Concord, NC (March 13, 2013) – Of the 21 tracks John Wes Townley has visited in a NASCAR Nationwide Series car, he’s been nowhere as often as he’s visited Bristol Motor Speedway. Saturday, Townley will usher Venturini Motorsports back into NASCAR competition at the demanding oval.
Townley, 23 and of Watkinsville, Ga., has already found success with the team this season in the ARCA Racing Series, winning the season opener at Daytona International Speedway last month. In over three decades, the leading NASCAR driver development organization had never won at the superspeedway, perhaps the most notable gap in the family team’s long list of accomplishments.
In Saturday’s Jeff Foxworthy’s Grit Chips 300 at Bristol, Townley will have the chance to deliver another signature achievement for Venturini in the team’s No. 25 Zaxby’s Toyota.
“Looking a few weeks back at the win at Daytona, that was a great way to start off with the team,” Townley said. “It was an honor taking them to the first win and Victory Lane at Daytona and it’s going to be an honor being a part of their first Nationwide race. I’m really excited and just hope we can carry that momentum forward. Their mentality is a little different from your average start-up team; they’re going to try to win. We’re going to get out and do the best we can.”
Townley’s entry at the 0.533-mile concrete oval will be the first of three Nationwide Series attempts for Venturini this year; he and the team will also compete at Talladega and Charlotte later this spring.
“This is a great opportunity for our team to showcase our ability to compete at the next level,” said Billy Venturini, competition director for Venturini Motorsports. “We’re extremely excited to carry on our relationship with John Wes and the opportunity to continue our brand ambassadorship for Zaxby’s.”
Started as a small family operation, Venturini Motorsports has risen over three decades of ARCA competition, with a sharp upward turn as a leading driver development organization since 2007. Last winter, the Venturini family was inducted into the Italian American Sports Hall of Fame for multiple generations of positive contributions to the racing industry. Townley’s entry with the team this weekend at Bristol will mark the family’s first NASCAR national series attempt since July 6, 1996, when Bill Venturini Sr. raced in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series at the Milwaukee Mile. That was the last of 13 starts Venturini made over the NASCAR Sprint Cup, Nationwide, and Camping World Truck Series since his Nationwide debut in 1982.
As for Townley, he has made five Nationwide Series starts at Bristol, finishing as high as 16th in his first attempt back in 2009. Most recently, Townley finished 23rd in a race at the track last August. In addition, Townley’s Bristol career includes two starts in the Camping World Truck Series.
“I’ve always loved Bristol,” Townley said. “I remember the first time I raced there and I said, ‘Man, this place fits me.’ It’s one of those places where you can really push the envelope and if you go too far, it’ll push back in a big way. It’s a lot of fun because it’s a racer’s race track.”
Joe Gibbs Racing Engines will power Townley’s Zaxby’s Toyota, and crew chief Dan Deeringhoff will lead the team’s efforts throughout the weekend. Deeringhoff led Clint Bowyer to the 2008 Nationwide Series championship, and worked with Townley while he drove for Richard Childress Racing three seasons ago.
“It’s exciting to team up with the Venturinis and be a part of their new Nationwide program,” Deeringhoff said. “Working with John Wes in 2010 gives me the added advantage of coming in with some familiarity, putting us ahead of the curve of a new driver-crew chief relationship. I feel we’ve got a lot of unfinished business to take care of, and partnering with Venturini gives us a fresh start and the opportunity to showcase our true potential.”
Saturday’s race from Bristol, slated for 300 laps or 159.9 miles, will air live on ESPN2 and the Performance Racing Network at 2 p.m. ET.
About Zaxby’s
An alternative to fast food, Zaxby’s offers its guests prepared-at-order Chicken Fingerz, Traditional or Boneless Wings, sandwiches, Zalads and Zappetizers, along with a variety of nine sauces ranging from Wimpy and Tongue Torch to Nuclear and Insane. Childhood friends Zach McLeroy and Tony Townley hatched the Athens, Ga.-based chain in 1990 to provide a fun, relaxing atmosphere that would keep guests coming back for more. The company ranked number seven in the 2012 Top 10 Excellent Large Fast-Food Chains With 500 Or More U.S. Units Quick-Track study published by Sandelman & Associates. The chain also ranked number five in the nation for total sales and number one in the chicken segment in the 2012 Top 150 Fast-Casual Chain Restaurant Report published by Technomic. Zaxby’s operates more than 565 locations in 13 states, including Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia.
For more information, please visit zaxbys.com,facebook.com/zaxbys, or follow on Twitter @Zaxbys.
About Venturini Motorsports
Venturini Motorsports (VMS), fielding cars for over 30 years in the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards, is one of the premier NASCAR driver development programs in the country. With multiple team championships and consistent on-track success, VMS has evolved into one of the most recognizable names in motorsports. Since 2007, VMS has assisted in the career development of notable NASCAR drivers such as Joey Logano, Justin Allgaier, Ryan Blaney, Alex Bowman, Brian Scott, Kevin Swindell, Miguel Paludo, John Wes Townley, Josh Richards, and Ryan Reed. In 2012, VMS was inducted into the National Italian Sports Hall of Fame, and 2013 will highlight the team’s debut in the NASCAR Nationwide Series.
Official: www.VenturiniMotorsports.com | Twitter: @VenturiniMotor | Facebook: Venturini Motorsports
