Raphael Lessard will upgrade his effort with GMS Racing from part-time to a full-time slate in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, the result of the 19-year-old finding the additional funding needed to secure the remainder of the schedule.
As a result, the St-Joseph-de-Beauce, Quebec-native will pilot the No. 24 Chevrolet Silverado in all 22 events throughout the 2021 NASCAR Truck Series season, beginning with the season-opener at Daytona on February 12th.
“We are excited to have Raphael join us for the 2021 season,” said Mike Beam, President of GMS Racing. “Raphael is a talented young man, and we are excited to see what he can do with a full season with this team.”
“I’m really excited to have a second full season in the Truck Series and will certainly aim for victories and even the championship at the wheel of the #24 Chevrolet prepared by GMS Racing,” said Lessard. “This team finished 1-2-3 in the NCWTS series in 2020, and I know that with everything I learned last season, we will be in a winning position at the end of every race.”
Richelieu Hardware will further extend their partnership with Lessard to include a five-race deal as an associate sponsor of the No. 24 Chevrolet.
“Richelieu Hardware is proud to renew its support for Raphael and his team. We all want him to continue his development and achieve his personal and professional goals in 2021,” according to Richard Lord, President and CEO of Richelieu Hardware.
“We are really happy with the return of Richelieu Hardware to our program for the 2021 season. The favourable results of our first cooperation in 2020 now place both parties in an excellent position to build a stronger win-win partnership throughout the 2021 season,” said Raphael Lessard.
Raphael Lessard will join Sheldon Creed, Zane Smith, Chase Purdy and Tyler Ankrum as GMS Racing’s five full-time drivers for the 2021 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series season.
