Owner(s) | Joe Falk |
---|---|
Base | Mooresville, North Carolina |
Series | Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series |
Race drivers | 33. |
Sponsors | 33. |
Manufacturer | Chevrolet |
Opened | 2011 |
Career | |
Debut | Monster Energy Nascar Cup Series: 2012 Samsung Mobile 500 (Texas) Camping World Truck Series: 2012 NextEra Energy Resources 250 (Daytona) |
Latest race | Monster Energy Nascar Cup Series: 2015 Ford EcoBoost 400 (Homestead) Camping World Truck Series: 2013 Ford EcoBoost 200 (Homestead) |
Races competed | Total: 230 Monster Energy Nascar Cup Series: 186 Camping World Truck Series: 44 |
Drivers' Championships | Total: 0 Monster Energy Nascar Cup Series: 0 Camping World Truck Series: 0 |
Race victories | Total: 0 Monster Energy Nascar Cup Series: 0 Camping World Truck Series: 0 |
Pole positions | Total: 0 Monster Energy Nascar Cup Series: 0 Camping World Truck Series: 0 |
Circle Sport Racing was an American professional stock car racing team that competed in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series. The team was formed in 2011 as LTD PowerSports, fielding the No. 50 for T. J. Bell, and later in 2012, the team fielded the No. 40 and the No. 33 part-time in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, while fielding the No. 27 in the Camping World Truck Series. In 2014, the team pulled out of the truck series and began fielding the No. 40 Cup car full-time, alongside the part-time No. 33.
Throughout most of its existence, the team was legally known as Hillman-Circle Sport LLC, with the No. 33 and No. 40 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series entries branded as Circle Sport LLC and Hillman Racing respectively. During this time, Circle Sport (which purchased the No. 33 from Richard Childress Racing seven races into 2012) rented the No. 33 points to RCR for several races per season.
After the 2015 season, the team shut down, with parts of the team sold to RCR and Premium Motorsports. Circle Sport owner Joe Falk later became an investor of the Leavine Family Racing team, merging Circle Sport to form Circle Sport – Leavine Family Racing. The team returned in 2017 as Circle Sport, merging with The Motorsports Group.
In 2011 Joe Falk, former owner of LJ Racing, returned to team ownership in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, running the No. 50 for LTD Powersports with driver T. J. Bell on a limited basis starting with the Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway. [1] Bell competed for Rookie of the Year during the season, [2] but only qualified for five races, four of them with Falk's team, which failed to qualify for nine additional races. [3]
The team entered the No. 40 as Hillman Racing at the 2012 Daytona 500 for Michael Waltrip, and at Bristol for Tony Raines, failing to qualify at Daytona and withdrawing from Bristol prior to practice. Before the April race at Texas, Falk announced that he was purchasing the No. 33 Sprint Cup Series team from Richard Childress Racing. [4] [5] The team, one Childress had planned to run for only the first five races of the season due to lack of sponsorship, [6] was transferred to Falk's ownership after the sixth race at Martinsville Speedway. [4] Falk and Mike Hillman formed Circle Sport to field the 33 team. [4] The 33 team ran Martinsville with Hermie Sadler as a collaboration between Circle Sport and RCR. [6] [7] The team's first race under full Circle Sport control was at Texas, where Tony Raines drove an unsponsored Chevrolet. [4] [7] [8] Falk planned to run a number of drivers in the car over the remainder of the season, including Raines, [8] Jeff Green, Stephen Leicht, Austin Dillon, Hermie and Elliott Sadler, and C. E. Falk. [6] [9] However, in late May it was announced that Leicht would be competing for the team for the majority of the remainder of the season, attempting to win Rookie of the Year honors, [10] except for the June race at Michigan, where Childress ran the No. 33 for Austin Dillon. [11] Cole Whitt also ran some races in a start-and-park role. Leicht would win Rookie of the Year honors despite competing in just 15 races, finishing with a team-best 26th at Watkins Glen.
