Driver shifts to Chevy, plans full truck, partial XFINITY schedule
LOOK-AHEAD: 2015 NASCAR national series schedules, ticket sales
John Wes Townley will return for a full schedule in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series and a partial slate in the NASCAR XFINITY Series in 2015, but his Athenian Motorsports team will have a new look next season.
Athenian — owned by the driver’s father, Tony Townley — announced Friday that it will switch from Toyotas to Chevrolets in both series next year, using engines supplied by Hendrick Motorsports. The team will field the No. 05 Camaro in the XFINITY Series and the No. 25 Silverado in the truck tour.
The team also said in a news release that it will also move its North Carolina headquarters from Mooresville to Concord in January, occupying the former shop of Richard Petty Motorsports. RPM will move from Concord to Mooresville in the offseason.
Athenian said it expects that Townley will drive in 18 to 21 races in the XFINITY Series next year. The team is searching for other drivers to fill the remaining spots on the 33-race schedule.
“I can’t wait to get to Daytona in February,” Townley said. “I had a chance at the end of the 2014 season to work with my new crew chiefs. I think that time together is going to pay off big-time for us at the beginning of the new season.”
Veteran crew chief Mike Ford, a former winner in NASCAR’s premier series, will continue atop the pit box for the XFINITY Series operation. Michael Shelton, who served as crew chief in James Buescher‘s 2012 truck series championship, will continue calling the shots for the Camping World team. Both joined Athenian last fall.
The 24-year-old Townley competed in 19 of 22 Camping World Truck Series races in 2014, finishing 15th in the season standings with a pair of top-five finishes in the spring (Charlotte, Texas). In 11 Nationwide Series races last season, he recorded a best finish of 13th at Talladega Superspeedway in May.
MORE:
|
|
PLAY: Monitor your Chase Grid Game picks
|
WATCH: Latest
|
FOLLOW LIVE: Get
|
|---|
Chase news
