Contract Status: Driver: ?; Sponsor: 200?
- TRG leases a Chevy from EGR: TRG Motorsports has leased the #1 Chevy [backup] from Earnhardt Ganassi for the Toyota Save Mart 350 to be run at Infineon Raceway tomorrow, Sunday, June 21. Gilliland will be relegated to the back of the field for the start of the race. In today's first practice, David Gilliland was involved in an accident exiting pit road when he collided with the #34 of John Andretti. The damage to the #71 Adobe Road Winery Chevy was too extensive to repair. The team, working on a very tight budget, had their short track car as a backup. The management at Earnhardt Ganassi offered their Martin Truex Jr. road course backup car, which finished 16th here last year and fifth at Watkins Glen, and TRG Motorsports team principal Kevin Buckler gladly accepted. The team would like to thank Ultimate Limousine Service in Petaluma and the Fairfield Inn of Vacaville for their support this weekend.(TRG Motorsports)(6-20-2009)
- Adobe Road Winery to Sponsor #71 at Infineon: TRG Motorsports has signed Adobe Road Winery to sponsor the No. 71 TRG Motorsports Chevrolet Impala SS for this weekend's Toyota SaveMart 350 to be run at Infineon Raceway. Petaluma, California rooted Adobe Road Winery is one of the hottest boutique wineries in the industry right now. The winery has won numerous accolades for their wide range of varietals. Some of their most notable accomplishments include four of their wines receiving "Outstanding" 90+ point reviews in the prestigious Wine Spectator magazine, as well as numerous Gold Medal honors from wine competitions located around the country and taking the overall victory and sweepstakes award at this year's Sonoma Harvest Fair out of 1,100 wines entered. Adobe Road Winery in Petaluma, California specializes in handcrafting small batches of red and white wine from the best vineyards in the Sonoma and Napa Valleys. For more information about their exclusive wine club, visit www.adoberoadwines.com.(TRG Motorsports), see an image of the scheme on my #71 Team Schemes page.(6-19-2009)
- TRG Motorsports Signs Charter Air Transport on #71: TRG Motorsports has signed Charter Air Transport as an associate sponsor on the #71 TRG Motorsports Chevy starting at the Coca-Cola 600 at Lowe's Motor Speedway. Charter Air Transport will help the team get the next races at Dover, Pocono and Michigan. The Cleveland, Ohio based Charter Air Transport operates a fleet of fuel efficient Embraer 120 Brasilia turboprop planes as well as Citation private jet air craft, offering an affordable solution to team transport. Charter Air Transport familiarized themselves with the team through David Gilliland's web site. More in about Charter Air Transport at www.charterairtransport.com.(TRG Motorsports)(5-22-2009)
- CompUSA on the #71 at Lowe's; team still looking for sponsorship: David Gilliland and TRG Motorsports are ready to tackle 600 miles of racing at Lowe's Motor Speedway for the Coca-Cola 600. The team was able to take away a lot data from last weekend to apply to race this Sunday. The key component will be a different # 71 CompUSA/TRG Motorsports Chevy than the team ran in the Open. Kevin Buckler, TRG Motorsports team principal, is forging ahead with limited resources to keep this team going on the track. "The Coca-Cola 600 is one of the biggest races on the schedule and I wanted to make sure we put our best stuff on the track," Buckler said. "The car we ran in the Open we didn't think was going to do we needed in the 600 so we brought a different one. We have very limited resources with this team so we are picking our battles very carefully and trying to perform at a very level on selected stages. We still need to land that sponsor/partner that can help us take this great little team forward into the future."(TRG Motorsports PR)(5-20-2009)
- TRG's Eight Cars A Truck and 36-Hours: TRG Motorsports and TRG will be running eight cars and a truck in four races on two coasts in 36-hours. David Gilliland will be going for the weekend Hat-Trick at Lowe's Motor Speedway starting Friday, May 15th with his appearance in the #7 TRG Motorsports Chevy in the Camping World Truck Series North Carolina Education Lottery 200 race. Gilliland will then transition to the #71 team Sprint Cup car for the Sprint All-Star Open race and then, hopefully, the All-Star race and then come back for the Coca-Cola 600 in 10-days. On the West Coast, running the Verizon Festival of Speed at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, TRG and the sports car crew will be running five Porsche 997 GT cars and two Porsche KONI Challenge cars. The TRG team of Spencer Pumpelly and Ted Ballou lead the Grand-Am Rolex Series GT driver's points championship. The team is also coming off of a win with Duncan Ende and Pumpelly in the KONI Challenge Series two weeks ago at New Jersey Motorsports Park. TRG will deploy an army of over 125 people at two different tracks and four different races this weekend.(TRG Motorsports)(5-15-2009)