For 2013, Circle Sport maintained its alliance with Richard Childress Racing. [4] Former BK Racing driver Landon Cassill took over the No. 33 for the majority of the season with Dillon and Brian Scott in the 33 as an RCR entry. For the road courses, road course ringer Ron Fellows ran the 33 for Circle Sport with sponsorship from Canadian Tire. [12] Following the introduction of the No. 40 entry at Indianapolis, [4] Tony Raines and Landon Cassill would rotate seats in these cars when Circle Sport fielded both the 33 and 40 entries.
The 33 was run as an RCR entry for the first two races of 2014 with Brian Scott and family sponsors Shore Lodge and Whitetail Club. Timmy Hill drove the next two races for Circle Sport. Hill was involved in a controversial wreck at Bristol immediately following an accident. Hill was running in last place, when Matt Kenseth (in second place at the time), checked up for a wreck in front of him. Hill did not see the caution lights and did not cut his speed, smashing into Kenseth's back bumper at high speed. Fox analyst Darrell Waltrip first stated in a harsh tone "Good grief.", and then called it a "rookie mistake" for Hill (who had run for rookie of the year in 2013), though he slightly recanted his harsh tone later in the broadcast. [13]
After Scott drove the 33 at Auto Club as an RCR entry, David Stremme took over the Circle Sport entry at Martinsville, Darlington and Richmond, while failing to qualify at Texas. Scott and RCR ran the car again at Talladega (where Scott won the pole award) and Charlotte, with Hill returning to Circle Sport in between at Kansas. Stremme ran at Dover, Michigan and Kentucky, while Alex Kennedy ran at both Pocono races and the road courses, with more races possible. Bobby Labonte ran an RCR car under the Circle Sport banner at Daytona in July, the same one that sat on the Talladega pole with Scott.
At the Camping World RV Sales 301 at Loudon in July, 72-year-old veteran Morgan Shepherd ran a Circle Sport car with Thunder Coal sponsoring its third race. The 33 team created another controversy when Shepherd wrecked Joey Logano, who was running second at the time. Shepherd was, as Logano pointed out, the slowest car on the racetrack. NASCAR defended Shepherd, saying he maintained a minimum running speed in relation to the leaders. Shepherd finished as the last car running in 39th place, 27 laps down. [14]
Stremme returned to the No. 33 at Indianapolis with Thunder Coal, but failed to qualify. After Kennedy's previously announced starts at Pocono and Watkins Glen, the team fielded him for a fifth time at Michigan. Stremme then ran Bristol. Ty Dillon drove an RCR entry at Atlanta in August. Dillon had tested a car numbered 33 for Furniture Row Racing at Texas in March. [15]
At Richmond, the No. 33 was renumbered No. 90 to honor Junie Donlavey, with Stremme driving. The one-off was painted in the style of Donlavey's Truxmore-sponsored cars and the decklid contained the names of the 67 drivers who raced for Donlavey. Stremme was originally on the entry list at Chicagoland, but was replaced at the last minute by Travis Kvapil. Stremme ran New Hampshire and Dover, after which Hill returned for the second Kansas race and Charlotte. Stremme was again placed on the entry list at Talladega before being replaced by Kvapil, who delivered the No. 33 its first top ten finish (sixth, tying a career-best mark for Kvapil as well) under the Circle Sport banner on the same day Cassill piloted the No. 40 to the overall team's first top five. Kvapil would run Martinsville as well, with Hill returning again for Texas, in the final race of 2014 for the No. 33 under the Circle Sport banner.
RCR returned for the final two races of the season with Ty Dillon at Phoenix and Brian Scott at Homestead.
RCR drivers were scheduled to be in the No. 33 at the first three races of the season, with Ty Dillon at Daytona and Brian Scott at Atlanta and Las Vegas. However Scott, scheduled to run at Atlanta for Circle Sport, would give up his ride to HScott Motorsports after Michael Annett failed to qualify his normal HScott ride (under NASCAR rules, Joe Falk was credited with the owner's points). [16] Road racer Alex Kennedy returned to the team at Phoenix, became the primary driver of the No. 33 when under Circle Sport control and declaring for Rookie of the Year. [17] However, Derek White drove the July race at New Hampshire, bringing sponsorship from Braille Battery and Grafoid. After Watkins Glen in August, Kennedy was replaced as Circle Sport's primary No. 33 driver with a series of drivers, including Mike Bliss and B. J. McLeod. Kennedy returned to the team at Dover.
