MOORESVILLE, N.C. (February 17, 2016) -
Richard Petty Motorsports has announced a driver development partnership with Empire Racing Group for the 2016 season. Empire Racing Group will field a truck in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series with the iconic, stylized No. 43. The truck will run the colors of Petty's Garage as the primary sponsor in the NextEra Energy Resources 250 under the Friday night lights in Daytona. Austin Hill will be the first driver to pilot the No. 43 truck and a roster of various drivers will fill out the remainder of the schedule.
The team will be led by Empire Racing Group Crew Chief Michael Cheek. The 2016 season will be the 20th anniversary of Cheek's first run with the No. 43 truck. After leading the team as crew chief for driver Rich Bickle as part of the Petty Enterprises stable, the Petty family and Cheek will once again team up to put the truck on track.
"I am excited to once again partner with Richard Petty and his organization to race in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series," said Cheek. "Together, we have the opportunity to put great drivers in this truck and keep our machine at the front of the field. We have a lot of great things planned for this season, and we're excited to see where this program will take both race teams."
The No. 43, made famous by "The King" Richard Petty, will adorn the side of the truck in the same style as it has appeared on the historic and current Richard Petty Motorsports race cars. This will be the first partnership in the Truck Series for Richard Petty Motorsports.
"This is a great opportunity for Richard Petty Motorsports to develop up-and-coming drivers who will become the future of our sport," said Brian Moffitt, Chief Executive Officer of Richard Petty Motorsports. "It will be great to see the No. 43 return to the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series and to have Petty's Garage as the primary sponsor of the race at Daytona. The 2016 season is sure to produce great results for both Richard Petty Motorsports and Empire Racing Group."
More information and details about the driver development program will be released at a later date.
About Richard Petty Motorsports
A performance and marketing driven company, Richard Petty Motorsports, co-owned by NASCAR Hall of Famer Richard Petty and successful business entrepreneur Andrew Murstein, is one of the most recognized brands in all of motorsports. With a history of over 200 wins and business partnerships with national and global leaders, today the race operation fields two teams in competition in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series with drivers Aric Almirola and Brian Scott. Almirola will return to the iconic No. 43 Ford with partners Smithfield Foods, STP, United States Air Force and the "Fresh From Florida" campaign. Scott will make his debut with the team and drive the Petty Family No. 44 Ford. Albertsons Companies, Shore Lodge, Twisted Tea and GoBowling.com will join Scott as he competes for Rookie of the Year in his first full-time season in the Sprint Cup Series. Richard Petty Motorsports will also field the No. 43 Ford Mustang in the NASCAR XFINITY Series with driver Jeb Burton in his first full-time season. The team is headquartered in Mooresville, N.C.
About Empire Racing Group
Established in 2009, Empire Racing Group is a driver-development team that strives to identify young racing talent and assist them in the advancement of their careers. While ERG originally focused on the ARCA Racing Series with drivers Sean Corr (team owner) and Mason Mitchell, the team has since expanded its reach into other series thanks in part to its alliance with Grumpy's Performance, Inc. Under the expertise of crew chief Mike 'Grumpy' Cheek, ERG now competes in various Late Model series and the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS). In 2016, the team will compete in multiple racing series including the ARCA Racing Series, NCWTS, and NASCAR Late Model Series at Caraway Speedway. Drivers for the 2016 season include notable rising stars Austin Hill and Dylan Martin, as well as racing veteran Sean Corr. To learn more about ERG, call (704) 664-8882 or visit www.empireracinggroup.com.
