Empire Racing, Corr teaming up with “The King’s” grandson for the ’17 season
February 8, 2017 at 9:00 AM
TOLEDO, Ohio (Feb. 8, 2017) – Sean Corr splits his time between his full-time job at his family’s school bus company in upstate New York and the Empire Racing shop in Mooresville, N.C. But if he had his way, he’d be spending more time at the shop hanging out with “The King.” And that’s because Corr knows that NASCAR icon Richard Petty may just strut through the shop doors at any moment.
“Richard’s great…it’s so cool to have him here,” said Corr. “He’s got a story for everything…he’s done it all. He’s so down-to-earth. He’s not above just hanging out at the shop with all the guys. He just kicks his feet up with the rest of us and starts telling stories. It’s really neat when he comes over.”
Of course there’s a reason the seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion is hanging out with Corr’s ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards team these days. As it is, Empire Racing, a driver development team for Richard Petty Motorsports, is full-ahead for what looks like a busier ARCA schedule in 2017 with Petty’s grandson, Thad Moffitt, at the helm of the No. 46 car for several races. Moffitt’s still 16, so Corr plans to fill the gap on the speedways as necessary. It’s no mistake that the car will wear the number 46.
“It’s so cool to be a part of the legacy of Richard Petty Motorsports. Lee Petty was number 42, Richard was 43, Kyle 44, Adam 45 and now Thad’s going to be the 46. We’re really honored to a be a part of that.”
With a brand new buzz reverberating through the Empire shop, the team is serious about its preparation for the season ahead.
“We’re building new composite cars. We have the new one we built last year and we just finished our second composite car, and we already have our chassis lined up for the third one.”
Corr has entered his own No. 46 Nesco Ford for the 54th running of the Lucas Oil Complete Engine Treatment 200 Driven by General Tire at Daytona Int’l Speedway. The Goshen, N.Y. ARCA veteran won the pole at Daytona in 2012 and finished fifth at the “World Center of Racing” in 2013.
“I can’t wait…I love running Daytona and Talladega. We’re going to try and run the 46 all year…I may possibly do Michigan and both Poconos…still working through all that. The plan is to put Thad in the car for the short tracks…Nashville, Salem, Toledo…everything he can run he plans on running.”
In between all the new and exciting things going on at Empire Racing, Corr’s still working his day job back home to help make ends meet.
“I work with my family’s school bus company. We build a lot of the smaller type-A buses…up to 35-child capacity buses. We do that right down to commercial buses…like the Venturini bus…we built that one. That one’s really decked out…leather commercial seats, foot rests, cup holders, flat screen TV…that one’s really classy.”
In addition to gasoline-, diesel- and propane-powered units, the family-owned company (Trans Tech Bus) builds a lot of electric school buses, many of which end up in California. His sponsor, Nesco, is a truck and bus dealership out of Long Island, N.Y.
Work aside, it’s time to get back to the business of racing.
“I’m actually leaving to go back to North Carolina on the 9th…and then onto Daytona.
“We’re really excited, not just for Daytona, but for the whole season. Thad is one of the most down-to-earth kids I’ve ever met…I know where he gets it from. He’s got a really good head on his shoulders. To have him racing with us at Empire Racing is so neat…he’s such a great kid.”
Established in 2009, Empire Racing Group is a driver-development team that strives to identify young racing talent and assist them in the advancement of their careers. While ERG originally focused on the ARCA Racing Series with driver Sean Corr (team owner), the team has since expanded its reach into other series thanks in part to its alliance with Grumpy’s Performance, Inc. Under the expertise of crew chief Mike ‘Grumpy’ Cheek, ERG now competes in various Late Model series and the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS). In 2016, Empire Racing Group will be serving as a developmental team for Richard Petty Motorsports, providing young drivers with driver coaching, technical support, as well as public relations and marketing needs. Additionally, ERG will compete in multiple racing series including the ARCA Racing Series, NCWTS, and NASCAR Late Model Series at Caraway Speedway. Drivers for the 2016 season include notable rising stars Thad Moffitt, and Harrison Moffitt, as well as racing veteran Sean Corr.
To learn more about ERG, call (704) 664-8882 or visit www.empireracinggroup.com.
team. In the first race at Greenville-Pickens Speedway this season, Moffitt showed some speed on the track. The team made some adjustments to the car, and Moffitt turned lap times faster than the leader, but time was not on the No. 46 team’s side. They brought home a second-place finish. This is Moffitt’s highest finish of the 2016 season. He finished eighth in the second race of the evening. The team came off a struggle with engine troubles occurring in the last practice and qualifying run at Caraway Speedway the previous weekend, but, the No. 46 team will return to Caraway Speedway May 28th to compete and look for their first win. In the first five races of the season, the No. 46 team has three Top-Five finishes and two Top-Ten finishes. Moffitt currently sits first in points in the SELLMS Series.The team hopes to continue to build on their success and be a contender for victory in the upcoming events. In June, the No. 46 team will run at Hickory Speedway, ACE Speedway, Myrtle Beach, and Bowman Gray Stadium. “I feel really good and am excited about the way our team and car are working and running,” says Moffitt. “I think our momentum will carry our team’s confidence into the next race. I don’tsee the off-weekend as being something to stop us. We are really excited for what the rest ofthe season has in-store. We’ve overcome some obstacles, and I think we can handle whatever else is thrown our way and hopefully take home a checkered flag soon.”