After the season, Falk joined Leavine Family Racing's ownership group after splitting with Hillman, retaining control of the charter granted for the #33 and using it on Leavine's #95 for the season. [4]
In 2017, Circle Sport returned after merging with The Motorsports Group, with Jeffrey Earnhardt driving the No. 33.
In 2018, the team planned to run a limited schedule with Joey Gase after Falk partnered with Go FAS Racing, but the team did not make any attempts in the season.
There were talks of Austin Theriault running for this team in at least Loudon in 2019 in partnership with GFR, but plans ultimately fell through.
The No. 39 was placed on the entry list at Texas in April 2015, with Travis Kvapil driving. The car is part of the Hillman Racing-Gordon Smith stable. However, the team opted to withdraw on the Wednesday before the race. The No. 39 made its next attempt at the Sprint Showdown at Charlotte Motor Speedway, also with Kvapil behind the wheel. Again, the team withdrew by Wednesday before the race. The week after at the Coca-Cola 600, the No. 39 was put on the initial entry list, and attempted the race. However, they posted the 42nd-fastest speed and, with no owner points to fall back on, failed to qualify. The team attempted the Dover race as well, but ran 37th, one spot short of qualifying on speed, and once again missed the race.
Year | Driver | No. | Make | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 32 | 33 | 34 | 35 | 36 | NSCC | Pts |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2015 | Travis Kvapil | 39 | Chevy | DAY | ATL | LVS | PHO | CAL | MAR | TEX | BRI | RCH | TAL | KAN | CLT DNQ | DOV DNQ | POC | MCH | SON | DAY | KEN | NHA | IND | POC | GLN | MCH | BRI | DAR | RCH | CHI | NHA | DOV | CLT | KAN | TAL | MAR | TEX | PHO | HOM | 51st | 0 |
Falk and Hillman partnered to field a No. 40 Aaron's Toyota for Michael Waltrip at the 2012 Daytona 500, using equipment from Michael Waltrip Racing. However the team failed to qualify. [4] The No. 40 team also entered Bristol with Tony Raines, but withdrew. Hillman and Falk then bought the points of RCR's No. 33 car before the Texas race, and used that number instead, fielding Chevrolets. [4] The No. 40 was not seen again until July 2013 at Indianapolis, Circle Sport, when the team began fielding the No. 40 as a second car. This move allowed Landon Cassill and Circle Sport to compete in races in which RCR drivers Austin Dillon and Brian Scott were scheduled to run the No. 33 with RCR. Later, the team began entering the No. 40 during races when it also entered the No. 33. Tony Raines and Cassill rotated seats in each entry. [4] [18]
Cassill's best finish of the year was 22nd at the spring Talladega race, while the best finish for Raines was 29th at the fall Kansas race.
For 2014, Cassill was named the primary driver of the team's number 40 car, which entered full-time competition as the team's primary entry. [4] Cassill began the season with a 12th-place finish at the Daytona 500. He then failed to qualify for the next two races, but made every race after for the rest of the year, which included his and the team's first top five (and top ten) finish, a fourth at the GEICO 500 at Talladega. In that same race, teammate Kvapil finished 6th in the 33. Carsforsale.com, Newtown Building Supplies, and CRC Brakleen sponsored several races.
Cassill returned for his third season in the No. 40 in 2015. On February 12, businessman Gordon Smith joined the team as co-owner, and the No. 40 team was rebranded as Hillman Smith Motorsports. [19] The team got off to a bad start, becoming the first team to finish last in the first two races after back-to-back engine failures. Cassill best finish was 13th at Daytona. Cassill left the team for Front Row Motorsports following the season. In January 2016, Premium Motorsports purchased the No. 40 team, taking engines, cars, and most of the employees from the No. 40 car, including Mike Hillman. Falk and Hillman, meanwhile, ended their partnership. [4]
Though the No. 40 did not receive a charter for the 2016 season, the team attempted the Daytona 500 with Reed Sorenson, failing to qualify. [4] After the DNQ, the team shut down later that week and auctioned their equipment to Premium Motorsports. Before closing their doors in July 2016, Hillman and the partners of Hillman Racing sued Joe Falk and Circle Sport for control of the #33's charter and all profits & benefits gained from the charter. The suit was settled on June 30 according to reporter Bob Pockrass on Twitter.
