Category: Truck Series PR

John Hunter: Driver, No. 4 Mobil 1 Toyota

NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Overview:
Event: BrakeBest Brake Pads 159, Race 2 of 22, 44 Laps – 12/13/19; 158.85 Miles
Location: Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway Road Course (3.61-mile, 14-turn road course)
Date/Broadcast: Feb. 19, 2021 at 7:30 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR 90

Neme’check’ the Facts:

• John Hunter Nemechek and the No. 4 Mobil 1 team return to Daytona International Speedway to tackle the 3.61-mile, 14-turn road course. In the season-opening event on the oval at Daytona, the No. 4 team finished led 14 laps, won Stage Two and finished seventh. After the first race of the season, Nemechek is tied for second in the Camping World Trucks driver standings with Sheldon Creed, four tallies behind points leader Ben Rhodes.
• Nemechek is a six-time winner in Camping World Truck Series action, winning at least one race each season from 2015 to 2018 for his family-owned team, NEMCO Motorsports. Across 103 career starts in NASCAR’s third division, the second-generation driver has compiled two poles, 623 laps led, 28 top-five and 51 top-10 finishes resulting in an average finish of 13.1. The North Carolina native qualified for the Camping World Truck Series playoffs in each of his two full-time seasons, finishing eighth in the championship standings in both 2016 and 2017. He was voted the series most popular driver in 2015.
• The second-generation driver has made five starts in Camping World Truck Series action on road courses, scoring a win at Canadian Tire Motorsports Park in 2016 and overall, he has earned two top-five and three-top 10 finishes. In last year’s NASCAR Cup Series race on the Daytona road course, Nemechek finished 35th after being involved in an incident. In the NASCAR XFINITY Series, Nemechek has four starts on road courses with a best finish of seventh on the ROVAL™ at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
• The 23-year-old driver produced three top-10 finishes and an average result of 22.4 while competing for rookie of the year honors in the NASCAR Cup Series in 2020. He recorded a career-best eighth-place finish twice, both coming at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway, earned the Sunoco Rookie of the Race award four times and finished 23rd in the championship standings.
• Eric Phillips returns to KBM to lead the No. 4 team this season. Phillips led the No. 18 team at KBM in its debut season in 2010 and helped build the organization into one of the premier teams in all of NASCAR before departing at the end of the 2014 season. Under his guidance, the No. 18 team won eight races in its inaugural campaign and became the first team in Truck Series history to capture an owner’s championship in its first season of competition. In 2014, the Illinois native led the No. 51 team to an owner’s championship and his team’s 10 wins spearheaded KBM to a single-season Truck Series record of 14 wins. His 37 career Truck Series victories make him the winningest crew chief in Truck Series history, with 27 of those coming while at KBM. Owner-driver Kyle Busch collected his organization’s lone Truck Series victory at Daytona with Phillips atop the pit box in 2014. On road courses in the Camping World Trucks, Phillips has one start, where he finished third with then-KBM driver Erik Jones in 2014.
• The world’s leading synthetic motor oil brand, Mobil 1, will adorn the hood of Nemechek’s No. 4 Tundra for the next four races on the Camping World Truck Series schedule beginning with the Daytona Road Course.

John Hunter Nemechek | Daytona Road Course Preview
John Hunter Nemechek, Driver Q&A:
You had a strong run at Daytona. How important was it for you and tour team to get off to a fast start this season?
“Having a really strong run to start the year at Daytona was very important for our team. There’s a lot of things that could go wrong at Daytona, especially on the oval. I feel like our team did a really good job competing at the very start from unloading at practice with a couple new faces including the crew chief and others in different roles within the team. As well as myself trying to figure out communication, the flow of everything going back to the Truck series from Cup, and everything of that sort. I definitely thought it was smooth. We won a stage. We got some stage points. We sit tied for second in points. I feel like getting the year kicked off on a strong note is definitely very good for us compared to losing a lot of points or not having a very good day.

Do you enjoy road course racing? What do you think about having a few more road courses on the Truck schedule this season?
“I really enjoy road course racing as a driver. It’s a lot of fun for me being able to go left and right. It takes a lot of discipline, a lot of learning, a lot of homework, and a lot of studying among other things you have to do as a driver to be prepared. I really enjoy going to different racetrack and learning them. It gives you something different to do. The diversity with going to a road course compared to a short track or a mile-and-a-half is a lot of fun. It changes it up.”

The race Friday at the Daytona Road Course is almost 20 laps shorter than the Cup race you were in last year. How will that affect how you and Eric Phillips attack/strategize Friday’s race?
“The truck race will be shorter than the Cup race last year, it’s quite a bit shorter. Being able to change up our strategy, understanding exactly what we need to do, how to execute that, what plays or moves we are going to make for strategy calls, I think it is relying on what happened last year and the knowledge of doing it from the Cup and XFINITY Series. From watching The Clash the other night, there is a lot of information that we can cipher through to figure out what we want to do as a team to put us in the best position for a great points day and trying to get our Mobil 1 Toyota Tundra a win this weekend.”

