Scheduled 2013 Races (24):
Daytona, Budweiser Duel - 2/21
Daytona 500 - 2/24, DISH Network
Phoenix - 3/3
Las Vegas - 3/10
Bristol - 3/17
Auto Club - 3/24
Martinsville - 4/7
Texas - 4/13
Richmond - 4/27, skipped
Talladega - 5/5
Darlington - 5/11
Sprint Showdown, Charlotte - 5/18
Charlotte - 5/26
Dover - 6/3
Daytona - 7/6
Indy - 7/28
Bristol - 8/24
Atlanta - 9/1
Richmond - 9/7
Dover - 9/29
Charlotte - 10/12
Talladega - 10/20
Martinsville - 10/27
Texas - 11/3

Contract Status: Driver: 2013; Primary Sponsor: 201?

Speed skipping All-Star race, will race in Spain: It's been a great month for Scott Speed in the Ford Racing world. After driving the OlsbergsMSE Fiesta 'Star Car' to a gold medal in his Global Rallycross debut at X Games Brazil on Apr. 21, he finished a season-best ninth in his #95 Leavine Family Racing Ford Fusion in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Talladega on May 5. Speed will be looking to continue his hot streak this week as he misses the annual Sprint All-Star Weekend and travels to Spain for X Games Barcelona.(see interview at Ford Racing), Michael McDowell will drive the #95 Leavine Family Racing Ford in the Sprint Showdown.(5-15-2013)

#95 team and Speed to honor victims in West, TX: Sunday's Aaron's 499 will be the second race of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS) season with restrictor plates. But for Scott Speed and Leavine Family Racing, their effort will be anything but restricted. The team will dedicate its efforts on Sunday to the victims of the West, Texas, explosion that killed 14 people, including 12 first responders. "We will run with restricted engines at the Talladega Superspeedway on Sunday, but I can promise you nobody on this race team will hold anything back," Speed said. "Our race team has deep roots in Texas. Our car will be West, Texas, strong." The Texas-based team decided to bring awareness to the disaster with signage on Speed's #95 Ford Fusion for Sunday's race in the aftermath of the fiery explosion at the fertilizer plant near Waco, Texas. The roof to Speed's car will carry to the words: "West, Texas, Strong. Victims - Survivors - Heroes."
"As Texans, we all bond together," said car owner Bob Leavine, who lives in Tyler, Texas. "Texans are strong people, proud people. And when something happens, we join forces." TrackingPoint and Jordan Truck Sales (JTS) will share the primary sponsorship for the 188-lap event. Returning team sponsor Jordan Truck Sales (JTS) will be on the hood of the #95 Ford. The Austin, Texas based TrackingPoint will return with sponsorship on the quarter panels. Secondary sponsors Friends of NRA and Besties with Testies also signed on for Sunday's project. Crew chief Wally Rogers knows the best way to honor the victims of the explosion is to run up front. The team will bring the same car that led two laps at the season-opening Daytona 500 and wound up with a lead-lap finish. Since Leavine Family Racing is running a selective schedule, Speed kept himself busy with driving in the X-Games Global Rallycross championship. He won a gold medal for Ford Racing by winning the race in an OlsbergsMSE Fiesta Star Ford April 23 at Foz do Iguaçu, Brazil. Speed won with a last-lap pass. "Winning in Brazil was a lot of fun," Speed said. "Winning at Talladega would be even better."(Leavine Family Racing), see an image of the scheme on the #95 Team Schemes page.(5-1-2013)

Scott Speed to drive Grand Rallycross car in Brazil: Global Rallycross has announced the implementation of the Star Car, a competitive twist for Global Rallycross. To debut the Star Car at the X Games in Foz do Iguacu, Global Rallycross brought Scott Speed on board to take the wheel. "The Star Car idea was sparked initially as means to create an element of surprise and suspense to both fans and drivers for each of the nine Global Rallycross events this season," said Colin Dyne, Global Rallycross CEO. "But as the idea has become a reality for Global Rallycross, it is an exceptional element that allows for talented drivers like Scott Speed to get a taste of what Global Rallycross really has to offer." In each race of the 2013 season, Global Rallycross will select the Star Car driver who will compete against the regular field of Global Rallycross drivers. With that in mind, every Star Car driver is selected specifically, each bringing a different quality to the series. For Speed, Global Rallycross selected him to debut the Star Car in Brazil because of his personality, driving ability and his overall fit for Global Rallycross. The Star Car will make its debut at Global X Games in Foz do Iguaçu, Brazil, on April 21.(Grand Rallycross)(4-13-2013)