Hillman Racing closed their doors in July 2016, with Mike Hillman Sr. taking a role as crew chief for the #46 team. The No. 33 operated until the end of 2017.
Driver [20] | Races | Wins | Poles | DNQ | WD | Top-5s | Top-10s |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Landon Cassill | 103 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
Alex Kennedy | 18 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Stephen Leicht | 15 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Tony Raines | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
David Stremme | 10 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Timmy Hill | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Travis Kvapil | 5 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
T. J. Bell | 4 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Cole Whitt | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Ron Fellows | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Mike Bliss | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Bobby Labonte | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Morgan Shepherd | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Michael Annett | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Derek White | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
B. J. McLeod | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Ryan Ellis | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Michael Waltrip | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Jeff Green | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Reed Sorenson | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
It was announced in January 2012 that former Daytona 500 winner Ward Burton would run the Daytona Camping World Truck Series race for Hillman Racing's No. 27 Chevrolet Silverado, after being out of competition for 5 years. Burton would be joined by State Water Heaters, which had sponsored him in the Sprint Cup Series with Morgan-McClure Motorsports. Ward's 19-year-old son Jeb Burton (not approved to run at Superspeedways) would then take over the truck for select races beginning with his series debut at Martinsville Speedway in March. The new team would use the equipment from Richard Childress Racing that took Austin Dillon to a series championship in 2011. Ward drove the truck to an 8th-place finish in his only start. [21] [22] [23] Jeb would then run the next 5 races, finishing 13th in his debut, 11th at Rockingham, and a strong 8th at Charlotte. The team also would enter a second No. 25 truck in several races, with 6 DNFs. Brandon Knupp, C. E. Falk, B. J. McLeod, Travis Miller, Stephen Leicht, and Ryan Lynch would all run races for the team. Cole Whitt would drive the 27 to a solid 13th-place finish at Talladega. Twenty-year-old Ryan Truex was then signed to drive the 27 (the team's tenth driver of the season) beginning at Martinsville in October. [24] Ryan finished 17th in his truck series debut, then returned two races later at Phoenix, finishing 11th. Veteran driver Jason Leffler would wheel the 27 truck in the season finale at Homestead, with Travis Miller returning in 25 Truck. [25] Leffler would finish 19th, while Miller finished 26th.
Jeb Burton and crew chief Mike Hillman, Jr. would move to the 4 truck of Turner Scott Motorsports for 2013. [26]
For 2013, Hillman Racing merged its efforts with Team 7 Motosports, who fielded the 70 truck in 2012. Team 7's driver, 47-year-old Pro Cup Series Champion Jeff Agnew was signed to drive for the team beginning at Daytona in February. [27] In May, the team announced a partnership with the West Virginia Coal Association and Friends of Coal beginning at Charlotte. [28] The team entered 17 races (withdrawing from two) and scored 11 top 25 finishes, with a best finish of 15th at Kentucky.
In 2015, Hillman Racing partner with Ranier Racing with MDM to field two cars (No. 40 and No. 41) in both K&N Pro Series East and K&N Pro Series West. [29]
The team returned for 2016.
In 2017, the team shut down because Ranier/Hillman and Miller part ways. Miller renamed the team to MDM Motorsports.
Austin Dillon, Landon Cassill, Ryan Preece, Kyle Benjamin, Travis Miller, Brian Wong, Corey LaJoie and Spencer Davis all drove for the team in K&N.
The team also fielded two part-time entries (the No. 8 and No. 28) in ARCA Racing Series' 2016 season, the team had 1 win with Brandon Jones at Michigan. The team also had 1 pole-position with Kyle Benjamin at Iowa.
Alongside Jones and Benjamin, Harrison Burton, Travis Miller, Matt Tifft and Michael Self also drove for the team in ARCA.
