NASCAR Camping World Trucks Series
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TRUCKS: Happy Time For Coulter
Richard Childress Racing driver Joey Coulter was the fastest in Happy Hour at Kentucky Speedway...
Tom Jensen  |  Posted June 28, 2012   Sparta, KY
Joey Coulter, driver of the No. 22 Steak-umm Chevrolet, practices for the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series UNOH 225 at Kentucky Speedway on June 28, 2012 in Sparta, Kentucky. (Photo: Getty Images)
With temperatures at Kentucky Speedway nearing triple digits, it was Joey Couler who scorched the field during the final Happy Hour practice for this evening’s UNOH 225 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series 225.

SPEED’s live Truck Series television coverage from Kentucky Speedway begins with qualifying at 5 p.m. ET. NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Setup airs at 7:30 p.m., followed by the race at 8 p.m.

Coulter, who was also fastest in opening stanza, blistered the Kentucky oval with a lap of 171.336 miles per hour in his No. 22 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet Silverado, best of anyone during the final 90-minute session.

Second fast was Brazilian Miguel Paludo, who ran 171.070 mph in his Turner Motorsports Chevy. Paludo’s teammate and countryman Nelson Piquet Jr. was next at 170.919 mph.

Jason Leffler wheeled the No. 18 Kyle Busch Motorsports Toyota Tundra to a best lap of 170.449 mph, fourth overall. Also fast was James Buescher, clocking in at 170.283 mph in yet another Turner Chevy.

Then came ThorSport Racing teammates Johnny Sauter and Matt Crafton, followed by Jason White, Brad Keselowski and Timothy Peters.

Ty Dillon had to change an engine in his Richard Childress Racing truck during the session, as did Kyle Larson. Both drivers will start from the back of the field tonight.

With seven of 22 races in the books for the 2012 Truck Series season, Justin Lofton leads Peters by five points, Dillon by 12 and Buescher by 23.

Lofton, 12th in Happy Hour, said he was struggling with the track today.

“We are doing pretty good so far,” he said. “The bumps are definitely different than last year. They are quite a bit bigger and there are more of them. ... It’s definitely changing the way we set up the truck. We are really fast, but we are struggling with drivability and making sure that we can drive aggressive.”

Tom Jensen is the Editor in Chief of SPEED.com, Senior NASCAR Editor at RACER and a contributing Editor for TruckSeries.com. You can follow him online at twitter.com/tomjensen100.
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