Wyler Racing Seeks First Victory on Hometown Turf
“Cincinnati Father-Son Duo Celebrate One
Year In NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series”
MOORESVILLE, NC (JULY
3, 2006) - After 33 years of success in the automobile
industry, Jeff Wyler was ready to try his hand at something new
- motorsports. In 2005, Jeff Wyler, along with son David, formed
Wyler Racing - a NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series team with Toyota
support. It was a natural fit for an automobile salesman with two
Toyota dealerships (Clarksville, Indiana and Springfield, Ohio).
Wyler Racing just celebrated its first full season in the NASCAR
Craftsman Truck Series two weeks ago at the Milwaukee Mile. Since
its inception, the Mooresville, North Carolina-based team has accumulated
seven top fives and 11 top 10s.
“Running a partial schedule in 2005 was a way to prepare us
for all the demands of a competitive series,” said owner Jeff
Wyler. “When we decided to start a NASCAR team it happened
in the blink of an eye. We had looked at the options for several
years, but in a matter of days it was a reality.
“Wyler Racing was literally born overnight. So, we needed
to run a partial schedule in 2005 to take the time to establish ourselves
while looking for a winning sponsor and driver combination.”
At the end of 2005, Wyler Racing secured half of that winning combination
- signing three-time NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series champion Jack
Sprague. Sprague ran five races with the team at the end of the 2005
season, scoring two top-five finishes at Atlanta and Homestead.
“We almost won our second race together in Atlanta. We were
leading going into
the last turn of the race, but that just shows you how competitive
the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series is. We ended up finishing fourth,” Sprague
said. “That’s when I knew I was with a team that could
help me win another championship. I couldn’t wait for the 2006
season.”
Just prior to the season-opening race at Daytona International Speedway
in 2006, Wyler Racing announced that it had signed Con-way Freight
- North America’s premier commercial freight transportation
company - as the primary sponsor for the No. 60 Toyota Tundra. This
rounded out the winning combination that Jeff Wyler had hoped for
when Wyler Racing officially opened its doors.
To date this season, Sprague has five top-five and seven top-10
finishes in the No. 60 Con-way Freight Toyota. This weekend at Kentucky
Speedway, Sprague and his Wyler Racing team are looking for their
first win - a win that would be very special to father and son co-owners
Jeff and David Wyler, who hail from nearby Cincinnati.
“I really want to get this No. 60 Con-way Freight Toyota into
victory lane this weekend at Kentucky,” Sprague said. “I
want to win for my sponsor, but this is Jeff and David’s home
track, and it would be cool to see them celebrate the team’s
first victory right in their backyard with all of their family and
friends.”
ABOUT JEFF WYLER AUTOMOTIVE FAMILY:
Jeff Wyler left the security of GM in 1973
to buy a small Chevrolet dealership. Today, he’s owner
of The Jeff Wyler Automotive Family, Inc., a Cincinnati, Ohio-based
dealership network with 10 different locations representing 16
different manufacturers and a total of 30 new car franchises.
The company also includes two boat franchises
as well as a motorcycle franchise. They are located in the greater
Cincinnati area, which includes four locations in Northern Kentucky,
the Frankfort & Louisville, Kentucky, markets, and they are also
in the Dayton and Springfield, Ohio, markets. Annually, the Jeff
Wyler Automotive family, Inc. sells about 25,000 vehicles totaling
approximately $600 million in sales and employs about 1000 people.
ABOUT CON-WAY FREIGHT:
Con-Way Transportation Services Inc.
is North America's premier commercial
freight transportation company. Known
for its high performing employees and
superior service levels, the company
provides less-than-truckload, truckload,
expedite, truckload brokerage, airfreight
forwarding and retail distribution services
to commercial and industrial businesses
in the United States, Alaska, Hawaii,
Puerto, and Mexico. With annual revenues
of over $2.8 billion in 2005 and over
20,000 employees, Con-Way's operating
successes have made it an industry leader.