Contract Status: Driver: 2013; Primary Sponsors: owners

Cassill to sue BK Racing UPDATE: Landon Cassill is suing BK Racing over what he alleges is $205,000 in unpaid winnings and other fees owed to him for racing for the team last year. Cassill also is asking for an unspecified amount of money for not being told until mid-January that he would not drive for the team in 2013. The lawsuit was filed last month in North Carolina Superior Court in Charlotte against BK Racing, which bought the assets of Red Bull Racing just prior to the 2012 season, and principal owner Ron Devine. Adam Ross, a Charlotte attorney representing BK Racing, said that there is a dispute over what is owed to Cassill but would not go into specifics. The team has until mid-May to file a legal response to the lawsuit.(Sporting News)(3-20-2013)
UPDATE: BK Racing co-owner Ron Devine has responded to the lawsuit filed by former driver Landon Cassill, alleging that the team failed to pay him $145,000 in guaranteed 2012 base salary and an additional $60,000 for other services rendered to the team. "He had some things he wanted us to agree to that we weren't willing to do," said Devine. "One of them was (agreeing) that he was the number-one, full-time starter. We had three drivers (who) shared the rides last year and we were set to do that again. We have aspirations of putting a third car on the track (in 2013). We're trying as hard as we can to get the (No.) 73 on the track, but we're just not there yet. "We were not prepared to run three cars& and when I went to the other two drivers and said they would have to share the ride, they were fine with it. When we talked to Landon, he didn't want to do that. We were trying to work something out with all three of the drivers where they could share the (monetary) pool, no matter who was driving the car," he explained. "Landon didn't want to do that. I understand that he's young and wants to run every week, but we felt that for the size of our team, it was better for us to have a stable of three (drivers) and share the ride. Devine said the dispute over Cassill's 2012 pay was not a factor in his decision to part company for 2013. Attorney Adam Ross has been hired to represent the team, and Devine said he is crafting a response to the suit that will be filed in the near future.(in part from Godfather Motorsports)(3-22-2013)

200 starts for Reutimann: #83-David Reutimann, a two-time winner in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, will make his 200th series start on Sunday at Bristol Motor Speedway. Reutimann made his series debut at Charlotte Motor Speeday in October 2005. He drove the #00 State Fair Corn Dogs Chevy for Michael Waltrip.(3-14-2013)

2013 silly season notes for #83-David Reutimann / BK Racing: David Reutimann was signed to run the #83 Burger King / Dr Pepper Toyota for BK Racing in 2013 after the team and 2012 driver Landon Cassil couldn't agree on a contract for 2013. Pat Tryson is now the team's crew chief. He came on board towards the end of 2012 to assist on both teams. Last years crew chief, Doug Richert, has been promoted to supervisor to the crew chiefs for BK Racing. Rick Carpenter was hired as the Assistant General Manager and Mike Ford is now the team's Director of Competition. See more about other teams on my 2013 Team / Driver Silly Season Chart.(2-6-2013)

BK Racing announces driver, crew chief and managerial roles: BK Racing begins its second season of NASCAR Sprint Cup Series racing with some changes in different levels of their operation. Harry McMullen will remain in his role as the team's General Manager, which he's held since the team started January 2012. Just added to the team is Rick Carpenter, who will be the Assistant General Manager helping McMullen with the day-to-day operations. Carpenter comes from Tri Star Motorsports, most recently, and Rusty Wallace Racing, where he held the position of General Manager at both teams. He also worked at Penske Racing.
As previously announced, Mike Ford is now the team's Director of Competition. The veteran crew chief, with 21 wins and 17 poles in 453 NSCS starts, is overseeing shop and race-prep activities of BK Racing's two NSCS entries.
Doug Richert has been promoted from his role as crew chief on the #83 Burger King/Dr. Pepper Toyota Camry. The championship leader with 13 wins to his credit will now serve as a supervisor to the crew chiefs overseeing their efforts at the shop and during race days.
David Reutimann, a two-time race winner will drive the #83 Toyota this season full time. The native of Zephyrhills, Fla. drove in two races for the team last year. Pat Tryson, who has eight trips to Victory Lane, is now the team's crew chief. He came on board towards the end of 2012 to assist on both teams.
Travis Kvapil will remain in the #93 Burger King Toyota Camry with Todd Anderson returning as his crew chief. The 2012 season was Anderson's first in that capacity with Kvapil, the 2003 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series champion, who has made 210 NCSC starts.
"I feel good about the additions we've made to this team in the off-season," said Ron Devine, owner of BK Racing. "We've brought winning and experienced management on board to guide us in the right direction. We've added David (Reutimann) to our driver line-up and Pay (Tryson) to our crew chiefs. Doug (Richert) will be even more valuable to us now helping out Pat and Todd with their teams. The hiring of Mike Ford as our Director of Competition to work with a veteran like Harry McMullen really strengthens what BK Racing needs to move forward in this sport. We still have a few other things to announce in the near future. But the good part is we are building a team to go racing and be successful in all aspects of our team."(BK Racing)(1-22-2013)

