UM medical student Patrick Staropoli tested the #99 PEAK Toyota Camry at New Smyrna Speedway on Monday in preparation for the inaugural NASCAR K&N Pro Series East New Smyrna 150 next month.
It was a full day test session that included a shakedown of a new car that was basically rebuilt from scratch over the last several weeks specifically for Staropoli’s schedule this season.
Staropoli met with the crew he will be working with in 2014 as well as new teammates Brandon McReynolds and Nick Drake. He was also reunited with crew chief Duane Knorr, who he worked with in his two previous starts last fall.
“Our agenda for the day was focusing on making runs on older tires to get the balance of the car dialed in,” Staropoli said. “Since the race is 150 laps, tire conservation and balance will be key.”
However, with the large amount of cars entering the race and with track position always a factor at New Smyrna, the Bill McAnally Team also focused on its qualifying package to make sure Staropoli starts at the front of the pack.
“Towards the end of the day we made a couple of mock qualifying runs to see how much speed we had in the PEAK Toyota,” Staropoli said. “Overall we were very happy with our performance. I have a good feeling about our car and this BMR team heading into February Speedweeks.”
The NASCAR K&N Pro Series East New Smyrna 150 will take place on February 16th. The race will be tape-delayed on Fox Sports 1 but you can follow it with live updates on NASCAR Home Tracks.
To stay up to date on all news surrounding Staropoli you can follow him on Twitter @97patrickstar, Facebook, and visit his website at http://www.patrickstaropoli.com/.
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Jordan Kroeger | examiner.com