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| Blake Koch |
Koch, 26, was behind the
wheel for nine of the team's races in 2012 and quickly became an integral part
of helping to move the team forward. Koch also impressed his sponsors and team
management with this attitude, ability and positive lifestyle.
"Everyone at SR²
Motorsports is very excited to have Blake Koch return in 2013," said Jason
Sciavicco, team owner. "What he believes in as a person really fits to our
team model and where we're heading. We also believe he has the talents behind
the wheel to deliver the results we are expecting."
Koch made his Nationwide
Series debut in 2009. In his first 10 races, Blake Koch earned five top-25
finishes. He completed 32 Nationwide Races in 2011 and finished 18th in points,
finishing a close second in the battle for rookie of the year.
"I'm really excited
to be teaming with SR² Motorsports for the 2013 season," Koch said.
"Our team chemistry is solid. In the races we competed in last season, we
worked well together and developed a good understanding of how our race cars need
to be set up. We have great note packages to build on from last year, which
have laid a good foundation for this year. We grew leaps and bounds last season
and I'm optimistic that we'll continue that this year."
Gordon drove 11 races
for SR² Motorsports in 2011. He was a major factor in establishing the team and
locking them into the top-30 of the owner point standings. Throughout his
career, Gordon has competed in the NASCAR Nationwide Series, Camping World
Truck Series, K&N Pro Series East and the ARCA Series.
"No doubt about it,
SR² Motorsports wouldn't be where we are today without Benny Gordon,"
Sciavicco said. "It's great to know that he'll still be guiding us and
helping shape our organization in 2013. He brings loads of experience and
leadership to the table and he will certainly be an asset to us in our second
season of competition."
The drivers for the
team's remaining two cars will be named at a later date. Gordon and Koch will
team together for the first time at Daytona International Speedway for the
DRIVE4COPD 300 on February 23. The event will broadcast on ESPN, MRN Radio and
Sirius Satellite Radio.
I was pretty impressed by Koch last season when he drove the No. 00 SR² Motorsports start-and-park entry late in the season. He also did a very nice job qualifying for smaller Truck Series teams, and even qualified 9th in the Nationwide race at Homestead. Plus, he has a great attitude and will be no problem with his team behind-the-scenes, as seen from his maturity after losing his "Rise Up and Register" sponsorship after ESPN pulled the ad.
ReplyDeleteI'm looking forward to seeing who will drive the other two cars, as I think SR² Motorsports has built itself a nice little organization and will only continue to grow in 2013.