Category: Truck Series

Partnership Will Field No. 43 Truck Team in 2016 Season

MOORESVILLE, N.C. (February 17, 2016) – Richard Petty Motorsports has announced a driver development partnership with Empire Racing Group for the 2016 season.  Empire Racing Group will field a truck in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series with the iconic, stylized No. 43.  The truck will run the colors of Petty’s Garage as the primary sponsor in the NextEra Energy Resources 250 under the Friday night lights in Daytona.  Austin Hill will be the first driver to pilot the No. 43 truck and a roster of various drivers will fill out the remainder of the schedule.

The team will be led by Empire Racing Group Crew Chief Michael Cheek.  The 2016 season will be the 20th anniversary of Cheek’s first run with the No. 43 truck.  After leading the team as crew chief for driver Rich Bickle as part of the Petty Enterprises stable, the Petty family and Cheek will once again team up to put the truck on track.

“I am excited to once again partner with Richard Petty and his organization to race in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series,” said Cheek. “Together, we have the opportunity to put great drivers in this truck and keep our machine at the front of the field.  We have a lot of great things planned for this season, and we’re excited to see where this program will take both race teams.”

The No. 43, made famous by “The King” Richard Petty, will adorn the side of the truck in the same style as it has appeared on the historic and current Richard Petty Motorsports race cars.  This will be the first partnership in the Truck Series for Richard Petty Motorsports.

“This is a great opportunity for Richard Petty Motorsports to develop up-and-coming drivers who will become the future of our sport,” said Brian Moffitt, Chief Executive Officer of Richard Petty Motorsports. “It will be great to see  the No. 43 return to  the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series and to have Petty’s Garage as the primary sponsor of the race at Daytona.  The 2016 season is sure to produce great results for both Richard Petty Motorsports and Empire Racing Group.”

More information and details about the driver development program will be released at a later date.

AUSTIN, Texas (Feb. 17, 2016)–Austin Wayne Self heads for the high banks of world-famous Daytona International Speedway and his NASCAR Camping World Truck Series debut in the NextEra Energy Resources 250 on Friday with focus and determination that belies his rookie status.

“We’re going to Daytona with one goal, and that’s to win the race,” said Self, driver of the No. 22 AM Technical Solutions Toyota Tundra. “Our team prides itself on strong performance under pressure, and doing well at Daytona demands that. We’ll give our all until the checkered flag and see how things unfold for us.”

The intense hype and history that surrounds Daytona is even bigger than the monster-sized track itself, and a young driver might be excused for letting the energy of such surroundings get the better of him when crunch time comes. The way Self sees it, however, success at Daytona necessitates maintenance of a workmanlike mindset and understanding the difference between excitement and emotion.

“The opportunity to race at Daytona is incredibly exciting,” Self said, “but you have to find a way to keep those emotions under control and stay poised. If you stay focused on doing your work the right way, you give yourself the best shot to be in position for something special to happen.”

Self, who finished second in the ARCA Racing Series standings last season, has been on a fast track to the upper levels of NASCAR competition. He is grateful for the continued strong support of fellow passengers who’ve been there for his ride.

“I’ve had outstanding support from family and friends from my earliest days racing go-karts, and I’m thankful to all of them for it,” he said. “We have a great group of partners including AM Technical Solutions that is committed to winning, and it means a lot to me. It’s been a crazy journey, and it seems surreal to have the opportunity to race in the NCWTS at Daytona. Hopefully, we can make ‘em all proud with our performance there.”

“We’re so excited to be sponsoring Austin and the No. 22 truck at what is arguably the most famous track on the NASCAR circuit, and to have our brand connected to the incredible history of Daytona,” said Kelly McAndrew, Chairman of AM Technical Solutions. “Daytona provides an enormous challenge for drivers, and we know Austin will be prepared to compete at a high level.”

Among Self’s family of supporters at Daytona on Friday will be a special guest of honor. Todd Fringer served as a Scout Platoon Sergeant with the 82nd airborne division in the Gulf War, and suffered a severe spinal cord injury. The story of how Fringer has pushed far beyond the life limitations doctors envisioned for him due to the injury continues to inspire.

The NextEra Energy Resources 250 airs Friday, February 19 at 7:30pm on FS1.

Follow Austin Wayne Self on twitter at @AustinWSelf and at www.awsracing.com .

RICO ABREU, No. 98 Toyota Tundra, ThorSport Racing
What have you done to prepare yourself for the Truck Series?
“Just understood them and how they are so aero dependent and the long races and being able to just make sure to position yourself to be there at the end of them.”

What has Kyle Larson told you to help prepare for the season?
“A little bit about the speedway racing and just positioning yourself to be there at the end and being patient. He kind of told me that speedway racing’s fairly easy in the Truck Series and just like the biggest thing said was, ‘You’ve got to be there at the end and understand what’s going on and be good on pit road,’ and I feel like everyone at ThorSport Racing has done a great job preparing our trucks for these races and I’m looking forward to getting on track on Thursday in our ThorSport Racing Curb Records Toyota Tundra.”

