ASHEVILLE, NC :: Jeff Myers is taking a more hands off approach on running the SouthEast Super Truck Series in 2013 so he can focus on racing. Myers created the series in 2011 to give drivers an opportunity to race in a touring series despite an economic downturn. Last year was the first season the series has run. Myers feels confident enough in the series’ future to leave the decisions to others.
“I started it but I let other people take care of everything,” Myers said. “We’re trying to let the guys think they have a fair shake, which they do, so I turned the series over to a board of people who make the decisions. I’m just like everybody else, I’m a racer.”
Myers feels the second SouthEast Super Truck Series tour will be stronger than the first, saying new sponsors are coming in and truck counts are looking up.
“I think we’re going to have an awful good year,” Myers asserted. “Truck counts are coming up good. There are a lot of sponsors coming in. It’s going to grow by leaps and bounds. We’ve had so many people take an interest in us. We’ve picked up Five Star Bodies to go along with AR Bodies. We’ve got a whole list of new sponsors that have come on board with us this year. There are just a slew of them. There are 17 contingency deals on our series right now which is good, I think.”
The SouthEast Super Trucks Series is a Late Model Truck series. When asked about the comparison to another prominent Late Model Truck touring series, the Ohio-based ARCA Truck Series, Myers states that the SouthEast Super Trucks run Crate engines and are generally more affordable to compete in.
“Our race trucks are a lot different than the ARCA Trucks,” Myers explained. “Our trucks are crate and (some are) Late Model Stock built motors. We’re on a two tire deal. Our rules are different. They turn two tires in and we carry them to the next race. We let them put two new ones on the left each week and put the lefts over on the right. They’re the same two tires and they’re always on so they don’t get someone else’s junk. It’s helped. We’ve got 10 races on the schedule so it keeps it affordable. Being a racer, knowing what it costs, we try to set this thing up to be as reasonable and affordable as it can be while still being a touring series.”
Myers is focusing more on his personal SouthEast Super Truck championship effort this season. After all, he is a racer and he’s got the competitive spirit. He wants to win it all.
“I hope to win the championship,” Myers stated. “We’ve got some awful good racers in this thing, We’ve got rookies and guys who have been around. Kenneth Headen, Matt Leicht, Marty Ward to name a few. There’s a lot of competition in the series. These are real good trucks and good people.”
Myers wants to win the championship but would be satisfied just to perform better than in 2012.
“I hope just to maintain, we finished fourth in points last year,” Myers commented. “I’d like to better that or have a better shot at points. We had some bad weeks last year. A couple accidents cost us a shot at the championship. Our championship was settled by one position on the last race, it was one point. There were seven winners in 10 races. That shows how competitive it is.”
Myers’ main sponsor on his truck is KTSI Trucking. He says he is looking for more sponsors for his truck.
“We need one more to fill the quarter panel,” Myers mentioned. “I’ve been out getting sponsors for the series and not getting what I need for my truck but that’s what it takes to get the series to survive.”
Myers feels the series will be elite and is in good hands, now he’s ready to focus on his truck and his race team.
“I’m excited. I’m really pumped up,” Myers exclaimed. “The series is going to be elite. I’ve got a good little race truck. I’m going to commit myself with the truck. Last year I was committed to helping other trucks to keep them in the series. I neglected myself. I promised the guys that work on my truck I won’t do that this year. We’ll be more focused this year than what we’ve been.”
The first race of the 2013 SouthEast Super Truck Series tour will be on March 23rd at Hickory Motor Speedway in a doubleheader with the UARA-STARS Series.