to be able to get it to turn through the center of the corners and to carry enough speed to pass on the straightaways. There will be a lot of emphasis on qualifying this week. It sure makes the day at New Hampshire Motor Speedway easier if you can start up front and have fewer trucks to deal with.

“I’ll tell Tayler pretty much the same thing I always do this weekend. He needs to be patient and let the One Eighty Toyota Tundra and the track come to him. He’s done a good job of adapting to these venues that are new to him, so we should be in good shape.”

THE SEASON’S STATS: The No. 81 team has posted one top –five and nine top-10 finishes in 18 events this season. Malsam posted his best career finish last week at Gateway International Raceway when he took the checkered flag in the fifth spot. He currently holds down the 11th position in the driver points battle, sitting eight markers outside of 10th and 100 points out of the top five.

WATCH AND LISTEN: Race coverage will be televised on SPEED and heard live on select affiliates of MRN Radio and Sirius-XM NASCAR Radio Channel 128, beginning at 2:30 p.m. (ET).

POINT AND CLICK: Fans can continue to vote for their favorite driver for the Most Popular Driver Award through the end of October. The results of the online balloting will be announced at the NCWTS awards banquet at the end of the season. Visit www.nascar.com for more details and to cast your vote for Tayler.

 

TAYLER MALSAM SCORES A CAREER-HIGH FINISH IN THE ONE EIGHTY
RACING TOYOTA TUNDRA AT GATEWAY INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY

MADISON, Ill. (September 13, 2009) – Tayler Malsam and the One Eighty Racing team overcame issues with a tight handling truck to score a fifth-place finish in the Copart 200 at Gateway International Raceway Saturday afternoon. Malsam’s fifth-place effort was the first top-five for the team this season and the first of his NASCAR career.

Malsam was the 22nd truck to take to the track for his two-lap qualifying run Saturday morning. Malsam, who battled a tight handling truck in Friday’s practice sessions, fought the same thing during his qualifying effort, but posted a speed of 131.614 miles per hour around the 1.25-mile track, which was quick enough to earn the One Eighty Toyota Tundra 17th place on the starting grid.

Malsam took the green flag for the start of the 160-lap event and immediately communicated to crew chief Doug Wolcott that the truck was again handling extremely tight in the corners. Wolcott made major changes to the machine, including air pressure and track bar adjustments, during the first pit stop of the day, which came on lap 10. Few trucks made pit stops and Malsam lined up for the ensuing restart in 29th place.

Malsam continued to battle a tight handling Toyota Tundra and Wolcott made changes to the truck during every possible opportunity. At the lap 100-mark, Wolcott called his rookie driver into the pits to add two spring rubbers to the right rear. Not long after that change, Malsam let the team know that the truck was handling better and was not as tight as it had been all day long.

Malsam moved into 15th with about 55 laps remaining in the event and patiently made his way into the top 10, running laps that were some of the best of the day. With three scheduled laps remaining in the Copart 200, the One Eighty Racing truck stood in the seventh position, and with help from a couple of last lap accidents and a call by NASCAR officials to penalize the leader for aggressive driving, Malsam took the checkered flag in the fifth spot. It was the No. 81 Randy Moss Motorsports team’s best finish of the season. A veteran of 20 races, it was also Malsam’s best career NASCAR Camping World Truck Series effort.

Scoring his ninth top-10 finish of the year, Malsam continues to hold down 11th place in the driver point standings and stands just eight points outside of the top 10. Malsam is in the middle of a tight points battle, with just 100 points separating him from fifth place.

Tayler Malsam and the No. 81 Randy Moss Motorsports team will return to action next weekend at New Hampshire Motor Speedway next weekend. The Heluva Good® 200 will be broadcast live at 2:30 p.m. (ET) on SPEED TV and on select affiliates of MRN Radio and Sirius-XM NASCAR Radio on Saturday, September 19.

 

TAYLER MALSAM AND PC*MILER NAVIGATOR TEAM PUT TOGETHER
A TOP-10 FINISH IN INAUGURAL TRUCK SERIES RACE AT IOWA SPEEDWAY

NEWTON, IOWA (September 6, 2009) – Tayler Malsam and the PC*MILER Navigator team rebounded from a rough couple of weeks to score a top-10 finish in the inaugural NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) event at Iowa Speedway.

Because the NCWTS had never been to Iowa Speedway, teams were given several practice sessions Friday to become acclimated to the track. On Saturday, the No. 81 PC*MILER Navigator Toyota Tundra was the 16th of 39 trucks to take to the track for qualifying. Malsam posted a speed of 135.706 miles per hour during his two-lap run around the .875-mile oval, earning the team fifth place on the starting grid and its best starting spot of the season.

Malsam took the green flag for the start of the race and immediately began to work his way even closer to the front. Running as high as third in the opening laps, Malsam communicated to crew chief Doug Wolcott that he was fighting a loose handling condition with the No. 81 Toyota Tundra. Malsam held down the 11th spot when the first round of pit stops occurred during a caution period on lap 58. Wolcott called for a four tire change and the crew sent Malsam back to the track for the lap 64 restart in the 13th position.

Malsam moved into the 12th spot on lap 81 and remained there while working with a truck that was handling loose heading into the corners and tight off. Wolcott called for air pressure adjustments to the right side tires during the next scheduled pit stop, which came on lap 113 of the 200-lap event. Malsam returned to the track in the 10th position and, though he still found himself with a truck that was tight off the corners, he continued to try different lines around the track in an effort to find the fastest and most comfortable groove. With some coaching by his veteran crew chief and spotter, Malsam crossed the finish line in 10th place, his eighth top-10 result of the season.

Malsam moved up two spots in the driver points battle and now stands in 11th place with just 11 points separating him from the top 10 and 141 markers outside of fifth place.

Tayler Malsam and the No. 81 Randy Moss Motorsports team will return to action at Gateway International Raceway on Saturday, September 12. The Copart 200 will be broadcast at 2:30 p.m. (ET) on SPEED TV and on select affiliates of MRN Radio and Sirius-XM NASCAR Radio.


ABOUT PC*MILER NAVIGATOR: PC*MILER Navigator is changing the way commercial truck drivers work, as it is the first GPS navigation system specifically designed for company drivers, owner operators, and leased operators and the only way to get industry standard PC*MILER directions in the cab. For more information about PC*MILER, please visit www.pcmnav.com.

Iowa Speedway
Lucas Oil 200
September 5, 2009

MALSAM AT IOWA SPEEDWAY: Tayler Malsam will be making his 19th start in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) when the green flag drops for the Lucas Oil 200 at Iowa Speedway Saturday evening. Though this is the first time the NCWTS will race on the .875-mile track, Malsam has some experience at the Newton, Iowa venue. Malsam ran the ARCA Series race at the track in 2008, starting 11th and earning a top-10 finish.

MALSAM’S RIDE: Crew Chief Doug Wolcott and the No. 81 team have prepared a brand new truck for this weekend’s race. The team will utilize Randy Moss Motorsports chassis No. 107 for this Saturday’s event.

SPONSOR SWITCH: PC*MILER Navigator will serve as primary sponsor on the No. 81 Randy Moss Motorsports Toyota this weekend. PC*MILER Navigator has partnered with RMM several times already this season, sponsoring the No. 5 machine at Nashville (Tenn.) Superspeedway and last weekend at Chicagoland Speedway. PC*MILER Navigator is the first GPS navigation system specifically designed for company drivers, owner operators, and leased operators and the only way to get industry standard PC*Miler directions in the cab.

TAYLER’S TAKE ON IOWA: “I remember the track being small and flat. What I’m hoping for the most is that the grooves have changed so that we will be able to run the high line, which we weren’t able to do yet during the ARCA race last year. You could only run one groove then and I really like to run the top so I’m hopeful we’ll be able to do that this time around. Doug [Wolcott, crew chief,] has been there a couple of times testing in the last couple of years, so I’m confident that we’ll get there and be fast right off the bat, even though we’re taking a brand new truck. The track itself is really nice and they really did a good job making it a nice venue for the fans and the crews. I think the trucks will put on a great race there and I think our NO. 81 Randy Moss Motorsports truck will be strong.”

WOLCOTT ON IOWA: “Iowa Speedway is a beautiful facility for both fans and crews alike. The garage area is really nice, which makes it easy for the crews to work. We spent two days testing there a couple of years ago and we found that the track was pretty easy to read. It’s a fast, responsive track and the handling of the truck does change as the temperature goes up and down. If you have a good, close setup on your vehicle, then the driver can get a good read on what the truck is doing and you can make the necessary changes.

“It was a super smooth track when we were there the last time, I’m just hoping that during the time it’s been sitting there since, it hasn’t become really rough.”

ROTY BATTLE UPDATE: Malsam lost a little bit of ground in the Raybestos Rookie of the Year points battle after getting caught up in an accident late in last week’s event at Chicagoland Speedway, but his sights are still set on the prize. Malsam stands second in the competition, just seven points behind fellow rookie Johnny Sauter.

BRING YOUR SHARPIE: Malsam will take part in a track-sanctioned autograph session from 4-5 p.m. CT Saturday behind the Manatt Grandstands.

WATCH AND LISTEN: Race coverage will be televised on SPEED and heard live on select affiliates of MRN Radio and Sirius-XM NASCAR Radio Channel 128, beginning at 9:30 p.m. (ET).

POINT AND CLICK: Fans can continue to vote for their favorite driver for the Most Popular Driver Award through the end of October. The results of the online balloting will be announced at the NCWTS awards banquet at the end of the season. Visit www.nascar.com for more details and to cast your vote for Tayler.

 

LATE-RACE ACCIDENT SPOILS TOP-10 RUN AT CHICAGOLAND
SPEEDWAY FOR TAYLER MALSAM AND THE ONE EIGHTY RACING TEAM

JOLIET, Ill. (August 29, 2009) – Tayler Malsam and the One Eighty Racing team were poised to earn their first top-five finish together in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) until an accident late in the EnjoyIllinois.com 225 at Chicagoland Speedway Friday night relegated the team to a 23rd-place result.

Because the NCWTS had never been to Chicagoland Speedway, teams were given several practice sessions Thursday to become acclimated to the track. On Friday, the No. 81 One Eighty Toyota Tundra was the sixth of 39 trucks to take to the track for qualifying. Malsam posted a speed of 169.940 miles per hour during his two-lap run around the 1.5-mile tri-oval, earning the team 15th place on the starting grid.

Malsam took the green flag for the start of the race and concentrated on finding the most comfortable line for his One Eighty Toyota. A caution flag on lap 21 of the 150-lap event enabled crew chief Doug Wolcott to call his driver in for a pit stop for fuel on lap 22. Malsam returned to the track for the restart in the ninth spot after several of his competitors took on fresh tires, and thus spent additional time on pit road.

With Wolcott coaching the young driver, Malsam continued to work on finding the best line for his truck. Wolcott made air pressure and track bar adjustments during several pit stops in the early stages of the race, and Malsam communicated to the team that the truck was handling pretty well near the half way point of the event. With a round of scheduled pit stops in the works, Malsam worked his way into the top five and eventually led lap 90 before making a stop of his own on lap 92.

Malsam remained in the top 10 and found that his truck handled well after the initial 10 laps of a run. Wolcott asked his driver to conserve fuel with 50 laps left in the event as he had hopes of running to the end with making another pit stop. Malsam was able to remain in the top 10, and the team had hopes of posting its best finish of the season until running into trouble on lap 137. As Malsam battled the No. 24 truck for position heading into turn one, the two made contact. Malsam did his best to control his truck, but was hit by several others while sliding down the track. Eventually coming to a stop in the wet grass, Malsam was unable to get the truck back to the track and was forced to let NASCAR officials tow the battered Tundra to the garage.

The team assessed the damage, but with less than 15 laps remaining in the race, was unable to return to the track. The One Eighty team was credited with a 23rd-place finish.

“This is a rough way to finish what was probably going to end up being a pretty good night for us,” Malsam said following the accident. “We struggled a bit with the handling of the One Eighty Toyota Tundra in the early stages of the race, but Doug and the guys worked on the truck every chance they had, and by the last 100 laps or so, the truck handled a lot better. It’s disappointing, especially since this is the second week in a row that we haven’t finished the race, but like I said, the guys did a nice job working on our truck and at least we were in contention for a good finish when this happened.”

Malsam and his Randy Moss Motorsports team fell to the 13th position in both the driver and owner points battles, but still stand only 15 markers outside of the top 10 and 154 points outside the of the top five.

Tayler Malsam and the No. 81 Randy Moss Motorsports team will return to action at Iowa Speedway on Saturday, September 5. The Lucas Oil 200, the inaugural NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at the speedway, will be broadcast at 9 p.m. (ET) on SPEED TV and on select affiliates of MRN Radio and Sirius-XM NASCAR Radio.

Chicagoland Speedway
EnjoyIllinois.com 225 . August 28, 2009

MALSAM AT CHICAGO: Tayler Malsam will be making his 18th start in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series when the green flag drops for the EnjoyIllinois.com 225 at Chicagoland Speedway Friday evening. Though this is the first time the NCWTS will race on the 1.5-mile track, Malsam has some experience at the Joliet, Ill. venue. Malsam participated in last season’s Chicagoland 200 ARCA Series race at the speedway.

MALSAM’S RIDE: Crew Chief Doug Wolcott and the One Eighty team will unload Randy Moss Motorsports chassis No. 126 for this weekend’s race. This is the team’s most utilized truck as it has been run six times already this year. First run at California Speedway in February, it has also seen track time at Atlanta Motor Speedway, Kansas Speedway, Lowe’s Motor Speedway, Dover (Del.) International Speedway and Texas Motor Speedway. The team has earned two top-10 and five top-15 finishes this season with this truck.

TAYLER’S TAKE ON CHICAGOLAND: “I think it’s great for the fans in the Chicagoland area to have the opportunity to see the trucks in action and going to these bigger tracks in large metropolitan areas is good for the series. A lot these tracks are new to me, so in that sense this is pretty much just a regular weekend. We’ve got a lot of practice time on Thursday and I’ve got a lot of faith in Doug and the guys to bring the best truck possible, so I’m looking forward to a really good weekend.”

WOLCOTT’S WORDS: “NASCAR gives us a test day for any new track that we go to, so that obviously helps us prepare for these tracks that are new to the Camping World Truck Series. That said, Chicagoland Speedway used to be a test bed for the Series, so we’ve actually got a lot of laps around it. In fact, Chicagoland Speedway was where we went for a Toyota and a NASCAR test after the splitters were first introduced to the trucks. We had the chance to spend some time there drafting and seeing how the splitter affected the trucks, so it isn’t completely new to a lot of us.

“Pretty much all the tracks we go to are new to Tayler, so this weekend won’t be much different from any other for him. He has actually raced at Chicagoland before and the good thing about these mile and a half or longer tracks is that unlike the short tracks, it’s not all about the driver. The truck can make up for a lot so that can be an advantage for the crew chief. Tayler has adapted well to everything this year, so this weekend’s event is really just another race for the One Eighty team.”

BATTLING IT OUT FOR ROTY: Malsam lost a little bit of ground in the Raybestos Rookie of the Year points battle after getting caught up in an accident early in last week’s event at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway, but his sights are still set on the prize. Malsam remains at the top in the competition, but holds just a one point lead over fellow rookie Johnny Sauter.

TWO CHANCES TO CATCH TAYLER: Fans will have two opportunities this weekend at Chicagoland Speedway to meet Malsam. The Seattle-area native will sign autographs at the Toyota Pitpass display located at Champions Park on race day from 12:35-12:55 p.m. CT and then again from 1-2 p.m. CT at a nearby track display.

WATCH AND LISTEN: Race coverage will be televised on SPEED and heard live on select affiliates of MRN Radio and Sirius-XM NASCAR Radio Channel 128, beginning at 9 p.m. (ET).

POINT AND CLICK: Fans can continue to vote for their favorite driver for the Most Popular Driver Award through the end of October. The results of the online balloting will be announced at the NCWTS awards banquet at the end of the season. Visit www.nascar.com for more details and to cast your vote for Tayler.

 

TAYLER LOOKS TO THE DIRT THIS WEEKEND

ELMA, WA. (August 21, 2009) Tayler Malsam is returning home to the state of Washington this Saturday to do a sprint car race at Grays Harbor Speedway in Elma. The 26 car of Rudeen Racing will be unveiling a specially themed car designed by Monroe based company, Fire Down Graphics. After the disappointing finish in the Bristol race last night in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, in which Tayler was involved in a crash, he said he is "excited to come back to Elma and compete for a sprint car win." Come out and watch Tayler race at 7:30 PM at Greys Motor Speedway in Elma!

 

THE VICTIMS OF AN EARLY ACCIDENT, TAYLER MALSAM
AND THE ONE EIGHTY TEAM FINISH 31ST IN BRISTOL

BRISTOL, Tenn. (August 20, 2009) – Bristol Motor Speedway has a reputation for showing no mercy to veterans and rookies alike, and Wednesday’s O’Reilly 200 was no exception for driver Tayler Malsam and the No. 81 One Eighty team. After breaking into the top 25 following a 30th-place qualifying effort, Malsam was the innocent victim in a two-truck accident early in the race. The team was able to finish the event after making extensive repairs and took the checkered flag in the 31st spot.

The No. 81 One Eighty Toyota Tundra was the second of 39 trucks to take to the track for qualifying Wednesday afternoon. Malsam posted a speed of 117.913 miles per hour around the .533-mile track, earning the team 30th place on the starting grid.

