XFINITY Series regular welcomes sixth daughter, returns to TriStar team
Eric McClure had a double dose of good news Friday, welcoming a new addition to the family and a familiar new ride in the NASCAR XFINITY Series.
McClure and his wife, Miranda, welcomed the couple’s sixth daughter Friday morning, announcing the birth of Meraline Everleigh over Twitter. The child weighed 6 pounds, 1.8 ounces, measured 17 1/2 inches, and kept the family tradition of first names starting with “M.” The newborn’s older sisters are named Mabreigh, Maryleigh, Mirabella, Merritt and Myanna.
Hours after the family news, TriStar Motorsports announced that McClure would return to the team, driving the No. 24 Toyota for the rest of the XFINITY season. Longtime sponsors Reynolds Wrap and Hefty will follow the driver to TriStar, according to a release provided by McClure’s representatives.
The reunion will make its official return May 17 in the 3M 250 at Iowa Speedway.
“I’m really looking forward to returning to TriStar Motorsports,” McClure said. “We spent four seasons with the organization and the relationships formed with Mark Smith and his family are very dear to me. As a sponsorship marketing agency, TMI (Team McClure, Inc.) has prided ourselves on professional representation of our partners and rejoining TriStar allows us the best environment to honor that commitment.
“As a driver, I’m looking forward to being in a familiar environment that has produced my best runs and am excited for the remainder of the season.”
McClure’s previous stint with the Mark Smith-owned TriStar team lasted from 2011 to 2014. The 36-year-old driver signed with JGL Racing in the offseason, but according to the release, the two sides amicably parted ways after nine races, ending their relationship after last weekend’s event at Talladega Superspeedway.
“I have a lot of respect for Eric and his family and we wish him nothing but the best as he continues his racing career with TriStar Motorsports,” said James Whitener, JGL Racing owner. “We have a vision of what we want to build with this race team and it just wasn’t working out with Eric for the direction that we wanted to go. We are committed to the continued growth of JGL Racing and will do everything in our powers to progress that forward.”
JGL Racing officials indicated that they would continue to field two full-time cars (Nos. 26 and 28) in the XFINITY Series, with a third entry (No. 93) running at select events. Whitener said the team would use a rotation of drivers to replace McClure, who reached an agreement with JGL to carry his No. 24 over to his TriStar ride.
JGL Racing celebrated its best-ever finish in the XFINITY Series last weekend, with JJ Yeley driving to a fourth-place finish at Talladega.
Here’s a family picture of @ericmcclure, Miranda and their newest princess Meraline Everleigh. pic.twitter.com/27NGsilbrt
— Public Relations (@HeftyReynolds24) May 8, 2015