MOORESVILLE, N.C. — Report by Race Chaser Online Managing Editor Jacob Seelman — ARCA photo —
Race Chaser Online has learned that 2015 SCOTT Rookie Challenge points leader and ARCA Racing Series driver for Cunningham Motorsports, Kyle Weatherman, will pilot a Lira Motorsports entry in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series prior to the conclusion of the 2015 season.
The news was brought to the forefront by Weatherman’s younger brother Clayton — who will test a Lira Motorsports ARCA car next month — on Thursday night’s Stock Car Steel/SRI Motorsports Show on the Performance Motorsports Network, and later confirmed by sources close to the situation. An official announcement is expected from the team in the coming days.
Weatherman’s jump to a Lira Motorsports Truck comes on the heels of the news that regular team driver David Levine will make his NCWTS debut for the burgeoning operation in the season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway on Nov. 20. That announcement was made on FOX Sports’ NASCAR Race Hub program with Ray Dunlap and Danielle Trotta on Thursday evening.
The 18-year-old Wentzville, Mo. native’s start is expected to also come at Homestead, meaning that Weatherman and Levine will run as teammates in the Ford EcoBoost 200 after competing against one another for ARCA rookie honors during that sanction’s 20-race national touring series schedule.
Weatherman ran 15 races for team owners Briggs Cunningham and Kerry Scherer in the ARCA Racing Series in 2015, capturing the Calypso Lemonades Short Track Challenge points championship, topping the SCOTT Rookie Challenge (Weatherman will be officially honored with the ARCA Rookie of the Year Award at the series’ championship banquet in December) and finishing 10th in the ARCA driver standings as well as carrying Cunningham Motorsports to second in the ARCA car owner standings.
Weatherman grabbed his first ARCA victory on the road course at New Jersey Motorsports Park in May, and had 10 top five and 13 top 10 finishes in his 15 starts, along with three Menards Pole Awards.
When reached by Race Chaser Online Thursday night, Weatherman said that he hopes to have a program in place to run full-time in the ARCA Racing Series in 2016, but does not officially know what team he will be driving for at this time.
Race Chaser Online will have more on this breaking story as it develops.
About the Writer
Jacob Seelman is the Managing Editor of Race Chaser Online and creator of the Motorsports Madness radio show, airing at 7 p.m. Eastern every Monday on the Performance Motorsports Network. Seelman grew up in the sport, watching his grandparents co-own the RaDiUs Motorsports NASCAR Cup Series team in the 1990s.
The 21-year-old is currently studying Broadcast Journalism at Winthrop University in Rock Hill, S.C., and is also serving as the full-time tour announcer for both the United Sprint Car Series and the Must See Racing Sprint Car Series.
Email Jacob at: [email protected]
Follow on Twitter: @Speed77Radio or @JacobSeelman77
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