Peters looking to make first MENCS start with Ricky Benton Racing

The last time Timothy Peters partnered with Ricky Benton Racing (RBR), the pairing resulted in a seventh-place finish in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) at the half-mile Martinsville Speedway. Emboldened by the result, the team and driver have decided to renew their partnership in a bigger way: RBR and Peters will be heading to Alabama to compete in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series (MENCS) GEICO 500 at Talladega Superspeedway.

 

The event will be Peters’ debut in MENCS and RBR’s second start. RBR finished 14th in the 60th running of the Daytona 500 in February.

 

“This is just a dream come true for me,” said Peters. “I am humbled and so appreciative for the opportunity that Ricky (Benton), Advance Auto Parts, the entire Black’s Tire family, BB&T and Highland Construction have given me to make my first Cup start.”

 

Despite not having made a Cup start to date, Peters is no stranger to NASCAR restrictor plate racing. The Danville, Va. native has two wins at Talladega and one at Daytona to go along with four other top-five finishes in 14 starts in the NCWTS. He also has a sixth-place finish in ARCA competition at Daytona.

 

“Timothy is an incredibly talented driver and proved to be a great fit with our guys at Martinsville,” said team owner Ricky Benton. “He and (crew chief) Mike (Hester) worked great together, communicated well and made some great adjustments as that race progressed.

 

“I have no doubt that it will carry over to Talladega in the Cup car.”

 

Benton said David Gilliland, who drove the RBR entry in the Daytona 500, is not behind the wheel this time around due to commitments to the race team he owns fielding cars in ARCA, the K&N Pro Series and NCWTS.

 

To learn more about Advance Auto Parts, a leading automotive aftermarket parts provider that serves both professional installer and do-it-yourself customers, www.advanceautoparts.com.

 

RBR PR