Teenage racing sensation Brent Crews has created his own NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series team.
A success in midgets, Trans Am and ARCA, the 17-year-old will make his debut in the Brent Crews Motorsports No. 70 Toyota Aug. 8 at Watkins Glen (N.Y.) Int’l.
“I grew up going to dinner on race weekends with guys like Nick Tucker and Brian Keselowski listening to stories about building race cars and engines out of spare parts and barely getting to the track,” said Crews. “Even though everyone would tell them they were crazy, it always sounded like so much fun to me. When we started talking about me buying a truck to run Watkins Glen, no one was willing to tell me it was a bad idea and it just kind of snowballed from there. I sold all my micro sprints to raise some of the money and here we are.”
The launch of Brent Crews Motorsports reflects Crews’ vision to take control of a piece of his motorsports future and create an organization that champions young talent, innovation, and performance.
The race team is uniquely positioned as a driver led organization with fellow young driving stars Jesse Love, Connor Zilisch and Jack Baldwin joining Crews as part of the executive team and bringing a forward-thinking, driver perspective to its leadership.
Crews began racing go-karts at age six. It was at the karting track where Crews and his stepfather Matt Lankford met Nick Tucker nearly 10 years ago. Nitro kart was born soon after and Crews became the lead driver of what is now Nitro Motorsports.
This year, Crews is scheduled to run nine races for TRICON Garage in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series and nine races for Joe Gibbs Racing in the ARCA Menards Series.
Crews won his ARCA Menards Series debut with Joe Gibbs Racing at Phoenix, and two additional ARCA victories at Rockingham and IRP.
Crews has three NCTS starts this season so far in the No. 1 Toyota Tundra for TRICON Garage.
This new team will supplement his scheduled races with TRICON and he will be behind the No. 1 Truck for his fourth start with the team at Richmond International Raceway.
“My stepdad Matt and I have always done things outside the box,” Crews added. “We went national midget racing when I was 12 and became the youngest midget winner in history with Pristine Auction on the side of the car, so I’m super pumped to have them back on board. I don’t really know where this is going to go, but with all the buzz around road course guys right now, it didn’t seem right to miss Watkins Glen.
“I love the track. I have a win there. I don’t know what to expect from our team, but I will give it everything I’ve got. Watching on TV was not an option.”
Brent Crews Motorsports will temporarily operate out of the Nitro Motorsports Trans-Am shop in Mooresville, N.C. and will unveil more partners and team personnel in the coming weeks.
