NASCAR Driver Returns to Site of XFINITY Series Debut
FLAGLER BEACH, Fla. (April 6, 2016) – After two off-weekends for the NASCAR XFINITY Series (NXS), Ray Black Jr. is ready to revisit to the location of his NXS debut – Texas Motor Speedway. The driver of the No. 07 ScubaLife.com Chevrolet has four career starts at the 1.5-mile track, three of which are Top-20 finishes.
“I’m really looking forward to racing at Texas again,” said Black. “I think going to any track where I have a lot of past experience will be beneficial to me. Plus, it’s the first night race of the season for us, which always brings an extra level of excitement for both the drivers and fans! Most of us grew up racing Friday and Saturday nights, so it’s nice to be able to return to that.”
Black, who made his debut NXS start at Texas Motor Speedway last November, has found the transition from the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) to XFINITY Series to be a challenging one, but has ultimately enjoyed the learning process.
“I knew coming into this year that it was going to be hard,” explained Black. “The team and I have really learned a lot over the first five races. With limited experience with these set-ups and packages that NASCAR gives the XFINITY teams, we’ve had to learn a lot in a little bit of time. It’s not easy, but I’m enjoying the challenge!”
“When you’re driving a truck, you are wide open and in the gas a lot,” he continued. “The XFINITY cars slip and slide more on the track than I expected them to. Figuring out their limits and continuing to get a feel for their handling in the next few weeks will be a huge help to me.”
As Black is set to return to Texas this weekend, he looks to utilize his past experience in both the NXS and NCWTS to secure a great finish for his team.
“Last year we had a good car with a decent set-up,” said Black. “With that experience, we can experiment and try out a new set-up to see what is and isn’t working for the team and compare it to last year’s car. That’s not something we’ve really had the opportunity to do yet, so I’m looking forward to seeing how that helps the team this weekend.”
The O’Reilly Auto Parts 300 at Texas Motor Speedway will take place on Friday, April 8 at 8:30 p.m. ET. The race will be broadcast live on FOX Sports 1 or can be heard via the Performance Racing Network (PRN).
Fans can keep up with Ray Black Jr.’s return to the “Lone Star State” by following him and his sponsor, ScubaLife, on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram at @TeamScubaRacing and @RayBlackJr.
