Catchfence

Nationwide Debut: Brandon McReynolds will attempt to make his first start in the NASCAR ranks this weekend at Gateway International Raceway. Piloting the No. 42 Team 42 Racing Dodge, McReynolds will take to the Madison, Ill., track for his first race in the series and at the 1.25-mile track.

In His Blood: Although the 19-year-old driver is making his first start in the NASCAR Nationwide Series, McReynolds is no stranger to the garage. McReynolds is the son of Larry McReynolds, two-time Daytona 500 winning crew chief and current NASCAR TV analyst for Fox Sports, TNT and SPEED.

On Board the No. 42: The NAPA Brakes Adaptive One brand will be on board the No. 42 Dodge this weekend at Gateway. Adaptive One is a revolutionary brake pad design that achieves the perfect balance of consistent friction performance with virtually no noise. By using two different ceramic formulas in the same set of friction, Adaptive One adapts to all stopping conditions. Pairing the industry’s best ceramic formulas with the features of the Advanced Noise Reduction System blends consistent braking performance with no noise and low dusting.

Busy Weekend: With the NASCAR Sprint Cup and Camping World Truck Series at Martinsville Speedway this weekend, the young driver’s father will have a busy weekend of traveling. Larry McReynolds will be in Martinsville for broadcast obligations but will have the opportunity to fly to Madison, Ill., before the drop of the green flag. “For a someone like myself, who has made my living and spent my entire life in the sport of NASCAR and other forms of racing, I can’t put into words what it means to have my son competing in the NASCAR Nationwide Series race this weekend at Gateway International Raceway,” Larry McReynolds said.

“Brandon has been competing for the past 11 years, and to have the opportunity to see him make his first start in the one of the top three NASCAR series this weekend is unbelievable. It appears that my schedule at Martinsville Speedway is going to allow me to be at Gateway when the green flag drops on Saturday. I have to thank Carl Edwards for the opportunity to hop on his plane this weekend to get to the race at Gateway. One of the only downsides of my career is that I have missed a lot of Brandon’s races. I was never able to be at any of his six UARA Series wins over the past two years. ”

Racing this season: This season, McReynolds clenched two wins in two UARA starts, both at the historic Rockingham Speedway. Also in the 2010 season, McReynolds competed in select events in the ARCA Racing Series. Piloting the No. 6 Eddie Sharp Racing car at Salem Speedway, Talladega Superspeedway and Pocono Raceway, McReynolds gained valuable experience on short tracks and NASCAR tracks. In his highest finish in the series, McReynolds came home with a top-10 finish at Pocono Raceway after battling a cut tire early in the event.

In early October, McReynolds competed in a double-header at Rockingham Speedway, collecting the UARA Series win, and then competed in the No. 92 Ricky Benton Racing machine. The 19-year-old driver also had the opportunity to race in the Denny Hamlin Short Track Showdown, finishing fifth amongst some of NASCAR’s biggest stars.

Follow the Action: The 5-hour Energy 250 will be live on ESPN at 2 p.m. CDT (3 p.m. EST). Fans can also listen on MRN radio affiliates at 2 p.m. CDT (3 p.m. EST). Also, follow McReynolds to get an inside look at what is going on at Gateway: www.facebook.com/BrandonMcReynoldsRacing and www.twitter.com/Franchize28.

McReynolds on making his first start in the NNS:

“I grew up in the NASCAR garages, so it is thrilling to be able to compete this weekend at Gateway. I’m honored to have opportunity to compete against the best in the sport. I have to thank Eddie Smith and everyone at Team 42 Racing for their support. It means everything to me to have the shot to compete in the Nationwide Series. ”

- Activ8 Communications Press Release