Looking Ahead To The 500 (34 Days)

HacheMan · Jan 14, 2010

Looking Ahead: 34 to the 500

During the off-season, Anthony Ballantoni and Rotoworld.com keep you up-to-date on what's happening with NASCAR. Looking Ahead gives a snapshot of driver moves, new teams, new sponsors and other general NASCAR news. With 34 days to go until the 2010 season-opening Daytona 500, here are some recent updates.

Cup team updates:

- Front Row Motorsports will run under the Ford Motorsports banner in 2010 with Travis Kvapil driving the No. 34 with Steven Lane as his crew chief.
- Kevin Conway will pilot the Front Row Motorsports No. 37 Ford in 2010 with a crew chief to be named later. Conway, 31, ran 12 races with the Extenze sponsorship in the Nationwide Series last season for three different owners -- Joe Nemechek, Robert Richardson and Dusty Whitney.
- Furniture Row Racing announced today that it has filled three key positions as the Colorado-based NASCAR team prepares to run a full Sprint Cup schedule in 2010 with driver Regan Smith. Ryan Coniam has been promoted to crew chief while Mark McArdle joins the team as managing director of competition and Pete Rondeau, also new to the team, will serve as car chief for Smith's No. 78 Chevrolet Impala.
- Michael Waltrip will compete in the fifth-annual Dubai 24 Hour sportscar race at the ultra-modern Dubai Autodrome on January 14-16. Waltrip will team up with fellow Sprint Cup driver, Marcos Ambrose, and drivers Rob Kauffman, Rui Aquas and Niki Cadei in the Ferrari F430 GT2 of the AF Corse team.
- NASCAR Truck Series Veteran Driver Terry Cook will be driving in the Sprint Cup Series this season in the No. 46 Whitney Motorsports Dodge. Whitney previously fielded cars in the NASCAR Nationwide Series. Cook, who has competed in the truck series since 1996 and holds the record for the most consecutive starts in the series at 296, is ready to start building a stat sheet in the Sprint Cup Series. Cook will also be vying for the Raybestos Rookie of the Year honors.
- Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates will enter two cars for the Rolex 24 at Daytona. Scott Pruett, Memo Rojas, Justin Wilson and Marino Franchitti form the lineup in the No. 01 TELMEX/Target Dinan-BMW Riley, while Scott Dixon and Dario Franchitti will join Sprint Cup driver Juan Pablo Montoya and Earnhardt Ganassi Racing teammate Jamie McMurray in the No. 02 Target/TELMEX Dinan-BMW Riley.
- Aric Almirola drive the No. 09 Phoenix Racing car in 2010. The former Earnhardt Ganassi Racing driver said the plan is to compete in all the races in the James Finch-owned car. Almirola drove in eight races last year. He finished 29th at New Hampshire in September in his lone start for the Phoenix Racing organization. Almirola said he also plans to run a Billy Ballew Motorsports truck in select races this year.

Nationwide Series updates:

- Brian Vickers and Reed Sorenson will share time at the helm of the Braun Racing No. 32 Dollar General Toyota. Crew chief Trent Owens will return for his sixth year at Braun Racing to lead the Dollar General team. Vickers, 26, returns to Braun Racing for his fourth consecutive season. Sorenson joined Braun Racing in 2009, driving the No. 32 Dollar General entry at Gateway International Raceway.
- Morgan Shepherd's Faith Motorsports crew is working hard getting cars readied for the 2010 NASCAR Nationwide Series schedule and will kick off the new year by honoring its fans with its entry at Daytona in February. Shepherd will be fielding a "Fans for Faith" entry during the season opener, whereby fans, businesses, churches and others can share in the excitement of kicking of the 2010 season. Shepherd said sponsorship packages are just $100 for Daytona and include the sponsor's name written 1.25 inches high by 5 inches long on the race car.
- Rusty Wallace Racing announced that New York native, Scott McDougall has been named crew chief for Steve Wallace and RWR's No. 66 team. McDougall originally joined RWR in late 2009, after serving as engineer for CJM Racing's No. 11 team. In that role, McDougall helped to lead an effort that resulted in five top-five and eight top-ten finishes over the final 11 races of 2009 for the now-defunct organization.
- Rusty Wallace Racing announced that Brendan Gaughan—a top-ten finisher in the 2009 NASCAR Nationwide Series standings—will again pilot the organization's No. 62 Toyota Camry in a full-season bid for the 2010 Nationwide Series championship. Backing a portion of the No. 62 team's 2010 efforts will again be the South Point Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas.
- Baker Curb Racing announced that Greg Biffle will drive their No. 27 Red Man Moist Snuff Ford in the NASCAR Nationwide Series this season. Over Biffle's 234 career starts in the NNS he has collected 20 wins, 14 poles and the 2002 series championship. Of the 234 starts, 43 have been for Baker Curb Racing (formerly Brewco Motorsports) where from 2005-2008 he registered 17 top fives and 29 top 10's. Biffle will also return as driver of the Roush Fenway No. 16 Sprint Cup Ford as well.

