| IWX Racing Profile | ||
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IWX Racing Team History Stephen J. Coulter, founder and owner of IWX Motor Freight, started Xpress Motorsports in 1996 to compete full-time in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. In the spring of 1997, NASCAR veteran Dave Fuge joined the organization as Team Manager/Crew Chief and quickly brought the team to the next level. They celebrated their first win in 1997 with driver Randy Tolsma. At the conclusion of the 1998 season, Coulter made the decision to move the team from the NCTS to a full-time team in the NASCAR Busch Grand National Series. After a three-year stint, the financial considerations of being an independent team competing against the giants of the sport prompted a re-evaluation of team goals. The decision was made to re-enter the NCTS full-time. The team was ready to go for the 2002 season opening event at Daytona. With Fuge at the helm as team manager, the team proved the talent and skills of the experienced crew was the winning combination in the Truck Series. Scoring six wins, 14 top-fives and19 top-ten finishes the team captured the series’ championship with driver Mike Bliss and crew chief Dave Fuge, Jr. Bliss was offered a full-time ride in the Busch Series for 2003 so Travis Kvapil was tapped as the new driver and Chris Showalter was named crew chief. Scoring one win, 13 top-five and 22 top-ten finishes, the team again celebrated winning their second consecutive NCTS championship in a classic battle coming down to the season’s final event in Homestead, FL. In addition to only finishing out of the top-ten three times in 25 starts, the team set a series record for most miles completed in a single season, completing all but ½ mile of total possible. Now the team is poised for an assault on the competition to capture an unprecedented third championship in 2004. A name change from Xpress Motorsports to IWX Racing is one of only a few, but critical changes prior to the start of the 25-race season. Jack Sprague, the only three-time champion in the NCTS history, has been tapped to drive the #16 truck. Chevy Trucks is the team sponsor bringing the full GM Racing arsenal of factory support resources to the team’s disposal. Showalter remains as crew chief with Fuge heading up the program. Added to the team’s already proven ability to finish and win races and championships, these additions place the team in the enviable position of being the leader of the pack in NCTS competition. Founded in 1988 in Columbus, IN, IWX Motor Freight is now headquartered in Springfield, MO with terminals in Kingman, AZ, Ft. Worth, TX and Edinburgh, IN. The company boasts over 525 late-model tractors and over 600 state-of-the-art trailers serving the 48 contiguous states and logging more than 100,000,000 miles per year. Coulter holds a Mechanical Engineering Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Missouri at Rolla. Prior to forming IWX Motor Freight, he worked in the engineering department for Cummins Engine Company in Columbus, IN. Coulter and his wife Joan currently reside in Springfield, MO. |
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