Hettinger Racing is set to make its season debut in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series with driver Mason Maggio behind the wheel of the No. 4 Tantillo Auto Group Chevrolet Silverado. The team will compete in the Fresh From Florida 250 at Daytona International Speedway, scheduled for Friday, with live coverage on FS1 and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio at 7:30 p.m. EST.
For Maggio, a 20-year-old racer from Palm Beach Garden, Florida, this marks his 22nd career Truck Series start and his second experience on a superspeedway. His previous superspeedway outing came in October 2024 at Talladega Superspeedway, where he finished 18th. Maggio is optimistic about applying lessons from that race to the high-speed challenge of Daytona.
“As far as the overall basics of superspeedway racing and how to navigate it, Talladega definitely gave me a great feel of what to expect,” Maggio said. “I’ve been putting in the work watching film between practice, qualifying, and the race, and then I’ve got some really good people here at Hettinger Racing to lean on for advice. Talladega gave me a lot of good pointers and it just makes me feel even more prepared than I would’ve been if I didn’t do that race last year.”
Hettinger Racing, a relatively new entry in the Truck Series, made its debut in 2024, running the final two races of the season at Martinsville Speedway and Phoenix Raceway with driver Brett Moffitt. The team is owned by Chris Hettinger, a second-generation racer whose father, Jim, was a championship-winning open-wheel Midget and Sprint Car driver. Chris himself transitioned from a successful driving career to team ownership, building a developmental ladder that now includes Late Models, ARCA, and the Truck Series.
“Daytona marks another step in the growth of our race team,” Hettinger said. “We’ve got our Late Model and ARCA program, and the Truck Series represents the top step of the ladder program we have available to our drivers. Mason is ready for this opportunity and we are too.”
Maggio, a product of Bandolero and Legend Car racing, has steadily climbed the NASCAR ranks. His Truck Series debut came in June 2022 at Worldwide Technology Raceway, followed by his Xfinity Series debut in April 2023 at Richmond Raceway. Now, with the backing of Hettinger Racing, Maggio is eager to prove himself on one of NASCAR’s biggest stages.
“I broke into the Truck Series in 2022, and then did my first Xfinity start in 2023. Just been kind of going back and forth there, really hustling with smaller-to-mid-pack teams trying to make a name for myself and continuing to show the NASCAR world what I can do,” Maggio said. “I feel like I’ve done a pretty decent job of that, from well-established, small teams to even startup teams, so I’m not afraid to grab the bull by the horns and take on a new challenge. It’s what’s led me to this opportunity with Hettinger Racing and, knowing I’ve got good equipment and good people, it’s the most excited I’ve been in a long time.”
With the combination of Maggio’s determination and Hettinger Racing’s growing presence in the Truck Series, the Fresh From Florida 250 will be an exciting milestone for both driver and team as they take on Daytona.
