NASCAR Truck Series News (6272)
Gander Outdoors Truck Series News
Young’s Motorsports announced today that short track standout, Tate Fogleman has been signed as the pilot of the team’s flagship No. 02 Chevrolet Silverado for the 2020 NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series (NGROTS) season. The Durham, N.C., native - is a third-generation racer and the son of super late model and former NASCAR Xfinity Series driver, Jay Fogleman. La Grange, N.C., based Solid Rock Carriers has partnered with Fogleman as the primary sponsor of the No. 02.
Fogleman first climbed behind the wheel of a stock car at age 7 and hasn’t looked back. At just 15 years old he became the youngest ever Pro All-Star Series (PASS) South Super Late Models champion. The High Point University sophomore has previously made three NGROTS starts, his best finish coming in 15th at Michigan (2018) and has continued to compete in both PASS and CARS Super Late Model Tour, events.
“I am looking forward to getting back to work with the Young’s Motorsports guys,” exclaimed Fogleman. “I think we will be able to accomplish a lot this year. Chad (Kendrick), my crew chief, knows how driven I am to race and we are ready to tackle this season head-on. Huge thanks to my longtime sponsor Solid Rock Carriers for coming on board the truck this season. They have been supporting me since I started pro late model racing when I was 12, and I'm truly honored to have them on the truck. I am really grateful to Tyler Young and the Young family for their support and this opportunity.”
Entering his fourth season with the organization, NGROTS veteran Chad Kendrick will serve as crew chief.
“We are looking forward to this year, another great opportunity for Young’s Motorsports and myself to team up with one of the up and coming young talents in racing. Tate has driven a few races for us and shown tremendous potential. We are setting realistic, but high goals for the 2020 season. Gateway (World Wide Technology Raceway, St. Louis, M.O.) being one of the most challenging tracks we race was his first time in a truck - he picked it up very quickly and was very competitive so I am excited to build on that. Tate is a talented super late model racer and seems eager and willing to do what it takes to run well at one of the highest levels of racing. It’s not often you get paired with a driver that shares your energy and drive to compete, I can’t wait to get the season kicked off with him.”
Kendrick has six NGROTS victories to his credit and has previously manned the helm for Ryan Blaney, Austin Dillon, Tyler Dippel, Austin Hill, Daniel Hemric, Brad Keselowski, and Joey Logano.
“Our organization is thrilled to get Tate back into one of our trucks,” said team principal, Tyler Young. “2019 was a huge year for us and we are excited to have such an accomplished young racer behind the wheel of the (No.) 02 truck this season.”
Fogleman and Kendrick will make their season debut at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway on Friday, February 14. The NextEra Energy Resources 250 will be broadcast live on FS1 on Friday at 7:30 p.m. (ET).
For more information on partnership opportunities with Tate Fogleman Racing, please contact Grupo Carrera at (980) 435-9894 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Young Motorsports PR
Diversified Motorsports Enterprises welcomes new team partner Teletrac Navman
24 Jan 2020 Written by Speedway Digest StaffOfficials from Diversified Motorsports Enterprises (DME) announced today that Teletrac Navman, a leading software-as-a-service (SaaS) provider leveraging location-based technology and services for managing mobile assets has joined the NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series team for a minimum of six races beginning with the season-opening NextEra Energy Resources 250 at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway on Fri., Feb. 14, 2020.
Veteran driver Jesse Little will drive the No. 97 Teletrac Navman truck in the 100-lap Truck Series race from the “World Center of Racing.”
With specialized solutions that deliver greater visibility into real-time insights and analytics, Teletrac Navman helps companies make better business decisions that enhance productivity and profitability.
Its fleet and asset management technology uncovers information that would otherwise go unseen, helping customers reduce risk and confidently move their business forward with certainty. It tracks and manages more than 500,000 vehicles and assets for more than 40,000 companies around the world.
The company is headquartered in Garden Grove, Calif. with additional offices in the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand and Mexico.
“This is so humbling for our race team,” said team owner Logan Puckett. “I am a new owner in the Truck Series but to immediately be able to connect the dots and establish a business-to-business partner that is not only joining our team for one race but for a minimum of six races is a huge blessing in our mission to put a competitive product on the track and develop a maximizing experience.
“I can’t wait for Daytona.”
In addition to Daytona, Teletrac Navman will also serve as the primary partner for DME at Dover (Del.) International Speedway, Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway, Chicagoland (Ill.) Speedway, Las Vegas (Nev.) Motor Speedway (September) and the season-finale at Phoenix (Ariz.) Raceway on Nov. 6, 2020.
