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- Contract Status: Sponsor: ?; Driver: ?
- Penske buys the #22, Davis a minority owner UPDATE more: Bill Davis is now a minority owner in Penske Racing. Penske has acquired Davis' #22 and will keep the number for further consideration to align with the #2 and #12. But for now, the #77 Mobil 1 Dodge driven by Sam Hornish Jr. will take the 22's owner points and start the 2009 season 31st, which guarantees it a position in the Daytona 500. "As a business person, you have to look at what your options are," Penske said by phone. "I think the key thing right now is it's too bad that anyone who has run a full season whether they're in the top 35 or not — and I don't mean the ones that run a half season — but if you run the full season last year, every car in every race, you hope you would be given some kind of priority."(FoxSports)(2-3-2009)
UPDATE: #09-Phoenix Racing’s Brad Keselowski will get the points from the #41 or #01 left over from the Chip Ganassi Racing-Dale Earnhardt Inc. merger, according to sources. That leaves one set of points remaining, and those possibly could go to Richard Childress Racing’s Clint Bowyer, who moved to the new RCR #33 car this year while Casey Mears, the new driver of the #07 car, has Bowyer’s points from last season. RCR officials would not confirm whether the team is working a deal for top-35 points. While having the points is good news for Hornish (who will still drive the #77), it is not good news for Richard Petty Motorsports’ #44-AJ Allmendinger, who now will have to qualify on speed or race his way in the Daytona 500. His car was 37th in owners points last year. Marcos Ambrose, driver of the #47 JTG Daugherty Racing car, is on the bubble at 36th from last season. If RCR gets points for Bowyer as expected, then Ambrose also will have to qualify on speed or race his way in the Daytona 500. Michael Waltrip, whose Michael Waltrip Racing builds cars for Ambrose, said Tuesday that he was unsure whether Ambrose would end up being locked in for the Daytona 500.(SceneDaily), see my 2009 Owners Points - 1st five races page(2-4-2009) Comment here
- Triad Racing won't race without sponsor...but: Marty Gaunt and Mike Held have found that since they bought Triad Racing Development and Bill Davis Racing [#22 Toyota] from Bill Davis, that there is a thriving market for chassis and engines. They also have found that with the current sponsorship market, it probably isn’t the right time to go racing. And in addition, if they’re supplying race teams with chassis and engines, they avoid a conflict of interest if they don’t compete. So for the time being, the new Triad Racing Technologies group will be happy being a supplier and not a racer, even though BDR’s [#22] Sprint Cup car finished last season 31st in owners points and is locked into the first five Cup races of 2009. “We don’t need to be there [as a race team],” Held said Saturday in a phone interview. “What we feel like is we need to have the best package on the race track, and that is the package of chassis and engines that can win races for our customers.” Of course, if a $15 million sponsor comes along, Held would reconsider. Gaunt wouldn’t totally rule out the No. 22 team running in the season opener at Daytona, but admitted it wasn’t promising. “We’ve heard and sat down and listened to a lot of opportunities,” Gaunt said when asked about teams outside the top 35 possibly being interested in forming a partnership to get the locked-in position. “At this time, we haven’t said concrete, absolutely not. What we’re saying it’s highly unlikely that we’re going to make Daytona or have a car participate in the series next year. But things change. If an opportunity came available where it was the right business decision and the funding was there, then we’ll look at it.” The group obviously will be involved in all three NASCAR national series as a supplier. Gaunt said the company has more than 80 employees. With that pick up in business, it likely means that the new group will not compete at all in Trucks, a series where BDR was a prominent player since Toyota’s entry into the series in 2004. BDR won the 2008 Truck title with Johnny Benson.(SceneDaily)(1-19-2009) Comment here
- Tommy Baldwin Announces New Sprint Cup Team UPDATE Blaney?: Tommy Baldwin, a five-time Sprint Cup and former Daytona 500 winning crew chief announced the formation of a new Sprint Cup Series race team under the existing Tommy Baldwin Racing banner. The team, located at 604 Performance Road, in Mooresville, NC, is aggressively preparing its Toyota race cars with plans to compete in the 51st running of The Daytona 500 in February. The team plans to compete full-time in the Sprint Cup series. Baldwin is excited about his new program, "With tough economic times upon us, the timing for starting this team is right. Our overhead is low and we have a great group of talented mechanics and specialists to choose from. We can offer sponsors the chance to get into Sprint Cup racing at a fraction of the costs, without compromising on-track performance, due to our low overhead," Baldwin said. Baldwin is no stranger to team ownership as he formed a successful Nationwide program which was responsible for bringing Unilever into the sport. Baldwin, a 12 year Sprint Cup veteran, later sold the team to what is now known as Gillette-Evernham Motorsports.
