Sam Fellows Returns to NASCAR Pinty’s Series With Help From GM Paille
Toronto, Canada, June 2nd, 2023 - Sam Fellows, son of Canadian racing legend Ron, announced today his plans to return to the NASCAR Pinty’s Series in 2023. Fellows will compete under the newly minted Fellows McGraw Racing (FMR) name. The FMR team will compete with Chevrolet Camaro race cars provided by GM Paille Racing and will sport the number 87. While the number of races have yet to be determined, Fellows indicated the team intends to compete at both ovals and road courses - starting with the Budweiser 300 at Autodrome-Chaudiere on June 10th.
Sam Fellows said, “first off I have to thank JC Paille for his help on this, being able to race with Paille equipment and represent the brand is an incredible honour.”
In addition to the support from GM Paille, the FMR entry will be backed by longtime sponsor AER Manufacturing, along with support in Quebec from Canadian mattress company Polysleep.
The FMR number 87 will sport a livery that pays tribute to Ron Fellows’s 1999 AER NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series winning car with NEMCO Motorsports. Ron Fellows drove the number 87 on road-courses for NEMCO Motorsports in the Cup, Xfinity, and Craftsman Trucks series from 1998 until 2002. Of his six wins in top NASCAR competition, four of those races were won with the NEMCO 87 car.
Sam Fellows explained, “when I think back on my family’s history in NASCAR, the number 87 is the one that sticks out to me. As a kid I remember dad winning races in the 87 with sponsorship from AER and Bully Hill Vineyards … that partnership with the Nemecheck’s and crew chief Brian Pattie was truly a winning combination.”
For the Fellows, racing is the family business, and team co-owner Lynda Fellows said, “Ron’s career has always been a family affair, so we’re excited to carry that on with Sam and we’re proud to put the Fellows and McGraw names side-by-side on a race team after all these years.”
“AER and the McGraw's are like family really,” Sam continued. “they sponsored my dad for basically his entire career and for them to continue their support with me is very emotional, I take a huge amount of pride in that.”
Fellows commented that the relationship with Polysleep started a few years ago through some video content, and in 2022 the brand partnered with Fellows for the GP3R and ICAR events.
Fellows said, “Polysleep is making waves in their own industry, so having them join our team is an inspiration. We have GP3R circled this year on our calendar for them.”
Fellows’ 2022 season saw the Toronto driver earn his first Top 10 finishes in the NASCAR Pinty’s Series, coming home in sixth place at the Grand Prix de Trois Rivieres and following up with a ninth place showing at the CTMP WeatherTech 200.
The Budweiser 300 will go green at Autodrome-Chaudiere on June 10th. Be sure to follow Sam and the team on social media at @samfell0ws and @FellowsMcGrawRacing, to stay updated on the team’s progress throughout the remainder of the 2023 season.