Malsam took the green flag for the start of the race and made quick work of slower traffic, breaking into the top 25 early in the event. While the young rookie raced with veteran driver Todd Bodine and worked feverishly to maintain his position on the lead lap, Bodine’s Toyota became loose and clipped the left rear of the One Eighty machine, sending Malsam careening into the inside of the turn two wall.

Malsam was able to ease his battered truck into the garage area and crew chief Doug Wolcott and the rest of the team went to work to assess the damage. Extensive repairs were made to the nose of the machine, including replacing the radiator. The One Eighty crew made the needed repairs quickly and Malsam was able to return to the track, albeit missing much of the front end of the Tundra, on lap 83 of the 200-lap event.

Malsam spent the remainder of the night making laps in an effort to gather the maximum amount of points possible. He took the checkered flag in the 31st position.

“We were pretty loose in qualifying and I think the early draw may have hurt us a bit, but I was pretty confident about the way things would work out for us during the race,” commented Malsam after the event. “I don’t know exactly what happened there with Bodine. I was running the top and I guess he just got loose and got into me. That’s just the way it goes sometimes at a place like Bristol, I guess.

“I’m really proud of how hard Doug and the One Eighty guys worked here today. They made a lot of repairs in a short amount of time and we were at least able to get back out there, make laps and finish the race. Obviously this wasn’t what we were hoping for tonight and I’m sure it will hurt us a bit in the points and the rookie battle, but we’ll put this one behind us and look for better things at Chicagoland.”

Despite the disappointing finish in Bristol, Malsam and his Randy Moss Motorsports team remain in the top 10 in both the owner and driver points’ battles.

Tayler Malsam and the No. 81 Randy Moss Motorsports Toyota Tundra team will return to action at Chicagoland Speedway on Friday, August 28. The EnjoyIllinois.com 225, the inaugural NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at the speedway, will be broadcast at 9 p.m. (ET) on SPEED TV and on select affiliates of MRN Radio and Sirius-XM NASCAR Radio.

Bristol Motor Speedway
O’Reilly 200 Presented by Valvoline
August 19, 2009

MALSAM AT BRISTOL: Malsam will be making his 17th start in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series when the green flag drops for the O’Reilly 200 Presented by Valvoline at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway. This week’s event at BMS marks the one-year anniversary of Malsam’s debut in NASCAR Camping World Truck Series competition. Malsam qualified in the 33rd position for that event, but was involved in an accident on lap 53. This trip to BMS will mark the first time that the Seattle native will return to a track in NCWTS competition for the second time.

NASHVILLE REWIND: Malsam and the One Eighty team rebounded and finished ninth after a practice accident forced them to pull out the backup truck for the Toyota Tundra 200 at Nashville (Tenn.) Superspeedway. The event’s top-10 finish was the seventh of the season for the Randy Moss Motorsports team.

WOLCOTT’S WEAPON: Crew Chief Doug Wolcott and the One Eighty team will utilize Randy Moss Motorsports chassis No. 40 for this Wednesday’s race. This is the third time the team will unload this particular truck this season after first running it at Memphis (Tenn.) Motorsports Park in June. It was last seen at O’Reilly Raceway Park (Indianapolis), where Malsam qualified in the 10th spot on the grid and went on to post his best short-track effort of the season with a seventh-place finish.

TAYLER’S TAKE ON BRISTOL: “I know Doug had a really good truck last year at Bristol, so I feel confident that we’ll be good right off the hauler. We need to make sure to get in a good qualifying lap because it’s so easy to go a lap down there really quickly if you don’t start up front. Everything happens so fast at a short, tight track like Bristol. I know we have the potential to run well, so we’ll need to concentrate on being on top of our game and doing our best to stay out of trouble for 200 laps.”
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WOLCOTT’S WORDS: “I think we’ve got a pretty good set up to start the day at Bristol because last year my truck sat on the pole and finished third. Tayler ran 40 or 50 laps at Bristol in last year’s race so he’s got some laps at this track under his belt. We saw last year that with the new surface you could run several different grooves. Tayler loves to run that outside line, so I expect we’ll see him up there pretty early and petty often if the truck will allow it.

“The most important thing the driver needs to do is to make certain they stay alert and look way ahead. It’s a tough track because not only do you have to worry about racing the cars on your lap, but you start to encounter lapped traffic pretty quickly. Everything happens so fast there that Tayler will need to make sure that he stays really alert because the reaction time between what the spotter tells him is happening around him and his ability to avoid it is pretty short.”

BATTLING IT OUT FOR ROTY: The Rookie of the Year points battle is heating up once again with Malsam still in the lead over second-place Johnny Sauter by four points. Malsam is currently the highest ranking Raybestos ROTY candidate in the NCWTS championship point standings, holding down seventh place.

 

Nashville Superspeedway

MALSAM AT NASHVILLE: Saturday’s race at Nashville Superspeedway will be Malsam’s first NASCAR race at the track. Malsam competed at the 1.333-mile Superspeedway one year ago in the ARCA/ReMax Series. The Seattle, Washington native started the race in the 18th position and drove to a top-five finish taking the checkered flag in the fourth spot.

CHASSIS CHOICE: This weekend, crew chief Doug Wolcott and the No. 81 One Eighty team will unload Randy Moss Motorsports chassis No. 104. This will be the second time that Malsam has raced this chassis, as he captured a 13th-place finish at Kentucky Speedway in July.

ROOKIE OF THE YEAR UPDATE: With Malsam’s solid effort at Kentucky, the Seattle, Washington native extended his lead in the Raybestos Rookie of the Year Point Standings. Malsam currently leads second-place Johnny Sauter by a total of eight points. In addition, Malsam is the highest Raybestos Rookie in the NCWTS Championship Point Standings, as he holds the seventh position.

MOST POPULAR DRIVER: NASCAR has created an online ballot for the fans to vote for their favorite driver for the Most Popular Driver Award. Fans are allowed to vote once a day, until the polls close on October 31, 2009. The results of the balloting will be announced at the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series banquet at the end of the season. Let your voice be heard and vote for your favorite driver!

PREVIOUS RACE RECAP: In last week’s race at O’Reilly Raceway Park, Malsam fought back from a flat tire to claim his sixth top-10 finish of the season. Starting from the 10th position the rookie remained in the top-10 until the tire trouble dropped him back. Malsam was able to work his way back into the top-10 and take the checkered flag in the seventh spot. His top-10 run kept him in the seventh position in the NCWTS point standings as well.

A NEW LOOK FOR RMM: Randy Moss Motorsports launched its new website this week. The site contains state-of-the-art design that gives fans a chance to take a virtual tour of the RMM shop, a photo gallery updated weekly, all the latest news about what’s happening at RMM and so much more. Coming soon will be a live news feed with updates directly from the track. Be sure to check it out at www.randymossmotorsports.com.

CATCH THE ACTION: The Toyota Tundra 200 from Nashville Superspeedway will take the green flag this Saturday, August 1st at 8 P.M. Eastern. Race coverage will be televised live on SPEED, beginning at 7:30 P.M. Eastern, and heard live on select affiliates of MRN Radio and Sirius-XM NASCAR Radio Channel 128, beginning at 7:00 P.M. Eastern.

MALSAM (On racing at Nashville): “We had a really good race last week at ORP despite the tire trouble. To finish in the top-10 gives us the momentum coming into Nashville this week. I’ve raced at Nashville before and had some pretty good success in the ARCA car last year. I’m looking forward to this weekend. I know we will have a competitive truck and I’m hoping to get another solid run for Doug (Wolcott, crew chief) and all the guys on the No. 81 One Eighty team.”

TAYLER MALSAM OVERCOMES A FLAT TIRE TO BRING ONE EIGHTY TOYOTA TUNDRA HOME TO SEVENTH-PLACE FINISH AT ORP

Rookie of the Year Candidate Maintains Seventh-Place Spot in NCWTS Point Standings

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. (July 25, 2009) – Tayler Malsam and the No. 81 One Eighty team fought through adversity once again to earn a top-10 finish in Friday’s running of the AAA Insurance 200 presented by JD Byrider at O’Reilly Raceway Park in Indianapolis, IN. Malsam overcame a flat tire to finish seventh and maintain his top-10 spot in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) driver championship point standings.

Starting 10th in the 35-truck field, Malsam remained in the top-10 running positions for most of the first half of the event running as high as the eighth place. It was on lap 92 that the Raybestos Rookie of the Year (ROTY) candidate had a right front tire go down. Fortunately for Malsam and the One Eighty Randy Moss Motorsports (RMM) team, a caution came out on the same lap allowing them to come to the pit lane to change the tire.

Malsam brought his No. 81 One Eighty Toyota down to the attention of his crew for four tires, fuel and a track bar adjustments in two stops. Returning to the track for the restart in the 16th position the Seattle, Washington native had his work cut out for him to regain a spot in the top-10.

The long green-flag run saw the rookie work his way back into the top-10 before the caution flag waved again on lap 160. Crew chief Doug Wolcott called his driver back down the pit lane for the final time giving him right side tires for the closing laps of the event. Malsam returned to the track for the restart in the 10th position.

The final caution flag waved in the final laps setting up a 10-lap run to the checkered flag. Malsam, who remained in the 10th position for the restart was able to pick off a couple of positions and finish seventh earning his sixth top-10 finish of the season.

“It’s fun,” commented Malsam. “It’s just cool how you can run top and bottom on a short track and go up and race like that. It’s just awesome. It’s like being at a big track and a short track at the same time. It’s cool.”

“It was definitely tight out there,” continued Malsam commenting on the competition. “We were tight all day, but the Randy Moss Motorsports team did a great job. I had a lot of fun, but it was tight, short track racing. Our truck switched through the night. Sometimes we were better through turns one and two and sometimes we were better through (turns) three and four. It just depended on what tires we had or what Doug (Wolcott, crew chief) changed on the truck.”

With his top-10 run, Malsam was able to maintain his seventh-place position in the NCWTS point standings. In addition, the RMM driver remains the points leader in the ROTY standings with an eight-point lead over second place Johnny Sauter.

Tayler Malsam and the No. 81 Randy Moss Motorsports Toyota Tundra team will return to action at the 1.333-mile Nashville Superspeedway on August 1, 2009. Live television coverage of the Toyota Tundra 200 will begin at 7:30 p.m. (ET) on SPEED with select affiliates of MRN Radio and Sirius-XM NASCAR Radio beginning coverage at 7:00 p.m. (E.T.)

Cut Tire Blows Chances of Tayler Malsam Capturing his First Win in Truck Series
The 20-Year-Old Lead His First Laps in NASCAR Competition and Comes Home with 13th-Place Finish

SPARTA, Ky. (July 20, 2009) – Tayler Malsam once again proved at Kentucky Speedway why he isn’t the average Raybestos Rookie of the Year candidate in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. Driving the No. 81 One Eighty Toyota Tundra during the one-year anniversary of Randy Moss Motorsports, Malsam was determined to claim his first top-five finish. Starting from the eighth position, Malsam steadily ran in the top-10 for the majority of the 150-lap race. Crew chief Doug Wolcott made a strategy call, only taking two tires on the first pit stop of the night, allowing Malsam to break into the top-three. On lap 46, Malsam took the lead from veteran Ron Hornaday and led for a total of 12 laps, recording his first laps led in NASCAR competition. Consistently running in the top-five positions, Malsam received contact from a fellow competitor in the final 10 laps, relegating the 20-year-old to a very disappointing 13th-place finish.

Qualifying in his best starting position of the 2009 season, Malsam was poised to run up front with the veterans of the Truck Series. As the first caution of the night slowed the field on lap 34, the Raybestos Rookie leader was running in the eighth position. Wolcott made a strategy call for only right side tires on lap 35, followed by a fuel stop the next lap. Restarting from the third position on lap 42, Malsam was running the fastest laps of the race. In a short four laps, the Seattle, Washington native passed Ron Hornaday and led his first laps in NASCAR competition. Malsam was pulling away from the rest of the field when a caution flew on lap 54.

Restarting from the lead on lap 58, Malsam got a slow start and in one lap, the No. 81 One Eighty Toyota was running in the fifth position. Having a stout Tundra, Malsam worked his way back into third-place by lap 59. A long green-flag run allowed the youngster to track the leaders back down and take over second-place. Wolcott called Malsam to the attention of his pit crew on lap 98 for fuel only under green-flag conditions. A caution brought the field back together on lap 112, as the One Eighty Toyota was running in fifth-place.

Wolcott once again called Malsam to pit road for four fresh tires and the rookie candidate restarted in the fifth position on lap 118, right in front of his RMM teammate Mike Skinner. The final 25 laps of the race were caution-filled and Malsam was slowly picking off spots in front of him. By lap 121, the One Eighty Toyota was once again running in the second position. Unfortunately with seven laps to go, Malsam received contact from another competitor, which cut down the left rear tire of the No. 81 One Eighty Tundra and the hopes of the rookie capturing his first win in the Truck Series. After coming to pit road for four fresh tires, Malsam came home in the 13th position. This was Malsam’s 10th top-15 finish of the 2009 season.

“It’s very disappointing and frustrating,” said Malsam. “To have a tire cut down with only a handful of laps left is really frustrating. But I can’t say enough about my team. Doug (Wolcott) and all of these guys on his One Eighty, Randy Moss Motorsports team did an awesome job all weekend. This just shows that we are definitely a force to be reckoned with, because if my guys keep giving me rockets like this truck was, we will get our top-five finish and win very soon. It was a lot of fun leading those laps out there and running up front with the veterans who have been doing this for a long time. It just says a lot about my team and we will go get them in Indy.”

With his solid effort, Malsam remains in the seventh position in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series championship point standings. He currently sits 73 points behind sixth-place David Starr and only 76 points behind fifth-place Brian Scott.

This Friday, July 24, Tayler Malsam and the No. 81 One Eighty Toyota Tundra team will head to the historic O’Reilly Raceway Park at Indianapolis. The green flag will drop on the AAA Insurance 200 shortly after 8:00 P.M. Eastern. SPEED will have live coverage of the 200-lap event, starting at 7:30 P.M. Eastern. Select affiliates of MRN Radio and Sirius-XM NASCAR Radio Channel 128 will also have the live radio broadcast.

Randy Moss Motorsports Rides Wave of Momentum at One-Year Anniversary Mark
Drivers, Malsam and Skinner Sit Inside the Top-Seven in Truck Series Championship Point Standings


STATESVILLE, N.C. (July 15, 2009) – As the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series heads to Kentucky Speedway this week to return to racing action, the 12th race of the 2009 season not only marks the halfway point of the 25 race schedule, but it also marks the one-year anniversary of NFL All-Pro Wide Receiver Randy Moss partnering with veteran owner David Dollar to form Randy Moss Motorsports. Last year’s event at the 1.5-mile oval was Moss’ first race as a NASCAR owner and one year later, the West Virginia native is proving some doubters wrong as his team is contending for wins every week and both of his drivers, Mike Skinner and Tayler Malsam sit inside the top-seven positions in the Championship Point Standings.

“I can’t believe that it has already been a year since I started this partnership with David (Dollar, co-owner),” said Moss. “It seems like time has passed very quickly. We’ve had our ups and downs but to have two talented drivers like Mike and Tayler in our trucks has been a huge plus for our race team this season. They both have made Randy Moss Motorsports a contender every race and that is truly all you can ask for. The wins will come when you run consistently up front.”

Co-owner David Dollar, who manages the day-to-day operations of the two-truck operation, agrees with Moss.

“It is definitely exciting to come to our one-year anniversary mark and head back to Kentucky, where our first race was last year,” said Dollar. “Together, Randy and I have been able to accomplish a lot in a short amount of time. To get a win at Kansas this year with Mike (Skinner) was huge. It was our first win together and I think it proved that we are here to be competitive week in and week out. Mike and Tayler (Malsam) have done a great job for our program and to have them both in the top-seven in the Championship Point Standings says a lot about our organization and the people we have working at RMM.”

Skinner, driver of the No. 5 Toyota Tundra, has consistently run up front and contended for numerous wins in the first 11 races of the season. In April, Skinner and his team accomplished a major accolade as they weathered the storms and came home as the winner at Kansas Speedway in only their fourth race together. This was the first win for Moss as an owner and Skinner left with the Championship Point Lead in his hands. So far, Skinner has claimed four top-five finishes and eight top-10 finishes.

Malsam, driver of the No. 81 One Eighty Toyota Tundra, has proven to his competitors that although he is a Raybestos Rookie, he can run up front and race with the veterans in this ultracompetitive series. The 20-year-old from Seattle, Washington has taken the field by storm, capturing five top-10 finishes, along with nine top-15 finishes. In addition, Malsam has claimed the Raybestos Rookie of the Race award twice this season.

“Mike’s win at Kansas was very exciting,” Moss said. “I was bummed that I couldn’t be there in person, but I talked to him after the race and I was very excited. And to have Tayler as a rookie come out of the gate and perform at such a high level is awesome. These two guys make a great pair for our organization and I couldn’t have asked for any more than the results that we are getting out of Mike and Tayler. Of course football is my number one priority, but I have enjoyed spending time at the track this season and seeing the guys in their element. It is like one big family and the teamwork is very impressive. Just like I’m in my element on the football field, they are in the zone when it comes to race time.”

Currently, Skinner sits third in the Championship Point Standings, while Malsam sits in the seventh position, the highest Raybestos Rookie of the Year candidate in the Series’ standings. Also, Malsam is currently the leader of the Raybestos Rookie of the Year Point Standings, as he holds a one-point lead of Johnny Sauter.

“But as much as it’s nice to look back and see the accomplishments that we have achieved so far, we are looking forward to the future,” said Moss. “There are great opportunities for us and we are setting our goals high. Mike is in position for the championship and Tayler is in position to win the Rookie of the Year award. To be in position to win two trophies at the end of the season is something to be proud of.”