It was during his ownership of the Nationwide team that Baldwin began a business relationship with Joey Arrington, of Arrington Manufacturing, Inc., located in Martinsville, Va. Baldwin will secure his Sprint Cup engines in 2009 from Arrington Manufacturing who works closely with Toyota. "We are honored to be working with Tommy again, this time on his Cup efforts. He has always been great to work with and we are looking forward to a successful year," said Arrington.
"We will do everything we can to support NASCAR and its fans," Baldwin said. "We are thankful for the opportunity NASCAR offers as we are able to prepare our own car to compete in one of the nation's top sporting events. That's what makes NASCAR so different from the other major sports. It's still attainable to be an owner, if you are willing to put the work in and I'm no stranger to hard work," Baldwin added.(Everest Marketing PR), no driver, car# or sponsor was mentioned in the PR.(1-6-2009)
UPDATE: hearing that Dave Blaney will be the driver for Baldwin's team.(1-7-2009) Comment here
- BDR Employees Laid-Off; But…UPDATE 3 no Truck Teams? ....are hearing that most of Bill Davis Racing’s employees were laid-off earlier this week following the sale of the team to Marty Gaunt and Mike Held. Despite the bad news, all team members are getting a chance to reapply for their position with the team. They will begin bringing back employees after the first of the year. The move appears to be an attempt at restructuring the organization. By doing this, they can cut loose any employees they do not want while removing any seniority and cutting salaries they might see as high. Given the present climate, it is very much an owner’s market. There are a lot of talented people who are looking for work and those with an opportunity to stay where they are at are very likely to take a pay cut in order to avoid job loss.(NASCAR Insiders)(12-28-2008)
UPDATE: hearing that Triad Racing Technologies [TRT] has not re-hired many of the people laid off and that the team will only attempt to run the Sprint Cup Series along with chassis, engines and tech support to other teams. And supposedly will not run ANY Truck Series team leaving driver Mike Skinner looking for a ride.(1-6-2009)
UPDATE 2: Brian Scott [who had signed with BDR for 2009] will return to the Truck Series as a one-truck team with Xpress Motorsports driving the #16 Albertson's Toyota. Jeff Hensley returns as crew chief as well as some former BDR crew members have joined the team.(Xpress Motorsports)(1-6-2009)
UPDATE 3: As of yesterday [Monday], TRT has hired 80+ people back and is in full operation.(TRT)(1-6-2009) Comment here
- #22 team looking for sponsors: California businessman Mike Held recently bought out Bill Davis Racing, which has been in NASCAR since 1988. Its flagship car — the #22 that won the Daytona 500 in 2002 with Ward Burton behind the wheel — doesn’t yet have sponsorship in place for the upcoming season. “It’s difficult, there’s no doubt about that,” Held said. “If you think we’re sitting here with something in our back pocket that we’re just not ready to announce yet, I can assure you that’s not the case. ... We’ll keep trying and we’ll keep looking, and we know it’s not going to be easy.” He and BDR Vice President Marty Gaunt have “made the decision, having owned our own teams before, the one thing we both made a pact to do was we would not attempt to do something that is short of funding — it always ends in disaster,” he added. “If we come out onto the track (in 2009 with a Cup team) it’s because it makes good business sense and nothing more.”(Rocky Mount Telegram)(1-1-2009) Comment here
- Bill Davis Sells Team: UPDATE Triad Racing Technologies announced that the company will acquire Triad Racing Development, a major supplier of engines, chassis and bodies for NASCAR Camping World, Nationwide and Sprint Cup Series teams. In addition to the acquisition of Triad Racing Development, the owners also purchased a majority interest in Bill Davis Racing. "This is an exciting time for us," said Marty Gaunt, co-owner of TRT. "With the changing economic landscape, we see this as an opportunity to service existing Toyota teams and build the business by providing cost effective engine support and chassis production to all racing teams regardless of manufacturer association." Gaunt along with business partner, Michael Held, entered into the agreement to purchase Triad this week. With more than 40 years combined motorsports experience, Gaunt and Held will provide management of the company effective immediately. Gaunt and Held both return to the ownership role, having spent time as NASCAR team owners. A California businessman, Held also owns Co-Pilott, LLC, a marketing company that services a number of clients in the motorsports arena. An announcement regarding the Bill Davis Racing Sprint Cup and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series operations, as well as detailed team plans for the 2009 race season, will be made in the coming weeks.(Triad/Co-Pilott PR)(12-22-2008)
