Weekend Statistics and Notes
This weekend, Dakoda Armstrong will remove the rookie stripes from the No. 43 WinField Ford and begin his sophomore season in the NASCAR XFINITY Series. Armstrong earned three Top-10 finishes and one pole in his rookie year. With more experience in the series and at the tracks, Armstrong looks to make significant gains in 2015.
A new addition to the team in 2015 is Crew Chief Frankie Kerr. Kerr most recently worked for Front Row Motorsports as a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Crew Chief. Kerr has an open-wheel racing background, similar to Armstrong, and the No. 43 team is hoping their similar backgrounds will give them an advantage in 2015.
Armstrong has a total of six starts at Daytona International Speedway in national series events. In his two XFINITY Series starts, Armstrong earned the pole last year in July and has a best finish of 19th.
Armstrong Weekend Chatter
"It was a great off-season for me because I got married, but I can't wait to get back onto the track. Last year was my rookie season in the XFINITY Series, and I learned a lot. We're really looking to step it up this season. We have some changes to our team this year including the addition of Crew Chief Frankie Kerr. Frankie and I both come from an open-wheel background, so I think that we'll be able to communicate with each other really well. Daytona will be a good starting point for us.
"The last time we were in Daytona we won the pole, and we're looking to do that again this time. We didn't get the finish that we deserved in July, but our team's speedway program has always been strong. I'm ready to get on the track and capitalize on that this weekend."
About Richard Petty Motorsports
A performance and marketing driven company, Richard Petty Motorsports, co-owned by NASCAR Hall of Famer Richard Petty and successful business entrepreneur Andrew Murstein, is one of the most recognized brands in all of motorsports. With a history of over 200 wins and business partnerships with national and global leaders, today the race operation fields two teams in competition in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. Aric Almirola pilots the famous No. 43 Ford Fusion with primary partners Smithfield Foods, U.S. Air Force, STP, Strike Ten Entertainment and Fresh From Florida, and Sam Hornish Jr. drives the No. 9 machine with primary partner Twisted Tea. In addition, Dakoda Armstrong wheels the No. 43 WinField Ford Mustang full-time in the NASCAR XFINITY Series. The team is headquartered in Mooresville, N.C.A performance and marketing driven company, Richard Petty Motorsports, co-owned by NASCAR Hall of Famer Richard Petty and successful business entrepreneur Andrew Murstein, is one of the most recognized brands in all of motorsports. With a history of over 200 wins and business partnerships with national and global leaders, today the race operation fields two teams in competition in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. Aric Almirola pilots the famous No. 43 Ford Fusion with primary partners Smithfield Foods, U.S. Air Force, STP, Strike Ten Entertainment and Fresh From Florida, and Sam Hornish Jr. drives the No. 9 machine with primary partner Twisted Tea. In addition, Dakoda Armstrong wheels the No. 43 WinField Ford Mustang full-time in the NASCAR XFINITY Series. The team is headquartered in Mooresville, N.C.