 

Kentucky Speedway
Built Ford Tough 225 presented by Greater Cincinnati Ford Dealers
Saturday, July 18, 2009

MALSAM AT KENTUCKY: Malsam has competed in two ARCA RE/MAX Series races at Kentucky Speedway. The 20-year-old raced in both events last year (’08), starting sixth and finished 11th in the first outing, followed by a 19th-place finish in the second race.

ONE YEAR DOWN, MANY MORE AHEAD: This weekend’s race at Kentucky Speedway marks the one-year anniversary of Randy Moss becoming an owner in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. The NFL Wide Receiver merged with co-owner David Dollar last July, as Morgan-Dollar Motorsports became Randy Moss Motorsports. Moss won his first race as an owner in April, as Skinner drove the No. 5 Toyota Tundra to Victory Lane at Kansas Speedway.

CHASSIS CHOICE: This weekend, crew chief Doug Wolcott and the No. 81 One Eighty team will unload Randy Moss Motorsports chassis No. 104. Saturday’s race will be the first time that Malsam has raced this particular Toyota Tundra.

MOST POPULAR DRIVER: NASCAR has created an online ballot for the fans to vote for their favorite driver for the Most Popular Driver Award. Fans are allowed to vote once a day, until the polls close on October 31, 2009. The results of the balloting will be announced at the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series banquet at the end of the season. Let your voice be heard and vote for your favorite driver!

FOUR RACES IN ONE WEEK: Malsam will compete in four races this week – three 360 Sprint Car races in Oregon, topped off by his Truck Series race on Saturday evening. Malsam competes for Rudeen Racing in the Sprint Car Series, driving the No. 26 car.

MEDIA AVAILABILITY: Malsam, teammate Mike Skinner, and co-owner David Dollar will be available to the media on Friday evening at 5:15 P.M. Eastern in the Media Center at Kentucky Speedway.

CATCH THE ACTION: The Built Ford Tough 225 presented by Greater Cincinnati Ford Dealers from Kentucky Speedway will take the green flag this Saturday, July 18th at 7 P.M. Eastern. Race coverage will be televised live on SPEED, beginning at 6:30 P.M. Eastern, and heard live on select affiliates of MRN Radio and Sirius-XM NASCAR Radio Channel 128, beginning at 6:30 P.M. Eastern.

MALSAM (On racing at Kentucky Speedway): “I’m really looking forward to going back to Kentucky this weekend. It’s nice going to track that I have had some laps on before, because that usually doesn’t happen a lot. My One Eighty, Randy Moss Motorsports team always gives me good Toyotas to drive and this race will be no different. We have had success at mile-and-a-half tracks this season, so I definitely think that we can get our first top-five of the season this Saturday night.”

 

Late Race Spin Spoils Top-10 Finish for Tayler Malsam at Memphis
The 20-Year-Old Rookie Starts Last and Comes Home with a 16th-Place Finish


MILLINGTON, Tenn. (June 29, 2009) – Sometimes things just don’t go as planned. Tayler Malsam’s first trip to Memphis Motorsports Park wasn’t exactly ideal, as temperatures ranged over 100 degrees at the drop of the green-flag for the 11th race of the 2009 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series season. Before the 20-year-old’s qualifying effort Saturday afternoon, the No. 81 One Eighty Toyota Tundra had no brake pressure, but the Randy Moss Motorsports team was able to get the problem resolved enough for the Raybestos Rookie of the Year contender to make a run. Unfortunately, the trucks were under an impound situation after qualifying, which meant that Malsam and the One Eighty team would have to start at the rear of the field for the start of the 200-lap event.

Malsam quickly moved his way toward the front of the field and was running in the 26th position by lap five. As the second caution of the race came out on lap 52, Malsam was posted in the 17th position. Crew chief Doug Wolcott called his driver to the attention of his One Eighty pit crew on lap 53 for two right side tires, a strategy used to gain track position. The following lap, the No. 81 Toyota returned to pit road for fuel. The Seattle, Washington native was in the seventh position for the restart on lap 58. Fighting a loose handling condition at the halfway point on lap 100, the rookie dropped to the ninth position.

A caution on lap 110 allowed Malsam to make his final pit stop of the race. Wolcott once again called Malsam to pit road on lap 111 for four fresh tires, followed by another stop the next lap for fuel and a track bar adjustment. Various pit strategies were played out on pit road forcing Malsam to restart on lap 117 from 14th-place. Gaining three positions by lap 150, the No. 81 One Eighty Toyota was battling for a spot in the top-10. It was in the final five laps of the race while battling for a top-10 finish that Malsam and another competitor made contact, spinning both trucks out and bringing out a caution. This late race spin caused Malsam to finish in the 16th position, recording only his second finish outside the top-15 all season.

"Our One Eighty Toyota Tundra was good for most of the day,” said Malsam. “We had brake problems during qualifying which put us to the back for the start of the race. Doug (Wolcott, crew chief) and all of these guys worked really hard this weekend and it sucks when you have something go wrong there in the final 10 laps of the race. But we will put this one behind us and move forward."

With his 16th-place finish at the Home of the Blues, Malsam dropped one position to seventh-place in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series championship point standings. He currently sits 64 points behind fifth-place David Starr and only 50 points behind sixth-place Brian Scott.

Malsam and the No. 81 One Eighty Toyota Tundra team will take a well-deserved two week break, but will return to racing action at Kentucky Speedway on July 18, 2009 for the running of the Built Ford Tough 225 presented by the Greater Cincinnati Ford Dealers. The green flag will drop at the 1.5-mile track shortly after 7 P.M. Eastern. SPEED will have live coverage of the 150-lap race with pre-race coverage, beginning at 6:30 P.M. Eastern. Select affiliates of MRN Radio and Sirius-XM NASCAR Radio Channel 128 will also have the live radio broadcast, beginning at 6:30 P.M. Eastern.

 

Memphis Motorsports Park
The MemphisTravel.com 200 presented by O’Reilly Auto Parts
Saturday, June 27, 2009


MALSAM AT MEMPHIS: This Saturday’s race at Memphis Motorsports Park will be Malsam’s first at the 3/4-mile oval. The 20-year-old has visited the city of Memphis before, as he has taken a tour of Elvis Presley’s homestead, Graceland, but Malsam has never ran laps around the Tennessee short-track.

CHASSIS CHOICE: This weekend, crew chief Doug Wolcott and the No. 81 One Eighty team will unload Randy Moss Motorsports chassis No. 40. Saturday’s race will be the first time that Malsam has raced this particular Toyota Tundra.

FRESHMAN LEADER: Malsam currently leads the Raybestos Rookie of the Year point standings, holding a seven-point lead over second-place Johnny Sauter. The Seattle, Washington native has received the Rookie of the Race honors twice this season at Atlanta Motor Speedway and Lowe’s Motor Speedway. Also, Malsam is the highest rookie in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series championship point standings, as he sits in the sixth-place.

TEN DOWN, FIFTEEN TO GO: As the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series has completed their first 10 races of the 2009 season, Malsam and his One Eighty team have captured five top-10 finishes, along with nine top-15 finishes. He has completed 99.8% (1511 of 1514) of laps competed and has recorded zero DNF’s (Did Not Finish).

DID YOU KNOW?: Malsam is a huge Elvis Presley fan. Also, the top rookie enjoys listening to Johnny Cash, Social Distortion, Jay-Z, and Jeremy Burk. And Malsam likes all Christmas music too.

PREVIOUS RACE RECAP: Last week, Malsam and his No. 81 One Eighty team recorded their fifth top-10 finish of the season at The Milwaukee Mile, with a seventh-place finish at America’s Legendary Oval. Fighting a tight-handling Toyota, Malsam showed patience during his first race at the one-mile track and came home with another solid run. Malsam moved up one position in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series championship point standings, as he is currently in sixth-place, only 14 points behind fifth-place David Starr.

CATCH THE ACTION: The MemphisTravel.com 200 presented by O’Reilly Auto Parts from Memphis Motorsports Park will take the green flag this Saturday, June 27th at 6 P.M. Eastern. Race coverage will be televised live on SPEED, beginning at 5:30 P.M. Eastern, and heard live on select affiliates of MRN Radio and Sirius-XM NASCAR Radio Channel 128, beginning at 5:30 P.M. Eastern.

MALSAM (On racing at Memphis Motorsports Park): “I’m very excited about heading to Memphis this weekend. I know that Doug (Wolcott) and my guys on this One Eighty Toyota team are going to bring a great truck to the racetrack. I’ve never raced at the track before, so I’m going to have to learn my way around the place, but I’m confident that we can finish in the top-10 and maybe in the top-five. We are right there on the edge of finishing in the top-five for the first time and I don’t see why Memphis can’t be the place that we do it at. I’ve been to Graceland before and I really enjoy listening to Elvis’ music, so to have a chance to win that one-of-a-kind trophy is awesome. I would love to have that at my house.”

 

NCWTS Rookie Leader Tayler Malsam Continues to Impress
Seattle Native Surges to Sixth in NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Points


STATESVILLE, N.C. (June 24, 2009) - Experience is a great teacher and few racing series place a higher premium on experience than the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS). So, how then to explain Tayler Malsam, the 20-year-old Seattle rookie, who is currently sixth in the NCWTS series championship point standings?

Malsam is a true NASCAR rookie with just one prior season of stock car experience (ARCA) and two NASCAR Truck Series starts before 2009. It was only a short four years ago when Malsam climbed into a kart for the first time at the age of 16.

Despite a ban on NASCAR testing, Malsam, driving the No. 81 One Eighty Toyota Tundra for Randy Moss Motorsports, already has five top-10 finishes with an average finishing position of 11.3. He has completed 1509 of 1512 laps, finishing on the lead lap in nine of the season’s first 10 races.

In the last five races, Malsam has finished eighth at Charlotte, 12th at Dover, ninth at Texas, sixth at Michigan, and seventh at Milwaukee to put himself in the lead for the NCWTS Raybestos Rookie of the Year standings. Before the 2009 season, he had never previously raced on four of those tracks.

“Most of the veterans in the garage area have made hundreds of starts in all three NASCAR series,” said Malsam. “I’ve only competed in 12 races, so every time I get to another track, I’m learning. Just being around these guys, especially Mike (Skinner, teammate), I learn a ton.”

“You can’t even say that these guys have forgotten more than I could possibly know because they never forget anything,” said Malsam. “They remember everything and that helps them in track set-ups, changing conditions and race strategy. They race hard every lap and they never give an inch. They make you earn it.”

“Our hope was to get Tayler racing for top-10 finishes by the mid-point of the season and then try to start edging him into top-fives in the races during the second half of the season,” said Randy Moss Motorsports team co-owner David Dollar. “Tayler is really coming on and has exceeded all our expectations. He is a team owner’s dream by taking care of his equipment and bringing the trucks home each week in one piece. We still want to win the Rookie of the Year title but we are also hoping to get him into Victory Lane before the season ends.”

“Tayler has a lot of talent, but what really sets him apart is that he is very patient and he really looks out for his crew,” said crew chief Doug Wolcott. “Our entire Randy Moss Motorsports team enjoys being around him. He really stands behind the guys even when we have trouble in the pits. He’s on the radio telling them it’s okay and gets back on track and races hard to gain the spots back.”

Malsam is not the only young gun trying to build his record in the NCWTS. He currently leads the Raybestos Rookie of the Year awards ahead of Johnny Sauter, James Buescher, Motocross legend Ricky Carmichael and J.R. Fitzpatrick.

Malsam’s early success has drawn notice in the NASCAR garages and sponsor suites. “We have some exciting options developing for next year but my job is to stay focused on this year,” said Malsam. “We need to start turning some of those top-10 finishes into top-fives and then try to put ourselves in position to win a race.”

 

Tayler Malsam Records Seventh-Place Finish in First Trip to Milwaukee
The 20-Year-Old Gains Two Positions to Sixth-Place in Championship Point Standings


WEST ALLIS, Wisc. (June 22, 2009) – In his first trip to The Milwaukee Mile, Tayler Malsam showed once again why he is leading the Raybestos Rookie of the Year Point Standings. Overcoming a tight-handling Toyota Tundra, Malsam kept running his race and received a lucky break on lap 128 as numerous competitors were trapped one or more laps down for making green-flag pit stops, leaving only half of the field on the lead lap. For the final 70 laps of the 200-mile event, the 20-year-old ran in the top-eight positions, eventually bringing his No. 81 One Eighty Toyota Tundra home in seventh-place. This was Malsam’s fifth top-10 finish of the 2009 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series season and he currently sits sixth in the Championship Point Standings.

After rain cancelled qualifying and postponed the race on Friday, Malsam started from the ninth position on Saturday afternoon, under hot conditions. The Seattle, Washington native quickly felt his Toyota handling tight and came to pit road as the caution flew for the first time on lap 38. Crew chief Doug Wolcott called for four fresh tires on lap 40, followed by fuel and a track bar adjustment the next lap. Unfortunately, the track bar wrench broke while making the adjustment, forcing Malsam to return to pit road on lap 42 to remove the broken piece. While on pit road, the One Eighty pit crew put two left side tires on the Tundra. On lap 44, Malsam restarted from the 22nd position.

Still fighting tight handling conditions while running in 20th-place, Malsam returned to pit road under caution on lap 54 for an adjustment and to top off with fuel, which proved to be a wise move for the One Eighty team. Five laps later, the Raybestos Rookie Leader restarted in the 18th position. A long green-flag run came over the 33-truck field and the extra fuel that Malsam received allowed him to stay out on the track longer than some of his other competitors. The caution flew on lap 128, placing half of the field a lap down and allowing Malsam to have track position for the first time in the race. On lap 129, Wolcott called the No. 81 Toyota to pit road for four ties and then the following lap for fuel.

Malsam restarted the race on lap 133 from the fourth position and ran in the top-eight for the remainder of the race. Showing his talent even when the truck wasn’t to his liking, Malsam came home in the seventh position.

"Our No. 81 One Eighty Toyota Tundra wasn't to our liking today,” said Malsam. “We were just really, really tight no matter what adjustments we made. But, like always, my Randy Moss Motorsports team never gave up. Doug (Wolcott, crew chief) and everyone on this team gave it all they had. To come away with another top-10 finish at a track that I haven't raced on before is awesome and a testament to this team. We will take this run and head onto Memphis next week."

After recording his ninth top-15 finish of the season, Malsam gained one spot to the sixth-position in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series championship point standings. He is currently only 14 points behind fifth-place David Starr. In addition, Malsam held his lead in the Raybestos Rookie of the Year Point Standings.

This Saturday, June 27, Malsam and his No. 81 One Eighty team will look to end their five-week stretch with a win as they head to the Home of the Blues for the running of the MemphisTravel.com 200 at Memphis Motorsports Park. Malsam will look to rock and roll to Victory Lane as the green flag waves shortly after 6 P.M. Eastern. The 200-lap race will be televised live on SPEED starting at 5:30 P.M. Eastern. It can also be heard live on select affiliates of MRN Radio, along with Sirius-XM NASCAR Radio Channel 128.

 

The Milwaukee Mile
Copart 200
Friday, June 19, 2009


MALSAM AT MILWAUKEE: Friday’s race at The Milwaukee Mile will be Malsam’s first race at the track known as American’s Legendary Oval. Malsam will look to follow up his sixth-place finish at Michigan International Speedway with another solid performance at the one-mile oval.

CHASSIS CHOICE: This weekend, crew chief Doug Wolcott and the No. 81 One Eighty team will unload Randy Moss Motorsports chassis No. 118. This will be the second race for this Toyota Tundra, as the Seattle, Washington native drove this chassis to a 14th-place finish at Martinsville Speedway in March. Prior to Martinsville, this Tundra was a Bill Davis Racing truck, driven by Malsam’s current teammate Mike Skinner.

ROOKIE UPDATE: Malsam currently leads the Raybestos Rookie of the Year point standings, holding a two-point lead over second-place Johnny Sauter. The Seattle, Washington native has received the Rookie of the Race honors twice this season at Atlanta Motor Speedway and Lowe’s Motor Speedway. Also, Malsam is the highest rookie in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series championship point standings.

DID YOU KNOW?: In the last seven races, the worst Malsam has finished has been a 14th-place run at Martinsville Speedway.

PREVIOUS RACE RECAP: Last week, Malsam and his No. 81 One Eighty team recorded their fourth top-10 finish of the season at Michigan International Speedway, with a sixth-place finish at two-mile D-shaped oval. It was the 20-year-old’s career best finish in his 11 NCWTS starts. Malsam is currently tied with Terry Cook for seventh-place in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series championship point standings, only 23 points behind fifth-place Kyle Busch.

CATCH THE ACTION: The Copart 200 from The Milwaukee Mile will take the green flag this Friday, June 19th at 9 P.M. Eastern. Race coverage will be televised live on SPEED, beginning at 8:30 P.M. Eastern, and heard live on select affiliates of MRN Radio and Sirius-XM NASCAR Radio Channel 128, beginning at 8:30 P.M. Eastern.

MALSAM (On racing at The Milwaukee Mile): “I’ve never raced at Milwaukee, so the learning process is going to be the same as all of the other tracks that I’ve raced on for the first time this season. My One Eighty, Randy Moss team has done a fantastic job of getting me everything that I need on the track. We had a great run last week in Michigan and we’re right at the door banging for a top-five finish. I think it is getting really close to our first top-five and once we get it, I think we are capable of getting a win.”

