Monteith sets his aim on 2011 Kingsport Speedway championship
BLOUNTVILLE, Tenn. — Nate Monteith is a winner and a champion. He’s setting his aim high for the 2011 racing season and don’t be surprised to see him hit the target – winning the Kingsport Speedway NASCAR Whelen All-American Series Late Model Stock championship.
Like many race car drivers Monteith got started in racing behind the wheel of a go-kart, before moving on to full-bodied stock cars. He’s enjoyed much success along the way, having captured 47 Late Model Stock feature wins and two track championships (2008 and ’09 titles at Lonesome Pine Raceway in Coeburn, Va.) during his career.
Besides racing on the local short-track level Monteith is a veteran racer, with starts in the NASCAR Nationwide Series, NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, and Automobile Racing Club of America (ARCA) to his credit. He’s raced at speeds approaching 200 mph at “The World Center of Speed” – Daytona International Speedway and Talladega Superspeedway, along with competing on the high banks of the “World’s Fastest Half-Mile” at Bristol Motor Speedway. He also made his debut last year with the United Speed Alliance Racing Pro Cup Series’ final event at South Boston (Va.) Speedway.
If Monteith had been swinging a bat as Major League Baseball player he would be certified a Louisville Slugger, commanding a top-dollar contract worth millions based on his impressive .533 winning percentage behind the wheel of a race car in 2010. During his stellar racing campaign last year, Monteith captured seven Late Model Stock feature wins in 14 starts competing at both Newport (Tenn.) Speedway and Lonesome Pine Raceway. His accomplishments also included getting behind the wheel of a Super Late Model for the first-time ever at Newport, and Monteith proved to be head-of-class as he set a new track record during qualifying and easily rolled to victory. Overall for 2010, Monteith recorded eight victories in 15 starts.
If Monteith had been swinging a bat as Major League Baseball player he would be certified a Louisville Slugger, commanding a top-dollar contract worth millions based on his impressive .533 winning percentage behind the wheel of a race car in 2010. During his stellar racing campaign last year, Monteith captured seven Late Model Stock feature wins in 14 starts competing at both Newport (Tenn.) Speedway and Lonesome Pine Raceway. His accomplishments also included getting behind the wheel of a Super Late Model for the first-time ever at Newport, and Monteith proved to be head-of-class as he set a new track record during qualifying and easily rolled to victory. Overall for 2010, Monteith recorded eight victories in 15 starts.
After a long, cold and snowy winter around East Tennessee, Monteith is anxiously looking forward to the 2011 Kingsport Speedway season-opener on Saturday, March 12. The 29-year-old hopes to visit victory lane frequently during the course of the racing season.
“I’m really excited and pumped-up, ready for racing season to get started,” said Monteith from his Blountville race shop. “I guess I’m the most excited I’ve ever been for racing to get cranked up. It seems there’s a buzz all around the region from race fans that are glad to see weekly racing returning to Kingsport Speedway under promoter Robert Pressley, a former NASCAR racer. I believe he’s going to do an excellent job at the helm of the track, getting it re-established like it once was during its prime.
“We’ve (my crew and I) put a lot of hours in working on our equipment during the off-season and we’re ready to race. We’ve tested the car a couple of times, and I believe we’re in pretty good shape. I guess to start the season off you always have high expectations, and we’ve set lofty goals of winning a lot of races and winning the track championship. I feel we have a good car and even though I’ve really not raced at Kingsport Speedway all that much in my career, I do like the track and we seem to get around the .375-mile banked concrete oval pretty well. When you talk Kingsport Speedway, the track’s got such a rich history and tradition of famous NASCAR drivers that raced there and I’d love nothing better than to be able write my name in the record book as a track champion. When you look at names of past champions, it would be an honor to be in such great company.”
The list of Late Model Stock competitors’ making plans to race at Kingsport Speedway weekly in 2011 looks to be impressive. Monteith expects to be right in the mix each week as one of the favorites to win. And don’t bet against him, because chances are very good you’ll see him parked in victory lane – he’s been a “winner” since he started racing and knows what it takes to visit the black and white checkered real estate.
Monteith Racing is a family-run operation, with support from Nate’s father and mother, Don and Brenda, along with grandparents’ Wayne and Gladys Snow. Calling the shots from the pits on race day will be crew chief Kirby Gobble, supported by car chief Duke Bare, with assistance from Eddie Crane and Greg Hensley.
Sponsors on the Monteith Racing No. 44 Chevrolet Impala for the 2011 racing season: True Line Construction Company, KBM Commercial Properties, Pizza Plus, BSA Security Company, TAB Performance, Clark's Automotive Race Engines, Griffin Radiators, Amsoil, Brown & Miller Racing Solutions, Five Star Race Car Bodies, ProParts Engineering Performance, Sherwin-Williams, Townsend/LTO Race Cars, WD Performance, and eXlander Designs.
For more information regarding Nate Monteith, contact him at (423) 340-2004 or visit his Web site at www.NateMonteith.com
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Press Release Prepared By:
Robert Walden
Walden Motorsports Communications
Walden Motorsports Communications
Johnson City, TN
(423) 928-9644
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