- #71 TRG sponsorship on hold: David Gilliland is ready to put the TRG Motorsports #71 Chevy through its paces at the Aaron's 499 to be run at Talladega Superspeedway on Sunday, April 26. The team heads to the famed track located outside of Birmingham, Alabama with superspeedway redemption on their mind. TRG Motorsports failed to qualify for the Daytona 500 and is looking to show the world that the TRG Motorsports Chevy and five guys can work their magic at a superspeedway. The team heads to Talladega 36th in owner points, just 26 out of 35th position. Gilliland will have to qualify in speed. Kevin Buckler, TRG Motorsports team principal, looks at Talladega as just another challenge for this tight-knit team. "This will be the team's first restrictor plate race," Buckler said. "The guys know we have something to prove after what happened at Daytona. We found a good superspeedway car for David that Slugger really likes, so we are going in with a good piece. David has done well at Talladega and has a lot of confidence. We haven't had a problem getting into the races, we just need to perform better and get the tire monkey off of our back to finish well. This team needs a big time performance this weekend! We will be running the familiarTRG Motorsports blue this weekend. We have experienced funding delays with the sponsor that was announced last weekend at Phoenix. The team continues to persevere in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and pursue all avenues for funding and sponsorship with the goal of running the full 36 race schedule."(TRG Motorsports PR)(4-24-2009) Comment here
- American Monster to sponsor #71 at Phoenix UPDATE: the sponsor listed on the updated Phoenix Entry List for the #71 Chevy of David Gilliland is American Monster, a TV Show, a project that showcases successful, homegrown talent from a variety of arenas. More info at americanmonstertv.com. The announcement is expected sometime Friday. See images of the car on my #71 Team Schemes page.(4-17-2009)
UPDATE: American Monster has agreed to a deal with TRG Motorsports to become the primary sponsor on the #71 American Monster Chevy driven by David Gilliland. The car will debut this weekend at Phoenix International Raceway. American Monster is a television concept that will showcase successful, homegrown talent from a variety of competitive arenas. To be an American Monster is to defy the odds and compete at the highest levels relying on little more than your natural talent, innate abilities and pure determination. In 2009, each series will focus on athletes and talent from the Mixed Martial Arts, Monster Trucks, and NASCAR expanding to other sports in the near future. The show will give viewers a behind the scenes view on what it takes to compete against the world's most sophisticated competition without any of the luxuries of huge budgets, or traditional means of support. The American Monster TV concept will be revealed on FOX Sports Net by the fourth quarter of 2009.
"The TRG Motorsports NASCAR on a Dime story of entering the most competitive racing series on the planet is exactly what the American Monster concept is all about," Roger Dean, American Monster creator said. "We chose TRG Motorsports as the catalyst to introduce and publicize the American Monster brand. The car will be used as a 180 mph billboard to let people know what will be coming on the American Monster TV shows. We will also use the NASCAR venues to cross promote our other exciting program segments and brand lifestyle. American Monster's creative partners Joe Iacono of Iacono Design Group and James Begera of WA007 will leverage the NASCAR audience to offer American Monster's television viewers and advertisers added value by building a lifestyle brand of the future. American Monster will utilize David Gilliland and the sport to explain to everyone that an American Monster lives in all of us, but you have to have what it takes."
TRG Motorsports team principal Kevin Buckler now has a few more dimes to continue running in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. "We have found a partner that really mirrors what we are all about at TRG Motorsports," Buckler said. "The very definition of an American Monster is what we portray in our team. What we have been able to do, with 11 Monsters on the crew, against the large well funded teams has earned us a place in this sport. It was a huge risk to get involved when we did, but that risk is now rewarded with a great looking blue and silver #71 American Monster Chevrolet. The partnership with American Monster will help us to focus on increasing our level of competitiveness on the track as well as begin to incubate a fan following in NASCAR through a very cool merchandising program."
Racer Management led by Bryan Houtchens in conjunction with The Hufco Pro-Motion Agency led by John Huffman worked with American Monster to find the appropriate team that fit the American Monster program with a lean, mean, and targeted approach in motorsports; thus culminating in the relationship between TRG Motorsports and American Monster as a predominant force within NASCAR for many years to come.(TRG PR)(4-17-2009) Comment here
- Two teams could be missing from Phoenix UPDATE #71 will be there: on SPEEDtv's SPEED Report, Bob Dilner reported that two Sprint Cup teams could be missing at Phoenix on the weekend on April 17-18th. #8-Aric Almirola [the team plans to meet about the future of the #8 on Tuesday, Aprl 7th] and the #71 TRG Motorsports team that David Gilliland drives. Gilliand said the team needs a sponsor to continue on.(4-6-2009)
UPDATE: on Monday's “The Morning Drive” on SIRIUS NASCAR Radio, hosts Mike Bagley and David Poole spoke with Slugger Labbe, crew chief for TRG Motorsports’ #71 Chevy and driver David Gilliland, about the team’s plans for the Phoenix race on April 18.