“We are thrilled for the opportunity to partner with Diversified Motorsport Enterprises and the No. 97 race team,” said Jens Meggers, president Teletrac Navman. “NASCAR is associated with brands that are influential in their space and we are honored to be among those brands during the 2020 season.
“Working together with Logan (Puckett) and the DME team will make for an exciting year in both of our first seasons. We are eager to take advantage of the exposure this partnership will surely bring.”
Puckett purchased the assets of JJL Motorsports during the 2019 offseason and has rebranded the organization to Diversified Motorsports Enterprises while retaining Little as the driver. The Mooresville, N.C.-based team is slated to run a minimum schedule this season with further announcements forthcoming.
For more on Teletrac Navman, please visit teletracnavman.com, like them on Facebook (TeletracNavman) or follow them on Twitter (@TeletracNavman).
For more on Diversified Motorsports Enterprises, please visit team-dme.com, like them on Facebook (TeamDME97) or follow them on Twitter (@teamDME97).
Get to know team owner Logan Puckett by following him on Twitter @LPuckett_89.
For more on Jesse Little, please like him on Facebook at Jesse Little Racing.
Little tweets too. Follow him @JesseLittle97.
DME PR
Thorsport Racing to celebrate its silver anniversary at Daytona International Speedway
22 Jan 2020 Written by Speedway Digest StaffThorSport PR
Decker Joining Niece Motorsports For NASCAR Truck Series, Continuing With Tony AVE For West Coast Trans-Am Championship Run
16 Jan 2020 Written by Speedway Digest StaffIt's a new year, and for Natalie Decker, that means new goals, a new number, same mindset.
Running multiple races in her rookie season, Decker has signed with Niece Motorsports after wrapping up her rookie year with DGR-CROSLEY.
Decker will be in a part-time ride in the Niece Motorsports No. 44 Chevy for her NASCAR Truck Season as she continues her journey towards competing in the NASCAR Cup Series. In 2019, she saw great success, finishing 19th in the series as a rookie in a part-time schedule.
Following her to Niece Motorsports will again be the backing of her main sponsor N29 Technologies.
“Natalie has shown a lot of talent and we’re looking forward to helping her continue to develop that. Last year was her first season in these trucks, so it was a big learning year for her. We are really excited about the schedule she is going to run this year because we feel like it will build on her strengths,” said Cody Efaw, Technical Director of Niece Motorsports.
As she brings her infectious enthusiasm and focus to Niece Motorsports, she joins forces with Ross Chastain, new signee Carson Hocevar, and fellow Wisconsin native Ty Majeski. Natalie will be piloting the No. 44, sharing seat time with Chastain, who will make the full time jump to Xfinity after winning three truck races in 2019 and finishing 2nd in the race for the Championship in Miami.
“Change is inevitable. Change is expected and exciting, and change is also frightening! But this year is a year I’m ready for! I have never felt so prepared with, my health, in the gym, and mentally. With so many things to be excited about working with Niece Motorsports starting with my teammates Ross and Ty. I’m ready to learn from them and be 100% open-minded going into this season!”, says an exuberant Decker.
Decker's first race with Niece Motorsports will be this coming February 14th at Daytona International Speedway.
“We have high expectations for Natalie this year and are excited to get to Daytona with her!”, said Efaw.
In addition, Decker has announced she will again work with Tony Ave and AVE Motorsports running a full schedule in the SGT-Trans Am West Coast Series. She will race in a GT-4, with sites set on a championship, starting March 14th at Sonoma Raceway.
When asked about the upcoming season, Ave said “We are looking forward to running Natalie for a points championship this year, as well as having her help us develop some new equipment for the team. We’ve got some different things up our sleeve for 2020 and beyond, and Natalie is a perfect fit to both develop the opportunities and reap the benefits in the driver’s seat as well”
In total, Natalie has locked in 14 total races on her calendar in 2020, split between those two series. There are plans in the works for adding more as she progresses further into the year.
Decker remains focused and driven to continue the pursuit of her dream to race full time in the Cup Series, gaining traction of that one race at a time!
TDR PR
Natalie Decker to Pilot No. 44 for Niece Motorsports in Partial Schedule
16 Jan 2020 Written by Speedway Digest StaffNatalie Decker will pilot the No. 44 Chevrolet Silverado for Niece Motorsports in the NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series (NGROTS) on a part-time basis during the 2020 season.