Cassill leaves BK Racing UPDATE: Landon Cassill issued the following statement Wednesday afternoon, "This is a tough decision but with one month before the Daytona 500 I have no other option but to leave the #83 BK Racing Toyota and pursue other opportunities. We simply could not close out our 2012 agreement and complete an agreement for 2013. I am motivated and driven to find a new opportunity in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. I have proven myself as a championship caliber test driver, an exceptional qualifier, and I'd like to continue working towards my goal of becoming a race winner and champion in NASCAR. I would like to thank my BK Racing team and especially Burger King and Dr. Pepper for the opportunity to represent such iconic brands. I'm looking forward to my next opportunity in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series."(Spire Sports + Entertainment), look for David Reutimann to drive the #83 Toyota in 2013 and Travis Kvapil has tweeted that he will return to the #93 Toyota. There had been rumors that BK Racing would take over the number 23 for one of its two cars in 2013 as R3 Motorsports, who ran the #23 in 2012, doesn't plan to field a Sprint Cup team in 2013.(1-16-2013)
UPDATE: David Reutimann will drive the #83 Toyota for BK Racing full time in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series in 2013. The ownership group at BK Racing has confirmed that Landon Cassill has left the organization. "We wish Landon all the best," said team owner Ron Devine. "We have no comment on his departure. Our plans are really no different than last year except Landon has decided to move on." Pat Tryson, who worked with Reutimann at Michael Waltrip Racing, is expected to oversee the #83 team [no word what is up with crew chief Doug Richert]. Travis Kvapil will continue in the organization's #93 Dr. Pepper Toyota. Crew chief Todd Anderson remains in the crew chief role with him.(FoxSports)(1-18-2013)

Cassill & Kvapil returning to BK Racing: According to a post to Twitter by Sporting News' Bob Pockrass, "Per BK Racing spokesman, the plan is for Cassill and Kvapil to drive for team in 2013. They will be at test at [Daytona]."(1-5-2013)

Congrats Landon Cassil: per Landon Cassil's Twitter, "Thanks for all the wedding congrats! We are headed to Mexico for a week. Shutting my phone off. What an amazing day yesterday" Landon Cassil, driver of the #83 Toyota, married Katie linsted on December 28th.(12-30-2012)

Some rides for 2013 still up in the air: A year ago at this time, dominoes seemed to be tumbling all over the NASCAR world. Kurt Busch's departure from Penske Racing led to AJ Allmendinger's move from Richard Petty Motorsports to Penske, followed by Aric Almirola's move to replace Allmendinger at RPM. It seemed like there was a move or two every day, and the news was endless. This year? Not so much. Aside from a couple lower-series moves there haven't been many post-Homestead driver changes. [But there are some] possible open seats at full-time teams
BK Racing: There's no reason Landon Cassill and Travis Kvapil wouldn't return to BK Racing in 2013, but the team hasn't finalized its drivers for the #83 and 93 cars yet.
Tommy Baldwin Racing: It seems likely #36-Dave Blaney will return next season, but it hasn't been announced.
Phil Parsons Racing: Will Michael McDowell return to the #98 car? It hasn't been made official yet if so.
FAS Lane Racing: Ken Schrader will be in the #32 car for select races, and the remaining schedule will be filled by yet-to-be-named drivers.
Joe Falk Motorsports: Stephen Leicht won rookie of the year honors for the #33 car. The team's 2013 lineup has not been announced.
Phoenix Racing: Will Phoenix Racing even come back in 2013? It's not certain team owner James Finch will return, and what driver will be behind the wheel if he does.(SBNation) See information on all Sprint Cup teams on the 2013 Team / Driver chart page.(12-18-2012)

