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Dirt Racing veteran Jonathan Davenport is set to make his NASCAR Truck Series debut in the Weather Gaurd Truck Race on Dirt at Bristol Motor Speedway on Saturday (April 8). Davenport had previously announced that he will be making his Cup Series debut on the same weekend.
Davenport has now added another event to his weekend where he will be making his NASCAR National Series start. The 39-year-old will pilot the #7 Chevrolet Silverado for Spire Motorsports.
Nutrien Ag Solutions, which is supporting Davenport's Cup Series entry, will also serve as the primary sponsor for the #7 Truck. The announcement was made by the team in a press release on Monday (April 3).
Spire Motorsports has been a competitive outfit in the Truck Series despite running on a part-time schedule. With Davenport behind the wheel of the #7 truck, driving in the conditions he excels in, the team will be hoping to win the race.
Kevin 'Bono' Manion, the crew chief for the #7 Chevy expressed his excitement ahead of joining hands with Davenport as he said:
"We’re thrilled to have Jonathan Davenport in our truck at Bristol. To be able to prepare our truck and work with a someone as accomplished as JD is a tremendous opportunity for Spire Motorsports. We expect to race for wins every time we unload and having JD in the seat Saturday night at Bristol raises the bar a little bit higher."
While Davenport will be racing in his natural element, he will face stiff competition from regular drivers. The NASCAR Cup Series drivers pulling double duty will also give Davenport a tough time on the track.
"One of the biggest weekends of my racing career": Jonathan Davenport excited about his NASCAR debut
Jonathan Davenport has amassed various accolades over the years on dirt tracks. The 39-year-old is called 'Superman' in local dirt racing venues. The three-time Lucas Oil Dirt Late Model Series champion has taken home hefty paychecks, winning premier dirt races. He won the Eldora Million last season, winning $1 million.
Even with all the glory in dirt racing, Davenport termed his NASCAR debut as one of the biggest weekends of his racing career. Speaking about his Truck race debut, he said:
"I’m really excited to run for Spire Motorsports in the truck race and make one of the biggest weekends of my racing career even bigger. Being able to get in a truck for a team that has proven they can get it done will only boost my confidence for the weekend. With the added track time in the Nutrien Ag Solutions No. 7 Silverado, hopefully it’ll shorten my learning curve for both races."
Gearing up for the Bristol Weekend, Davenport hopes to prove that the dirt late-model racers deserve a chance at NASCAR's national series.