John Hunter Nemechek Career Highlights:

• Six-time winner in Camping World Truck Series action, winning at least one race each season from 2015 to 2018 for his family-owned team, NEMCO Motorsports. Across 103 career starts in NASCAR’s third division, has compiled two poles, 623 laps led, 28 top-five and 51 top-10 finishes resulting in an average finish of 13.1. Qualified for the Camping World Truck Series playoffs in each of his two full-time seasons, finishing eighth in the championship standings in both 2016 and 2017.
• Produced three top-10 finishes and an average result of 22.4 while competing for rookie of the year honors in the NASCAR Cup Series in 2020. He recorded a career-best eighth-place finish twice, both coming at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway, earned the Sunoco Rookie of the Race award four times and finished 23rd in the championship standings.
• Across 51 career XFINITY Series starts, has totaled one win (Kansas Speedway, 10/20/18), one pole, 225 laps led, 12 top-five and 30 top-10 finishes resulting in an average finish of 11.6.

John Hunter Nemechek’s No. 4 Mobil 1 Tundra:
KBM-61: The No. 4 Mobil 1 team will unload KBM-61 for the road course event at Daytona. This chassis has been raced twice with a best finish of second at Canadian Tire Motorsports Park by Alex Tagliani in 2019. The chassis was raced last season on the Daytona road course by Tagliani, where he scored a 22nd-place finish.

KBM Notes of Interest:

• KBM drivers earned an average finish of 12.3 in last year’s event at the Daytona Road Course. Raphael Lessard’s third-place result was the organization’s best finish.
• Erik Jones collected KBM’s lone road-course victory in 2015 at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park in Bowmanville, Ont.
• KBM holds the Camping World Truck Series records for most career wins (80) and most wins in a single season (14 in 2014). In addition to collecting a series-record seven Owner’s Championships, the organization has produced two championship-winning drivers: Erik Jones (2015) and Christopher Bell (2017).
• The No. 4 has 11 career victories at KBM and was the number for both of the organization’s driver championships.

BrakeBest Brake Pads 159 At DAYTONA Presented by O’Reilly | Daytona Road Course Race Advance

Team: No. 45 Niece Chevrolet Silverado

Driver: Brett Moffitt

Follow the Team: @NieceMotorsport; @Brett_Moffitt

Moffitt on Racing at the Daytona Road Course: “We had a strong truck last weekend but didn’t get the result to show for it,” said Moffitt. “I am excited to move on to the road course this week. I really enjoy road course racing and am confident that this Niece Motorsports team will give me a truck capable of running up front and contending for the win.”

Moffitt at the Daytona Road Course: In Truck Series’ first trip to the Daytona Road Course last season, Moffitt started third and finished second, leading 13 laps.

Moffitt has also experienced road course success in the Truck Series at Canadian Tire Motorsports Park, earning a win from the pole in 2019, after leading 44 of 64 laps.

On the Truck: The No. 45 Chevrolet will race with support from Niece Equipment and MG Machinery at the Daytona Road Course on Friday night.

Niece Equipment has for over 40 years provided clients with reliable products at competitive prices. Niece Equipment’s reputation is built on service, integrity, and dependability. The company provides water and fuel/lube trucks that are engineered with quality and durability in mind for the construction and mining industry.

MG Machinery offers construction, heavy equipment, and mining equipment. With a wealth of knowledge and experience, MG Machinery is more than a heavy equipment dealer. We go beyond the sale to make sure all clients are 100% satisfied with the service.

About Niece Motorsports:

Niece Motorsports is owned by United States Marine Corps Veteran Al Niece. In 2021, Niece Motorsports enters its sixth season in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. Niece also owns Niece Equipment, which has for over 40 years provided clients with reliable products at competitive prices. Niece Equipment’s reputation is built on service, integrity and dependability. The company provides water and fuel/lube trucks that are engineered with quality and durability in mind for the construction and mining industry. Follow the team on Facebook and Instagram @NieceMotorsports as well as Twitter @NieceMotorsport.

BrakeBest Brake Pads 159 At DAYTONA Presented by O’Reilly | Daytona Road Course Race Advance

Team: No. 44 Hype Motorsports/Noland’s Roofing Chevrolet Silverado

Driver: Jett Noland

Follow the Team: @NieceMotorsport, @JettNoland50

Noland on Racing at the Daytona Road Course: “I’m excited to make my NASCAR Camping World Truck Series debut with Niece Motorsports this weekend at the World Center of Racing,” said Noland. “While I’m new to the Truck Series, I strongly believe that my experience running in the Trans Am TA-2 Series has really helped me to prepare for this moment. I’m looking forward to getting behind the wheel of the Noland’s Roofing/Hype Motorsports No. 44 this weekend and showing the world what we can do.”

Noland at the Daytona Road Course: Noland will make his NASCAR Camping World Truck Series debut at the Daytona Road Course this Friday.

On the Truck: The No. 44 Chevrolet will race with support from Hype Motorsports and Noland’s Roofing.

