FAIRBURY, Ill. — McKay Wenger and Curless Motorsports have joined forces for the upcoming season with Wenger piloting the team’s No. 99 Rhyne Racing Engine Super Late Model.
“I’m grateful for the opportunity that Amanda and Doug Curless are providing me with the C&W Trucking House Car for 2024. Last year I approached the team about running some laps in their car before the end of the season to compare the Longhorn Chassis to my Rocket Chassis, and we ended up running three races together as a last-minute deal,” Wenger said.
“We had fun all three nights, were competitive, and my team and their team seemed to work very well together with a lot of mutual respect.
“As the fall went on we all kept in touch and talked areas where we could improve, and I had even looked back wishing we would’ve made ‘one more’ adjustment the last night at Lincoln (Speedway) to have a chance of winning the Fall Nationals.”
From those three events they ran together, Wenger and Curless continued to talk about possibilities for the future.
“We started talking about 2024, and I spoke with Doug about the possible opportunity to race for him. It’s something I’ve worked for these past 19 years with my family-owned team, and he agreed combining our efforts seemed like a natural fit. He’s now giving me a great opportunity and a great team to work with.”
For this year’s campaign, Wenger will be utilizing Longhorn Chassis and Rhyne Engines.
“Matt (Rhyne) and I have a working relationship from my years in the Modified and early years in my late model. He’s a great guy to have in my corner during this process. I’m also very appreciative of everything Tye Twarog has done to help me. Not only is he a great marketing partner, but he’s been a great help getting ready for the season,” Wenger noted.
This season will find Wenger and Curless Motorpsorts embarking on nearly 50 events with a prime focus on the Midwest Auto Racing Series (MARS) Championship Powered by FK Rod Ends Super Late Model title.
Additional events currently on the docket include select races with the Lucas Oil Midwest Late Model Racing Association (MLRA), the DIRTcar Summer Nationals, the World of Outlaws Late Model Series, and Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series as well as individual weekly events at Farmer City (Ill.) Raceway and Fairbury (Ill.) Speedway.
The first race of the new season for the team will come at Peoria (Ill.) Speedway with a $5,000-to-win program.
“This is the most aggressive schedule we’ve had since running for a UMP Championship in 2016. We really feel like we’ve built a great team, combining our experience and crews together,” Wenger said. “We’re excited for this season and the future. Again, I want to say a huge thanks to Amanda and Doug Curless for the opportunity. We have the equipment we need to compete at a high level, and we’re ready to hit the ground running.”