Moffitt to Enter Toledo and Indianapolis ARCA Racing Series Events
MOORESVILLE, N.C. (May 12, 2017) – Richard Petty Motorsports (RPM) announced today a new partnership with Performance Plus Motor Oil that will allow RPM development driver, Thad Moffitt, to compete in the ARCA Racing Series events at Toledo Speedway on May 21 and at the short track in Indianapolis on July 21. Performance Plus will also be an associate sponsor of Moffitt and the Empire Racing Group (ERG) for the remainder of the year in NASCAR late model competition.
Moffitt, the grandson of “The King” Richard Petty, made his first start in the national touring ARCA Racing Series earlier this year at the Fairgrounds Speedway in Nashville, finishing 16th in a car prepared by ERG, the development team for RPM. ERG will once again field the No. 46 entry for Moffitt and Performance Plus with additional support from Transportation Impact, Hostetler Ranch, and Jacob Construction, Design and Technology at both Toledo and Indianapolis.
Moffitt, the 2016 Southeast Limited Late Model Champion, will travel to Toledo for the first time this Sunday to participate in a test with the ARCA car. ERG Crew Chief Mike Cheek will lead the test and then prepare the car for Moffitt for next Sunday’s race televised nationally on Fox Sports 1. It will be the first race for Performance Plus as a primary partner with Moffitt, but they have high hopes for him
“Thad comes from one of the best families this sport has ever seen or known,” said Chuck Galmarini, Senior Vice President, Performance Plus Sales. “We want to make sure that he has the best products supporting him as he continues to climb the racing ladder, and that’s why we wanted to back his efforts. We are looking forward to our relationship with Thad and the entire Petty family.”
Moffitt is a 16-year-old native from Trinity, N.C. and is the son of Brian and Rebecca Petty-Moffitt. He started racing a go-kart and a quarter midget before moving to a limited late model and now the ARCA Racing Series. A high school sophomore, Moffitt grew up going to the track with his grandfather and watching his uncle Kyle race. After his first ARCA race, he’s ready to continue to gain more experience.
“I learned a lot during my first ARCA race, and I’m pretty excited and thankful that Performance Plus Motor Oil has partnered with us to come back to the series again,” said Moffitt. “Everyone at Performance Plus has been great to work with and I want to do a good job for them. But, we know that it’s all about getting more experience and trying to get a solid finish. We’re going to test this weekend at Toledo and I know we’ll be ready for both races. I’m really looking forward to this summer.”
The Menards 200 at Toledo Speedway is scheduled for May 21 and will begin at 2:00 p.m. EST.
About Empire Racing
Established in 2009, Empire Racing Group is a development team that strives to identify young racing talent and assist them in the advancement of their careers. While ERG originally focused on the ARCA Racing Series with driver Sean Corr (team owner/driver), the team has since expanded its reach into other series thanks in part to its alliance with Grumpy’s Performance, Inc. Under the expertise of crew chief Mike ‘Grumpy’ Cheek, ERG now competes in various late model series as well as the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS). In 2016, ERG will be serving as the developmental team for Richard Petty Motorsports, providing young drivers with driver coaching, technical support, public relations, and marketing needs. Drivers for the 2017 season include notable rising stars Thad Moffitt, and Harrison Moffitt, as well as racing veteran Sean Corr.
To learn more about ERG, call (704) 664-8882 or visit www.empireracinggroup.com.
About Richard Petty Motorsports
A performance and marketing driven company, Richard Petty Motorsports, co-owned by NASCAR Hall of Famer Richard Petty and successful business entrepreneur Andrew Murstein, 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 one team in competition in the NASCAR premier series with driver Aric Almirola. Almirola will return to the iconic No. 43 Ford with partners Smithfield Foods, STP, United States Air Force and Fresh From Florida. The team is headquartered in Mooresville, N.C.
About Performance Plus
Performance Plus is a premium brand of lubricants that provide superior quality and unmatched performance. Performance Plus products use conventionally refined oils and proprietary twice-refined oils, blended with industry-leading additives, to meet and exceed industry certifications, licenses, approvals and OEM warranty requirements. With more than 30 years of innovation, research and testing, Performance Plus formulations are relied on by some of the largest commercial fleets and U.S. military combat vehicles, as well as race teams at events across North America. Visit PerformancePlusOils.com.
