Photo – ChadBoat.com

After posting the fastest time in the Nationwide Series test at Daytona on Sunday, NASCAR has approved rookie driver Chad Boat to run the Nationwide/NNS opener.

His fastest lap of 47.929 seconds (187.778 mph) led the afternoon session of the test on Sunday.  It is also his first time racing in a NNS car on the high banks of Daytona. 

Boat is the son of former IndyCar driver Billy Boat, who fields the team for his son. Chad’s first scheduled race was Texas in April, but plans have changed for the 21-year-old driver.

He has come up through the ranks in NASCAR, competing full-time in the NASCAR K&N Pro East Series in 2011, and running select races in the East Series and the ARCA Racing Series in 2012.

In 2013, Boat ran seven races in ARCA, tying his career best finish of third at Iowa, which he set back at the same track in his début in 2012.

His father plans to run him in a minimum of 15 races with his own team, Billy Boat Racing. Dan Deeringhoff, who was the crew chief for Clint Bowyer’s 2008 NASCAR Nationwide Series championship winning effort, will guide the rookie driver.