Hype Motorsports aims to help drivers create and promote their own unique brands through tried-and-true brand development techniques and new-age marketing.

Noland’s Roofing is a family-owned, Florida licensed general contractor and roofing contractor. Noland’s roofing offers free, no obligation estimates and 14 different financing vendor options for roofing, siding, windows, insulation, gutters, painting, cabinetry and much more. Noland’s Roofing prides itself on repairing roofs right the first time, with no hidden costs.

About Niece Motorsports:

Niece Motorsports is owned by United States Marine Corps Veteran Al Niece. In 2021, Niece Motorsports enters its sixth season in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. Niece also owns Niece Equipment, which has for over 40 years provided clients with reliable products at competitive prices. Niece Equipment’s reputation is built on service, integrity and dependability. The company provides water and fuel/lube trucks that are engineered with quality and durability in mind for the construction and mining industry. Follow the team on Facebook and Instagram @NieceMotorsports as well as Twitter @NieceMotorsport.

BrakeBest Brake Pads 159 At DAYTONA Presented by O’Reilly | Daytona Road Course Race Advance

Team: No. 40 Jacob Companies Chevrolet Silverado

Driver: Ryan Truex

Follow the Team: @NieceMotorsport; @Ryan_Truex

Truex on Racing at the Daytona Road Course: “I’m looking forward to heading back to Daytona this week,” said Truex. “Obviously, this week will be a different challenge at the road course, but we got things started off on the right foot last week with a solid finish. We’re looking to continue that momentum into this weekend in our Jacob Companies Chevrolet.”

Truex at the Daytona Road Course: Friday’s race at the Daytona Road Course marks Truex’s first NASCAR Camping World Truck Series start at the 3.61-mile course.

On the Truck: The No. 40 Chevrolet will carry the Jacob Companies colors at the Daytona International Speedway Road Course.

JACOB is a nationally certified, WBENC, woman owned, multifaceted construction firm with a focus on construction, design-build services, structural concrete, and technology. Jacob specializes in hotels, stadiums & athletic facilities, parking garages, hospital & healthcare facilities, assisted living facilities, automotive dealerships and high-rise structures.

As a full-service organization, JACOB provides clients with a wide range of design and technical support services for architecture, engineering, technology, land planning and development.

About Niece Motorsports:

Niece Motorsports is owned by United States Marine Corps Veteran Al Niece. In 2021, Niece Motorsports enters its sixth season in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. Niece also owns Niece Equipment, which has for over 40 years provided clients with reliable products at competitive prices. Niece Equipment’s reputation is built on service, integrity and dependability. The company provides water and fuel/lube trucks that are engineered with quality and durability in mind for the construction and mining industry. Follow the team on Facebook and Instagram @NieceMotorsports as well as Twitter @NieceMotorsport.

BrakeBest Brake Pads 159 At DAYTONA Presented by O’Reilly | Daytona Road Course Race Advance

Team: No. 42 The Shores Resort & Spa Chevrolet Silverado

Driver: Carson Hocevar

Follow the Team: @NieceMotorsport; @CarsonHocevar

Hocevar on Racing at the Daytona Road Course: “Last Friday was a dream come true,” said Hocevar. “I’m looking forward to heading back to a track that I was able to race at last season. I definitely learned a lot in our first trip to the road course last season. I know our team has worked hard to put together a strong piece. I’m looking forward to another solid weekend.”

Hocevar at the Daytona Road Course: Friday night’s race at the 3.61-mile road course marks Hocevar’s second start at the track. Last season, Hocevar started 27th and finished 28th in the Series’ first visit to the road course.

On the Truck: The No. 42 Chevrolet will carry The Shores Resort & Spa colors at the Daytona Road Course.

Embodying the motto of “Upscale, Not Uptight,” The Shores Resort & Spa offers a distinctively different approach to hotel experiences in Daytona Beach. Guests love the luxuriously appointed rooms, relaxing spa, casual coastal-chic setting on the oceanfront, and so much more.

The Shores Resort & Spa is the only luxury hotel in the Daytona Beach Shores area of Central Florida and provides the hospitality and resort amenities to match. From direct beach access and a pool to a prime location near Daytona Beach attractions, business, and things to do. An oasis on the Atlantic Ocean is at The Shores Resort & Spa.

About Niece Motorsports:

Niece Motorsports is owned by United States Marine Corps Veteran Al Niece. In 2021, Niece Motorsports enters its sixth season in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. Niece also owns Niece Equipment, which has for over 40 years provided clients with reliable products at competitive prices. Niece Equipment’s reputation is built on service, integrity and dependability. The company provides water and fuel/lube trucks that are engineered with quality and durability in mind for the construction and mining industry. Follow the team on Facebook and Instagram @NieceMotorsports as well as Twitter @NieceMotorsport.

MOORESVILLE, N.C. (Feb. 17, 2021) – Conor Daly will join Niece Motorsports in the third race of the season, teaming up with the organization for his second start at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series.

