Veteran NASCAR crew chief Richie Wauters takes the leap into NASCAR Camping World Truck Series team ownership forming Wauters Motorsports which in 2012 will be driven by Sunoco Rookie of the Year contender Paulie Harraka. Wauters’ career began at tracks around his hometown Green Bay, Wis. and quickly moved into the NASCAR Touring Series. Wauters crewed successful NASCAR Sprint Cup teams with drivers Kenny Wallace, Elliott Sadler, Robert Pressley and Jeff Green. Wauters, in his tenure as a crew chief in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, led teams to 18 victories from 2004-2010 with drivers Shane Hmiel, Kyle Busch and Aric Almirola. Former NASCAR Drive for Diversity driver Harraka will take the wheel of the Ford F150 Camping World truck. Most recently, Harraka posted three victories in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West. Harraka, a senior at Duke University, has also scored the Championship in NASCAR’s Whelen All-American Series, and posted two different NASCAR Rookie of the Year titles: NASCAR Whelen All American Series and NASCAR Camping World Series West (Now K&N Pro Series West). The Wauters Motorsports F150 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series truck will be utilizing Doug Yates and Roush Racing Engines in their debut at Daytona International Speedway for the running of the NEXTERA Energy Resources 250, Friday, Feb. 24th.(Wauters Motorsports PR)(1-26-2012)
UPDATE: Paul Harraka will drive the #5 Wauters Motorsports Ford F-150 in the 2012 NCWTS. Owner Richie Wauters has a long history with the number having all his race cars bearing the #5 for 25+ years.(FB-Wauters Motorsports)(2-7-2012)
