JH Race Preview: Dover (Del.) International Speedway
SWM-NEMCO Motorsports
Race Preview
NASCAR Camping World Truck Series News and Notes
Event: Lucas Oil 200
Date: Friday, May 29, 2015
Venue: Dover (Del.) International Speedway
SWM-NEMCO Motorsports’ NASCAR Camping World Truck Series History at Dover International Speedway ... This weekend will mark SWM-NEMCO Motorsports’ second NASCAR Camping World Truck Series start at the 1-mile track. John Hunter Nemechek posted a team best finish of sixth place at the “Monster Mile” on May 30, 2014.
SWM-NEMCO Motorsports’ NASCAR Camping World Truck Series History ... Since entering the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series in 1995, the Mooresville, N.C.-based organization has logged 52 starts from five drivers, including one victory and six top-five finishes, as well as 24 top-10 finishes, with an average starting position of 15.8 and an average finishing position of 13.7.
Follow NEMCO Motorsports on Social Media ... To keep up-to-date with the latest news, information and exclusive content, visit NEMCO Motorsports’ Twitter page - @NEMCOMotorsport. Also, follow the NEMCO Motorsports drivers on their personal Twitter pages - @FrontRowJoe87, and @JHNemechek. You can also “like” Joe Nemechek on his official Facebook page at /NASCARJoe, and John Hunter Nemechek on his official Facebook page at /JohnHunterNemechek.
NASCAR Next … During a ceremony at the NASCAR Hall of Fame in Charlotte, N.C., on May 5, John Hunter Nemechek was formally announced as a member of the 2015-2016 NASCAR Next class, a group of up-and-coming talent that joins the industry program aimed at spotlighting NASCAR’s emerging stars.
“Pomp and Circumstance” … On Saturday, May 23, John Hunter Nemechek attended his high school commencement ceremony. The 17-year old is already enrolled at Central Piedmont Community College (CPCC), because he graduated early (December 19, 2014) from Davidson Day School.
Meet John Hunter Nemechek … Fans can visit the Colonnade Marketplace located in the Dover Downs Hotel & Casino for an autograph session with John Hunter Nemechek on Thursday, May 28 at 7:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. (ET). Nemechek is scheduled to participate in an autograph session with the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series from 2:15 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. (ET) on Friday, May 29 at the Lucas Oil Display located in the Dover International Speedway midway.
NASCAR Next Media Availability ... John Hunter Nemechek will be available to the media on Thursday, May 28 from 1:15 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. (ET) in the media center.
Catch the Action ... The Lucas Oil 200 will be broadcast live on FOX Sports 1 on Friday, May 15, starting with the pre-race show at 5:00 p.m. (ET). It will also broadcast live on the Motor Racing Network (MRN) and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. Qualifying for the sixth event on the 2015 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series schedule will air on Friday at 12:30 p.m. (ET) on FOX Sports 1.
John Hunter Nemechek
No. 8 MeetBall Chevrolet Silverado
This Week's SWM-NEMCO Motorsports’ Chevrolet Silverado at Dover International Speedway ... John Hunter Nemechek will pilot Chassis No. 034 in the Lucas Oil 200 at the Dover International Speedway. The Gere Kennon-led team unloaded this chassis earlier this season at the Martinsville (Va.) Speedway. On March 28 at Martinsville Speedway, the NEMCO Motorsports prepared chassis qualified 16th and finished in the 29th-position.
Nemechek at the “Monster Mile” ... This weekend marks Nemechek’s second Dover International Speedway appearance with the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. The Mooresville, N.C., driver has earned an average starting position of seventh and an average finishing position of sixth at the 1-mile track. In his fourth career start in the series and second of 2014, Nemechek posted a sixth-place finish.
Short Track Stats: In six NASCAR Camping World Truck Series starts on short tracks (less than one mile in length), Nemechek has recorded two top-10 finishes, with an average starting spot of 17.8 and an average finish of 14.2 on these racetracks.
#FindYourParty … MeetBall, a real-time location sharing navigation application, will be the primary partner on the No. 8 Chevrolet Silverado at the Dover International Speedway for the Lucas Oil 200. In April, John Hunter Nemechek was announced as the free mobile app's exclusive NASCAR brand ambassador.
Autism: Understanding the Puzzle … To help generate awareness for Autism Speaks, John Hunter Nemechek will be showing his support for Autism Speaks throughout the race weekend by displaying a puzzle piece decal on his No. 8 MeetBall Chevrolet.
Second 2015 Start … Dover International Speedway will mark John Hunter Nemechek’s second start of the 2015 season in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. Nemechek will compete in a total of 18 events in the No. 8 Chevrolet Silverado as he continues to share driving duties with his father, Joe Nemechek, until his 18th birthday, when he plans to finish out the remainder of the truck series schedule beginning at the Gateway Motorsports Park.
In the Rearview Mirror: Charlotte Motor Speedway ... Joe Nemechek survived a last-lap battle to finish in 11th-place on May 15 in the North Carolina Education Lottery 200 at the Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway. Nemechek and the No. 8 FoneFuel Chevrolet Silverado started the scheduled 134-lap event from the 16th position under the lights at the 1.5-mile quad-oval track.
JOHN HUNTER NEMECHEK QUOTE (ON DOVER INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY.):
“Dover International Speedway is a fun track, and it is tricky. You can run on the bottom, on the top, or wherever your truck works best. I learned a lot going there last year, and I look forward to going back. It is a fast place, and it is a track you always look forward to going to.”
