Miura, whose solely earlier begin in a U.S.-based NASCAR sequence was within the 2022 Truck race on the Mid-Ohio Sports activities Automotive Course, will drive Joey Gase Motorsports’ No. 53 Toyota in Saturday’s race.
It’s the second consecutive 12 months the sequence has competed on the two.2-mile, 12-turn course via the Grant Park space of downtown Chicago. Final 12 months’s race was lower quick by rain with Cole Custer taking the victory.
“My dream is to race within the U.S. within the Cup Sequence and on the way in which to meet this dream I’m becoming a member of the NASCAR Xfinity Sequence at Chicago,” mentioned Miura, 44. “It’s going to be a tough race and a really stimulating problem.
“I’ll do my finest to make the sphere and I hope I can end someplace across the top-15. Getting a top-10 end could be improbable.”
Kenko Miura livery
Picture by: Joey Gase Motorsports
The Tokyo native has made 66 begins within the NASCAR Whelen Euro Sequence with two wins within the Challenger Trophy class for elite novice drivers within the EuroNASCAR Professional division. He completed a career-best eleventh in factors in 2018 within the EuroNASCAR 2 division.
Miura, president of a advertising and marketing firm, began racing on the age of 12 in go-karts and in addition competed within the former Asian Components Three Championship.
Miura will probably be one among two NASCAR Euro veterans entered in Saturday’s race.
4-time EuroNASCAR champion Alon Day – and the winningest driver in sequence historical past – will drive the No. 45 Chevrolet for Alpha Prime Racing.
“Our Joey Gase Motorsport’s group is extraordinarily excited to have Kenko driving our automotive within the streets of Chicago,” group proprietor Joey Gase mentioned.
“Though this will probably be Kenko’s first NASCAR Xfinity Sequence begin he’s a really mature and skilled street course driver and I do know that can assist our group achieve success in Chicago.”
Mike Hillman Sr. will function crew chief for Miura, whereas Ryan Blanchard would be the principal spotter.