UPDATE: New Bill Davis Racing majority owners Marty Gaunt and Mike Held say they hope to have the #22 Sprint Cup car on the track in 2009 but likely won’t be able to announce firm plans for another few weeks. Gaunt [said] that Mark Chambers will remain as general manager with other leadership positions at BDR to be determined in the next few weeks. Bill Davis will be available as a consultant, Gaunt indicated.(Scene Daily)(12-22-2008) Comment here
- Blaney's career is up in the air...BDR layoffs: Dave Blaney knows he’ll be involved in racing in some capacity in 2009, but that’s speaking in general terms. It could be in NASCAR Sprint, Nationwide or Trucks series or it could be as overseer of his 14-year-old son’s super late-model short-track activities. Following the last of 36 Sprint Cup races at Homestead Miami Speedway on Nov. 16, the Hartford native reflected on the 2008 season, but, more painfully, gazed into auto racing’s crystal ball. “I’m ready for a break,” said Blaney, who finished 31st in the owners’ points standings. “I’m glad it’s over.” The uncertainty of his place in NASCAR’s top tier is utmost on his mind. “It’s hard to tell what’s going to happen,” Blaney said of the status of Bill Davis Racing’s No. 22 team, which, following Homestead, laid off most of its employees. “The 22 team is kind of up in the air. It doesn’t have sponsorship for 2009.” If it sounds like the end, that’s understandable, but the door doesn’t appear to have closed completely. Blaney said he’d consider the second-tier Nationwide series or Craftsman [Trucks]. “I’d love to run Nationwide or Trucks with a really competitive team. That would be fun. If not, I’ll will look at racing somewhere else. My son is having fun racing, so I could see myself going with him.” Not only has the #22 team shifted into slow gear, but it’s gone into hibernation. “It’s uncertain if it’ll get a sponsor,” Blaney said. In a media release dated Nov. 14, BDR crew chief and competition director Tommy Baldwin said there will be a full staff preparing for the start of the 2009 season. With his one-year contract with BDR expired, Blaney is officially a free agent. “I’m open for next year. I’d stay with the 22 if I’m asked back or I’d look at any other options, but there aren’t a lot of options out there.”(The Vindicator)(11-28-2008) Comment here
- Baldwin remains positive for 2009 with BDR:Considering the amount of uncertainty at Bill Davis Racing concerning its future in NASCAR, crew chief and competition director Tommy Baldwin is doing his best to remain positive for the 2009 Sprint Cup Series season. Although BDR's driver Dave Blaney was able to keep the #22 Caterpillar/Bill Davis Racing Toyota in the top 35 in owner points, finishing the 2008 season 30th, the team is currently without a primary sponsor for 2009. "It's disappointing; you feel helpless," said Baldwin, about the sponsor trouble at BDR. "I think we are going to go through a transitional period here so we can move forward. It's been pretty hard. We only have so many guys in the shop, and we've had to play catch up the whole year. We're in the top 35, and we can't complain about that. There are teams more heavily funded that are behind us. We can't really complain for the most part. Do we want to run better? Of course we do. But these are the circumstances we've been dealt with, and we need to keep fighting."(SceneDaily)(11-26-2008) Comment here
- Layoffs at the #22? UPDATE: hearing that most of the Bill Davis Racing #22 Cup team shop and engine personnel were laid off this week [been told 40 people PLUS full engine shop].(11-14-2008)
UPDATE: Heading into the final race of the 2008 Sprint Cup season, Bill Davis Racing (BDR) is fully committed to preparing to participate in a full season of competition in Sprint Cup racing in 2009. The search for sponsorship for the BDR Cup program is ongoing. Though, like many of its competitors, the team has been forced to make cutbacks at the High Point, N.C.-based shop in recent weeks, Crew Chief and Competition Director Tommy Baldwin will have a full staff working during the winter months preparing for the start of the 2009 season. “We have a busy winter ahead of us,” states Baldwin. “We have windtunnel and 7 post time scheduled and as much track testing as we can get in before the first of the year due to the new testing policy NASCAR just announced. No doubt these are tough economic times and we’ve had to make adjustments to our work force like every other team out there, but it’s still full steam ahead for our Bill Davis Racing Cup team. I know everyone is working hard to make sure we show up in Daytona with everything we need and I’m confident we’re on our way to getting all the pieces put into place to make our program even stronger in the future.”(BDR PR)(11-14-2008) Comment here
- BDR unsure of future Cup plans UPDATE: Car owner Bill Davis [#22 Toyota] has been open to selling part of his team to an investor - or even more - but all he has to show are "a couple of near misses." The economy is making it more difficult to close a deal with banks less likely to lend large sums of money. "Money availability seems to be the problem," he said. With the season coming to a close, Davis is uncertain of his team 's future. He started the year with two cars but Jacques Villeneuve was unable to get sponsorship and the second car quickly went away. Caterpillar leaves as sponsor for Dave Blaney's team to join Richard Childress Racing and Davis hasn't found a replacement. " I'm an optimistic person, but I don't know what's going to happen," he said. "It's pretty tough times out here. There are not a lot of sponsors."(Virginian-Pilot)(11-9-2008)
