MB2 Motorsports
Encyclopedia
Ginn Racing was a NASCAR
Nextel Cup Series team based in Mooresville, North Carolina
, which is near Charlotte
. Its principal owners in its final season, 2007, were 80% Bobby Ginn and 20% Jay Frye. The Valvoline corporation co-owned the #10 (now the #14) car with the principal owners from 2001 to 2005. The team's original name was MB2 Motorsports, formed by the last names of the team owners Read Morton, Tom Beard, and Nelson Bowers.
On July 25, 2007, Ginn Racing (named by Thomas Ginn in 2006) merged with Dale Earnhardt Incorporated
. Bobby Ginn retained car ownership of the #01 and gained ownership status of the #15 Menards
Chevrolet. The #13 and #14 teams of Ginn were eliminated with the #15 retaining the #14's owner points. The remainder of the racing team dissolved after the merger.
The #01 car started out as the #36 Pontiac
in 1997 with
sponsorship from M&M-Mars through its Skittles candy brand. Derrike Cope
was the driver and he finished 27th in the final point standings. Veteran driver Ernie Irvan
took over from Cope in 1998. The season was highlighted by Irvan's pole win at the Brickyard 400. M&M's
replaced Skittles as the team's sponsor in 1999. Irvan retired from racing in September following a crash at Michigan International Speedway
. Dick Trickle
temporarily replaced Irvan before the driving chores were permanently turned over to journeyman Jerry Nadeau
.
Nadeau left MB2 due to a prior commitment to drive for Hendrick Motorsports
, and MB2 signed four-time winner Ken Schrader
to fill the seat. Schrader drove the #36 for three seasons before leaving for BAM Racing
. In 2003, the United States Army
replaced M&M's as the team's sponsor. The car number switched from #36 to #01 to support the Army
's slogan, "An Army of One." Nadeau agreed to return to MB2 as the driver of the #01 car. In May, Nadeau was seriously injured in a practice accident at Richmond International Raceway
. Nadeau has not yet returned to motorsports and is not expected to do so.
The team used several temporary substitutes before signing Joe Nemechek
to permanently drive the #01 car. Nemechek won the NASCAR Nextel Cup race at Kansas Speedway
in 2004 and signed a multi-year agreement to remain with MB2 in July 2005.
Mark Martin was signed drive the car for 23 races (21 points races plus the Budweiser Shootout and Nextel All-Star Challenge) in 2007, with Regan Smith
pinned to fill the rest of the seat time. However, Smith was moved to the #14 car to finish the season, and Aric Almirola
was expected to move from Joe Gibbs Racing
's Busch Series team to take Smith's place in the #01. When Ginn merged with DEI, Martin and Almirola were named the permanent drivers of the #01 car.
drove part-time in the #36 Centrix Financial Chevrolet. The #36 team operated under the banner of MB Sutton Motorsports. Said had stated that he would have liked to drive the car on a full-time basis if sponsorship was found. Early in 2006, Bill Elliott
announced that he would pilot the #36 Chevrolet in the 2006 Daytona 500
, with approval from his regular Dodge
Motorsports team. Said left the team to drive for No Fear Racing
in the #60 Ford. The team switched to #13 for 2007 with Joe Nemecheck moving over from the #01 to drive this car, but Nemechek was released just prior to the merger with DEI in July after the team couldn't find sponsorship.
as Darrell Waltrip Motorsports
. Debuting in 1991, Waltrip sold the team in 1998 after a contract dispute with sponsor Speedblock, when they failed to pay their sponsorship money. Businessman Tim Beverly
bought Waltrip's team. Because the team was in such financial ruin, Beverly suspended operations temporarily, while Waltrip left to fill in for the #1 car at Dale Earnhardt, Inc.
. During this time, Beverly purchased another bankrupt team, the #35 Team Tabasco Pontiac
, previously fielded by Bob Hancher's ISM Racing
team. Merging the two teams together, Beverly changed the name of the team to Tyler Jet Motorsports
. The newly-renamed team debuted late in the 1998 season with Waltrip as his driver. Waltrip struggled in the #35 car and eventually left the team.