 

Tayler Malsam Captures Career Best Finish with a Sixth-Place Run at Michigan
The 20-Year-Old Breaks into the Top-10 in Championship Point Standings

BROOKLYN, Mich. (June 15, 2009) – In only his second trip to the Irish Hills of Michigan, Tayler Malsam recorded his career best finish in his 11 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series starts, with a sixth-place run Saturday afternoon at Michigan International Speedway. The 20-year-old driver overcame ignition box troubles in the first five laps of the race and right front damage from a multi-truck wreck on lap 34 to capture his fourth top-10 finish of the 2009 season.

Malsam qualified in the 14th position and quickly realized a problem on board his No. 81 One Eighty Toyota Tundra. On lap five, the Raybestos Rookie of the Year Contender had to switch ignition boxes as his first box expired. As a result of switching boxes, Malsam was running in 22nd-place on lap six. The first caution of the afternoon came out on lap 10 and crew chief Doug Wolcott called Malsam to pit road for a track bar adjustment and fuel.

Road block number two for Malsam came on lap 34 as a multi-truck incident caused the One Eighty Toyota to receive right front damage. After the Randy Moss Motorsports crew repaired the damage, Malsam restarted the 100-lap race from the 20th position. Within 15 laps, the Seattle, Washington native broke into the top-10. For the final 50 laps, Malsam steadily moved up within the top-10 positions, getting as high as fifth on lap 73. The rookie battled teammate Mike Skinner in the final laps of race and brought home a sixth-place finish. This was Malsam’s career best finish in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series.

After recording his eighth top-15 finish of the season, Malsam broke into the top-10 in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series championship point standings, as he sits tied with Terry Cook for the seventh position. He is currently only 23 points behind fifth-place Kyle Busch. In addition, Malsam took back his lead in the Raybestos Rookie of the Year standings, as he leads second-place Johnny Sauter by two points.

This Friday, June 19, Malsam and his No. 81 One Eighty Toyota Tundra team will head to the oldest active track in the world for the one day show at The Milwaukee Mile. The green flag will drop at America’s Legendary Oval just shortly after 9 P.M. Eastern. SPEED will have live coverage of the 200-lap event, starting at 8:30 P.M. Eastern. Select affiliates of MRN Radio and Sirius-XM NASCAR Radio Channel 128 will also have the live radio broadcast.

For more information about Tayler Malsam and Randy Moss Motorsports, please visit www.taylermalsam.com and www.randymossmotorsports.com.

Tayler Malsam Quotes:
How was your race?
“Just got to give credit to this team. These guys have been working their butts off in the shop and out here. It was an ignition box and then getting in that accident, they got us back out there fast so it’s all these guys. I’m just holding it down.”

It appeared that your truck got better as the race went on.
“Doug (Wolcott) kept throwing changes at it and kept working. We kept loosening her up and loosening her up and making the high side work again.”

What did you need to finish a little better?
“I think we just needed more laps. I think we were getting tight with that front fender knocked in. Overall it was a good day.”

What happened in that accident?
“I don’t know. I just saw smoke and they said, ‘Watch out’ and the next thing I know we were hitting someone. It was all good though.”

How important is it to score another top-10 as you continue the learning process?
“It’s huge. I mean, the guys are working their butts off at the shop and stuff and to keep running good for them is all I can do. These guys keep working out here and at the shop and top-10s and top-fives and everything leads to a win. Hopefully all the stars will line up one night and we get one of these. I need to thank everyone at Randy Moss Motorsports and Toyota and send a big thank you to One Eighty for everything that they do and for the amazing food that they sent us this weekend.”

 

Michigan International Speedway
Michigan 200
Saturday, June 13, 2009


MALSAM AT MICHIGAN: Malsam will be returning to Michigan International Speedway for his second race at the 2.0-mile D-shaped oval. Last year in the ARCA RE/MAX Series, Malsam competed at the Michigan track, where he qualified in the 24th position and finished in 18th-place as a result of an ill-handling racecar.

CHASSIS CHOICE: This weekend, crew chief Doug Wolcott and the No. 81 One Eighty team will unload Randy Moss Motorsports chassis No. 103. This Saturday’s 100-lap event in the Irish Hills will mark the first race for this Toyota Tundra with Malsam behind the wheel.

ROOKIE UPDATE: Malsam currently sits second in the Raybestos Rookie of the Year point standings, only four points behind leader Johnny Sauter. The Seattle, Washington native has received the Rookie of the Race honors twice this season at Atlanta Motor Speedway and Lowe’s Motor Speedway. Also, Malsam is the highest rookie in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series championship point standings.

DID YOU KNOW?: The highest finishing position by a Raybestos Rookie at Michigan in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series is second. Kurt Busch holds the honor as he claimed the runner-up finish in 2000.

PREVIOUS RACE RECAP: Last week, Malsam and his No. 81 One Eighty team recorded their third top-10 finish of the season at Texas Motor Speedway, with a ninth-place finish at 1.5-mile oval. It was the 20-year-old’s first trip to the Fort Worth track and clutch issues plagued the rookie for the final 40 laps of the race. Malsam currently sits 11th in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series championship point standings, only six points behind 10th-place Rick Crawford.

CATCH THE ACTION: The Michigan 200 from Michigan International Speedway will take the green flag this Saturday, June 13th at 2 P.M. Eastern. Race coverage will be televised live on SPEED, beginning at 1:30 P.M. Eastern, and heard live on select affiliates of MRN Radio and Sirius-XM NASCAR Radio Channel 128, beginning at 1:30 P.M. Eastern.

MALSAM (On racing at Michigan International Speedway): “Going back to Michigan again this year is exciting. It’s always nice when I can have some laps on the track before I get there to race, but no matter what my guys on this One Eighty team do a good job of putting a solid Toyota Tundra under me. I didn’t have a great run there last year in the ARCA car, but I’m looking forward to going there this year with these Randy Moss Motorsports guys. We are definitely capable of getting another top-10 finish and maybe even our first top-five finish of the season.”

 

Tayler Malsam Two-Steps to a Ninth-Place Finish at Texas Motor Speedway
Despite Clutch Issues in the Final 45 Laps, the 20-Year-Old Claims Third Top-10 Finish


FT. WORTH, Texas (June 8, 2009) – Making his first trip to Texas Motor Speedway, Tayler Malsam had confidence that his Randy Moss Motorsports team could claim another top-10 finish in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. And together, the 20-year-old and his One Eighty crew did just that. Despite a poor qualifying effort, the No. 81 Toyota steadily moved towards the front of the field and a pit strategy call by crew chief Doug Wolcott catapulted the Tundra into the top-five with 70 laps to go. Unfortunately, clutch issues plagued Malsam for the remainder of the race, which relegated him to a ninth-place finish at The Great American Speedway. This team effort was the third top-10 finish of the 2009 NCWTS season for Malsam.

Starting from the 24th position, Malsam gained five places by the completion of lap one. The Raybestos Rookie of the Year candidate picked off spots one at a time and by lap 42 when the first caution of the race flew, Malsam was in the 14th position. Wolcott called Malsam to pit road for four tires and the RMM Tundra returned to pit road the next lap for fuel and a track bar adjustment. A quick stop by the One Eighty pit crew resulted in the Seattle, Washington native restarting from 12th-place on lap 47.

An unusual long green flag run spread out the field and caused the teams to start making green flag pit stops. Wolcott left Malsam on the track for as long as possible, moving the rookie to the fourth position on lap 99. Three laps later, Malsam brought his Tundra down pit road just for fuel. As most other competitors decided to make two stops under green, Wolcott only brought Malsam to pit road once, placing the One Eighty Toyota in third-place. A second and final caution came out just in time for Malsam on lap 123, as it allowed him to come to the pits for four fresh tires and return the next lap for fuel.

Unfortunately, under the caution Malsam noticed clutch issues which made the No. 81 Tundra hard to get momentum on restarts. Making a smart decision for the rest of the field, Malsam went back to the tail-end of the lead lap in the ninth position to restart the race on lap 128. Finishing the 167-lap race strong, Malsam two-stepped his way to a ninth-place finish and captured his third top-10 finish of his young Truck Series career.

“I just can’t say enough about my guys on this One Eighty, Randy Moss Motorsports Toyota Tundra team,” said Malsam. “They worked a lot of hours this past week to bring this truck to Texas and it definitely paid off. Our Toyota was awesome tonight and Doug (Wolcott) made a great call under the green flag pit stops to only come in once. I definitely had to take care of the tires, but it all worked out. Just at the end there, we had some clutch issues which put us back farther than we deserved. To come home with another top-10 finish though is great and we will go get them next week in Michigan.”

After his strong but disappointing top-10 finish, Malsam gained one position to 11th-place in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series championship point standings. He is currently only six points behind 10th-place Rick Crawford.

 

Texas Motor Speedway . WinStar World Casino 400 . Friday, June 5, 2009
ONE EIGHTY RETURNS: One Eighty will continue their sponsorship of Malsam’s No. 81 Toyota Tundra this Friday at Texas Motor Speedway. The familiar colors of One Eighty Racing have been on Malsam’s Randy Moss Motorsports truck every race this season. The Raybestos Rookie of the Year leader has recorded two top-10 and six top-15 finishes in the first seven races and is currently 12th in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series championship point standings. For more information about One Eighty, please visit www.oneeightytwist.com.

MALSAM AT TEXAS: Friday’s race at Texas Motor Speedway will be Malsam’s first race at the Fort Worth track. Malsam’s last race at a 1.5-mile oval (Lowe’s Motor Speedway) resulted in his highest finish of the season – an eighth-place effort.

CHASSIS CHOICE: This weekend, crew chief Doug Wolcott and the No. 81 team will once again unload Randy Moss Motorsports chassis No. 126. This Toyota Tundra has been raced five times so far in the 2009 season, at Auto Club Speedway, Atlanta Motor Speedway, Kansas Speedway, Lowe’s Motor Speedway, and most recently at Dover International Speedway. The highest finish in this chassis came at Lowe’s, where Malsam posted an eighth-place finish.

ROOKIE OF THE YEAR UPDATE: After his 12th-place finish at Dover International Speedway, Malsam held his lead in the Raybestos Rookie of the Year point standings. The Seattle, Washington native is currently tied with Johnny Sauter with a total of 71 points. Malsam has won the Rookie of the Race award twice in the first seven races of the season, as he captured the honor at Atlanta Motor Speedway and most recently at Lowe’s Motor Speedway.

AUTOGRAPH SESSION: Malsam and his Randy Moss Motorsports teammate Mike Skinner will join other NASCAR Camping World Truck Series drivers to sign autographs on Friday afternoon from 4:30 p.m. to 5:15 p.m. CT in the TM Interactive area.

CATCH THE ACTION: The WinStar World Casino 400 from Texas Motor Speedway will take the green flag this Friday, June 5th at 9 P.M. Eastern. Race coverage will be televised live on SPEED, beginning at 8:30 P.M. Eastern, and heard live on select affiliates of MRN Radio and Sirius-XM NASCAR Radio Channel 128, beginning at 9 P.M. Eastern.

MALSAM (On racing at Texas Motor Speedway): “Well, I’ve never raced at Texas before so I have some learning to do when I get there. From what I’ve heard, Texas is no different than Atlanta or Lowe’s – they all seem to be shaped the same. The only difference is that the bumps in the track are in different places, but overall they are pretty much alike. Texas is a fast racetrack and I know that my One Eighty guys are working hard to give me the best Toyota out there. We are taking the same truck that we ran so well with at Lowe’s, so I’m really looking forward to this weekend and hopefully getting our first top-five finish of the season.”

Tayler Malsam Recovers from Tire Problems at The Monster Mile for a 12th-Place Finish
The Raybestos Rookie of the Year Candidate Grabs Sixth Top-15 Finish of the Season


DOVER, Del. (June 1, 2009) – For the second race in a row, Tayler Malsam proved why he can contend with the veterans each week in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. Early in the 200-lap race at Dover International Speedway, Malsam felt his right rear tire going flat and had to bring his No. 81 Toyota Tundra to pit road under green-flag conditions. Despite being two laps down, the Raybestos Rookie of the Year contender patiently raced his way back on the lead lap and was running in the sixth position when Malsam brought his Tundra down pit road for the final time. Unfortunately, a mistake on pit road cost Malsam numerous spots, which resulted in a 12th-place finish for the Randy Moss Motorsports team.

For the third time out of seven races, the Truck Series race was postponed due to weather, so the No. 81 One Eighty team was forced to race on Saturday evening instead of the scheduled Friday time. Starting from the 20th position, Malsam knew that he would have to be patiently aggressive to get to the front of the field at the track known as “The Monster Mile.” From the very beginning of the race, tire problems were at the forefront of every team’s mind, including the One Eighty crew. The third caution of the race came out on lap 35, as race leader Ron Hornaday blew a tire. Crew chief Doug Wolcott called Malsam to the attention of his pit crew for right side tires only on lap 36. The Seattle, Washington native restarted from 13th-place.

On lap 47, NASCAR called a competition caution, while Malsam was in the 16th position. Wolcott called Malsam down pit road on lap 48 for left side tires and the 20-year-old returned to pit road the following lap for fuel. Restarting on lap 52 from the 11th position, Malsam steadily picked off competitors and broke into the top-five on lap 61. Unluckily, eight laps later Malsam radioed to his crew that his right rear tire was going down, which forced the No. 81 Toyota to pit under green-flag conditions. As a result of the green- flag stop, the rookie fell two laps down.

Malsam battled to get into the “lucky dog” position for the next 40 laps. On lap 102, the tide started to turn for the One Eighty Toyota, as it received one of its laps back, as a result of the “lucky dog” pass. Continuing to fight for positions, Malsam was in position to regain his status on the lead lap when the caution flew once again on lap 134. The next lap, Wolcott once again called Malsam to pit road for four fresh tires, followed by another stop for fuel. Restarting from the 17th position on lap 140, the Raybestos Rookie was determined to have a strong finish. Over the next 45 laps, Malsam picked off competitors one at a time and on lap 185, the No. 81 Tundra was running in the ninth position. Wolcott radioed Malsam to pit road for the final time to take right side tires, but a loose lug nut caused the truck to come back down pit road and lose the track position that Malsam had gained. During the final 10 laps, Malsam picked up as many spots as possible, but as the checkered flag flew, the No. 81 team was left with a 12th-place finish.

After recording his sixth top-15 finish of the season, Malsam remains in the 12th position in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series championship point standings. He is currently 18 points behind 10th-place Johnny Benson. In addition, Malsam held his lead in the Raybestos Rookie of the Year standings, as he is tied with Johnny Sauter with a total of 71 points.

Tayler Malsam and his No. 81 One Eighty Toyota Tundra team will two-step into Texas Motor Speedway this Friday, June 5th for a Lone Star State Showdown. The WinStar World Casino 400 will begin at 9 P.M. Eastern, with SPEED carrying live television coverage. Select affiliates of MRN Radio and Sirius-XM NASCAR Radio Channel 128 will have live radio coverage of the 167-lap event, starting at 9 P.M. Eastern.

Tayler Malsam Quotes:
How was your race?
“We had an easy top-five truck today. The Randy Moss Motorsports team did a good job. We just had a miscue on pit lane and the right rear went down and we went two laps down and got back into the top-10. It just stinks for all the guys. It wasn’t meant to be.”

What is the main thing you learned today that will help you when you come back here?
“Definitely just watch for tires, I guess, and watch out for wrecks. Just be consistent and stay out of trouble, pretty much.”

Have you ever been in a situation where you have to take care of the right front and race hard at the same time?
“Yeah we do it in dirt cars all the time; you watch the right rear and stuff. You have to watch it but it’s hard to when you’re trying to run for fifth, fourth, or for the win, depending on what truck you’re in. It’s definitely frustrating. It’s like trying to tell you to save fuel. It’s kind of hard to do.”

 

Dover International Speedway, AAA Insurance 200
Friday, May 29, 2009


ONE EIGHTY TWIST: One Eighty will continue their sponsorship of Malsam’s No. 81 Toyota Tundra this Friday at Dover International Speedway. The familiar colors of One Eighty Racing have been on Malsam’s Randy Moss Motorsports truck every race this season. The Raybestos Rookie of the Year leader has recorded two top-10 and five top-15 finishes in the first six races and is currently 12th in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series championship point standings. For more information about One Eighty, please visit www.oneeightytwist.com.

MALSAM AT DOVER: Friday’s race at Dover International Speedway will be Malsam’s first race at the track known as The Monster Mile. Malsam will look to follow up his top-10 run at Lowe’s with another solid performance at the one-mile oval.

CHASSIS CHOICE: This weekend, crew chief Doug Wolcott and the No. 81 team will unload Randy Moss Motorsports chassis No. 126. This Toyota Tundra has been raced four times so far in the 2009 season, at Auto Club Speedway, Atlanta Motor Speedway, Kansas Speedway, and most recently at Lowe’s Motor Speedway. The highest finish in this chassis came at Lowe’s, where Malsam posted an eighth-place finish.

LEADER OF THE PACK: After his eighth-place finish at Lowe’s Motor Speedway, Malsam expanded his lead in the Raybestos Rookie of the Year point standings. The Seattle, Washington native currently holds a five point lead over James Buescher. Malsam has won the Rookie of the Race award twice in the first six races of the season, as he captured the honor at Atlanta Motor Speedway and most recently at Lowe’s Motor Speedway.

THE FIRST SIX: Through the first six races of the 2009 NCWTS season, Malsam and his No. 81 One Eighty team have accumulated two top-10 finishes, a 10th-place finish at Daytona International Speedway and an eighth-place finish at Lowe’s Motor Speedway. In addition, Malsam has recorded five top-15 finishes, only finishing outside of the top-15 once (24th at Auto Club Speedway).

