The final time Brian Weber raced within the NASCAR Xfinity Collection, it was the Busch Collection, the playoff system was a 12 months away from being launched to the Cup Collection, and Jimmie Johnson was only a hotshot Cup sophomore whose trajectory to legendary standing had but to be skilled.
Twenty years later, Weber hopes to make his return in Saturday’s race at Phoenix Raceway. He’ll drive the #66 Ford Mustang for MBM Motorsports.
Weber first competed within the Xfinity Collection in 1988 at IRP, the place he drove his personal Buick to a end of thirty-first; ought to he make the Phoenix race, he would be the final lively driver to have raced for the producer, which exited NASCAR in 1995 although manufacturing unit assist ended 4 years prior. Over a decade later, he made nineteen begins in 2001 and 2002 primarily for his personal operation with a finest end of twenty-fifth on three events (Bristol and Nazareth in 2002, Gateway in 2003).
He returned to NASCAR’s prime three divisions in 2010 when he entered two races with Daisy Ramirez Motorsports, a group for whom MBM proprietor Carl Lengthy additionally raced. His final nationwide sequence occasion was a twenty-sixth at Phoenix in 2012 for Mike Harmon Racing.
Whereas Weber didn’t made a NASCAR begin within the ten years since, he continued to race in modified automobiles within the Southern Modified Auto Racing Tour and Carolina Crate Modified Collection. He’s additionally an entrepreneur who just lately launched Final Choice Mattress, an inflatable mattress line for airline travellers which is able to sponsor his #66.
2023 might be Weber’s last season of standard competiton earlier than retiring.
“I discussed to Carl just a few weeks again my helmet was being put away on the finish of the 12 months, and but, right here we’re,” mentioned Weber. “I’ve had forty years of reminiscences on this sport, from my Busch North days to racing my first Xfinity race in 1988 with among the best drivers ever. I’m excited to have these occasions shut this chapter of my life my method with God’s blessings and style.”
whereas he by no means raced at Phoenix on the Xfinity degree, Weber has two Truck begins there together with the aforementioned 2012 run. He completed twenty-fifth for DSM in 2010.
MBM is fielding the #66 for a number of drivers, although the season has gotten off to a poor begin as Dexter Stacey and Mason Maggio respectively didn’t qualify at Daytona and Las Vegas. Timmy Hill made the Fontana race within the #66 and completed thirty-second. Regardless of Maggio lacking Las Vegas, the automobile noticed motion anyway after being repurposed because the Emerling-Gase Motorsports #53 to be used by Patrick Emerling, who positioned thirty-fourth.
