The Mike Smeriglio Racing team not only got a new driver this week in Doug Coby for their No. 2 entry on the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour, the organization also got a new tenant in their shop.
Rob Fuller with his 15-40 Connection Whelen Modified Tour ride (Photo: Rob Fuller Motorsports)
Rob Fuller confirmed he is moving his part-time Whelen Modified Tour team, and now Valenti Modified Racing Series team, under the roof of Mike Smeriglio Racing for the 2014 season.
Fuller who has run a handful of races on the Modified Tour each of the past five seasons, will add the Valenti Modified Racing Series to his schedule for 2014.
“My team is still the same, the only thing that’s changing is that I’m not going to have the cars at my shop any more,” Fuller said. “They’re going to be in the same facility as the No. 2 car and [Mike Smeriglio Racing crew chief Phil Moran] is going to maintain them.”
15-40 Connection, which joined Fuller as a primary sponsor for the 2013 season, will return in 2014. The group works to raise awareness for proper early detection of cancer.
“It’s a technical support type thing, and he’s helping us out with a lot sponsorship stuff,” Moran said of the plan to work together. “He’s got a lot of good connections as far as his sponsorship with 15-40 Connection. I think it’s going to end up being a really good deal for us and him. It doesn’t hurt our end with Doug just helping Robby out here and there.”
Fuller, the nephew former Modified Tour champions Jeff Fuller and Rick Fuller, has made 19 Whelen Modified Tour starts since 2009 and two Whelen Southern Modified Tour starts during that span. He made six starts in 2013, a single season high for his team.
Fuller said he will operate out of the Smeriglio No.2 race hauler at Whelen Modified Tour events next year.
“It was getting too tough doing it all by myself,” Fuller said. “I had to maintain the cars, I had to set the cars up by myself, I had the load hauler, get the hauler to the racetrack, unload the hauler and go through tech and meet with sponsors and then I had to drive the car. It was just crazy. I’m hoping that this helps the performance come back.”
Fuller said he expects to run six Whelen Modified Tour races again in 2014, plus he will participate in the Battle at the Beach at Daytona International Speedway on Feb. 18. He said he will run the Modified Tour events at Thompson Speedway, New Hampshire Motor Speedway and Bristol Motor Speedway. He also said he expects to compete at the World Series at New Smyrna (Fla.) Speedway if all goes well at Daytona.
On the Valenti Modified Racing Series in 2014, Fuller said he’s planning on running the three events at Stafford Motor Speedway, three events at Seekonk (Mass.) Speedway and the two events at Thompson Speedway.
“We’ve got a lot of stuff going on, but it’s going to be fun,” Fuller said.
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