DAYTONA BEACH, Fla.: Two-time ARCA Menards Series winner Gus Dean (@gusdean) returns with Hill Motorsports to open the 2021 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) season piloting the team’s No. 56 Chevrolet Silverado in Friday night’s NextEra Energy Resources 250 at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway.
Daytona will mark Dean’s third career Truck Series start with Hill Motorsports with previous runs coming at the superspeedways of Daytona and Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway last season.
“I’m very thankful to be back with Hill Motorsports this weekend at Daytona,” said Dean who scored his first career ARCA Menards Series win at Talladega in 2016.
“Timmy (Hill) and I have been great friends for many years and the opportunity to still be a part of his team in 2021 is fantastic.
“The team has rebuilt the truck we had at Talladega – and honestly, it was probably the best truck I’ve ever raced on a superspeedway. I’m looking forward to climbing back behind the wheel and getting back to work.”
In addition to his duties in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series this week, Dean will also compete in select races starting Tuesday night in the World Series of Asphalt Stock Car Racing at New Smyrna (Fla.) Speedway in his No. 56 MASHONIT Apparel Co. Chevrolet.
“It’s going to be a fun week of racing,” offered Dean who plans a diverse racing schedule in Super Late Models, ARCA and Truck Series in 2021. “There’s no pressure in either series, expect to go out there and try and get a win.
“Everyone on both teams, the Super Late Model and Truck have worked extremely hard during the offseason to get ready for this week, so I just hope everyone’s hard work is rewarded with our finishes.”
Dean, 26, will make his third NCWTS start at the 2.5-mile superspeedway and hopes to capitalize on two back-to-back strong performances that ended in the garage after being swept into late-race accidents.
“You know you are always taking a chance of getting involved in something at Daytona, hopefully, we have paid our dues and we’ll have a clean race start to finish on Friday,” added Dean.
“We’ve run in the top-10 in every superspeedway race I’ve run in the Truck Series; it would feel like a win for sure if we could finish there on Friday night.”
Daytona will mark the Bluffton, S.C. native’s 26th career Truck Series start.
The NextEra Energy Resources 250 (100 laps | 250 miles) is the first of 22 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series races on the 2021 schedule. Practice begins on Thurs, Feb. 11 from 5:35 p.m. – 6:25 p.m. Qualifying is set for race day, Fri., Feb. 12 beginning at 3:10 p.m. The field will take the green flag shortly after 7:30 p.m. with live coverage on FOX Sports 1, the Motor Racing Network (Radio) and SiriusXM NASCAR Channel 90.
For more on Gus Dean, please visit GusDean.com, like him on Facebook (Gus Dean Racing) and follow him on Twitter (@GusDean).