Decker will make her debut with Niece Motorsports in the first race of the 2020 season, at Daytona International Speedway.
“Change is inevitable, change is expected and exciting, and change is also frightening,” said Decker. “But this year is a year I’m ready for! I have never felt so prepared with my health, in the gym, and mentally. There are so many things to be excited about working with Niece Motorsports, starting with my teammates Ross and Ty. I’m ready to learn from them and be 100% open minded going into the season!”
Decker made 19 starts in the NGROTS last year for DGR Crosley. Decker joins Ty Majeski, Ross Chastain and Carson Hocevar, who will all race for Niece Motorsports in 2020.
“We are excited to have Natalie join the team,” said team owner Al Niece. “Natalie has shown a lot of talent, and we are excited to see her continue to develop that at Niece Motorsports. We are certain we will put her in competitive equipment that will really give her a chance to shine.”
Decker got her star racing go-karts in her native Wisconsin, where she won four track championships. From there, she made the move into full-sized stock cars. She was the CWSSA Super Stock champion out of a talented field of 35 drivers. Success continued in the Limited Late Model division, where she won one race and had two podium finishes.
Next, Decker moved into the competitive Late Model ranks, completing every lap of the World Series of Stock Car Racing at Florida’s New Smyrna Speedway in 2013. Her on-track success led her to being selected to the 2013 and 2014 NASCAR Rev Racing Drive for Diversity combine.
At State Park Speedway in Wisconsin, Decker had 10 fast times and seven feature races in 2014, leading her to the track championship. She was also the Rookie of the Year and finished fourth in overall points in the State Park Super Late Model division.
Decker also won in the Super Late Model division at Wisconsin’s Golden Sands Speedway and on the competitive TUNDRA Super Late Model series in the upper Midwest in 2014.
In 2015, Decker was selected by NASCAR to be a part of the NASCAR Drive for Diversity program, with proven race-winning team Rev Racing. She battled week-in-and-week-out against the top short track racers in the country at “The Birthplace of the NASCAR Stars,” Hickory Motor Speedway.
Decker turned heads at Hickory and beyond with the Rev Racing team and also saw plenty of success with her family-operated Super Late Model at tracks from Wisconsin to Florida, with wins at Golden Sands and State Park Speedways.
Decker became the first female racer to score a podium finish in the ARCA Midwest Tour. Her success in the state of Florida through the season also earned Decker the prestigious title of NASCAR Whelen All-American Series Rookie of the Year in the Sunshine State.
In 2018, Decker earned the pole and finished fifth in the ARCA Racing Series at Daytona International Speedway. She finished seventh overall in the ARCA Racing Series point standings.
Niece Motorsports PR
DGR-Crosley Names Shane Wilson as Crew Chief for Tanner Gray
15 Jan 2020 Written by Speedway Digest Staff
Bill McAnally has announced a partnership with Bill Hilgemann to form McAnally-Hilgemann Racing, which will field an entry in the NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series on a full-time basis for the 2020 season.
Eighteen-year-old Derek Kraus, who won the 2019 NASCAR K&N Pro Series West championship with McAnally, will drive the team’s No. 19 Toyota Tundra.
In conjunction, the newly minted team also announced that it has formed an alliance with Hattori Racing Enterprises.
“I’m excited about this opportunity to partner with Bill Hilgemann and compete in the truck series on a full-time basis,” said McAnally, who fielded an entry in limited truck events this past year as part of his Bill McAnally Racing team.
“We have been working hard to put things in place to move Derek to the next level in NASCAR,” McAnally said. “It’s been great to be part of his development in the K&N Series these past three years. We look forward to moving ahead in advancing his career.
“This move is a big challenge and we are grateful for the opportunity to form an alliance with HRE,” McAnally said. “We’re excited to be working with a team that has their winning record in the series. Our relationship with such a strong Toyota program will be beneficial to us and we see it as a key to accelerating our program.”
Hilgemann – a businessman from Stratford, Wisconsin; where Kraus hails from – is also looking forward to an exciting season with the new team.
“We’re proud to announce the formation of this team,” Hilgemann said. “Bill McAnally has a great reputation in the industry and I’m pleased to put this program together with him.
“Derek is a talented young driver and we are excited to have him behind the wheel,” Hilgemann added.
Kraus made five starts in the truck series with BMR. He finished eighth at Phoenix Raceway in making his series debut in 2018 and notched another eighth-place finish at Dover International Speedway, in one of four starts he made in 2019.