Camping World Truck Series updates:

- Last February Todd Bodine became the first repeat winner in 10 NCWTS races at the famed Daytona International Speedway. Bodine will go for a record third consecutive victory. Should he bring home the three-peat, he'll join a short list of NASCAR's national series drivers who have won at least three races in a row at Daytona: Cale Yarborough (NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, three in a row, 1967-1968); Dale Earnhardt Jr. (NASCAR Nationwide Series, three in a row, 2003-2004); and Dale Earnhardt (NASCAR Nationwide Series, five in a row, 1990-1994).
- Defending and four-time series champion Ron Hornaday Jr. certainly made up for finishing second to rival Johnny Benson in 2008 in one of the closest battles for the title in the series. He's back with his No. 33 Kevin Harvick Inc. team but will have to go for an unprecedented fifth title with a new crew chief. NCWTS veteran Dave Fuge will call the shots for Hornaday this season. Rick Ren had been the veteran's crew chief since 2007.
- Austin Dillon will bring his grandfather Richard Childress and his race team Richard Childress Racing back to the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series this season. RCR is no stranger to the series. With Mike Skinner at the wheel in the inaugural 1995 season, the team won an impressive eight races on the way to claiming the championship. Dillon made his debut at Iowa Speedway last season where he started ninth before finishing 12th. He competed in a second race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in September and brought home a 15th-place finish.
- ThorSport Racing's Matt Crafton arguably had his best season in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series last year. With 11 top-five and 21 top-10 finishes, Crafton managed to hold the top points position early in the summer before slipping to second to Ron Hornaday Jr. where he would end the season. The California native will be back in the No. 88 Chevrolet.
- Officials at Randy Moss Motorsports that Gene Nead has joined the organization and will serve as crew chief for the No. 5 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series entry driven by Mike Skinner. Nead joins Randy Moss Motorsports after spending the first half of the 2009 season at JTG Daugherty Racing acting as crew chief for the No. 47 Nationwide Series entry.
- Red Horse Racing announced the recently crowned ARCA Re/Max Champion, Justin Lofton, will compete in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series behind the wheel of a Toyota in 2010. Lofton will drive the #7 Red Horse Racing Toyota Tundra for the full 2010 season. His ARCA Re/Max Crew Chief, Mark Rette, will also be joining the RHR family to call the shots for the #7 team.
- Kevin Harvick and Elliott Sadler will be among the drivers of the Kevin Harvick Inc. No. 2 truck in 2010, the organization announced Thursday. Sadler will drive in the season-opening event at Daytona – his first appearance in the series since 2003 – and is scheduled to compete in eight events. Harvick will race in seven. A driver for the other 10 is still to be determined.

Previously reported Sprint Cup updates(12-27-09):

- Jimmie Johnson, the first driver in NASCAR history to win four consecutive titles, was honored as the Male Athlete of the Year by members of The Associated Press. Johnson is the first race car driver to be named the AP's Athlete of the Year in its 78-year history.
- Penske Racing announced that Steve Addington will head up the No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge team with driver Kurt Busch.
Previously reported Sprint Cup updates(12-12-09):

- Dale Earnhardt Jr. was awarded his seventh consecutive NASCAR NMPA Chex Most Popular Driver award.
- Mike Bliss will pilot the No. 36 race car for Tommy Baldwin Racing in 2010.
- Slugger Labbe will be the crew chief for Paul Menard and the #98 Menard's Ford in 2010.
- Doug Randolph will take the reins as the new crew chief for Bobby Labonte and the No. 71 Sprint Cup Series team.
Previously reported Sprint Cup updates(11-29-09):

- Martin Truex, Jr. will drive the Michael Waltrip Racing No. 56 NAPA Toyota; Waltrip will run a limited schedule in 2010 and drive the No. 55 Toyota.
-Earnhardt Ganassi Racing hired Jamie McMurray to drive the No. 1 Bass Pro Shops / Tracker Boats Chevrolet for the 2010 NSCS season.
- Donnie Wingo named crew chief of the No. 6 UPS team with driver David Ragan.