#95 team picks up primary sponsor for Texas: Scott Speed and Leavine Family Racing (LFR) aim to be on target during Saturday night's NRA 500 at the Texas Motor Speedway. The #95 TrackingPoint Ford will carry Austin, Texas based TrackingPoint as the primary sponsor for the team's homecoming. TrackingPoint is an applied technology company that created the first Precision Guided Firearm, a revolutionary new long-range shooting system that puts jet fighter "lock and launch" technology in a rifle, enabling users to hit moving targets at extended ranges. Team owners Bob and Sharon and the Leavine family are from Tyler, Texas, so TrackingPoint joins familiar territory, joining other Texas native sponsors like Tommy Williams Drywall (TWD) and B&D Electrical. The team also will provide exposure for "Besties with Testies" to commemorate National Testicular Cancer month, as well as TeaZa Herbal Energy Pouch.(Leavine Family Racing)(4-9-2013)

Leavine Family racing spotlighting testicular cancer awareness month: On April 7th at Martinsville Speedway, the first weekend of testicular cancer awareness month, #95-Leavine Family Racing will begin to promote testicular cancer education and awareness. LFR will partner with Besties with Testies, a 501(c)3 non-­profit corporation. Besties with Testies, headquartered in Denver, Colorado, was founded with the mission to promote public interest and awareness of testicular cancer. Besties with Testies has been active informing the public of the importance of self-­examination and early detection. Providing tools and resources to educators, advocates, testicular cancer patients, and survivors, Besties with Testies has reached thousands of young men through an all-volunteer organization and nationally recognized website. Testicular Cancer is most common in men ages 15 to 35 but can strike at any age. Testicular cancer is highly curable if detected early through self-­examination.(Leavine Family Racing)(4-5-2013)

Pirate returns to the #95 at Las Vegas: Scott Speed and Leavine Family Racing will keep their pirate colors for Sunday's Kobalt Tools 400 at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The team set sail last week with a black #95 Ford at Phoenix, complete with a skull and crossbones designed by Sam Bass on the hood and the words "Surrender the Sponsor" across the trunk. The project got so much positive feedback, including associate sponsorships for the 267 lap event in Sin City, that the team decided to stick with it. Even though the #95 Ford will sport a black pirate theme, it will also carry the associate sponsorships from Race Fuel Energy Drink and Sin City Motorsports.(Leavine Family Racing), see images of the scheme/car on the #95 Team Schemes page.(3-6-2013)

#95 team sails into Phoenix with Hopes of Pirating a Win, Sponsor: Racing fans and potential sponsors alike won't be seeing a mirage when Scott Speed drives the all-black #95 Ford with the white skull and crossbones from Leavine Family Racing. Across the back of the new Generation-6 race car will be the words: "Surrender the Sponsor." The race team is trying to build on the momentum of a 23rd-place finish at the season-opening Daytona 500. Part of that process is the continued search for a primary sponsor. "It is exciting just to see the hype about the #95," Speed said. "We are not trying to make this a money stunt; we're just trying to draw attention to our car. Hopefully, a potential sponsor will see this and want to be teamed up with us. There is no way I could have pulled off this paint scheme with any other team, which is why it was so appropriate for LFR  they are up for anything." The nearest ocean may be 357 miles away, but it won't keep LFR from living a pirate's life during Sunday's Subway Fresh Fit 500 at the Phoenix International Raceway. The idea was a collaborative effort between Speed and crew chief Wally Rogers. Team owner Bob Leavine quickly signed off on the idea. "The reality is, anything that brings attention to our race team is positive," Leavine said. "It's not a stunt. It's a way for Corporate America to see what this little team from Texas can do."
"We're still looking for partners," vice president of marketing Terance Mathis said. "DISH was a great partner for us at Daytona, but they're not on for the full season. We're getting to the point where we've got to be strategic with how we use our resources and continue to run as well as we can and attract more sponsorship."
Speed raced his way into the starting lineup for the Daytona 500, and he followed that up with a lead-lap finish. "The minute we got back to the shop, our attention shifted from Daytona to Phoenix," Rogers said. "We're confident about our race car for that track, and we're confident about Scott. We thought it would be a great idea to work on the sponsorship side. It was an interesting idea and it probably wouldn't fly with a lot of other race teams. That's what makes LFR so unique."
Speed agreed. "Daytona was a good start, but we have so much more to do," he said. "We will improve on that. It is our hope the 'Surrender the Sponsor' idea will attract a sponsor excited to come along for the ride for the other 25 races we've selected this year."
In six NASCAR Sprint Cup Series starts at Phoenix, Speed qualified second in 2010 with Red Bull Racing. He also has two Nationwide and one Camping World Truck series start at the one-mile D-shaped oval.(Leavine Family Racing), see images of the scheme/car on the #95 Team Schemes page.(3-1-2013)

