Austin Wayne Self ready for Atlanta NASCAR Truck event

[NickHolt]

AM Racing, Austin Wayne Self welcomes Squeeze Marketing with front row seats at Atlanta   HAMPTON, Ga.: With his 24th birthday just days in the rear-view mirror, AM Racing’s Austin Wayne Self heads to Atlanta (Ga.) Motor Speedway for Saturday afternoon’s VetTix | Camping World 200 hoping to celebrate a little more.   Of course, winning is tough at any professional level, but for the Statesville, N.C.-based team, a top-10 finish in the third NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series race of the season would feel like a win and a perfect belated birthday present for the Austin, Texas native.    In the most recent race at Las Vegas (Nev.) Motor Speedway, Self improved on a 26th-place qualifying effort to finish a season-high 17th, but wanting more for his family-owned team, Self is ready to get back to the consistency his AM Racing team dished out throughout the second half of the 2019 season.   “It was a good birthday,” said Self. “I spent the day at the shop hanging with my team and getting the trucks ready for Atlanta and Homestead. We left Vegas content that we were able to bounce back from the troubles at Daytona – but knowing that our team has a lot more to offer. We hope to prove that as the season gets into a routine. Hopefully, we can come out of Atlanta with a good finish and some momentum for the upcoming races at Homestead and Texas.” Self will make his fourth career NGOTS start at Atlanta’s fast and bumpy 1.5-mile oval. And while a late-race accident ruined the team’s day last season at Atlanta – Self said before the crash, he was happy with the performance of his No. 22 Chevrolet Silverado.   “We were making strides towards contending for a top-10 and within a matter of seconds, our day was done,” recalled Self. “This weekend, redemption is on the line. We’ve made great headway with the performance of our intermediate program lately and I hope we’re able to showcase that on Saturday afternoon. Atlanta is a bumpy race track but that provides the opportunity for great racing. The trucks still draft a lot when it comes to the mile-and-a-half tracks, so it’s important for us to get that right balance with our truck, especially over the bumps and being able to capitalize on the runs that you’ll get during the race. Drafting will be important Saturday but so will handling. That will produce a good show for the fans and hopefully, we’re a part of the mix.”   In 86 NGROTS races, the 2014 ARCA Menards Series Rookie of the Year has two top-fives (second at Daytona 2017, fifth at Michigan 2019) and seven top-10 finishes. The Texan maintains an average finish of 18.1 during his five years of competition. The Austin, Texas native is nestled 23rd in the championship standings with 21 races remaining.   The VetTix | Camping World 200 (134 laps| 201 miles) is the third of 23 NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series races on the 2020 schedule. Practice begins on Fri., Mar. 13 from 1:35 p.m. – 2:25 p.m. A final short 25-minute final practice session has been etched in from 4:32 p.m. – 4:57 p.m. Qualifying is set for race day, Sat., Mar. 14 beginning at 10:05 a.m. The 32-truck field will take the green flag shortly after 1:30 p.m. with live coverage on FOX Sports 1 (FS1), the Motor Racing Network (Radio) and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio (Satellite Radio, Channel 90). All times are local (Eastern). After a two-week hiatus, AM Racing returns to the track with additional support for the 134-lap race. Squeeze Marketing will serve as an associate partner for the VetTix | Camping World 200. “We are thrilled to have the opportunity to be a part of this race in Atlanta,” said Squeeze Marketing co-owner Brian Gargone. “We have worked closely with the family on a few projects over the last few months and are looking forward to helping the race team succeed in any way possible. The opportunity to bring out the Squeeze Team to experience the culture of the AM Racing Team will be one that we will remember for a long time.” “It’s always exciting to bring a new partner to NASCAR,” offered Self. “Squeeze Marketing is working with one of our other partners and wanted the experience the racing industry firsthand. We look forward to hosting some of their executives at the track and expanding our relationship with them in the future.” For the lone trip to the Peach State this season, GO TEXAN and AM Technical Solutions will serve as major associate partners for Saturday afternoon’s race.  Don’t mess with Texas, CForce Bottling Company, Flying Circle and Kreuz Market will serve as associate partners in the third race of the year. For more on Austin Wayne Self, please visit awsracing.com, like his Facebook page (Austin Wayne Self) or follow him on Twitter @AustinWSelf. For more on AM Racing, please visit AMRacingteam.com, like their Facebook page (AM Racing) or follow them on Twitter @AMRacingNASCAR.

AM Racing is a NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series (NGROTS) team owned by entrepreneur Tim Self. Established in December 2015, AM Racing is headquartered in Statesville, N.C. Operated by Self, a native of Austin, Texas, the team is prided on faith, honesty and intelligent performance. The team has named Austin Wayne Self as its driver for the 2020 season.