After 22 races in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS), driver Ray Black Jr. returns to his home state of Florida to compete in the final race of the 2015 season. The driver of the No. 07 ScubaLife.com Chevrolet, who hails from Flagler Beach, Fla., is shooting for his first NCWTS career victory with a win during his second start at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
Black raced at Homestead-Miami Speedway last year during his seven-race introduction to the series with SS Green Light Racing. Now he looks to return to the track with a year’s worth of racing experience and many of his closest friends and family. The last time Black competed in a race in his home state of Florida it resulted in a Top-5 finish at Daytona International Speedway – a finish he would love to repeat this weekend.
“I enjoyed racing at Homestead last year,” stated Black. ”I like racing up close to the wall like you do there, so I think it’s fun – challenging, but fun. I think we’ll have a lot better race this time around with all the experience I’ve gained. Plus, we’ll be back in Florida! I just don’t think it gets any better than that. Starting and ending a race season in my home state is awesome. It’s great being able to have all my friends and family come out to the track.”
As Black prepares for his 2015 NCWTS season to come to an end, he also looks back at how far he has come this year.
“It has been a great year! One I really learned a lot from,” said Black. “I really learned to enjoy each race and take it one weekend at a time. I’ve gained a lot of patience and respect for the other drivers. The racing business is a big one, and you’ve got to treat everyone with respect. Everyone is giving it their all each weekend and trying to have fun at the same time.”
It was a season of a lot of firsts for the driver, as 2015 marked his first year in one of NASCAR’s top series and with that came a lot of surprises for Black.
“Daytona at the start of the season was definitely a high point for me,” explained Black. “But I also had a blast on the road course up in Canada too. I was really eager to get on a road course because I thought it would be something I would enjoy, and it turned out I liked it even more than I thought I would. One of the most fun tracks I’ve ever been on!”
“I was also a little surprised by how much support I got from the fans,” he continued. “Being a smaller team, I wasn’t sure how much support we would get from the fans, and they surprised me. They are all so dedicated – it’s amazing! Once they hear about you and they know a little bit about your background, they really keep up with you and everything you do. It’s a cool feeling to have.”
Team Owner, Bobby Dotter, and Black’s crew chief, Jason Miller, have helped to guide the driver through his 2015 season. Both had nothing but praise for what he and the team accomplished this year.
“It has been a fun year,” said Miller. “Ray has come a long way in a very short time. I’ve said it a lot of times during this year, but there are certain things you can’t teach a driver, and Ray has the stuff you can’t teach. You can’t teach talent. The other stuff he doesn’t have yet we can teach him. I really think we haven’t seen the best of Ray yet.”
“It has been great watching his growth throughout the year,” echoed Dotter. “As far as being a rookie driver, the way Ray takes to tracks is refreshing. He gets better and better throughout a race weekend, and really adapts and learns the tracks as we go. I’m proud of all he and the team have accomplished this year and can’t wait to see where it goes from here.”
Fans can catch Black’s season finale race at Homestead-Miami Speedway on Friday, November 20 at 8:00 p.m. EST on FOX Sports 1. MRN Radio will provide a live radio broadcast of the race as well.
Ray Black Jr PR
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