(Press Release from LFR)
After running select races together in 2017, NASCAR driver Chase Dowling and team owner Rob Fuller have announced that they will partner to run for a NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour (NWMT) championship in 2018.
“This is something Chase and I have discussed throughout the season,” said Fuller, President of LFR. “With the success we had this season, it seemed like a good decision for both our sponsors and Chase to go after the championship.”
In just nine NWMT races in 2017, Dowling earned his first career pole, led 21 laps and earned a career-best five Top-5 finishes in one season. It was one of his most productive seasons to date.
“After our accomplishments we had in 2017, I can’t wait to run a full season with Rob and the LFR car,” said Dowling. “I feel we were a threat at every event this season and I look forward to carrying this momentum into the 2018 season.”
Dowling, a Roxbury, Conn. native, became the youngest Sunoco Rookie of the Year award winner in Whelen Modified Tour history in 2015 at the age of 17. In his three years competing in the NWMT, he has a total of nine Top-5 finishes and 20 Top-10s.
S&S Asphalt Paving and 15-40 Connection will be the primary sponsors on the No. 15 LFR car. Dowling has been supported by S&S Asphalt Paving since he began his racing career at the age of 7. This will be the sixth year that 15-40 Connection will partner with LFR to share the message of early cancer detection with race fans this season making it one of the longest sponsor/ team relationships in the series.
Stephen Kopcik will serve as the crew chief and the LFR shop foreman running the day-to-day operations of the team.
LFR has secured the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour championship every year since its inception in 2014. Fuller is a 30-year veteran racer with previous championships including 1998 and 1999 with Dale Earnhardt Jr. in the NASCAR Xfinity Series.
In addition to his full time NWMT schedule, Dowling will run a LFR SK modified for Glenn Johnson and run for the SK championship at Stafford Motor Speedway.
“With my everyday involvement at LFR, it just seemed like the right thing to do at this time in my career,” said Dowling. “I have been extremely fortunate to have been with some of the best teams Stafford has to offer. Glenn is a great guy and has fielded a LFR car for two seasons and I look forward to working with Rob and all of Glenn’s guys to build a competitive SK team at Stafford.”
Glenn Johnson has fielded cars at the Connecticut short track for over 25 years and is looking forward to teaming up with his new driver in 2018.
“Chase is a young and very talented driver,” said Johnson. “I feel we have great equipment and can be competitive week in and week out with the right driver in the seat and I now feel like we have that.”
LFR will begin its 2018 race season at New Smyrna Speedway in February and then start the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour season at Myrtle Beach on March 17.
Race fans can follow LFR on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/LFRChassisInc or online at www.LFRchassis.com.
Very good!!!
Nice. The MB date basically completes the 2018 schedule. Just a few date questions with Riverhead and Monadnock. Everything else is close to confirmed.
Arguably the most dynamic young driver mounted in the winning chassis and likely to have the best equipment bolted onto the chassis from top to bottom to sell the LFR brand. Ya he’ll do well.
Hopefully he’ll still be in the Skowyra 50 SK every Friday night at Stafford. Fingers crossed.
Well this will be a great team to have every week. This kid is maturing fast. Great disission to focus on a tour shot. Not a lot comes out of SK wins at Stafford. I bet they get 5 tour wins next season.
Great news and great team! Congrats Chase!
I’m willing to bet they will NEVER run the full season watch
I’ll take that bet! He’d be lucky to get 5 podiums next year. This is the tour you’re talking about. He’s making child like decisions and burning bridges and with his personality of a wet towel, he better hope Fuller doesn’t get bored with this project.
Steve not a lot comes out of winning in a SK at Stafford? Outside of winning a Tour Championship I’m pretty sure if you get to ask most of the drivers they would say they would want to race Stafford in an SK and compete for a championship in that division . It has been some of the best racing to watch and Chase is still racing the SK division just for a lesser team then the 50 car . He’s going to a team that is racing the LFR brand in a division where that car just doesn’t work . Chase maybe be a talented driver but I’m not sure he can get that car to compete for as many wins as he did with the 50 team this past year . Rob Fuller should want his drivers name to be winning no matter what car he is driving or brand it is . This isn’t Cup .
Guess he’s not planning on selling anymore cars if he’s gonna fielding his OWN car out of his OWN shop with an employee of his OWN. I’am sure the 2 team loves this new’s. That’s the biggest conflict of interest I have ever seen. So he will have no business and one employee. Best of luck Rob you Feith!!!
The LFR house is one big happy family and they share setup sheets. Everybody knows that!!!!
🤣
Expect all LFR cars to own the top 5 in 2018. 🤣 It’s gonna be an LFR train to the finish every race.
But only if they have the same engines, cams, and carburetors as the 2. And of course the flux capacitor and Mr. Fusion. ☢️
Is Fifield still running the LFR?
Isn’t the mostly black #88 Rocco has been driving to track championships an LFR car?
LFR, Troyer, Chassis Dynamics, Race Works, Spafco, Todd Owens. Does anyone know who has the best bones to build on? The most important quality is does it absorb impacts and not jar the driver to death. Otherwise it’s the most important instrument in a orchestra that must be conducted perfectly to produce the sweetest music.
One thing is for sure, if it wins, it will sell. Good luck to their continuing success.
Lfr won’t run every race.
Hank Hill, they claim to be going for a NWMT championship. Very hard to do that unless they run the entire season.
John Davis, conflict of interest?? ever hear of troyer engineering ? did they not have and run a HOUSE CAR??? Raceworks with Flemke and Ruggiero? Spafco with the 21???
If Rob Fuller wants to run the WMT with Chase Dowling who works there SO BE IT and good luck!!!
“Stephen Kopcik will serve as the crew chief” I know he finally got an SK win at Stafford, but does he have the experience to be a crew chief on the tour??
Hank Hill, if they don’t run every race, you think Chase will be allowed to get a ride for the off days?
besides Coby don’t know anyone else who is winning championships in an LFR chassis and they win because they spend money and Coby can drive every other LFR car I’ve watched run sucks the 15 Johnson car at Stafford had more stuff fall of then make it around the track, lead mounts broke lead came off thru TC AND KEITH’s radiator,steering mounts broke so much for product quality. Be prepared Chase I don’t see you winning in an LFR car whether on the tour or Stafford sorry good driver wrong company.
He’s needling you Hank. He’s right but he couldn’t let it go with the first entry.
I don’t see chase winning any races next year in either car should have grown a pair and told Fuller he wanted to stay with the 50 SK it’s a proven winner and championship contender. LFR ain’t all that Fuller wants everyone to think it is and the way he went about parting ways with Adam and the 50 team most likely won’t be welcome back he is talented but only in top shelf equipment which the 15 is not. Best of luck to him
Just hope Chase will be accepted back after his stint with Fuller.
I think Chase can win a race or two. He had a pole and some good runs with the 15 last year. He won an MTS race on a track I don’t think he has much experience at, Monadnock, in a car I’m pretty sure he never ran before, #25. (Pennick was at Riverhead that night) He almost won the SK championship at Stafford. The kid’s got skills!
It all depends on the engines and engine accessories, such as the flux capacitor.
A chassis can’t make inferior engines look good, but lots of horsepower can make any chassis look great, and overcome lesser crew chiefs.
Paul, Fuller is really the crew chief, he makes all the calls i.e.chassis adjustments, when to pit etc. His crew chief from what I can see goes to meetings, in charge of tires, deals with the officials etc.
@modfan, what about Burt Myers running a LFR and winning a championship?