Floyd Anthony Raines is a retired American professional stock car racing driver. He is a former National Touring Series champion in the American Speed Association and 1999 Rookie of the Year in the NASCAR Nationwide Series. He is currently the spotter for the No. 41 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford Mustang Dark Horse for Ryan Preece.
Richard Childress Racing (RCR) is an American professional stock car racing team that currently competes in the NASCAR Cup Series and the NASCAR Xfinity Series. The team is based in Welcome, North Carolina, and is owned and operated by Richard Childress. In the Cup Series, the team currently fields three Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 teams: the No. 3 full-time for Austin Dillon, the No. 8 full-time for Kyle Busch, and the No. 33 part-time for multiple drivers. In the Xfinity Series, the team currently fields three Chevrolet Camaro teams: the No. 2 full-time for Jesse Love, the No. 21 full-time for Austin Hill, and the No. 33 part-time for Kyle Busch. RCR has had at least one car successfully qualify for every Cup race since 1972, the longest such active streak, and is known for the longstanding use of the number 3 on its primary race car.
Premium Motorsports was an American professional stock car racing team that competed in the NASCAR Cup Series. The team last fielded the No. 15 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 LE full-time for Brennan Poole, and the No. 27 Camaro part-time for Reed Sorenson.
Germain Racing was an American professional stock car racing team that last competed in the NASCAR Cup Series. It was owned by Bob Germain, whose family owns many car dealerships across the United States as Germain Motor Company. The team last fielded the No. 13 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE full-time for Ty Dillon. It previously fielded the No. 03, No. 9, No. 30, No. 62 and No. 77 Toyota Tundras in the Camping World Truck Series and the No. 7 and No. 15 Toyota Camry in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. Previously, the team had been affiliated with Arnold Motorsports, a former Cup Series team, until the 2005 season as Germain-Arnold Racing.
Key Motorsports was an American professional stock car racing team that last competed in the NASCAR Cup Series. The team was founded by Virginia businessman Curtis Key. The team was operated out of Mooresville, North Carolina. The team formerly competed in the NASCAR Xfinity Series and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. In 2017, longtime team owner Joe Falk joined TMG, bringing his charter and No. 33 to the team, allowing the team to successfully make every race during the season. In December 2017, Circle Sport and TMG parted ways.
JD Motorsports is an American professional stock car racing team that currently competes in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. It is owned and operated by Johnny Davis. It currently fields the No. 6 part-time for multiple drivers. The team utilizes engines from Clements Racing Engines and is one of the oldest teams in the sport, having competed in the very first official NASCAR Xfinity Series race, the 1983 Goody's 300.
Landon Douglas Cassill is an American professional stock car racing driver. He last competed full-time in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, driving the No. 10 Chevrolet Camaro for Kaulig Racing.
Austin Reed Dillon is an American professional stock car racing driver. He competes full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series, driving the No. 3 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 for Richard Childress Racing. He is the grandson of RCR team owner Richard Childress, the older brother of Ty Dillon who competes full-time in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, and the son of Mike Dillon, a former racing driver who currently works as RCR's general manager.
Shepherd Racing Ventures is an American professional stock car racing team that currently competes in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. The team currently fields the No. 89 Chevrolet Camaro, although a driver has yet to be announced.
The 2012 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series was the eighteenth season of the third highest stock car racing in the United States. The season was contested over twenty-two races, beginning with the NextEra Energy Resources 250 at Daytona International Speedway and ending with the Ford EcoBoost 200 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. NASCAR announced some changes, including the removal of New Hampshire Motor Speedway, Nashville Superspeedway, and Lucas Oil Raceway from the schedule, and moving the Phoenix race back to its traditional fall date. In addition, Rockingham Speedway was added to the schedule, the first time NASCAR has raced at Rockingham since 2004. James Buescher of Turner Motorsports claimed his first championship with a 13th-place finish in the season finale. Chevrolet won the Manufacturer's Championship with 166 points and 12 wins.
