NASCAR Next driver set to take on Monster Mile
DOVER, Del. -- Sporting a grin from ear to ear, Jesse Little walked into the media center on Thursday at Dover International Speedway ready to take on the weekend.
Piloting the No. 97 Carolina Nut Company Toyota for ThorSport Racing, the 18-year-old K&N Pro Series East regular and NASCAR Next driver will make his NASCAR Camping World Truck Series debut at the Monster Mile on Friday.
"I've been looking forward to this weekend for a long time," Little said. "I know this is a family-owned team and we've put a lot of hard work and preparation into this weekend and I think my Camping World Truck Series start at Dover is something that still hasn't hit me yet. But I'm certainly excited and I love coming to this place. I enjoy it very much and I'm looking forward to a great weekend."
Sitting side-by-side to Little during the press conference were two of the Truck Series' youngest drivers, 17-year-olds Cole Custer and John Hunter Nemechek. With just a total of 23 starts shared between the two drivers, they offered Little any bit of advice they could give for his first Truck start.
"I'd say take it easy, especially the first lap of the race," Custer advised Little. "It's amazing how much the air affects these things. I was honestly scared for my life the first time I did it."
In Custer's first start at Dover last season he finished 14th.
"Just finish the race," Nemechek told Little with a chuckle. "Run as many laps as you can to get the experience."
In Nemechek's first start at Dover last season he finished sixth.
Little, Custer and Nemechek are all on this season's NASCAR Next roster and agree that the program has brought the young drivers together.
"It makes it enjoyable for us as drivers when we know we have someone we can go to and talk to and they'll understand," Little said. "It makes it easier and at the same time it makes it fun."
Manning Little's pit box is another familiar face to the young driver. Harold Holly, a 19-time winning crew chief in the NASCAR XFINITY Series and former pit boss for Little's father, Chad, who is currently NASCAR's managing director, technical inspection/officiating. Holly will be calling the shots during Friday's Lucas Oil 200 (5:30 p.m. ET, FOX Sports 1, MRN, SiriusXM).
"Harold and I go way back ... He's always been a great family friend," Little said" "Him and I have great chemistry and that goes the same for the ThorSport guys. It's been great to have their help. I have the ability to lean on (ThorSport teammates) Matt (Crafton) and Johnny (Sauter) and those guys and their knowledge is amazing and I'm definitely going to use that for my advantage and lean on those guys quite a bit this weekend."
Lucky for Little, ThorSport Racing teammate Crafton just so happens to be a two-time Camping World Truck Series champion.