#95 and Speed get sponsor for Daytona 500: #95-Scott Speed knew his window to make the starting lineup for Sunday's Daytona 500 was closing in the final laps of Thursday's Budweiser Duels. Then an actual missing window helped Speed and the rest of the Leavine Family Racing (LFR) race team qualify for the biggest NASCAR race of the season and resulted in a new sponsor for the Texas-based team with DISH Network. A leading satellite TV company, DISH Network, will be the primary sponsor on the #95 Ford Fusion with Speed for the season-opening Daytona 500 on Feb. 24 at the Daytona International Speedway. "We're excited to team up with Leavine Family Racing on the #95 DISH Ford Fusion to help promote the Hopper," said James Moorhead, chief marketing officer for DISH. "Racing fans are passionate and dedicated - just like our customers. We love this opportunity to engage with a fan base that really mirrors the innovative spirit at DISH where we push the limits of technology and challenge the status quo." Speed ran as high as eighth in the first 150-mile qualifying race at the Daytona International Speedway, but a problem with the brakes on a scheduled pit stop forced a longer stop which put #95 machine toward the back of the 21-car field. He got as high as 16th at the finish with the top 15 automatically advancing to Sunday's race. Moments later, NASCAR officials moved Speed up to 15th - and into the Daytona 500 - when sixth-place Martin Truex Jr. finished without a side passenger window. "We got lucky to get in because of the window, but at the same time we ran way better than that all race," Speed said. "That window coming out of the car cost us an easy transfer spot anyway because it's faster. The window giveth and it taketh away." Based on NASCAR's unique qualifying rules, Leavine Family Racing would likely still have advanced into the Daytona 500. By finishing 15th, however, team owner Bob Leavine no longer had to worry about any of the complicated exemptions.
"We're in," he said with an enormous sigh of relief. "I feel blessed." Speed clearly had a racecar worthy of stock car racing's Super Bowl. With three more practice sessions remaining before the green flag on Sunday at 1 p.m. ET, Speed and crew chief Wally Rogers believe they have enough of a baseline to be competitive in the new Gen-6 racer. "Scott did a really good job, especially when he got in the outside line," Rogers said. "We're learning so much about the car with every lap. Scott was patient and the car had good solid speed in it. Making the race is a huge relief for everyone at Leavine Family Racing. We're a small team, and this is a very big deal for us." The team didn't learn of Truex's problems until they were walking down pit road after the race. "We heard it on the (public address) speaker," Leavine said. "All I could imagine was going home. Then we heard we were in. It's one of the most incredible feelings I've ever had at a racetrack." Speed will start 31st in the Daytona 500.
"It was hard once we got to the back after the pit stop because we didn't have anyone back there to help us," Speed said. "We finally got back up there and picked off a few of them. You had to have a good car to be able to do that. That's a credit to everyone at LFR. This is a proud moment for everyone. We're in the Daytona 500. I will never get tired of hearing that." The team's shop is located in Concord, North Carolina, just outside of Charlotte Motor Speedway's turn two.(Leavine Family Racing)(2-23-2013)

Leavine Family Racing gains associate sponsor: Leavine Family Racing (LFR) will arrive at the Daytona 500 with a higher level of energy with the help of TeaZa. The revolutionary product will be an associate sponsor on the #95 Ford Fusion with driver Scott Speed for selected NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races this year, including the season-opening Daytona 500 on Feb. 24 at the Daytona International Speedway. TeaZa comes in a small pouch that is placed between the lip and gum; the energy packed ingredients are then released and swallowed. TeaZa uses advanced pouching materials so the ingredients are released over several hours giving you longer lasting energy. This formula contains a doctor formulated balance of vitamins, herbs, and natural caffeine, coupled with an amazing long-lasting flavor. Each pouch stimulates the taste buds, adding to the energy boost.(LFR)(2-14-2013)

2013 silly season notes for #95-Scott Speed / Leavine Family Racing: Scott Speed re-signed with Leavine Family Racing to run 24 races in 2013. The team attempted 16 races in 2013, making 15 of them. Wally Rogers returns as the crew chief. Former NFL player Terance Mathis joined Leavine Family Racing as the new Vice President of Marketing. He will work with sponsors while maintaining a presence at NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races this year. See more about other teams on my 2013 Team / Driver Silly Season Chart.(2-10-2013)

