Former Champion Racing Association winner and regular competitor Dominique Van Wieringen, humbled by opportunity
Speed Sport Story: AVONDALE, Ariz. – Dominique Van Wieringen will make her NASCAR Camping World Truck Series debut Friday night at Phoenix Int’l Raceway.
For Friday night’s penultimate race of the season, Van Wieringen and the Rette Jones Racing team have formed an alliance with Young’s Motorsports, putting Van Wieringen in the No. 02 Durobyte Ford F-150 for the Lucas Oil 150.
“I’m very humbled by this opportunity to make my Truck Series debut at Phoenix,” said Van Wieringen. “We’ve been working hard on this project since the checkered flag flew at Dover in October and I’m excited to go to Phoenix and see what we can do.”
Van Wieringen competed in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East this year and ended the year with three top-fives and five top-10 finishes, including a career-best third at Greenville-Pickens Speedway in September and at Dover.
In addition to becoming the first female competitor to score three consecutive top-five finishes in K&N Pro Series East history, she also become the highest leading female in the series with 140 laps led in three races and the most laps led in any single event with a whopping 88 laps led at Stafford Motor Speedway in June.
“I know Phoenix is going to be a completely different atmosphere for me, but I’m surrounded with a lot of great people who will help me with my learning curve,” Van Wieringen added. “Mark (Rette), my Rette Jones Racing guys and of course the help from Tyler (Young) will no doubt be a huge asset for me.
“I’ve never been to Phoenix, so we just have to use practice to the best of our ability and then work on just getting faster and faster from the first practice to the final practice and then qualifying. I’m pretty sure we’re locked into the race – and that’s a big relief, but I want to qualify on time and then just race towards a clean and respectable finish. If we can do that, it will be a great weekend in the desert.”
Rette, a championship winning crew chief in the ARCA Racing Series says he has a lot of faith in his driver and crew to turn some heads in the next to last race of the season.
“We wouldn’t be going to Phoenix if we didn’t think Dominique could do a good job,” Rette said. “Our goal is to just get here some laps, earn some respect and see the checkered flag. “Dominique proved she is a phenomenal short track racer in K&N this year and with Phoenix having that short track mentality, I think her adjustment to the trucks will be quick and she’ll find her groove easy.
“If we can keep our nose clean, we should get out of Phoenix with a solid finish and something to carry us over into 2017.”
