FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 8, 2019
Back in the Saddle
Austin, Texas – Drew Neubauer will rejoin Stevens-Miller Racing (SMR) driving the No. 11 Wabash National, Palfinger Liftgates, ProcureIT Network, Dodge Challenger for the Mid-Ohio round of The Trans Am presented by Pirelli.
“It will be great to be back in the saddle of a TA2 car,” Neubauer said. “This will be my second race this season and the third time I’ve run with SMR and Joe Stevens. I love the TA2 platform. SMR has a top notch arrive-and-drive program and I’d love nothing more than to do more races with Joe and his team. I ran the SVRA portion at COTA last year to get some experience in TA2 car and with the team – both performed exceptional and I was sold.
“Road Atlanta, Mid-Ohio, COTA, and Daytona are just a few of the great tracks where Trans Am races. Even if you can’t do a whole season you can still race on some of the best tracks in America. I’m glad there are arrive-and-drive opportunities with teams the caliber of SMR. I’ll be back at my home track in Austin and I’m working with my partners to do the season finale at Daytona.”
Neubauer added Trans Am was a great opportunity to work with and promote fellow companies servicing the heavy- and medium-duty transportation markets. “As Corporate Partnership Manager for Rush Enterprises, I work with a lot of suppliers including Wabash National and their Supreme division. Supreme is a premium manufacturer of truck bodies based in Goshen, Indiana. Supreme manufactures specialty bodies including dry freight, service, refrigerated, curtain-side, furniture, platform and stake beds. They have world-class manufacturing and engineering to create real-world solutions for our customers.
“Being able to work with my friends and associates to promote their products and businesses at the track is a great opportunity. SMR has a great hospitality center, perfect for entertaining my guests. It really helps to make their experience memorable. Joe and his staff are great with team tours, driver meet-and-greet, and autograph sessions all under their tent. My guests also get to meet owners, as well as sales and marketing managers from other companies such as Berryman, Liqui Moly, Royal Flush, and PREFIX.
He said associate sponsor Palfinger Liftgates is another great supplier he’s excited to have part of his program at Mid-Ohio. “Palfinger Liftgates offer a complete line of premier and cost-effective liftgates. Products like these are perfect to get involved with Trans Am. Berryman, Liqui Moly, Royal Flush, and PREFIX all have vehicles with liftgates. Palfinger is truly one stop for liftgates – one or enough for a fleet. Folding, rail, slider, cantilever and cargo van — they really have anything you’d need.”
Neubauer’s Dodge will also feature ProcureIT Network. ProcureIT’s CEO Chris Martin said, “Drew introduced us to Joe and Stevens-Miller Racing last year at COTA. We had a great time – the cars were fantastic and ran like a top. Drew won the SVRA GT2 category and I’ve supported SMR on all of their cars since. The Trans Am paddock is full of potential customers for our IT services, software bundling, and cloud support systems. I’m really looking forward to the race and checking out SMR’s hospitality unit for the first time.”
SMR owner Joe Stevens said, “We’re really happy to have Drew back in one of our cars. He’s a great guy and brings in a great group of companies that can benefit from being involved with SMR and Trans Am. We have had ProcureIT Network on all of our cars this season thanks to Drew and Chris Martin. Besides his tech business, Chris is also a racer and so he fits right in under our tent. We want to do more to promote his company and the first step is having him there with us at races talking the talk. Handshakes with the CEO go a long way in the development of new sales.”
Neubauer added, “I’d love to be at every race but my work schedule and budget just don’t allow it at this time. I’m working on all fronts to do a full season next year but for now I’m ready to get back in the saddle for Mid-Ohio.”