Welcome to the NCWTS: Craig Goess will make his 2011 NASCAR Camping World Series (NCWTS) debut in the No. 46 Greenville Toyota of N.C. Goess competed in two NCWTS events last year and will compete this season for the NCWTS Rookie of the Year award.
Last Race – Homestead-Miami Speedway: The Greenville, N.C., resident competed at the final event of the NCWTS season in 2010 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. In his first trip to the track, and only second in the series, Goess showed that he could handle the 1.5-mile track and finished 12th in the event.
Rookie Driver, Veteran Crew Chief: Trip Bruce will lead the No. 46 ESR team this season with Goess behind the wheel. Bruce has experience across motorsports, working with NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, Nationwide and Sprint Cup Series. In 2006, Bruce won the NNS Crew Chief of the Year award. The next year, he captured the 2008 NCWTS Championship with Johnny Benson. Last season, Bruce worked with Stringer Motorsports and rookie Brad Sweet in the NCWTS.
Veteran Teammate: For the DIS event, Goess will be accompanied by veteran driver Mike Skinner in ESR equipment. Skinner will pilot the No. 45 Cushman Toyota Tundra, led by crew chief Jefferson Hodges. Skinner has eight NCWTS DIS events under his belt.
Racing in 2010: Goess competed in the ARCA Racing Series for the complete 2010 season. He finished second in the point standings, with an intense championship chase going into the last race of the season at Rockingham Speedway. The driver finished 25 points behind Patrick Sheltra. He completed the season with one win, three pole awards, 10 top-five and 15 top-10 finishes in 20 races. He also competed in two NCWTS events, where he finished 10th (Talladega) and 12th (Homestead).
Experience: Goess began making a name for himself as a Legends Car driver, where he earned a 98-percent win ratio and feature wins at more than 24 tracks across the country in the Semi-Pro and Pro divisions. He earned three National Pro Division Championships. In 2008, Goess made the jump to the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East in the Eddie Sharp Racing Development Toyota, where he proved to be a consistent threat in his first season. Goess competed in the ARCA Racing Series in 2009 and 2010, finishing fifth and second in points, respectively.
Tune In: The NextEra Energy Resources 250 can be seen live on SPEED at 7:30 p.m. ET on Friday, February 18, 2011. The race can also be heard live on MRN with coverage beginning at 7:15p.m. and on SIRIUS XM Radio, channel 128.
Follow the Action: Be sure to follow all the action on and off the track this weekend at www.facebook.com/TeamESR and www.twitter.com/TeamESR.
Craig Goess on Competing at Daytona:
“I’m excited to be back on the track. I’ve raced at the speedway a few times in the past in the ARCA Racing Series, but to compete in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series on the newly-paved track is going to be very special. I’m looking forward to working with my new crew chief, Trip Bruce, and the entire Eddie Sharp Racing team.”
