08/25/2026
We could not be any more excited for Andy J Racing!
He is one of the hardest working drivers in the industry, and he definitely deserves this opportunity. Please take a moment to drop a comment and wish him luck at Daytona International Speedway.
It’s really real. It’s actually happening. It’s not a dream. If it is a dream, it’s a very long one this time.
There is so much to say. So many people to say thank you too. My KLAS Motorsports family has changed my life and given me opportunities I didn’t think were possible a few years ago. Kevin and Andy have built this team into more than I ever imagined and our success together has lead us and me to this opportunity and many more. For me, It’s been one long ride, from go karts to Lancaster and Holland and all the way to where I sit today. It’s hard to imagine how all the years of racing and all the adventures somehow lead us all down this road that were on, but I’m grateful for how it all worked out and how we all do this together now.
We’re going to Daytona International Speedway! With RSS Racing equipment and I’ll be trusted with there number 39 entry for one of the most exciting, nerve racking and high stakes races on the calendar. The night race at Daytona! Coastal Conservation Association Florida will be along for the ride as our primary sponsor and I’ll be representing them and the wonderful work they do on one of the biggest nights of my life. I’m grateful to both of them for this opportunity and it’s a dream come true for me.
I want to also thank my buddy Patrick Emerling and Nate from Snow Belt MGMT and Leonard Motorsports Marketing for helping to put me into the seat. Me and Pat have come a long way from trading blows at the short tracks of WNY as youngsters with a lot to prove. Pat is a great rival and a better friend.
I want to thank my sponsors for jumping into this head first with me once the opportunity was presented. Todd and Jodi from Florida Safety Systems were as excited as I was and when I told Bill Card of Automotive Consultants we were heading back to Daytona for a big one he couldn’t wait to grab his car keys and jump in for the adventure. Bill and I are going to road trip all the way back to Buffalo after the race and try and race Holland Speedway Saturday with the Race of Champions and Mighty TQ Midgets. That’s a buddy you can count on! Todd and Jodi are planning to come rescue from the Atlanta airport tomorrow once the rental car company denies me because I don’t own a credit card. That’s what friends look like! I want to thank Bob Hill of the Yukon Creek Sportsman Club, a charitable organization that provides free hunting weekend trips for handicapped and wheel chair bound hunters who want to enjoy the hunting season in WNY. Bob helps me so much and always has my back with whatever we have going on, and we have a lot going on since Bob and I became friends. It’s been wonderful to share this with him. I also want to thank Jim Bronson of Ferrario Auto Team of Sayre and his son, Musician Ryan Bronson who took care of our spoiler spot as well as Erin and Ray of Suntric Renewable Electricity for jumping on board! A special shoutout to our friends at Velocita-USA, Klotz Synthetic Lubricants and Cometic Gasket, Inc., JG Grpahics and Rjp Motorsports who provide product sponsorships and offered to help me in any way they could.
This really began with Kevin Lapierre though, my car owner and friend of KLAS. I had received the invitation and it seemed like a large undertaking but Kevin was the one that really grabbed the wheel and said we have to do this. After that, everyone from the KLAS team got behind it and it really happened. My team members Jake (who crewed for my first go kart race), Ricky and Mark are all heading down along with a group of my friends and family (including my mom who drove me to that first go kart race) who are all going to support all this. Aaron Inman has the socials behind it just like it’s an ARCA Menards Series week and we have the 71 going on the track.
I’m not sure how it all worked out. I say that a lot, but it’s true. It’s a rare thing, to have everything work out, even when you do everything right it still doesn’t usually happen. I’m not sure I deserve it all. I’m far from perfect.
I love racing, it’s all I ever really wanted to do for as long as I can remember. The only smart thing I ever actually did was surround myself with good people that loved me a whole bunch. That, and I suggested that we ought be go have some fun. You guys are my cheat code. All of you. All the way. Thank you. It’s been one crazy year. I’ll be thinking about Steve when I strap in Friday. He taught me not to talk about it, just go do it. So many people have helped me get here and if not for each of you, I don’t think this would have worked out for me. I know that my path doesn’t end up here though if I never met Steve. I miss him every day. Thank you too, buddy 💚
See you all in Daytona this Friday night! Watch us live at 730 on The CW