SUMMER STRETCH: Friday’s 200-lap race at The Monster Mile starts a five-week racing stretch for the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. Malsam and his No. 81 Toyota team will travel for the next five weeks across the United States and look to stay atop of the Rookie point standings.

DID YOU KNOW?: Crew chief Doug Wolcott led rookie Scott Speed to Victory Lane in last year’s NCWTS race at Dover International Speedway. Wolcott and the No. 81 One Eighty team will look to make it back-to-back wins for rookies this weekend.

CATCH THE ACTION: The AAA Insurance 200 from Dover International Speedway will take the green flag this Friday, May 29th at 5 P.M. Eastern. Race coverage will be televised on a tape-delayed basis on SPEED, beginning at 8 P.M. Eastern, and heard live on select affiliates of MRN Radio and Sirius-XM NASCAR Radio Channel 128, beginning at 5 P.M. Eastern.

MALSAM (On racing at Dover International Speedway): “It was a huge race for us in Charlotte and it’s especially huge going into Dover. Doug (Wolcott, crew chief) has an amazing setup there. They won at Dover last year with Scott Speed as a rookie, and I really believe that we can go there and definitely get a top-five if not have a shot at the win. These guys that work on my One Eighty Toyota do such a great job and they deserve all of the credit. I've never raced at Dover before, but with a good set-up and my team behind me, I know we can perform very well."

MALSAM (On leading the Raybestos Rookie of the Year point standings): "To be leading the Raybestos Rookie of the Year points is a huge accomplishment. At the beginning of the season, one of our goals was to win the Rookie honors and we are on our way to do just that. But by no means is the season over - we have a long way to go and as long as we keep doing what we are doing right now, I think we have a great shot at winning the Rookie award. Runs like we had at Charlotte - never giving up until the race is over - that is what makes us such a competitor, not only in the Rookie points, but in the top-10 drivers championship points. We have had some really good trucks these past couple of races and haven't gotten the finishes that we think we should have, but we are going to keep working on it and hopefully before too long, we will be in Victory Lane."

 

Tayler Malsam Battles Hard for 8th-Place Finish at Lowe’s Motor Speedway
The Rookie Overcomes Spin and Captures Second Top-10 of Season


CONCORD, N.C. (May 17, 2009) – During Friday night’s North Carolina Education Lottery 200, Tayler Malsam and his Randy Moss Motorsports team showed the resilience and determination it takes to compete up front in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS). Running consistently in the top-15, Malsam went for a ride through the infield grass on lap 34, just as his teammate Mike Skinner hit the wall hard and slid down the track on his side. The No. 81 One Eighty Toyota Tundra crew went to work under caution to fix the damage that Malsam received and for the remaining 100 laps, the Seattle, Washington native steadily battled his way through the field to come home with an eighth-place finish. This was the second top-10 finish of the season for Malsam and the 20-year-old remains the leader in the Raybestos Rookie of the Year point standings.

Due to qualifying being rained out, Malsam started the 201-mile race from the 12th position. The No. 81 Toyota quickly moved and remained in the top-10 when the first caution of the night came out on lap 27. Malsam, who was good in the high groove, was called to pit road on lap 28 by crew chief Doug Wolcott for four fresh tires and the following lap, the One Eighty Tundra returned to pit road for fuel. The Raybestos rookie restarted the race on lap 34 from the 14th position, but within one lap, Malsam had received contact from a fellow competitor which sent the No. 81 Toyota through the infield grass. After a red flag period, the pit crew went to work to fix the damage that Malsam had received and he restarted the race on lap 41 from the 21st position.

During the next 40-lap green flag run, Malsam worked his way up to the 12th position. On lap 83, green flag pit stops began and Malsam broke into the top-10. Four laps later, the caution flew before the No. 81 One Eighty team made their trip to pit road. The Raybestos Rookie radioed to his crew that his truck was “so much fun to drive” and on lap 88, Wolcott called Malsam to the attention of his crew for four tires and an air pressure adjustment. The next lap, Malsam returned to pit road for fuel. The green flag waved on lap 95 to restart the race, with Malsam in the third position.

Malsam continued to run in the top-five for the next ten laps and when the checkered flag flew on the 134-lap event, Malsam came home in the eighth position. This was Malsam’s second top-10 finish, fifth top-15 finish, and his second time capturing the Raybestos Rookie of the Race award in the 2009 NCWTS season.

After his solid finish, Malsam stayed in the 12th position in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series championship point standings. He is currently 17 points behind 10th-place Brian Scott. In addition, Malsam held his lead in the Raybestos Rookie of the Year standings, expanding his lead to five points over second-place James Buescher.

Tayler Malsam and his No. 81 One Eighty Toyota Tundra team will take a well-deserved week off, before returning to racing action at Dover International Speedway on Friday, May 29th. The AAA Insurance 200 will begin at 5 P.M. Eastern, with SPEED carrying television coverage on a delayed basis, starting at 8 P.M. Eastern. Select affiliates of MRN Radio and Sirius-XM NASCAR Radio Channel 128 will have live radio coverage of the 200-mile event, starting at 5 P.M. Eastern.

Tayler Malsam Quotes:
How was your race?
“This One Eighty Randy Moss crew did it all today. When I got caught up in that first accident, they got us back out there and I just drove the wheels off for these guys. I can’t thank them enough. This is a huge, huge race for us. I hate to see it for Skinner to go out like that. He had a fast truck too. It just shows that Randy Moss Motorsports is here and here to stay because we both ran up front all night.”

What happened when you spun on the frontstretch?
“We were just running the high line. The No. 11 truck decided to come up into us and just spin us out. But that’s racing. It shows that this One Eighty crew can get it back together and we can come back there and finish in the top-10.”

You were very fortunate to not hit anything.
“Yeah, definitely. I thought we knocked the whole front end in when we hit the wall over there but we were good. It was a good fun race. I just can’t thank my guys enough.”

What did you need for the truck to finish a little bit better?
“On the long runs we were killer but just got a little tight on that last session. This truck was amazing. You couldn’t ask for a better one.”

You ran well and had a good finish here at Lowe’s Motor Speedway. How important is this or you and the team?
“It’s huge especially going into the next race at Dover. Doug (Wolcott, crew chief) has an amazing setup there. They won at Dover last year and tonight was a big step for us.”

Did you see Mike Skinner’s accident?
“I was spinning backwards so I don’t know what happened to him. I heard he flipped and I heard he’s okay. He’s a little sore but glad to know that he’s okay.”

 

Pre-Race Notes and Quotes
Lowe’s Motor Speedway
North Carolina Education Lottery 200
Friday, May 15, 2009

FAMILIAR COLORS: One Eighty will continue their sponsorship of Malsam’s No. 81 Toyota Tundra this Friday night at Lowe’s Motor Speedway. The familiar colors of One Eighty Racing have been on Malsam’s Randy Moss Motorsports truck every race this season. The Raybestos Rookie of the Year leader has recorded one top-10 and four top-15 finishes in the first five races and is currently 12th in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series championship point standings. For more information about One Eighty, please visit www.oneeightytwist.com.

MALSAM AT LOWE’S: Friday’s race at Lowe’s Motor Speedway will be Malsam’s first race at the North Carolina 1.5-mile oval. Malsam has raced at two other 1.5-mile tracks this season (Atlanta and Kansas) and claimed 13th-place and 11th-place finishes respectively.

CHASSIS CHOICE: This weekend, crew chief Doug Wolcott and the No. 81 team will unload Randy Moss Motorsports chassis No. 126. This Toyota Tundra has been raced three times so far in the 2009 season, at Auto Club Speedway, Atlanta Motor Speedway, and most recently at Kansas Speedway. The highest finish in this chassis came at Kansas, where Malsam posted an 11th-place finish.

TOP ROOKIE: After his 11th-place finish at Kansas Speedway, Malsam took the lead in the Raybestos Rookie of the Year point standings. The Seattle, Washington native currently holds a one point lead over James Buescher. Malsam has won the Rookie of the Race award once in the first five races of the season, as he captured the honor at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

MEDIA AVAILABILITY: Malsam, teammate Mike Skinner, and co-owners Randy Moss and David Dollar will all be available to the media on Friday evening at 5:00 P.M. Eastern in the Media Center.

AUTOGRAPH SESSION: Malsam and his teammate Mike Skinner will both participate in a Toyota Autograph Session on Friday afternoon from 1:30-2:00 P.M. Eastern at the Toyota PitPass Display. Come out and meet both drivers and get an autograph!

CALLING ALL JUDGES: Not only will Randy Moss Motorsports co-owner Randy Moss be in town for the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race on Friday, May 15th, the NFL All-Pro wide receiver will lend his judging expertise as a celebrity judge for Saturday’s Pennzoil Victory Challenge. Moss will join 16-time World Wrestling Heavyweight Champion Ric Flair, SPEED's Jimmy Spencer, plus Eddie Montgomery and Troy Gentry of the award-winning country music group - Montgomery Gentry, as a judge. The event will take place on the front stretch of Lowe's Motor Speedway immediately preceding the Sprint Showdown. SPEED Channel will carry the event live beginning at 6:00 p.m.

CATCH THE ACTION: The North Carolina Education Lottery 200 from Lowe’s Motor Speedway will take the green flag this Friday, May 15th at 8 P.M. Eastern. Race coverage will be televised live on SPEED, beginning at 7:30 P.M. Eastern, and heard live on select affiliates of MRN Radio and Sirius-XM NASCAR Radio Channel 128.

MALSAM (On racing at Lowe’s Motor Speedway): “I’m excited to race at Lowe’s Motor Speedway this Friday. My No. 81 One Eighty team has been working hard back at the shop the past couple of weeks that we have been off and we are taking the truck that we raced at Kansas to Charlotte. We had an awesome Toyota in Kansas, but had a little mishap on pit road that cost us some spots on the race track. The guys have been working on their stops and this week, we are going to come out and race hard to get another top-10 or even a top-five finish.”

 

Tayler Malsam Scores 11th-Place Finish in Kansas
The 20-year-old Takes the Lead in the Raybestos Rookie of the Year Standings

KANSAS CITY, Kans. (April 29, 2009) – Weather was the main topic when the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series rolled into Kansas Speedway. The extended weekend started off with heavy winds, but strong thunderstorms and rain moved in the area on Saturday. Tayler Malsam and his No. 81 One Eighty Toyota Tundra team were determined to have a solid showing at the 1.5-mile oval and take over the points lead in the Raybestos Rookie of the Year standings. Malsam quickly showed that he had a stout truck, but a pit road infraction on Monday’s race conclusion pushed the rookie to the back of the field. The Seattle, Washington native worked his way through the field, but when the race was called for rain, 35 laps short of the conclusion, Malsam had to settle for an 11th-place finish.

Qualifying in the 10th position, Malsam quickly maneuvered to the sixth spot by lap seven. Running solidly in the top-10, the caution flag waved for the second time on lap 37. Crew chief Doug Wolcott called Malsam to pit road on lap 39 for four tires and an air pressure adjustment. Malsam returned to the attention of his crew the following lap for fuel. The 20-year-old restarted the race on lap 43 from the 17th position. Just as soon as the trucks went back racing, the caution flag waved again for rain on lap 46. Attempting to dry the track, Malsam and the rest of the field made numerous caution laps before NASCAR made the decision to postpone the race until Monday.

After a day off, Malsam and the No. 81 One Eighty team were ready to finish their charge to the front on Monday morning. Unfortunately, rain storms were still in the area and pushed back the completion of the race until shortly after 2 P.M. CT. Malsam restarted the race on lap 62 from the 11th position and by lap 76, the No. 81 Toyota was running in sixth-place. Finding different grooves in the race track, Malsam broke into the top-five by lap 109 and radioed to his crew that his truck was “very fast.” Caution flew on the track on lap 113 and Wolcott brought Malsam down pit road once again. On lap 114, Malsam received two fresh right side tires, but as he was exiting his pit stall, the rear tire rolled out of the pit stall, which resulted in a tail end of the longest line penalty. The next lap, Malsam returned to his crew for fuel and restarted the race from the 17th position.

Within one lap, Malsam had moved up three positions, running in the 14th-place. The Raybestos Rookie of the Year contender kept picking off positions and when the caution flew for the final time for rain on lap 123, Malsam was sitting in the 11th position. After attempting numerous times to dry the track, NASCAR called the race, which left Malsam sitting with a solid but disappointing finish.

“My No. 81 One Eighty team gave me an awesome truck this weekend,” said Malsam. “We were heading to the front quick, but when we had that pit road mishap it just put us to the back of the pack. We could have easily finished in top-three and might been able to have a one-two finish for Randy Moss Motorsports. I’ve happy for Mike (Skinner) and all of those guys on the No. 5 team, just wish we could have been up there with him. But we will shake this off and go get them in a few weeks at Charlotte.”

With his 11th-place run, Malsam gained three spots, moving into the 12th position in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series championship points standings. He currently sits 17 points out of 10th-place and 85 points out of the fifth spot. In addition, Malsam has taken over the lead in the Raybestos Rookie of the Year point standings. He sits atop of the chart with a one-point lead over James Buescher.

Looking to rebound after a long weekend in Kansas, Tayler Malsam and his No. 81 Randy Moss Motorsports team will head to Lowe’s Motor Speedway in Concord, North Carolina on Friday, May 15th for the North Carolina Education Lottery 200. SPEED will have live television coverage of the 134-lap event, beginning at 8:00 P.M. Eastern. In addition, select affiliates of MRN Radio and Sirius-XM NASCAR Radio will have the live radio broadcast.

 

Tayler Malsam – No. 81 One Eighty Toyota Tundra
Pre-Race Notes and Quotes
Kansas Speedway . O’Reilly Auto Parts 250
Saturday, April 25, 2009


ROUND FIVE WITH ONE EIGHTY: For the fifth consecutive race, Tayler Malsam and the No. 81 Randy Moss Motorsports Toyota Tundra will sport the colors of One Eighty. One Eighty Racing has sponsored the Raybestos Rookie of the Year contender in the four races that have taken place so far in the 2009 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, where Malsam has recorded one top-10 and three top-15 finishes. For more information about One Eighty, please visit www.oneeightytwist.com.

MALSAM AT KANSAS: Malsam will be returning this week to a track where he has seen and raced on before. Last year in the ARCA Re/Max Series, Malsam drove the No. 4 Dodge Driver Development Dodge for Cunningham Motorsports at the 1.5-mile track and was running consistently throughout the race. Starting from the ninth position, Malsam was running sixth at the halfway point, until he received contact from another competitor. The contact resulted in a cut tire and Malsam lost a lap due to coming to pit road. After regaining his lap back, the Seattle, Washington native finished the race in the 14th position.

CHASSIS CHOICE: This weekend, crew chief Doug Wolcott and the No. 81 team will unload Randy Moss Motorsports chassis, No. 126. This Toyota Tundra has already been raced twice this season at Auto Club Speedway and Atlanta Motor Speedway, where Malsam collected a 24th-place and 13th-place finishes respectively.

CATCHING UP BACK HOME WITH FAMILY AND FRIENDS: As the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series had a few off-weeks, Malsam headed home to Washington to reconnect with family and friends. On April 15th, One Eighty Racing held an Open House in Bellevue, Washington to support Malsam and Randy Moss Motorsports. This event was held at One Eighty’s Mediterranean-inspired restaurant, Toscano, and drew more than 500 friends, family, potential sponsors, and Northwest NASCAR fans. Malsam, crew chief Doug Wolcott, and Randy Moss, NFL All-Pro Wide Receiver and co-owner of RMM, were on hand to discuss the 20-year-old’s progress so far, share plans for the future, and sign a few autographs. Local media captured the event and Malsam and Moss were special guests on KCPQ-TV’s Q it Up Sports.

RACING OUT WEST: While on the West Coast for the One Eighty Open House, Malsam took the opportunity to race the No. 26 Rudeen Racing 410 and 360 Sprint Car at the opening night of Skagit Speedway, located in Burlington, Washington. Malsam captured two top-five finishes, as he finished fourth in the 410s and third in the 360s after starting from the rear of the field. Malsam will continue to race the No. 26 Sprint Car throughout the year.

RAYBESTOS ROOKIE OF THE YEAR UPDATE: Malsam currently sits second in the Raybestos Rookie of the Year standings, tied with James Buescher and only four points behind leader J.R. Fitzpatrick. Malsam has captured Raybestos Rookie of the Race honors once at Atlanta Motor Speedway. In addition, Malsam is currently 15th in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series championship point standings, leading all rookie contenders.

CATCH THE ACTION: The O’Reilly Auto Parts 250 from Kansas Speedway will take the green flag Saturday, April 25th at 6 P.M. Eastern. Race coverage will be televised live on SPEED, beginning at 5:30 P.M. Eastern, and heard live on select affiliates of MRN and Sirius XM Satellite Radio.

MALSAM (On racing at Kansas): “Definitely going to Kansas where I’ve raced before, I feel more comfortable than I did going to Martinsville. We had a good run going in the ARCA car last year until we got wrecked, but we still finished in the top-15. Kansas is a really good track that I’m excited about going back to. Anytime you can go back to a track that you have raced on before, it gives you more confidence and you’re not spending most of the practice getting used to the track.”

MALSAM (On veteran teammate, Mike Skinner and overall performance so far): “Having Mike as a teammate helps because I can ask him any rookie question and he’ll know the answer since he has been doing it for so long. He has been a help on and off the track and then helping me know what do at this point on the track and what to do at that part of the track. So far, our season has gone very well. I think we could have been better in places but we are up to par in the direction that we are going.”