Host, David Poole: “There was at least one report that said that you guys might not be going to Phoenix. What’s the status of that deal?”
Slugger Labbe: “Well, we’re going. You know, we’ve got the motor sitting here, the gear transmission. We just got the car back from getting the body fixed and it is in the paint booth now getting ready. We’re planning on going. David is wanting to race. He’s going to run the West race out there, whatever that series is. He’s going to run out there. I’m going to go help him. And, you know, Kevin [Buckler] is trying to secure funding. We’re so close to the top 35. It helps that they say the #8 car is shut down. He’s 37th in points. The next three guys behind us all missed the race at Texas this weekend so we’re in a unique situation that we have to go.”
“The Morning Drive” airs weekdays (7-11am/et) exclusively on SIRIUS NASCAR Radio (available nationwide on SIRIUS channel 128 and on XM channel 128 with the “Best of XM” programming package.)(4-6-2009) Comment here
- Mike Brown named GM at TRG: Mike Brown has been named General Manager of The Racers Group NASCAR program. Brown was GM at Bill Davis Racing [#22 Toyota] for the last 12 years and watched the operation expand from 19 employees with a single Cup operation to a workforce of 300 that also fielded multiple truck teams, including last year's series champion Johnny Benson. "I feel like my experience with Bill and Gail (Davis) is a good fit for what Kevin (team owner Buckler) and Debra have started. I have the perfect template for helping them grow," Brown said. TRG currently fields the #71 Chevy with David Gilliland in Sprint Cup and J.R. Fitzgerald in the #7 Tundra in the Camping World Truck Series. Slugger Labbe and Butch Hylton serve as crew chiefs for the teams.(FoxSports)(3-30-2009) Comment here
- Gilly's Gang on the #71: David Gilliland's fan club known as Gilly's Gang has collected money to help TRG Motorsports this weekend. The team has placed the Gilly's Gang logo on the back deck-lid for their efforts as the team prepares for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Goody's Fast Relief 500 at Martinsville. The group banded together on David's web site, www.davidgilliland.com, and have raised over $3,000 to help the effort this weekend.(TRG Motorsports PR), see an image of the car on my #71 Team paint schemes page.(3-29-2008) Comment here
- TRG Motorsports Heads to Martinsville 35th in Owner Points: David Gilliland soldiered through a tough day at Bristol Motor Speedway to finish the #71 Capital Window/TRG Motorsports Chevy in 36th position in the Food City 500. The team leaves Bristol 35th in owner points assuring that they are locked into next weekend's race at Martinsville.(TRG Motorsports PR)
For the owner points standings, see my Drivers/Owners Points Standings page.(3-23-2009)
- Capital Window signs with TRG Motorsports: Capital Window, has signed a multi - race partnership on the #71 TRG Motorsports Chevy with driver David Gilliland in the Sprint Cup Series starting this weekend at the Shelby 427 being run at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Capital Window specializes in packaging and positioning companies to experience growth and attract capital. Capital Window has helped many companies attract millions of dollars in private equity funding. The Capital Window team of seasoned entrepreneurs whose skills at measuring opportunities, packaging companies and raising capital has consistently helped individuals and companies achieve their goals.(TRG Motorsports PR)(2-28-2009) Comment here
- Yates and Gilliland part ways: UPDATE: Yates Racing and David Gilliland announced that they are terminating their relationship due to a lack of sponsorship on Yates Racing's #38 Sprint Cup car. Gilliland began driving the #38 car for Robert Yates Racing in mid-2006. "David did a great job for us and is a gifted driver. We are sorry to lose him but it is important for David to continue driving, and sponsorship is very tough this year," stated Doug Yates of Yates Racing.(Yates Racing PR)(2-20-2009)
UPDATE: Gilliland said he has no ill will toward Yates Racing, where he finished 27th in points last year but was left without a ride as the team found sponsorship for Paul Menard and Bobby Labonte - but not for him. The team is running a partial schedule for Travis Kvapil but had nothing for Gilliland this year. “They’ve been so good to me – they brought me into the Cup series, gave me my first opportunity here and really stood behind us last year when we weren’t fully funded and did run us all year,” Gilliland said. “They stuck their neck out on the line for Travis and myself when we weren’t fully funded.”(Scene Daily)(2-21-2009) Comment here
- Mike Wallace looking for ride: The roar of the engines after Daytona Speedweeks has silenced and the series is heading west to Auto Club Speedway in California. For one driver with victories in two out of NASCAR three series racing this weekend, the silence is deafening. Mike Wallace, with four NASCAR Nationwide and four Camping World Truck Series victories to his credit, will not be competing. “I think people thought I was all set during Daytona because I was in both the Cup and Nationwide Series garages,” said Wallace. “I had a one-race deal with TRG to make the Daytona 500 in their #71 car. “Then, I had a one-race deal with JD Motorsports in the Nationwide race down there. We did okay there earning a top-20 in 19th place. In addition to the eight victories; he’s amassed a total of 56 top-fives and 130 top-10 finishes. “Right now, I am open to talking with owners about driving for their team,” said Wallace. “I’m sure there is a need for an experienced driver like myself and I’m willing to talk. If I can obtain a sponsor, I have several quality teams that I can take it to and we can be competitive right from the start. Basically, I just want folks to know I am available and ready to drive.” Wallace will be a co-host on ESPN2’s “NASCAR Now” Sunday morning, March 8 and on ESPN News following the Sprint Cup Series race. The following day, he will be a panelist on the Monday edition of “NASCAR Now” on ESPN2.(PR)(2-20-2009) Comment here.