In 1999, Beverly signed Rich Bickle
as his new driver. New sponsor 10-10-345 Lucky Dog Phone Company requested Beverly to change the team's number from #35 to #45. Bickle struggled and was fired late in the season. David Green
replaced Bickle for the final few races of the season. He won the pole at Homestead-Miami Speedway
and finished 12th at Phoenix International Raceway
. Johnny Benson
came on board as Beverly's new driver in 2000. The team again changed its number from #45 to #10. Lycos
agreed to sponsor the car in the Daytona 500
. Benson led late in the race before fading to 12th. Surprisingly, Lycos
refused to pay their money for sponsoring the #10 car in the race. This turn of events nearly forced Beverly to shut down his team. However, Aaron's
Rental Company signed on as a sponsor for the balance of the year. Later in the year, Beverly sold the team outright to MB2 Motorsports.
In 2001, Valvoline was announced as the team's new sponsor. Additionally, Valvoline purchased an ownership stake in the #10 team, becoming the first corporation to own a NASCAR team. The team's name was changed to MBV Motorsports to reflect Valvoline's presence. Benson showed poise and patience as he piloted the car in a capable manner. He eventually drove to his first career win at the 2002 Pop Secret 400 at Rockingham
. In 2003, the team announced it was parting ways with Benson at the conclusion of the season. NASCAR Busch Series driver Scott Riggs
was hired to replace Benson for the 2004 season. In 2005, Riggs won the pole at Martinsville
and finished 4th in the Daytona 500
. Valvoline announced that it was to sell its ownership stake back to MB2's principal owners and ended sponsorship of the car. Valvoline now is associate/part time sponsor Richard Petty Motorsports iconic #43 with AJ Allmendinger as well as the Roush Fenway #17 Sprint cup operation with Matt Kenseth and the #60 Nationwide series entry of Carl Edwards. Sprint Riggs was released after 2007 and was replaced by Patrick Carpentier
.
The team found a new driver, and a new number, for 2006. Veteran driver Sterling Marlin
drives the team, first sponsored by Waste Management, then Ginn Resorts and now finally Panasonic
for 24 races and Waste Management for the remainder of the 2006.Centrix Financial, Pincipal, and Wiley-X served as sponsors,too, making Out of respect for Marlin's late father, Coo Coo Marlin
, the team changed its number to #14.
After a 2007 season filled with struggles, in July Marlin was to be replaced by Regan Smith
, who had previously been co-piloting the #01. However, upon the merger of Ginn Racing and DEI
, and before Smith even got the chance to drive the #14, the #14 team was merged with the #15 team, and its owner points were carried to the Paul Menard
-piloted Menards
car.
with the intent of Regan Smith making his NEXTEL Cup debut. Ginn Resorts sponsored the car. In his debut, Smith qualified 26th, which earned him a 12th starting position in the 2nd Gatorade 150 duel race. He finished 19th of 30 cars, which was not enough to get him into the race. The #39 was on the Las Vegas entry list, but was withdrawn.
and Kraig Kinser
some track time. The sponsor of the car was listed as Ginn Resorts. Smith was also slated to run 15 races in the NEXTEL Cup #01 U.S. Army car. This was originally numbered #04, but NASCAR reassigned #4 to Ginn after Biagi-DenBeste Racing
shut down in January 2007. The #4 team was shut down after the Kentucky race in June 2007, with Smith 12th in the championship standings at the time. He had started all the races for this team.
in the Craftsman Truck Series
, fielding a full-time truck with MB2/Ginn development driver Kraig Kinser. Kinser struggled in his rookie season and was pulled from the ride late in the season. He returned again in 2007, scheduled to share the ride with fellow development driver Jesus Hernandez and Ginn Resorts sponsoring. Following the DEI/Ginn merger, Regan Smith was placed in the 47 for the balance of the season.
NASCAR
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing is a family-owned and -operated business venture that sanctions and governs multiple auto racing sports events. It was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1947–48. As of 2009, the CEO for the company is Brian France, grandson of the late Bill France Sr...
Nextel Cup Series team based in Mooresville, North Carolina
Mooresville, North Carolina
Mooresville is a large suburban town in southern Iredell County, North Carolina, USA. It is in the Metrolina metro area. The population was 32,133 at the 2010 United States Census...
, which is near Charlotte
Charlotte, North Carolina
Charlotte is the largest city in the U.S. state of North Carolina and the seat of Mecklenburg County. In 2010, Charlotte's population according to the US Census Bureau was 731,424, making it the 17th largest city in the United States based on population. The Charlotte metropolitan area had a 2009...