Who else have you learned from?
“Fed off (Matt) Crafton a lot and just worked with him on how things go just throughout a race and what to do and what not to do when you’re on the race track. Crafton’s got a lot of experience Truck racing and he’s helped me a lot this year.”

Have you gotten used to turning a lot of heads?
“Yeah, I’ve gotten used to it, especially just seeing people notice me just because obviously I’m uniquely different and it’s great. It’s great for the sport and my whole goal is to be competitive and I think as long as I don’t get too caught up in it all, I’ll be just fine.”

How have they amended the Tundra for your use?
“The pedals are off the dashboard bar – they’re a little closer to me – and the seat is moved up about six inches. Everything is right at NASCAR requirements. Obviously, the pedals are in a different position, but they’ve approved it all and they said it’s fine. The steering wheel is a little closer to me just because of my shortness in arms, but it’s all comfortable and safe and I’m excited to get going this year.”

BEN RHODES, No. 41 Toyota Tundra, ThorSport Racing
What are you most looking forward to?
“I’m looking forward to just being in the truck every week. Last year, it was really hard because being in and out for 10 races and watching everybody progress and get better and better – that was really hard for me. I did get advice off the track a lot from Dale Earnhardt Jr., Kevin Harvick – all my teammates. They really helped me off the track, but I was never able to apply it. It made it really difficult to just jump in the car after a month and half off, so now that I have every week – or once we get going in the season every week – and I have a crew chief (Kevin Bellicourt) that I’m really, really good friends with. Every time we go up to Sandusky (Ohio) where the team is at, we stay together. I stay at his house with his family and we’re practically like best friends, so I think that’s really going to lend itself to some great finishes this year.”

Is ThorSport letting you work on your own Tundras?
“Right now, since it’s a new team for me, they’re warming up to me and I’m warming up to them. In the past, all the way up to – actually 2015 was the only year I didn’t work on stuff – but all the way up to 2014, I always worked on my own stuff. Even in K&N, I wasn’t fabricating cars because I was up in the shop setting them up with my crew chief, you know what I mean? Not so much building them, but setting them all up and working on them once you got to the higher levels is what I really enjoyed doing and so there starting to let me do it.”

How do you distinguish yourself from the other young drivers?
“I’ve learned that it just comes down to on-track success. You’ve got to be a better driver than those guys or you’ve got to have more success and the best way to do that is surround yourself with a good team. If you aren’t with the best people you can communicate with, everybody that puts pride into their work and is 100 percent dedicated, you’re not going to go far in this sport. You have to have the best people around you because it does take a team – it’s more of a team sport than what people realize and that’s why I’m proud and very happy to be with ThorSport Racing for 23 races this year. I have Kevin Bellicourt as my crew chief now and I think it’s going to be a really good year for that reason and hopefully, we’ll separate ourselves from the pack and go out there and win a championship and we’ll be on the poster next year.”

MOORESVILLE, N.C. (Feb. 16, 2016) – Cole Custer’s No. 00 Chevrolet Silverado will wear OneMain blue and white for three races in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) this season, beginning at Ohio’s Eldora Speedway (July 20).

OneMain, which joined JR Motorsports as backer of the No. 1 OneMain Chevrolet Camaro in the NASCAR Xfinity Series with Elliott Sadler, will also be on Custer’s No. 00 entry at Talladega Superspeedway (Oct. 22) and again the following week at Martinsville Speedway (Oct. 29).

“We are proud to see OneMain step over to the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series side with Cole,” said Kelley Earnhardt Miller, general manager of JR Motorsports. “Having a partner like OneMain, which has instantly recognizable branding, benefits the entire JR Motorsports family, and we can’t wait to see Cole kicking up the dirt at Eldora.”

OneMain provides personal loans and one-on-one service from more than 1,100 branches across the nation. For more than 100 years, the company has worked with customers in local communities to find loan solutions that are best for their needs and budget.

“We are thrilled to be able to leverage the OneMain brand across multiple NASCAR series with JR Motorsports,” said Mary McDowell, Executive Advisor to the OneMain Board of Directors.  “We see Cole as a great young talent and we are excited to have him represent the OneMain brand in three Camping World Truck Series races in 2016. Our customers and employees are huge supporters of the sport and we look forward to having a presence in both inaugural Chase formats in the Xfinity Series and Camping World Truck Series.”

This season marks Custer’s first full-time year in NCWTS competition.  In 19 career starts, the 18-year-old Ladera Ranch, Calif. native amassed two wins, four top-five finishes and three pole awards.

