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NASCAR MEDIA CONFERENCE

November 17, 2016

Timothy Peters

Q. How hard has it been to get here with a lack of sponsorship?
TIMOTHY PETERS: You know, we definitely want color on that truck for sure, and we've worked really hard throughout the year to perform on the racetrack to help get notoriety for sure. Tom DeLoach has always invested in his race team and helped us get to this point, so hopefully the way that we perform this year, the company has won a race. We've been very consistent. Maybe tomorrow night we can cap off this big championship and attract the eyes of some sponsors and get it on our Tundra going forward in 2017.

Q. You mentioned the win; how much do you think it's affected the team?
TIMOTHY PETERS: Well, anytime you get a win throughout the year, regardless of who gets it, under the organization, it just goes to show you the hard work and determination that everyone puts into it. It's good momentum and motivation for me, as well.
We always‑‑ I've always won a race since joining Red Horse in 2009, and I definitely want to tie Dennis Setzer's record this year of eight seasons with a win.

Q. You're working with Shane Huffman this year. How has that chemistry been?
TIMOTHY PETERS: Chemistry has been really well. Shane coming on board in December of last year, when we unloaded at Daytona, it was like we worked together for a long time. A lot of the guys were new with the exception of maybe one or two from previous years at Red Horse Racing, and the way we've worked together the first practice was as if we worked together all year long. He can help relate to some of the things that I'm saying that maybe some other guys really can't wrap their head around. You know, a race car driver always has a unique way of describing the way the vehicle is, and he does a great job interpreting that. We just see a lot eye to eye, so he's really helped our program, and it's been cool for us to have the year that we've had so far.

Q. I've got to ask this: You're running second on the last lap tomorrow night‑‑
TIMOTHY PETERS: I think you ask anyone that, that answer is going to be yes.

Q. What have you learned through the first go‑around through this championship format? What have you learned in terms of how to approach it, things like that?
TIMOTHY PETERS: You know, I think as far as consistency has helped us get here for sure. The format puts a lot of focusing on winning. If you're not having the year that you think that you need to be at par with‑‑ we've been so close, as I said, of the organization getting a win this year with Brett Moffitt, but still, again, that drives me to get this win, but also the consistency, and I think that's how I got here. We just never slacked up on working together. It's all about execution, and we've gained‑‑ we do that every weekend, but we're really wanting to seal the deal tomorrow night.

Q. Do you approach it any differently than any other race?
TIMOTHY PETERS: Not really. I mean, the biggest thing is that we want to come in this weekend and do as if we were doing the rest of the year. If we overthink it, then you may not execute and you may make mistakes. I've just been taking it easy. I helped my mom dig up her septic tank on Tuesday, so just relaxing. I know that probably ain't something that you guys want to hear, but just as far as how my week has been going.
I'm just going to approach it calm, and again, not overthink it.

Q. What would this mean to you because you were like probably a race fan first before you were a race fan growing up in the South.
TIMOTHY PETERS: Oh, for sure. Winning this deal would solidify everything that growing up we've worked hard for, going to the racetrack, pulling for my hero Darrell Waltrip back in the late '80s at Martinsville to knowing that one day I had a desire to be a race car driver, and to be in this point and to be here talking to you and all the other media members is just so cool. It just would make the holidays and the icing on the cake that much better.

Q. What attracted you to Darrell that he was the guy that‑‑ obviously he's bigger than life, if you're a kid and who he was doing at the time, but what was it that was like, he's my guy?
TIMOTHY PETERS: Well, back then I felt like it was Darrell Waltrip and Dale Earnhardt, and I wanted to go for a guy that was, in my opinion, pretty brash. He backed up what he said, you know. And plus it was just all cool to‑‑ I guess one day that kind of pushed it over the edge is I was in Martinsville in the front stretch fans, and the engines were so close to being fired, and here he comes, he hops over the car like Bo and Luke on Dukes of Hazzard and jumps in and goes out and wins the race in the Bud car. At that point I knew that I was a fan for life.
And plus, how could you not like the Tide 17 ride, too?

Q. Is that why you picked 17?
TIMOTHY PETERS: Yeah. Kind of on the outside looking in at the end of 2007, beginning of 2008, and we created our own truck team. We knew we had one shot to maybe catch some eyes, and at that time I knew DW would be in the booth, so my first race to make the attempt with our team, the rain was coming, so we had to move away from the 17 and use David Dollar's number, 47, at that time, to guarantee us is, only if it rained. But the following race that we ran, he was back in the booth, and we had 17. You know, it's always nice to get a good mention from your hero.

