Auburn’s Tanner completes first start in NASCAR trucks

Auburn's Tyler Tanner passed his first test in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. Tanner, driving the EF-65 Hand Cleaner Ford F-150, finished 30th in the 36-truck field at the Kroger 200 at Martinsville, Va., last Saturday.

November 1, 2011 4:16 pm
Auburn's Tyler Tanner completed all but five laps in his first start in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series.
Auburn's Tyler Tanner completed all but five laps in his first start in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series.

Auburn’s Tyler Tanner passed his first test in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series.

Tanner, driving the EF-65 Hand Cleaner Ford F-150, finished 30th in the 36-truck field at the Kroger 200 at Martinsville, Va., last Saturday.

Starting 31st, Tanner completed 195 of the 200 laps around Martinsville’s half-mile oval. It was his first start in the series.

NASCAR Sprint Cup regular Denny Hamlin, driving a Toyota and making his first truck series start of this season, took the checkered flag.

Tanner, 20, drove for team owner Mike Mittler and MB Motorsports. Tanner, an Auburn High graduate and engineering student at Arizona State University, is the son of former Northwest circuit standout Kelly Tanner.

Tanner enjoyed a successful short-track season locally. He posted seven pole positions, three victories and eight top-three finishes in his EF-65 Hand Cleaner-sponsored late model Chevrolet at Rochester’s South Sound Speedway. He also raced at Spokane County Raceway, Yakima Speedway and Evergreen Speedway in Monroe.

He began his racing career at the age of 5 competing in quarter midgets. He also has raced go-karts, full midgets, mini sprints and at the age of 17, began racing in he late model division.