Friday, May 13, 2016

Blake Koch Looks to Conquer
the “Monster” in Dover

Team Information:

Crew Chief: Chris Rice
Manufacturer: Chevrolet
Engines: ECR



Blake Koch at Dover International Speedway… 

Recouping from a rare off weekend on the NASCAR XFINITY Series (NXS) 2016 schedule, Blake Koch is eager to climb back behind the wheel of his No. 11 LeafFilter Gutter Protection™ Chevrolet Camaro when he arrives at Dover International Speedway for the Ollie’s Bargain Outlet 200. Making 10 previous starts at the “Monster Mile,” Koch has a track-best qualifying effort of 18th (Sept. 2012) and a track-best finish of 21st (Oct. 2011).

Dash 4 Cash is Back… 

This weekend’s race will be the third of four races this season that has NXS regulars vying to win a $100,000 bonus. Along with the incentive of a bigger pay day, any driver that wins multiple Dash 4 Cash races will also automatically lock themselves into the 2016 NXS Chase, which determines the series’ champion at the of the year. Drivers will be eligible for the Dash 4 Cash by being one of the top-two finishing NXS drivers in their respective heat race taking place before the main event later that afternoon.

Aside from this weekend at Dover International Speedway, the Dash 4 Cash will be in play at Indianapolis Speedway in July.

Sounding Off- Blake Koch… 

“I like Dover (International Speedway) a lot, it’s like Bristol (Motor Speedway) on steroids. I just really like the feel that I have for the track. There’s something about the concrete tracks, I have a better feel for the car, which leads to better feedback for better adjustments and turns into better results. That’s why I look forward to Dover, I feel like I know what I need more there than anywhere else.”

Chassis Chatter… 

Kaulig Racing™ will roll out chassis No. 003 from it’s stable of RCR chassis for Saturday’s Ollie’s Bargain Outlet 200 at Dover International Speedway. This will be the third time chassis 003 has raced in 2016. It’s debut came at Phoenix International Raceway where Koch qualified 12th and finished 16th. It hit the track again at Bristol Motor Speedway, where Koch qualified 16th, but a broken steering box relinquished him to a 37th-place finish.

Previous Race Recap… 

Qualifying a track-best 13th at Talladega Superspeedway the last time the NXS was on track, Koch kept his nose clean throughout the entire race until “overtime” escalated the intensity. Making a move to the outside lane coming to the checkered flag, Koch had no place to go when the No. 22 spun in front of him. Koch was scored with a 24th-place finish.

2016 Season in Review…

In nine starts this season, Koch has two top-10 (Daytona, Richmond), 3 top-15, and 5 top-20 finishes. The NXS driver has completed 1362 of 1498 laps attempted (90.9%) and has a season-best start of eighth at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, Calif., and a season-best finish of eighth at Richmond International Raceway. Across nine races, Koch has an Average Start of 14.3, and an Average Finish of 20.7.

Experience on the Box… 

Chris Rice, crew chief for Blake Koch and the No. 11 Kaulig Racing™ team, has 229 career NXS starts to his resume since 1999. Rice has called the shots for 11 NXS races at Dover International Speedway, and his success includes three top-five starting spots, and five top-15 finishes.

Blake Koch NXS Career… 

While the West Palm Beach, Fla. driver may be making his debut with Kaulig Racing™ during the 2016 season, Koch is not a stranger to the NXS. Making 156 career starts, Koch has a career-best starting position of second at Homestead-Miami Speedway (Nov. 2013), and a career-best finish of eighth at Richmond International Raceway (April 2016).

Tune-In… 

The Ollie’s Bargain Outlet 200 will be televised live Saturday, May 14, at 2:00 p.m. ET on FOX and will be broadcast live on the Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio channel 90.

Team Release

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