Post by LMR on 05/17/11 at 5:38pm
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 17, 2011
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Joy Mining Machinery Partners with Two-Time World of Outlaws Late Model Champ Josh Richards and Kyle Busch Motorsports
Cornelius, N.C. (May 17, 2011) - Rising Star Management Group is pleased to announce a partnership between Joy Mining Machinery, Josh Richards and Kyle Busch Motorsports (KBM) for select NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) races for the 2011 season. Entering the sport with the reigning NCWTS owners' champions, Joy Mining Machinery is excited to have 2009 and 2010 World of Outlaws Late Model Series (WoO LMS) champion Richards at the helm of their Joy Mining Machinery Toyota Tundra. Adding another esteemed brand to their already impressive list of sponsors, KBM is looking forward to partnering with Joy Mining Machinery in their highly successful NCWTS program.
"We are honored that Josh Richards and Joy Mining Machinery have chosen to partner with Kyle Busch Motorsports for their first endeavor into NASCAR. Knowing that an up-and-coming driver and a highly successful global company trust in KBM to assist in their transition to NASCAR reinforces the fact that in just a short period of time we have established ourselves as one of the most respected teams in the sport. We look forward to providing Josh Richards and Joy Mining Machinery with all the tools necessary to develop from NASCAR rookies into household names," stated team owner Kyle Busch.
Slated to compete in select NCWTS events throughout the remainder of the 2011 season, 23-year-old Richards will make his debut in NASCAR's Truck Series at Kentucky Speedway in a KBM Toyota Tundra on Thursday, July 7.
A former dirt track racer himself and record holder for most wins as a crew chief in NCWTS history, KBM general manager Rick Ren noted, "Kyle Busch Motorsports is in this business to win races and championships, so we're excited to be adding a young driver in Josh Richards who has already proven he can do that. The biggest thing I took from my conversations with Josh is that he has the heart of a champion. He is determined to do whatever it takes to be successful. That is something that you can't teach somebody, it has to come from within. Now, it is our job to teach Josh how to parlay his success on dirt tracks into a successful career on pavement. We have an experienced staff in place that will provide him with all the resources and knowledge necessary to make that transition go as smooth as possible. I'm very confident that Josh will not only excel in this series but experience continued success as he climbs the ladder in NASCAR."
Representing a brand that fuels an industry essential to his home state of West Virginia, Richards is excited about launching the Joy Mining Machinery brand into NASCAR while driving for one of the most respected names in the garage.
"I couldn't be happier with this opportunity with Joy Mining Machinery and Kyle Busch Motorsports. The partnership with Joy Mining Machinery and KBM has great potential both on and off the track, and getting the chance to enter NASCAR with one of the best teams in the sport is a dream come true. KBM's mission to win matches the approach I have when it comes to racing, and whether it's on dirt or pavement, that mentality is the same," said Richards, "I'm really looking forward to getting in a KBM Toyota Tundra at our first race under the Joy Mining Machinery banner at Kentucky Speedway in July."
Joy Mining Machinery's Vice President Americas, Keith Richardson, echoes the excitement of both Richards and KBM, "Joy Mining Machinery is proud to partner with driver Josh Richards and Kyle Bush Motorsports to participate in the 2011 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. There has always been a strong connection between the men and women who work in the mining industry and racing, and none stronger than with NASCAR. We also believe there is a natural fit between a race team's drive to win and our employees' drive to be the very best mining equipment supplier in the world."
Richards will continue to race the full season in the prestigious WoO LMS in an effort to win an unprecedented third consecutive championship, while at the same time contending as part of KBM's drive to win the first ever back-to-back championship in the NCWTS.
About Joy Mining Machinery:
Joy Mining Machinery has over 90 years of experience as a global leader in the development, manufacture, distribution and service of underground mining machinery for the extraction of coal and other bedded materials. Headquartered in Warrendale, Pennsylvania, Joy Mining Machinery employs over 8,000 employees worldwide. For additional information, visit www.joy.com.
About Kyle Busch Motorsports:
NASCAR superstar Kyle Busch added a second career within NASCAR in December 2009 when he announced his Kyle Busch Motorsports team would compete in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series in 2010. KBM is a leader on and off the track in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, becoming the first team since the series originated in 1995 to capture the owners' championship in their inaugural season. In October of 2010, the team moved into a brand new 77,000-square-foot facility in Mooresville, N.C., which boasts state-of-the-art equipment and its pending LEED certification make it unmatched among its peers. Fans can stay up-to-date with all the latest KBM news online at www.kylebuschmotorsports.com, by liking the team on facebook (www.facebook.com/KyleBuschMS) and following the team on twitter (@KyleBuschMS).
