Max Gutierrez enters Vegas Trucks in brother’s memory

Friday’s NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway will be an emotional occasion for Max Gutiérrez and AM Racing as he prepares for his first Truck start of the 2023 season. The race comes just a month after he and his younger brother Federico Gutiérrez were involved in a car accident outside Mexico City that resulted in the latter’s death. Gutiérrez’s #22 Ford F-150 will sport his brother’s logo on the hood.

“This race is totally dedicated to my brother, Fico, who I’m sure will be with me all the time,” said Gutiérrez. “Racing is the best medicine for me and Fico was one of the first to congratulate me after our success at Nashville. I will cherish that moment forever. I know he will be racing alongside me in our #22 BolsaDX/Telcel Ford F-150 and I plan to make him proud on Friday night.

“I just want to climb in, be competitive and make everyone proud. Racing is everything to me and even though I cannot share those physical experiences with my brother anymore, I believe he is still there as one of my greatest supporters.”

The Gutiérrez brothers both compete in the Mexico Series, with Max finishing seventh in the 2022 standings while Federico was in the midst of a burgeoning career as the 2022 México Challenge Series Rookie of the Year. Federico, who was seventeen when the fatal accident occurred, was third in the 2021 Mikel’s Truck Series championship prior to climbing the Mexican stock car racing ladder. A mass was arranged for Federico in Mexico City the Monday after the accident.

“Fico” supported Max as he began increasing his racing portfolio in the United States, including running the full 2021 ARCA Menards Series East season and placing fourth in points with a win at New Smyrna. He began racing in the Truck Series in 2022 with AM Racing and finished eighth in his second career start at Nashville, a weekend that also saw him compete in the Mexico Series the following day.

“With the race in Las Vegas, we’re back on track and we’re starting a very important season for me in which I’m sure we’ll get the best results,” Gutiérrez continued. “This is a track that excites me a lot and I want to thank all my team for the effort and work we’ve all made to get here.

“I have been doing my due diligence to prepare for Las Vegas. I know my AM Racing team will be bringing a fast race truck and I believe I am focused on capitalising on that. I learned a lot at Charlotte and Homestead last year and I plan to use that experience to my advantage this weekend.”

AM Racing is mainly focusing on their new Xfinity Series programme with Brett Moffitt but is also continuing their Truck arm. Josh Reaume finished nineteenth in the Truck season opener at Daytona in the #22.