Townley, 22, has made seven starts in the Camping World Truck Series, most recently at Phoenix International Raceway in November, 2008.

Townley will join teammate Kenny Wallace, driver of the No. 09 Toyota Camry in the NASCAR Nationwide Series.

“I’m looking forward to this year,” Townley said. “It’s good to be racing in the Camping World Truck Series again, and doing it with RAB Racing makes it that much better.”

While the season-opening event will mark Townley’s first laps at Daytona International Speedway in Camping World Truck Series competition, he is no stranger to the World Center of Racing. In three ARCA Racing Series starts, the Watkinsville, Ga., native has two top-five finishes, including a career-best finish of third in February, 2010.

“I’m looking forward to expanding our operation and racing in the Camping World Truck Series,” said Robby Benton, owner of RAB Racing. “We’ll have a presence in two NASCAR garage areas this year, and I’m happy to be adding another strong Toyota entry. We started our current Nationwide Series program with John Wes, and we’re happy to be starting our Truck Series presence with him, as well.”

Townley will be backed by new sponsors for the 2012 season, as well as current sponsors of RAB Racing’s NASCAR Nationwide Series program.

The 22-race NASCAR Camping World Truck Series schedule kicks off on February 24 at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Fla., and concludes November 16 at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

A crew chief for the team will be named at a later date.

The team’s schedule could expand if more sponsorship is secured.

“The truck series is where I got my start,” said Reutimann. “It’s a very competitive series and I am thrilled to have this opportunity to run some races with a good team that is in the process of building.

“There is definitely the potential to run well (at RBR Enterprises). I wouldn’t have accepted this opportunity if I didn’t believe that. It’s going to be a challenge, but I like the fact that they are committed to bringing the best piece to the track at the races we run instead of taking less than our best to every race.”

The move to RBR Enterprises reunites Reutimann in the truck series with recently hired crew chief Jason Overstreet, with whom he worked at Darrell Waltrip Racing and Germain Racing. Together the duo combined for six poles and one race win in the series with Waltrip from 2004-06.

“Having worked with David and having a great working relationship with him definitely flattens the learning curve,” Overstreet said. “We have a lot of experience working together, so we have already hit the ground running and can’t wait for Daytona to get here.”

The driver agrees.

“It definitely makes things easier having that relationship with Jason,” Reutimann said. “It really is neat to be working with him again and not having to go through the whole process of learning someone new.”

Team owner Ricky Benton is looking forward to what Reutimann and Overstreet bring to the fledgling organization for the 2012 season.

“Over the last two years, we have made great progress in our truck program and are thankful for everyone who has been involved,” said Benton. “But putting a winning driver the caliber of David Reutimann behind the wheel and having Jason (Overstreet) managing the team and making the race day calls is going to take us to the level where we are running up front consistently and contending for wins.

“Now we just need to get a few more partners on the truck to make a run at the championship.”

Driver Clay Rogers finished 20th in the 2011 NCWTS points standings driving the No. 92 BTS Tire and Wheel Distributors/fleetHQ.com Chevrolet despite only making 15 of 25 starts in the series.

About RBR Enterprises

Based in tiny Cerro Gordo, N.C. (population 244), RBR Enterprises has been racing in numerous touring series throughout the Southeast for over 20 years. Competing extensively in the USAR Pro Cup Series – winning a championship in 2002 and two Rookie of the Year honors – the team has made forays into the ARCA Series and several NASCAR Touring Series. In 2010, RBR joined the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series with driver Dennis Setzer, competing in eight races.

RBR teamed up with Clay Rogers for the 2011 season finishing 20th in the driver standings and 25th in the owner standings despite only running 15 of the 25 races. The season was highlighted by a third place finish in the season-open NextEra 250 at Daytona International Speedway.

The University of Northwestern Ohio’s (UNOH) College of Applied Technologies offers a unique curriculum to young people interested in professional motorsports competition as a career. The University is fully accredited by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, and the College of Applied Technologies is accredited by the National Automotive Technicians Education Foundation. The University also has a College of Business, College of Occupational Professions, College of Health Professions and Graduate College offering Associate and Baccalaureate Degrees in Accounting, Business Administration, Marketing, Sport Marketing, Information Technology, Medical Assisting and a Master’s Degree in Business Administration.

