Truck: No. 04 Preferred Industrial Contractors, Inc. Ford F-150 for Roper Racing Crew chief: Shane Whitbeck
UNOH 200 Notes of Interest…
• The UNOH 200 at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway will mark Cory Roper and the Roper Racing team’s 16th career start in the NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series. The last time Roper was at Bristol was only his 3rd start for the truck series. Now with some experience in the truck and overall experience with short track racing, Bristol may prove to be a great race for the Roper Racing Team.
• Going the Distance…Cory Roper drove his own RV to Michigan International Speedway so he could load up and head to Bristol directly afterwards due to Texas being over 1,000 miles away from either one of these tracks. The hauler, on the other hand, left immediately after the truck race back to Texas to get the Bristol Motor Speedway trucks.
• Last Race…At the Michigan International Speedway’s Corrigan 200, Roper qualified 15th and finished 28th after a spin in turn 2 with 47 laps remaining. Roper ran as high as 9th and was in 11th position when he spun. • Staying Busy…Before Michigan, Roper’s last race was in his home state at Texas Motor Speedway in June where he brought home his first top 10 finish of 9th place. The crew had a couple of months to work on getting the trucks ready for Michigan, Bristol, then Las Vegas.
• The Team…Based in Baytown, Texas, Roper Racing fields the No. 04 Preferred Industrial Contractors, Inc. Ford F-150. The 2019 season marks the team’s second season in the truck series. Running a part time season in 2018-19, Roper hopes to run a full season in 2020 with business partnerships.
• The Driver…While he’s fairly new to the NASCAR truck series, Roper is no stranger to racing. He grew up watching his dad, Kenny Roper, compete. At the age of 14, Roper got his first racecar and started competing on a local and regional level at short tracks in Texas and Oklahoma. The Vernon, Texas, native now resides in Mont Belvieu, Texas with his wife, Cherie and daughters Megan and Britney.
• The Crew Chief…NASCAR veteran Shane Whitbeck serves as crew chief for the No. 04 Preferred Industrial Contractors, Inc. Ford F-150. The Sarasota, Florida, native previously worked at Brad Keselowski Racing for 10 years. Whitbeck is based in North Carolina and consults with the team during the week and serves as crew chief on race weekends.
• The Trucks…At the conclusion of the 2017 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series season, Roper Racing purchased Ford F-150s and a number of additional assets from the Brad Keselowski Racing stable to compete with this year.
• About Preferred Industrial Contractors, Inc.… Preferred Industrial Contractors, Inc. is a global industrial construction, fabrication and maintenance company, headquartered in Baytown, Texas. The company executes turnkey construction projects from scope development, safety management, project controls, project management, procurement, staffing, fabrication and construction. Preferred Industrial Contractors, Inc. serves the power, chemical processing and refining industries.
Cory Roper, driver of the No. 04 Preferred Industrial Contractors, Inc. Ford F-150
What are your goals for the race in Bristol?
“My goals for Bristol would be to finish on the lead lap and bring home the truck in one piece.”
Shane Whitbeck, crew chief of the No. 04 Preferred Industrial Contractors, Inc. Ford F-150
What are your goals for the race in Bristol?
“Heading to Bristol, I feel like our Preferred Industrial Contractors Ford F-150 should be able to run in the top 10. Cory raced at Bristol last year so he has an idea on what to expect and the feeling he needs to make good lap times. We came off a bittersweet weekend. We didn’t get the finish we wanted in Michigan but Cory learned a ton about racing a track that is bigger than a mile and a half. He showed so much potential this past weekend we just need to keep getting him seat time to be able to race with the top teams in the Gander Outdoors Truck Series. I can’t thank all the people and partners enough that help get Roper Racing to the track.