AVONDALE, Ariz. – Bayley Currey will make his Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series debut this weekend at Arizona’s ISM Raceway, driving the No. 52 Ford for Rick Ware Racing.
Currey’s first start at NASCAR’s top level will come with support from several of the team’s primary partners – including Mtel-One Inc. and Jacob Companies – as well as Baja Industrial, a Texas-based company that has supported Currey in several of his prior NASCAR endeavors.
A 22-year-old native of Driftwood, Texas, Currey has 29 career starts between the NASCAR Xfinity Series and the NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series. He’s run two Xfinity Series races for Ware this season.
“It’s a bit of a wild deal, really, that I have a chance to get into a Cup car just over a year after I ran my first Truck race,” Currey noted. “Rick was really one of the first people that I got involved in the NASCAR stuff with, so it’s pretty cool to be making my first Cup start with him this weekend at Phoenix.
“This is something that’s been floating around for a while (as a possibility); Rick knew I raced, and it was just a matter of getting the right licensing and getting my approvals done,” Currey continued. “We were actually supposed to do this last year, but the playoffs on the Cup side threw a bit of a wrench in that, so we waited until the spring and now we’re ready to make this deal happen.”
Much like other debuting rookies, Currey’s goals for Sunday’s race are about staying out of trouble and keeping his nose clean at a one-mile oval known for beating, banging and mayhem.
“First and foremost, the priority is to finish the race, bring the car home in one piece and without any scratches, and to gain as much respect as I can,” Currey explained. “I want to get as many laps and as much experience as possible, and if we can do that I’ll call this weekend a real success for us.”
Currey’s confidence is buoyed, however, by the fact that he’ll be making his maiden voyage at NASCAR’s top level at the same track where he scored his best Truck Series finish to-date.
The Texas young gun finished 10th in just his second-career Truck Series start in November of 2017, driving for Copp Motorsports, and hopes to use some of those same lessons at the Cup level as well.
“It’s definitely nice to be able to go into a track where I’ve had some good runs in the past,” Currey said. “Hopefully we can do the same this weekend. There’s a lot about the place that I like, from the way you can move your car or truck around to make speed to how each part of the track is so unique.
“Phoenix is just a fun place and I’m looking forward to being back on track there this weekend.”