While his 2018 racing plans have been finalized for nearly a month and a half, GMS Racing finally announced Friday that Boca Raton, Fla. native Dalton Sargeant will compete full-time in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series this season aboard the No. 25 Chevrolet Silverado.
Sargeant, 19, known for his quiet demeanor outside the race car has let his talent speak for his on-track success both in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series and the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards laying the groundwork to his newest opportunity to compete for a series title with 2016 championship team GMS.
“I’m really excited to be back racing in a NASCAR Series in 2018, especially being one of the top-three national series and for a team like GMS Racing after they were the 2016 series champion – and a lot of talent all the way around,” said Sargeant.
“From the guys around the shop and the drivers all the way around. Looking forward to working with them a champion like Johnny Sauter this year.”
In 2015, then a 17-year-old relentless Sargeant competed in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East for HScott Motorsports where he scored six top-five and nine top-10 finishes en-route to a fourth-place effort in the championship standings.
While going winless in the East, Sargeant found triumph on the West coast at Kern County (Calif.) Speedway winning from the pole and delivering four top-five finishes overall in as many starts.
With backing from Galt, an inexperienced Sargeant hopped in a truck for Wauters Motorsports and delivered back-to-back top-10 finishes at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway and New Hampshire Motor Speedway. While his other two starts in 2015 didn’t fair as well, Sargeant knew that he needed to continue to strengthen his resume and gain priceless experience and used ARCA —the stock car development tour for two seasons.
On the heels of a successful ARCA campaign in 2017 at Cunningham Motorsports with three wins and 18 top-10 finishes leading to a runner-up finish in the series’ standings, a more vigilant, focused and better equipped Sargeant is ready for a full-time slate in NASCAR’s national division with veteran Doug Randolph calling the shots as crew chief.
“The ARCA Racing Series was a great place for me to go and learn,” added Sargeant. “The tracks helped me learn too. That will be a big help for me in Trucks. It will help me for places that I’ve raced in the past. You know the ARCA cars are faster than the trucks, it helped me prepare for that.”
As for Randolph who joins GMS after a stint at Brad Keselowski Racing (BKR), Sargeant believes he brings instant creditability – but also the patience of working with a young, fresh prospect like Sargeant.
Last year, Randolph led BKR rookie Cindric to one of four coveted spots in the championship race. Cindric eventually settled for third overall – but his freshman season was painted with prosperity with a pole, a win, eight top-five and 16 top-10 finishes.
“That’s another thing that I’m excited about,” added Sargeant. “He was in the Championship 4 last year with Austin Cindric and he’s had so much experience working with BKR in the past whether it’s been Brad Keselowski, Ryan Blaney and even Austin. I think we’re going to do really well together.
“He knows what it takes to perform in intense situations and I think he can help me in my path to not only win races but contend for a championship.”
As for his team, Sargeant will be surrounded by drivers full of youth but also embracing the leadership from Sauter.
“I feel it’s always good to have a mixed group,” sounded Sargeant. “We’re all going to have different viewpoints, especially from a rookie standpoint – but it’s also reassuring, especially for me to have the conveyor belt of knowledge from Johnny Sauter.”
Like every driver entering a new season of competition, the stakes are high and even with a yellow stripe on the back of his truck signifying his rookie flag, the former European open wheel driver is hoping for the best.
“There’re definitely pretty high,” Sargeant said. “I’d like to go out there and win a couple of races and be in the Championship 4. I think doing that would be pretty big for myself and my team.
“Of course, we’re prepared to go through those hurdles (to get there) and also hoping to get the learning steps out of the way earlier and hope that when the series gets really going, I’ll be on top of my game.”
When it’s all said and done, however, Sargeant knows his presence in NASCAR – whether it be a Truck Series driver or the eventual goal of a Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series superstar is based on performance and opportunity.
An opportunity that he hopes never goes rogue.
“This sport is still a performing-based sport. Always has and always will,” he noted. “All the guys in the best seats have proven themselves to get those opportunities and I’d like to prove everyone that I belong here.
“I’m confident that I can go out this season and put myself on the map and win races.
“You don’t get too many shots at this, so you have to go and make it count!”
Sponsorship for Sargeant’s efforts will be announced at a later date.
Follow Chris Knight on Twitter @Knighter01.
