Dean Hopes To Continue Superspeedway Excellence
Story By: TRACI CYWINSKI / WIN-TRON RACING – DAYTONA BEACH, FL – Surrounded by a new team and the support of his new full-time marketing partner GREE, Gus Dean (@GusDean) returns to Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway this weekend with momentum and goals.
Dean, the new driver of the No. 32 GREE Cooling Products Toyota Camry for Win-Tron Racing is aiming for his second career ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards victory and second consecutive on a superspeedway in Saturday afternoon’s Lucas Oil Complete Engine Treatment 200 driven by General Tire.
And even though Dean isn’t with the same team he scored a popular win at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway last April, the Bluffton, S.C. native knows he has just as good of an opportunity to win again with Win-Tron Racing.
“I’m ready, I’ve been ready,” said Dean. “I’m excited to get the year going with Win-Tron Racing and GREE. We’ve really been working hard since we announced our partnership in December. Building cars and building relationships. I’m excited.”
Dean returns to the “World Center of Racing” where he made his ARCA debut last February. Although his first career start was short lived after being swept into a multi-car accident on Lap 2, Dean still appreciates the opportunity to step on the grounds of Daytona again and hopes for a better outcome on Feb. 18.
“I was incredibly thankful for the opportunity last February,” added Dean. “We had a super-fast car, but just got caught in something completely out of our control. That’s the past though. It’s a new year with a new look and new memories. I’m really feeling good about where I’m at.”
Of course, Dean knows he wouldn’t have the opportunity to return to Daytona, not only to race but start his ARCA championship battle, if not for his marketing partner GREE.
In 1991, GREE set out to make the world a cooler place. To this end, they’ve become a global leader in air conditioners, developing some of the most advanced commercial and residential air conditioners in the world.
Based in Zhuhai, China, GREE is now the world’s largest specialized air conditioner company integrating R&D, manufacturing, sales and service. It’s our mission to innovate and create new ways to help people live well and stay comfortable no matter where they live, work or play.
GREE will be joined by its master distributor for the US market, Tradewinds Climate Systems, as well as a number of their regional wholesalers, salespeople, and most importantly, fellow race fans. The company, which ranked 385th in Forbes’ Global 2000 possesses 18,000 active patents for products sold in 160 countries.
“We’re all very excited about the season ahead,” said Dave Pearson, president of Tradewinds. “We’re proud to have taken this relationship with Gus from a couple of races last year to a chance to run for the ARCA championship this season. The car looks great and we know it has a lot of speed and we’re hoping for a great finish to start off the new year with Win-Tron Racing.”
Dean added, “My relationship with GREE and their associates has been phenomenal, they are such awesome people. Mr. Dave (Pearson, president of Tradewinds Climate Systems) is a huge believer in me, our team and our goals. I know we’re going to have a lot of support on Saturday and I just hope we’re able to give everyone a finish they can be proud of.”
To kick off the new season, Win-Tron Racing owner Kevin Cywinski and crew chief Todd Myers will debut a brand new superspeedway car built especially for Dean. The car hit the track during preseason testing at the 2.5-mile stadium last month with strong results.
“The car was strong during the test, whether we were by ourselves or in the draft,” recalled Dean who posted an overall time in the top-10 in a two-day session that featured 52 cars turning a lap. “We tried a lot of things and Todd was pretty happy with the results. Of course, you always want to come back to the track and be better than you were before, so I can’t wait to hit the track on Thursday and see what we have to work with for the race. I’m feeling pretty confident.”
With Win-Tron Racing fielding a two-car team at Daytona with newcomer Justin Fontaine, Cywinski is hopeful for a strong effort.
“We’re excited to have Gus for the year,” said Cywinski. “He reminds me a lot of myself as a driver with the drive, passion and attitude to do nothing but breathe and sleep racing. He’s spent a lot of time in the shop during the offseason and we’re looking forward to many great accomplishments in 2017.”
Like Talladega, veteran Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series spotter Tyler Green will guide Dean for qualifying and the race. Green, son of former NASCAR driver Mark Green currently spots for former Daytona 500 winner Jamie McMurray on Sundays.
While gunning for the ARCA Racing Series driver’s championship this season, Dean has also registered to be a SCOTT Rookie of the Year candidate aboard the No. 32 GREE Toyota Camry.
In seven ARCA Racing Series starts, 22-year-old Dean captured his first career victory in his second career start at Talladega Superspeedway after starting second in Apr. 2016. Overall, Dean has one top-five and three top-10 finishes and has led 21 laps in ARCA competition.
The Lucas Oil Complete Engine Treatment 200 driven by General Tire (80 laps / 200 miles) is the first of 20 races on the 2017 ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards schedule. Practice begins Thurs., Feb. 16 with a two-hour session from 4:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. A final practice session has been etched in on Fri., Feb. 17 from 9:30 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. Group qualifying is set for later in the day at 3:30 p.m. The preamble for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series’ “Clash” is set to take the green flag on Sat., Feb. 18 shortly after 4:00 p.m. The event will be televised live on FOX Sports 1 (FS1), while ARCARacing.com will stream live timing and scoring throughout the entire weekend festivities.