Tyler Reed Dillon is an American professional stock car racing driver. He last competed full-time in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, driving the No. 25 Chevrolet Silverado for Rackley WAR, part-time in the NASCAR Cup Series, driving the No. 16 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 for Kaulig Racing, the No. 50 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 for Team AmeriVet, and the No. 33 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 for Richard Childress Racing and part-time in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, driving the No. 4 and No. 6 Chevrolet Camaro for JD Motorsports. He has also competed in what is now the ARCA Menards Series, what are now the ARCA Menards Series East and West, and what is now known as the NASCAR Canada Series in the past.
Ranier Racing with MDM, formerly known as Ranier-Lundy, was an American professional stock car racing team that last competed in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, the K&N Pro Series East, and the ARCA Racing Series. The team formerly competed in the NASCAR Winston Cup Series until 1987, fielding Cale Yarborough during the 1980s late in its operations. The team later became Robert Yates Racing after Yates, an engine builder and crew chief with the operation, bought the team in 1988. The team largely fielded General Motors vehicles for its various drivers until switching to Fords in 1985.
BK Racing was an American professional stock car racing team that fielded entries in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series from 2012 to 2018. It most recently fielded the No. 23 Toyota Camry and Ford Fusion for J. J. Yeley, Gray Gaulding, and other drivers. In 2018, the team was involved in a court case involving team owner Ron Devine and Union Bank & Trust Company over outstanding loans. In August of that year, after being turned over to a trustee who oversaw the team's operations, BK Racing was liquidated, with the assets going to Front Row Motorsports. However, BK Racing still fielded a car until the end of the 2018 season, with help from Front Row Motorsports and NY Racing Team.
Joseph A. Falk is an American auto dealer and NASCAR Cup Series team owner, as well as a former stock car racing driver. He is the owner of Little Joe's Autos, an automobile dealership in the Virginia Tidewater.
Shane Theodore Wilson is an American NASCAR crew chief who works for Rackley WAR as the crew chief for their No. 25 Chevrolet Silverado in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, driven by Ty Dillon. He previously worked as a crew chief for ThorSport Racing, Team Penske, Richard Childress Racing, JGL Racing, Fury Race Cars, RSS Racing, David Gilliland Racing, McAnally-Hilgemann Racing and Bassett Racing.
Nicholas Arthur Harrison was an American stock car racing crew chief, working in the role on the No. 11 Chevrolet Camaro of Kaulig Racing in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, driven by Justin Haley. Previously, Harrison had worked in the Sprint Cup Series for Phoenix Racing.
The 2015 NASCAR Xfinity Series was the 34th season of the NASCAR Xfinity Series, the second-tier professional stock car racing series sanctioned by NASCAR in the United States. It began with the Alert Today Florida 300 at Daytona International Speedway on February 21, and ended with the Ford EcoBoost 300 at Homestead-Miami Speedway on November 21. Chase Elliott entered the 2015 season as the defending series champion. Chris Buescher won the championship. The 2015 season marked two major changes; Comcast's cable brand Xfinity replaced Nationwide Insurance as title sponsor of the series, while Fox, Fox Sports 1, NBC and NBCSN broadcast the series' races, replacing the ESPN networks and ABC.
The 2016 NASCAR Xfinity Series was the 35th season of the NASCAR Xfinity Series, the second-tier professional stock car racing series sanctioned by NASCAR in the United States. The season started at Daytona International Speedway on February 20 and ended at Homestead-Miami Speedway on November 19. Daniel Suárez of Joe Gibbs Racing won the championship, becoming the first non-American to win a title in NASCAR's top 3 divisions.
Kaz Grala is an American professional stock car racing driver. He competes part-time in the NASCAR Cup Series, driving the No. 36 Ford Mustang Dark Horse for Front Row Motorsports and the No. 15 Mustang Dark Horse for Rick Ware Racing. He has also previously competed in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, NASCAR Pinty's Series as well as what is now the ARCA Menards Series, ARCA Menards Series East and ARCA Menards Series West.
RCR Enterprises, LLC, doing business as Richard Childress Racing (RCR), is an American professional stock car racing team that currently competes in the NASCAR Cup Series and the NASCAR Xfinity Series. The team is based in Welcome, North Carolina, and is owned and operated by former driver Richard Childress.