Ryan Ellis joins GoFas”¦as PR rep: Ryan Ellis made 24 starts across NASCAR’s three national series last year, another young driver trying to stay alive in the sport by jumping into whatever ride he could. But Ellis, tired of waiting for his big break and facing another exhausting season of trying to chase sponsorship, realized it might be best to take a year off from driving, then reset and try again in 2018. His job for this season, though, is perhaps unprecedented for a driver who raced in the NASCAR Cup Series as recently as November. Ellis is now the public relations representative for Matt DiBenedetto, who joins GoFas Racing’s #32 car this season. “It’s just so hard to claw and scratch and still be able to pay the bills halfway through a season,” Ellis said this week in between shuttling DiBenedetto to various stops on the NASCAR Media Tour. “I’ve been able to do it the last couple years, but it just takes such a burden on you.” That’s no exaggeration; Ellis has taken side jobs like working at the Richard Petty Driving Experience and even mopping floors at a BMW dealership to make ends meet. So the opportunity to try his hand at PR “ which comes with a steady salary “ was too good to pass up, especially while working with a good friend. “(Finding a ride) is only getting harder,” Ellis said. “With the self-funded drivers or the drivers who know the right people, you’re just not going to get one of these opportunities without money. I need to pay the bills, so I’ve just got to accept it and do all I can.”Â(JeffGluck.com)(1-28-2017)