“OneMain has been in the sport for many years, and the teams they’ve been part of have really done well,” said Custer. “I’m pumped to have OneMain on the Silverado for a few races this year. They’re a great company, and I’m looking forward to our first race together at Eldora.”

ABOUT ONEMAIN:

OneMain provides personal loans and one-on-one, local service from more than 1,100 branches nationwide. For more than 100 years, OneMain has worked with customers to find the loan solutions that best fit their needs and budget. The company and its employees are proud to support the communities where they live and work. Additional information may be found at OneMainFinancial.com.

ABOUT JR MOTORSPORTS:

JR Motorsports is the management company and racing operation for Dale Earnhardt Jr., NASCAR’s 13-time Most Popular Driver and winner of more than 40 NASCAR-sanctioned races.  Now in its 15th year of overall competition, JR Motorsports races in multiple divisions, including the NASCAR Xfinity Series where it won a championship in 2014.  The company also competes in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series and owns two championships in regional late model divisions.  To learn more about the organization, its drivers and its sponsorship opportunities, visit www.jrmracing.com.

MAKE adds new associate sponsor for the 2016 season

February 12th, 2016 (Shelby, NC) – MAKE Motorsports is happy to announce a new associate partnership with Corvetteparts.net also known as Keen Parts. Corvetteparts.net will be sported on the MAKE Motorsports NASCAR Camping World Truck Series entries during the 2016 racing season.

“We’re looking forward to once again partnering with MAKE Motorsports and Travis Kvapil” says owner Teresa (Tj) Keen. “Tom (Keen) and I are very excited about our ongoing sponsorship in NASCAR and look forward to seeing the CorvetteParts.net logo on track at Daytona International Speedway”.

With over 18,000 Corvette parts in inventory, from exterior to interior, Keen Parts / Corvetteparts.net offers specialty and hard to find restoration parts and have the ability to make special parts for any project.

“Tracy (Lowe) and I are super thrilled to have Corvetteparts.net join us this season. They are fantastic supporters of the sport, team, and Travis. We love to be able to showcase their business in the NCWTS. I personally have a passion for Corvettes so that makes the relationship even more awesome”, stated Mark Beaver, MAKE Motorsports co-owner.

MAKE Motorsports will take the green at the Daytona International Speedway on February 19th at the Next Era Energy Resources 250 in the No. 1 and No. 50 Chevrolet Silverado.

About MAKE Motorsports

Hailing from Shelby, N.C., MAKE Motorsports is a race team that competes in the NASCAR XFINITY Series and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. The moniker “MAKE” is made up of the first letters of the first names of the owners’ children – Mark Beaver’s son Mikey and daughters Amanda and Emily, and Tracy Lowe’s daughter Katelyn. For more information about MAKE Motorsports, please visit www.MAKEMotorsports.com, Facebook.com/MAKEMotorsports or find them on Twitter (@MAKEMotorsports).

About Keen Parts

Keen Parts is small enough to give personalized service and assistance with your project, yet large enough to supply you with those hard to find specialty parts. They strive to go the extra mile to help you get your project done, be it a complete interior for your vintage ’58 Corvette or a performance accessory for your ’09 – They’ll have the Corvette parts you need and the expertise you want.

For more information about Keen Parts, please visit www.corvetteparts.net , Facebook.com/KeenParts or find them on Twitter (@KeenParts).

Forrister’s New Association Brings in Better Equipment and Boosts Projections

Daytona, FL – Lira Motorsports welcomes a new face to the 2016 season, a face that is recognizable in the Camping World Truck Series after his rookie debut and a top 20 finish in the season points last year. Korbin Forrister, a prodigy who started racing dirt tracks at a very young age, is up for the challenge of training with and competing against some of the biggest names in NASCAR. He is also extremely enthusiastic about all of the new opportunities that are coming his way. On January 29, Forrister made a powerful career move and signed on with Lira Motorsports. For Forrister to sit down with Carlos Lira and find they share a similar vision for the future made quite an impression on the young, motivated driver.  “I just feel so blessed to have this opportunity” Forrister acknowledges.

Clearly eager for the start of the upcoming season, Forrister elaborates, “Lira Motorsports has the ability to run up front in both the NASCAR truck series and ARCA series.  They are giving me the opportunity to drive in some of the best equipment you could get your hands on.” He’ll be running in the Camping World Truck Series in Daytona, Atlanta, and Martinsville to start off the season, followed by a race in the ARCA series at Talladega. Forrister concedes that with his new association with Lira Motorsports and their tight connection to Roush Fenway Racing, there will be a lot of pressure on him to perform well, but he is confident that he is in the right position to achieve the best results. “I am putting 100% focus on preparing myself and getting ready for Daytona,” he says. “I’ll be giving my absolute best effort so I can go run more races with those guys. I am so grateful to Carlos Lira for giving me this opportunity.”

For more information about Korbin Forrister visit www.korbinforrister.com.