- Gilliland to drive the #71 for next four races UPDATE 2: the TRG team — that stands for The Racers Group — led by owner Kevin Buckler, whose car, driven by Mike Wallace, missed the Daytona 500 by one position. That one position cost $500,000, Buckler said. "Last place in the Daytona 500 pays $250,000, and I had a sponsor who was ready to come aboard for the race, if we made it, for another $250,000. So it hurt." But Buckler is entered in the California race next week, and he plans to attempt the next four races with driver David Gilliland, who was the odd man out in the Yates organization this year.(Orlando Sentinel)(2-16-2009)
UPDATE: David Gilliland will drive the #71 TRG Motorsports Chevy in round two of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series at the Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California on Sunday, February 22. Daytona 500 winning crew chief, Richard "Slugger" Labbe, has also joined the team. The 33-year old Gilliland raced in 2008 for Robert Yates behind the wheel of the #38 and was the 2007 Daytona 500 Pole Winner. Gilliland is originally from Riverside, California, just up the road from Fontana. He cut his teeth on ovals all over the West Coast in his ascension up the NASCAR ladder. Slugger Labbe knows how to win in NASCAR's premier league. As a crew chief at Dale Earnhardt Inc., he won two races at Daytona including the 2003 Daytona 500. Labbe most recently worked with Red Bull Racing in driver development [and was Mike Skinner's crew chief in his attempt to make the 2009 Daytona 500 in the #23 Chevy]. TRG Motorsports' Kevin Buckler is determined to establish the team in the Sprint Cup Series. "Daytona was a hard lesson," Buckler said. "We are determined to put the right pieces in place to be successful. David has the most experience in the COT car of any driver available. Slugger gives us a lot of experience working with the COT car. We were short a few pieces at Daytona, but I believe we have put the right people together to have a successful weekend in California."(TRG Motorsports PR)(2-17-2009)
UPDATE 2: TRG Motorsports will run their #71 Chevy in the next four Sprint Cup Series rounds at the Auto Club Speedway, Las Vegas, Atlanta and Bristol. Kevin Buckler, TRG Motorsports team principal, is working hard to get sponsorship while the team focuses on accruing enough points to be in the top 35 in owner points going into the fifth race at Bristol. "We are pulling out all of the stops to make the next four races," Buckler said. "We want to be in the top 35 in owner points by the time we finish Bristol. We have singed-up David Gilliland and Slugger Labbe to help us accomplish that goal. The water is deep in NASCAR and we are not afraid to dive in with the sharks, but we have a very steep learning curve ahead of us and we will do our best. The team did not hesitate after Daytona getting ready for California. I met with Richard Childress about an engine package and we had a good backup car in the trailer that suits California, Las Vegas and Atlanta. It was just a matter of jumping in with both feet and moving forward. We took a big hit a Daytona by not making the race, but we have taken that and turned it into determination. Everyone involved sees the upside and wants to keep our foot firmly planted on the accelerator to turn this into a full season. With that kind of attitude and a strong team behind the 71, I think we can push it into the field on Friday."(TRG Motorsports PR)(2-18-2009) Comment here.
