When the #8 Bud car rolled out on the track, you knew it was a force to be reckoned with. Dale Jr. in his prime, backed by Tony Eury Sr. as crew chief, and his son, Eury Jr. in the garage. The memories just come rolling back, don’t they? But a few years down the line, when Eury Jr. became a leading force in the garage, it wouldn’t last for too long. Eury Jr. would depart as well, and it was a massive change.

“We just let everything ease up. We sent a couple texts that first weekend. We talked on the phone, and it was kind of emotional for both of us. In no way shape or form am I going to let this sport get in between me and Dale Jr. It was a job. I enjoyed being around Dale – still do,” he said at the time. And eventually, Eury Jr. had other projects to work on, in the world of short-track racing. He founded FURY Race Cars, but just a few days ago, he announced his departure.

It was no easy change. The short track racing world was going through a major shift. GMS Race Cars is entering the Super Late Model chassis construction scene, and they’re bringing a NASCAR veteran with them. The goal is to build fast, reliable race cars that can compete at the highest level and give established players like FURY a run for their money. With a significant investment, appointing the right people, and having the tools in place, GMS is well on its way to doing just that. That’s where Eury Jr. comes in. 

Leading their new program will be Tony Eury Jr., former crew chief of Dale Earnhardt Jr. Will his years of experience in NASCAR and chassis building translate to results at GMS Race Cars? Time will tell. But that’s certainly the hope.

The excitement is at an all-time high. After all, GMS Race Cars has launched its new Super Late Model chassis program. The company, based in Statesville, North Carolina, is using everything it has learned from GMS Racing and is using it to build top-quality chassis for teams. Tony Eury Jr. has been there and done that, having started FURY Race Cars almost a decade ago. The veteran crew chief will be using his years of experience to contribute at GMS, where he’ll be serving as Director of Chassis Development.

Sharing his thoughts ahead of his new career move, Tony Eury Jr. said, “We’re building this program with the same drive and determination that brought GMS to Victory Lane in NASCAR. The goal is simple: engineer a championship-caliber Super Late Model chassis that drivers want under them and teams want in their shops.” As things stand, the first GMS chassis is already in development and testing is expected to begin soon. GMS Race Cars plans to have 10-15 cars on the track by the end of the year, just in time for major races like the Snowball Derby.

Mike Beam, the president at GMS, believes that Tony Eury Jr’s leadership will make a big difference to the company. He said, “Tony brings top-level experience and fresh ideas. We’re not just building a car—we’re trying to raise the standard for Super Late Model racing.” According to Dale Earnhardt Jr’s former crew chief, GMS has the tools to stand out from the crowd, thanks to access to high-end tech like CAD modeling and data analysis. “Other builders copy each other. We’re trying to do something different—and better,” Eury Jr. said.

The veteran crew chief also believes that the company will help in the grassroots development of aspiring racers. “We can offer a full path from short tracks to national series. Not many places can do that,” the 52-year-old went on to say. GMS Race Cars are already in talks with teams such as Rackley WAR about potential partnerships. Eury Jr. also teased about the prospect of having Dale Earnhardt Jr. behind the wheel, going on to say, “We almost got him in a test last year. I think he wants to. I’m going to keep pushing him—we’ve got a good shot.”

Tony Eury Jr. explains his reasons for leaving FURY

Dale Earnhardt Jr’s former crew chief is betting on himself again. After founding FURY Race Cars with Darius Grala and Jeff Fultz in 2016, Tony Eury Jr. is starting over once again, this time with GMS Race Cars. At 52 years old, it’s a brave career move to begin a new challenge, one that the North Carolina native will hope to succeed in by raising the bar of Super Late Model Racing. However, what might have motivated him to leave the comfort of FURY to join GMS Fabrication in Statesville, North Carolina?

Speaking candidly, Tony Eury Jr. revealed, “We had a lot of success at FURY Race Cars, but then Jeff (Fultz, who co-founded the company with Eury and Darius Grala) left (for Port City,) and we just got to a place where growth stopped. I was looking to do something different, but we explored maybe trying to merge GMS and FURY, and when that wasn’t going to work out, I just felt like after 13 years doing this that I knew what it took to do this on my own.“

Leading chassis development at GMS Race Cars is no easy task. Tony Eury Jr. will be taking on some of the sports’ heavyweights, such as Port City, HAMKE, and even FURY Race Cars, a company he built from the ground up. However, this time around, Dale Jr’s former associate has deeper technical support, more data, smarter design, and a full development pipeline to make a bigger impact. That’s all he’s looking for, just another big adventure.