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ROCKINGHAM, N.C. — During a press conference Friday at Rockingham Speedway, Venturini Motorsports (VMS) announced the sale of the team to Nitro Motorsports.
As part of the agreement, Nitro Motorsports will assume full ownership of the team and continue VMS’ longstanding partnership with Toyota GAZOO Racing beginning Oct. 15, 2025. Current team owner Billy Venturini will remain on board as General Manager for one year, through the conclusion of the 2026 race season.
Nitro Motorsports, founded by Nick Tucker, competes in a wide variety of racing disciplines, including a national Go Karting program, Trans Am Series, Toyota GR Cup North America and the ARCA Menards Series.
“Nitro Motorsports foundation has been built on driver development, a pillar of what Venturini Motorsports has been known for and curated,” said Nick Tucker of Nitro Motorsports. “My partner Joe (Tovo) and I understand the responsibility to carry on that legacy and the history that the Venturini family has poured their life’s work into and build on that for many years to come with Toyota GAZOO Racing.
“With the acquisition of Venturini Motorsports, Nitro becomes the most vertically integrated driver development program in the world starting with our premier cadet Go Karting program (Nitro Kart) as the ground floor with progression to cars with Toyota GR Cup, Trans Am and now ARCA.
“Billy and I are cut from the same cloth of being born into the sport with a racing family, working up through the ranks at all levels and seeing how to build a driver with an intimate view that very few have. I want to thank Toyota for believing in my vision to carry forward their goals and Billy for the forethought to bring us in to carry forward the torch.”
With a family legacy in motorsports dating back to the 1950s, Venturini Motorsports has been a dominant presence in the ARCA Menards Series since 1982. VMS holds the distinction of being the longest tenured and most successful team in ARCA history, earning 107 all-time series victories.
“I want to thank my wife, my parents, my team, Jack Irving, Tyler Gibbs, and Ron Drager. Each of them is what has made this journey so very special,” said Billy Venturini. “The last 20 years [as owner and General Manager] have been very rewarding, but also incredibly demanding. I love what this sport has given to me, but in return I gave it everything I had. So the time has come to be able to prioritize other things ahead of racing. As a racer, nothing comes before the sport. I understood, I believed, and lived by it. But it’s now time to prepare for my departure.
“I knew that the person who was to take this team over when the time came needed to be someone who carried that same passion and intensity that I did. Nick is that guy. Nick seems like the perfect fit to continue this program for the team and for Toyota with the same devotion to drivers development as I have.”
The majority of that success came after 2007, when Billy Venturini transitioned the team into the driver development powerhouse it’s become today.
An official partner of Toyota GAZOO Racing, Venturini Motorsports has played a key role in the development of some of today’s top NASCAR series talent, including Joey Logano, Christopher Bell, William Byron, Alex Bowman, Jesse Love, Corey Heim and Christian Eckes.
The team has claimed multiple ARCA Menards Series owner and driver championships with Christian Eckes, Sean Hingorani and Jesse Love.
“Billy Venturini and the entire Venturini Motorsports organization have been incredible partners for TRD,” said Jack Irving, General Manager, TRD. “Over the years, we’ve shared countless wins and developed some of the sport’s brightest talents together. What makes the relationship special is not just the success on the track, but the trust, integrity and friendship that define how we work together. Billy’s passion for racing and commitment to driver development truly embody what we value at TRD.”
Under Billy’s leadership, the team received the prestigious NASCAR Diversity Award in 2023. VMS has been instrumental in the growth of the sport, both on and off the track.
In the late 1980s, Bill Sr. and Cathy Venturini made history by introducing racing’s first-ever all-female pit crew, paving the way for many of today’s female drivers and crew members in a traditionally male-dominated sport. Bill Sr., a two-time ARCA champion (1987, 1991) and 1983 Rookie of the Year, helped lay the foundation for what would become one of the sport’s most respected organizations.
“The Venturini family has built a racing legacy synonymous with the success in the ARCA Menards Series for over 40 years, beginning with Bill and Cathy Venturini’s championship in 1987,” said Ron Drager, President, ARCA Menards Series. “Over the past 20-plus years, Billy Venturini has taken the business to a new level, winning races and championships, establishing and growing the team’s partnership with Toyota and creating and expanding its highly respected driver development initiative. From an ARCA perspective, we’re proud that Venturini Motorsports chose to make a home here, and we applaud them on their tremendous success.”