This is the tentative Sprint Cup lineup for 2010 so far:
<TABLE border=2 bgColor=#eff2f7><TBODY><TR><TH colSpan=6>2010 Sprint Cup Lineup - Full-time teams(Tentative)</TH><TR><TD>Car <TD>Driver <TD>Sponsor <TD>Make <TD>Owner</TD></TR><TR><TD>00 <TD>David Reutimann <TD>Aaron's <TD>Toyota <TD>Michael Waltrip</TD></TR></TR><TR><TD>09 <TD>Aric Almirola <TD>?? <TD>?? <TD>Phoenix Racing</TD></TR><TR><TD>1 <TD>Jamie McMurray <TD>Bass Pro Shops <TD>Chevr <TD>Earnhardt Ganassi</TD></TR><TR><TD>2 <TD>Kurt Busch <TD>Miller Lite <TD>Dodge <TD>Penske Racing</TD></TR><TR><TD>5 <TD>Mark Martin <TD>GoDaddy.com <TD>Chevr <TD>Hendrick</TD></TR><TR><TD>6 <TD>David Ragan <TD>UPS <TD>Ford <TD>Roush Fenway</TD></TR><TR><TD>7 <TD>Robby Gordon <TD>?? <TD>Toyota <TD>RG Motorsports</TD></TR><TR><TD>9 <TD>Kasey Kahne <TD>Budweiser <TD>Ford <TD>Richard Petty</TD></TR><TR><TD>11 <TD>Denny Hamlin <TD>FedEx <TD>Toyota <TD>Joe Gibbs</TD></TR><TR><TD>12 <TD>Brad Keselowski <TD>Verizon <TD>Dodge <TD>Penske Racing</TD></TR><TR><TD>14 <TD>Tony Stewart <TD>Office Depot <TD>Chevr <TD>Stewart Haas</TD></TR><TR><TD>16 <TD>Greg Biffle <TD>3M/DISH <TD>Ford <TD>Roush Fenway</TD></TR><TR><TD>17 <TD>Matt Kenseth <TD>Crown Royal <TD>Ford <TD>Roush Fenway</TD></TR><TR><TD>18 <TD>Kyle Busch <TD>M&M's <TD>Toyota <TD>Joe Gibbs</TD></TR><TR><TD>19 <TD>Elliott Sadler <TD>Stanley Tools <TD>Ford <TD>Richard Petty</TD></TR><TR><TD>20 <TD>Joey Logano <TD>Home Depot <TD>Toyota <TD>Joe Gibbs</TD></TR><TR><TD>24 <TD>Jeff Gordon <TD>DuPont <TD>Chevr <TD>Hendrick</TD></TR><TR><TD>29 <TD>Kevin Harvick <TD>Shell/Pennzoil <TD>Chevr <TD>Richard Childress</TD></TR><TR><TD>31 <TD>Jeff Burton <TD>Caterpillar <TD>Chevr <TD>Richard Childress</TD></TR><TR><TD>33 <TD>Clint Bowyer <TD>Cheerios <TD>Chevr <TD>Richard Childress</TD></TR><TR><TD>34 <TD>Travis Kvapil <TD>?? <TD>Ford <TD>Front Row Motorsports</TD></TR><TR><TD>36 <TD>Mike Bliss <TD>?? <TD>?? <TD>Tommy Baldwin Racing</TD></TR><TR><TD>37 <TD>Kevin Conway <TD>ExTenZe <TD>Ford <TD>Front Row Motorsports</TD></TR><TR><TD>39 <TD>Ryan Newman <TD>U.S. Army <TD>Chevr <TD>Stewart Haas</TD></TR><TR><TD>42 <TD>Juan Pablo Montoya <TD>?? <TD>Chevr <TD>Earnhardt Ganassi</TD></TR><TR><TD>43 <TD>AJ Allmendinger <TD>Best Buy <TD>Ford <TD>Richard Petty</TD></TR><TR><TD>46 <TD>Terry Cook <TD>?? <TD>Dodge <TD>Whitney Motorsports</TD></TR><TR><TD>47 <TD>Marcos Ambrose <TD>Little Debbies <TD>Toyota <TD>JTG Daugherty</TD></TR><TR><TD>48 <TD>Jimmie Johnson <TD>Lowe's <TD>Chevr <TD>Hendrick</TD></TR><TR><TD>56 <TD>Martin Truex Jr. <TD>NAPA <TD>Toyota <TD>Michael Waltrip</TD></TR><TR><TD>66 <TD>?? <TD>?? <TD>Toyota <TD>Prism Motorsports</TD></TR><TR><TD>71 <TD>Bobby Labonte <TD>TaxSlayer.com <TD>?? <TD>TRG Motorsports</TD></TR><TR><TD>77 <TD>Sam Hornish Jr. <TD>Mobil 1 <TD>Dodge <TD>Penske Racing</TD></TR><TR><TD>78 <TD>Regan Smith <TD>Furniture Row <TD>Chevr <TD>Furniture Row Racing</TD></TR><TR><TD>82 <TD>Scott Speed <TD>Red Bull <TD>Toyota <TD>Red Bull</TD></TR><TR><TD>83 <TD>Brian Vickers <TD>Red Bull Energy Drink <TD>Toyota <TD>Red Bull</TD></TR><TR><TD>87 <TD>Joe Nemechek <TD>?? <TD>Toyota <TD>NEMCO Motorsports</TD></TR><TR><TD>88 <TD>Dale Earnhardt Jr. <TD>AMP Energy Drink <TD>Chevr <TD>Hendrick</TD></TR><TR><TD>90 <TD>?? <TD>?? <TD>Chevrolet <TD>Keyed Up Motorsports</TD></TR><TR><TD>98 <TD>Paul Menard <TD>Menards <TD>Ford <TD>Yates Racing</TD></TR><TR><TD>99 <TD>Carl Edwards <TD>Aflac <TD>Ford <TD>Roush Fenway</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

Looking Ahead To The 500 (34 Days)

Search

HacheMan

hacheman@therx.com

Forum statistics

Share this page