Concord, N.C. (March 29, 2016) – Big Z is returning to JWT’s Chevy bowtie at NASCAR’s famous paperclip-shaped oval in south Virginia.
After posting solid runs for Bad Boy Mowers in Daytona and ESPFANCLUB.org in Atlanta, John Wes Townley’s No. 05 Chevrolet Silverado will feature a familiar look this weekend when the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series rolls into Martinsville Speedway.
Townley will welcome longtime supporter Zaxby’s onboard for the Alpha Energy Solutions 250 at the .526-mile oval, a place he has had a love-hate relationship with during the past four years.
“The first time I tested there, I absolutely hated the place,” said Townley, who made his Martinsville NCWTS debut in March 2012 when he started 30th and finished 23rd. “But over the years, I’ve figured out how to get around that track. It’s actually one of the places I enjoy racing at now.”
The 26-year-old Georgia native flexed some short track muscle in last spring’s Truck Series race at Martinsville when he qualified fifth and wound up eighth. During the same event in 2014, Townley was a half lap away from logging a fourth-place finish until he was turned into the wall on the backstretch by fellow competitor German Quiroga.
“We’ve been solid there in the truck the past two spring races,” said Townley, winner of the season-opening ARCA race in Daytona in February. “(Crew chief) Michael Shelton and our Athenian Motorsports team has prepared a fast truck for this weekend, so I’m optimistic about our chances to compete for a grandfather clock.
“And it’s huge having Zaxby’s onboard with us this week. They’ve got over 750 restaurants around the country now, including stores near Martinsville in places in Virginia like Danville and Roanoke and down in North Carolina in Greensboro, High Point, Thomasville and Winston-Salem. I know we’ll have a bunch of Zaxby’s fans out there cheering for us this weekend.”
Saturday’s Alpha Energy Solutions 250 is scheduled to start at 2:30 p.m. eastern and will air live on Fox Sports 1 and MRN Radio.
Following Saturday’s event in Martinsville, Townley will turn his attention to ARCA for the balance of April when he competes at the Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway, Salem Speedway and Talladega Superspeedway. He will also participate in the NASCAR Xfinity Series event in Talladega, Ala. on Saturday April 30th, before resuming activity in the Truck Series at Kansas Speedway on May 6th.
