Hattori Racing Enterprises Looks to Continue Success at Greenville Pickens Speedway
Mooresville, NC (Mar. 20, 2014) – Saturday, March 22 the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East will trade the high concrete banks of Bristol for the flat asphalt half-mile of Greenville Pickens Speedway in The Kevin Whitaker Chevrolet 150.
Hattori Racing Enterprises’ drivers Lee Pulliam in the No. 11 JTB/NASCAR Technical Institute Toyota and David Garbo Jr. in the No. 1 Big Machine Records Toyota will both be making their first attempt at GPS in a K&N car.
On making his GPS debut, Garbo says, “I’m pretty positive going into Greenville. I think the race will play out much different than Bristol did because of the characteristics of the track. Saving tires will play a huge part in the race. I’m confident on how the car was at the test last week, and I think we will have a great finish as long as we stay out of trouble.” Last weekend at Bristol Motor Speedway, Garbo got his first K&N Series top ten in the PittLite 125. Garbo drove the No. 1 from a 29th starting position to finish 7th, earning the CocaCola “Move of the Race” award.
Pulliam says, “It’s a very technical track as a driver to make sure you hit the marks exactly the same every lap, and it’s easy to overdrive the place. Everybody at the shop has put a lot of time in all the cars, and I’m very thankful for the opportunity to go battle for the win. The track has such history behind it, so it will definitely be neat racing on it for the first time.” In the opening two races of the season, Pulliam drove to No.11 Camry to two straight top five finishes.
The 2014 NKNPSE season is off to a phenomenal start for HRE, and the team has high hopes for the historic South Carolina track. At last year’s spring race at GPS, the HRE No. 11 qualified on the pole, setting the current track qualifying record. In the past four races at GPS, the No. 11 has not finished lower than ninth place, and the HRE No. 1 has one top ten out of two starts at Greenville.
Out of the eleven NKNPSE races that GPS has hosted, Toyota is tied for most manufacturer wins with five wins.
Qualifying at Greenville Pickens Speedway will begin at 6:00 P.M. on Saturday, with an autograph session following. The Kevin Whitaker Chevrolet 150 will begin at 8:00 P.M. The race will air on Fox Sports 1 Friday, March 28 at 11 A.M. EST.
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ABOUT THE NASCAR TECHNICAL INSTITUTE: If you’ve ever dreamed about a career in NASCAR, this is your starting line. In UTI’s 15-week NASCAR elective, you’ll learn the knowledge, speed and precision NASCAR demands from every technician. As a graduate of NASCAR Tech, you’ll be on the inside track to various entry-level positions in motor sports and a variety of other racing careers. No matter how you use it, the NASCAR program is a great opportunity for you to train for a successful future in the automotive or motor sports industries. The Universal Technical Institute, Inc., is a nationwide provider of technical education training for students seeking careers as professional automotive, diesel, collision repair, motorcycle and marine technicians. Through thier campus-based school system, Universal Technical Institute, Inc. offers specialized technical education programs under the banner of several well-known brands, including Universal Technical Institute (UTI), Motorcycle Mechanics Institute and Marine Mechanics Institute (MMI) and NASCAR Technical Institute (NTI).
ABOUT JTB: A Japan-based outbound and inbound travel businesses, the JTB Group’s philosophy is to contribute to harmony and understanding throughout the global society through creation of multicultural human exchange. JTB offers many travel related products including international flight booking, cruise booking, resort weddings, honeymoon packages, travel insurance for domestic and overseas travel, entertainment tickets, and much more. The JTB slogan is “Perfect Moments, Always.” It is a promise to be closer to customers than anybody else when they feel excited and fulfilled. Hiromi Tagawa, JTB Corp. President, says, “To continue to keep this promise to our customers, I believe it is essential that we embrace the challenge of creating unique products and services as only JTB can while continuing to refine the quality of tourism. The JTB Group is committed to helping achieve a peaceful, fulfilling society by continuing to earn the trust of society over the next 100 years and working to give our customers excitement and joy through the creation of high-quality added value in an inventive and innovative manner.”
ABOUT BIG MACHINE LABEL GROUP: At the helm of the independent Big Machine Label Group is industry veteran Scott Borchetta, who serves as President and CEO. The conglomerate encompasses Big Machine Records(founded in 2005), The Valory Music Co.(founded in 2007)and Republic Nashville (a partnership with Universal Republic founded in 2009 with Jimmy Harnen serving as President). The Big Machine Label Group’s current artist roster includes Multi-Platinum superstars Taylor Swift, Rascal Flatts, Tim McGraw and Reba; Platinum sensations The Band Perry and Florida Georgia Line; Legendary group The Mavericks; Gold-selling artists Brantley Gilbert and Justin Moore; Chart‐topping act Eli Young Band as well as Hot newcomers Thomas Rhett, Cassadee Pope, RaeLynn, Laura Bell Bundy, The Cadillac Three and Danielle Bradbery, in addition to a Country tribute to well‐known rockers Motley Crue and soundtracks for ABC’s hit drama “NASHVILLE.” BMLG artists have received multiple GRAMMY, CMA, ACM, American Music Awards, CMT Music Awards, Teen Choice Awards, MTV Video Music Award and People’s Choice Award accolades as well as Brit Award and JUNO Award nominations. In 2012 BMLG rejuvenated its publishing arm with Big Machine Music, which has created a joint venture with Lukasz “Dr. Luke” Gottwald’s Prescription Songs, allowing the two companies to co‐publish songwriters and artists whose unique talents translate across genres. Big Machine was also the first-ever label to align with terrestrial radio for performance royalty rights. The label group has also forayed into the racing world, sponsoring the Brickyard 400, The Fairgrounds Speedway Nashville, and the past three Indy 500 Champions.
Sources: Dalana Parker/Hattori Racing Enterprises PR