Catchfence

Mooresville, NC (January 29, 2011) – An off-season packed with dedicated work and sponsorship searching may soon pay great dividends to 18-year-old Cory Joyce and Cory Joyce Racing. The depressing economic state has left every industry, including motorsports, with holes to fill from dwindling and non-existent funds, but dedication to succeed has driven every member of CJR to continue to fight for sponsors to support their racing efforts.

A stunning rookie season in Limited Late Model competition in 2009 gave CJR a lot to look forward to after Cory claimed his first stock car victory and Rookie of the Year honors at Hickory Motor Speedway. Though no sponsorship support bloomed by the start of the 2010 season, CJR continued to search for partnership while building the racing program and getting Cory on the track as much as possible.

In the midst of sponsorship searching and building a stronger race team, Joyce competed in three key events at three very different and competitive race tracks. His first appearance of the year came at Motor Mile Speedway in April, competing in a field of nearly 30 competitors. Debuting a brand new race car at Florence Motor Speedway helped Cory get a good feeling for the car before converting from a limited late model to a late model stock for the Myrtle Beach Late Model 250 at Myrtle Beach Speedway in November.

“We didn’t have many opportunities to hit the track in 2010, but I feel like the events we did run were great experiences with a lot of competition. I think it was best for us to run against some of the best competitors in the area for the races we chose to attempt,” Joyce said.

Since the last event of the 2010 season, seasoned road racing expert, Tony Ave, has recently taken Cory under his wing to assist in the young driver’s development and career progression. From snowmobiles to Indy Lights, NASCAR to Trans Am Racing, Ave has raced through it all. Now racing out of his shop in Maiden, North Carolina, Ave has stepped forward to coach Joyce and hopefully support him in a full season of racing in the K&N Pro Series East (KNPSE).

Close family friend, Thom Mendola, introduced Tony Ave and Cory several weeks ago, and the two hit it off immediately. A competitive racer with the fire to win, Ave saw the talent and drive Joyce has to win himself and offered to help the young driver by coaching him and putting him in a KNPSE car to test. Depending on Cory’s learning curve and sponsorship funding, the team’s goal is to run all 12 KNPSE races out of Ave’s stable, along with select late model events with CJR’s equipment.

“Tony has been very helpful so far and I’m just ready to get onto the racetrack again,” Cory explained. “Securing sponsorship over the past couple years has been tough, but we haven’t given up. Things are starting to line up and our hard work will pay off in the end.”

Stay tuned to CoryJoyce.com, follow us on Twitter (@CoryJoyceRacing) and visit the Cory Joyce Fan Page on Facebook for current news and updates on Cory and the team.

- Cory Joyce Racing Press Release