Stringing Runs Together … Chase Purdy returns to World Wide Technology Raceway (WWTR) outside of downtown St. Louis as he’s building momentum and stringing together consistent finishes. The driver of the No. 61 AISIN Toyota Tundra TRD Pro has scored two top-15 finishes in the last three races, including a season-best at Kansas Speedway, and looks to continue that trend in his second visit to the “Gateway to the West”. Purdy has a strong baseline at WWTR after posting a career-high mark in his track debut last season and has delivered a runner-up result in the ARCA Menards Series.
Career Highlight … The Mississippi driver made his debut on WWTR’s 1.25-mile layout next to the Mississippi River last August and posted a career high sixth-place result in last season’s playoff opener. His first appearance at WWTR yielded one of his three top-10 finishes and looks to replicate an identical result in Saturday’s Toyota 200. Purdy also has a runner-up finish in his lone ARCA Racing Series start at WWTR in 2018.
Chassis Selection … Crew chief Matt Lucas and the AISIN team have prepared chassis No. 014 for Purdy’s second start at WWTR. This Toyota Tundra most recently appeared at WWTR last year when Austin Hill took the green flag from the pole. Chassis No. 014 made its debut in 2020 at Phoenix Raceway with the No. 16 team and was overhauled for competition in 2022.
Tune In … FOX Sports 1 will have live coverage from WWTR beginning on Friday afternoon with practice and qualifying at 6:00 p.m. ET. Coverage begins Saturday at 12:30 p.m. ET with NASCAR Raceday followed by the green flag at 1:30 p.m. ET. Stay connected with the No. 61 AISIN team by following @Hattori_Racing on Twitter, @hattoriracing on Instagram, and Hattori Racing Enterprises on Facebook.
Chase Purdy Quote:
On his outlook at Gateway:
“I’m really looking forward to getting back to Gateway. It’s a really different racetrack than what we usually race on. The straightaways are really long and you use a lot of brake at both ends of the racetrack, which are totally different. I’ve been there a couple times in the truck and ARCA car and feel like it suits my driving style since it races a little bit like a short track. Our guys have been working hard and we’ve had top-10 or top-15 speed the last few weeks, so hopefully can keep that going on Saturday afternoon with our AISIN Toyota Tundra TRD Pro.”
HRE PR