UPDATE: Team owner Bill Davis said this weekend that a possible merger involving his Sprint Cup Series team has fallen through. Widespread reports in recent weeks had Davis negotiating with Gillett-Evernham Motorsports majority owner George Gillett about a merger or outright purchase of Bill Davis Racing’s Cup operation, with a possible move by Gillett-Evernham to the Toyota camp. Sources told Sirius Speedway this weekend that Gillett has been unable to secure financing for the deal, and that talks have now stalled. Davis did not comment specifically on a rumors of a merger with GEM, but admitted that he thought he had a potential merger done recently, only to have it fall through.(SIRIUS Speedway)(11-11-2008) Comment here
- Bad Boy Mowers to Sponsor #22 in final two 2008 races: Bill Davis Racing (BDR) announced that Bad Boy Mowers will take over the sponsorship of the #22 Toyota in Sprint Cup Series competition for the final two races of the 2008 season. The two-race sponsorship opportunity comes after BDR bids a final farewell to its long-standing sponsorship with Caterpillar, which began in 1999. “This seems to be the year of change”, said Bill Davis, whose CAT sponsored team won the Daytona 500 in 2002. “That’s the one thing about life and NASCAR, is that you can always count on change. We had a great run with CAT and we are thankful for its sponsorship of our team over the years. My wife and I have made many friendships that will last forever. Our team is happy to have those Bad Boy Mowers come on board for the last two races of 2008. We are heavy into 2009 planning and are sorting out sponsorship of our Toyota powered program for next season.” Bill Davis Racing competes in both the Sprint Cup Series and the Craftsman Truck Series. BDR continues to seek sponsorship for the 2009 season.(BDR PR)
AND Caterpillar, Inc., will not be the sponsor of Dave Blaney's Toyota Camry for the final two races this season, ending an association which began in 1999. The #22 Sprint Cup car will be sponsored at Phoenix and Homestead/Miami by Bad Boy Mowers.
"We've fulfilled our obligation with Bill Davis Racing so it's really their choice," said Caterpillar director of racing operations Greg Towles. "Bill can run whatever he wants to for the last two races." Caterpillar, which will sponsor the #31 Chevrolet driven by Jeff Burton in 2009, will have owner Richard Childress and Burton come to the its hospitality areas for the next two races. "We're just getting a lot of stuff ready for next year," said Towles, who was in Arizona on Thursday visiting Caterpillar facilities with Burton and Childress. In a press release, Davis said his team's "sorting out sponsorships" and planning for 2009. "This seems to be the year of change," said Davis. "We had a great run with Cat and we are thankful for its sponsorship of our team over the years."(Peoria Journal Star)(11-7-2008) Comment here
- NASCAR nixes GEM's move to Toyota? UPDATE: George Gillett, who bought into Ray Evernham's Dodge-anchor operation last year [now GEM], has made strong overtures to switch to Toyota. But NASCAR officials have apparently nixed any such move, and that could leave the Bill Davis Toyota team in limbo. Davis has talked for more than a year now about looking for a business partner. The Gillett-Evernham operation has been Dodge's chief engineering arm in NASCAR, but Penske may now get that nod, and become the engine supplier to teams like the Pettys. Penske already leases Dodge engines to Robby Gordon. Sources say that Penske, who runs one of the country's largest Toyota dealerships, in Los Angeles, has made overtures about Toyota, and may push for the launch of a satellite Toyota operation next year in order to be prepared for a possible changeover to Toyota in 2010.(Winston Salem Journal)(10-27-2008)
UPDATE: Gillett-Evernham Motorsports has been in talks with nearly every possible team in the garage area looking to merge including Bill Davis Racing, which is down to a one car, non-sponsored team since Caterpillar is leaving the #22 for Richard Childress Racing. From what I [Pete Pistone] have been able to gather, the report that NASCAR vetoed a GEM-BDR merger and a complete switch to Toyota is false. The stumbling block in all of this is the status of Dodge and Chrysler and the future of the struggling company. If the manufacturer can't live up to its promise of supplying engines and support to GEM, its flagship Cup organization, the team needs to know that and make a move ASAP. But whether Toyota wants to support another team and a possible additional three cars is another question. Regardless, NASCAR has no say in what the teams and manufacturers decide to do.(CBS Sports)(10-31-2008) Comment here