“Ever since the checkered flag fell in Las Vegas last year I was bothering Cody about another chance to get in a truck,” said Daly. “I learned so much during my first experience in the Truck Series, I had to try and come back to put it to good use! Working with everyone at Niece was an incredible experience and I want to go out and be able to deliver for them. It will be a shame not to have Travis Pastrana out there to chase around, but I hope to be able to make him proud. A big thank you to Fatheadz Eyewear and Elliott’s Custom Trailers & Carts for coming back to support this effort!”

In Daly’s debut last season at the 1.5-mile track, without practice or qualifying, the NTT INDYCAR SERIES regular finished 18th.

“It was a blast to have Conor in the truck last year,” said Niece Motorsports General Manager Cody Efaw. “Conor genuinely loves racing, and it’s evident any time that you’re around him. I think he learned a lot last year in the truck and will be able to pick up where he left off. We are excited to have him again this year and are looking forward to a solid performance.”

Daly will race the No. 44 Chevrolet, with support from Elliott’s Custom Trailers & Carts and Fatheadz Eyewear.

Elliott’s Custom Trailers & Carts is an authorized inTech Trailer, United, Featherlite, ATC, Legend, Alumitech, Haulmark, and EZ Go dealership serving the Warsaw, Indiana area. Elliott’s Custom Trailers & Carts, values the opportunity to create a long-term relationship with customers, by giving the best customer service available.

Founded in early 2004 under the direction of Rico Elmore, Fatheadz Eyewear started with exclusively catering to men with heads too large to fit in standard width sunglasses comfortably. To solve this issue, Elmore created a product line with four oversized sunglasses available in varying colors. Fatheadz Eyewear has grown to encompass nine distinct lines of eyewear for both, men and women, specifically tailored to serve its client base. With hundreds of unique product offerings, the innovation continues to drive its customer centric business.

The Truck Series will take the green flag at Las Vegas Motor Speedway for the Silver State 200 on Friday, March 5 at 9 p.m. ET, airing live on FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

About Niece Motorsports:

Niece Motorsports is owned by United States Marine Corps Veteran Al Niece. In 2021, Niece Motorsports enters its sixth season in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. Niece also owns Niece Equipment, which has for over 40 years provided clients with reliable products at competitive prices. Niece Equipment’s reputation is built on service, integrity and dependability. The company provides water and fuel/lube trucks that are engineered with quality and durability in mind for the construction and mining industry. Follow the team on Facebook and Instagram @NieceMotorsports as well as Twitter @NieceMotorsport.

Chandler Smith: Driver, No. 18 JBL® Toyota

NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Overview:
Event: BrakeBest Brake Pads 159, Race 2 of 22, 44 Laps – 12/13/19; 158.85 Miles
Location: Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway Road Course (3.61-mile, 14-turn road course)
Date/Broadcast: Feb. 19, 2021 at 7:30 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR 90

Mr. Smith Goes Road Course Racing:

• Chandler Smith will make his first NASCAR Camping World Truck Series road course start behind the wheel of Kyle Busch Motorsports’ (KBM) No. 18 JBL Tundra in Friday night’s BrakeBest Brake Pads 159 at the Daytona International Speedway Road Course. While it will be his first road course event in the Camping World Trucks, Smith finished ninth in last year’s ARCA Menards Series race at the 14-turn road course. The racing prodigy also traveled north of the border in August 2019 to compete in the NASCAR Pinty’s Series race at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park in Bowmanville, Ont., where he qualified 11th but had to retire mid-race due to electrical issues.
• The 18-year-old Georgia native will compete for the Sunoco Rookie of the Year Award in 2021 after competing in a part-time schedule for KBM each of the last two seasons. Smith opened his rookie campaign with an impressive performance in his first time racing at Daytona International Speedway. The talented teenager started sixth, finished inside the top 10 in all three stages and had the Safelite Tundra out front for a race-high 22 laps before finishing ninth.
• Smith’s performance at Daytona last week has him sitting fourth in the Camping World Trucks championship standings after one event, 14 tallies behind points leader Ben Rhodes. He leads the Sunoco Rookie of the Year standings by five points over Carson Hocevar.
• The Toyota Development Driver has finished inside the top five in eight of his 17 career Camping World Truck Series starts, including a career-best runner-up finish at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway in 2019. Smith posted an average finish of 7.7 across his final seven of 12 total Truck Series starts in 2020, including third-place finishes in the series finale at Phoenix (Ariz.) Raceway and his first career superspeedway start at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway in October.
• The talented teenager recorded nine wins, 10 poles and an average finish of 5.3 across 33 ARCA Menards Series starts the last three seasons. He captured the pole in his series debut at Fairgrounds Speedway in Nashville (Tenn.) in April of 2018 and set an ARCA Menards Series record by winning four consecutive poles to start his career. He earned his first victory at Madison (Wis.) International Speedway in just his fourth series start in June of 2018. Despite running a part-time schedule, he led the series in laps led in both 2018 and 2019.
• Veteran crew chief Danny Stockman will call the shots for Smith and the No. 18 team this season. Stockman led the No. 51 team to four wins in his first season atop the pit box at KBM in 2020. He came to the organization with experience as a crew chief in all three national series, including a Truck Series championship with Austin Dillon in 2011 and an XFINITY Series championship with Dillon in 2013. Stockman’s XFINITY Series drivers totaled seven wins and 19 poles from 2012 to 2018 and after last season his Truck Series totals stand at eight wins and 13 poles.
• Stockman was paired with Alex Tagliani for last year’s inaugural race at the Daytona Road Course. Tagliani started from the 21st position but registered an average running position of 10.02 and was running third with just over 10 laps remaining before late-race troubles relegated him to a 22nd-place finish.
• JBL, the authority in engineering superior sound, will be the primary sponsor for the No. 18 team this week at the Daytona Road Course. Safelite AutoGlass – the nation’s largest provider of vehicle glass repair, replacement, and recalibration services – returns to Smith’s when the Camping World Truck Series resumes action March 5 at Las Vegas (Nev.) Motor Speedway.