 

 

Tayler Malsam Survives First Martinsville Race with a 14th-Place Finish
The Raybestos Rookie of the Year Candidate Records Third Top-15 Finish of Season

MARTINSVILLE, Va. (March 31, 2009) – Tayler Malsam and his No. 81 One Eighty Toyota Tundra team were ready to go racing on Saturday afternoon, but mother nature had other plans as a rain storm postponed the running of the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) race at Martinsville Speedway until Monday. As the weather had made a one eighty twist to bright, clear skies, Malsam ran a solid and consistent race to finish on the lead lap in the 14th position in his first career race at the track known as the “paperclip.” This finish was the third top-15 finish of the season for the 20-year-old rookie and his Randy Moss Motorsports (RMM) team.

Starting the 250-lap race from the 18th position, Malsam was caught on the outside groove and quickly dropped back to the 25th position. As the first caution of the afternoon waved on lap 15, crew chief Doug Wolcott called his driver to the attention of the pit crew to top off the No. 81 One Eighty Toyota with Sunoco racing fuel and to make track bar and wedge adjustments to help the handling conditions. As the majority of the field stayed on the track, Malsam restarted on lap 35 from 29th-place and moved up to 25th-place by lap 50, when the field was under caution for the third time. Wolcott called Malsam to pit road once again for right side tires and a spring rubber adjustment.

Malsam was running in the 26th position as the green flag waved to restart the race on lap 54, and within
20 laps, the No. 81 Tundra had moved into the top-15. The Raybestos Rookie of the Year candidate ran among the top-15 until lap 154, when Malsam came down pit road for his final stop of the afternoon to put four fresh Goodyear tires on his Toyota. As various pit strategies were played, Malsam restarted from the 21st position and reported to his crew that his truck was better than most of the trucks in front of him. Showing his talent, the rookie wheeled his way through the field to 12th-place with 30 laps to go in the race.

As the laps were ticking away, Malsam was rooted out of the way by a fellow rookie competitor and pushed back to 18th-place. The No. 81 One Eighty Toyota was pushing off the center of the corner, but Malsam didn’t allow the beating and banging to hinder his performance. Over the final 20 laps, Malsam drove back up to the 14th position, capturing his second consecutive top-15 finish.

“My Randy Moss Motorsports team gave me a pretty good One Eighty Toyota Tundra today,” said Malsam. “It seemed like a long 250 laps out there. Martinsville is one-of-a-kind and I knew there was going to be a lot of beating and banging happening. We were fighting a tight, loose condition all day and the adjustments that Doug (Wolcott, crew chief) made on each stop were helping us. I think we should have finished a little higher up but to come home with a top-15 finish on the lead lap for my first race at Martinsville isn’t too bad. We will enjoy some time off and get ready to go back racing.”

Malsam moved up one position to second in the Raybestos Rookie of the Year standings, only three points behind leader J.R. Fitzpatrick. In addition, Malsam is 15th in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series championship point standings, dropping two positions despite his top-15 effort. The Pacific Northwest native is only 26 points out of 10th-place and 99 points out of the fifth position.

Tayler Malsam and the No. 81 Randy Moss Motorsports team will take a three-week break, before heading to tornado alley and racing at Kansas Speedway on April 25, 2009. SPEED will have live television coverage of the 167-lap race, as the green flag is schedule to be waved shortly after 6:00 P.M. Eastern. Select affiliates of MRN and Sirius-XM NASCAR Radio will also have the live radio broadcast.

 

ONE EIGHTY RETURNS: Once again this weekend, the familiar colors of One Eighty will be back on board the No. 81 Randy Moss Motorsports Toyota Tundra. One Eighty Racing has sponsored the first three races of the 2009 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series season, as Malsam has finished 10th at Daytona, 24th at California, and most recently 13th at Atlanta.

MALSAM AT MARTINSVILLE: Tayler Malsam, a 20-year-old rookie, has never before raced at Martinsville Speedway. Friday morning’s practice session will be the first laps that Malsam has completed at the legendary Virginia short track.

CHASSIS CHOICE: This weekend, crew chief Doug Wolcott and the No. 81 team will unload Randy Moss Motorsports chassis, TRD 118. Last year, this chassis was one of Mike Skinner’s trucks at Bill Davis Racing. Malsam’s first laps in this Tundra took place at a test session earlier in the week.

TESTING, 1, 2, 3: Malsam and the No. 81 One Eighty Toyota team tested their Martinsville chassis Tuesday, March 24th at the Motor Mile Speedway in Radford, Virginia. The laps paced at the test session where the first laps that Malsam has completed in this Tundra chassis.

OFF-WEEKEND….WHAT OFF-WEEKEND?: As the Truck Series was off two weekends ago, March 13th and 14th, Malsam went to Chico, California to run the World of Outlaws 23rd Annual Mini Gold Cup at Silver Dollar Speedway. Malsam, who began racing sprint cars early in his career, drove the No. 26 Rudeen Racing 410 Sprint Car to a third-place finish in the C-Main on Friday night and a 17th-place finish in the C-Main on Saturday night. Malsam raced with veteran Sprint Car drivers, such as Steve Kinser and winner Joey Saldana. The Seattle, Washington native will race sprint cars numerous more times throughout the year.

RAYBESTOS ROOKIE OF THE YEAR UPDATE: Malsam currently sits third in the Raybestos Rookie of the Year standings, only two points out of second-place and three points behind leader J.R. Fitzpatrick. Malsam captured Raybestos Rookie of the Race honors for the first time at Atlanta Motor Speedway, as he wheeled his One Eighty Toyota to a 13th-place finish.

ROUND ONE: Saturday’s race at Martinsville Speedway will mark the first short track race for the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series this season. This will also be race one of the season at Martinsville, as Truck Series action will return to the Virginia short track on Saturday, October 24th.

MARTINSVILLE MILESTONE: Martinsville Speedway is one of just three tracks that have hosted a NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race every year since the inaugural season in 1995. Also, this weekend’s Kroger 250 will the mark the 15th season of Truck Series racing at Martinsville.

CATCH THE ACTION: The Kroger 250 from Martinsville Speedway will take the green flag Saturday, March 28th at 2 P.M. Eastern. Race coverage will be televised live on FOX, beginning at 1:30 P.M. Eastern, and heard live on select affiliates of MRN and Sirius XM Satellite Radio. Both practice sessions on Friday will be televised live on SPEED at 11 A.M. and 1:30 P.M. Eastern respectively, along with qualifying on Saturday morning at 9:00 A.M. Eastern.

MALSAM (On racing at Martinsville): “I’m pretty excited to go short track racing for the first time this year in my One Eighty Toyota. I’ve never raced at Martinsville Speedway before, but I’ve seen races there and I know it is going to be hard, beating and banging short track racing. We are testing at Motor Mile Speedway before we head to Martinsville, so we will be able to shakedown the truck and start getting a feel for it. The Toyota that we are taking this weekend is one of Mike’s (Skinner) trucks from last year, so I know that it is going to be a good piece that we can run up front with. All of my guys have been working really hard these past couple of weeks and I know we all are ready to get back to the track.”

MALSAM (On racing in the World of Outlaws Race in Chico, Cali.): “It’s always fun to go back and run Sprint car races on the West Coast. Being from Seattle, I actually raced Sprint cars before I started racing stock cars, so it’s kind of like going back to where I got started. We didn’t have the results that we really wanted this past weekend in Chico (California), but I will be racing in a Sprint car quite a few more times this year so we will have some more chances to finish better and definitely get some wins before too long. It’s always neat to be able to race against the best drivers in Sprint cars, just like it’s fun racing against the Cup drivers. But that’s one of the nice things about the Truck Series schedule – it allows us to go out and race other series on our off-weekends and still have time to come back to North Carolina and get ready to go Truck racing again.”

ABOUT ONE EIGHTY: One Eighty, founded in 1976, encompasses hospitality, senior housing, and international brands, all of which require their customers to “Twist Your Thinking.” One Eighty’s hospitality brand has three divisions – Edibility, PrimeFit, and Twist Travel, which offer a bold take on their individual specialties. Edibility includes retirement community food services, corporate and social event catering, restaurant development and management, culinary classes, and signature food items. Also, PrimeFit and Twist Travel take a similar cover-the-all bases approach. For more information about One Eighty, please visit www.oneeightytwist.com.

ABOUT RANDY MOSS MOTORSPORTS: Randy Moss Motorsports ownership consists of Randy Moss, New England Patriots All-Pro Wide Receiver; and David Dollar, a long-time participant in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. The team fields the No. 81 Toyota Tundra and the No. 5 Toyota Tundra full-time in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. For more information about Randy Moss Motorsports, please visit www.randymossmotorsports.com.

Tayler Malsam Finishes Solidly in the 13th Position in First Trip to Atlanta
The 20-year-old Captures Raybestos Rookie of the Race Honors

HAMPTON, Ga. (March 8, 2009) – Tayler Malsam saw Atlanta Motor Speedway for the first time as he drove through the infield tunnel on Friday morning. Since the 20-year-old had never been on the 1.54-mile quad-oval before, both of Friday’s practice sessions were used to get Malsam adjusted to one of the fastest tracks on the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) circuit. Driving the same No. 81 One Eighty Toyota Tundra that raced two weeks ago at Auto Club Speedway, Malsam knew that the truck was capable of running well and up front. The Raybestos Rookie of the Year Contender battled hard throughout the American Commercial Lines 200 on Saturday afternoon and came home on the lead lap in the 13th position, capturing the Raybestos Rookie of the Race honors for the first time in his young career.

After qualifying in the 29th position, Malsam had his work cut out for him throughout the 130-lap race. Staying calm and confident, Malsam steadily moved his way up through the field and when the first caution came out on lap 29, the No. 81 One Eighty Toyota was running in the 20th position. Crew chief Doug Wolcott called Malsam to the attention of his Randy Moss Motorsports (RMM) team for four fresh tires and an air pressure adjustment on lap 30 and on the following lap, the Seattle, Wash. native returned to pit road for fuel. The RMM pit crew picked up five positions and on lap 34, Malsam restarted the race from the 15th position.

For the next 34 laps, the field was under a green-flag run in which the No. 81 One Eighty Tundra was fighting a loose condition and battling in the top-20. As the leader was quickly approaching Malsam, a timely caution for debris came out on lap 66 and allowed the rookie, who was running in the 16th position, to stay on the lead lap. Malsam radioed to Wolcott that the truck was good on long runs, but it needed help on the short runs. Wolcott once again brought Malsam down pit road for four tires and track bar adjustments on lap 68. The One Eighty Toyota returned to the pits the next lap for fuel and returned to the track in 13th-place.

A few laps after the restart, another wreck happened right in front of the No. 81 Toyota and Malsam skillfully maneuvered his way through without getting any damage to his truck. Wolcott told Malsam to stay out, which allowed the Raybestos Rookie of the Year contender to restart from the 11th position on lap 79. Malsam raced in the top-15 for the majority of the next green-flag run and on lap 110, the leader put him one lap down. However, good luck was on the northwest driver’s side as the caution waved for the fourth time on lap 113 allowing Malsam and the RMM team the get the “lucky dog” pass and return to the lead lap. Lap 116 saw Malsam return to pit road to the attention of his pit crew for four fresh tires, returning the following lap for fuel. Malsam took the green flag for the restart from the 13th position on lap 119.

For the final 11 laps, Malsam wheeled his One Eighty Toyota around the difficult track and came home in the 13th position. This impressive run was the second top-15 finish for the No.81 Randy Moss Motorsports team. Malsam also captured the Raybestos Rookie of the Race award, as he was the highest finishing rookie. Leaving the infield of Atlanta Motor Speedway after Saturday’s race, Malsam had achieved his goals for the weekend: finish the race in the top-15, on the lead lap, and without any damage on his truck.

“This One Eighty Randy Moss Motorsports team did awesome,” said Malsam. “I screwed up in qualifying and just wasn’t good in practice but these guys stuck behind me and gave me a truck that I could race with and I gave them what I had. I wasn’t very good on restarts but Doug (Wolcott, crew chief) and the guys just made an awesome truck for us. Yesterday in practice, the truck was probably there, I just wasn’t there. I couldn’t figure out the track, I couldn’t figure out what I needed to do. But once we got out here in the race and got some laps under our belts, it was really good. I’m really proud of these Randy Moss guys and this One Eighty Tundra was awesome today. It’s hard sometimes to learn tire management, but with Slugger (Labbe, spotter) up on the tower and Doug (Wolcott) on the box, it’s pretty easy. They kind of explain everything in a 20-year-old’s mind so it makes it a little bit easier for me. I couldn’t be more proud of my guys and we will go get them Martinsville now.”

Malsam is currently third in the Raybestos Rookie of the Year standings, two points behind second-place and only three points behind leader J.R. Fitzpatrick. Also, Malsam picked up three positions in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series championship point standings and now sits in the 13th position, 35 points out of the 10th position and 87 points behind fourth-place.

After a two-week break, Tayler Malsam and the No. 81 Randy Moss Motorsports Toyota Tundra team will return to racing action at Martinsville Speedway for the running of the Kroger 250 on Saturday, March 28, 2009. Malsam will be making his first start at the “paper-clip,” as the NCWTS tackles their first short-track race of the season. FOX will have live television coverage of the 250-lap race, beginning at 2:00 P.M. Eastern. Select affiliates of MRN Radio, along with Sirius-XM NASCAR Radio will also have the live radio broadcast.

 

Pre-Race Notes and Quotes Atlanta Motor Speedway
American Commercial Lines 200
Saturday, March 7, 2009

Welcome Back, One Eighty: For the third consecutive race, One Eighty will be the primary sponsor of the No. 81 Randy Moss Motorsports Toyota Tundra for this weekend’s race at Atlanta Motor Speedway. One Eighty Racing has sponsored the first two races of the 2009 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series season, at Daytona International Speedway and Auto Club Speedway, where Malsam finished 10th and 24th respectively.

Clay Shoot for Charity: This Thursday, Tayler Malsam will participate in Speedway Children’s Charities’ Annual Clay Shoot and Barbecue at the Cherokee Rose Sporting Resort in Griffin, Ga. The Seattle, Wash. native will learn from the best as the Olympic Shooting Team will be on hand to train the participants. Malsam will use his competitive nature to raise money for local children’s charities, as this event is sponsored by the Atlanta chapter of SCC. For more information about Speedway Children’s Charities, please visit www.speedwaycharities.org.

And the Winner Will Be…: Last week, Ray Dunlap and the rest of the SPEED Channel NCWTS team predicted their championship and Raybestos Rookie of the Year award winners. SPEED personalities, Adam Alexander and Rick Allen both picked Malsam to win the prestigious Rookie award. The 20-year-old will look to prove Alexander and Allen correct, as he currently sits third in the standings, only nine points behind leader J.R. Fitzpatrick.

Boss in Town: Randy Moss, NFL All-Pro Wide Receiver and co-owner of RMM, is scheduled to be at the American Commercial Lines 200 this Saturday at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Malsam and teammate Mike Skinner will look to take their Tundras to Victory Lane and give their owner his first trip to the Winner’s Circle.

Malsam at Atlanta: Malsam has never before raced at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Friday’s morning practice sessions at the 1.54-mile quad-oval will be the first laps on the fast-banked track for the Raybestos Rookie of the Year contender.

Tayler Malsam on Racing at AMS: “Well, I’ve never raced at Atlanta so I really don’t know what to expect overall. Because I have raced at other mile and a half tracks, I do have some experience on similar tracks, but what I’ve heard is that Atlanta is a little different than other intermediate tracks. Atlanta is a very fast track and there have been close finishes before there, so the racing should be really exciting for the fans. Doug (Wolcott, crew chief) and all of my Randy Moss Motorsports guys have been working really hard and I know they are going to give me an awesome One Eighty Toyota. I’m really looking forward to racing this weekend.”

About One Eighty: One Eighty, founded in 1976, encompasses hospitality, senior housing, and international brands, all of which require their customers to “Twist Your Thinking.” One Eighty’s hospitality brand has three divisions – Edibility, PrimeFit, and Twist Travel, which offer a bold take on their individual specialties. Edibility includes retirement community food services, corporate and social event catering, restaurant development and management, culinary classes, and signature food items. Also, PrimeFit and Twist Travel take a similar cover-the-all bases approach. For more information about One Eighty, please visit www.oneeightytwist.com.

About Randy Moss Motorsports: Randy Moss Motorsports ownership consists of Randy Moss, New England Patriots All-Pro Wide Receiver; and David Dollar, a long-time participant in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. The team fields the No. 81 Toyota Tundra and the No. 5 Toyota Tundra full-time in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. For more information about Randy Moss Motorsports, please visit www.randymossmotorsports.com.

Pit Road Melee Relegates Tayler Malsam to a 24th-Place Finish at California

FONTANA, Calif. (February 23, 2009) – Tayler Malsam had never raced at Auto Club Speedway until he arrived in Southern California for the second round of the 2009 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) season. The Raybestos Rookie of the Year contender quickly learned how to get around the 2.0-mile D-shaped oval, posting solid lap times in both practice sessions. Malsam used the experience he had gained in practice to race in the top-15 with other veteran drivers, but under the first caution, Malsam and another rookie competitor made contact on pit road, causing front-end damage to the No. 81 One Eighty Toyota Tundra. After Malsam’s Randy Moss Motorsports (RMM) team had repaired the damage, a tire rub caused the right front tire to blow out, relegating Malsam to a 24th-place finish in the San Bernardino County 200 on Saturday afternoon.

