03-15-2004 | TruckSeries.com Report
Joey Clanton and team Key Motorsports look to regroup after a disappointing 31st place finish in the EasyCare Vehicle Service Contracts 200, at Atlanta Motor Speedway. The team was set to test in Atlanta back in late February but inclimate weather forced them to miss another highly sought out test session. They were forced to break in their Chevrolet Silverado at the speedway, during the race weeks practice sessions. After a few setup changes the team felt they had a setup worth getting them in the race and it proved them right. Clanton took the 32 starting position. However, the team struggled early on in the event as they could not get the speed they were looking for to get Clanton up front. Clanton jumped up into the top 20, but fell back to 25th , then after collecting some debris, had cut a right front tire that sent him into the wall, at approximately 170 mph, around lap 84. He was treated at the infield care center and transported to the hospital for further evaluation. While undergoing observation at Atlanta Medical Center, Clanton was given a CAT Scan. The scan came back negative and Clanton was released. “ I’m okay, a little sore but okay”, stated Clanton from his home on Sunday. “We didn’t have a race winning truck, so I was hoping to ride it out and get some seat time, to help us prepare this truck for other tracks like Charlotte, then we fell victim to trash on the track, it’s another case of the wrong place at the wrong time”, Clanton added, referring to the “Big One” in Daytona that took him out of contention. The team, currently 31st in points, still has their heads high as they have made the first two races, without sponsorship. They continue the search and hope to complete a deal for Martinsville in April.