Chandler Smith, Driver Q&A:

Chandler Smith | Daytona Road Course Preview
How important was it for you and your team to get the season off to a good start?
“I feel like overall having good momentum going forward is pretty strong for us. We finished the race at Daytona. We had a really strong race. We led the most laps, so it is good momentum going into the road course.”

What are your expectations heading into the weekend?
“I feel like for us running the full season this year we want to come out of there finishing the race, having a solid points day, get the most experience and make the most of it.”

What do you think the differences between the ARCA car and Tundra will be on the road course?
“Last year when I race the ARCA car, in practice, we were OK and all. When it came to the race, it decided to rain, so I have experience in case it decides to rain. I feel like they are going to be two completely different animals. The ARCA car doesn’t break as good as the truck does. It’s two totally different race cars.”

How important is it to have JBL back on your Tundra this season?
“It’s great having JBL back on my Toyota Tundra this year. We have great partners in Safelite AutoGlass and JBL. I’m looking forward to working with both of them throughout the season.”

Chandler Smith Career Highlights:

• Across 17 career NASCAR Camping World Truck Series starts has recorded 115 laps led, eight top-five and 10 top-10 finishes resulting in an average finish of 12.1.
• Posted an average finish of 7.7 across his final seven of 12 total Truck Series starts in 2020, including third-place finishes in the series finale at Phoenix (Ariz.) Raceway and his first career superspeedway start at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway in October.
• Produced three top-five and four top-10 finishes resulting in an average finish of 4.2 across his first four career NASCAR Camping World Truck Series starts in 2019. He led 55 laps and finished eighth in his Gander Trucks debut at Iowa Speedway last July and then posted top-five finishes in his final three starts, including a runner-up finish at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway.
• Has collected nine wins, 10 poles, 1761 laps led, 22 top-five and 29 top-10 finishes en route to an average finish of 5.2 across 33 career ARCA Menards Series starts. Set an ARCA Racing Series record by winning four consecutive poles to start his career and earned his first victory after leading a race-high 102 laps at Madison (Wis.) International Speedway in his fourth series start.

Chandler Smith’s No. 18 JBL Tundra:

KBM-049: The No. 18 JBL team will unload chassis number KBM-049, which has been raced four times, all on road courses. Raphael Lessard scored a third-place finish with this Tundra at the Daytona Road Course last year. The chassis best finish, a runner-up result, came with Noah Gragson behind the wheel at Canadian Tire Motorsports Park in Bowmanville, Ont. In 2017.
Click here to see KBM-049 Performance Profile

KBM Notes of Interest:

• KBM drivers earned an average finish of 12.3 in last year’s event at the Daytona Road Course. Raphael Lessard’s third-place result was the organization’s best finish.
• Erik Jones collected KBM’s lone road-course victory in 2015 at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park.
• KBM holds the Camping World Truck Series records for most career wins (80) and most wins in a single season (14 in 2014). In addition to collecting a series-record seven Owner’s Championships, the organization has produced two championship-winning drivers: Erik Jones (2015) and Christopher Bell (2017).
• The No. 18, the number which was on the first Tundra that went to victory lane for KBM in 2010, has 21 career victories.

Parker Chase: Driver, No. 51 Vertical Bridge Toyota

NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Overview:
Event: BrakeBest Brake Pads 159, Race 2 of 22, 44 Laps – 12/13/19; 158.85 Miles
Location: Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway Road Course (3.61-mile, 14-turn road course)
Date/Broadcast: Feb. 19, 2021 at 7:30 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR 90

The Chase is On:

