Photo by Parker Anderson / Flickr.Com
Dakoda Armstrong (98) is in his first full-time season in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. Zachary Lange talked with Armstrong about his season thus far.

By Zachary Lange
TheRacingExperts.Com Reporter
6/23/2012
theracingexperts@aol.com

During the past few seasons of the Camping World Truck Series, we have seen a significant influx of new drivers, rookies especially, hoping to make a name for themselves in the motorsports world. One of the many rookies in this year’s Camping World Truck is 20-year-old Dakoda Armstrong. Armstrong, hailing from New Castle, Indiana, has proven with consistent finishes at tracks new to him—which indicates he means business.

“You know, there are definitely some things that we have done well, but there are things we need to do better,” Armstrong said about his season so far.

Armstrong ran seven events in 2011, but those events were later in the season, so all tracks that the trucks have visited so far have been completely new to Armstrong. Despite this, the learning curve hasn’t been so bad.

“None of them have been too difficult [to learn], I would say Dover was different because of the concrete surface, and when from the time we unloaded to the end of the race, we never had that blazing fast speed that we need at a fast place like Dover. And it was a tough place to pass with no second groove thanks to the rain,” he later added. “You kinda just go there [to each track], and from watching a lot of races on television, you kinda know each track by look. But each track is different once you get out on it, and it’s tough, because there isn’t much practice time and you have to learn them very quick.”

Armstrong has shown that he has learned each track, with an average finish of 19^th, and three of seven finishes in the top-15, the man barely below the drinking age has turned some heads, especially of the company EverFi.com, which has sponsored Armstrong since the beginning of this year.

“Yeah, EverFi.com has been with us since the beginning of this year, we still are looking for sponsorship towards the end of the season, but EverFi.com is going to be on for Kentucky, and other sponsors are going to help us as well,” Armstrong said about his current sponsorship status.

Armstrong cites all the veterans as some of the toughest competitors on the track, saying that they “won’t give me an inch on track.”

Despite tough competition, Armstrong looks forward to moving up in the ranks, possibly as early as this year.

“Right now we are focusing on getting this truck ride fully funded, but if anything, we might run the Nationwide deal at the end of the year, but it depends on how well the truck team is running, and if we have the funding,” said a hopeful Armstrong.

Overall, Armstrong summed up his season by saying bluntly, “It’s [racing] a learning deal, and we’re learning and getting better each and every week. And we keep it going.”