NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series team NEMCO Motorsports will welcome a new driver to their stable for the Eldora Dirt Derby in Colt Gilliam, the team announced Wednesday afternoon (July 24).
This news was first reported by Speed Sport.
Gilliam is a 29-year-old from South Carolina who currently competes in the Super Stock division at Carolina Speedway in Gastonia, N.C. He will be piloting the No. 8 Chevrolet Silverado in his NASCAR national series debut.
“I’m excited,” Gilliam told Speed Sport. “There’s been a lot going on as we prepare for this, but it’ll all sink in pretty quickly when we get to the racetrack and get going on Wednesday.”
John Hunter Nemechek was originally scheduled to drive the No. 8 but was unable to do so due to previous commitments with his Xfinity Series team, GMS Racing.
“[Team owner] Joe [Nemechek] has helped me a lot in getting ready,” Gilliam said. “He was the first one to jump in and tell me what to expect and helped me get comfortable in the seat. It’s been a process to get to this point, but we feel ready and we’re going in hoping for some magic.”
In five previous starts at Eldora, the No. 8 has a top five and four top 10s, all with John Hunter Nemechek driving.
The No. 8 is currently 23rd in the NGOTS owner standings with 175 points out of 52 total teams, with six different drivers so far this season.
The Eldora Dirt Derby will be Thursday, Aug. 1 at 9 p.m. ET, with TV coverage on Fox Sports 1.