LEXINGTON, N.C. (February 12, 2013) — Fourth-generation racer Trey Hutchens is set to tackle the inaugural UNOH Battle at the Beach at Daytona International Speedway on Monday, February 18 behind the wheel of the No. 15 Trey Hutchens Racing entry.
Hutchens, currently preparing for his sophomore season in the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series (NWAAS), will attempt to qualify for the series’ non-points event on the 0.4-mile short-track on the backstretch at Daytona.
The race, scheduled to be broadcast live on SPEED at 7 p.m. ET, is part of a two-day NASCAR Home Tracks exhibition at the legendary venue that also features the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour and the NASCAR K&N Pro Series.
The high school freshman, who scored a fourth-place points finish and collected Rookie-of-the-Year honors in the American Speed Association Limited Late Model Series at Ace Speedway (Altamahaw, N.C.) in 2012, says he is ready for next week’s challenge.
“It’s still a bit surreal that I’m headed to Daytona during Speedweeks as something more than a spectator,” said Hutchens, son of JTG Daugherty Racing competition director, Bobby Hutchens. “I’ve been to a few Daytona 500s with my father, but I never dreamed I’d have a chance to compete there the same week as the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series cars. This race has been circled on my calendar for quite some time and my team has put a tremendous amount of work into it. I guess you could say I’ve been waiting for this week my entire life.”
The 14-year-old is sponsored by Kroger, Herr’s Potato Chips, Kingsford and Technique Engineering Chassis Components for the UNOH Battle at the Beach with an Earnhardt-Childress Racing (ECR) Engines motor under the hood.
The A-honor roll student notched seven top-five and 14 top-10 finishes in 18 starts in last season’s ASA Limited Late Model Series at Ace Speedway. His immediate goals are to continue competing in the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series in a Late Model at Motor Mile Speedway (Radford, Va.) and Southern National Motorsports Park (Lucama, N.C.), and to complement that experience with a handful of NASCAR K&N Pro Series East races this year once he meets the mandated minimum age requirement of 15 years old in May.