. Its principal owners in its final season, 2007, were 80% Bobby Ginn and 20% Jay Frye. The Valvoline corporation co-owned the #10 (now the #14) car with the principal owners from 2001 to 2005. The team's original name was MB2 Motorsports, formed by the last names of the team owners Read Morton, Tom Beard, and Nelson Bowers.
On July 25, 2007, Ginn Racing (named by Thomas Ginn in 2006) merged with Dale Earnhardt Incorporated
Dale Earnhardt, Inc.
Dale Earnhardt, Inc. was a NASCAR-related organization located in Mooresville, North Carolina, United States working to continue the legacy of Dale Earnhardt. It was originally formed in 1980 by seven-time Winston Cup champion Dale Earnhardt who died in a crash on the closing lap of the 2001...
. Bobby Ginn retained car ownership of the #01 and gained ownership status of the #15 Menards
Menards
Menards is a chain of home improvement stores in the Midwestern United States.The privately held company headquartered in Eau Claire, Wisconsin has 262 stores in 13 states: Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, Nebraska, Kansas, South Dakota, North Dakota, and...
Chevrolet. The #13 and #14 teams of Ginn were eliminated with the #15 retaining the #14's owner points. The remainder of the racing team dissolved after the merger.
Car #01 History
Pontiac
Pontiac was an automobile brand that was established in 1926 as a companion make for General Motors' Oakland. Quickly overtaking its parent in popularity, it supplanted the Oakland brand entirely by 1933 and, for most of its life, became a companion make for Chevrolet. Pontiac was sold in the...
in 1997 with
sponsorship from M&M-Mars through its Skittles candy brand. Derrike Cope
Derrike Cope
Derrike Cope is a NASCAR driver. He is best known for his win in the 1990 Daytona 500. He currently drives the #28 Chevrolet for Jay Robinson Racing in the Nationwide Series and the #75 Chevrolet/Dodge for his own team in the Sprint Cup Series.-Early years:Cope was born in San Diego, California...
was the driver and he finished 27th in the final point standings. Veteran driver Ernie Irvan
Ernie Irvan
Virgil Earnest Irvan, more commonly known as Ernie Irvan is a former race driver in NASCAR. He is best remembered for his comeback after a serious head injury at Michigan International Speedway which earned him numerous awards and respect from his fellow drivers...
took over from Cope in 1998. The season was highlighted by Irvan's pole win at the Brickyard 400. M&M's
M&M's
M&M's are dragée-like "colorful button-shaped candies" produced by Mars, Incorporated...
replaced Skittles as the team's sponsor in 1999. Irvan retired from racing in September following a crash at Michigan International Speedway
Michigan International Speedway
Michigan International Speedway is a two-mile moderate-banked D-shaped superspeedway located off U.S. Highway 12 on more than in Brooklyn, in the scenic Irish Hills area of southeastern Michigan. The track is used primarily for NASCAR events. It is sometimes known as a "sister track" to Texas...
. Dick Trickle
Dick Trickle
Richard "Dick" Trickle is a retired American race car driver. He raced for decades around the short tracks of Wisconsin, winning many championships along the way. Trickle has competed in the ASA, ARTGO, ARCA, All Pro, IMCA, NASCAR, and USAC.In more than an estimated 2,200 races, Trickle has logged...
temporarily replaced Irvan before the driving chores were permanently turned over to journeyman Jerry Nadeau
Jerry Nadeau
Jerry Nadeau is a retired race car driver from Danbury, Connecticut. Nadeau competed in the 1994 Barber Dodge Pro Series and the 1996 Formula Opel Euroseries.-NASCAR career:Nadeau's NASCAR career began in 1995 in the Busch Series...
.
Nadeau left MB2 due to a prior commitment to drive for Hendrick Motorsports
Hendrick Motorsports
Hendrick Motorsports , originally named All Star Racing, is a current American auto racing team created in 1984 by Rick Hendrick. The team currently competes in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series with Chevrolet Impalas...
