CONCORRENTES NO NORDESTE (COMPETING IN THE NORTHEAST): Nelson Piquet Jr. and the No. 8 Autotrac/Qualcomm team head to the Northeast this weekend for the Brazilian native’s first NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. The rookie driver has found success at tracks similar in size to New Hampshire, but has yet to compete anywhere that provides a racing surface as flat at the Loudon facility.
CALLING NEW HAMPSHIRE HOME: Jimmy Villeneuve, truck chief of the No. 8 Kevin Harvick Inc. (KHI) Chevrolet, will be heading home this week to race in front of family and friends during the F.W. Webb 175. Originally from Auburn, N.H., Villeneuve got his start in racing working on Super Late Models at a local short track, Lee USA Speedway. “I reached the point where I was over working a full-time job while racing full-time, so I made the decision to make racing a full-time job,” said Villeneuve. “It’s always great to go home and race in front of friends and family. Going back to visit my old stomping grounds helps keep me humble. It makes me realize how fortunate I am to have been able to turn my hobby into a full-time job.”
KHI SUCCESS AT LOUDON: Over the span of eight seasons, KHI entries have made a total of 13 starts at the 1.058-mile quad-oval. Six different drivers have helped KHI collect some impressive statistics that include one pole, two wins, six top-five and nine top-10 finishes. KHI drivers have also been credited with leading 586 laps at New Hampshire.
CHASSIS HISTORY: The No. 8 team will unload chassis No. 050 when they get to New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Piquet Jr. has raced this chassis only once this season at Iowa Speedway in July. The driver started in the top 10 and brought home an eighth-place finish at the 0.875-mile facility.
PREVIOUS RACE RECAP: Piquet Jr. and the No. 8 Qualcomm/Autotrac team headed to Chicagoland Speedway for the Trucks Series Fast Five 225 last Friday with high hopes for the rookie driver. After starting the race from the 12th position, the Brazilian native quickly worked his way toward the front of the field, where he would remain for the majority of the 150-lap race before capturing a third-place finish. The third-place finish came during the driver’s first appearance at the Joliet, Ill., facility and also earned him honors as the highest-finishing rookie of the race.
THOUGHTS FROM THE DRIVER: Nelson Piquet Jr.
How are you feeling about your first race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway?
“Racing at Loudon should be interesting. New Hampshire Motor Speedway is a lot different than any other track on the Truck Series circuit, and I’ve never had the chance to race there before. My team and I have gained a lot of momentum over the season, so I’m looking forward to seeing what we can do at another new track.”
Media Access: Members of the media can now log on to www.kevinharvickinc.com to gain access to press kit information online. For more information, please email Jill Frischmann at jfrischmann@kevinharvickinc.com.
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