Ryan Beat, ZYN returning to SST at Nashville

After only doing one-offs, Ryan Beat will run multiple Stadium Super Trucks rounds in 2023. Following last weekend’s season-opening Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach, his next planned start will be the Music City Grand Prix on 4–6 April.

Beat finished sixth in Race #1 at Long Beach; despite running in the top three early on, he drifted into the turn seven tyre barrier shortly before the competition caution. He failed to finish Race #2 after an engine failure.

“Had a good time here in Long Beach. I learned a lot this weekend, my third weekend total ever doing SST so obviously still on the learning curve but had a good time,” said Beat in a post-race Instagram Story. “Unfortunately, today, Day Two, we had a motor expire on, started going on like the third lap. I tried to kind of keep it going, I was hoping it would clean up or something—I don’t know, just as a racer, I always have that hope to be able to keep racing but kept going. Unfortunately, motor expired on fourth lap or so, fifth lap and ended our day.

“But what can I say, what a what a fun time. Kudos to Robby Gordon and Stadium Super Trucks for putting on such an awesome event here at Long Beach Grand Prix.”

Bilstein Shocks, who sponsors Beat’s Championship Off-Road Pro 2 truck, appeared on his #51 stadium truck at Long Beach. For Nashville, his truck will be adorned with ZYN Nicotine Pouches branding (and the mandatory health warning labels that come with the product) once again after the company sponsored his SST return at the 2022 edition.

Beat finished fourth and eighth (broken axle) in the two Nashville races last year, which were his first in the trucks after making his début in the 2019 season opener at Circuit of the Americas. He scored a podium in his first race.

“We’ll be back. Bilstein truck is right there, we’re excited,” continued Beat. “As far as first weekend in SST truck with Bilstein, huge kudos to them for nailing the setup, getting it pretty damn close right out of the gate. We’re going to keep working at it and excited to head to Nashville.

“Nashville will be the next one we do and looking forward to that one. ZYN will be on board with us for there and having some fun. Looking forward to doing more of the Stadium Super Truck races, really enjoying them, really enjoying the venues and enjoying how the programme works and how it goes, so looking forward to doing more.”

While Nashville is the only other confirmed entry for Beat, he told fellow SST driver Bill Hynes in an 8 April episode of the latter’s ThrillCast podcast that he is open to adding more rounds depending on funding. Other planned dates on the 2023 SST calendar include Road America and Crandon, the latter a frequent stop for Beat in Championship Off-Road.

Outside of SST, Beat’s focus will be on continuing to grow his Ryan Beat Motorsports operation, which fields trucks in Championship Off-Road, and competing in dirt track racing. He finished ninth in the 2022 COR Pro 2 standings while R/BM driver Gray Leadbetter won the Pro SPEC championship.

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