Venturini Motorsports announces sale to Nitro Motorsports
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.
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.
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