Jimmy Weller shocks with ninth place finish at Daytona

As I read over the truck series results – I keep asking myself, “Who is Jimmy Weller III?”.  Well, here’s your answer after some careful research in-case you asked yourself that question as well. 

For those who missed it, Weller finished seventh in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series season opener at Daytona International Speedway in the No. 08 Geneva Liberty Steel/Engine Parts Plus Chevrolet.

“I’m so proud of the effort by our Engine Parts Plus / Genmak Geneva-Liberty Steel Chevrolet Silverado team,” commented Weller.  “We had a great truck all week, and the guys were great about giving me the advice and information I needed to be successful in my first race at Daytona.  We had a bit of adversity with our push-to-talk malfunctioning during the race, but everyone stayed calm and we did what we needed to do.  To have such a strong run right out the box gives us great momentum going into the rest of the season.  I’m really excited to be teamed up with SS Green Light Racing throughout this season.”

The race at Daytona marked his sixth Camping World Truck Series as he made five starts last year, with his best finish being 17th at Homestead-Miami Speedway. The Dayton, Ohio native is more so known for his experience in the NASCAR K&N Pro East Series as he has made 20 starts there over the past three years, scoring three top 10s along the way.

Born in 1985, Weller began racing at the age of 17 in dirt Big Block Modifieds at Sharon Speedway, Lernerville Speedway and on the BRP Modified Tour. At the age of 18, he earned a BRP Tour win at Wayne County Speedway, while scoring a championship at Sharon in Sprint Cars at the age of 19. As a result, he was named one of the Top 25 Under 25 in Sprint & Midget Car News’ list at year end. Missing teh following season due to injury, Weller returned to Big Blocks for the first half of 2006 – before switching to asphalt Late Models in 2006.

The following season, he finished seventh in ASA Challenge Series points and fifth in the MAARA Touring Series standings in 2007. Since, he has seen success in the late model ranks as he record a pair of wins at New Smyrna Speedway during their World Speedweeks while finishing seventh in the PASS Late Model Series in 2011.

The sucess there led him to driving in the K&N Pro East Series for Dave Blaney, followed by getting to run some Camping World Truck Series races for Ken Smith. Along the way, Weller has made a couple truck starts with Bobby Dotter – including Daytona’s stellar finish.

Weller is scheduled to run atleast 12 races this season for Dotter’s SS Green Light Racing team.

“We’re really happy to have Jimmy back in our truck this season,” team owner Bobby Dotter commented pre-season.  “We ran a few races together last season and he did a great job representing SS Green Light Racing both on and off the track.  He brings a lot of talent and energy to our team and we’re looking forward to having him in our truck this season.  Jason Miller will serve as his crew chief this year—it seems like Jason, Jimmy and the team have been able to build some chemistry already, so we’re excited to see what the No. 08 Engine Parts Plus / Genmak Geneva-Liberty Steel Chevrolet team is able to accomplish with an extended schedule this season.”

They say that dreams can be made on the high banks of Daytona as the draft is the great equalizer. Weller managed to stay out of trouble throughout the entire event and had a great finish that shocked the world. For a not-well known driver and small team, this is huge as they can build on this in looking for sponsorship moving forward and getting their name out there.

About the Author

Ashley McCubbin

Joining OnPitRoad.com mid-2013 season, Ashley McCubbin is now the Managing Editor and contributes to each racing division as needed. Since studying journalism at the University of Guelph-Humber, Ashley has published articles on a couple of different websites, while serving as a public relations representative for different short track teams. Born in North York, Ontario, Ashley currently lives in Bradford, Ontario and spends her weekend at the local short tracks in the area. She has spent her entire life at the short track level, falling in love with the sport at the age of five. Beyond her love of short track racing, she also has grown an interest for both NASCAR and the IndyCar Racing Series. She also enjoys taking photos and working on websites, while playing a couple rounds of Candy Crush afterwards.

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