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 18, 2011
World of Outlaws Late Model Series Champion Josh Richards Lands NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Ride With Kyle Busch Motorsports
Young Star Will Run 11 Truck Events This Season While Continuing Pursuit Of Third Straight World of Outlaws Title
CONCORD, NC – May 18, 2011 – Josh Richards’s 2011 season has become even busier.
The 23-year-old sensation from Shinnston, W.Va., will run a select number of NASCAR Camping World Truck Series events for Kyle Busch Motorsports, adding some high-profile extra-curricular activity to his pursuit of an unprecedented third consecutive World of Outlaws Late Model Series championship.
Richards was introduced as the driver of a Toyota Tundra Truck fielded by NASCAR star Busch’s formidable team during Tuesday night’s NASCAR Race Hub show on the SPEED television network. Sponsorship from Warrendale, Pa.-based Joy Mining Machinery is providing him the opportunity to compete in 11 Camping World Truck Series events this season, beginning July 7 at Kentucky Speedway.
“All of us with the World of Outlaws Late Model Series congratulate Josh on the opportunity he’s getting with Kyle Busch Motorsports,” said WoO LMS director Tim Christman. “We’ve watched him mature on and off the track each year that he’s been racing with the World of Outlaws, and it was clear that it was only a matter of time before he would get a chance to show his talent on the NASCAR circuit.
“Obviously we’ll miss Josh immensely as a World of Outlaws regular next year if he’s as successful running for Kyle Busch Motorsports as we know he can be, but we wish him the best of luck with his new venture. Seeing him become a star in NASCAR would bring attention to the World of Outlaws Late Model Series and make everyone associated with the series proud.”
Richards, who taped a SPEED interview and posed for photos with Busch alongside his new Toyota Truck at KBR’s shop on Tuesday, is excited to attack the Camping World Truck Series with a team that won the tour’s 2010 car owner’s points title. He has not yet sat in a Truck other than to get fitted in a seat, but he has a couple test sessions on his docket before making his competitive debut at Kentucky. He will drive the No. 18 Truck except for events in which Busch competes as his teammates; on those occasions he’ll switch to the No. 15.
“We’ve worked really hard over the last couple years trying to make that next step (to NASCAR), so to be driving for Kyle Busch is pretty crazy,” said Richards, who has been on a steady climb to stardom since launching his dirt Late Model career in 2004 at the age of 16. “It’s really like a dream come true for me. My goal since I’ve started racing has been to move to the NASCAR ranks and this is the opportunity I’ve been waiting for.
“There’s no better team to be with than Kyle Busch Motorsports. The guys on his team know how to win races and they’re all just true racers like I am, and being able to learn from somebody like Kyle, who has so much ability and has accomplished so much, will put me in the best possible position to succeed.
“It’s the same idea as in the dirt Late Model world,” he added. “There are a lot of great teams out there, but I feel like our team (his father Mark’s in-house Rocket Chassis operation) is probably one of the best to drive for. I have a great team behind me and that’s why we’ve been able to win races and championships.”
Richards credits his years as a regular on the WoO LMS for leading him to his big chance in a Kyle Busch Motorsports Truck, which comes after he gained pavement experience in recent years running a limited number of ARCA and NASCAR K&N Pro Series events for several different teams.
“The World of Outlaws has definitely helped my career,” said Richards, whose 28 career WoO LMS victories have him tied with Steve Francis atop the tour’s win list since 2004. “We’ve gotten a lot of exposure from running well, especially after winning the championship the last two years. Most racers know about the World of Outlaws and have heard of me because of that, so it’s helped us find sponsorship and the right team to move on.”
What sits well with Richards – and dirt Late Model fans across the country – is that Richards’s NASCAR Truck deal won’t prevent him from chasing another WoO LMS points crown this season. He can run the 11 Truck events on his KBM schedule – including races at Bristol, Talladega, Nashville, Martinsville, New Hampshire, Homestead-Miami, Las Vegas and Atlanta – without missing a WoO LMS show.
“We were really surprised when we looked at the Truck and Outlaw schedules and saw we could still compete for a championship with our Late Model deal,” said Richards, who is currently ranked second in the WoO LMS points standings through 10 events but is still seeking his first A-Main win of 2011. “The Truck races fit real well into what we’re doing. I’m real happy about that because there are so many people and sponsors who support our Late Model racing and I don’t want to leave them high-and-dry.”
Richards, who plans to run ARCA Racing Series events at Chicago and Michigan next month before making his first Truck Series start, will return to WoO LMS action on June 18 in the rescheduled Gunter’s Honey Spring 50 at Winchester (Va.) Speedway. He’ll close the month competing in the fifth annual $30,000-to-win Firecracker 100 on June 23-25 at Lernerville Speedway in Sarver, Pa.
For more information on the WoO LMS, visit www.worldofoutlaws.com.