Austin Wayne Self poised for strong run at Charlotte Motor Speedway

CONCORD, N.C. – On the heels of his best finish of the season, Austin Wayne Self (@AustinWSelf) and his Niece Motorsports team ride the momentum to the Queen City looking for their first top-10 finish of the season in Friday night’s North Carolina Education Lottery 200.After finishing 15^th at Dover International Speedway two weeks ago, the Austin, Texas native, with crew chief Cody Efaw, persevered in this past Friday night’s 37 Kind Days 250 to earn a 13^th place finish. It was the team’s second consecutive top-15 finish under Efaw’s leadership.With the No. 22 Don’t mess with Texas | AM Technical Solutions Chevrolet Silverado picking up the pace, Self, 22, returns to Charlotte on a mission.“Charlotte was a race that I felt slipped out of our hands last year,” Self explained. “We had a good truck and I felt I drove one of my best races on a mile-and-a-half, but we came up a little short of a top-10 finish.“This week, I’m heading back there confident in our truck and my ability, and I think it’s going to be another solid weekend for our Niece Motorsports team.”Moving up four positions in the championship standings after maneuvering his fifth top-20 finish last weekend, Self believes that his team’s energy is contagious, and they will only continue to climb as the heart of the season approaches.“Niece Motorsports is bringing some good race trucks to the track,” added Self. “Momentum is a huge part of success in racing, and that’s something we’ve been able to put together over the last month or so. My communication with Cody (Efaw) is strong and I think we’re showing that with our on-track product.”To some, it’s not a surprise to see the chemistry working between Self and Efaw.The two hardcore racers worked together for four races in 2017 – where their connection was seen almost immediately. Self says since Efaw took the reins at Martinsville Speedway in March, it feels like they’ve haven’t missed a beat.“Cody is a born racer,” explained Self. “He gets it and the way I’m able to describe what our truck is doing, he’s able to complete the sentence before I finish it. That’s pretty stout. He takes his job very seriously and Charlotte is an important race to him, being a home game for him and the Niece Motorsports team.“A top-10 finish is going to mean everything before we take a two-week break before heading to Texas Motor Speedway in June.”Like last year, the Don’t mess with Texas campaign and AM Technical Solutions will also support Self in his 47^th career start.The Don’t mess with Texas campaign is part of the Texas Department of Transportation’s (TxDOT) litter prevention program, which includes Don’t mess with Texas, Adopt-a-Highway, and a grassroots partnership with Keep Texas Beautiful.For more than 30 years, Don’t mess with Texas has made tremendous progress educating Texans about the impact of littering on the state’s economy, environment and physical landscape.Go Texan, CForce Bottling Company, Flying Circle and Kreuz Markets will serve as associate partners in the seventh race of the year.In 46 NCWTS races, the 2015 ARCA Racing Series rookie of the year has one top-five (second at Daytona 2017) and three top-10 finishes. The Texan maintains an average finish of 18.6 during his three years of competition.For more on Austin Wayne Self, like his Facebook page (Austin Wayne Self) or follow him on Twitter @AustinWSelf.For additional information on CForce premium artesian water, please visit cforce.com.For more on Flying Circle, please visit flyingcirclegear.com, like them on Facebook (FlyingCircleGear) and follow them on Instagram (@flyingcirclegear) and Twitter (@flyingcircle_). Also connect with Flying Circle on Pinterest and YouTube.For more on Niece Motorsports, please visit niecemotorsports.com.The North Carolina Education Lottery 200 (134 laps | 201 miles) is the sixth of 23 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series races on the 2018 schedule. Practice begins on Fri., May 18 from 9:05 a.m. – 9:55 a.m. A final practice session is set for 10:35 a.m. – 11:25 a.m. Qualifying is set for later in the day beginning at 4:40 p.m. The 32-truck field will take the green flag shortly after 8:30 p.m. with live coverage on FOX Sports 1, the Motor Racing Network (Radio) and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio (Satellite Radio, Channel 90). All times are local (Eastern).