Mike Ford hired by BK Racing: BK Racing has named Mike Ford director of competition and racing operations. Ford, 42, joins BKR after a successful career as a crew chief with some of NASCAR's most prominent organizations. Team owner Ron Devine believes Ford will be a valuable liaison between BKR and Toyota as the company continues to establish a foothold in the Sprint Cup series. "We are very excited to have Mike Ford join BK Racing," Devine said. "Mike's experience will help take BK's on-track performance to a new level." Ford most recently served as the crew chief for both Marcos Ambrose and Aric Almirola at Richard Petty Motorsports. BKR is still working on finalizing both its driver and crew chief lineup. Announcements are expected later this month.(Fox Sports)(12-4-2012)

#83 to have special Whopper scheme: Burger King's beloved Whopper sandwich is celebrating its 55th birthday this year and Landon Cassill is going to honor the occasion with a special paint scheme at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Cassill's #83 BK Racing Toyota will carry retro red and white styling to reflect the period that the Whopper made its debut, complimented by the original Burger King mascot on the quarter panel and deck lid. Across the hood, a logo declares "Celebrating 55 years...of the Whopper Sandwich."
"This is a really cool looking car," Cassill said. "All the guys at BK Racing and I have had our fair share of Whoppers, so we're really excited to help celebrate the 55th birthday. We've done a bunch of appearances at Burger Kings this season. I know this, there are tons of race fans out there that love Whoppers, that's for sure. I think they're going to really like this paint scheme." The Whopper was introduced to America in 1957 and sold for 37 cents. As part of the celebration for the iconic sandwich, Burger King guests nationwide can now enjoy two, limited-time menu items in commemorative retro-style anniversary packaging: Wisconsin White Cheddar Whopper Sandwich, and Angry Whopper Sandwich (BK Racing), see images of the scheme on the #83 Team Schemes page.(11-16-2012)

BK Racing switching numbers? Riggs & SHR? hearing that one of the BK Racing cars (#83 & #93) will switch to using the #23 in 2013. Supposedly they asked for the car number as a sponsor request. They did not purchase the current #23 R3 Motorsports team owned by Robert Richardson Sr., but asked NASCAR for the car number and got it. No word which car number will switch, the #83 or the #93. Some rumors have David Reutimann possibly going to one of the BK Racing rides in 2013. No word if current drivers #83-Landon Cassill or #93-Travis Kvapil will return to BK Racing in 2013. Reutimann could also staying at Tommy Baldwin Racing if the team keeps tow cars running or run with the #44 Xxxtreme team that is debuting at Phoenix this weekend. end up Some rumors have BK Racing expanding to three cars in 2013, but been told it will likely be a two-car operation in 2013. Been told that R3 Motorsports is weighing its options for 2013 and if they will run the Sprint Cup Series. As for current #23 driver, Scott Riggs, hearing he has an oppurtunity at Stewart-Haas Racing as a driving coach for Danica Patrick and/or testing cars for Stewart Haas Racing (#10, #14, #39) with a chance of running a 4th SHR Chevy in some races, if a sponsor can be found.(11-9-2012)

Burton, Ambrose crew chief changes: Silly Season is in full swing for Sprint Cup crew chiefs. Drew Blickensderfer resigned as Jeff Burton's crew chief on Sunday. Blickensderfer, 36, will return to the Ford camp as the crew chief for Marcos Ambrose and the #9 team at Richard Petty Motorsports. Given Blickensderfer's nine-year tenure at Roush Fenway Racing, he will be a valuable conduit for RPM with its technical partner. "Blick" replaces Mike Ford, who joined RPM at Talladega Superspeedway in May as Aric Almirola's crew chief. Before the Chase for the Sprint Cup began, Ford, 42, swapped teams with veteran crew chief Todd Parrott and began leading the #9 crew with Ambrose. Ford said on Sunday at Martinsville Speedway that he worked this season sans contract with RPM but had "options" for 2013 including working with BK Racing. Sources confirmed that Ford has been offered a crew chief's post at BKR. Luke Lambert will revive his role with Burton and the #31 Caterpillar crew at Richard Childress Racing starting in 2013. Shane Wilson will be interim crew chief for the final three races of the season.(Fox Sports)(10-29-2012)

