On Thursday Afternoon, GMS Racing announced that full-time ARCA Menards Series driver Jack Wood will make his NASCAR Camping World Truck Series debut at Circuit of The Americas, driving the organization’s No. 24 Chevrolet Silverado. The Loomis, California-native will also return to the seat of the No. 24 the following weekend at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
“It’s a once in a lifetime opportunity to get in a top-tier truck, especially at a racetrack like COTA,” said Wood. “It’s going to be a long day of learning for me, but I’m excited for the challenge. I can’t thank everybody at Chevrolet and GMS enough for giving me a shot.”
The 20-year-old currently competes full-time in the ARCA Menards Series for GMS Racing and currently sits sixth in points after one top-five and two top-10s in the first four races of the season. Wood also competed in the ARCA Menards Series East opener at New Smynra, but was relegated to a 13th-place finish after a mid-race crash.
“Jack (Wood) is a talented young man with a bright future ahead of him,” said Mike Beam, president of GMS Racing. “To be able to see members of the Drivers Edge Development program progress and compete at various levels of the sport is rewarding and we’re excited to see what he can do in his first two truck starts.”
The opportunity for Wood to compete in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series comes from the No. 24 truck’s recent vacancy, left as the result of funding and sponsorship issues for Raphael Lessard, who was originally scheduled to run full-time this season. Ryan Reed piloted the entry at Darlington and recorded a top-10 finish.
Before making his second NCWTS start at Charlotte, Wood will have the opportunity to learn the track in the ARCA Menards Series event at the 1.5-mile facility, giving the young driver a chance to get some additional laps.