NASCAR Notes: East Coweta grad helps Stenhouse pick up win
From Staff, Wire Reportssports@newnan.com
HAMPTON — It was a quick ride home for Thomas Parker. But Saturday’s Nationwide race was well worth the trip to Atlanta Motor Speedway.
Parker, a 2004 graduate of East Coweta, helped driver Ricky Stenhouse Jr. earn a victory in Saturday’s Nationwide event as the rear tire changer for the No. 6 Roush Ford Mustang.
Parker also serves as the rear-tire changer for Trevor Bayne’s No. 21 Wood Brothers Ford in the Sprint Series.
Stenhouse used a late push from runner-up Brad Keselowski to pass Kevin Harvick and win at AMS.
After a restart with three laps to go, Harvick lost the lead on the final lap as his car got loose coming out of Turn 2 and, Stenhouse, who was bumped by Keselowski on the front straightaway, went ahead for good in Turn 3.
“It was good, hard, clean racing, and I’m glad that we could put on a show for fans because it really wasn’t a show up until that point,” Stenhouse said. “It was a great night and fun racing with Kevin there.”
Stenhouse credited crew chief Mike Kelley with continuing to tighten the car on pit stops and giving him enough power to beat Harvick’s No. 33 Chevrolet on the final restart.
“I’ve been doing this for 25 years, and many times at the end of the race you’re frustrated, the driver is frustrated and the team is frustrated because you don’t get the best adjustment,” said Roush, owner of Stenhouse’s No. 6 Mustang. “And all night tonight, for the three stops we had, Mike Kelley dictated great changes, as good a changes as I’ve seen in 25 years.”
KENSETH TO DRIVE NO. 20 WITH GIBBS, LOGANO TO PENSKE
On Tuesday, nearly two months after Roush said Matt Kenseth was leaving, the driver finally confirmed he’s moving to Joe Gibbs Racing at the end of the season.
Kenseth signed to drive the No. 20 Toyota next year.
Penske Racing also made it official Tuesday that Joey Logano, the former driver of the No. 20, will drive the No. 22 Ford in the Sprint Cup Series.