Patrick, Cassill differ on reason for wreck: Danica Patrick vowed to stand up for herself when the time was right, and she deemed Sunday's NASCAR race at Kansas Speedway to be that time. Patrick, in her eighth Sprint Cup Series race, spun Landon Cassill around the midway point of the Hollywood Casino 400 as frustration over what she said were multiple incidents with the BK Racing driver boiled over. "He got into me on the front straight and said I was just in the way," Patrick said. "That's really no good reason to hit me. If it's one time, I can imagine it's frustration, but it's been quite a few times with him. At some point I have to stand up for myself so this doesn't happen with other people. I chose today."
Cassill, though, told SB Nation he didn't slam into Patrick because she was in the way - he moved the #10 car because Patrick was "driving like a maniac making it three-wide on a restart" when others were "staying cool to keep from wrecking." While the leaders were wrecking at the front of the field, Cassill said he and other drivers racing around the back were "biding our time." Patrick made it three-wide but didn't pass him - a move which irked Cassill. "If you're going to make it three-wide and pass somebody, you've got to back it up," he said by phone after the race. "But she didn't. She goes under there, and then she's sliding up the racetrack and then jacks up the field, gets in the way. Then she lets two cars go by, and when I get underneath her, she crowds me. So I was like, 'No! I've been faster than you all day,' so I was going to move her. And I did. I didn't hit her because she was in my way and I wanted to pick on her, I hit her because she was driving like an idiot for 30th."(SB Nation)(10-22-2012)

New associate sponsor for BK Racing: #83-Landon Cassill and #93-Travis Kvapil will have a new associate sponsor onboard their BK Racing Toyota's this week, Rick's Specialty Vehicles. Rick's Specialty Vehicles developed and sells the Cricket ESV, which was perfectly designed to answer the ever-growing need of "destination mobility." It's great for people who need convenient, dependable, economical transportation when they're at a temporary destination. Kvapil will be using the Cricket ESV to deliver Burger King Smoothies to infield guests at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Friday.(BK Racing)(10-11-2012)

Tryson to BK Racing: Veteran crew chief Pat Tryson has joined the BK Racing NASCAR Sprint Cup Series team, effective immediately. BK Racing purchased the assets of the former Red Bull Racing during the offseason, and fields the # 93 Burger King/Dr. Pepper Toyota for driver Travis Kvapil, as well as Landon Cassill's #83 Burger King/Dr. Pepper Toyota. Kvapil and Cassill rank 30th and 31st in Sprint Cup Series points, respectively, and have yet to record a Top-10 finish. Tryson brings a wealth of experience to the team. He served as crew chief for Kurt Busch at Penske Racing in 2009, before leaving the team for what were termed "personal reasons." He headed Martin Truex, Jr.'s Michael Waltrip Racing/NAPA Toyota team until stepping down in June, and has most recently served as a consultant with JTG Daugherty Racing and driver Bobby Labonte. BK Racing co-owner Ron Devine said he initially planned for Tryson to assume his new post next Monday, following this weekend's race at Talladega Superspeedway. When Tryson was able to secure his release from JTG-Daugherty late last week, he became available to assume his new post immediately. Exactly what that post will be, however, remains to be seen. "I'm not exactly sure what the plan is yet," said Tryson today. "We'll see as we go along. I've been asked to look around, assess the situation and see where I think they can use some help. Once I do that, I'll know more." Devine said he believes Tryson will ultimately serve in what he called "a team capacity. Right now, the 93 car can use some support, so we'll use him there," he said. "Pat is obviously crew chief capable, but he's also competition director capable. We'll see where he feels he can be of the most use.(Godfather Motorsports)(10-1-2012)