, and MB2 signed four-time winner Ken Schrader
Ken Schrader
Kenneth Schrader is a second-generation race car driver. He currently races on local dirt and asphalt tracks around the country while driving part-time in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series and the ARCA Racing Series for his own Ken Schrader Racing. He also runs part time in the NASCAR Camping...
to fill the seat. Schrader drove the #36 for three seasons before leaving for BAM Racing
BAM Racing
BAM Racing is a NASCAR racing team based in Charlotte, North Carolina, United States, owned by Beth Ann and Tony Morgenthau. The team began in the ARCA RE/MAX Series in 2000, moving to NASCAR in 2001 to 2008 before sitting out 2009 due to the economy...
. In 2003, the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
replaced M&M's as the team's sponsor. The car number switched from #36 to #01 to support the Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
's slogan, "An Army of One." Nadeau agreed to return to MB2 as the driver of the #01 car. In May, Nadeau was seriously injured in a practice accident at Richmond International Raceway
Richmond International Raceway
Richmond International Raceway is a 3/4-mile , D-shaped, asphalt race track located just outside Richmond, Virginia in Henrico County. It hosts the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and Nationwide Series...
. Nadeau has not yet returned to motorsports and is not expected to do so.
The team used several temporary substitutes before signing Joe Nemechek
Joe Nemechek
Joseph Frank Nemechek III is a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver and owner of NEMCO Motorsports. He won the 1992 Busch Series championship...
to permanently drive the #01 car. Nemechek won the NASCAR Nextel Cup race at Kansas Speedway
Kansas Speedway
Kansas Speedway is a tri-oval race track in Kansas City, Kansas. The speedway was built in 2001 and currently hosts two annual NASCAR race weekends. The IndyCar Series also raced at the speedway until 2011...
in 2004 and signed a multi-year agreement to remain with MB2 in July 2005.
Mark Martin was signed drive the car for 23 races (21 points races plus the Budweiser Shootout and Nextel All-Star Challenge) in 2007, with Regan Smith
Regan Smith
Regan Smith is a NASCAR driver. He currently drives the #78 Furniture Row Chevrolet Impala for Furniture Row Racing.-Beginnings:...
pinned to fill the rest of the seat time. However, Smith was moved to the #14 car to finish the season, and Aric Almirola
Aric Almirola
Aric A. Almirola is a Cuban-American stock car driver in the NASCAR Nationwide Series. He currently drives the #88 Unilever/Grand Touring Vodka Chevrolet Impala for JR Motorsports. Almirola attended the University of Central Florida working on a degree in mechanical engineering before leaving to...
was expected to move from Joe Gibbs Racing
Joe Gibbs Racing
Joe Gibbs Racing is a group of NASCAR racing teams owned and operated by former Washington Redskins coach Joe Gibbs, who first started racing on the NASCAR circuit in 1991, and J. D. Gibbs, his son...
's Busch Series team to take Smith's place in the #01. When Ginn merged with DEI, Martin and Almirola were named the permanent drivers of the #01 car.
Car #13 History
During the 2004 and 2005 NEXTEL Cup seasons, veteran road racer Boris SaidBoris Said
Boris Said is an American race car driver from Carlsbad, California but considers his hometown to be Stamford, Connecticut. His father, Bob Said, was a Formula One race driver and US Olympic bobsled driver in 1968 and 1972. He drove the #26 Ford Fusion for Latitude 43 Motorsports in the NASCAR...
drove part-time in the #36 Centrix Financial Chevrolet. The #36 team operated under the banner of MB Sutton Motorsports. Said had stated that he would have liked to drive the car on a full-time basis if sponsorship was found. Early in 2006, Bill Elliott
Bill Elliott
William Clyde "Bill" Elliott , also known as Awesome Bill from Dawsonville or Million Dollar Bill, is a part-time driver and former champion of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. Elliott was inducted into the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America on August 15, 2007. He won the 1988 NASCAR Winston Cup...
announced that he would pilot the #36 Chevrolet in the 2006 Daytona 500
Daytona 500
The Daytona 500 is a -long NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race held annually at the Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida. It is one of four restrictor plate races on the Cup schedule....
, with approval from his regular Dodge
Dodge
Dodge is a United States-based brand of automobiles, minivans, and sport utility vehicles, manufactured and marketed by Chrysler Group LLC in more than 60 different countries and territories worldwide....
