Brazilian Remains Behind the Wheel of No. 32 Chevrolet Silverado for Full-Time NCWTS Season
MOORESVILLE, N.C. (December 3, 2012) – Turner Motorsports and Miguel Paludo announced today that the top-tier NASCAR team and the rising Brazilian talent will extend their partnership in 2013. Paludo, who joined the championship-winning team in 2012, will compete full time in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) next season. Paludo will return to the seat of the No. 32 Chevrolet Silverado with sponsorship from long-time partner Duroline Brakes and Components, along with additional marketing partners to be announced at a later date. Crew chief Jeff Hensley will continue to lead the team from atop the pit box.
A two-time champion in the Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Brasil (2008, 2009), Paludo made his NASCAR debut in 2010 with a partial NCWTS schedule before joining the full-time ranks in 2011. Paludo has made 51 starts in the Truck Series, accumulating four top-fives, 14 top-10s, one pole and a best finish of third (Michigan International Speedway, August 2011). Paludo also made history in the 2012 season-opener at Daytona International Speedway by becoming the first Brazilian driver to win a pole in one of NASCAR’s top-three series. Paludo concluded the 2012 season 10th in the NCWTS point standings, his best points finish in two full-time seasons of Truck Series competition.
“I am very happy to announce that I will be returning to Turner Motorsports in 2013,” said Paludo. “I joined Turner Motorsports because I believed that it was an organization where I could race competitively, and I am very excited to have the opportunity to continue to compete for what was, without a doubt, the most successful team in our series in 2012. The fact that we closed out the last season with a championship trophy and all three of our full-time trucks in the top-10 in points says a lot for what our organization is capable of. I am excited to continue working with [crew chief] Jeff Hensley and my same group of guys, and I think it’s very possible that it will be the No. 32 team sitting at the head table at the banquet next year.”
Turner Motorsports captured its first NASCAR championship in 2012 when James Buescher took the NCWTS title on the strength of four wins. In only its third season of full-time NCWTS competition, Turner Motorsports totaled seven Truck Series wins, in addition to three victories in the NASCAR Nationwide Series. The organization announced in November that Jeb Burton would be competing full-time in the NCWTS in 2013, with additional driver lineup and program details forthcoming.
About Turner Motorsports: Turner Motorsports, LLC was established in 1999 by Texas businessman Steve Turner. 2013 will mark the fourth season of full-time NASCAR competition for the organization, which expanded in 2011 from a two-truck operation in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) to become the largest stand-alone multi-series team in NASCAR’s top-tier touring series. The team earned its first championship when James Buescher captured the NCWTS title in 2012. Turner Motorsports operates out of an 110,000 square-foot state-of-the art facility in Mooresville, N.C. The Chevrolet-backed team has created alliances with General Motors’ powerhouse team Hendrick Motorsports, which provides engine support for both its NNS and NCWTS programs, and Earnhardt Technology Group for drive train and suspension technology assistance. Turner Motorsports’ marketing partners include Great Clips, BRANDT, Exide, AccuDoc Solutions, Wolfpack Rentals, Fraternal Order of Eagles ABF Freight, Qualcomm, Duroline Brakes and Components, and KoikeAronson Ransome. For more information on Turner Motorsports, visit www.turnermotorsportsllc.com.