The College of Applied Technologies offers associate degrees and diploma programs in High Performance Motorsports. Student interns training in this curriculum will be assisting RCR Development at the track during race weekends.

“The University of Northwestern Ohio is honored to continue and expand our relationship with Richard Childress Racing and Ty Dillon,” said Dr. Jeffrey A. Jarvis, President of the University of Northwestern Ohio. “Ty Dillon’s personality and professionalism along with his championship ability, makes him the perfect fit to represent UNOH.”

Dillon, 19, takes the next step in his motorsports career after earning the 2011 ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards championship. In his first full ARCA season, he earned seven victories, seven pole qualifying positions and 16 top-10 finishes in 19 races. He made his debut and competed in three Truck Series races during the 2011 season, finishing third November 4 at Texas Motor Speedway in just his second start.

“I’m really excited to have the University of Northwestern Ohio on the No. 3 Chevrolet Silverado for my rookie season in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series,” said Dillon. “UNOH has been a big supporter of mine, with both my dirt car racing and last season’s ARCA Series championship. It’s great to have them move up with me and the No. 3 team.”

RCR competed in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series from its inception in 1995 through 1999 before returning to the series in 2009 with Ty’s brother, Austin Dillon, who went on to claim the 2011 Truck Series championship. It has earned 24 victories, as well as the inaugural series championship with driver Mike Skinner. RCR’s three-truck lineup for 2012 consists of Ty Dillon in the No. 3 Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet, Joey Coulter in the No. 22 RCR Chevrolet along with Brendan Gaughan and Tim George Jr. in the No. 2 South Point Hotel & Casino/Potomac Family Dining Group Chevrolet.

“The University of Northwestern Ohio has great educational programs, from motorsports to business to health care, as well as a program to earn your degree online,” said Richard Childress, President and CEO of Richard Childress Racing. “Everyone at UNOH has been great to work with this season and we’re proud to continue our relationship with them in 2012 as Ty takes the next step in his racing career in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series.”

Bass Pro Shops/Tracker Boats will be the primary sponsor throughout the year on the No. 3 truck during Ty Dillon’s first full season in the series. The No. 1 outdoor retailer leader will also be the primary sponsor for five races of Austin Dillon’s rookie season in the Nationwide Series and an associate sponsor throughout the season.

“We are pleased to once again partner with our good friend and hunting buddy Richard Childress for the 2012 racing season,” stated Bass Pro Shops founder Johnny Morris. “Austin and Ty are both remarkably talented racers with a promising future ahead of them. They are also tremendous ambassadors for the outdoors and hunting and fishing. I look forward to seeing them both race and hopefully spending a little time with them and grandpa out hunting or fishing.”

The RCR/Bass Pro Shops partnership began in 1998 as an associate sponsor of RCR’s No. 3 GM Goodwrench Chevrolet Monte Carlo with legendary driver Dale Earnhardt. The relationship continued with Kevin Harvick and the No 29 Chevrolet and, in 2004, Kerry Earnhardt, Dale’s eldest son, drove RCR’s No. 33 Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet Monte Carlo in six Sprint Cup Series races. Austin Dillon picked up the mantle in 2010, earning two victories and the Truck Series Rookie of the Year honors before capturing the championship in just his second season in the series. Bass Pro Shops/Tracker Boats also was a sponsor for Ty Dillon’s championship season in the 2011 ARCA Series presented by Menards.

“The continuation of the Bass Pro Shops/Tracker Boats partnership with my grandsons is rewarding, both professionally and personally,” said Richard Childress, president and CEO of Richard Childress Racing. “We are proud to fly the Bass Pro Shops and Tracker Boats banner in the NASCAR Nationwide Series and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series and look forward to being successful with both race teams.”

Bass Pro Shops was founded in 1972 and is headquartered in Springfield, Mo. The outdoor retail leader has 58 stores throughout the United States and Canada, serving over 112 million sportsmen a year.

“I’m a hunter and a fisherman so it’s really cool to have the support of Bass Pro Shops and Tracker Boats,” said Austin Dillon. “It means a lot to me that Johnny Morris and everyone at Bass Pro are going to follow me to the NASCAR Nationwide Series. We were able to win some races for them and a championship in the Truck Series so I hope we can find them continued success in the Nationwide Series this year.”