Malsam qualified in the 11th position to start the 100-lap race and fought a loose condition in the entry and center of the corners. By lap 20, the 20-year-old rookie had found his groove in the California track and was posting lap times faster than the second-place truck. On lap 25, the first caution came out as Malsam’s RMM teammate Mike Skinner and another competitor made contact on the track. The entire field took the opportunity to come on pit road and take four tires on lap 26 and come back in the following lap for fuel. As Malsam was exiting his pit stall on lap 27 for his fuel pit stop, the No. 81 One Eighty Toyota received contact from another rookie who was entering his pit stall. This contact caused front-end damage to the Tundra, forcing Malsam to sit on pit road while the truck was repaired. The Seattle, Wash. native returned to the track in the 23rd position to restart the race on lap 31.

Carefully racing around the west coast track and running solid lap times despite the damage, Malsam passed numerous trucks to move into the 17th position, until the right-front fender damage caused a tire rub, forcing the One Eighty Toyota to come down pit road under green for right side tires. As the second and final caution came out on lap 44, crew chief Doug Wolcott called Malsam to pit road for left side tires and fuel on the following lap. The rookie restarted the race in the 24th position, two laps down as the field finished the race under green-flag conditions. Wolcott took a chance to see if Malsam could make it to the end of the race without stopping again, but on lap 96, with four laps to go, the No. 81 Tundra ran out of gas and had to come down pit road to get a quick splash of Sunoco fuel. After an eventful 100-lap event, Malsam finished the race in a disappointing 24th position, three laps down.

“We got caught up in that new pit rule,” said Malsam, after the race. “I don’t know if I like it or not. My No. 81 One Eighty Toyota was good. The truck was probably a top-five truck easily. After we got a lap down, I was just hanging out and didn’t even want to run because that right-front blew once, I was afraid it was going to blow it again. Doug Wolcott (crew chief) and this One Eighty Toyota team did a great job. All these guys killed it out there and Randy Moss Motorsports put another fantastic truck under us. It was just not meant to be today for us.”

Malsam is currently tied for third in the Raybestos Rookie of the Year standings, nine points behind leader J.R. Fitzpatrick. Also, Malsam dropped to the 16th position in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series championship point standings, 37 points out of 10th-place and 145 points behind leader Kyle Busch.

After a well-deserved one week break, Tayler Malsam and the No. 81 Randy Moss Motorsports Toyota Tundra team will returned to action at Atlanta Motor Speedway on Saturday, March 7, 2009. The American Commercial Lines 200 will begin shortly after 2:00 P.M. Eastern. All of the fast-paced action on the 1.5-mile oval can be seen live on SPEED, beginning at 1:30 P.M. Eastern. Select affiliates of MRN Radio and Sirius-XM NASCAR Radio will also have the live radio broadcast.

Auto Club Speedway
San Bernardino County 200
Saturday, February 21st, 2009

One Eighty Racing on Board in California: One Eighty will once again be the primary sponsor for the No. 81 Randy Moss Motorsports Toyota Tundra for this Saturday’s race at Auto Club Speedway in California. Last week, One Eighty was on board for Malsam’s 10th-place finish at Daytona International Speedway. For more information on One Eighty, please visit www.oneeightytwist.com. Also, One Eighty will continue its partnership with Tayler Malsam and Randy Moss Motorsports throughout the 2009 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series season.

Home Sweet Home…Close Anyways: It’s hard to think that this week’s race is one of the closest “home” tracks for Tayler Malsam. Malsam’s hometown of Seattle, Wash. is nearly 1,000 miles from Auto Club Speedway, but the California track is the second closest track to Malsam’s family home. (Note: The closest NCWTS track to Seattle is Las Vegas Motor Speedway, which is 875 miles away.) Sponsor, One Eighty’s headquarters are also located in Seattle, Washington.

Tayler Malsam on Racing Close to His Hometown: “I really enjoy racing on the West Coast since it is a little closer to Seattle. It is still a pretty good ways away from my hometown, but I will have a lot of family and friends at this weekend’s race. It is kind of amazing that drivers from the Pacific Northwest like Kasey Kahne and Greg Biffle have done so well in NASCAR when the nearest tracks are so far away. I hope to follow their paths and compete in the Sprint Cup Series.”

Truck Racing on FOX Sports: This Saturday afternoon the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series will have one of two races broadcasted live on national television, FOX. The next race televised on FOX will be held at Martinsville Speedway on March 28th.

Raybestos Rookie of the Year Update: Tayler Malsam currently sits second in the NASCAR Raybestos Rookie of the Year, seven points behind J.R. Fitzpatrick. Malsam ran very consistent during his first NASCAR restrictor plate race weekend – clocking the seventh fastest, second fastest and 13th fastest times in the three practices sessions, before qualifying in the 11th position and finishing in 10th-place.

Malsam at California: Malsam has never raced at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California. The Rookie of the Year candidate will see the banks of the 2.0-mile D-Shaped oval for the first time on Thursday as the NCWTS takes the track for their first practice session. The 20-year-old has competed on the infield road course at the West Coast track, when he raced a TR open wheel car. In addition, Malsam has raced at nearby Irwindale Speedway and at numerous California sprint car tracks.

Tayler Malsam’s At-Track Crew:

Doug Wolcott................................Crew Chief
Andrew Emrick.............................Truck Chief
Matthew Aschbrenner..................Front Tire Changer
Matthew House.............................Front Tire Carrier
Steve “Hank” Hill...........................Jackman
TBD...............................................Rear Tire Changer
Michael Hubert..............................Rear Tire Carrier
Steve Fielder................................Catch can
Bryan Griffin................................Gasman

About Randy Moss Motorsports: Randy Moss Motorsports ownership consists of Randy Moss, New England Patriots All-Pro Wide Receiver; and David Dollar, a long time participant in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. The team fields the No. 81 Toyota Tundra and the No. 5 Toyota Tundra full-time in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series.

 

Tayler Malsam Captures Top-10 Finish at Daytona

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (February 15, 2009) – Rookie Tayler Malsam had a week of firsts at Daytona International Speedway – his first race with Randy Moss Motorsports, his first NASCAR restrictor plate race, and his first top-10 finish in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS). After overcoming a pit road miscue, patiently working his way through the field, and running up front with Truck Series veterans, Malsam and the No. 81 One Eighty Toyota Tundra team claimed a 10th-place finish during the NextEra Energy Resources 250 at the famous 2.5-mile tri-oval on Friday night.

After qualifying in the 11th position, Malsam quickly moved into the top-10 by the end of the first lap. Crew Chief Doug Wolcott called Malsam to the attention of his Randy Moss Motorsports (RMM) pit crew for the first time on lap 33, but as the Seattle, Wash. native came down pit road, he missed his pit and went back on the track without any services completed to the truck. As the whole One Eighty team stayed calm, Malsam made three more pit stops for fuel and tires and restarted from the 25th position on lap 38.

Drafting with fellow Toyota teammates, Malsam steadily worked his way back into the top-10 by lap 48, never dropping out for the remainder of the 100-lap race. As the competition on the track picked up, the 20-year-old moved like a veteran to stay in contention for a solid finish, barely missing a multi-truck incident that happened right in front of the No. 81 Toyota. Malsam brought his truck back to pit road on lap 52 for tires and on the following lap, he came in for fuel. The One Eighty Tundra stayed in the top-five for the next green flag run, proving that Malsam could run with the tough NCWTS veterans. On lap 69, Malsam brought the RMM truck to pit road for the final stop of the night, taking four tires. The next lap the team put fuel in the truck, allowing Malsam to make it to the end of the race without stopping again.

The Raybestos Rookie of the Year contender went on to finish in the 10th position and record his highest Truck Series finish of his career in only his third NASCAR start.

"I'm very proud of all of my guys on this Randy Moss Motorsports team," said Malsam. "The No. 81 One Eighty Toyota Tundra was awesome tonight. The truck drafted really well and it felt good to run up front with the Truck Series veterans. I made a mistake on that first pit stop but no one on this team gave up; Doug (Wolcott, crew chief) and Slugger (Labbe, spotter) helped me get back through the field and we made the best of situation. I want to say thank you to Dan and all of the people at One Eighty for coming on board this week and I'm glad that we could give them a solid top-10 run."

Malsam currently sits second in the Raybestos Rookie of the Year point standings, seven points behind J.R. Fitzpatrick. Also, Malsam is 10th in the NCWTS championship point standings, 61 points behind leader Todd Bodine.

Tayler Malsam and the No. 81 One Eighty Toyota Tundra team will be back in action this Saturday afternoon, February 21st at Auto Club Speedway in California. The San Bernardino 200 will begin shortly after 3:00 p.m. Eastern. FOX will have live television coverage of the 100-lap event, while select affiliates of MRN Radio and XM-Sirius NASCAR Radio will have the live radio broadcast.

Daytona International Speedway
NextEra Energy Resources 250
Friday, February 13th, 2009

Randy Moss Motorsports Welcomes One Eighty Racing: The No. 81 Toyota Tundra will have primary sponsorship from One Eighty, part of the One Eighty family of brands, this week at Daytona. For more information on One Eighty, please visit www.oneeightytwist.com. In addition, One Eighty will continue their partnership with RMM for the entire 2009 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series season.

Tayler Malsam on His First NASCAR Daytona Race: “I’m really excited to get my first NASCAR start at Daytona. I ran the ARCA race at Daytona last year, so I have some experience drafting on the track. Daytona is such a famous track and it’s always fun to race at. I’m excited to be with Randy Moss Motorsports – we have great equipment that is capable of winning. It is going to be a good time on Friday night.”

Tayler Malsam on His 2009 Goals: “Our goal for this year is to come out from the start and contend for top-10 runs. The top-10 runs will turn into top-five runs, and then we can be a contender for wins. We definitely want to win at least one race during the season and of course claim the Raybestos Rookie of the Year award.”

Tayler Malsam on Driving for Randy Moss Motorsports: “It’s an honor to drive for owners like Randy Moss and David Dollar. They both have accomplished so much in their careers – of course with Randy in the NFL and David in racing. Randy knows the adrenalin that you get as an athlete right before your event starts, and David knows what it takes on the ownership side to be competitive. I have a great group of guys around me, including my crew chief Doug Wolcott, the best equipment from Toyota, and we are going to have a very successful year.”

Happy Birthday…Times Two: As the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series kicks off its 2009 season on Friday, February 13th, co-owner Randy Moss will be celebrating his birthday. Malsam and his teammate Mike Skinner would like nothing more than to deliver Randy his first win as an owner on their boss’s birthday. In addition, Malsam, 19, will be celebrating his 20th birthday on Sunday, February 15th.

Malsam at Daytona: Malsam has one career start at Daytona International Speedway – the 2008 Automobile Racing Club of America (ARCA) race, where he qualified 21st and finished in the 18th position.

Autograph Session: Tayler Malsam will take part in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series autograph session on Friday, February 13th at 5 P.M. in the Sprint Fan Zone at Daytona International Speedway. Come out and get an autograph from the Raybestos Rookie of the Year contender!

 

ONE EIGHTY RACING TO BACK MALSAM’S NASCAR TRUCK ROOKIE BID

RMM Announces Primary Sponsor for No. 81 for First Two Rounds of 2009 Truck Series Season

STATESVILLE, N.C. (February 7, 2009) - Seattle’s Tayler Malsam is living his dream and with each day, the dream is becoming reality.

Last week, Randy Moss Motorsports (RMM) named Malsam, 19, as driver of the No. 81 Toyota Tundra for the full 2009 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series season.

Today, One Eighty Racing, a part of the One Eighty family of brands, announced it will kick-off Malsam’s rookie year by sponsoring him in the first two rounds of the 2009 season, including the NextEra Energy Resources 250 on February 13 at Daytona International Speedway and the second race at Auto Club Speedway on February 21. One Eighty will also continue their relationship with Randy Moss Motorsports through the entire NASCAR Camping World Truck Series season.

One Eighty Chairman and CEO Dan Madsen believes that human capital is a company’s number one resource. Madsen also believes that giving employees the freedom to chase their passion makes them happier, more engaged, creates better work and makes the company more successful.

“With One Eighty Racing we are continuing to help people follow their passions,” said Madsen. “What immediately attracted us to Tayler was his passion for racing and his character. He has a great team around him and we are proud to be a part of it. His performance on the track was just the icing on the cake. We believe he has an outstanding shot at winning the Raybestos Rookie of the Year award and we are excited to help Tayler reach that goal.”

“One Eighty is a company that doesn’t follow convention or industry norms,” continued Madsen. “We believe business can and should be done differently. That same twisted thinking applies to One Eighty Racing. It’s time to twist things up a bit. We won’t be happy being just another new name in the racing world; we want to be recognized as innovators in the business of racing.”

“It is an honor to have support from people like Dan Madsen and One Eighty,” said Malsam. “I can’t tell you how excited I am to have all the pieces come together and am ready to hit the track in Daytona.”

“We are very pleased to have One Eighty on board with us for the first couple of races,” added co-owner Randy Moss. “They obviously see the same potential in Tayler that we do. Dan has the same mindset as Randy Moss Motorsports does – people are the key ingredient to success. RMM is surrounded with great people and that is what it takes to win races and championships. The goal will be to get a good solid run in for One Eighty next Friday in Daytona.”

Helping to mentor Malsam’s bid for Raybestos Rookie of the Year honors will be his Randy Moss Motorsports teammate, former Truck Series champion Mike Skinner, who is one of the most successful drivers in series history.

For more information about One Eighty, please log onto www.oneeightytwist.com.

 

RANDY MOSS LOOKS TO ROOKIE CLASS AND VETERANS FOR DRAFT PICKS FOR 2009 NASCAR CAMPING WORLD TRUCK SERIES SEASON

Randy Moss Motorsports taps Rookie-of-the-Year Contender Tayler Malsam and former Truck Series Champion Mike Skinner to drive for RMM in 2009

STATESVILLE, N.C. (January 29, 2009) – As the 2008 NFL season comes to a close, New England Patriots wide receiver Randy Moss is getting ready to kick off his first full season as a NASCAR team owner. Moss and co-owner David Dollar have tapped Raybestos Rookie-of-the-Year contender Tayler Malsam to drive the No. 81 RMM truck and former Truck Series Champion Mike Skinner to drive the No. 46 RMM truck in the 2009 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series season.

Malsam is coming off of a successful year in ARCA RE/MAX competition where he finished ninth overall in the series championship point standings. In addition, the 19-year-old made his Truck Series debut in August at Bristol Motor Speedway and finished 21st in the 2008 season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

Skinner, the 1995 Truck Series Champion, brings a world of experience and knowledge to Randy Moss Motorsports. In ten NCWTS seasons, the veteran has accumulated 25 wins, along with 80 top-five and 114 top-ten finishes. In 2008, Skinner finished sixth in the championship point standings with one win, 5 top-five, and 18 top-ten finishes.

“We are very pleased to have both Tayler and Mike come on board at Randy Moss Motorsports for the 2009 season,” stated team co-owner Randy Moss. “Tayler has shown a lot of promise in his performance on the track in 2008 and we look forward to helping him to continue to grow as a driver in 2009. Mike will be able to help mentor Tayler while going for his second championship all at the same time. It’s the perfect combination.”

“We have set a plan in motion to have a championship caliber team in 2009,” added co-owner David Dollar. “We see a lot of potential in Tayler and are excited to have him be a part of that plan. Having Mike come on board puts the last piece of the puzzle together for us to be able to run for the championship. We look forward to Tayler running for Raybestos Rookie-of-the-Year and both he and Mike making a run for the 2009 championship.”

Moss is no stranger to success in competition as he was a key player in the New England Patriots 2007 record season when they went undefeated on their way to the Super Bowl.

“Our goal for the 2009 season is to be successful on track and contend for the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series championship,” continued Moss. “We have all the pieces to be able to reach that goal and are looking forward to getting on the track in Daytona.”

Malsam, a product of the Pacific Northwest dirt Sprint car competition, shares the same enthusiasm as Moss. “I am excited to join Randy Moss Motorsports for the 2009 season,” said Malsam. “David Dollar and Randy Moss have put together a championship contending team and it’s exciting to be a part of their organization. Randy has a great passion for racing. He understands teamwork, commitment, competition and his enthusiasm is very contagious. David is one of the most experienced team owners in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series and has the wins to prove he knows what it takes to put together a successful team.”

“I’m really excited to work with Randy Moss Motorsports,” stated Mike Skinner. “David Dollar has been in this business for a long time and I think that his management skills are definitely head and shoulders above a lot of the others out there. It’s a great opportunity for all of us. Hopefully between David and myself and Randy, working with really good people we can get the sponsorship that it takes to be competitive and to continue on with a program that’s been in place since 1996.”

“Being able to bring Toyota over there is the biggest thing to me,” continued Skinner. “I’ve had a great relationship with Toyota and the Tundra brand and support from them since the Truck Series started with Toyota in 2004. To be able to keep that marriage alive and keep Toyota as our partners, that means a lot. That’s what I bleed, that’s what is in my veins. Hopefully we can get this race team very, very competitive and get the championship.”

Randy Moss Motorsports hopes to find themselves in NASCAR’s version of the end zone, Victory Lane, many times throughout 2009 as they make a run for the championship title.

Announcements regarding crew chiefs and sponsorship for the 2009 RMM team will be made in the near future.

 

Tayler Malsam's Homestead Recap

Race: Ford 200
Location: Homestead-Miami Speedway
Date: Friday, November 14th, 2008
Start Position: 22nd
Finish Position: 21st
Laps Completed: 137 of 137

Making his debut in a Bill Davis Racing Toyota Tundra, 19-year-old Tayler Malsam qualified in the top 25 for the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Malsam took the green flag from the 22nd position and never fell out of the top 25, earning a 21st-place finish in only his second NCTS start.