• Parker Chase will make his NASCAR Camping World Truck Series debut behind the wheel of the No. 51 Vertical Bridge Tundra in Friday night’s 159-mile event at the 3.61-mile, 14-turn Daytona International Speedway Road Course. The Texas native will also compete May 22 at Circuit of the Americas (COTA), in Austin, Texas, when the series visits the 3.41-mile, 20-turn course for the first time.
• Primary sponsorship for the Daytona Road Course event will come from Vertical Bridge, the largest private owner and operator of communications infrastructure and locations in the United States, while Tige Boats, the world’s leading innovator, designer, and manufacturer of wakesurfing, wakeboarding, and waterskiing boats, will adorn the hood of Chase’s Tundra at COTA. The paint schemes for both races will be based off designs that are featured on current Tige Boats models.
• Chase, an up-and-coming sports car driver who is competing full time in the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge this season, was a teammate of KBM owner Kyle Busch on the AIM Vassar Sullivan No. 14 entry that finished ninth in the 18-car GTD class in the 2020 Rolex 24. He earned a top-10 finish in his ARCA Menards Series debut on the Daytona Road Course in 2020 and earned top-10 finishes in both of his Late Model Stock races at Hickory (N.C.) Motor Speedway last year. In 2018, Chase and co-driver Ryan Dalziel, captured the Pirelli World Challenge GT SprintX Pro/Am Championship.
• Mardy Lindley begins his first season as a crew chief at Kyle Busch Motorsports. Lindley has guided his drivers to 32 wins and four ARCA Menards Series East championships since 2013, including back-to-back titles with Sam Mayer the last two seasons. Additionally, he earned the ARCA Menards Series Sioux Chief Showdown championship with Mayer in 2020. Behind the wheel, the second-generation driver won 11 races on the Pro Cup Series from 2000 to 2006 and was crowned the series champion in 2001. Lindley earned a third-place finish last year in the ARCA Menards Series race at the Daytona road course. Sam Mayer started the race with an injured hand and stayed in the car until the race break on Lap 15 when he was replaced by Colin Braun. Braun would go on to finish the event in the third spot.
• KBM owner-driver Kyle Busch will make five starts in the No. 51 Cessna Tundra in 2021. Busch will get behind the wheel for the first time at Las Vegas Motor Speedway (March 5) and his schedule will also include Atlanta Motor Speedway (March 20), Richmond (Va.) Raceway (April 17), Kansas Speedway in Kansas City (May 1) and Pocono (Pa.) Raceway (June 26).
• Drew Dollar kicked off the 2021 season for the No. 51 team at Daytona International Speedway last week. Dollar started 17th but had an average running position of 10.0 and went on to finish 10th after getting collected in a last-lap wreck while running third.

Parker Chase, Driver Q&A:

Parker Chase | Daytona Road Course Preview
What is your background on road courses?
“I started karting in 2010. I went up through the ranks of sports car racing and have done four to five years professionally up to the WeatherTech paddock. Kyle and I were teammates in the 24 Hours of Daytona last year, so that is how I got familiar with the stock car world.”

What are your thoughts on the Daytona road course? What will it be like racing a truck?
“Luckily, I have a lot of experience on the road course at Daytona. I’ve done the Rolex 24 twice so far. I think I have an upper hand on track time, especially without having practice. I also did the ARCA race last year in the rain, so I know what the new chicane is like as well.”

What is it like driving for Kyle after being his teammate in the Rolex 24 last year?
“We were teammates and now he is my team owner. I think I helped him a little bit on the road course, and I’m hoping I can lean on him a little bit for this truck race.”

What does it mean to have the support of Vertical Bridge for Friday’s race?
“My sponsor Vertical Bridge is a Florida-based company that have been with me for a few years. They always bring a good crew to Daytona, so I’m excited to bring them out for a truck race and put on a good show.”

Parker Chase Career Highlights:

• Competing full time in the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge in 2021.
• Was a teammate of KBM owner Kyle Busch on the AIM Vassar Sullivan No. 14 entry that finished ninth in the 18-car GTD class in the 2020 Rolex 24 on the Daytona Road Course.
• Earned a top-10 finish in his ARCA Menards Series debut on the Daytona Road Course in 2020
• Recorded top-10 finishes in both of his Late Model Stock races at Hickory (N.C.) Motor Speedway last year.
• In 2018, captured the Pirelli World Challenge GT SprintX Pro/Am Championship with co-driver Ryan Dalziel.
• In 2016, earned the Pirelli World Challenge Rookie of the Year award.

Parker Chase’s No. 51 Vertical Bridge Tundra:

KBM-X134: The No. 51 Vertical Bridge team will unload X134 for Friday’s race on the Daytona Road Course. This is the same chassis that Erik Jones won with at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park in 2015. Christian Eckes finished 12th with this Tundra at the Daytona Road Course last year. Prior to being converted to a road course truck for the 2014 season, the Tundra was victorious at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway in October of 2012 with Denny Hamlin.

KBM Notes of Interest:

• KBM drivers earned an average finish of 12.3 in last year’s event at the Daytona Road Course. Raphael Lessard’s third-place result was the organization’s best finish.
• Erik Jones collected KBM’s lone road-course victory in 2015 at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park in Bowmanville, Ont.
• KBM holds the Camping World Truck Series records for most career wins (80) and most wins in a single season (14 in 2014). In addition to collecting a series-record seven Owner’s Championships, the organization has produced two championship-winning drivers: Erik Jones (2015) and Christopher Bell (2017).
• With 34 victories, the No. 51 is the winningest number in KBM’s Truck Series fleet.

