‘Grateful’ Lapcevich Eager For Truck Series Debut At Bristol

Treyten Lapcevich (Ted Malinowski/NASCAR Regional photo)

BRISTOL, Tenn. – A summer of big opportunities for young Canadian standout Treyten Lapcevich comes to a head Thursday night, when the 21-year-old will make his NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series debut at Bristol Motor Speedway.

Lapcevich, from Grimsby, Ontario, takes the reins of the No. 02 Chevrolet Silverado RST for Young’s Motorsports at The Last Great Colosseum as he steps into the national spotlight for the first time in one of NASCAR’s top three touring series.

He becomes the seventh driver to pilot team owner Tyler Young’s flagship Truck Series entry this season.

“I’m really excited for the opportunity to make my NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series debut with Young’s Motorsports this weekend at Bristol Motor Speedway,” said Lapcevich. “This is a huge step in my career, and to do it at such an iconic track makes it even more special. I know the competition is tough, but I’m ready to learn, soak up as much [knowledge] as I can, and represent my team, partners, and Canadian fans with pride.

“I’m grateful to everyone who’s helped me get here and I can’t wait to hit the track under the lights at Bristol.”

The Bristol Truck Series race marks the latest – and most anticipated – career step for one of the brightest stock-car prospects of late in the motorsports industry.

Following a dominant seven-win campaign that culminated in the 2023 NASCAR Canada Series championship, Lapcevich moved south to the United States the next year to further his pursuit of a top-level North American racing career.

A full zMAX CARS Late Model Stock Tour slate with Chad Bryant Racing in 2024, which was highlighted by a hallmark August victory at North Wilkesboro (N.C.) Speedway, didn’t yield the points finish Lapcevich hoped for after ending the year ranked sixth in the series standings.

In fact, his funding slowed and Lapcevich couldn’t put together a second full season of racing in the United States.

He’s used the adversity as motivation since, however, despite limited opportunities. Lapcevich added a crown-jewel late model win last November in Florence (S.C.) Motor Speedway’s South Carolina 400 and made his national ARCA Menards Series debut in March of this year at Arizona’s Phoenix Raceway.

While his ARCA debut in the desert came with series stalwart Venturini Motorsports, Lapcevich’s shining moment thus far came with the growing Nitro Motorsports organization in June.

At Berlin Raceway in Marne, Mich., Lapcevich qualified on the pole and led every lap for his first ARCA victory in just his second series start – a breakthrough for both himself and for the Nick Tucker-owned team.

It’s an emotional wave Lapcevich hopes to keep riding all the way through his maiden voyage in the Truck Series this week.

Treyten Lapcevich celebrates his June ARCA Menards Series victory at Berlin Raceway. (Zack Silver/ARCA Racing photo)

“Berlin was one of the most amazing feelings I’ve experienced in my whole career so far,” said Lapcevich. “To win my first ARCA Menards Series race, lead every lap, and bring home a win for Nitro Motorsports and [team partner] Venturini [Motorsports] is something I’ll never forget.

“Moments like that don’t come along every day in this sport, and I’ve soaked it in as much as I could while also knowing that there are even bigger goals I still want to accomplish,” he added. “The next one of those comes at Bristol, and it will be a surreal feeling to strap in and know I’m finally competing in NASCAR against so many of the drivers I’ve grown up wanting to be like through the years.”

In addition to his late model, ARCA, and Canada Series exploits, Lapcevich has been an accomplished sim-racer for years. Since he’s never competed at Bristol’s .533-mile concrete high banks, the rising star has spent much of his pre-race time using the virtual world to get himself ready for the real thing.

“Preparation has been everything heading into Bristol. I’ve spent a lot of time studying film, turning laps on the rig, and leaning on the knowledge of my team to get as comfortable as I can before we unload,” Lapcevich noted. “Bristol has such a fast, challenging rhythm, and I know execution will be critical for all 250 laps Thursday night.

“I feel ready to take on the challenge and make the most of this debut with Young’s Motorsports.”

Bristol has been a bit of an enigma for the Young’s team in past years, with a track-best mark in the Truck Series of 14th from 2018 with dirt open-wheel star Tanner Thorson behind the wheel.

Knowing that, and keeping in mind that he’s a fresh face amid the intensity of the Truck Series playoff battle, Lapcevich’s mission

“My goal for Bristol is to be aggressive and show what I can do, but also to be smart about the bigger picture,” he noted. “This is my first start in the Truck Series, and I don’t want to put myself or any of the playoff contenders in a bad spot. I want to race hard, earn the respect of my peers, and come away knowing we maximized this opportunity with Young’s Motorsports.

“I couldn’t imagine I’d ever get this chance, but I’m ready to make the most of it, gain experience, log laps, and bring home a good finish for the Young’s Motorsports team.”

Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship – the first promotion allowed to hold a legal, sanctioned, and regulated bare knuckle event in the United States since 1889 and a partner of Lapcevich over the past two years in the United States – will sponsor him in his Truck Series debut.

Based in Philadelphia, Pa., and headed by former professional boxer David Feldman, BKFC works to preserve the historical legacy of bare-knuckle fighting, while utilizing a specific rule set curated for and emphasizing fighter safety.

Broadcast coverage of Thursday night’s UNOH 250 presented by Ohio Logistics airs at 8 p.m. ET, live on FS1, the NASCAR Racing Network, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, channel 90.