- Blaney tests at Caraway, then visits Arkansas: Dave Blaney and the #22 BDR team spent Tuesday morning testing at Caraway Speedway in Asheboro, N.C., shaking down chassis No. 81 for the upcoming event at Phoenix International Raceway and instead of heading straight from the BDR hanger in Greensboro, N.C., to the Fort Worth, Texas, area Thursday afternoon, the Caterpillar crew will make a detour to Bill and Gail Davis’ ranch in Concord, Ark. The team will experience first-hand the festivities surrounding the second annual Chimney Rock 500 Cattle Sale, which will take place Oct. 30-31. Last year, Lot 134, CRC’s Blaney 99S10, a Brangus bull named for BDR driver Dave Blaney, was the highest-selling bull at the event.(BDR PR)(10-29-2008)
- Start #300 for Blaney: This weekend marks a milestone in #22-Dave Blaney’s career as he will make his 300th career NASCAR Sprint Cup Series start when the green flag waves Sunday afternoon. He made his first Cup Series start in October 1992 at [Rockingham] North Carolina Speedway driving for owner Stan Hover [in the #80] and finished 37th (qualified seventh) in his first Cup race at Atlanta in 1999 [his 2nd career start] in which, like this weekend, Blaney was aboard a Bill Davis Racing owned machine. Blaney's best career finishes were 3rds: at Darlington in March 2003 and Talladega in Oct 2007.(BDR PR)(10-21-2008) Comment here
- GEM on the verge..to Toyota? George Gillett [GEM], who with minority owner Ray Evernham (20%, perhaps to shrink to 10) has been Dodge’s anchor in NASCAR, is on the verge of making a deal to run Toyotas next season. That would put #9-Kasey Kahne, #19-Elliott Sadler and #10-Reed Sorensen in the Toyota camp.(Winston Salem Journal)
AND could an announcement of a Gillett/Bill Davis Racing [#22-Dave Blaney] deal be imminent?(Yahoo Sports)(10-20-2008) Comment here
- Congrats: Bill Davis Racing's Vice President Marty Gaunt and his wife Cindy welcomed son Parker Martin to the family last Thursday. Parker weighed in at 6 pounds, 14 ounces, and is the first child for the couple.(BDR PR)(10-14-2008)
- Congrats: #22 Bill Davis Racing Hauler Driver and Gas Man Tim Clancy and his wife Kristie have welcomed a new addition to the family. Clancy temporarily gave up driving duties to fly home from Dover following the race for the birth of daughter Kayleigh Elizabeth Monday morning. Kayleigh is the second child for the couple, joining big brother Wyatt.(BDR PR)(9-23-2008)
- Danny Sullivan offers to buy Bull Davis Racing: Danny Sullivan, the "Spin and Win" driver who won the 1985 Indianapolis 500, has put an offer together to purchase the Bill Davis Racing operation in NASCAR. Sullivan, one of the most popular IndyCar drivers when he raced for team owners Roger Penske and Rick Galles, told SI.com on Friday that he has discussed a deal with Bill Davis. Davis confirmed those discussions to SI.com at Michigan International Speedway. "I've been pursuing it but haven't gotten a response from him (Bill Davis)," Sullivan told SI.com in a telephone interview. "He's still dreaming on the price. I have a partner who has lined up the money to do this and we've been kicking around on some stuff. He is (Davis) off on the numbers and had some bigger people chasing it. The last time I talked to him (Davis), I had the money but didn't get the documents that we requested." Davis confirmed the conversations with Sullivan but expressed some curiosity over some of Sullivan's statements. "We've had some conversations," Davis said. "I just heard some of those quotes and I was pretty amazed by them. We've continued to talk to Danny. We've talked to several people, yes. All we've ever talked about with anybody is the entire operation. Davis admitted the only reason he is open to selling his team is the skyrocketing costs involved to keep a competitive NASCAR Sprint Cup team on the track during the grueling season. Davis also has a highly-successful NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series operation.(Sports Illustrated)(8-16-2008) Comment here
- Race #1400 for BDR: When #22-Dave Blaney takes the green flag for the start of the Pocono race Sunday, it will mark Bill Davis Racing's 1,400th NASCAR start. Since 1988, BDR drivers have made 333 Nationwide Series starts, 328 Craftsman Truck Series starts and 738 Cup Series starts.(BDR PR)(7-30-2008)
- NASCAR Drivers Headline M&Ms Night of Stars at I-55 Raceway July 23: Traditionally, it has been one of the biggest nights in racing in the St. Louis area and this year's M&Ms Night of Stars at I-55 Raceway isn't going to disappoint. In addition to drivers such as I-55 Raceway co-owner Ken Schrader and defending Craftsman Truck Series champion Ron Hornaday, two-time Sprint Cup Series champion and Eldora Speedway owner Tony Stewart is scheduled to race the high-banked 1/3-mile track on Wednesday, July 23. Stewart and his NASCAR comrades are racing UMP Modifieds that night with proceeds from the event benefitting the Special Olympics. In addition to Stewart, Schrader, and Hornaday, other drivers scheduled to appear are: Ken Schrader Ricky Carmichael and Craftsman Truck Series veterans Brendan Gaughn, Rick Crawford, and Dennis Setzer.
