MOORESVILLE, NC – March 24, 2014 – Ray Black Jr. grew up in the thrilling underwater world of commercial diving and the excitement and challenge under water has fueled his passion to go fast above water on the paved bullrings of the Southeast. On Saturday he Florida native will take one step closer to his dream to race at the Daytona International Speedway when he makes his NASCAR Camping World Truck Series debut in the SS Green Light Racing No. 07 at the Martinsville Speedway.
When not racing, Ray is involved with the commercial diver training of international students at CDA Technical Institute of Barbados, Inc. as well as the owner of Blacksmith Marine Offshore who latest jobs include the removal of filter barrier system from a power plant in Massachusetts and a salvage of a stranded dry-dock off of the coast of Florida.
“Diving and racing are similar because when you are underwater you’re very aware of your surroundings, making sure everything is safe around you. It’s the same when you are strapped into the car and you’re focused on hitting your marks, being smooth and you are aware of anything going on or if anyone might be wrecking around you,” said Black.
On a personal level, Black is into extreme water sports including Trimix Scuba Diving to Depths of 220 feet, racing four wheelers in the Florida Trail Riders Series and backpacking across Europe. That’s why he is happy to have ScubaLife, CDA Technical Institute (formally Commercial Diving Academy) and NASE Worldwide as sponsors.
“My goal is to get experience and have fun,” concluded Black. “I feel that we can be competitive at this level and I’m hoping to make racing a successful and long career.”
The Kroger 250 is the 315th consecutive NCWTS start for the SS Green Light Racing team, a streak that dates back to 2001. The race will prelude Sunday’s NASCAR Sprint Cup STP 500.
Practice for the NCWTS Kroger 250 will be Friday, March 28th from 9:00 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. to 4:25 p.m. On Saturday, March 29th there will be two laps of qualifying at 11:10 a.m. and the green flag will fly for the Kroger 250 at 2:30 p.m. Eastern time. The race will be shown live on FOX Sports 1 and will also be broadcast via on the Motor Racing Network and on SIRIUSXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.
ScubaLife is a social network promoting diving as a way of life. Its goal is to attract new divers into the diving lifestyle on an emotional level by appealing to those who want to be a part of something fun and exciting and keep current divers active by building a community catering to their interests. To network with other divers visit www.scubalife.com
CDA Technical Institute is a post-secondary school designed to provide the diving, inspection, maritime and medical industries with entry-level personnel, who excel in superior knowledge, skill, safety, and work ethic. Our training is comprehensive, rigorous, and designed with individual student career objectives, abilities, and interests in mind. Visit www.commercialdivingacademy.com to learn more.
The National Academy of Scuba Educators (NASE Worldwide) is a training organization that provides state-of-the-art teaching materials, programs and leadership to scuba diving professionals around the world. Learn more at www.naseworldwide.org
For more information about SS Green Light Racing visit www.SSRacingonline.com or email pr@ssracingonline.com
