STATESVILLE, NC (May 1st, 2023): GMS Racing today announced a shift in leadership for the No. 43 NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series team, effective immediately ahead of the next race at Kansas Speedway.
Blake Bainbridge will assume the role of Crew Chief for Daniel Dye, replacing Travis Sharpe, who has amicably parted ways with the organization. Bainbridge joins the team from Halmar-Friesen Racing, where he most recently served as Crew Chief on the No. 52 NCTS entry driven by Stewart Friesen.
Bainbridge’s experience in the NASCAR industry runs far and wide spanning over two decades, holding a career both on top of the pit box and behind the wheel. In addition to his knowledge of the NCTS garage, the Hueytown, AL native has also spent time competing in the ARCA Menards Series and NASCAR Xfinity Series, where in 2004, he won at Darlington Raceway for Rusty Wallace Racing with driver Jamie McMurray.
“You know, I’m really looking forward to taking on a new challenge with all the talented people at GMS Racing. I haven’t really known Daniel all that well, but from looking at how well he was able to run in ARCA last year, I can tell that he is hungry to prove himself. Having the chance to guide a rookie is something that I’ve thoroughly enjoyed during my career, so working Daniel is going to be fun. I’m thankful for the opportunity and am ready to make the most out of this season with our No. 43 team.” remarked Bainbridge.
Daniel Dye continues to challenge for Sunoco Rookie Of The Year honors during his freshman season. The second-generation driver from Deland, Florida, made the move up the development ladder following a successful year-and-a-half stint in the ARCA Menards Series in which he won at Berlin Raceway in 2021 and finished runner up in the series points standings in 2022. In seven NCTS races ran this year, Dye ranks 21st in points with a best finish of 16th place at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
“We are always looking at the ways we can improve our program and believe that bringing Blake onto the team will do just that. Blake is well-known in the garage area and has a ton of talent, so he will be a perfect fit for Daniel as he continues to learn the ropes of the Truck Series in his rookie year. We are appreciative of everything that Travis has done for our organization in helping build our third truck team, and definitely want to wish him the best moving forward in his career.” stated Tom Ackerman, Technical Director for GMS Racing.
The next event for the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series will be held at Kansas Speedway on Saturday, May 6th. Fans can tune-in to FOX Sports 1, MRN Radio, and Sirius XM NASCAR for live coverage of the Heart of America 200. Continued updates on GMS Racing will be shared via the team’s social media handles, @GMSRacingLLC.
ABOUT GMS RACING:
GMS Racing competes full-time in the NASCAR Truck Series operating the No. 23, No. 24, and No. 43 Chevrolet Silverado RSTs for drivers Grant Enfinger, Rajah Caruth, and Daniel Dye. Since the team was formed in 2012, GMS Racing has won five titles across multiple series, including the 2016 and 2020 NASCAR Truck Series championship, the 2015 ARCA Racing Series championship, as well as the 2019 & 2020 ARCA East championships. GMS has grown to occupy several buildings located in Statesville, N.C. including operations for GMS Fabrication. The GMS Racing campus also houses operations for LEGACY MOTOR CLUB, a team that competes full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series.
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