MOORESVILLE, N.C. – DGR-Crosley has announced that the team has signed 16-year-old Minnesota driver Joe Valento to race in the CARS Late Model Stock Tour next year.

Valento has spent the past two seasons competing in the Midwest Truck Series, winning two races, and finishing the 2020 season third in the championship standings. He also earned rookie of the year honors in 2019.

The 13-race CARS Late Model Stock Tour kicks off March 6 at the famed Rockingham (N.C.) Speedway and concludes Oct. 16 at South Boston (Va.) Speedway.

“We couldn’t be more excited for Joe to join the DGR-Crosley family,” said team co-owner David Gilliland. “He is the type of individual that we look for in a young racer and our goal is to help him build on his previous success. We are ready to get back racing full time in the CARS Tour again and are looking forward to having Joe as part of that effort.”

“The past couple of seasons have given me a really strong foundation when it comes to driving and understanding the car,” said Valento. “It’s hard to wrap my head around all the possibilities that racing for a team like DGR-Crosley could lead to for me and my career, but I know that I’m going to have to work hard and focus on a different type of car from what I’ve been used to. NASCAR late model stock cars are a fresh challenge for me and I am excited to start my career at Rockingham, a track where NASCAR’s top series used to race for so many years. I look forward to what 2021 has in store.”