AND: Two-time Sprint Cup Series champion Terry Labonte has been added to the stellar cast of stars scheduled to participate in I-55 Raceway's M&M NASCAR Night of Stars. Also added to the bill are Justin Labonte, Steve Wallace, and former World of Outlaws champion and Chili Bowl winner, Dave Blaney. Gates open at 4 p.m. on July 23 with practice starting at 6 p.m. and racing kicking off at 7 p.m. For ticket information, call 636-479-3219 or visit them on the Web at I55Raceway.com.(High Side Media PR)(7-19-2008) Comment here
- BDR to have new look for #22 in 2009 and a 2nd team: UPDATE: Bill Davis Racing (BDR) announced that Caterpillar, the team's sponsor for the past 10 seasons, will not return as primary sponsor of the #22 Bill Davis Racing team following the conclusion of the 2008 Sprint Cup Series season. "Caterpillar and Bill Davis Racing have enjoyed a long and successful partnership throughout the last 10 seasons, and we are proud of everything we've accomplished together, including wins in both the Daytona 500 and Southern 500," stated Team Owner Bill Davis. "This is an exciting time for our team, and we are looking forward to the future." The #22 Bill Davis Racing team continues to impress on the track, and the team remains in the 29th spot in the Sprint Cup Series Owners' point standings. The team, led by veteran crew chief Tommy Baldwin, picked up 10 championship point positions over the course of five events and has posted two top-10 finishes and six finishes of 22nd or better in the past eight races. An announcement regarding the second Bill Davis Racing car for 2009, the #23 Sprint Cup Toyota, will take place in the coming weeks.(BDR PR)(6-18-2008)
UPDATE: BDR's Chief Financial Officer Mike Brown told SPEEDtv.com on Friday that the team expects to have a replacement for Cat on Dave Blaney's #22 next season and another new sponsor for the team's second car, which will carry #23 in 2009. No decision has been made on whether Jacques Villeneuve will return to the team or be replaced by another driver, Brown added. (SPEEDtv.com)(6-21-2008) Comment here
- CAT leaves BDR for RCR: Caterpillar Inc. and Richard Childress Racing (RCR) have agreed to a multi-year partnership for the #31 Chevy driven by Jeff Burton beginning with the 2009 Sprint Cup Series season. Burton, a 20-time winner in Sprint Cup Series competition, is currently second in the 2008 point standings with one victory, four top-five and 10 top-10 finishes in the season's first 15 races. The #31 team has made the "Chase for the Championship" the past two seasons, finishing seventh in 2006 and eighth last year. "To represent a well-known global brand like Caterpillar is an honor," said Richard Childress, president and CEO of RCR. "Cat products have played a big part over the decades in construction projects at RCR, Childress Vineyards and Yadkin River Angus. Jeff and I look forward to meeting the Cat dealers and customers who loyally follow NASCAR racing." The 2009 season will mark Caterpillar's 17th year of sponsorship in NASCAR. It will also be Richard Childress' 40th anniversary in the sport. “Success in the highly competitive environment of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series requires substantially greater levels of technology and investment than even a few years ago,” said Jim Parker, vice president of Caterpillar’s North American Commercial Division. “Joining Richard Childress and his team matches two organizations that share common values, as well as high levels of success. I'm confident this new partnership will excite Caterpillar's customers, dealers and employees."(RCR PR), AT&T is the #31 current sponsor, but must leave the series after 2008.(6-18-2008) Comment here
- Blaney testing in Milwaukee next week: #22 Bill Davis Racing team and driver Dave Blaney has scheduled a two-day test at the Milwaukee Mile for next Tuesday and Wednesday [June 10-11].(BDR PR)(6-5-2008)
- New BDR VP hopes to keep CAT as sponsor and get #22 back in Top 35: Marty Gaunt's first priority as the new vice president of Bill Davis Racing is to try to get the #22 team back in the top 35 in owners points. “There’s a lot of good people and resources at Bill Davis Racing,” said Gaunt, who was with Red Bull Racing last year. “If you look down the road at [BDR affiliate] Triad and their capabilities [with Toyota], everything is there. It’s just going over there and trying to get the puzzle all back together.” While the #22 team is the top priority and obviously Gaunt wants the successful truck programs to continue to thrive, he also wants to get a second Cup car eventually back on the track. BDR had hoped to field a second car this season for Jacques Villeneuve but that project fell through when sponsorship fell through. Stabilizing the BDR program is important as it tries to convince long-time sponsor Caterpillar to remain with the team. Not only was Gaunt brought in as vice president, but BDR has shuffled its management team with Mark Chambers moving from his role as the truck series program manager to team general manager and the hiring of a director of marketing in Jim Thomas. “It’s all of our responsibilities is to make sure we keep all of our partners in-house and keep them happy, but I think with the restructure going on we have at Bill Davis Racing and with the top priority getting performance back up, we can squash all those rumors [about Caterpillar leaving],” Gaunt said.(SceneDaily)(4-15-2008) Comment here
- BDR sues former sponsor: Bill Davis Racing alleges that Rockford-Montgomery Labs has paid only $25,000 of the $14 million it was supposed to pay for sponsorship of the #36 Cup entry last season, according to a lawsuit filed April 2 in North Carolina Superior Court in Winston Salem, N.C. RML is the maker of 360 OTC, a line of hangover and headache medicine. The sponsorship was a three-year deal that was scheduled to increase to $14.5 million in 2008 and $15 million in 2009. There was a sponsor’s option for 2010 for $15.5 million. According to the lawsuit, RML also did not pay any of the $3 million it owed as a primary sponsor for the #36 truck and $1 million it owed to be primary sponsor for 10 races of the #23 truck. This is the latest in a series of lawsuits against RML, which has been sued by Just Marketing, which was handling the NASCAR sponsorship, as well as by the World of Outlaws and World Wrestling Entertainment. An attorney who represents RML in the World of Outlaws and the WWE case did not immediately return a request for comment.(see full story at SceneDaily)(4-9-2008) Comment here