“Moving up to the truck series will be a big learning experience for me,” Kraus said. “I am looking forward to continuing to work with Kevin Bellicourt and the team. It’s going be a fun year.”
Bellicourt served as the general manager at BMR this past season. In addition to that role, he will also be the crew chief on the truck team. With the new alliance, he will be working with the HRE team – led by general manager, Mike Greci, and crew chief, Scott Zipadelli.
HRE, which is owned by Shige Hattori, won the NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series championship in 2018. In addition to the truck series, the team also fielded a car last year in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East.
The relationship between McAnally and Greci stems from a long-term friendship that extends back to when Greci was offered a job by McAnally about 20 years ago.
“We’ve been friends ever since then and we’ve got a great respect for each other,” Greci said.
“To try to race the truck series from the West Coast is probably next to impossible,” he said. “We’re a Toyota TRD team and Bill is a Toyota TRD team. We’re happy that we’ve got our program running well. Our focus is to help Bill get his program going.
“We’ve always been a single team,” Greci said. “Now we have team help. I think it’s a good situation for everybody. It’s about getting together. I think there’s a benefit to both race teams in doing this. I think it will be a good season for everybody.”
This could also offer an opportunity for new crew members, he indicated.
“With this alliance between HRE and MHR, we will be looking for qualified, driven and caring employees who want to win,” Greci said.
In addition to McAnally’s role with the truck team, he will continue as president of BMR – based in Roseville, California. The team, which has won a record nine championships in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West, will continue to compete in that series – which is evolving into NASCAR’s ARCA Menards Series West.
McAnally was previously involved in the truck series nearly 20 years ago when he was partnered with Michael Gaughan at Orleans Racing to field an entry for Brendan Gaughan, who had won back-to-back K&N West championships in 2000 and 2001.
MHR PR
World of Outlaws Driver David Gravel Gets Opportunity of a Lifetime
10 Jan 2020 Written by Speedway Digest StaffGMS Racing announced today that World of Outlaws driver David Gravel will run six select NASCAR Gander RV and Outdoors Truck Series races for the Statesville based organization. Gravel will sport Axalta colors on his No. 24 Chevrolet at Eldora Speedway and also compete in five yet to be announced Gander Trucks events in 2020. Sponsorship has been secured for those five additional events and will be announced at a later date. The Watertown, Conn., native will also compete in the ARCA Menards Series season opener at Daytona International Speedway under GMS Racing’s alliance team, KBR Development.
“Excited for this opportunity to run in NASCAR is an understatement,” said Gravel. “I can’t thank Jeff (Gordon) and Mike (Beam, president of GMS Racing) enough for believing in me and putting me in this position to race Eldora and some select asphalt races. It’s going to be a challenge, but I am ready for it.”
The 27-year-old has 51 career World of Outlaw feature wins to his name and was the 2019 Knoxville National Champion. Gravel was the first driver since 1992 to collect a perfect 500 score at the Knoxville Nationals. He is also a two-time Williams Grove National Open winner, a two-time Don Martin Memorial Silver Cup winner and he locked himself into the 2019 Lucas Oil Chili Bowl Nationals A-Main in addition to numerous other accomplishments.
“I’ve been following David’s career for a while and have tremendous respect for his talent behind the wheel,” said four-time NASCAR Cup Series champion and NASCAR on Fox analyst Gordon. “I had a chance to meet David at the Chili Bowl in 2019 which led to the Axalta Coatings sponsorship opportunity at the Knoxville Nationals in a sprint car.”
“Once I saw his performance at that race I knew he deserved a chance to pursue his dream of racing in NASCAR. It has been fun to see that come to fruition with GMS, who is leading the way in bringing new talent into the Truck Series and NASCAR.”
Over a five-year span, GMS Racing, a powerhouse Gander Truck Series team, has accumulated 27 wins, 103 top-fives, 204 top-10’s, 13 pole awards and one Championship in 2016. Over those five years many notable drivers have piloted their Chevrolets including Chase Elliott, Kyle Larson, Austin and Ty Dillon and others.
“We have been blessed here at GMS Racing to be able to put talented drivers like David (Gravel) in our Chevrolets,” said Mike Beam (president of GMS Racing). “When Jeff (Gordon) reached out and proposed the opportunity to put Gravel in our truck, it was truly an honor. Gravel has made his name on dirt tracks around the country and we hope we can be a small footprint in building his career in NASCAR.”
