Preview: Nashville To Represent At The Daytona 500

/in /by

Pictured: Daniel Suarez’s No. 99, Tootsie’s Orchid Lounge, Trackhouse Racing, Chevrolet Camaro. Photo: Courtesy of Trackhouse Racing

This Sunday, Feb. 20, marks the beginning of another NASCAR season with the running of the Daytona 500, the Super Bowl of NASCAR.

Though Daytona International Speedway is nearly 10 hours away, there are plenty of Nashville connections to watch for this weekend.

The Nashville-based Trackhouse Racing, founded and co-owned by Justin Marks, will be entering its second full season in the NASCAR Cup Series. Driver and Mexico native Daniel Suarez will be driving in the No. 99 Next Gen Chevrolet Camaro sporting the Tootsie’s World-Famous Orchid Lounge purple and logo.

“We will spend the week at Tootsie’s in Nashville and hope we make it to Fontana for the next race!” Suarez shares.

Trackhouse had a huge year in 2021, launching the team co-owned with Latin American pop star Pit Bull. They also made headlines by purchasing the NASCAR operations of Chip Ganassi Racing and, along with it, two charters for the No. 1 and the No. 42 teams. On Aug. 3, Trackhouse announced that Ross Chastain would drive the team’s new second entry using Ganassi’s No. 1 starting in 2022.

Pictured: Jade Buford’s No. 48 Big Machine Spiked Coolers Chevrolet Camaro. Photo: Courtesy of Big Machine Racing

Along with Trackhouse, the Nashville-based Big Machine Racing (BMR) team will also be back after its inaugural season in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. In 2021, the team, which is owned and founded by Big Machine Label Group Founder and CEO Scott Borchetta debuted with driver and Nashville native Jade Buford.

Buford stepped into a NASCAR Xfinity car for the first time ever last season and competed at a high-level as a first year driver. In their rookie season, Buford and the BMR team finished in the top 20 over a dozen times and picked up a top 10 finish at Michigan International Speedway.

The Xfinfity Series will also see Hendersonville native Josh Berry return to Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s team, JR Motorsports. Last year, Berry had some amazing performances on the track winning two races, including the Cook Out 250 at Martinsville and Alsco Uniforms 250 in Las Vegas. He also picked up two second place finishes and came in fourth at the Tennessee Lottery 250 at the Nashville Superspeedway in June.

Josh Berry. Photo: Courtesy of JR Motorsports

Berry signed a new contract with JR Motorsports to drive the No. 8 Chevrolet Camaro full-time.

Buford and Berry will compete on Satruday (Feb. 19) in the Xfinity Series Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner. 300 at Daytona at 4 p.m. and Trackhouse racing drivers Suarez and Chastain will race in the Daytona 500 on Sunday at 1:30 p.m.

Steven Boero
Latest posts by Steven Boero (see all)