Motorsports team. Said left the team to drive for No Fear Racing
No Fear Racing
No Fear Racing was a part-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series team racing the #60 SoBe No Fear Energy Drink Ford Fusion driven by Boris Said. It is owned by Frank Stoddard and Mark Simo, owner of the No Fear brand. The team debuted at the 2006 Dodge/Save Mart 350 at Infineon Raceway. The next week, Said...
in the #60 Ford. The team switched to #13 for 2007 with Joe Nemecheck moving over from the #01 to drive this car, but Nemechek was released just prior to the merger with DEI in July after the team couldn't find sponsorship.
Car #14 History
The #14 car originally was the #17, team-owned by three-time NASCAR champion Darrell WaltripDarrell Waltrip
Darrell Lee Waltrip is a 3-time NASCAR Cup Series champion , 3-time runner-up , winner of the 1989 Daytona 500 and 5-time winner of the prestigeous Coca-Cola 600 ,...
as Darrell Waltrip Motorsports
Darrell Waltrip Motorsports
Darrell Waltrip Motorsports was a NASCAR team owned by three-time Winston Cup champion Darrell Waltrip. It was formed in 1991 when Waltrip resigned from Hendrick Motorsports to start his own team, and was originally named DarWal, Inc....
. Debuting in 1991, Waltrip sold the team in 1998 after a contract dispute with sponsor Speedblock, when they failed to pay their sponsorship money. Businessman Tim Beverly
Tim Beverly
Tim Beverly is former NASCAR team owner. He founded Tyler Jet, an airplane sales company that was based in Tyler, Texas, in 1986. In 1998, he purchased DarWal Inc. and ISM Racing and merged them together to form Tyler Jet Motorsports. He fielded cars for Darrell Waltrip, Rich Bickle, David Green,...
bought Waltrip's team. Because the team was in such financial ruin, Beverly suspended operations temporarily, while Waltrip left to fill in for the #1 car at Dale Earnhardt, Inc.
Dale Earnhardt, Inc.
Dale Earnhardt, Inc. was a NASCAR-related organization located in Mooresville, North Carolina, United States working to continue the legacy of Dale Earnhardt. It was originally formed in 1980 by seven-time Winston Cup champion Dale Earnhardt who died in a crash on the closing lap of the 2001...
. During this time, Beverly purchased another bankrupt team, the #35 Team Tabasco Pontiac
Pontiac
Pontiac was an automobile brand that was established in 1926 as a companion make for General Motors' Oakland. Quickly overtaking its parent in popularity, it supplanted the Oakland brand entirely by 1933 and, for most of its life, became a companion make for Chevrolet. Pontiac was sold in the...
, previously fielded by Bob Hancher's ISM Racing
ISM Racing
ISM Racing is a former autoracing team owned by Bob Hancher. The team fielded entries in the Indy Racing League and the NASCAR Winston Cup Series.-Indy Racing League:...
team. Merging the two teams together, Beverly changed the name of the team to Tyler Jet Motorsports
Tyler Jet Motorsports
Tyler Jet Motorsports was a NASCAR Winston Cup race team.Tyler Jet Motorsports was owned by Tim Beverly, owner of the airplane sales company that shared a name with the race team, and was formed in 1998 after Beverly purchased the assets of DarWal, Inc...
. The newly-renamed team debuted late in the 1998 season with Waltrip as his driver. Waltrip struggled in the #35 car and eventually left the team.
In 1999, Beverly signed Rich Bickle
Rich Bickle
Richard "Rich" Bickle, Jr. is a journeyman NASCAR driver. Bickle, who has never completed a full season in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, has a long history in short track racing.-Early career:...
as his new driver. New sponsor 10-10-345 Lucky Dog Phone Company requested Beverly to change the team's number from #35 to #45. Bickle struggled and was fired late in the season. David Green
David Green (NASCAR)
David A. Green is a NASCAR driver. He won the Nationwide Series championship in 1994. His two younger brothers, Jeff and Mark have also competed in the NASCAR circuit...
replaced Bickle for the final few races of the season. He won the pole at Homestead-Miami Speedway
Homestead-Miami Speedway
Homestead-Miami Speedway is a race track in Homestead, Florida southwest of Miami.Since 2002 Homestead has hosted the final races of the season in all three of NASCAR's series: the Sprint Cup Series, Nationwide Series, and the Camping World Truck Series...
and finished 12th at Phoenix International Raceway
Phoenix International Raceway
Phoenix International Raceway, also known as PIR, is a one-mile, low-banked tri-oval race track located in Avondale, Arizona. The track opened in 1964 and currently hosts two NASCAR race weekends annually. PIR has also hosted the Indycar Series, CART, USAC and the Rolex Sports Car Series...
