FROM NASCAR SPONSOR TO TEAM OWNER

How Freedom Warranty CEO Chris Miller took his company's minor sponsorship of NASCAR Driver Spencer Boyd and turned it into the newest CRAFTSMAN TRUCK SERIES competitor at Daytona International

When NASCAR Truck Series driver Spencer Boyd visited Chris D. Miller at Freedom Warranty's corporate offices in Chattanooga, Tennessee, all he wanted was to add another sponsor sticker to his truck. What he got was a close friend and a business partner.

On Friday, February 16, at Daytona International Speedway, Spencer Boyd and Chris D. Miller officially launch their new partnership when their #76 Chevrolet joins the pack for the debut race of the 2024 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series.

Chris Miller recalls the journey from Freedom Warranty's fledgling sponsorship to becoming the primary sponsor and later his co-ownership of a new NASCAR race team. "I wasn't buying an ad on Spencer's truck; I was investing in his enthusiasm and commitment," said Miller.

Since 2019, when Freedom Warranty backed Boyd as a driver on the Young Motorsports Team, Miller learned how the wheels turn on the NASCAR circuit, and his belief in Boyd as a competitor on the track grew. "It became clear to me that Spencer's potential is unlimited with the right partner and backing," said Miller.

“If you asked a wide-eyed 20-year-old me at Martinsville Speedway if I was going to start my own NASCAR team in the next decade, I might have laughed it off."

FREEDOM RACING ENTERPRISES

In January, it was announced that driver Spencer Boyd and investor Chris Miller would enter the 2024 season as Freedom Racing Enterprises. Mooresville, North Carolina, will be home base for the team.

Spencer Boyd said the step up to ownership means he is taking on a huge responsibility.

“This is a wildly proud moment for me,” Boyd told NASCAR.com. “If you asked a wide-eyed 20-year-old me at Martinsville Speedway if I was going to start my own NASCAR team in the next decade, I might have laughed it off. I have been blessed to be able to race cars for a living and remain part of the NASCAR family for as long as I have. I wouldn’t be here without a small group of important people in my career, so I want to thank them for believing in me through thick and thin. They know who they are and hope they are sharing in this feeling of pride.”

Freedom Racing Enterprises moves forward with a solid support group that includes Jeff Hammond, former crew chief for Darrell Waltrip, who will be the team's general manager. Greg Ely is the crew chief, and Rick Bourgeois will be Boyd's car chief.

The Truck Race, scheduled for 7:30 p.m. (EST) on Friday at Daytona International Speedway, will be the first points-paying race of the NASCAR season. Qualifying for the event will be held just a few hours earlier at 3:00 p.m..

Saturday will feature a doubleheader of racing, with the ARCA Menards Series and Xfinity Series kicking off the season. The latter event is set for a 5:00 p.m. green flag leading up to the 66th running of the Daytona 500 at 2:30 p.m. on Sunday.