NASCAR Camping World Truck Series:
Ray Black Jr. Dives In For Full Schedule:
Many don’t know a lot about Ray Black Jr., but Monday night’s late announcement from SS Green Light Racing will undoubtedly give those an opportunity to change that.
The Florida late model driver will shift from a part-time schedule in the No. 08 Chevrolet Silverado to a full-23 season slate in the No. ScubaLife Chevrolet Silverado owned by Bobby Dotter and businessman Ken Smith.
The 23-year old made his debut at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway in March, but matched his career-best finish on an intermediate track twice at Chicagoland Speedway and Texas Motor Speedway with 18th place finishes respectively. He qualified a career-best 20th also twice at Gateway (Ill.) Motorsport Park and New Hampshire Motor Speedway.
“We’ve got the full NASCAR Camping World Truck Series on the schedule for 2015 and I am excited about that,” an exuberant Black said. “I’m ready to get started now!”
The Palm Coast, Florida native will travel back and forth from Florida to the team’s shop in Mooresville, North Carolina during the season.
Crew Chiefs Named At Kyle Busch Motorsports: There’s no off-season at Kyle Busch Motorsports. The team known for preparing two trucks full-time in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) is busy expanding the program back to three with the addition of ARCA Racing Series graduate Justin Boston.
While the driver lineup was announced the week of the season-finale at Homestead-Miami (Fla.) Speedway, KBM officials last week announced their full crew chief grid.
Ryan Fugle, often known as “Rudy” will guide the second youngest winner in NASCAR Camping World Truck Series history with Erik Jones in the No. 4 Kyle Busch Motorsports Toyota Tundra, while Jerry Baxter who worked with Darrell Wallace Jr., this past season will move from the No. 54 to lead the No. 51 team driven by a plethora of drivers including team owner Kyle Busch, former diversity driver Daniel Suarez and trucks newcomer Matt Tifft.
Shannon Rursch moves from crew chief at Turner Scott Motorsports with then rookie Ben Kennedy to now Sunoco rookie of the year candidate Justin Boston in the No. 54 Toyota Tundra.
As the crew is carefully assembled at KBM for the approaching season, sponsorship for the teams have yet to be announced. However, team officials say those are expected to be introduced sometime after the holidays.
Ron Hornaday Return To Truck Series Unlikely: Ron Hornaday Jr. isn’t likely to be on the starting grid for February’s NextEra Energy Resources 250 at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway.
Lee Spencer of Motorsport.com reported last Friday that Hornaday Jr. will shift gears and has partnered with Indiana-based Diamond Chassis.
25 seasons in NASCAR, four truck titles and 61 victories including the NASCAR K&N Pro Series, the 56-year old is transitioning to the fabrication side of the sport.
Hornaday’s recent experience with Diamond Chassis while building cars for his grandson Slater Blickensderfer led to the new endeavor.
“I am excited to get back to my roots of chassis building,” Hornaday Jr. said in a release. “Prior to living out my dream of driving in NASCAR my wife Lindy and I owned our own Chassis building company in California Victory Circle.
“After meeting Ryan and putting my grandson Slater in a Diamond Chassis I really wanted to figure out a way to go back and start building turn-key winning chassis”.
GMS Racing On The Move: GMS Racing, which fields entries in the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards and the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series is relocating, the team announced Monday.
By the end of the year, the team will move from its current location to Statesville, North Carolina, where the team will move into the space once occupied by Richard Petty Motorsports.
The team acquired three industrial buildings located adjacent to the Statesville Regional Airport in October. The three buildings that once housed Richard Petty Motorsports and Evernham Motorsports totals 157,743 square feet.
The team has not announced their 2015 plans, but is expected to run a multi-truck program next season with Spencer Gallagher and presumably Joey Coulter. The team assisted Grant Enfinger to a runner-up spot in ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards championship standings this season.
John Wes Townley Prepares For Another Full Season Assault: Athenian Motorsports is one of the busiest teams on the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series circuit during this off-season. The team not only will move into a new shop, but the North Carolina-based organization will switch manufacturers from Toyota to Chevrolet before the start of the 2015 season at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway.
Townley who ran the ARCA Racing Series, the NASCAR XFINITY Series (Nationwide) and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series will solely concentrate on the Camping World Truck Series aboard his family-owned team in 2015.
In January, the team will call Concord, North Carolina home taking over a 43,000 square foot facility recently vacated by Richard Petty Motorsports. The new residents will field not only Townley’s truck program, but also an XFINTIY program with Townley and a to-be-announced driver. The Watkinsville, Georgia native is expected to run between 18 – 21 races. Additionally, the team’s junior program in XFINITY will also make the swap to Chevrolet with both outlets revving horsepower from Richard Childress Racing.
Michael Shelton, who won the 2012 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series championship with James Buescher will lead Townley’s truck program, while NASCAR veteran and former Cup crew chief Mike Ford will continue as the team’s XFINITY crew chief. Zaxby’s will again sponsor Townley’s entry.
Follow Chris Knight on Twitter @Knighter01.