. Johnny Benson
Johnny Benson
Jonathan Benson, Jr. is an American NASCAR driver and the son of former Michigan modified driver John Benson, Sr...
came on board as Beverly's new driver in 2000. The team again changed its number from #45 to #10. Lycos
Lycos
Lycos, Inc. is a search engine and web portal established in 1994. Lycos also encompasses a network of email, webhosting, social networking, and entertainment websites.-Corporate history:...
agreed to sponsor the car in the Daytona 500
Daytona 500
The Daytona 500 is a -long NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race held annually at the Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida. It is one of four restrictor plate races on the Cup schedule....
. Benson led late in the race before fading to 12th. Surprisingly, Lycos
Lycos
Lycos, Inc. is a search engine and web portal established in 1994. Lycos also encompasses a network of email, webhosting, social networking, and entertainment websites.-Corporate history:...
refused to pay their money for sponsoring the #10 car in the race. This turn of events nearly forced Beverly to shut down his team. However, Aaron's
Aaron's
Aaron's, Inc. is a lease-to-own retailer. The company focuses on leases and retail sales of furniture, electronics, appliances, and computers. It is divided into three major divisions: sales and lease ownership; corporate furnishings; and manufacturing. The incorporation of manufacturing as well...
Rental Company signed on as a sponsor for the balance of the year. Later in the year, Beverly sold the team outright to MB2 Motorsports.
In 2001, Valvoline was announced as the team's new sponsor. Additionally, Valvoline purchased an ownership stake in the #10 team, becoming the first corporation to own a NASCAR team. The team's name was changed to MBV Motorsports to reflect Valvoline's presence. Benson showed poise and patience as he piloted the car in a capable manner. He eventually drove to his first career win at the 2002 Pop Secret 400 at Rockingham
North Carolina Speedway
Rockingham Speedway, formerly North Carolina Motor Speedway and later North Carolina Speedway is a racetrack located near Rockingham, North Carolina...
. In 2003, the team announced it was parting ways with Benson at the conclusion of the season. NASCAR Busch Series driver Scott Riggs
Scott Riggs
Russell Scott Riggs is a NASCAR driver. He currently drives the #81 Dodge Charger for Whitney Motorsports in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.-Early career:...
was hired to replace Benson for the 2004 season. In 2005, Riggs won the pole at Martinsville
Martinsville Speedway
Martinsville Speedway is an International Speedway Corporation-owned NASCAR stock car racing track located in Henry County, near Ridgeway, Virginia, just to the south of Martinsville. At in length, it is the shortest track in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. The track was also one of the first paved...
and finished 4th in the Daytona 500
Daytona 500
The Daytona 500 is a -long NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race held annually at the Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida. It is one of four restrictor plate races on the Cup schedule....
. Valvoline announced that it was to sell its ownership stake back to MB2's principal owners and ended sponsorship of the car. Valvoline now is associate/part time sponsor Richard Petty Motorsports iconic #43 with AJ Allmendinger as well as the Roush Fenway #17 Sprint cup operation with Matt Kenseth and the #60 Nationwide series entry of Carl Edwards. Sprint Riggs was released after 2007 and was replaced by Patrick Carpentier
Patrick Carpentier
Patrick Carpentier is a retired Canadian race car driver. He is best known for his career in the Champ Car World Series and the IndyCar Series. In 2009, Patrick shared the #36 of Tommy Baldwin Racing with Mike Skinner and ran Michael Waltrip's #55 Toyota Camry in the road course races in the...
.