#83 to carry special decal: Landon Cassill will have a special decal on his #83 Burger King / Dr Pepper Toyota at Richmond in remembrance of 9/11. A decal of the American flag with the words "Never Forget" will be on Cassill's deck lid this weekend.(BK Racing/Breaking Limits), see an image of the decklid on the #83 Team Schemes page.(9-7-2012)

#83 switches to red scheme: Landon Cassill's #83 Toyota will be sporting a fresh coat of paint this week. The Burger King/Dr Pepper car is clad in red instead of the typical grey and white scheme. The red scheme will gradually transition as Cassill's primary colors for the rest of the season. This week's Finger Lakes 355 at Watkins Glen International will mark Landon Cassill's second-career NASCAR Sprint Cup Series start on a road course. Cassill has one previous start at Watkins Glen, which came in 2008 Nationwide Series competition. It yielded a 31st-place finish.(BK Racing)(8-9-2012)

BK Racing to run special decal on missing girls: BK Racing is lending a hand in the search for Elizabeth Collins and her cousin Lyric Cook, who have been missing since Friday, July 13. The team will run a special decal on the deck lid of its #83 Toyota, driven by Landon Cassill, and #93 Toyota driven by Travis Kvapil. The decals will feature an image of the missing girls, along with a phone number to call for any information on their whereabouts. The decals will run this weekend during the Pennsylvania 400 at the Pocono Raceway. Collins and Cook were last seen in the city of Evansdale, Iowa. Their bicycles and Elizabeth's purse were found near a trail at the edge of Meyers Lake after leaving their grandmother's house.(Breaking Limits/BK Racing)(8-2-2012)

Third BK Racing car at Darlington: UPDATE: BK Racing will field a third Toyota at Darlington Raceway for Travis Kvapil to run the Bojangles' Southern 500. The car will run Dr. Pepper colors and use the #73. Kvapil usually drives BK Racing #93 Burger King / Dr Pepper Toyota, but David Reutimann is in that car for Darlington and other races in 2012. Kvapil will have to race his way into the field as the car has no owners points and since it looks to be a late entry will not receive any drivers/owners points as a post entry.(Travis Kvapil Facebook)(5-10-2012)
UPDATE: BK Racing announced that Travis Kvapil will drive the #73 Dr Pepper Toyota in Saturday's Bojangles' Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway. Kvapil's car will be a third entry fielded by BK Racing and will run in addition to the organization's #83 Toyota, driven by Landon Cassill, and #93 Toyota, driven by David Reutimann. This will be BK Racing's first attempt to field three cars for an event. Ben Leslie will serve as Kvapil's crew chief. Kvapil will return to the #93 car for the Sprint All-Star Showdown next week at Charlotte Motor Speedway. "I'm really excited to be racing at Darlington," Kvapil said. "I want to thank Dr Pepper and BK Racing for putting this together. It's a big step for BK Racing to field a third car. We didn't open our doors until February and we've managed to make every race and stay inside the top-35 in points. Now we're fielding a third entry. That says a lot about our progress and this team's determination.(Breaking Limits/BK Racing)(5-10-2012)

Fresh Paint for Cassill at Kansas Speedway: Landon Cassill, driver of the #83 BK Racing Toyota, is ready to cool down the competition in Sunday's STP 400 at Kansas Speedway. His Camry will have a special paint scheme to promote Burger King's new BK Strawberry Banana Smoothie. The smoothie, made with real fruit, low-fat yogurt, and made fresh to order in the kitchen, is the perfect snack to keep you going all day. Cassill hopes his car's new, bright pink motif will help yield a solid performance at the 1.5-mile oval. Cassill has three previous NASCAR Sprint Cup Series starts at Kansas Speedway. His best finish is 17th place (2012), which was his third-best finish last season. He has one start in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series at Kansas (2008). He started 21st and finished 13th driving for Morgan-Dollar Motorsports. Kansas Speedway is the closest track on the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series circuit to Cassill's hometown of Cedar Rapids, Iowa. The driver will have several friends and family members at the track to cheer him on (BK Racing/Breaking Limits), see images of the car on my #83 Team Schemes page.(4-17-2012)