“It’s an honor to be a part of the Bass Pro Shops family,” said Ty Dillon. “I’m really excited that they will be embarking on my first full season in the Truck Series with me. Johnny Morris and Bass Pro Shops/Tracker Boats have been a huge part of my career and my goal is to bring them as much success as my brother, Austin, did these past two seasons.”

JGR’s engine program provides engines for NASCAR Truck Series and Nationwide Series teams. JGR has been one of NASCAR’s most dominant teams in the Nationwide Series over the past four seasons with three owner’s championships to its credit (2008-2010). Over that four year span, JGR has won an amazing 59 races, with 143 top fives and 205 top-ten finishes.

“We’re honored to have Red Horse Racing participate in our engine program,” said J.D. Gibbs, president of Joe Gibbs Racing. “Everyone in our Nationwide Series program has done an outstanding job over the past several years and certainly our engine program has been a big part of that success. We look forward to helping teams elevate their programs in both the Truck and Nationwide series through our engine program and added technical support.”

Red Horse Racing enters its eighth year of Truck Series competition in 2012. Thus far the team has amassed five wins, 46 top-five and 99 top-10 finishes. With their success Red Horse Racing with its drivers and team members have established themselves as one of the premier Truck Series operation in the garage area.

“We are thrilled to announce we are making the move to use Joe Gibbs Racing engines and receive technical support from such an outstanding organization,” said Red Horse Racing Managing Partner Tom DeLoach. “JGR has established themselves as the leading Toyota team in the NASCAR Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series’. As we look toward our new relationship in 2012, our goal is for Red Horse Racing to put Joe Gibbs Racing engines in victory lane for the first time in the Truck Series and to compete for the 2012 Truck Series championship. We are very excited about this opportunity to grow Red Horse Racing and we feel that this new technical and engine relationship combined with the people we have in place is the combination we have been looking for.”

The team also heads into the New Year with a few early Christmas presents. They recently acquired a second truck and a second engine for use in the upcoming season. This allows the team to take a less conservative approach entering and competing in the series. The acquired truck is a Laughlin Chassis and will run with a Ford body. The original truck will continue to run as a Chevrolet. The new engine was purchased from ECR Engines.

Driver Todd Peck, who earned a best finish of 27th place at O’Reilly Raceway Park in July, is excited to return and build upon the foundation the team established last season.

“I’m really eager to return to the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series next year and gain more experience,” Peck said. “Last season we had some ups and downs, but it was all a learning experience. We are more prepared for the upcoming year and ready to take another step forward. It’s a very exciting time for our team and we can’t wait to go racing again.”

Keith Wolfe will return as crew chief and general manager for the team. It will mark Wolfe’s seventh season with Peck Motorsports.

“Todd [Peck] and I have made a lot of progress in the off season and we’re really excited about 2012,” Wolfe said. “Once we had a few Truck Series races under our belt, we are able to assess our strengths and weaknesses and make improvements to our team. We’re entering this season with better notes and a better idea of what to expect at the track. I think our team will be more competitive and equipped to race up front.”

The team again will collaborate with the Arthritis Foundation to bring awareness to the Foundation and also Juvenile Arthritis. Peck Motorsports continues to seek out companies interested in partnering with the team and the Foundation for a successful 2012 season.

Gaughan, 36, is the 2002 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Rookie of the Year and competed full-time in the Nationwide Series in 2009 and 2010, earning one pole and 17 top-10 finishes in 71 career starts. He finished ninth in the 2009 driver championship point standings and 11th in 2010. The two-time NASCAR Camping World Series West champion (2000-2001) has also earned eight victories and 63 top-10 finishes in 187 Truck Series starts, finishing 12th in the 2011 driver championship point standings. Gaughan was also part of the five-driver lineup that won the GT3 division of the 2011 Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona sports car race at Daytona International Speedway.

“The last few years, I have been racing for teams that try to buy their engineering or equipment from organizations as great as RCR, but doing that is never the same as racing for RCR,” said Gaughan. “I have always steered away from switching to a part-time schedule in the past but I had to look at where I would have the best opportunity to win races again and the opportunity to race for Richard Childress is one I couldn’t pass up. By sharing the Nationwide Series seat with RCR’s Cup Series drivers, I know I’m going to be in the best equipment in the garage and have the best opportunity to win races to get myself back to where I want to be and that is to compete fulltime again.”

