Iowa Speedway in a TRG Motorsports Chevrolet. Fitzpatrick, who is the 2006 NASCAR Canadian Tire Series Champion and the Series’ youngest Champion of all-time, jumped up to speed quickly, turning the heads of those monitoring his progress at the 7/8 mile oval track in Newton, Iowa.
“J.R. did an excellent job at Iowa Speedway,” said NASCAR Championship winning Crew Chief, Butch Hylton, who was there to oversee the test. “He was on pace immediately. His feedback was good and he really impressed us. The way he arcs the truck into the corners is incredible. He is a very talented driver and I can see why he has won championships.”
This was the 20-year-old Cambridge, Ontario native’s first visit to Iowa Speedway which is a track designed by former NASCAR Champion and ABC/ESPN commentator, Rusty Wallace.
"I was really excited about coming to Iowa and working with TRG Motorsports,” said Fitzpatrick. “All the guys on the team made me feel really welcome. T.J. Bell was there and worked with me too. He was a big help. I got a lot of laps in and felt really comfortable with the truck. Butch made lots of changes which helped me understand what the trucks react to and I was happy that I could give good enough feedback to get the truck going pretty fast."
Over the two-day test, Hylton ran Fitzpatrick through a variety of tests to judge his skill level, ability, and preparedness for a run in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. “We practiced restarts and did some simulated pit stops and J.R. did a great job with it all,” explained Hylton.
“We had a lot of fun over the two days,” said Fitzpatrick. “I really like working with these guys. I especially enjoyed the session where T.J. and I went out on the track together to get me used to how the trucks react to the aero influences; that was cool. I learned a lot in just two days and am excited to race one of these things."
“We have been talking to the Fitzpatrick’s for quite awhile and it was great to see J.R. perform on the track,” said Team Principal, Kevin Buckler. “He got up to pace quickly and adapted to the track so well that we were all really impressed. On top of all that, he truly is a nice young man with a very bright future and we’re looking forward to helping him develop his NASCAR career.”
For more information regarding J.R. Fitzpatrick contact Jason Sharpe at Sharpe Management. (416) 838-0039.
Photo credit - Meg Bestell-Eide // From TRG_motorsports // Jamie Maynard
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