Date/Broadcast: Feb. 19, 2021 at 7:30 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR 90
The Chase is On:
Parker Chase will make his NASCAR Camping World Truck Series debut behind the wheel of the No. 51 Vertical Bridge Tundra in Friday night’s 159-mile event at the 3.61-mile, 14-turn Daytona International Speedway Road Course. The Texas native will also compete May 22 at Circuit of the Americas (COTA), in Austin, Texas, when the series visits the 3.41-mile, 20-turn course for the first time.
Primary sponsorship for the Daytona Road Course event will come from Vertical Bridge, the largest private owner and operator of communications infrastructure and locations in the United States, while Tige Boats, the world’s leading innovator, designer, and manufacturer of wakesurfing, wakeboarding, and waterskiing boats, will adorn the hood of Chase’s Tundra at COTA. The paint schemes for both races will be based off designs that are featured on current Tige Boats models.
Mardy Lindley begins his first season as a crew chief at Kyle Busch Motorsports. Lindley has guided his drivers to 32 wins and four ARCA Menards Series East championships since 2013, including back-to-back titles with Sam Mayer the last two seasons. Additionally, he earned the ARCA Menards Series Sioux Chief Showdown championship with Mayer in 2020. Behind the wheel, the second-generation driver won 11 races on the Pro Cup Series from 2000 to 2006 and was crowned the series champion in 2001. Lindley earned a third-place finish last year in the ARCA Menards Series race at the Daytona road course. Sam Mayer started the race with an injured hand and stayed in the car until the race break on Lap 15 when he was replaced by Colin Braun. Braun would go on to finish the event in the third spot.
KBM owner-driver Kyle Busch will make five starts in the No. 51 Cessna Tundra in 2021. Busch will get behind the wheel for the first time at Las Vegas Motor Speedway (March 5) and his schedule will also include Atlanta Motor Speedway (March 20), Richmond (Va.) Raceway (April 17), Kansas Speedway in Kansas City (May 1) and Pocono (Pa.) Raceway (June 26).
Drew Dollar kicked off the 2021 season for the No. 51 team at Daytona International Speedway last week. Dollar started 17th but had an average running position of 10.0 and went on to finish 10th after getting collected in a last-lap wreck while running third.
Parker Chase, Driver Q&A:
What is your background on road courses?
“I started karting in 2010. I went up through the ranks of sports car racing and have done four to five years professionally up to the WeatherTech paddock. Kyle and I were teammates in the 24 Hours of Daytona last year, so that is how I got familiar with the stock car world.”
What are your thoughts on the Daytona road course? What will it be like racing a truck?
“Luckily, I have a lot of experience on the road course at Daytona. I’ve done the Rolex 24 twice so far. I think I have an upper hand on track time, especially without having practice. I also did the ARCA race last year in the rain, so I know what the new chicane is like as well.”
What is it like driving for Kyle after being his teammate in the Rolex 24 last year?
“We were teammates and now he is my team owner. I think I helped him a little bit on the road course, and I’m hoping I can lean on him a little bit for this truck race.”
What does it mean to have the support of Vertical Bridge for Friday’s race?
“My sponsor Vertical Bridge is a Florida-based company that have been with me for a few years. They always bring a good crew to Daytona, so I’m excited to bring them out for a truck race and put on a good show.”
Parker Chase Career Highlights:
Competing full time in the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge in 2021.
Was a teammate of KBM owner Kyle Busch on the AIM Vassar Sullivan No. 14 entry that finished ninth in the 18-car GTD class in the 2020 Rolex 24 on the Daytona Road Course.
Earned a top-10 finish in his ARCA Menards Series debut on the Daytona Road Course in 2020
Recorded top-10 finishes in both of his Late Model Stock races at Hickory (N.C.) Motor Speedway last year.
In 2018, captured the Pirelli World Challenge GT SprintX Pro/Am Championship with co-driver Ryan Dalziel.
In 2016, earned the Pirelli World Challenge Rookie of the Year award.
Parker Chase’s No. 51 Vertical Bridge Tundra:
KBM-X134: The No. 51 Vertical Bridge team will unload X134 for Friday’s race on the Daytona Road Course. This is the same chassis that Erik Jones won with at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park in 2015. Christian Eckes finished 12th with this Tundra at the Daytona Road Course last year. Prior to being converted to a road course truck for the 2014 season, the Tundra was victorious at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway in October of 2012 with Denny Hamlin.
KBM drivers earned an average finish of 12.3 in last year’s event at the Daytona Road Course. Raphael Lessard’s third-place result was the organization’s best finish.
Erik Jones collected KBM’s lone road-course victory in 2015 at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park in Bowmanville, Ont.
KBM holds the Camping World Truck Series records for most career wins (80) and most wins in a single season (14 in 2014). In addition to collecting a series-record seven Owner’s Championships, the organization has produced two championship-winning drivers: Erik Jones (2015) and Christopher Bell (2017).
With 34 victories, the No. 51 is the winningest number in KBM’s Truck Series fleet.
