After running select races together in 2017, NASCAR driver Chase Dowling and team owner Rob Fuller have announced that they will partner to run for a NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour (NWMT) championship in 2018.
“This is something Chase and I have discussed throughout the season,” said Fuller, President of LFR. “With the success we had this season, it seemed like a good decision for both our sponsors and Chase to go after the championship.”
In just nine NWMT races in 2017, Dowling earned his first career pole, led 21 laps and earned a career-best five Top-5 finishes in one season. It was one of his most productive seasons to date.
“After our accomplishments we had in 2017, I can’t wait to run a full season with Rob and the LFR car,” said Dowling. “I feel we were a threat at every event this season and I look forward to carrying this momentum into the 2018 season.”
Dowling, a Roxbury, Conn. native, became the youngest Sunoco Rookie of the Year award winner in Whelen Modified Tour history in 2015 at the age of 17. In his three years competing in the NWMT, he has a total of nine Top-5 finishes and 20 Top-10s.
S&S Asphalt Paving and 15-40 Connection will be the primary sponsors on the No. 15 LFR car. Dowling has been supported by S&S Asphalt Paving since he began his racing career at the age of 7. This will be the sixth year that 15-40 Connection will partner with LFR to share the message of early cancer detection with race fans this season making it one of the longest sponsor/ team relationships in the series.
Stephen Kopcik will serve as the crew chief and the LFR shop foreman running the day-to-day operations of the team.
LFR has secured the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour championship every year since its inception in 2014. Fuller is a 30-year veteran racer with previous championships including 1998 and 1999 with Dale Earnhardt Jr. in the NASCAR Xfinity Series.
In addition to his full time NWMT schedule, Dowling will run a LFR SK modified for Glenn Johnson and run for the SK championship at Stafford Motor Speedway.
“With my everyday involvement at LFR, it just seemed like the right thing to do at this time in my career,” said Dowling. “I have been extremely fortunate to have been with some of the best teams Stafford has to offer. Glenn is a great guy and has fielded a LFR car for two seasons and I look forward to working with Rob and all of Glenn’s guys to build a competitive SK team at Stafford.”
Glenn Johnson has fielded cars at the Connecticut short track for over 25 years and is looking forward to teaming up with his new driver in 2018.
“Chase is a young and very talented driver,” said Johnson. “I feel we have great equipment and can be competitive week in and week out with the right driver in the seat and I now feel like we have that.”
LFR will begin its 2018 race season at New Smyrna Speedway in February and then start the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour season at Myrtle Beach on March 17.
Race fans can follow LFR on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/LFRChassisInc or online at www.LFRchassis.com.
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