riStar Motorsports driver Chad Hackenbracht will return to his home track on Saturdayto make his road course debut in the NASCAR Nationwide Series at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. It will be a homecoming for Hackenbracht, who grew up in New Philadelphia, Ohio, and whose No. 44 Toyota Camry will carry sponsorship from Ohio based Tastee Apple Inc.
The Inaugural Nationwide Children’s Hospital 200 will be the first time many Nationwide Series drivers have sat behind the wheel on the 2.258 mile paved road course. Fortunately for Hackenbracht, he recently had the opportunity to race at Mid-Ohio in a 1989 RX-7 in a local event sanctioned by NASA. The added seat time at the unfamiliar track will give Hackenbracht an edge on the competition. In addition to his time at Mid-Ohio, the 22-year-old recently participated in a road course test at Virginia International Raceway.
This will not be the first time the Ohio native will meander through the turns at Mid-Ohio, but it will be his first time in a stock car with 40 other competitors. Although he is considered a rookie in the Nationwide Series, he is not new to road course racing. He earned his first road course pole in 2012 at New Jersey Motorsports Park in the ARCA Racing Series and finished ninth there in 2011.
This will not be the first time the Ohio native will meander through the turns at Mid-Ohio, but it will be his first time in a stock car with 40 other competitors. Although he is considered a rookie in the Nationwide Series, he is not new to road course racing. He earned his first road course pole in 2012 at New Jersey Motorsports Park in the ARCA Racing Series and finished ninth there in 2011.
“I’m looking forward to racing in my home state in front of family and friends,” said Hackenbracht, who will have many of his supporters at Mid-Ohio this weekend. “I have raced in Ohio before at Toledo Speedway but I am really excited to race on a road course here. Road courses are fun to drive and to be a part of an Inaugural event is pretty cool.”
Hackenbracht will have his family’s business Tastee Apple, Inc. as his primary sponsor on the No. 44 Toyota Camry.
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