Tricon Garage Adds Championship-Winning Crew Chief

Tricon Garage has released its driver and crew chief lineup for the 2023 Craftsman Truck Series season. A champion in Scott Zipadelli headlines the list as he joins the organization.

According to a press release, Zipadelli will take over the No. 11 team while working alongside 2022 Rookie of the Year Corey Heim. Zipadelli will make his official debut with Tricon Garage after spending six seasons with Hattori Racing Enterprises and a variety of drivers.

Zipadelli achieved considerable success prior to joining Tricon Garage. He secured 15 wins in the Craftsman Truck Series — seven with Brett Moffitt and eight with Austin Hill. Zipadelli also won the 2018 championship with Moffitt.

The veteran most recently spent the 2022 season with Tyler Ankrum. The duo combined to post eight top-10 finishes but ultimately missed the playoffs. Zipadelli then announced his departure from Hattori Racing Enterprises after the 2022 season came to an end.

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A Former Cup Series Crew Chief Joins Tricon Garage

Zipadelli will not be the only newcomer to the crew chief lineup. Tricon Garage also announced that Jerame Donley will make the move from the Cup Series to the Craftsman Truck Series.

Donley’s first season as a crew chief was in 2022. He joined Petty GMS — now Legacy Motor Club — and guided the No. 42 team and Ty Dillon. The team struggled while only securing one top-10 finish at Bristol Motor Speedway (dirt).

Donley will now join forces with Tanner Gray, who suits up for his fourth consecutive season with the Truck Series team. Gray has contended for playoff appearances in his first three seasons with Tricon Garage — formerly David Gilliland Racing — but he has also worked with several different crew chiefs.

Donley will potentially provide a consistent presence on the pit box for Gray and the No. 15 team as the New Mexico native continues the pursuit of his first national series win. The pairing with Tricon Garage will also provide Donley with an opportunity to pursue strong performances after the 2022 season.

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Tricon Garage Named 3 Other Crew Chiefs

Tricon Garage will field five entries during the 2023 Craftsman Truck Series season while pursuing wins and appearances in the playoffs. Donley will partner with Gray while Zipadelli will pursue more wins as he joins forces with Heim.

There will be three other crew chiefs that play a pivotal role during the 2023 season. Seth Smith will return to guide the No. 1 team, which will feature numerous drivers in guest roles. Smith previously helped Ryan Preece win at Nashville Superspeedway and Todd Gilliland win at Knoxville Raceway.

Derek Smith, for comparison, will move from the ARCA Menards Series to take over the No. 5 pit box. He will work with Dean Thompson, who joins Tricon Garage after spending the 2022 season with Niece Motorsports.

Finally, Bill Wilburn will make his return to the Craftsman Truck Series as he moves closer to 200 national series races atop the pit box. His last stint as a crew chief took place in 2018 as he guided Justin Allgaier for two races. Wilburn also has one Xfinity Series race win on his resume, which he and David Gilliland secured during the 2006 season.

Wilburn will primarily work with Taylor Gray as the New Mexico native takes on the largest schedule of his Craftsman Truck Series career. However, Wilburn will also work with multiple other drivers as the team waits for Gray to turn 18 years old. Sammy Smith will drive the No. 17 at Daytona, but Tricon has not named the drivers for races at Las Vegas or Atlanta.

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