Justin Fontaine focused on Martinsville Speedway return

MARTINSVILLE, Va. – Fresh off a two-week break for the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS), Rookie of the Year candidate Justin Fontaine (@driverFontaine) and his Niece Motorsports team are focused on earning their third top-10 finish of the year in Saturday afternoon’s Alpha Energy Solutions 250 at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway.Fontaine, driver of the No. 45 ProMATIC Automation Inc. Chevrolet returns to the famed paperclip for the first time since 2016, where the Asheville, N.C. native made his Truck Series debut, earning a respectable 26^th place finish.Nearly two years later, 20-year-old Fontaine has raised the bar and is determined to bring his Niece Motorsports team another strong finish.“The break was nice, but I’m ready to get back to work,” said Fontaine who will make his seventh career Truck Series start this weekend. “Everyone at Niece has worked diligently this season to make sure we come to the track with fast trucks. Martinsville is a tough place, but we’re optimistic about the first short track race of the year.”Fontaine notes that Martinsville is a technical race track and he will have to rely on his crew chief Darrell Morrow and Niece Motorsports teammate Austin Wayne Self for support throughout the race weekend.“Martinsville is such a momentum place,” added Fontaine. “You really need to be able to get the truck to maneuver through the corners, so you can carry the speed on the straightaways. Martinsville also portrays some road course characteristics, where the truck can easily wheel-hop and spin out.“My crew chief Darrell and I have really gelled in the first couple races and I think that will only continue to get better as the season goes. Austin’s raced at Martinsville a couple more times than I have, so his advice can also be insightful.“It’s important for us to work together to see if we can put two Niece Motorsports trucks inside the top-10 on Saturday.”After three races, Fontaine sits 12^th in the series’ standings.In addition to being a full-time NASCAR driver, Fontaine is also a student at the University of North Carolina (Charlotte) where he is pursuing a business degree.For more on Justin Fontaine, please visit JustinFontaine.com, like his Facebook page (Justin Fontaine) or follow him on Twitter @driverFontaine.The Alpha Energy Solutions 250 (250 laps / 131.5 miles) is the fourth of 23 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series races on the 2018 schedule. Practice begins on Fri., Mar. 23 from 11:05 a.m. – 11:55 a.m. A second practice will roll from 1:05 p.m. – 1:55 p.m. A final practice session is set for 3:05 p.m. – 3:55 p.m. Qualifying is set for race day, Sat., Mar. 24, beginning at 11:05 a.m. The 32-truck field will take the green flag shortly after 2:00 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).