Caracas, Venezuela native Milka Duno will be guaranteed to make her second career NASCAR Nationwide Series start at Homestead-Miami (Fla.) Speedway this weekend, CATHCFENCE.com has learned.
Duno will pilot the No. 87 Cantv Toyota Camry for Rick Ware Racing (RWR). The No. 87 entry maintains a spot inside the top-30 in Nationwide owner standings, locking her into the season finale Ford EcoBoost 300.
Earlier this year, Duno had announced a partnership earlier this season with RAB Racing with Brack Maggard. Officials from RAB Racing say that they will “assist” and “help” Rick Ware Racing and Duno as a “Toyota teammate”, but that Duno’s effort at Homestead would be led by the RWR team.
The former ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards driver made her Nationwide debut at Kansas Speedway last month, but it was short-lived. The Miami, Florida resident crashed on Lap 3 of the 200-lap race, resulting in a 40th place finish, after qualifying 34th.
Since then, she has made one additional start in NASCAR, competing in the fred’s 250 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series event at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway in Mid-October for MAKE Motorsports.
After blowing an engine in practice, the team was unable to participate in qualifying, but did earn a provisional for the race.
Duno stayed out of trouble for the 94-lap contest, led two laps and finished 25th.
This weekend, Duno is hoping to quietly complete all 200 laps, in order to secure her full clearance to make a bid at a full NASCAR XFINITY Series campaign in 2015.
RAB Racing with Brack Maggard would not comment whether they would field that entry for Duno next season.
The 42-year old has three starts at Homestead in the Verizon IndyCar Series. She has a personal best of 17th in 2009 for Dreyer & Reinbold Racing.
On the flip side, Duno does have two wins to her credit at the South Florida racetrack. In 2004, Duno notched two victories in the Grand American Rolex Series. It was reported that she became the first female driver in history to win a major international race in the United States with the triumph in the Grand Prix of Miami.
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