Catchfence

RAYBESTOS® ROOKIE CONTENDER ADVANCE MATERIAL FOR THE

WHAT ARE YOUR PLANS FOR NEXT YEAR?

“We’re running the No. 1 Miccosukee Resort and Gaming Chevrolet full-time in the Nationwide Series and competing for Raybestos Rookie of the Year. On top of that we’re running Turner Motorsports in 19 truck races in the No. 31 truck.”

HOW DID ALL THIS COME ABOUT?

“For the James Finch Phoenix Racing deal, we just got a phone call and went and met with him and the next day it was a done deal. It was probably one of the quickest deals in NASCAR honestly [smiles]. I got a phone call, went to the meeting and spent about two hours there and he told me the next morning ‘We’re going to do it.’ Pretty simple, really [laughs]. I’m real excited to be in competitive equipment and equipment that’s capable of winning races for next year on both sides of the fence, in the truck series and the Nationwide Series. It’s definitely a competitive car. They won at Charlotte this year and they’ve won a Cup race this year at Talladega and compete up front every week with whoever is in the car. It’s definitely a good opportunity for me and I’m really loo king forward to it.”

WHAT HAVE YOU LEARNED IN THE TRUCK SERIES THAT WILL HELP YOU NEXT SEASON?

“The biggest thing is that I’ve been to so many tracks this year that I had never been to before. What did we go to, 22 or 23 different racetracks this year, something like that. That’s the biggest thing, just seat time on those tracks that I’m going to be racing on for probably quite a few years to come in the future. Any seat time in any thing is good for learning especially for a young driver. We haven’t really been competing for wins other than Daytona at the very beginning of the year but I’ve still been learning every week and what different adjustments do to the truck and how that all correlates to everything that I drive in the future.”

ARE YOU PLANNING TO RUN SOME RACES IN THE No. 1 CAR THIS SEASON?

“I’m running this weekend here at Texas in the 1 car then also next week at Phoenix. Homestead might be an option but as of right now I’m not running Homestead. It could happen that I get to run Homestead, I’m not real sure, but I’d like to. I’d like to race as much as I possibly can. Between the truck racing and the Nationwide racing and the little bit of ARCA racing and maybe some Pro Cup racing I’ll do next year I should be able to run between 55 and 60 races next year.”

HOW BIG OF A CHALLENGE IS MOVING BETWEEN EACH SERIES GOING TO BE?

“The way I look at it, it’s a race car. The object is to make it go fast and turn left with the exception of a couple of road courses I’ll do in the Nationwide Series. It’s really not that big of an adjustment. They’re all pretty similar on horsepower, pretty similar on weight. You’ve got a body around you and full roll cage and four tires and a motor. It’s not a terrible adjustment. The biggest thing is the truck is so different compared to everything else. Everything else will correlate pretty good but it shouldn’t be too much of a transition going week to week but I like racing. It’s what I like to do so I’m really happy that I don’t have any off weekends from February to Thanksgiving. That’s the biggest thing that I’m looking forward to. I think there’s one off weekend with only having the Nationwide and the Truck races and that’s in March and there’s an ARCA race in Rockingham.

I’m really wanting to do that so I have no off weekends. We’ll see how that works out. Hopefully I’ll be able to run it. I think we’ll run five to 10 ARCA races and two Pro Cup races that I want to do. The biggest thing that I’m looking forward to is being in good equipment capable of winning races and I think in every series that I’m in we’ll be in equipment capable of winning races.”

WHAT IS GOING TO BE YOUR MOST CHALLENGING WEEKEND NEXT YEAR FROM A LOGISTICAL STANDPOINT?

“There’s a couple of ‘em that get pretty hairy. I think it’s like a Kentucky truck race Friday night and then Saturday a one-day show in Atlanta in the Nationwide car. That would be cutting it kind of close with the truck race if there is any chance of rain. Then you have Chicago in a truck and Nationwide on Sunday in Montreal. That’ll be a long travel but you’ve got a day to get there, maybe not even a day, maybe overnight, but we’ll make it happen and we’ll be at as many races as we can. The six races that I can’t do in the truck it’s physically impossible to get to with the Nationwide schedule because some of ‘em are in a different state and as soon as the truck race is over the Nationwide race is going to start. We’re going to fit as many races in as we can as possible.”

WHAT WOULD BE A GOOD SEASON FOR YOU IN THE NATIONWIDE SERIES NEXT YEAR?

“Win some races, win Raybestos Rookie of the Year and be in contention for the championship. I know that’s asking a lot but I know they’re equipment is capable and I think I’m capable so hopefully we’ll put it all together and make it happen.”

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- Camp & Associates, Inc. Press Release