The NCTS teams participated in two practice sessions Thursday afternoon, and the young driver spent that time getting himself acclimated to both the track and the truck. With a team led by veteran Crew Chief Gene Nead, the No. 24 Tundra posted solid times during both practice sessions. Malsam was the 30th of 37 competitors to take to the track for qualifying Friday evening and earned a solid 22nd-place starting position after posting a speed of 163.830 mph around the 1.5-mile oval.

The green flag waved for the start of Friday night’s race, and Malsam communicated to Nead during an early caution period that the Stocks for Tots/North Carolina Auto Racing Hall of Fame Toyota Tundra was handling well. Malsam spent the early laps getting used to the machine under race conditions. A yellow flag waved on lap 42 of the 137-lap race, which gave Nead the opportunity to bring the truck in for a scheduled pit stop. Nead called for four fresh tires, fuel and a track bar adjustment during the ensuing stop, and Malsam lined up for the lap 46 restart in the 22nd spot.

Malsam continued to drive a smart race and posted his fastest lap of the event on the 104th circuit. Malsam’s BDR teammate Mike Skinner brought a caution after experiencing a blown tire. Nead opted to leave Malsam on the track, as the truck seemed to perform better on older tires. Many of Malsam’s competitors made pit stops, and the No. 24 truck lined up for the lap 129 restart in the seventh spot. While racing for position with Jack Sprague, the two trucks made contact on the backstretch. Malsam was able to keep his truck off the wall and remain on the lead lap, but he was forced to make a pit stop for four fresh tires. After a green/white/checkered flag finish, Malsam earned a 21st-place finish

 

Malsam looking forward to NASCAR truck finale at Homestead-Miami

By Scott Whitmore
Herald Writer

Tayler Malsam recently logged 300 virtual laps to prepare for his third attempt at making a NASCAR race.

The 19-year-old Mill Creek resident will make his debut with Bill Davis Racing this weekend in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series 2008 season finale at Florida’s Homestead-Miami Speedway, a track he’s never raced at before.

To help him prepare, Malsam turned to his game console, running an entire virtual race on the mile-and-a-half oval.

“I’ve been hanging out in Charlotte (N.C.),” Malsam said by phone on Tuesday. “I went go-karting twice this week, spent some time at the (BDR) shop and played some Xbox, just waiting until we leave for Homestead.”

Malsam, who is originally from Sammamish, announced on Nov. 4 that he would drive full-time for BDR, a veteran team based in High Point, N.C., in the NASCAR truck series — new sponsor Camping World takes over from Craftsman — in 2009.

Having down time is an unusual circumstance for Malsam, who logged thousands of airline miles from February to October crisscrossing the country to race.

“Last time I was on a track was go-karting (on Monday),” Malsam said with a laugh. “Before that — it’s been a while. It’s definitely been different for me.”

This year Malsam raced sprint cars on the West Coast for Monroe-based Rudeen Racing, late-model stock cars in the Midwest and on the East Coast in the ARCA Re/MAX Series, and he made his NASCAR truck series debut.

As a rookie, he finished ninth in the 2008 ARCA season standings while racing for Cunningham Motorsports. Malsam made his NASCAR debut in August at Bristol, Tenn., in a truck prepared by Cunningham subsidiary CHS Motorsports, a newly-formed race team that planned on competing full-time in the truck series in 2009.

Malsam had hoped to attempt five truck series starts with CHS in 2008, and then drive for the team full-time in 2009. But just two races into his partnership with CHS, Malsam began to re-think his plan.

He finished 36th at Bristol after cutting a tire and wrecking, and then just missed making the Oct. 18 race at Martinsville, Va., driving 37th quickest in trying to qualify for the 36-truck field.

“They’re a great team but they’re not ready for the truck series yet,” Malsam said of CHS. “We wanted a team that was good right off the bat. We started talking to BDR and they liked us, and we liked them.”

“Seemed like a no-brainer to go with a team running for a championship,” he added.

Heading into the season finale at Homestead-Miami, BDR driver Johnny Benson has just a three-point lead over Ron Hornaday Jr. of Kevin Harvick Incorporated. The next driver, Todd Bodine, is 143 points back and out of the hunt for the series championship.

BDR flew Malsam to Arizona for last weekend’s truck series race at Phoenix International Raceway, and he was able to spend some time with Benson.

“I talked to (Benson) about Homestead and listened in on his radio while he was on the track,” Malsam said. “He was really helpful, and it was pretty interesting to see how he dealt with things — a lot of stuff happened in that race.”

Benson’s path to the championship seemed to be clear of obstacles after Hornaday wrecked on the first lap of last Friday’s Lucas Oil 150 in Phoenix. Hornaday returned to the track after making repairs, but he was many laps down.

But then Benson wrecked mid-way through the race and also had to pull off for repairs. The two rivals finished 25th (Hornaday) and 26th (Benson), setting up a down-to-the-wire finish this weekend.

Malsam will drive the No. 24 Stocks for Tots Toyota Tundra this weekend at Homestead-Miami. Stocks for Tots was created to bring together stock car racing and its fans while raising awareness of child abuse.

As of Tuesday there were 37 trucks on the preliminary entry list for the Homestead race. As a new entry with no owner points, Malsam will need to qualify on time to make the 36-truck field.

Veteran crew chief Gene Nead was assigned by BDR to head up Malsam’s pit crew for the Homestead race. Nead has worked with several truck teams as well as NASCAR Cup-series owner-driver Robby Gordon. A permanent crew chief will be assigned to Malsam for the 2009 season.

Although he hadn’t spent much time with his interim crew chief as of Tuesday, Malsam said Nead “used to run sprint cars, so I know we’re going to get along.”

Malsam added that he intended to continue racing sprint cars for Rudeen Racing next season when the truck series schedule allows.

BDR has had a great deal of success since entering the NASCAR truck series in 2004. The team has accumulated 24 wins, 97 top-five, and 156 top-10 finishes in the past five seasons.

As it has for many NASCAR teams, the slumping economy has impacted BDR. The team lost sponsorship for its Cup series car and it is searching for sponsorship for its four trucks.

On top of that, Benson announced prior to the Phoenix race that he would not return to BDR for the 2009 season. Although Benson did not elaborate on his future plans, rumors of him retiring or signing with another team have since surfaced.

None of that seemed to bother Malsam.

“There’re a lot of rumors — we know Benson is probably not coming back but I don’t know the details,” Malsam said. “I know (BDR is) running four trucks for sure next year … I don’t have any worries about if BDR is going to be around.”

Joining Malsam in BDR’s truck garage next season will be veteran Mike Skinner and Brian Scott, a truck series rookie this season who will move over from Xpress Motorsports. Once Benson’s situation is resolved, BDR will address a driver for the fourth truck.

 

TAYLER MALSAM JOINS BILL DAVIS RACING’S TRUCK SERIES PROGRAM

HIGH POINT, N.C. (Nov. 4, 2008) - Fresh off a top-10 finish in his rookie season in the ARCA RE/MAX Series, Seattle’s Tayler Malsam has signed with Bill Davis Racing to pilot a fourth Toyota Tundra in the 2009 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series.

Malsam, 19, will drive a Toyota Tundra truck for the High Point, N.C. team whose NASCAR Truck Series success has been unrivaled since entering the series in 2004. The Toyota Tundra outfit has accumulated 24 wins, 97-top five, and 156-top 10 finishes in the last five seasons. No other team in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series garage has been able to match these results.

“Bill Davis Racing is one of the most experienced and successful teams,” said Malsam. “One of the things that drew us to BDR was the presence of outstanding veteran drivers as well as young talent.”

In preparation for the 2009 season, Malsam will attend this week’s event in Phoenix with the team in anticipation of making his first start for BDR at the 2008 NASCAR Truck Series season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

“Tayler has shown a great deal of talent in his first full season in the ARCA RE/MAX Series,” commented team owner Bill Davis. “He has the ability to go a long way in this sport because he possesses all the assets teams are looking for in a driver. He can get it done on the track and he has the ability to represent both Bill Davis Racing and his sponsors with both integrity and class.

“We feel confident we have the best program in the garage to showcase the talent Tayler has. We are looking forward to getting him to Daytona to see what he can do.”

In the Fast Lane: Seattle's Tayler Malsam, 19, turning heads
By HOLLY CAIN
SPECIAL TO THE P-I

IF IT WERE up to his father, Tayler Malsam would likely be preparing for a career quarterbacking his hometown Seattle Seahawks. Instead, Malsam, 19, spends his Sunday afternoons racing stock cars at 200 mph and dating a Seahawks cheerleader.

"I remember when I was real young trying to get my dad to get me a race car, and he just wanted to throw the football instead," Malsam said with a laugh.

Ultimately, he got that car -- a go-kart and then a sprint car -- and is quickly establishing himself on the national level, earning a job this season competing in the ARCA Re/Max Series, a well-regarded stock car developmental series.

Malsam finished ninth in the ARCA championship -- part of a rookie class that also included former Formula One driver Scott Speed and motorcycle champion Ricky Stenhouse Jr., all hoping to advance into the elite NASCAR ranks.

The success has already moved Malsam up the development ladder. He'll make his second start in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series on Saturday in Martinsville, Va., and hopes to secure a full-time job in the NASCAR truck ranks next season.

"I have a feeling something good will come out of this," Malsam said. "I'm real excited about next year."

By conservative estimate, Malsam has made 50 cross-country trips in the past six months, flying from Seattle to East Coast race hubs. It's taught him the fine art of stealing catnaps in airport lounges and how to sleep in crowded, noisy airplanes.

Mostly, it has reaffirmed his commitment to pursue a racing career.

"I'm having so much fun, sleep's not an issue," Malsam said from his Mill Creek condo on Tuesday -- only hours after arriving home from the ARCA series finale in Toledo, Ohio, and a NASCAR test session outside Charlotte, N.C.

"I really do enjoy the traveling, and the coolest thing is meeting all the people across the country."

Still, two 3,000-mile days a week make for an exhaustive travel schedule and create logistical obstacles that 99 percent of aspiring NASCAR racers don't face.

But Malsam's always been a little unconventional -- a 19-year old whose iPod is filled with Johnny Cash and Elvis Presley music and who lists pyrotechnics as a hobby.

Being from the Northwest, Malsam knew he had to go about things differently to make a racing name for himself -- NASCAR wasn't going to come calling even with the recent success of Washingtonians Kasey Kahne of Enumclaw and Greg Biffle of Vancouver.

"It's not the normal sport to pursue when you're from out here," Malsam said. "We're kind of like Area 51. You're on a different map from everyone else."

But like Kahne -- the 2004 Sprint Cup rookie of the year -- and Biffle, a two-time NASCAR champ and current Cup championship contender -- Malsam is proving the region is full of quality racers, if not big on quantity.

His three top-five ARCA finishes driving the No. 4 Dodge Development car for Cunningham Motorsports caught the eye of one of racing's legendary operations -- Penske Racing, which hired him as a development driver.

"I think he caused people to take notice," nine-time ARCA champion Frank Kimmel said. "This series is so competitive now with the Cup teams coming in and bringing their young drivers that if Tayler had had this season five years ago, he would have been second or third or contending for the championship."

Malsam knows the more success he has, the fewer trips he'll be making back home. He sleeps on a couch in a team member's apartment in Charlotte when his schedule makes getting home impossible. Soon he may have to get a place of his own.

"When I was starting out and racing down in California, everyone kept telling me I could make it, that I should really try," Malsam said.

"Right now there's a whole lot of options, so I'm letting them fall into place and hopefully the right one falls."

 

MALSAM WRAPS UP ROOKIE ARCA SEASON NINTH IN CHAMPIONSHIP!

Tayler Malsam is not a “rookie” anymore, at least not in the ARCA RE/MAX Series.
Malsam, 19, wrapped up his rookie season of ARCA competition with an eighth place finish Sunday in the Hantz Group 200 on the half-mile oval at Toledo Speedway.

Driving the #4 Dodge Development car for Cunningham Motorsports, Malsam’s eighth place finish left him to the ninth position in the 21-race ARCA RE/MAX Series championship in his first season of stock car racing.

“We had a lot of ups and downs during the season,” said Malsam. “I have to thank the Cunningham team for all of their hard work and support. The competition in ARCA is really good and when you are racing against drivers like Scott Speed; Ricky Stenhouse, Jr.; Justin Allgaier and Frank Kimmel, you learn a lot,” said Malsam.

“I also want to thank the ARCA officials and the fans. There aren’t a lot of drivers from the Pacific Northwest in the ARCA series and our nearest race is over a thousand miles from home.”

Malsam won’t be without “rookie stripes” for long as he will be wearing them again in his NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series return this Saturday, October 18th at Martinsville Speedway. Malsam will drive the # 41 Dodge for the fledgling CHS Motorsports team at the Kroger 200 at the .526 mile Martinsville (VA) Speedway. The race will be broadcast live on SPEED TV at 2:30pm Eastern.

Highlights of Malsam’s “rookie” ARCA campaign included:

A third place finish at the difficult 2.5 mile Pocono tri-oval, a track with three distinctly different turns and banking, making car set-ups especially difficult.

A third place on the only road course of the season, the new 2.3 mile Thunderbolt Raceway at the New Jersey Motorsports Park

A fifth place finish on the one-mile dirt oval at Springfield, Illinois.

An eighth place finish on the one-half mile paved oval at Toledo.

His first top-ten finish, a tenth place at Iowa Speedway in April.

Malsam qualified fifth at New Jersey; sixth at Kentucky Speedway and seventh at Pocono.

He moved into the top-ten in the ARCA RE/MAX Series championship at the Rockingham 500 on May 4 and remained there through the final 17 races.

year," said Malsam, who hails from Sammamish, Washington. "We did well enough that we got the okay from Kerry Scherer (Malsam's ARS car owner). Next thing I know, we've signed a deal to run the whole year."

After debuting the #4 Cunningham Motorsports-Dodge Development Dodge at Toledo Speedway in October of 2007, Malsam made his superspeedway debut in last month's 45th running of the ARCA 200 at Daytona.

"Although our finish (18th) didn't show it, we had a great run going at Daytona. We got caught up in that big wreck and went a lap down. But after some great pit stops, we got our lap back and were working our way back to the front when we cut a right rear tire. After all that, we had some overheating issues. But, we learned a lot and it was definitely the most fun I've had racing in a while. Loved all the drafting; and I can't wait for Talladega."

But there's a lot of racing to be done in between now and Talladega. And for Malsam, who cut his teeth in winged sprint car racing, the up and coming racer will climb back into his sprint car to fill the gap leading up to the ARCA RE/MAX Series' next event at Salem Speedway on April 13th.

"I'm gunna be running some sprint cars the first couple of weeks in March. We're planning on running the Mini Gold Cup in Chico, California with the Golden State Series. Then we're going to fly back home to Washington the next morning. We're going to a function in Seattle in support of Juvenile Diabetes. We'll have one of the ARCA cars on display and auction some tickets off for the ARCA race at MIS. But the whole reason we're going is to try and raise money for Juvenile Diabetes."

In addition to running the sprint car, March means more ARCA RE/MAX Series testing for Malsam and the Cunningham Motorsports Dodge Development team.

"We're doing the Rockingham test (March 21, 22), then we're scheduled to test at Salem on the 26th."

From a 1,200 lb sprint car to a 3,400 lb stock car, Malsam's going to be getting a lot of both in the near future.

"You're definitely up on the wheel more in a sprint car, and in and out of the gas a lot more. You drive them a lot differently. You're driving sideways in a sprint car; but in the stock car, you're driving straight. But the quick reflexes and throttle control it takes to run a sprint car only helps when you get in a heavier stock car, I think.

"But yah, they're a lot different; there's no doubt about that. In a sprint car you're racing as hard as you can from the drop of the green flag. In a stock car, you have to learn to pace yourself.

"I can't wait to go to Salem; I've heard it's fast and fun."

And whether it's in an open-wheel machine or a stock car, Malsam likes to go fast and have fun.

"If I'm not in a racecar, I'm on something that goes. I like to snowmobile, dirt-bike, skateboard, you name it. My dad says I probably shouldn't do it; he's concerned I'm going to get hurt. I can understand that. He's got so much invested in me when it comes to my future. But all this stuff is just too much fun. You just have to use good judgment. There's a difference between stupid fun and smart fun."

Malsam's plans in '08 include the full ARCA RE/MAX Series schedule and lots of open-wheel racing in between.

"I'm going to run the sprint car next weekend; and I'll probably be in a sprint car every weekend I'm not in the ARCA car. I'm also running a dirt midget in about 12 races - USAC and some other divisions.

"I'm working out every day with a personal trainer lifting weights, cardio, racquetball - staying busy with that too. My dad's a real estate developer, and I help him in the off-season too. If I'm not doing that, I'm in the sprint car shop getting ready for our next race."

Despite a very busy open-wheel schedule in 2008, Malsam's main focus will be the Kerry Scherer-owned no. 4 Cunningham Motorsports-Dodge Development Dodge; especially if he hopes to get to that next level where the likes of Gordon, Stewart, Newman and Kahne play for big dollars and big press.

Having said that, Malsam's got a lot to work with in the ARCA RE/MAX Series ranks. Not only will he be training with a first-class, high-quality team, he'll have the knowledge of veteran series driver Mark Gibson to work with all year.

"Mark's going to be my crew chief all year. Everything I've learned in a stock car, I've learned from him. I talk to him all the time; I just talked to him yesterday as a matter of fact. He's helped me a lot. We communicate really well. We're both super calm and quiet, so we're on the same page. Except he was a lot more nervous on raceday (at Daytona) than I was. I had to calm him down," joked Malsam. "But I understand how valuable he (Gibson) is to the success of our team. He's got more experience in that garage than 90% of the people there. I have a lot of respect for him, and I listen to everything he tells me. I'd be a fool if I didn't."