Sheldon Creed, No. 2 Chevrolet Silverado
Daytona Road Course Camping World Trucks Stats
– Starts: 1, Wins: 1, Best start: 14, Best finish: 1, Laps led: 19

2021 Camping World Trucks Stats
– Starts: 1, Best start: 2, Best finish; 6, Top 10s: 1, Laps led: 1

Notes:

– Sheldon Creed won the inaugural NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at the Daytona International Speedway Road Course in August 2020.
– Creed and the No. 2 team will compete with chassis No. 122 this Friday in Daytona. this is the same chassis that Creed took to victory lane in last year’s event. This chassis has four total road course starts for GMS including a victory at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park in 2018.
– Creed has two Camping World Trucks starts on road courses and has finished in the top five in both events. Creed also made two NASCAR Xfinity Series road course starts in 2017 as well as the ARCA West event at Sonoma in 2017 where he finished ninth.
– Jeff Stankiewicz returns to crew chief for the No. 2 team this season.The 2020 championship winning crew chief reunited with Creed mid-season in 2019 after winning the 2018 ARCA Menards Series championship together. Stankiewicz has seven Camping World Trucks wins as a crew chief including five in 2020 en route to the series championship.

Quote:

“I’m really excited to get back to the Daytona Road Course. I’ve been putting in a lot of time in on iRacng to prepare for this weekend. I want to go back to back so the goal is to end the night in victory lane.”

Zane Smith, No. 21 Chevy Accessories Chevrolet Silverado
Daytona Road Course Camping World Trucks Stats
– Starts: 1, Best start: 1, Best finish: 13

2021 Camping World Truck Stats
– Starts: 1, Best start: 8

Notes:

– Zane Smith’s only previous NASCAR start on a road course was in last year’s event at the Daytona Road course where he led the field to green and finished 13th.
– Smith and the No. 21 team will compete with chassis No. 125 this weekend at the Daytona Road Course. This chassis has one top-10 finish in three road course starts for GMS and is the same chassis that Smith competed with in last year’s Daytona Road Course event.
– Smith will carry Chevy Accessories colors for Friday night’s BrakeBest Pads 159 at Daytona Presented by O’Reilly.
– Kevin “Bono” Manion returns for a second season with Smith and the No. 21 team. The pair racked up two wins and 13 top-10 finds in 2020 en route to a second-place finish in the championship standings. Manion has six Camping World Trucks wins, 17 NASCAR Xfinity Series wins and five NASCAR Cup Series wins in 19 years as a crew chief in the sport.

Quote:

“Awesome to have Chevy Accessories on our Silverado this weekend and I know we’re going to be fast. I don’t have a lot of stock car experience on a road course, but my background is on road courses through all those years of karting and off road so I’m pretty confident. The heat was a big factor for us last year so racing at night this year is going to be a nice change.”

Chase Purdy, No. 23 Bama Buggies Chevrolet Silverado
Daytona Road Course Camping World Trucks Stats
– No prior Camping World Trucks starts at the Daytona International Speedway Road Course.

2021 Camping World Trucks Stats
– Starts: 1, Best start: 4

Notes:

– Chase Purdy has one NASCAR sanctioned start on a road course at Watkins Glen in 2017 where he started 13th and finished 15th.
– Purdy and the No. 23 team will compete with chassis No. 121 in Friday night’s race. This is the same chassis that the No. 23 team finished second with at the Daytona Road Course in 2020. This chassis went to victory lane at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park in 2019 and has never finished outside the top 10 in five road course starts for GMS.
– Tuscaloosa, Ala.-based company Bama Buggies will sponsor Purdy for Friday night’s event.
– Jeff Hensley rejoins GMS as crew chief for Purdy and the No. 23 team. Hensley has 18 Camping World Truck wins in 395 races atop the pit box through 17 seasons in the series. Hensley was previously at GMS in 2016 and served as crew chief for Spencer Gallagher.

Quote:

“I’m looking forward to the Daytona Road Course. I think it’ll be fun and racey. I don’t have a lot of road course experience so I’m going to be watching a lot of film and doing everything I can to be prepared for Friday night.”

Raphael Lessard, No. 24 CANAC Chevrolet Silverado
Daytona Road Course Camping World Trucks Stats
– Starts: 1, Best start: 10, Best finish: 3, Laps led: 3

2021 Camping World Trucks Stats
– Starts: 1, Best start: 5, Laps led: 12, Stage wins: 1

Notes:

– Raphael Lessard has two Camping World Trucks starts on a road course. He finished 10th at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park in 2019 and scored a podium finish of third last season at the Daytona Road Course in August. Lessard finished seventh on a street course in the Pinty’s series in 2019.
– CANAC, an independent hardware and construction materials chain from the Quebec City region, will sponsor Lessard for Friday night’s BrakeBest Pads 159 at Daytona Presented by O’Reilly..
– Lessard and the No. 24 team will compete with chassis No. 123 on Friday. This chassis last ran at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park in 2018 where it finished seventh.
– Chad Walter shifts to the No. 24 Silverado to crew chief for Lessard in 2021. Walter has five wins in 208 NASCAR Xfinity Series starts at crew chief and led Tyler Ankrum’s team to a playoff berth in 2020 in his first season as a Camping World Trucks crew chief.

