Diversified Motorsports Enterprises

Diversified Motorsports Enterprises, formerly JJL Motorsports, is an American professional stock car racing team that currently competes in the NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series. Based in Sherrills Ford, North Carolina, the team currently fields the No. 97 Chevrolet Silverado part-time for Jesse Little and Robby Lyons.

Diversified Motorsports Enterprises
Owner(s)Logan Puckett
BaseSherrills Ford, North Carolina
SeriesNASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series
Race drivers97. Jesse Little, Robby Lyons
Sponsors97. Teletrac, Diversified Utility Group, Skuttle Tight
ManufacturerChevrolet
Opened2015
Career
Debut2015 Lucas Oil 200 (Dover)
Latest race2019 Ford EcoBoost 200 (Homestead)
Races competedTotal: 73
Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series: 27
K&N Pro Series East: 42
K&N Pro Series West: 4
Drivers' Championships0
Race victoriesTotal: 1
Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series: 0
K&N Pro Series East: 1
K&N Pro Series West: 0
Pole positionsTotal: 3
Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series: 0
K&N Pro Series East: 3
K&N Pro Series West: 0

Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series

Truck No. 97 history

In 2015, the team made their Truck Series debut at Dover as Team Little Motorsports fielding No. 97 Toyota Tundra in a partnership with ThorSport Racing, but an early crash ended Jesse Little's day early finishing 30th. The team also attempted the Chicagoland race but also finished 30th. The team returned at Texas and Homestead and finished 15th at Texas and 14th at Homestead respectively.

In 2016, the team was renamed to JJL Motorsports. The No. 97 truck made two attempts in the fall races at Texas and Homestead finishing 20th and 18th respectively.

In 2017, Jesse Little returned to the No. 97 truck, running 4 races. The first one was at Dover, where he finished 14th. Jesse Little then finished a season best 8th in Iowa. Little next raced at Bristol, continuing his strong performance, finishing 13th. His last start of 2017 came in Phoenix, where he was involved in a late race crash, finishing 18th.

In 2018, JJL Motorsports and Jesse Little returned for 9 races, and the team also switched manufacturers from Toyota to Ford, keeping their alliance with ThorSport, who also switched from Toyota to Ford that year. As part of this switch, JJL acquired trucks and equipment from the closed Brad Keselowski Racing team, which is why their trucks were the same blue color that Keselowski's trucks had used to run.[1] Little finished with six top tens, the highest finish a 6th at Iowa, the team's best finish to date in the Truck Series. Roger Reuse drove the 97 at Mosport in collaboration with Jordan Anderson Racing.

In 2019 JJL and Jesse Little increased their schedule again, planning to run 12 to 15 races in the newly renamed Gander Outdoors Truck Series.[2]

The team announced over the summer that following the 2019, they were looking to sell the team to a new owner, as driver Jesse Little was looking to move up to the Cup or Xfinity Series in 2020. Little eventually was announced to run in the Xfinity Series full-time for JD Motorsports.

Before the season-ending Ford EcoBoost 200, it was announced that Logan Puckett, the president of Diversified Utility Group LLC, would be purchasing the team, and renaming it to Diversified Motorsports Enterprises for the 2020 season. His company also sponsored the No. 97 truck at Homestead, the team's final race with the Little family as the owners of the team. Although his father Jason will no longer be an owner of the team, Jesse Little was still announced as the driver for DME in their part-time 2020 schedule, beginning at Daytona.[3] The transfer of ownership was completed on December 20.[4]

References

  1. "JJL Motorsports set for increased NASCAR Truck Series presence in 2018". Jayski's Silly Season Site. ESPN Internet Ventures. January 22, 2018. Retrieved January 25, 2018.
  2. "Jesse Little; JJL Motorsports set to return to Trucks in 2019 – JJL Motorsports". Retrieved 2019-02-17.
  3. "JJL Motorsports set for final Truck Series race at Homestead-Miami Speedway". JJL Motorsports. November 12, 2019. Retrieved November 12, 2019.
  4. Brooks, Amanda (December 20, 2019). "Diversified Motorsports Enterprises completes purchase of JJL Motorsports". Jayski's Silly Season Site. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved December 26, 2019.
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