Petaluma, California -- TRG (The Racer’s Group) announced today that it will enter two NASCAR Busch Series road course events beginning with the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve road course in Montreal, Canada on August 4, followed by the ZIPPO 200 at Watkins Glen on August 11.
Kevin Buckler, TRG owner, will partner with the Wood Brothers/JTG Racing to field the No. 47 Clorox/TRG Ford Fusion. The crew chief on the car will be Scott Zippadelli.
TRG was founded by Kevin and Debra Buckler in 1993 and has been competing at the top level of sports car racing ever since. TRG has the most wins of any team in Grand-Am history with 22, including the 2005 and 2006 Rolex Series GT championship trophy to go along with wins at the Rolex 24 at Daytona and the 24 Hours or Le Mans.
“We will be running the next two road course races at Montreal and Watkins Glen in the Busch series,” Buckler announced. “In our 13 year sports car history, we have had the benefit of working with some top level people and brands. Many of the conversations regarding motorsports marketing, sponsorships and long term business goals, always seem to lead to NASCAR. We decided that it was time to take our racing partnerships to the next level. We have a strong association with Porsche and the Grand-Am Series, and this endeavor will only benefit our multiple Porsche programs and our presence in the Rolex Series. The Rolex Series has been good to us and has served as the entree to NASCAR.”
Buckler and the TRG group have been planning this step for the last three years. After several trips to Charlotte to visit with top teams, as well as taking advice from fellow team owners, friends, and partners, the group felt the timing was right for its entry into the Busch Series.
“After meeting with numerous teams and discussing many possible scenarios, I was most impressed with this opportunity to join forces with Tad Geschickter from Wood Brothers/JTG,” Buckler said. “They have a terrific program and an inviting atmosphere within the team.
“There are a lot of similarities on the way they do things and how we operate TRG. Assembling a top team in anything we do has always been one of our secrets and we are bringing along a group of partners and friends from the racing and business world to be a part of our journey into NASCAR. These guys are at the top or their game in everything they do and will be valuable resources and partners in the long term building of our NASCAR team.
“With our success in sports cars, we consider ourselves road course specialists. We believe that this is the most logical path for us to start out at Montreal and Watkins Glen. These are hallowed grounds we are about to enter and we are heading into NASCAR with our heads down with the utmost respect for the series and everyone involved. We are going at it with our usual work ethic and professional approach. It will be a big learning process. We will be on an aggressive testing schedule and if all goes well we are considering adding a couple of ovals to our schedule toward the end of the season.”
Kevin Buckler and his driver, Lally, have been a fixture in sports car racing. The Lally/ Buckler combination has resulted in two championships and 14 race wins to date. Dacula, Georgia resident Andy Lally will drive the Clorox TRG Busch Series entry. Lally and Buckler have been a fixture on the racing scene since 2004. Lally is entrenched in the TRG racing business as lead driver and driver coach to TRG’s list of loyal customers.
“Of all the drivers that I have seen, driven against and worked with Andy is the most complete package,” Buckler said. “He is steadfast with his goals and he has always had his sights set on NASCAR. Since joining us three-years ago, it has been a magical relationship. He is a team player and knows how to drive and how to win. In addition, he has a strong understanding of the value of marketing and sponsor relationships. I have a lot of confidence in Andy and his ability to learn and adapt to the NASCAR philosophies - we are betting on him.”
“I am as excited for this opportunity as I have ever been in my racing career," Lally said. "Growing up, the first kind of racing I was exposed to was NASCAR and those guys were my early role models and heroes.
“We have set reasonable goals for our first race at Montreal and want to run from green to checker with as few errors as possible. Of course as a racer I want to do well but Scott and I are taking a measured approach. It would be nice to elevate those expectations for the next race at Watkins Glen. I know I have a lot to learn and will be trying to absorb every bit of information that I can and completely immerse myself so that I can learn as much as possible. Kevin has done a great job putting this deal together and has assembled a great group of guys to help us achieve our goals.”
TRG will partner with the Wood Brothers/JTG Racing who will supply Ford cars and crew for the upcoming two race effort. Glen Wood founded the famous racing team some 57 years ago, making the team synonymous with fast pits stops and speedy race cars. Since that time, the team has been a fixture on the Busch and NASCAR scene fielding drivers such as Ricky Rudd, Neil Bonnet and David Pearson.
- From TRG
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