Back on Familiar Ground … For the first time in his rookie season, Jake Garcia is back on familiar ground and returns to a venue where he has prior experience. The driver of the No. 35 Adaptive One Chevrolet Silverado RST spent his first 10 races this season acclimating himself to new venues, but comes to World Wide Technology Raceway (WWTR) with one previous start under his belt. Garcia made his NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series (NCTS) debut at the St. Louis area’s 1.25-mile speedway last season, his first of five starts in 2022.
Still In It … With five races and 15 more opportunities to earn points in the regular season, Garcia is still in the thick of the playoff battle. The Georgia native had a streak of three top-10 finishes in the span of four events earlier this spring which has positioned him as a legitimate playoff threat in his first full-time season. While he’s still within a race-worth of points for the final playoff position, 48 points separate Garcia and the No. 35 team from joining their teammate Christian Eckes in the championship chase.
Season to Date … Despite missing one race due to age restrictions, Garcia is second in the Sunoco Rookie of the Year point standings, and 14th in the overall NCTS standings. He notched his best career finish of fifth at Texas Motor Speedway in April and has four top-10 finishes to his credit. The 18-year-old is coming off a 15th-place result at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Friday night, and has an average finish of 14.3, eighth-best of all full-time competitors.
Chassis Selection … Garcia returns to Gateway with chassis No. 320. Crew chief Mark Hillman most recently employed this Chevrolet Silverado RST at Bristol Motor Speedway last September with Colby Howard in the driver’s seat and will bring it back to action for the first time this season.
Tune In … All on-track action from WWTR will be covered live on FOX Sports 1, beginning with practice and qualifying at 6:00 p.m. ET on Friday evening. Race coverage begins on Saturday with NASCAR Raceday at 1:00 p.m. ET, followed by the green flag at 1:30 p.m. ET. Stay connected with the No. 35 Adaptive One team by following @BMR_NASCAR on Twitter, @bmrnascar on Instagram, and Bill McAnally Racing on Facebook.
Jake Garcia Quote:
On returning to Gateway:
“It’s definitely going to be nice to go to Gateway with a little experience and being familiar with the track. Our Adaptive One team has had a lot of good runs so far this year, but going to some of these tracks that I’ve never been to has been a bit of a challenge. That’s all part of being a rookie, but it’ll be nice to jump into practice on Friday knowing what we need in our Chevrolet and working on the balance, instead of having to learn the racetrack. We need a good run this weekend and start gaining some points back on the playoff spot. We’d like to race our way in, and I have confidence that our team and everybody at MHR can make it happen.”
McAnally Hilgemann Racing PR
