SS Green Light Racing is pleased to announce that 19-year old Florida late model standout Ross Chastain will join the team for 2012 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series season. Chastain will pilot the team’s Toyota Tundra beginning with the NEXTERA ENERGY RESOURCES 250 at the famed Daytona International Speedway under the guidance of longtime driver, owner and crew chief Bobby Dotter.
A fifth generation farmer, Chastain has learned while working on the family farm that small seeds can blossom into succulent fruit in just a few months time and the young driver knows those same small seeds in racing can blossom into career of his dreams. “I’m very excited to work together with Bobby Dotter and I want to help grow with the team and improve myself throughout the year. I think we have set realistic goals and I’m excited to get to North Carolina and begin preparing for the season.”
Ross began his racing career at age twelve running the Fastkids trucks in his native state and has accumulated over 50 feature wins as he advanced through the ranks to late models. The Alva, FL native was the late model champion at the prestigious World Series of Asphalt Stock Car Racing at New Smyrna Raceway in 2011.
Ross ran five NCWTS races in 2011 finishing 10th in his first ever start at Lucas Oil Raceway and completed an impressive 98.5% of the laps in the five races with an average finish of 18.8. Last month, Chastain participated in an open ARCA test at the “World Center of Speed” in preparation for this February’s race posting lap times in the top quarter of the 79 drivers that attended.
Returning to its familiar No. 08 for the 2012 season, Chastain and the team SS Green Light team are guaranteed a starting spot for the first four races of the campaign. Sponsorship for the south Florida farmer is currently being finalized with multiple agricultural based businesses and will be announced at a later date. The team is also actively pursuing additional marketing partners for select races in the 22-race NCWTS schedule.
“My goal for 2012 is to run as many laps as possible and run up near the top ten each week,” said Chastain. “Bobby has a great reputation for developing young drivers and I’m looking forward to get to the shop to get some hand’s on experience on the trucks.”
The SS Green Light team has one of the longest tenures in the NCWTS with 270 consecutive starts dating back to 2001. The team is planning to run the No. 07 and No 08 Toyota Tundra entries utilizing horsepower from Mark Smith’s Pro Motor Engines.
Bobby Dotter, co-owner and crew chief of SS Green Light Racing is excited about his new driver; “I’m really looking forward to working with Ross this season. He built a nice resume running late models in Florida and in his few opportunities last year in the NCWTS he showed speed at a variety of tracks. His practice and test times proved to us he deserved the opportunity to be behind the wheel of our trucks. I’m impressed with his attitude and desire to learn and he has realistic goals. Ross plans to be in the shop working with the guys and gaining valuable knowledge about his equipment.”
SS Green Light Racing and Chastain plan to run the full NCWTS schedule and compete for Rookie of the Year honors.
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