- Management Reorganization at BDR: Bill Davis, President of Bill Davis Racing (BDR), announced a reorganization of the company's management team. Davis, who with wife Gail has fielded teams in NASCAR for over 20 years, has added several key personnel and shifted several others within the organization. All changes are effective immediately. NASCAR veteran Marty Gaunt has been named Vice President of Bill Davis Racing. Gaunt, a native of Toronto, Ont., Canada, began his tenure in NASCAR in 1996 and has held similar positions at Penske Racing and Team Red Bull. Gaunt was also part owner of Red Horse Racing. "It's an honor for me to able to be a part of Bill Davis Racing with Bill and Gail," stated Gaunt. "Bill has fielded teams for 21 years now and to be considered to be a part of the reorganization is a great opportunity. I'm excited about the tasks at hand and ready to get started."
Mark Chambers, who previously served as team manager of BDR's Craftsman Truck Series effort, will now assume the role of the general manager of Bill Davis Racing. Chambers, who has been with the team since 2006, takes over the GM role from Mike Brown, who will move into the position of Chief Financial Officer.
"I'm confident the modifications we've made to our management and front-office staff will make our entire organization stronger," stated Davis. "Our Truck Series program continues to thrive, but there isn't any doubt that the Cup Series program has struggled this year. Our partnership with Caterpillar is over 10 years strong, and we owe it to them and to ourselves to make sure we have the best possible people in the most important positions. We have great partners in Caterpillar and Toyota and we hope to continue our affiliation with them for many years to come. I'm confident the changes we've announced today will ensure a strong future for this team." In addition, Davis has hired Jim Thomas as the organization's Director of Marketing. Thomas, a Florida native, has been the Director of Business Development for Sullivan Worldwide Marketing Group, a leading strategic marketing and planning agency to the United States motorsports industry. Prior to that, he spent several years within the financial arm of Southeast Toyota.(BDR)(4-7-2008) Comment here
- BAM merging..with someone? UPDATE 2...more on Toyota: been hearing rumors, but no confirms, that the #49 BAM Racing team may be merging with another team, the rumors include either the Petty Enterprises Dodge teams [#43 and #45] or the #22 Bill Davis Racing Team. The Petty deal sounds like a better match as BAM already uses Dodges. BDR just recently suspended operations of its 2nd team [#27] and parted ways with the crew chief of that team, Slugger Labbe. BDR is currently out of the top 35 in owners points and not guaranteed a spot in the next race at Martinsville. Either is BAM Racing's #49 with Ken Schrader or one of the Petty cars, #45-Kyle Petty. Supposedly CAT is only signed with the #22 thru 2008 and could be headed to Joe Gibbs Racing in some capacity for 2009.(3-21-2008)
UPDATE: Microsoft, through the Microsoft U.S. Small Business Team, has just become one of the sponsors of the #49 Sprint Cup Series team for the 2008 season. The Microsoft sponsorship will feature the Microsoft Small Business name as well as the Microsoft Small Camry Microsoft Full Rear Business Specialist (SBSC) ‘blue badge,’ which designates those Microsoft Partners who specialize on servicing the needs of small businesses. With this sponsorship, the Microsoft Small Business name, as well as the Microsoft Small Business Specialist ‘blue badge,’ will be shown in a Microsoft section on the #49 car for all remaining races of the 2008 season. The BAM Racing #49 car will feature a full-car Microsoft Small Business theme (primary sponsorship) for the March 30, 2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race next Sunday at Martinsville Speedway in Martinsville, VA. The car will show Microsoft SmallCamry Microsoft Rear 3-4 view Business and the Microsoft Small Business Specialist ‘blue badge’ across the entire car.(in part from the Microsoft SMB Community Blog), see images of the #49 TOYOTA on the blog site or my #49 Team Schemes page. Hearing this will be more of a working association the a merger with BDR. The #49 is listed as a Dodge on the entry list, but that could change when updates are made later this week. Of note, Schrader is entered in the Truck race at Martinsville...in the #52-Federated Auto Parts TOYOTA.(3-25-2008)
UPDATE 2: BAM Racing will begin using Toyota engines from Bill Davis Racing in the #49 car driven by Ken Schrader this weekend at Martinsville Speedway in what could be the first step toward a merger between the companies. "Right now it's more of a collaboration than a merger," said Eddie Jones, general manager at BAM Racing. "We're trying to work together to see what we can do for them and what they can do for us and see if there is anything to move forward on." BAM was under contract to use Dodge engines supplied by Gillett Evernham Motorsports this season. Jones said they're still in the process of working through that deal, but added that GEM has given permission for BAM to move forward with BDR. "That's the business part of the deal," Jones said. "I'm trying to get the race car all put together." Jones said he contacted BDR a couple of weeks ago, believing the power Toyota engines have shown could be the best long-term solution. "Short term, we expect to at least stay the same or get a little better," he said. "Long term, we're doing what we can do this year and hoping to have a great situation and by the time the year is over look at something else."(ESPN.com)(3-26-2008) Comment here
- #21 Crew chief leaves team: Gene Nead, crew chief for the #21 Wood Brothers Racing Sprint Cup car, has left the team, team officials confirmed Monday morning.