Burger King signs NASCAR licensing agreement with BK Racing: Burger King Corp. has entered into a licensing agreement with BK Racing LLC. As part of the agreement, BKC has licensed the primary paint scheme on the #83 and 93 Toyota Camry Sprint Cup cars, which debuted during Monday's delayed NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Daytona International Speedway. "I'm extremely happy to welcome Burger King Corp. to the team and really proud to be associated with such a great brand," said Scott Gunderson, president and co-owner of BK Racing LLC and a Burger King franchisee. "This demonstrates another important step in getting the BK Racing team ready for the season. As a longtime franchisee, I look forward to a successful racing season and know firsthand the benefits of a partnership with a winning team." BKC will leverage the sponsorship both on and off the track through select regional marketing programs and promotions. "This sponsorship with the BK Racing team provides the perfect scenario to get back into NASCAR. The team's passion, both on and off the track, resonates very well with an important segment of Burger King customers," said Alex Macedo, senior vice president, North America marketing, Burger King Corp.(Quick Service Restaurant News)(2-29-2012)

BK Racing plans to run full races all season: Tomato grower Wayne Press and his partners had originally planned to start their own team with the equipment from #71 TRG Motorsports, which was managed by Kevin Buckler. But they couldn't get access to that equipment, so Press, Scott Gunderson and others bought equipment and assumed the owner points from Red Bull Racing [#4, #83 Toyota's], which went out of business after last season. Their two-car BK Racing organization will make its debut Sunday in the Daytona 500.
The team has signed Landon Cassill to drive a full season in the #83 car while David Reutimann and Travis Kvapil will drive the #93. Reutimann is in the car at Daytona and Kvapil will drive at Phoenix. Kvapil likely will run more races, and the team hopes that Reutimann drives in the 10 races when he isn't in the #10 Tommy Baldwin Racing car he will share with Danica Patrick. Because they have the owner points from Red Bull, the team will start the season with guaranteed starting spots in the first five races. They plan to stay in the top 35 to keep those guaranteed spots, something that TRG Motorsports wasn't always able to accomplish.
Why BK Racing? There are Burger King logos on the hood of the cars and the uniforms of the drivers, but the fast-food restaurant's headquarters hasn't announced a sponsorship. Some of the investors are Burger King franchise owners. Press said he hopes some of the company's vendors will also get involved in sponsoring races. Burger King executives will be at the track for the Daytona 500, and Press said he hopes some of the company's vendors also will get involved in sponsoring the team.
Harry McMullen, the former TRG general manager, is the team's general manager. It has 17 cars from Red Bull but it has been a scramble since the purchase was completed less than a month ago. "We survived on a shoestring [budget] with the 71," Press said. "We're so much better funded it's unbelievable going into this venture with the 83 and the 93. BK Racing is here to race every weekend, every race, every lap. We're not start-and-parkers. We intend to do this correctly. We want some longevity out of this."(in part from SceneDaily)(2-23-2012)

BK Racing Officially Announces Team, Drivers for 2012: BK Racing officially announced plans to compete in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series full-time beginning this weekend at the Daytona International Speedway. The team will enter two Toyota Camrys, #83 and #93, out of its headquarters in Statesville, N.C. The team is led by an ownership group consisting of experienced and successful business people including Wayne Press, Scott Gunderson and others. General Manager Harry McMullen will lead the team at the race shop and at the track.
The team has already come to terms with experienced, winning drivers for the season. Two-time Sprint Cup Series winner David Reutimann will pilot the #93 Toyota in the Daytona 500 and former NASCAR Nationwide Series Rookie-of-The-Year winner Landon Cassill will race the #83 in the Daytona 500 and for the balance of the 2012 season. In addition, the team also announced that 2003 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series champion Travis Kvapil will be behind the wheel of the #93 Toyota beginning at the second race of the season in Phoenix, Ariz. The team will debut the cars Saturday morning to prepare for Sunday's Daytona 500 qualifying session.
"We're proud to announce that BK Racing will be the newest multi-car team in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series," said co-owner Gunderson. "Wayne, I and the rest of the ownership group, along with all of our employees, have worked very hard over the past months to prepare to be where we're at today. There is still a lot more work to do, but we're proud to have the groundwork of winning and championship drivers. David, Landon and Travis have proved themselves at this highest level of NASCAR. We're very proud to be running Toyota Camrys powered by Triad Racing Technologies engines. This allows us to be immediately competitive with realistic goals."
"All of us have been involved in the Sprint Cup Series over the past few years," continued Gunderson. "However, this is still a new team with a focused outlook of where we want to go. We're going to grow this team with commercial partners that we'll announce in the near future. We feel confident that we can immediately be competitive and only improve as we continue to build the team."
BK Racing has acquired certain assets from the former Red Bull Racing operation and has moved into a race shop that has all the essential equipment to prepare winning cars. This immediate success allowed the team drivers to feel confident about this season. "BK Racing is already miles ahead of most start-up teams that I've seen," commented Cassill. "The race shop, equipment, ownership group, leadership and crew members are in place for us to race at Daytona, but also continue to be prepared for success for the rest of the season. We have a lot more to do, but there is a strong base here."
Florida native David Reutimann also feels confident that the team can race up front at Daytona. "I think it's great that I have the opportunity to get this team off the ground," said Reutimann. "The preparation, the cars, our crew, I feel like BK Racing can come into Daytona and run well. It's cool to be a part of something new and have been impressed with how far the team has come in just a few short months." BK Racing will make official sponsorship announcements in the near future.(Breaking Limits), see image of the two cars in the shop on my #83 Team Schemes page.(2-18-2012)