Gaughan’s Nationwide and Truck Series races will be sponsored by South Point Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, with the exception of two Nationwide Series events which will be sponsored by Menards.

The Las Vegas native’s 18-race schedule will kick-off with the Truck Series event at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway and includes visits in both series to his home track of Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Gaughan’s Nationwide Series events include races at Iowa Speedway, New Hampshire Motor Speedway, Dover (Del.) International Speedway and Phoenix (Ariz.) International Raceway among others. His Truck Series line-up includes events at Texas Motor Speedway, where he is a four-time winner, Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway, Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway and others, as well as the 2012 season finale at Homestead-Miami (Fla.) Speedway.

“Brendan is a proven race winner and champion so we’re excited to have him driving for RCR,” said Richard Childress, president and chief executive officer of Richard Childress Racing. “He will be a great addition to RCR’s overall driver lineup as we re-launch our NASCAR Nationwide Series program and continue the strength of our Camping World Truck Series program in 2012.”

The complete crew chief and remaining driver lineup for the No. 33 Nationwide Series team and the No. 2 Truck Series team will be announced at a later date.

George, a New York, N.Y. native, is fresh off his best ARCA Racing Series run, finishing the 2011 season seventh in the final championship point standings on the strength of his first-career win at Pocono Raceway in June, eight top-five and 10 top-10 finishes. The 30-year-old driver made his NASCAR Camping World Truck Series debut in November 2009, one year after claiming victory at New Jersey Motorsports Park in the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series. He began his racing career in 2005, driving in the Skip Barber Racing School Southern Series and finished second in his class the following year on the heels of five victories.

“Tim has shown a great amount of improvement, running in the ARCA Racing Series these past few years that included his first career win,” said Richard Childress, president and CEO of Richard Childress Racing. “We’re ready to further strengthen his skills and moving him to the Camping World Truck Series is the next logical step. Having Ty Dillon and Joey Coulter as his teammates will help support his learning curve and I’m excited to see how he’ll perform.”

“This is a great opportunity that Richard Childress and everyone at RCR have given me,” stated George. “To be invited back to race in NASCAR with one of the best racing teams in history is a dream come true. Being teammates with Ty Dillon and Joey Coulter will be fun and I look forward to learning more about how to race these trucks. I’m eager to get back in the seat and build on my experience, kicking off the 2012 season strong.”

Potomac Family Dining Group is the exclusive franchisee for the Applebee’s Neighborhood Grill & Bar restaurants in the Washington, D.C. and surrounding area.

“Having an association with Tim this past year has proven to be an exciting experience for us,” said PFDG President Jim Rieger. “Quite frankly, the positive feedback from both our guests and our employees, has exceeded our expectations. And, since so many of our guests are also NASCAR fans, this collaboration is a perfect fit.”

Bruce Cook, who has nearly twenty-five years of motorsports experience, will serve as crew chief for RCR’s No. 2 Chevrolet Silverado team. His most recent stint came at Kevin Harvick Inc. where he captured three wins during the 2010 Nationwide Series season with Kevin Harvick and seven in the Camping World Truck Series with six different drivers en route to the 2011 owner’s championship title.

George’s race schedule and further additions to RCR’s competition department will be forthcoming.

Ricky Stenhouse Jr., 24 and Austin Dillon, 21, officially were proclaimed champions of the NASCAR Nationwide Series and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, respectively, on the Americana Ballroom stage at the Loews Miami Beach Hotel.

Both were honored with their first NASCAR national series titles. Each became champion in the season following a rookie-of-the-year performance. Dillon becomes the youngest champion in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series’ 17-year history. Both champions won twice during the 2011 season.

Roush Fenway Racing’s No. 60 Ford Mustang won the NASCAR Nationwide Series Owner Championship, as driver Carl Edwards won eight times. The title is the second in the series for Jack Roush, his previous owner championship coming in 2002. It also marked the first time that the same owner claimed both the NASCAR Nationwide Series driver and owner titles with different teams.

Kevin Harvick Inc. claimed its third NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Owner Championship. DeLana Harvick’s No. 2 Chevrolet Silverado posted seven victories with three different drivers in adding to KHI’s owner titles from 2007 and 2009.