Quote:

“I’m looking forward to the Daytona Road Course. It was a good race for me last year. I finished third last year so I’m looking to finish two spots ahead.”

Tyler Ankrum, No. 26 LiUNA! Chevrolet Silverado
Daytona Road Course Camping World Trucks Stats
– Starts: 1, Best start: 5, Best finish: 6, Top 10s: 1

2021 Camping World Truck Stats
– Starts: 1, Best start: 11, Laps led: 6

Notes:

– Tyler Ankrum has two top-10 finishes in his two career Camping World Trucks road course starts. The 19-year-old won the pole for the 2018 ARCA East event at Watkins Glen.
– Ankrum and the No. 26 team will utilize chassis No. 124 on Friday night. This is the same chassis that Ankrum competed with last year at the Daytona Road Course where he started fifth and finished sixth. GMS has competed with this chassis five times on a road course and has finished in the top 10 in each of these five events.
– LiUNA returns as primary sponsor for Ankrum’s No. 26 Chevrolet for Friday night’s race at the Daytona Road Course.
– Charles Denike move to captain the No. 26 crew for Tyler Ankrum in the 2021 season. 2020 marked Denike’s first full-time season as crew chief and produced two memorable wins, with Chase Elliott at Charlotte in May 2020 as well as Sam Mayer’s commanding win of Bristol in September.

Quote:

“I love the Daytona Road Course. I had a blast there last year and we ran up front most of the time. We got really good stage points throughout the race and ended up finishing sixth. A top five or a win is the goal for this weekend. I had a rough way to end Daytona Speedweeks, but that’s why they gave us a second shot at Daytona. Two weeks in a row to improve and I’m happy with our chances for the road course”

ABOUT GMS RACING

GMS Racing competes full-time in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series with drivers Sheldon Creed, Zane Smith, Tyler Ankrum, Chase Purdy and Raphael Lessard. The team also competes in the ARCA Racing Series with Jack Wood. Since the team began in 2014, GMS Racing won the 2016 and 2020 Camping World Trucks Championship, the 2015 ARCA Racing Series championship as well as the 2019 & 2020 ARCA East championship and 2020 Sioux Chief Showdown Championship. GMS has grown to occupy several buildings located in Statesville, N.C. The campus also includes operations for GMS Fabrication. More information can be found at https://gmsracing.net/.

February 16, 2020. The first two races of the 2021 season for Sun Peaks, BC racer Jason White haven’t brought the finishing result the teams had been expecting. However White remains optimistic about his chances this coming weekend as he wheels his #33 Powder Ventures Excavating / YourGMCTruckStore.com Chevrolet truck for the first time on the road course at Daytona International Speedway.

This past weekend White had an extremely busy schedule competing in the Camping World Truck Series race on Friday night and then taking the green flag in the ARCA Menards Series contest less than 24 hours later. “I was pretty worn out after that” said White. “Definitely needed some time to rehydrate but the Reaume Brothers team and I are 100% ready to go on Friday for the road course” he added.

As often occurs on the Superspeedway tracks White was collected in other drivers mishaps and still hustled his #33 Powder Ventures Excavating / YourGMCTruckStore.com Chevrolet truck to a 20th place finish in the Truck race. In the ARCA car on Saturday White dodged most of the mayhem in numerous crashes but never got that late caution he needed for a charge to front and had to settle for a 14th place result in his second competition.

“It’s how it goes sometimes” explained White. “You can’t control a lot of what happens and in the Truck race we got collected a couple times. Still the top finishing Canadian though” he said proudly.

“In the ARCA race, that one stings a bit. It was a brand-new Superspeedway car that Andy Hillenburg built, and it was fast. I did my best to stay away from the incidents we knew would happen, but we never got the late caution flag we almost always see and that’s what bit us”

Having run the Truck race in last week’s event will most certainly benefit White as there is no practice or qualifying for this Friday’s road course race. “With our experience last week plus our time together at other road courses I think we’re in pretty good shape” said White. “No doubt we’ll have to make some adjustments during the race, but we feel good about our chances” he added.

Once again this year White’s Daytona journey is supported by longtime back Rob Zimmer and the Zimmer Group at YourGMCTruckstore.com “They’ve been amazing partners my whole career” said White. “I can’t imagine doing this without their support”.

Schedule
No practice or qualifying. Race, Feb 19, 7:30PM Stages 12/25/44 laps.

Canadian fans can watch the race on Fox Sports Racing. Check local listings for channel information.

To keep up with the latest news about Jason White and the team follow Jason on twitter @racinjasonwhite and on his Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/RacinJasonWhite

Photo: Jason White racing the #33 Powder Ventures Excavating / YourGMCTruckStore.com Chevrolet truck at Daytona.