EM Motorsports has announced that it has teamed up with NASCAR veteran James Hylton for the 2009 running of the Daytona 500.
The 74-year-old, who has made over 600 Cup starts in a career that started back in the mid-1960's, will return to the event for the first time since 2007 when he failed to make the race after a clutch problem late in the Gatorade 150 qualifying event.
“Christmas has come early for me,” he said “I am thrilled to be able to fulfil the promise that I made to the fans in 2007 of returning for one more Daytona 500. My main goals are to become the oldest competitor to ever run the Daytona 500 and of course, win the race.”
Hylton last raced in the Cup series back in 1993 but has continued to race in the ARCA Series and he also took part in the Nationwide Series Winn-Dixie 250 earlier this year.
Aside from competing at
Daytona, team owner John Carter said he was hopeful that Hylton would be able to defy his age to run a full-season in the Sprint Cup – sponsorship permitting.
"Our goal is to run a complete 2009 series with James Hylton driving the EM Motorsports Dodge," he said. "You don't know how proud we are of being part of history by putting James Hylton in our car.
"We hope that sponsors will come on board so we can run the complete 2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series."
