Hudson, New Hampshire’s Derek Griffith will be making his NASCAR Camping World Truck Series debut in the WWT Raceway 200 at WWT Raceway in Gateway driving the No. 51 Kyle Busch Motorsports Toyota Tundra.
“I’m unbelievably thankful to have my hometown track, Hudson Speedway, providing me one of the biggest pushes in my racing career coming onboard as a co-primary sponsor with JBL on the No. 51 Tundra for the Camping World Truck Series race at World Wide Technology Raceway,” Griffith said. “I have been going to races at Hudson Speedway my entire life and began racing there at the age of 12, so it has a very special place in my heart.
“While Kyle has built KBM into the best team in the history of the Truck Series, I know that he still holds Super Late Model racers around the country in high regard and he’s given guys like Erik Jones, Harrison Burton and Chandler Smith a chance to showcase their skills at the national series level. I’m thankful to Kyle, everyone at KBM and Toyota Racing Development for this once in a lifetime opportunity and I’m looking forward to making the best I can out of it.”
Griffith dropped the news on a Thursday episode of The Bullring on Speed51.com.
“Derek has proven himself as one of the top young talents in Super Late Model racing in recent years, has been very competitive in his limited ARCA opportunities and is deserving of the opportunity the chance to make a start in the Camping World Truck Series,” Busch said. “As a Super Late Model racer myself, I know that to win some of the races he’s been able to win the last few years, he’s had to beat some of the best drivers in the country. Many of those drivers have the talent to compete at the National Series level but never get the chance, so to be providing Derek with this opportunity is really special and I know that he’ll do a great job for us.”
The effort in the No. 51 truck will be sponsored by Hudson Speedway — Griffith’s hometrack — and JBL Audio.
“I am beyond thrilled to have the opportunity to help Derek Griffith race in the Camping World Truck Series,” said Ben Bosowski, owner of Hudson International Speedway. “As a small, local track it is a true honor to help a local Hudson Speedway native reach his potential in the world of racing. Derek is an amazing, passionate, and talented young driver who absolutely deserves this opportunity. I am very excited to help be a part of this next stage in his career. I wish Derek nothing but the absolute best. All of us at Hudson International Speedway are very much looking forward to cheering him on!”
While Griffith has never made a start in NASCAR’s top-three series, the 24-year-old has made 10 starts in the ARCA Menards Series and three starts in the ARCA Menards Series East, scoring a career-best third-place finish in the Speediatrics 150 at Kansas Speedway last fall, driving for Chad Bryant Racing.
Griffith is a short-track star, taking the top position in the 2021 Speed 51 Short Track Draft, adding another accolade to an already impressive resume that he’s collecting graduating through the ranks of the Granite State Pro Stocks and into the PASS Super Late Model Series, where he won three events between the 2016 and 2017 seasons.
