Chad Boat to run at least 15 NNS races this season - MotorSportsTalk

Chad Boat, the son of former USAC and IndyCar Series driver Billy Boat, will now look to make his name in the NASCAR Nationwide Series.

21-year-old Chad (pictured, from 2011) will drive the No. 84 Chevrolet for his father’s Billy Boat Motorsports team in at least 15 Nationwide events this season. His debut is set for April 4 at Texas but he will take part in this week’s Preseason Thunder testing at Daytona International Speedway to get track time.

“I’m excited for the opportunity to compete at the next level in my career,” Chad said in a press release. “We have a great team at Billy Boat Motorsports and I’m thankful for their hard work putting this program together. I can’t wait to get behind the wheel of the No. 84 Chevrolet this season.”

Chad competed in seven ARCA races last year, earning three Top-5 and four Top-10 finishes. His best result was a third-place finish at Iowa Speedway.

“I have been around racing my entire life and it is an honor to have the opportunity to form a NASCAR program like this,” Billy Boat said in the same release. “Chad has shown so much promise in stock car racing, especially with our limited ARCA program last year, we felt it was an appropriate time to take this next step.”

Serving as crew chief for Chad this year will be Dan Deeringhoff, who guided Clint Bowyer to the 2008 Nationwide championship as part of Richard Childress Racing.

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The IndyCar Series has re-signed NTT as its title sponsor in a multiyear agreement starting in 2024.

NTT, a global information technology and communications company based in Japan, became the series’ title sponsor before the 2019 season after starting as a sponsor of the No. 10 Dallara-Honda for Chip Ganassi Racing.

NTT Data (a subsidiary of parent company Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corp.) will remain the official technology partner of IndyCar, Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the Indy 500 and the NASCAR Brickyard weekend.

With the extension, an IndyCar spokesman said NTT would become the second-longest title sponsor in series history. The longest title sponsor was PPG from 1980-97 (under the CART sanction of the Champ Car Series).

NTT replaced Verizon, which was IndyCar’s title sponsor from 2014-18 after IZOD from 2010-13.

“NTT is an excellent partner across our enterprise with strong expertise and a deep commitment to our sport,” Penske Corp. chairman and IndyCar owner Roger Penske said in a release. “From Smart Venue technology at the Racing Capital of the World to the reimagined Series mobile application, NTT is transforming the fan experience in new and innovative ways. We look forward to a bright future together.”

NTT has used artificial intelligence-enabled optical detection technology at IMS to provide information to the track’s operations and security teams, helping improve fan traffic flow and safety, the track said.

“IndyCar is a great partner for NTT Data because of our shared commitment to driving innovation, increasing sustainability and delivering amazing experiences,” NTT Data CEO Kaz Nishihata said in a release. “We also appreciate how IndyCar is so diverse, with drivers from 15 different countries, and races that range from short ovals and superspeedways to road and street courses. It’s both an incredible sport and a wonderful example for our world.”

NTT also has been instrumental in helping redesign the IndyCar app and providing more race and driver data for use in NBC Sports’ broadcasts by utilizing 140 data points from every car in the field.

“NTT is fully invested in the development and growth of our sport and has already established a terrific track record in our industry with problem-solving capabilities and access to top talent and tools,” Penske Entertainment president and CEO Mark Miles said.

Said NTT Data Services CEO Bob Pryor: “We’re thrilled to continue our collaborations that enhance and expand the fan experience for motorsports and serve as proof points for data analytics, AI, and other innovative digital technologies. For more than a century, this racing series has pioneered innovations making driving safer for everyone, and by continuing this relationship, we will accelerate the pace of innovations and new technologies, particularly related to sustainability that ultimately can benefit organizations, communities and individuals around the world.”

Starting as a Japanese telephone company, NTT grew into a $100 billion-plus tech services giant with U.S. operations based in Plano, Texas.