John Hunter Named to NASCAR Next Class of 2015
(NASCAR Press Release)
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Five of the six NASCAR K&N Pro Series race winners in 2015 are 21 years old or younger. The championship points leaders in both the East and West are 17 and 16, respectively. And a 17-year-old just became the highest-finishing female in the 61-year history of the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West.
It is fitting that as fans celebrate Jeff Gordon’s final year of competition, the ranks of NASCAR are filled with young drivers battling to one day fill that void. And on Tuesday, in a building that honors the sport’s history, NASCAR introduced some of those potential future stars of the sport.
During a ceremony at the NASCAR Hall of Fame in Charlotte, North Carolina, 12 drivers were formally announced as the newest NASCAR Next class, a group of up-and-coming talent that joins the industry program aimed at spotlighting NASCAR’s emerging stars.
"The NASCAR Next initiative spotlights the future of NASCAR, a collection of promising young talent who have shown the potential to one day reach the highest level of our sport," said Jill Gregory, NASCAR senior vice president for Industry Services. "Alumni – and current members – of the NASCAR Next program are achieving success at the national series level, and we are confident that this class will build upon that foundation of excellence for many seasons to come."
Now in its fifth season, the career résumé of NASCAR Next alumni is impressive, highlighted by Chase Elliott’s 2014 NASCAR XFINITY Series championship, Kyle Larson’s 2014 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Sunoco Rookie of the Year Award, and Cole Custer’s September 2014 win at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, making him the youngest winner in NASCAR national series history.
Of the 28 drivers previously selected for the program, 21 have raced in one of NASCAR’s three national series (NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, NASCAR XFINITY Series and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series), and 11 are competing full-time there in 2015.
The team was selected through an evaluation process that included input from industry executives and veteran racers. Drivers must be between the ages of 15-25, have tangible and expressed goals in eventual competition in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and demonstrate the potential to realize that goal.
Each driver in NASCAR Next must be actively competing in a NASCAR touring or weekly series – NASCAR K&N Pro Series East or West, NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour, NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour, NASCAR Canadian Tire Series presented by Mobil 1, NASCAR Mexico Series, NASCAR Whelen Euro Series or NASCAR Whelen All-American Series. NASCAR XFINITY Series and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series competitors also are eligible provided they are not slated to run a full season in their respective series.
The NASCAR Next members for 2015-16 are:
- Rico Abreu (23, Rutherford, Calif., Twitter: @Rico_Abreu) – A 2014 USAC national champion and winner of the 2015 Chili Bowl, he has two top-10 finishes in three K&N Pro Series East starts, his first season racing in stock cars.
- Nicole Behar (17, Otis Orchards, Wash., @NicoleBehar33) – Tied the series record for highest finish by a female driver in just her fifth K&N West start with her second place mark at Irwindale Event Center, and has top-10 finishes in four of six West starts.
- Kyle Benjamin (17, Easley, S.C., @kylebenjamin71) – This Roush Fenway Racing developmental driver earned his first K&N Pro Series win at Bristol Motor Speedway, and is the youngest race winner in ARCA history.
- James Bickford (17, Napa, Calif., @Bickford_James) – The 2014 K&N West Sunoco Rookie of the Year earned his first win at State Line Speedway last season and finished fifth in the season championship.
- William Byron (17, Charlotte, N.C., @WilliamByron) – With a win at Greenville Pickens Speedway and three top 10 finishes, he sits atop the K&N Pro East season championship standings.
- Cole Custer (17, Ladera Ranch, Calif., @colecuster00) – He holds the records for youngest pole award and race winner in both the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series and NASCAR’s touring series, and led late in the Truck race at Martinsville Speedway earlier this season.
- Ruben Garcia Jr. (19, Mexico City, Mex., @rubengarcia4) – The runner up in last season’s NASCAR Mexico Series season championship, he had one win and 10 top-10 finishes there while also competing in three NASCAR XFINITY Series races.
- Austin Hill (21, Winston, Ga., @_AustinHill) – Had three consecutive K&N East wins, in the final two races in 2014 and the 2015 season opener at New Smyrna Speedway where he captured his first pole award and led every lap.
- Jesse Little (18, Sherrill’s Ford, N.C., @jesselittle97) – Had a win at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, four top-five and 10 top-10 finishes in 2014 to finish fourth in the season standings. Won the pole at Bristol Motor Speedway in his 2015 K&N East debut.
- Dylan Lupton (21, Wilton, Calif., @LuptonDylan) – Was the 2014 K&N West championship runner up with a win at Kern County Speedway and registered 14 top-10 finishes; made his NASCAR XFINITY Series debut at Phoenix International Raceway in March.
- John Hunter Nemechek (17, Mooresville, N.C., @JHNemechek) – Earned six top-10 finishes in 10 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series starts in 2014, and won the prestigious Snowball Derby Late Model race at Five Flags Speedway in December.
- Dalton Sargeant (17, Boca Raton, Fla., @DaltonSargeant) – Has a win at Kern County Raceway Park in the West this season, and four top-five finishes in five combined East and West races.
About NASCAR
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, Inc. (NASCAR) is the sanctioning body for the No. 1 form of motorsports in the United States. NASCAR consists of three national series (the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series™, NASCAR XFINITY Series™, and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series™), four regional series, one local grassroots series and three international series. The International Motor Sports Association™ (IMSA®) governs the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship™, the premier U.S. sports car series. Based in Daytona Beach, Fla., with offices in eight cities across North America, NASCAR sanctions more than 1,200 races in more than 30 U.S. states, Canada, Mexico and Europe. For more information visit http://www.NASCAR.com and http://www.IMSA.com, and follow NASCAR at www.Facebook.com/NASCAR and Twitter: @NASCAR.