Ole Miss Athletics and Hattori Racing Enterprises (HRE) announced Tuesday that NASCAR Camping World Truck Series driver Chase Purdy will don the colors of his alma mater at Talladega Superspeedway on Saturday, Oct. 1.
The 22-year-old Meridian, Mississippi, native attended Ole Miss for three years before restarting his racing career in Camping World Trucks competition in 2020 and is elated to fly the colors of his home school.
Purdy’s No. 61 truck will showcase the trademark powder and navy blue in advance of the Rebels’ highly anticipated SEC opener vs. Kentucky the same day. Purdy will take the green flag at Talladega Superspeedway at 11:30 a.m. CT on FOX Sports 1.
Purdy will be on campus Wednesday, Sept. 28, showcasing his truck. Both the truck and Purdy will be available to the general public for photo opportunities, on Hollingsworth Field, inside Vaught-Hemingway Stadium, from 2 to 3 p. m. CT. Fans should enter through gate 6 & 7 and then head towards the field.
“This is so awesome to have Ole Miss on the truck,” Purdy said. “I’ve been a fan of the athletic programs for a long time, especially football. It’s a special place to me with it being my home school, going to school there myself, and having my brother currently enrolled.
“Ole Miss has been a big part of our lives for quite some time, so to have the colors on our truck is just incredible, especially leading into the homecoming football game this weekend.”
Ole Miss has shared relationships with multiple NASCAR drivers who hail from Mississippi, but having the university’s colors fully emblazoned on-track is a significant occurrence.
“What an exciting event for the Ole Miss fans across the country,” said Paris Buchanan, Ole Miss’ Assistant A.D. for Marketing and Fan Experience. “The Talladega Superspeedway is the premier venue in all of NASCAR, and it will certainly be special to have Ole Miss Athletics represented in the race. We’ll all be cheering on Chase and his team to take home the checkered flag in the No. 61 truck on Saturday.”
No. 11 Ole Miss (4-0) plays host to No. 7 Kentucky (4-0) this weekend, with Sean McDonough, Todd Blackledge, Molly McGrath and Todd McShay on the call. The game will be televised on ESPN and is slated for an 11 a.m. CT kick.
