CORNELIUS, NC - Gaunt Brothers Racing announced today that reigning NASCAR K&N Pro Series champion Jason Bowles will drive the No.11 Triad Racing Technologies racecar in next weekend's Vortex Brake Pads 200 at the Mosport Int'l Speedway.
Bowles, a former karting champion from California, carries an impressive résumé which includes K&N Series wins the last two years at Infineon Raceway. GBR's regular driver John Gaunt will step out of the car for the road racing events in 2010, focusing on the ovals.
"I told my brother Marty early on that if we were going to do this thing right and build this team for the long haul, we should probably be working on developing a driver," said Gaunt, fresh off a top-5 finish in the season's opening race at Delaware. "The road courses have never been my strong suit, so we thought it would be a good opportunity to take a guy like Jason who has the credentials, and give him a shot. We're all pretty excited about going to Mosport and seeing what we can do there with him in the seat."
Bowles has spent the last three seasons in the NASCAR K&N West Series where he won nine races, nine poles and the championship in 2009. Four of his wins came on the twisting road circuits, and with a background in top-level shifter kart racing including multiple championships, road racing is something Bowles enjoys.
"I wish they had more road races in NASCAR to be honest; I look forward to these events," said Bowles. "Getting a chance with GBR and going to a place like Mosport in the Canadian Tire Series is going to be great. The cars are similar to what I ran in the west, the biggest difference is probably the level of competition. The guys up in Canada are tough, they run these cars every year and know these tracks. You don't have a lot of drivers from what I've been told that are learning to race like maybe you do in the West or East Series down here in the states. This is the top level in Canada, the field is really strong and full of veterans. These guys get after it, so I'm looking forward to that."
Gaunt Brothers Racing is fresh off their first event of the year where they finished 4th at Delaware with driver John Gaunt behind the wheel. It's a new team, but in name only. GBR's core group has been together for over three years.
"We're a close team, we've got some new pieces here in cars and equipment," said crew chief Don Jacobson. "But the guys have all been together for awhile. I've done some homework on Jason and he's going to fit right in, this kid is a really good racecar driver. Mosport's a tough, tough place, but we brought him in here knowing he can get up to speed quickly and try and help us put a win on the board."
With GBR building a new car for road racing, Bowles has not had an opportunity to test. His only exposure to Mosport's twisting 2.5 mile track is through a high-end simulation machine at Triad Racing Technologies in North Carolina.
"It won't be the first time I've come to a track without testing and probably not the last," Bowles said. "I raced Formula Fords at Mosport a few years back, so I've been there. Compared to the cars we're racing next weekend though, it's totally different. The simulator has been great to get a feel for what a stock car will be like there. Knowing the turns and layout is a big help; the simulation is very realistic in that respect."
For more information on GBR visit www.gauntbrothersracing.com. Other related sites, visit: www.triadrt.com // www.jasonbowles.com // http://hometracks.nascar.com/series/6
Via Shon Sbarra / NASCAR
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