Chris Wimmer: Power Stroke Diesel 200 preview

After a string of top-20 finishes, MB Motorsports driver Chris Wimmer is excitedly looking forward to the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Power Stroke Diesel 200 at Indianapolis Raceway Park (IRP) Friday night. Wimmer raced at IRP last season with the American Speed Association (ASA), finishing 11th after a 15th-place start.

"We haven't had a lot of luck at short tracks this year," he said, referring to a Did Not Qualify at Martinsville, followed by two Did Not Finishes at Mansfield and Memphis, "but we have a good feeling about IRP. We've gotten the bugs out of the system, the team is closer than ever, and we've been putting together some good finishes. We're not where we need to be yet, but we're making positive progress."

"The big tracks we've run lately, like Kansas and Kentucky, have been fun," Wimmer continued, "but I'm a short-track guy at heart. I grew up watching my brother, Scott, run tracks like Madison and Slinger, and when he went to ASA and later, NASCAR, I ran those same tracks. IRP is a tough track, but it's a lot of fun, too. The team is pretty pumped about it."

MB Motorsports owner/crew chief Mike Mittler agrees that the worst is over for the team and the best is still ahead. "No matter what's happened to us, we've always maintained a positive attitude," he said. "Chris is a very smart driver and more importantly, a very patient driver. He's going to need all that patience and more at IRP, but I'm confident we're going to have a good night."

An added boost to the team this weekend is the addition of a second MB Motorsports Ford piloted by Patrick Lawson, a veteran of Midwest tracks such as I-70 Speedway in Odessa, Kans. "It's going to be fun teaming up with Patrick this weekend," said Wimmer. "He works next to us in the shop everyday and he's a great guy to have around. It's his first NASCAR start so he's excited and we're all excited for him. It's going to be a great weekend for MB Motorsports."