Opening day of a season is always a big deal in any sport, and stock car racing is no different. For the NASCAR Truck Series and ARCA Menards Series, the opening race takes place at the Daytona International Speedway. Several part-time drivers and teams take part in the race and, for the 24th time, FDNY Racing will be back at the iconic track to run in the Truck Series event. Their sister team, Brother-in-Law Racing, will run the ARCA race with the same driver.
FDNY Racing has taken part in a whopping 23 Truck Series opening races at Daytona and this will be their 24th running. The driver in the team’s employ currently is Bryan Dauzat, driving the #28 truck. He will also take part in the ARCA race at the track either in the #75 or #57 car. It will be interesting to see how he performs in both races.
Veteran racer set for 8th consecutive Truck Series Daytona outing
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
FDNY Racing is not a big team by any means. But they have regularly competed in the opening Truck Series race at the Daytona International Speedway for several years now. However, luck has not always been on their side. Last year, Dauzat failed to qualify for the race. In the ARCA race, he finished a forgettable P21 for Brother-in-Law Racing.
The part-time Truck Series team’s best result in the Daytona race came in 2015 when Ryan Ellis managed an impressive P16 finish driving the #28 truck. The team will be hoping for a similar result this time around, but past performances have shown that it is a lot easier said than done. However, the team is not backing off from the challenge.
“With Daytona now only weeks away FDNY Racing and our sister team, Brother-in-Law Racing are working hard at our shop in Charlotte to get the #28 Truck and the #75/#57 ARCA cars ready for Daytona! We just finished ARCA testing at Daytona and got some good results for our ARCA program. Just like last year Byran Dauzat will be behind the wheel /participating in both the Truck and ARCA races,” an official Facebook post read.
The task will be a tall order and Bryan Dauzat is not exactly a favorite in either race going into the new season. However, what the 64-year-old has is several years’ worth of experience, which may come in handy when it matters the most.
Watch this story: Gentleman’s rule in NASCAR – The lost way of drivers self-policing
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
FDNY Racing veteran has earned top-20 finishes in ARCA and Trucks
Trending
Historic NASCAR Track Shutting Its Door After Final Run Has Racing Community Heartbroken
How Late NASCAR Legend Was Forced to “Sell Everything” After Losing $10,000 to Mafia
NASCAR Rumor: 66-YO Surprise Daytona 500 Winner Could Make a Return to NASCAR in 2025
NASCAR Found Guilty by Law After Offending Michael Jordan’s Team in Antitrust Lawsuit
Amid Sleepless Nights, Tony Stewart’s Wife Leah Reveals Their 1-Month-Old Son’s 4 ‘Responsibilities’
Racing for FDNY Racing, Dauzat has qualified for 5 races at Daytona in the NASCAR Truck Series. He has finished in the top 20 on 2 occasions, his best performance being a P18 finish in 2018, which is quite an impressive result considering that he was racing against full-timers in more competitive cars. However, the 64-year-old will certainly look to do better than 2023 when he could not even qualify for the main trace.
He had better luck in the ARCA Menards Series with Brother-in-Law Racing last year as he finished P21 in the race. His best finish in that competition was an outstanding top-15 finish in 2016. He finished P15 in that race and beat several racers who fans would have expected to finish about him.
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
These part-time competitors often make the racing in the opening race quite an interesting affair. Things are quite unpredictable and with more cars on the grid than usual, things sometimes can get a bit messy.
Read More – NASCAR Community in Mourning as Legendary Icon Mike Wallace Loses Dear Wife Carla