NASCAR Driver to Make Debut Start at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course
FLAGLER BEACH, Fla. (August 9, 2016) – For the second week in a row NASCAR XFINITY Series (NXS) driver Ray Black Jr. will be competing at a road course, as the series gets set to take on the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. The driver of the No. 07 ScubaLife.com Chevrolet has not yet been to the 2.4-mile course but believes that studying how Formula One driver Lewis Hamilton prepares for his races will help him find success during this weekend’s event.
Black has been a Formula One fan from the start of his racing career around age 14 and still follows it to this day even with a busy NXS season.
“Right after I started racing at the local Florida tracks I discovered Formula One,” said Black. “I was studying all the different types of racing and really liked what I saw with F1. They get to travel all over the world while racing these fast cars. It’s just really cool to follow.”
While following the series, Black has developed a huge amount of respect for three-time Formula One World Champion Lewis Hamilton. While the two drivers compete in completely different series, Black believes he can learn a lot from Hamilton to carry over into his own racing.
“I really admire everything that Lewis Hamilton does in racing,” explained Black. “His driving style is very aggressive, and that’s ultimately led him to find a lot of success out there. He’s cool to watch. His confidence out on the track is something I hope to replicate in my own racing career. It’s a good thing to see in the racing community.”
Additionally, Black believes watching how Hamilton and the rest of the Formula One series prepares for races has helped him get into the mindset to take on three completely different and new road courses in his debut NXS season.
“I definitely think there is a crossover between NASCAR and Formula One,” Black stated. “They are two completely different styles of racing, but I’ve picked up a lot on how to go about preparing for road courses I’ve never been to by watching Hamilton. He does a good job of studying the courses beforehand to have them down by the time he gets out on the track. It’s something that I’ve been trying to do for myself with these three road course starts in the XFINITY Series.”
Black will be busy studying up for his next race, as the NXS heads to its second road course race of the season at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. Black will head into the weekend with momentum, as he finished 20th last weekend at Watkins Glen International.
“We had a great road course race last weekend in Watkins Glen, so I’m looking forward to continuing the success this weekend at Mid-Ohio,” Black said. “It’ll be a totally different course and experience, but I know my team and I are ready to take on the challenge.”
The Mid-Ohio Challenge will take place on Saturday, August 13 at 3:30 p.m. ET at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. Fans can tune in via the USA Network 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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