Reutimann gets Daytona 500 ride: David Reutimann will drive the #93 Toyota for BK Racing in the Daytona 500. Todd Anderson, the former car chief at TRG Motorsports [the #71 team in 2011], will serve as crew chief for the team. Travis Kvapil will take over the driving duties in the #93 Toyota at Phoenix for the March 4 Sprint Cup race. BK Racing also announced last week that Landon Cassill will drive the #83 Toyota, starting in Daytona.(FoxSports)(2-14-2012)

Red Bull Owners Points changing hands? UPDATE 2: Been told that Thomas Ueberall [Red Bull's race director] is now listed as the owner of the #83 and now #93 [was #4] team owner points. Sinica Motorsports attempted to run Homestead running the #93, but their website now shows no car number and facebook and twitter pages no longer work. Ueberall may be listed as the owner when the new owners take place, due to the points. Supposedly part owners of TRG Motorsports are rumored to be buying the assets from Red Bull Racing.(2-3-2012)
UPDATE: Sinica Motorsports will be running a partial Sprint Cup schedule this year with a new car number to be released soon. The team will continue to run Chevys.(Sinica Motorsports)(2-6-2012)
UPDATE2: Landon Cassill is going racing at Daytona International Speedway with a new, yet-unnamed race team, at the wheel for a #83 Toyota purchased from the former Red Bull Racing team. In an exclusive interview with Sirius/XM NASCAR Radio's Sirius/XM Speedway with Dave Moody, Cassill said the team is preparing two cars for a full schedule of Sprint Cup Series racing, beginning with the Daytona 500. "We're going to announce a sponsor in the near future," said Cassill. "At this point, I can tell you that Doug Richert will be the crew chief, with (former Roush Fenway Racing executive) Harry McMullin serving as General Manager.
Multiple sources say Virginia resident and former TRG Motorsports minority partner Ron Devine is a leading player in the new ownership group. The team will reportedly be owned and sponsored by Devine and a group of his fellow Burger King franchisees. Cassill declined to speak specifically about the new owners, but confirmed they were involved with TRG Motorsports majority owner Kevin Buckler a year ago. "They broke away from TRG at the end of last year," said Cassill. "They want to go racing the right way and do it efficiently. They know what their goals are. They're going to be announcing the team name and our sponsorship information very soon. All I can say at this point is that they are investors. It'll be a company owned team from the sponsorship side of things." The team will operate out of the former Randy Moss Motorsports building in Statesville, NC, and will run with, with horsepower supplied by Triad Racing Technology.
"The guys are really hustling to get ready for Daytona," said Cassill, "and this will be my first time going into a season knowing there's a full-time ride with my name on door. I'm going to be locked into the Daytona 500 for the first time in my life, and that's an emotional deal for me." He confirmed that the team will field two cars in every race this season, beginning at Daytona. "They're working on signing the second driver right now, and there are some pretty good guys out there that still need a ride."
"This has been a tough deal to keep quiet," laughed Cassill. "They've had to make a lot of decisions before the story gets out and things begin to spin out of control. They've been working hard, 12-14 hours a day, seven days a week thrashing on things. Fortunately, Red Bull built really nice race cars that gave us a chance to pull things together quickly. A lot more is set in place than we can talk about yet, but the work is getting done. Cassill said he understands the team is behind the eight-ball at this point, and will need time to reach its full potential. "I think you'll see us shine 10-12 weeks into the season, once we get our feet underneath us," he said. "We need to establish a baseline on setups and find out what our cars and teams are capable of."(Sirius Speedway)
AND the AP's Jenna Fryer @JennaFryer is hearing Travis Kvapil could be second driver of the 2nd car [which was #4 with Kahne in 2011, but have heard it'll be #93](2-9-2012)
a couple UPDATES: Speculation is that former Red Bull driver Brian Vickers will be named Cassill's teammate in a second entry.(MRN)
AND II While Harry McMullen will act as general manager of the two-car operation, Cassill could not confirm nor deny that the team will be called BK Racing, a name that stems from Burger King franchisees that are expected to be associated with the deal. Sources said Ron Devine, of Virginia, and Wayne Press, of Florida, two former TRG partners, will be part of the new ownership group. Travis Kvapil has been mentioned as the driver for the team's #93 Toyota. Kvapil could not be reached for comment.(FoxSports)(2-10-2012)