- TRG unsure if they will run California: TRG Motorsports missed making the Daytona 500 by one place after finishing 13th in the second Gatorade Duel 150 with Mike Wallace in the #71 TRG Motorsports Chevy. Wallace started from the 22nd position and steadily moved toward the front of the field. The race witnessed two cautions and the fast pit work of the Casey Mears/Jack Daniels crew made up spots for the team with each stop. Kevin Buckler, TRG Motorsports team owner, looks at today as a learning experience and wants more. "We will be back," Buckler said. "Mike did a good job, the pit stops were flawless and we were in a position to get in there at the end when we got pushed up the track. The ending of theses restrictor plate races can put you in victory lane or on the trailer in one lap. We are entered for California next week for the Sprint Cup race, but I am unsure if we can make it. We will catch our breath and take a look at the calendar and see when it makes sense to run the car again. It will be sooner than later."(TRG PR)(2-13-2009) Comment here
- Mike Wallace has ride for Daytona 500 UPDATE: Mike Wallace says he's secured a ride in a "competitive car" for the season-opening Daytona 500, providing he can get through the arduous Daytona qualifying process. But beyond Daytona, Wallace said this week he just doesn't know what's going to happen. "We're still talking to people, and they're still interested in possibly doing something," Wallace said. "The only thing that I'm thinking is that I wish it was, like, three months ago -- because the way they're thinking and the way I'm thinking, knowing how close the beginning of the season is, causes me a little bit of concern." Wallace just doesn't know exactly what he's doing beyond Speedweeks -- though he'd consider racing any of NASCAR three national tours.(in part from NASCAR.com)(1-1-2009)
UPDATE: TRG Motorsports announced today their entry in the 51st running of the Daytona 500. The team is taking its experience garnered at the top levels of professional sports car racing and in the Camping World Truck Series, where they posted their first win in 2008, to NASCAR's biggest stage. The team will have veteran driver Mike Wallace pilot the #71 TRG Motorsports Chevrolet on Sunday, February 15 at the World Center of Speed. "This is a huge opportunity for TRG Motorsports," Kevin Buckler, team principal said. "With the group of partners we have and very competitive team and package we decided to put a program together and race at the 500. We have been on a very steep growth curve with our entries in the Truck Series and ARCA. With the economic situation, it is always nice to be able to look for opportunity wherever possible and that what we have done. This will be defining moment in our team's history. The plan we crafted two years ago is in place, objectives are being met and we are trying to reach our goals." With more than 55 entries expected to compete for 43 starting positions in the 200-lap Daytona 500, the biggest goal for TRG Motorsports is to make it in the show. TRG has enlisted one of the most competent super speedway drivers in the world to pilot their entry in "The Great American Race". Mike Wallace, who has often been regarded as a restrictor plate specialist, will drive for TRG in their debut in Daytona Beach, Florida. "I'm excited about the opportunity to work with TRG Motorsports in regard to their new Sprint Cup effort," Wallace said. "With all of the success that they've had in road racing and the championship caliber organization that they've put together on the NASCAR side, I'm really excited about he opportunity to race for them at Daytona. They are true racers and that's the type of group that I want to be associate with. They've proven that they can win in the Truck Series and to be able to help with their first effort in Sprint Cup is exciting." Wallace will have a solid chance after pairing with TRG Motorsports and veteran Crew Chief, Butch Hylton. Hylton is a Daytona winner, having led Kevin Harvick Inc.'s #33 Nationwide team to a win in the 2005 Daytona 300. Hylton was also responsible for helping Yates Racing place two cars on the front row for the 2007 Daytona 500. TRG Motorsports has purchased a super speedway car from one of the most powerful teams in NASCAR, Richard Childress Racing. Through their association with Chevrolet, TRG and RCR have entered into a technical alliance which will benefit both teams. "With a former Richard Childress Racing car and engines supplied by ECR Engines we have accelerated our learning curve substantially," Buckler explained. "Couple that package with the experience that Mike brings and I believe we have a very competitive package. While the competition will be very, very tough with Mike behind the wheel and Butch calling the shots as the crew chief, we should have a legitimate shot at qualifying our way into the field and making our Sprint Cup debut in this prestigious race! This will be a real honor to be able to see our time take that green flag." TRG Motorsports is based in Mooresville, North Carolina where they run two Camping World Truck Series teams as well as a two car ARCA series effort. The company founded in 1993 has been competing at the top level of motor racing ever since. The team has the most wins of any team in the Grand-Am Rolex Series with 25, including the 2005 and 2006 Rolex Series GT championship trophy to go along with wins at the Rolex 24 at Daytona and the 24 Hours of Le Mans. More info about the team at theracersgroup.com.(TRG Motorsports PR), see images of the car on my #71 Team Schemes page.(1-22-2009) Comment here