GMS Racing PR
Carson Hocevar Joins Niece Motorsports for Partial Schedule in 2020
20 Dec 2019 Written by Speedway Digest StaffCarson Hocevar will compete in nine races for Niece Motorsports in the NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series (NGROTS) in 2020.
“I’m really looking forward to this opportunity,” said Hocevar. “Niece Motorsports has invested a lot in their program in the last few years, and the results are really showing. I’m excited to be able to work with and learn from drivers like Ty Majeski and Ross Chastain. I’m thrilled to get in race-winning equipment and hopefully learn a lot and compete at a high level.”
Hocevar ran two NGROTS races in 2019, at Eldora Speedway and ISM Raceway. He qualified inside the top-20 and finished in the top-25 in both events.
In addition to the pair of NGROTS starts in 2019, Hocevar competed in 12 ARCA Racing Series events, earning one pole – never starting lower than 12th – along with four top-five and 10 top-10 finishes.
In 2018, Hocevar made three ARCA Racing Series starts, earning one pole and two top-five finishes.
“Carson has proven to be a very talented young racer, and we are looking forward to him continuing that with our team,” said team owner Al Niece. “We are excited to prove that last season wasn’t a fluke and are looking to run strong again in 2020.”
Niece Motorsports is coming off a strong junior season in 2019. Together Ross Chastain and Niece Motorsports earned one pole, three wins and 10 top-five finishes. In addition, Chastain captured the most stage wins and led the most laps. Chastain and the No. 45 team finished second in both the driver and owner point standings.
Hocevar began racing Quarter Midgets when he was just six years old. He won 15 United States Auto Club championships and 79 Quarter Midget National races.
Under the guidance of 2008 NGROTS champion Johnny Benson, Jr., Hocevar graduated to full-sized stock cars in 2015, and immediately made an impact by winning an Outlaw Late Model feature at Berlin Raceway in Marne, Michigan as a 12-year-old.
Later that summer, he earned his first Super Late Model victory at Berlin at the age of 13, becoming the youngest winner in both Late Model divisions with his victories that season.
In 2016, Hocevar had a breakout season, winning the Berlin track championship as a 14-year-old — the youngest in NASCAR Whelen All-American Series history — and added three other victories on the regional JEGS/CRA All-Stars Pro Late Model Tour.
The remainder of Niece Motorsports’ driver lineup is forthcoming.
Niece Motorsports PR
Diversified Motorsports Enterprises completes purchase of JJL Motorsports
20 Dec 2019 Written by Speedway Digest StaffOfficials from Diversified Motorsports Enterprises (DME) announced today that it has successfully completed the purchase of NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series (NGOTS) team JJL Motorsports.
With the acquisition complete, Diversified Motorsports Enterprises hopes to compete in their inaugural NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series race in the 2020 season-opening NextEra Energy Resources 250 at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway on Fri., Feb. 14, 2020.
“This is a proud moment for Diversified Motorsports Enterprises,” said team principal Logan Puckett. “We appreciate Jason (Little) and everyone at JJL Motorsports for making the transition seamless and I’m excited about the outlook for our race team.”
The team will start 2020 in a new shop near Charlotte, N.C. and has plans to run a majority of the NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series season with mainstay driver Jesse Little.
“We have big plans for the season but we’re going to be thoughtful and attentive to our approach with everything we do,” added Puckett. “Being a young owner in the Truck Series, I’m eager to be competitive out of the box while also being ambitious with our marketing with the intention to bring new business to business partners into NASCAR and build our team towards a full schedule in 2021 and beyond.”
Puckett also says the organization will make a series of announcements in January. “Even with the Holidays quickly approaching, it’s a busy time for Diversified Motorsports Enterprises,” he added. “I’m thrilled about some of the personnel we’ve acquired and making the announcement of our marketing partner for our debut race.”
Throughout the season, Diversified Utility Group Inc. will serve as a major associate partner in 2020.
Founded in July 2013, Diversified Utility Group is a turn key general contractor specializing in fiber optic telecommunications construction consisting of new build, maintenance, cellular towers for wireless providers, residential and commercial applications and more.
Be sure to visit team-dme.com for the latest on the NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series’ newest team.
Follow the team on Twitter @TeamDME97 and get to know team owner Logan Puckett by following him on Twitter @LPuckett_89.
For more on Jesse Little, please like him on Facebook at Jesse Little Racing.
Little tweets too. Follow him @JesseLittle97.
DME PR
