DAUGHERTY GETS UP FROM BEHIND THE DESK FOR THE DAY TO CLIMB INTO A RACE TRUCK AND TEST AT MARTINSVILLE SPEEDWAY
HARRISBURG, N.C. (November 28, 2011) – – Brad Daugherty may be best known as a five-time NBA All-Star or for his work as an ESPN analyst for NASCAR’s top touring divisions. However, his passion for racing runs deeper than just with his co-ownership of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series team JTG Daugherty Racing.
Taking a closer look at Daugherty’s fervor for racing, he dabbles as a driver himself in the National Auto Sport Association (NASA) and other racing series. In preparation for competition in the NASA Southeast Region next season, he has decided to test a NASCAR Camping World Series truck at Martinsville Speedway on Wednesday.
“The reason I’m testing a truck is because I’m going to try to run it next year in the series called NASA in the Southeast Region, which is a road course racing series, “ Daugherty said. “It’s for me to get used to the horsepower because it is probably 200 more horsepower than I have ever raced. Andy Petree and Michael Waltrip are going to spend the day with me. Mikey, who is 6’ 5”, decided to come along to help shake it down and decipher information for me.”
Daugherty plans to race in eight NASA Southeast Region events during the 2012 season. Daugherty already has the races circled on his calendar that he will compete in during the first half of the season before he returns to work as a TV analyst.
“We will race at Road Atlanta twice, Charlotte, Carolina Motorsports Park, Roebling Road in Savannah and so forth,” Daugherty said. “I’m trying to run eight races until I have to go back to work. I’m also going to run a Thunder Roadster at Road Atlanta on December 2nd, which is their final race of 2011. Their first race is the second week of February at Carolina Motorsports Park.”
Petree has worked with Daugherty for years and is helping him on this project.
“Andy has helped me a lot with my race car chassis,” Daugherty said. “Andy, Jeff Swan and a young man out of Asheville (N.C.), Brian Ogle actually built this truck for me. It will be a lot of fun to test.”
Not only has Daugherty co-owned NASCAR teams for decades, but he’s been driving himself for a while.
“I’ve raced Late Models in the NASCAR Whelen Series for a few years,” Daugherty said. “I didn’t race this summer, but last year I ran four or five races. I’ve also ran a couple of full body cars at road course races with NASA and ran nine races last year in a Roadster.
“Also, when we had NASCAR Nationwide Series cars I’d run laps,” Daugherty continued. “I bet I’ve turned 500 or 600 laps at Atlanta Motor Speedway and 300 or 400 laps around Daytona International Speedway at speed. I’ve run a bunch of laps at Charlotte too. It’s kind of funny – – my passion for racing. I’ve been doing it for a long time, but nobody really noticed it. I have always loved racing and this big old body was used to playing basketball, not stuff it in a race car. However, I’ve got a little bit of time and I still love tinkering and I want to race a little bit more.”
