Sunoco Rookie Will Make His First Start at the Track That’s “Too Tough To Tame”
If you look up the word “Rookie” in the Marriam-Webster Dictionary, you’ll find this definition: a first-year participant in a major professional sport. While 22 year-old Dakoda Armstrong has plenty of experience behind the wheel of a racecar, he’ll make his first NASCAR start at Darlington Raceway this weekend, making him a rookie at the track in every sense of the word.
Richard Petty Motorsports’ young Nationwide program has two starts at the 1.36-mile track, earning their best finish of 14th in 2012 with Michael Annett behind the wheel. In those two starts, the team’s average finish is 16th.
Armstrong will be participating in the NASCAR Nationwide Series Autograph session on Friday, April 11, 2014 from 1:00-2:00 p.m. ET located at the Coca-Cola stage in the Fan Midway. Fans must have a wristband to participate in the autograph session, which will be distributed at the Nationwide Insurance display also located in the Fan Midway beginning at 10:00 a.m. ET.
This weekend, @DakodaArmstrong brings true meaning of the word “Rookie” to @TooToughToTame & makes his 1st NASCAR start at SC track.
@Dakoda Armstrong is a true rookie at @Darlington Raceway this weekend. He will make his first NASCAR start at the 1.36-mile track. In two starts, the No. 43 Nationwide team has earned their best finish in 2012 of 14th and has an average finish of 16th.
“I’ve never been to Darlington before, have never even seen the track other than watching the race on TV. It’s a place that everyone talks about being tough and has a lot of history. I’ve heard how tough it is from the driver prospective, racing the track and just trying to figure it out, and then you actually put other cars out there that you have to race against and pass it makes it even tougher. We’re just going to go out there and figure out the pace of it. I’ve had good luck on short tracks where you run against the wall, so hopefully, I’ll have good luck on a big track where you run against the wall.”
No. 43 WinField Ford
A performance and marketing driven company, Richard Petty Motorsports, co-owned by NASCAR Hall of Famer Richard Petty and successful business entrepreneurs Andrew Murstein and Douglas Bergeron, 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. Aric Almirola pilots the famous No. 43 Ford Fusion with primary partners Smithfield Foods, U.S. Air Force, STP, Strike Ten Entertainment and Fresh From Florida, and Marcos Ambrose drives the No. 9 machine with primary partners STANLEY, DEWALT, Mac Tools and Twisted Tea. In addition, Dakoda Armstrong wheels the No. 43 WinField Ford Mustang full-time in the NASCAR Nationwide Series. The team is headquartered in Concord, N.C.