Frye ends up at Hendrick UPDATE: Hearing that former Red Bull Racing General Manager and Vice President Jay Frye is now working at Hendrick Motorsports as a consultant in a variety of roles.(1-4-2012)
UPDATE: Jay Frye and Rick Hendrick have been friends since the 1980s, when Frye was a rep for first Budweiser and then Valvoline, and Hendrick was an ambitious car dealer trying to gain a toehold in NASCAR. So when Red Bull Racing closed its doors at the end of 2011, it made sense that Frye, the former team's vice president and general manager, would turn to Hendrick. On Wednesday, Hendrick Motorsports announced that Frye will work with the team as a consultant for 2012, focusing on business development. "Jay is one of the most well-connected people in the sport, and he's going to be a great resource to help develop strong partnerships," said Marshall Carlson, president of Hendrick Motorsports. "We've known him for a long time, so there's an immense level of trust and respect between us. The opportunity to work with Jay again and have the benefit of his experience is something we're excited about." In NASCAR parlance, "business development" means helping the team find sponsorship and build relationship with sponsors. Frye's long friendship with Hendrick, as well as his familiarity with former Red Bull driver Kasey Kahne should benefit the team hugely in that department.(SPEED)(1-5-2012)

MWR could buy Red Bull Racing assets: Sirius XM NASCAR Radio's Sirius Speedway with Dave Moody has learned that Michael Waltrip Racing is negotiating to purchase the assets of the former Red Bull Racing NASCAR Sprint Cup Series team. A spokesperson for the team declined to comment on the story, but multiple sources say Michael Waltrip Racing and Red Bull are close to an agreement on the sale, awaiting NASCAR approval for an owner point swap that would allow MWR to field a third Toyota Camry in the 2012 Daytona 500. MWR finished 18th and 28th in Sprint Cup owner points with drivers #56-Martin Truex, Jr. and #00[now #55]-David Reutimann last season, and holds two guaranteed starting spots for the upcoming Daytona 500. MWR is expected to field three cars in the Great American Race for Truex, #15-Clint Bowyer (no points) and #55-Mark Martin, using one of the guaranteed starting spots held by Red Bull Racing. Those points would transfer to MWR in the event of a sale. Michael Waltrip could also compete in the 2012 Daytona 500, but is believed unlikely to do so in an MWR Toyota. Sources say MWR is also interested in acquiring cars and equipment from Red Bull, including fabrication equipment and a shaker rig. If included in the sale, the former Red Bull Racing building would likely be used by MWR co-owner Rob Kauffman to house his RK Motors muscle car restoration and performance company, as well as his personal collection of classic and vintage automobiles. Red Bull Racing closed its doors last month, after failing to find a buyer to continue operations.(Sirius Speedway)(1-3-2012)