Kaulig Racing is preparing for a landmark moment as the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series holds its first race on the streets of St. Petersburg, Florida, bringing fresh excitement and new challenges for the team. The Kaulig Racing St. Petersburg race will see drivers like Colin Braun, Daniel Dye, Brenden “Butterbean” Queen, and “Mini” Tyrrell take on unfamiliar territory in a historic debut for the series.
Drivers Prepare for New Challenges on the Streets of St. Pete
The upcoming event marks the first time the Truck Series will compete on a street course in St. Pete, requiring Kaulig Racing to adapt and innovate. Colin Braun, returning to the series, is eager to combine his extensive endurance racing background with the unique demands of street and oval courses. Braun highlighted the hard work of the team and their sponsor support as crucial to their preparation:
“I’m excited to get back behind the wheel of a NASCAR truck, especially on such a cool weekend when they debut at St. Pete. Ram’s program offers a fantastic opportunity to mix my endurance background with oval and street course racing. I’m thrilled Ram is giving me this chance. I have seen how much work the Kaulig Racing crew is putting into getting this program started up, and giving them a great result would repay them for the hard work!”
— Colin Braun, Driver
Learning in Real Time for Young Competitors
For drivers like Daniel Dye, the St. Petersburg track represents a new experience, demanding fast learning and collaboration. Dye is leveraging advice from experienced figures such as Max Papis and teammate Colin Braun to maximize his performance:
“Going to a new track is a challenge. I plan on talking to Colin [Braun] as much as I can, and watching as much in-car footage as I can find. I spoke to Max Papis at Daytona, and he has won there before. I plan on picking his brain as well to try and get as much information as I can, so the learning curve can be shorter than it normally would be without doing the usual prep work we do.”
— Daniel Dye, Driver
Brenden Queen Sets Eyes on a Street Racing Breakthrough
Brenden “Butterbean” Queen welcomes the unique challenge of racing on city streets, a discipline in which he has not yet claimed victory. Coming off a difficult showing in Atlanta, Queen is focused on maximizing every opportunity that the Kaulig Racing St. Petersburg race presents:
“I’m excited to head somewhere new for NASCAR and be part of one of the first street races for the Truck Series in a long time. That’s pretty special. I’m not necessarily known as a road racer, but I’ve never backed down from a challenge. A road course is really the one style of track I haven’t won on yet, so I’d love to change that. Our goal is to put the Cummins Ram 1500 up front, keep learning every lap, and continue building momentum. Atlanta didn’t go the way we wanted, but if we complete all the laps and put ourselves in position at the end, that’s key — street races are all about survival.”
— Brenden “Butterbean” Queen, Driver
“Mini” Tyrrell Embraces the Opportunity and Fans
After taking part in “Race for the Seat” and two Truck Series starts, “Mini” Tyrrell recognizes the remarkable progress in his young career and the significance of fan engagement. Tyrrell is eager to adapt quickly to the new street race, emphasizing learning from experienced teammates and prioritizing a mistake-free approach:
“It’s made my dreams a reality, which is really special. I want to be a fan favorite. I want to be a guy everybody’s cheering for, and just try to be as thankful and grateful as I can. And I understand how big a world this is and how big of an opportunity this is.”
— “Mini” Tyrrell, Driver
“St. Pete is going to be a complete unknown for me. It will involve a lot of learning in real time. I’ll definitely be leaning on my teammates quite a bit – I’m looking forward to learning from Colin [Braun] and all of his experience. Street courses don’t leave much room for mistakes, so the focus will be adapting quickly and keeping our No. 14 Ram 1500 clean.”
— “Mini” Tyrrell, Driver
Team Spirit and High Hopes for the St. Petersburg Race
Kaulig Racing enters the St. Petersburg race fueled by dedication, teamwork, and an eagerness to break new ground in the NASCAR Truck Series. With drivers harnessing support from experienced mentors, studying footage, and working cohesively, the stage is set for an exciting and unpredictable race. Success here offers a chance for the team and its drivers to shine, inspire fans, and be part of a milestone moment in NASCAR history as the series races through the streets of St. Pete for the very first time.