The team found a new driver, and a new number, for 2006. Veteran driver Sterling Marlin
Sterling Marlin
Sterling Marlin is a retired NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver. He is the son of late NASCAR driver Coo Coo Marlin. He is married to Paula and has a daughter, Sutherlin, and a son, Steadman, who sometimes races in the Nationwide Series....
drives the team, first sponsored by Waste Management, then Ginn Resorts and now finally Panasonic
Panasonic
Panasonic is an international brand name for Japanese electric products manufacturer Panasonic Corporation, which was formerly known as Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd...
for 24 races and Waste Management for the remainder of the 2006.Centrix Financial, Pincipal, and Wiley-X served as sponsors,too, making Out of respect for Marlin's late father, Coo Coo Marlin
Coo Coo Marlin
Clifton "Coo Coo" Marlin was a NASCAR Winston Cup driver who spent 14 years in the series.-Local track history:...
, the team changed its number to #14.
After a 2007 season filled with struggles, in July Marlin was to be replaced by Regan Smith
Regan Smith
Regan Smith is a NASCAR driver. He currently drives the #78 Furniture Row Chevrolet Impala for Furniture Row Racing.-Beginnings:...
, who had previously been co-piloting the #01. However, upon the merger of Ginn Racing and DEI
DEI
DEI is a three-letter acronym. It may refer to one of the following:*DEI *FIFA Trigramme for Dutch East Indies*Dale Earnhardt, Inc., a current NASCAR team*DEI, Dayalbagh Educational Institute, university in Agra, India...
, and before Smith even got the chance to drive the #14, the #14 team was merged with the #15 team, and its owner points were carried to the Paul Menard
Paul Menard
Paul Menard is a NASCAR driver. He currently drives the #27 Menards Chevrolet in the Sprint Cup Series for Richard Childress Racing and runs part-time for Kevin Harvick Inc. in the Nationwide Series. He is the son of Menards founder John Menard, Jr., whose company is his sponsor...
-piloted Menards
Menards
Menards is a chain of home improvement stores in the Midwestern United States.The privately held company headquartered in Eau Claire, Wisconsin has 262 stores in 13 states: Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, Nebraska, Kansas, South Dakota, North Dakota, and...
car.
Car #39 History
This car was entered into the field for the 2007 Daytona 500Daytona 500
The Daytona 500 is a -long NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race held annually at the Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida. It is one of four restrictor plate races on the Cup schedule....
with the intent of Regan Smith making his NEXTEL Cup debut. Ginn Resorts sponsored the car. In his debut, Smith qualified 26th, which earned him a 12th starting position in the 2nd Gatorade 150 duel race. He finished 19th of 30 cars, which was not enough to get him into the race. The #39 was on the Las Vegas entry list, but was withdrawn.
Car #4 History
In 2007, Ginn Racing started this team to give developing drivers Regan SmithRegan Smith
Regan Smith is a NASCAR driver. He currently drives the #78 Furniture Row Chevrolet Impala for Furniture Row Racing.-Beginnings:...
and Kraig Kinser
Kraig Kinser
Kraig Kinser is an American race car driver. He was previously a member of the Ginn Racing driver development program....
some track time. The sponsor of the car was listed as Ginn Resorts. Smith was also slated to run 15 races in the NEXTEL Cup #01 U.S. Army car. This was originally numbered #04, but NASCAR reassigned #4 to Ginn after Biagi-DenBeste Racing
Biagi-DenBeste Racing
Biagi-DenBeste Racing is a defunct NASCAR Busch Series team. It fielded the #4 entry owned by Fred Biagi and the DenBeste Transportation company, which came on board as a partner in 2006. The team's shop was located in Mooresville, North Carolina....
shut down in January 2007. The #4 team was shut down after the Kentucky race in June 2007, with Smith 12th in the championship standings at the time. He had started all the races for this team.
Craftsman Truck Series
Beginning in 2006, MB2 Motorsports established a partnership with Morgan-Dollar MotorsportsMorgan-Dollar Motorsports
Randy Moss Motorsports with HTM is a NASCAR Camping World Truck Series team. It is owned by David Dollar and former NFL wide receiver Randy Moss. Former driver Rob Morgan co-owned the team until 2004...
in the Craftsman Truck Series
Craftsman Truck Series
The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series is a pickup truck racing series owned and operated by the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing...
, fielding a full-time truck with MB2/Ginn development driver Kraig Kinser. Kinser struggled in his rookie season and was pulled from the ride late in the season. He returned again in 2007, scheduled to share the ride with fellow development driver Jesus Hernandez and Ginn Resorts sponsoring. Following the DEI/Ginn merger, Regan Smith was placed in the 47 for the balance of the season.