Q. Tom DeLoach coming from the private sector to going to racer, he's certainly gone through the ups and downs. What do you think for all the passion and time and money he's invested in this, what would it mean to Tom?
TIMOTHY PETERS: It would mean everything, for as much as he's invested in his race team, even before I was fortunate enough to join it. You know, he's one of the longest running truck owners in the garage, and he's a great person. What he tells you is concrete, and you don't see that much. You know, when he walks through the shop, it just isn't another number with his employees. He knows every one of them by name. He knows their spouse, he knows their children, and to me that's a great place you want to work at, a great man you want to work for.
They always said you've got to learn how to lose one before you can win one, and we was in this title hunt in 2012 and we lost by six. Maybe it's time for us to win one and to just cap off what he has done for the garage area, what he has done for the employees of Red Horse Racing. It would just cap off a great decade.

Q. What did you learn from that near miss that you're taking into Friday?
TIMOTHY PETERS: Well, you've got to figure that was on the old format. I knew that I had to beat James at the time, who I was chasing for the championship, and we had an off day, but we still finished like sixth or seventh, but two spots behind James, I think it was six points from winning it.
You know, the format was a little different. Yes, you could relax a little bit and maybe not be as aggressive. Now we're all even and winner takes all. There isn't no riding around. You bring your best piece, and all four of those guys are going to be elbows up and doing whatever it takes to win. What I took from that was that you always have to be patiently aggressive, but I'm going to slash the patient out and just be aggressive.

Q. How much does practice help tomorrow morning?
TIMOTHY PETERS: It may help a little bit in the first practice. The temperature‑wise may be helping you when we take the green flag. One thing that may hurt is that there really hasn't been much on‑track activity other than a few rookie tests in the middle of August and a tire test within the month. And with the rains that have came, you know, it's going to be green. I'm sure we'll have five sets of tires. Tire management is going to be important that first session, but the biggest thing is just getting a good race balance, and using your notebook and using the experience that I know my guys and Shane Huffman have, not to over‑adjust because this place is very temperature sentimental, or sensitive, I'm sorry, I should say, and it's going to free up at night, and we don't want to get to driving good during the day and then miss at night and miss our window to try to win this championship.

Q. Talk about the relationship with Shane Huffman and talk about your season working with him.
TIMOTHY PETERS: Yeah, me and Shane have got along great. Him being a former racer has definitely helped me. We complement each other. When he came on board and we showed up at Daytona, basically all but two of the guys were brand new, and it seemed like we'd been working together for years.
We polished on that, and we got off a little bit there in the middle of the summer, but we came on towards the end, and consistency is what's gotten us here. Coming so close to a win at Michigan was probably the highlight of our year for sure, but the company still came home with the victory overall.
You know, we're here for a reason. A lot of people may think we don't belong, but Red Horse Racing has raced hard. Shane has worked hard. He's worked hard with the package that he's brought, and each individual hopefully gets rewarded tomorrow night.

Q. What do you know about the truck that you're bringing this weekend racing on Friday night? Is it one of your favorite trucks?
TIMOTHY PETERS: Yeah, it's a really good truck for us. Actually we debuted it here three years ago and finished third with it, and it's the same truck that we sat on the pole with at Vegas. It's chassis 21. It's got a great Triad Racing Technologies Toyota engine under the hood, and hey, we brought our best piece. I'm on top of my game. So hey, winner takes all, and I'm looking to take all.

Q. Big weekend for you; how does it feel to be down here ready to run for a championship?
TIMOTHY PETERS: It feels really good just being amongst this room with all the talent, seeing the Championship Four across all three series is pretty incredible and it's a great accomplishment for Red Horse Racing and everyone that works hard week in and week out on our Tundras. Just hope to cap it off tomorrow night.

Q. For you guys in the Truck Series, how does the Kyle Busch rule that's clicking in feel to you guys for next season?
TIMOTHY PETERS: You know, it is what it is. It definitely is something that when he shows up, it's who we want to race against one day.

Q. Or any of the Cup guys, any of the Cup or XFINITY guys.
TIMOTHY PETERS: It really don't matter. We're here to do one thing, and that's win this championship, and we know we can win the race. When those guys get in the field, they're great. We beat them, it makes us better. They teach us a lot for sure, and you always want to beat a real successful Cup guy. It is what it is on the rule, but we want to beat them.

Q. For me seeing Tony Stewart retire is actually really personal, first NASCAR race I ever went to he won. It was the Pepsi 400 back in 2007. For you guys around the sport, what does it mean to you to see him go, and do you have a Tony Stewart story or anything?
TIMOTHY PETERS: I really don't have a Tony Stewart story, but I do know that he is an all‑around great guy and does a lot for a lot of people that a lot of the outside public doesn't know. Sometimes it's easy to paint a picture, but I appreciate what he has done, what he has done for the sport. He's not gone by any means, but will be missed for sure.

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