Malaysian based international race driver Earl Bamber will be on the starting grid at NASCAR this weekend.
The veteran IMSA driver will pilot the No. 21 NASCAR Xfinity Series entry for Richard Childress Racing, beginning at the Daytona International Speedway road course today, August 15th 2020.
This Daytona race will not be a new race event for this 30-year-old New Zealander. Bamber, is no stranger to Daytona, having made numerous starts in sports cars on many road courses, including the famed 24 Hours of Daytona.
“I’ve dreamed about competing in NASCAR my entire life, so I am so thankful to Richard Childress, KCMG and everyone who has played a role in creating this opportunity for me,” said Bamber. “I know that RCR has a storied history of cultivating talent and will give me all of the tools I need to succeed. I’m looking forward to the race.”
The Kiwi had only recently confirmed his Malaysian-based GT team earl Bamber Motorsport had withdrawn from this year’s 24 Hours of Spa.
Interesting Fact: Earl Bamber has raced at the 24 Hours of Daytona a total of six times since 2014, and while his team has never won the race, he’s stood on the podium three times. This season, when IMSA ran the Daytona race as an endurance race and then a sprint on July 4th, Bamber and Vanthoor placed second in both events. The man knows the circuit well, having run hundreds of laps in this layout. Even though his traditional Porsche equipment is significantly better matched to the high-speed heavy-braking track than the NASCAR Xfinity series stock car he’ll be piloting on Saturday, Earl is good enough at managing traction and braking that I expect him to place quite well in this race. Especially if it rains.
PRESS RELEASE: From RotoWire.com. Richard Childress Racing announced that KC Motorgroup Ltd. is returning for a fourth consecutive year of partnership following a successful 2019 campaign. The international brand joins RCR with a multi-driver, multi-series lineup, beginning with the NASCAR Xfinity Series at the Daytona International Speedway road course. Bamber will make his career-first NASCAR Xfinity Series start in the No. 21 KCMG Chevrolet.
The IMSA veteran driver will get his first taste of NASCAR in a couple weeks when the Xfinity Series goes road course racing for the first time ever at Daytona. Bamber is a highly skilled road racing driver and has earned four podium finishes in seven IMSA starts at the circuit. He’ll give the No. 21 RCR team a very capable hand behind the wheel of the team’s Camaro. Bamber could challenge the Top 5 in his NASCAR debut at Daytona.
