Nashville Preview
June 23 | 8:00 PM ET | FS1 – MRN – SiriusXM
Nashville Preview Overview
On Friday night, Daniel Dye will make his debut at the Nashville Superspeedway, as part of the 2023 NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series season. So far this season, Dye has 12 starts, with his best starting position being 10th and his best finish, 11th at Gateway. He currently holds the 18th position in the point rankings in the No. 43 GMS Racing Chevrolet Silverado.
Dye will be racing with GMS Racing Chassis No. 348, the same Silverado he debuted with a 13th-place finish at Kansas Speedway and later secured a top-20 finish at Charlotte Motor Speedway. His team’s crew chief, Blake Bainbridge, will also be making his debut at Nashville in the truck series, having previously earned a best finish of 11th with Jamie McMurray in the NASCAR Xfinity Series in 2005.
Despite a setback in St. Louis due to a pit road miscue, Dye demonstrated impressive resilience and racing prowess, at one point challenging for the race lead. He eventually finished just outside the top 10, securing his best career finish.
Sponsored by Champion Container Corporation for the second time this year, Dye expressed confidence in his team’s capabilities and optimism for the upcoming race in Nashville, citing their past performance with the same truck at Kansas as a positive indicator.
2023 NASCAR Truck Series Stats
Starts: 12; Best start: 10th; Best finish: 13th (Kansas I); Laps led: 5; Current points position: 18th
Chassis History
At Nashville, Dye will be competing using the GMS Racing chassis No. 348. This season, Daniel has driven this Silverado on two occasions, first attaining a 13th place finish at Kansas Speedway, followed by a top-20 finish at Charlotte Motor Speedway where he secured a 19th place finish.
Blake Bainbridge at Nashville
At Nashville, Blake Bainbridge, who has previously directed two NASCAR Xfinity Series races and achieved a notable 11th place finish with Jamie McMurray in 2005, will be taking on a new challenge. This weekend, Bainbridge will mark his inaugural race at the venue, serving as a crew chief in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series.
Rookie of the Year
In the Sunoco Rookie Battle, Daniel Dye delivered an impressive performance in St. Louis, where at one stage it seemed he was heading towards his maiden top-five finish. For a significant part of the race, the newcomer was in second position, giving a tough fight to teammate Grant Enfinger for the lead as the race neared its conclusion. A pit road error, unfortunately, pushed Dye’s No. 43 Chevrolet far back in the pack. Despite this setback, Dye’s swift restarts and ability to avoid crashes propelled him just beyond the top-10, securing his best career finish at 11th. Although he advanced one position in the overall points standing (18th), he remains fourth in the rookie points, trailing Rajah Caruth by 13 points in third and 98 points behind the leader, Nick Sanchez.
Daniel Dye Quote
Your performance in Gateway had to be a big confidence booster to you, so how do you think your first start in Nashville will go knowing that you are capable of running up front?
“Yeah, I’m definitely looking forward to going back to another intermediate track. I think after St. Louis, we’re feeling pretty good about what the No. 43 team is capable of doing each and every week. We’re going to be racing the same truck as what we ran at Kansas, so hopefully some of our speed can translate there since we were able to have a good run with it in Kansas City. I’m thankful for having Champion Container onboard our Chevrolet this weekend for the second time this year; the truck looks good and we are going to try our best to give it a good run!”
About Race to Stop Suicide
Race to Stop Suicide is a non-profit organization co-founded by Daniel and Randy Dye. The organization’s main objective is to create awareness, remove stigma and normalize the conversation surrounding suicide. They provide entry-level education on what to look for, symptoms and how to check up on family and friends. Race to Stop Suicide also ensures that people have easy access to helpful resources like the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline and 988. For more information, visit their website at www.racetostopsuicide.com.
About Champion Container
Champion Container, established in 1968, has grown into the leading distributor of general line packaging containers in the Northeast region. With strategically located facilities, the company offers packaging solutions to both domestic and international customers. Their client base spans various industries, including chemicals, flavors and fragrances, paints, cosmetics, food, agriculture, and pharmaceuticals. From small businesses to Fortune 500 companies, Champion Container is trusted to provide quality products and competitive prices. One of their key strengths is the ability to make “just in time” shipments through their own fleet of trucks and substantial inventory investments. The company’s knowledgeable sales representatives and customer service associates offer expertise and guidance for unique and challenging packaging projects, making Champion Container a reliable technical resource. Through strategic acquisitions in recent years, such as Canpak Inc., AB Container, Inc., Jachts Columbia Can, Yankee Containers, and Harvey Lipsitz Co, they have expanded their service area and warehouse locations, further demonstrating their dedication to customer satisfaction. They have also diversified their product lines and increased their inventory to better serve their clients.
