Ickler to test with Roush Fenway at Daytona, pilot No. 16 Nationwide car at Charlotte

Concord, N.C. (May 18, 2010) - Brian Ickler will join Roush Fenway Racing for the Nationwide Series test this week at Daytona International Speedway. Ickler will share laps with Colin Braun in the No. 16 Roush Fenway Ford Mustang at the test that will be held on Tuesday and Wednesday at the "World’s Center of Speed."

Ickler, who hails from San Diego, Calif., will also drive the No. 16 Roush Fenway Ford next weekend in the Nationwide Series race at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

“We are excited about having Brian join the Roush Fenway Team, and participate in the No. 16 program along with Colin Braun who, as scheduled, will continue to drive the No. 16 car with Con-way Freight and 3M in 14 more races this year,” said team owner Jack Roush.

“We are in the fortunate position to have races available in the Nationwide Series, and we intend to use these races to continue our traditional commitment to the development of young drivers in NASCAR, such as Colin, Ricky (Stenhouse Jr.) and Brian.

“Brian (Ickler) will race for us at the Daytona Mustang test and the upcoming race at Charlotte. Putting Brian in the Charlotte race gives us the rare opportunity to evaluate a young, talented driver while also helping to foster his development on the track,” Roush said.

“Of course, Brian is already highly regarded as a young talent, which is why we are giving him the opportunity at Charlotte. As we do with each of our young drivers, we’ll continue to evaluate Brian as he participates in our program and assess what’s the best path to take for our team, our sponsors and Brian.”

The 24-year old Ickler has finished top five in each of his two starts in the Camping World Truck Series this season, including a third-place run at Martinsville and a fourth-place finish at Kansas. He has experience in both the NASCAR Truck and Nationwide Series, and has won a total of seven races in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East and West divisions.

Roush said the organization will remain open to evaluating additional talent going forward.

“We are keeping our options open for the future and are looking for the right fit for Roush Fenway Racing,” added Roush.

The No. 16 will be one of four Roush Fenway cars taking part in the two-day test session at Daytona (No. 6, No. 60 and No. 98).

Release courtesy of Roush-Fenway Racing

PHOTO COURTESY OF NASCAR MEDIA