NASCAR Driver Excited for Final Superspeedway Race of Season
FLAGLER BEACH, Fla. (June 28, 2016) – Superspeedways have been a challenge for NASCAR XFINITY Series (NXS) driver Ray Black Jr. this season, but the Flagler Beach, Fla. local is ready to secure his first NXS Top-15 finish at this Friday’s Subway Firecracker 250 at Daytona International Speedway. The driver of the No. 07 ScubaLife.com Chevrolet Camaro previously earned his career-best NASCAR national touring series finish when he placed fifth at the 2.5-mile track during last year’s Camping World Truck Series season opener.
Black’s previous two superspeedway starts this season have not gone as he or his SS Green Light Racing team have planned, as pit penalties and car handling issues have robbed them of solid finishes. This week, they plan to secure redemption for themselves and make the most of the opportunity in front of them.
“We’ve changed a lot on the car already, as far as setup and what we will unload with at Daytona,” said Black. “We also are planning to focus on the draft more in practice and how the car handles in the pack. We lacked that at Talladega and it ended up hurting us, so we know what we need to focus on this time around. This is our last superspeedway race of the season, and we really need to capitalize on every opportunity in the race. There’s no reason why we can’t come out of this weekend with a Top-10 or Top-15 finish.”
Black knows how to get around and succeed at Daytona, as he expertly avoided a late-race pileup to finish fifth in the Camping World Truck Series race at the 2.5-mile track back in February 2015. He also found success at NASCAR’s other restrictor plate track, Talladega Superspeedway, when he finished in the Top-15 there in October 2015.
These experiences, as well as the support from his friends and family at the track, will be important to this week’s event. Black, who lives about 30 minutes north of Daytona in Flagler Beach, will have multiple family members and friends on-site Friday to cheer him on in the Subway Firecracker 250.
“It’s really nice racing in my backyard again,” Black stated. “I’ll have a lot of guests at the race which is always something I enjoy, but it also adds a little bit of pressure to the weekend. I want to run really well in front of them since they can’t always come to the races, so a great finish this weekend would mean just a little bit more to me. Obviously a win would be amazing – I can’t think of a better place to win than my home track!”
This week is also a big one off the track for Black as he will be taking lifestyle media guests on a diving excursion at the Deep Water Training Center before they get to experience race day with him at Daytona on Friday.
“I’m excited to be doing a little bit of diving this week before the race and show my guests both sides of my life,” explained Black. “This is what I grew up doing, so it will be cool to share it with people who haven’t experienced anything like diving or racing before. I’m interested to see what they think of the two.”
The Subway Firecracker 250 will take place on Friday, July 1 at 7:30 p.m. ET at Daytona International Speedway. Fans can tune in via NBCSN or MRN Radio for live race coverage.
Fans can keep up with Ray Black Jr. by following him and his sponsor, ScubaLife, on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram at @RayBlackJr and @TeamScubaRacing. Learn more about Ray Black Jr. and Team Scuba by visiting www.rayblackjr.com and www.teamscuba.com.
About Ray Black Jr.
Ray Black, Jr. grew up in Florida after relocating from Montgomery, Alabama at age 9. It was here that Black fell in love with deep sea diving after a couple of scuba trips with his father. His passion for motorsports came later at age 14 after playing some racing video games. He began competing in the Florida Mini Cup Racing Association (FMCRA), where finished in the Top-5 in every race and secured the FMCRA Junior All Star Championship. In 2013 Black moved up to racing pro late models and then into the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series in 2014. During that year, he got his first taste of true NASCAR racing when he competed in seven races for SS Green Light Racing. In 2015, Black competed in his first full season of NASCAR in the Camping World Truck Series, where he finished 11th in the championship standings with one Top-5 and 11 Top-15 finishes. Black will compete in the NASCAR XFINITY Series for the 2016 season. Learn more at www.rayblackjr.com.
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