Nead joined the Wood Brothers in November 2007 after a stint with Robby Gordon Motorsports. With a variety of drivers this year – Bill Elliott, Johnny Sauter and Jeff Green – the Wood Brothers have failed to qualify for four of the five events. The team is 44th in owners points and has had to qualify for races on speed but should be OK for the race in Martinsville because with Dale Jarrett’s retirement and Kurt Busch now being locked in with points, Elliott is expected to be the only past champion who isn’t locked into the field.
The team has not yet named a replacement for Nead.(SceneDaily)(3-24-2008)
UPDATE: “We had a whole bunch of testing planned, to go out and just race more and go through some things and figure them out,” [#22-Dave] Blaney [of Bill Davis Racing] said. “We needed the days to try to learn something, but we missed out on a couple.” Instead, the #22 Cat team will attempt to make up for lost time this week before going to Martinsville. Monday’s workout will be at a short track in North Carolina in preparation for Martinsville, while Tuesday and Wednesday in Nashville are for general testing. “We’ll try to learn all we can this week,” Blaney said. Since Bristol, the Cat team has added Gene Nead, who left a year ago to join another team. “He’s coming back,” Blaney said of the crew member whose role will most likely be that of engineer. “He’s very good,” Blaney said of Nead, who will help crew chief Tommy Baldwin in all phases. “If you can add some people to make your team stronger, no matter when, that’s a good thing. Hopefully, it’ll give us a little shot in the arm and turn it around.”(Youngstown Vindicator)(3-24-2008) Comment here
- Bliss in the #22 for Blaney for practice: Dave Blaney is not practicing the #22 Caterpillar Toyota as he is not feeling well, Mike Bliss is practicing the #22 for Blaney in Happy Hour practice at Atlanta.(SPEED practice coverage)(3-8-2008)
- Special scheme for Blaney at California: Dave Blaney's #22 Cat Camry will feature a special "Cat Paving Products" paint scheme this weekend. The design, which features Cat Paving Products machines on both sides of the car and the trunk lid, also has a "highway" look that is integral in the scheme. The equipment depicted on the #22 car for this event represents various stages of the paving process from start to finish. The PM-200 Cold Planer is used for the removal of asphalt and concrete pavements prior to re-surfacing. In addition to preparing the surface for new asphalt, a key new feature is that it has low exhaust emissions - exceeding all emission regulations for off-road applications. The AP655D is a new track-type asphalt paver which handles a wide variety of paving projects - from new construction, to resurfacing - such as the recent repaving of Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, Calif, which was done by working around-the-clock and completed in less than 15 days.(BDR PR), see an image of the scheme on my #22 Team Schemes page.(2-20-2008)
- Diffferent scheme, car chief for Blaney: #22 Dave Blaney will start the year with a new paint scheme for the Budweiser Shootout at Daytona International Speedway. The Caterpillar Dealers logo will adorn the #22 Bill Davis Racing Toyota Camry. The "Cat Dealers" car for the Budweiser Shootout salutes the U.S. and Canadian dealers and their longtime support of the Cat Racing program. The names of all U.S. and Canadian Cat dealers will adorn the trunk lid of the #22 Toyota for the special event. Phil Moran has stepped into the position of car chief for the #22 Caterpillar Racing team. Moran, a native of Colchester, Conn., was previously the Cup shop foreman at BDR. Jeremy Milless has also joined the team and will serve in the engineer position. Milless comes to BDR from the open wheel ranks. The remainder of the team remains the same as last year [for those see my Pit Crew chart].(BDR PR), see an image of the car on my #22 Team Schemes page.(2-6-2008) Comment here