Timmy Hill, an 18-year-old Maryland competitor, won NASCAR Nationwide Series Sunoco Rookie of the Year honors by a single point, tying the series’ closest decision for that award. Dillon’s Richard Childress Racing teammate Joey Coulter, 21, won the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Sunoco Rookie of the Year Award, the second time the same organization claimed both championship and rookie laurels.

Elliott Sadler, Justin Allgaier, Aric Almirola and Reed Sorenson finished second through fifth in the championship standings and were honored along with Stenhouse in the NASCAR Nationwide Series.

Johnny Sauter, James Buescher, Ron Hornaday Jr. and Timothy Peters were second through fifth in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series final points and joined Dillon on stage.

After a fan vote on NASCAR.com, in which more than 215,000 combined votes were cast, each series’ Most Popular Driver was revealed. Sadler and Dillon were chosen by the fans in the NASCAR Nationwide and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, respectively. Each was honored for the first time.

SPEED’s Rick Allen and Krista Voda hosted the event, which will air on Dec. 2 from 7-9 p.m. ET on SPEED, prior to the live telecast of the 2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Awards Ceremony from Las Vegas.

HOMESTEAD, Fla.—Austin Dillon withstood a strong challenge from race winner Johnny Sauter to win the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series championship in Friday night’s Ford 200 at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

NASCAR called the event with 15 laps left with Sauter in the lead and Dillon in 10th place, giving Dillon, 21, the youngest champion in series history, a six-point edge over Sauter in the final series standings.

Dillon is the first driver in series history to win the rookie of the year title in his first full season and the series championship the following year.

“I remember my first championship with Dale Earnhardt,” said team owner Richard Childress, Dillon’s grandfather. “I had the same feeling tonight watching my grandson.”

“You can’t go out of the truck series any better than this,” said Dillon, who will graduate to the Nationwide Series with RCR next year.

Denny Hamlin finished second in the No. 18 Kyle Busch Motorsports truck, followed by Kevin Harvick, Nelson Piquet Jr. and Joey Coulter, who won the 2011 rookie of the year title. Coulter is a teammate of Dillon’s at Richard Childress Racing.

Early in the race, patience was a virtue for Dillon, who steered clear of potential complications and found a comfortable place to run at or near the back of the top 10.

As the race progressed, so did Dillon, who had worked his way into the second position behind Sauter before Ross Chastain’s spin on Lap 96 caused the fourth caution of the evening. The subsequent restart, however, brought more stress than Dillon ever could have expected.

Dillon fell back to 15th, fearing that he might have a problem with the right front fender on the No. 3 Chevrolet. Shortly thereafter, Sauter clinched most laps led, putting Dillon in danger of losing the championship if he lost more positions by the end of the race.

But Dillon drove back to the 10th position before rain halted the race on Lap 119 of 134 with Sauter in the lead.

“The fender got bent in—I don’t know how it happened,” Dillon said. “I didn’t hit anybody on the track, but I think it happened on pit road. We got real tight once I got back there (in traffic). I think it was more on the conservative side when I was three-wide. We were three-wide in the middle, and to force a spot right there was not worth it.”

Sauter, who won his second race of the season and the fourth of his career, wasn’t aware of how far behind Dillon had fallen on the restart.

“I had no clue,” said Sauter, who won more than one event in a season in a top NASCAR touring series for the first time in his career. “Not one time tonight did they tell me where the 3 truck was. It didn’t really matter where he was running. We knew what we had to do, and that was lead the most laps and win the race.

“It’s a huge accomplishment, coming out here and doing what we needed to do. Six points is a bummer. You can think back on the season—dominating Kentucky, broke an axle, 20 to go, leading the race; ORP (Indianapolis), leading the race, flat tire; the lane violation at Texas, 22 points; six points at Pocono. You can go down the list—but everybody can. That’s just racing.”

Notes: Greg Biffle and Travis Kvapil won rookie of the year honors and truck series championships, but not in consecutive years. Biffle accomplished the feat in 1998 (rookie) and 2000. Kvapil was rookie of the year in 2001 and champion in 2003. … Harvick had clinched the owners’ championship with his No. 2 truck before the series arrived at Homestead.