INMAN, S.C. — James Hylton, NASCAR's Rookie of the Year in 1966 in search of his 39th start at Daytona Int'l Speedway, will drive his familiar No. 48 for EM Motorsports and owner John Carter in the ARCA Daytona 200 on Feb. 9.
Hylton tested the EM Motorsports 2007 Charger at Daytona International Speedway in mid December and was 18th-fastest with a best lap of 50.702 seconds (177.508 miles per hour).  In 2005, John Carter/EM Motorsports scored a ninth-place finish in the Daytona 500 with a Dodge Charger driven by Kevin LePage. 
The 2007 EM Motorsports Dodge Charger will be sponsored by Rhino Energy Drink of Austria. Rhino Energy Drink and Food AG believes that the affiliation with EM Motorsports and Hylton will help increase brand awareness and exposure of Rhino Energy Drinks in North America. No stranger to motorsports, Rhino has been a sponsor of Midland Racing / Spyker Motorsports in Formula One since 2006. 
James was elated about the decision, which arrived at his Inman, S.C. shop on Dec. 26.
“This news is the best Christmas present a fellow could ask for," said Hylton. "This car is a top-of-the-line Dodge Charger that was a pure pleasure to drive, either alone or in a pack of cars. If this car gets even a sniff of a draft, it really takes off. The car certainly has the potential to run at the front, and even win this race. I was very happy to have had the chance to help John Carter and his team out while we were down for the test. I appreciate the effort that the EM Motorsports team put forth, especially Carl Long acting as crew chief and Charles Swing as car chief.
"During the test, the car got quicker each time we went out. I really didn’t think that (Carter) would select me to drive in the race, so to say the least, I’m very pleased with this opportunity.”
Hylton, who will attempt to qualify for the Daytona 500 for the second straight year, has said that Speedweeks 2008 will be his final run at Daytona as a driver in the ARCA/REMAX series.
“There are a lot of memories for me here at Daytona, this is where my career really took off. This has always been one of my favorite tracks,” he said.
Hylton has recorded 38 starts at Daytona (36 NASCAR SPRINT CUP, one NASCAR Grand American and one ARCA RE/MAX Series) during his career. Hylton won the 1970 NASCAR Grand American Series Citrus 250 and has three top-fives and 17 top-10s to his credit at Daytona.
Last year, Hylton stunned the racing world with a strong run in his 150-mile qualifying race. A balky clutch is the only thing that kept him from becoming the oldest driver to participate in any NASCAR points race.
“Prior to the race, during, and after the race, you wouldn’t believe the response from the fans, the media, and my ARCA/REMAX friends, encouraging me and wishing me the best. I never thought that we’d draw the attention from the media and the fans that we did. I’ve received thousands of letters, calls, faxes and emails from fans, friends and strangers that said they supported me," he said.
Retirement Living TV, a cable network that tailors it’s programming towards the retirement community, came on board to sponsor Hylton's effort for the 2007 Daytona 500.   
“This opportunity brought to light the number of older race fans that supported me. They remember the older racers like Richard Petty, David Pearson, Bobby Allison; and the fan mail, calls from well wishers that I’ve received has been overwhelming," Hylton said. "Numerous anonymous fans made contributions towards our efforts at Hylton Motorsports, and I am very appreciative of their help.” 
Looking forward to what could be the team’s best year in the ARCA/REMAX Series, Hylton is working to put together a partnership with a driver and sponsors “that allows us to compete for the ARCA/REMAX points championship."