Former NFL player Terance Mathis joins Leavine Family Racing: When Terance Mathis retired from the National Football League (NFL) following 13 successful seasons, he refused to slow down with his ambitions. In fact, he was just catching his stride. Over the holiday, the record-setting wide receiver shifted gears, joining Leavine Family Racing (LFR) as the new Vice President of Marketing. He will work with sponsors while maintaining a presence at NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS) races this year.
"Terance was a strong impactful player and that type of mentality is what Leavine Family Racing is all about," team owner Bob Leavine said. "I knew after our first meeting that Terance shared the same values as our family, as well as our NASCAR Sprint Cup Series team. We all have a desire to impact the lives of the people we come in contact with. We all can't run in the top 15 in NASCAR but we can all impact those around us in NASCAR and that's our goal."
"I played college baseball, and as an athlete I know the commitment it takes to be successful. Terance impressed us as someone who has that commitment - and more."
Mathis is already working to expand the race team's presence in the business community. Leavine Family Racing currently has a 22-race schedule for the 2013 season with driver Scott Speed and the #95 Ford Fusion. They will be participating in the Budweiser Duel in Daytona and the Sprint All-Star race at the Charlotte Motor Speedway as well. At 5-foot-10 and 177 pounds, Mathis gained a reputation in football for his tenacity. He promised to bring that same determination to Leavine Family Racing. "I have been involved in NASCAR before," Mathis said. "I love it. Leavine Family Racing has all the pieces to be successful. Hopefully I can play a role in taking it to the next level. It was an instant synergy and a perfect fit with Leavine Family Racing. I liked the approach that the Leavine family is taking. They are taking one step at a time and not putting the cart in front of the horse. I believe my background and diverse skill set will be a real asset to help the team progress. I did my research on the team after being referred to them by an engine-builder friend of mine who gave the team a high recommendation." After becoming the first consensus All-America player at New Mexico, he spent 13 seasons in the NFL. His best years came from 1994-2001 with the Atlanta Falcons where he set club records for touchdown receptions (57) and receiving yards (7,349). His goal is to help Leavine Family Racing achieve more success both on and off the track.(Leavine Family Racing)(1-24-2013)

#95 team plans limited schedule: #95-Scott Speed posted Leavine Family Racing's 2013 schedule to Facebook. It is a total of 24 races, including the Budweiser Duels & All-Star shootout. The team attempted 16 races in 2013, making 15 of them.(1-7-2013)

Speed re-signs with Leavine Family Racing for 2013: Leavine Family Racing (LFR) announced that it has agreed to a contract extension with Scott Speed for the 2013 NASCAR Sprint Cup season. Speed has committed to exclusively drive the #95 Leavine Family Racing Ford Fusion, effective immediately. "It's a big deal to go from a partial schedule to a relatively full-time deal for the 2013 season. It's the start of a bigger journey." Speed said. "Now is the time I need to give them 100% of my time and effort. No longer will I be competing in anything else other then the #95."
"I am very pleased with the progress crew chief Wally Rogers and Scott have made this year. It is that progress, along with Scott's charisma and talent enhancing our team chemistry, that has resulted in our agreement to go to an exclusive relationship through the 2013 season," team owner Bob Leavine said. "We are using this commitment as a springboard to build on this year's chemistry for 2013," Dan Pikarsky, newly appointed vice president of business development said. "We are getting our business development team in place now to be ready for 2013. The people needed from the back to the front are all there and Scott is confident in that. Leavine Family Racing has proved to me that they are building and they are moving in the right direction. They are bringing in good people, and that intrigues me. They have their own funding, and they have built a business case. We are using that with Scott Speed to attract Corporate America."
Speed, 29, made it clear from the outset that he had no plans to explore the free-agent market due to his loyalty to Leavine Family Racing. "As an organization, Leavine Family Racing and team owner Bob Leavine provide the resources I need to compete, and as a driver, that is the most important consideration," Speed said. "Every year the team has been built more and more. We've grown much this year as the first year, and now we are all committed to a third season. The team has proven to do more and more and I look forward to continuing this growing relationship into the future."(Leavine Family Racing)(8-8-2012)

#95 team hires VP of Business Development: As Leavine Family Racing (LFR) continues to build its team in key areas, the #95 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series team with driver Scott Speed announced that Dan Pikarsky has been named Vice President of Business Development. To further bolster its preparation for sponsorship opportunities for the 2013 season, Pikarsky will supervise Leavine Family Racing's brand and sponsorship programs. Pikarsky joins Leavine Family Racing from Petty's Garage in Level Cross, where as the senior director of business development and partnership, he was instrumental at Petty's Garage and the 2012 Petty's Garage Performance Tour. He was also influential in launching the first 2012 Richard Petty Signature Series Ford Mustang GT with a display at the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) Show. At Petty's Garage, he worked with the Richard Petty Motorsports Petty Family Foundation, and Victory Junction. Prior to his time at Petty's Garage, Pikarsky took a leave from the motorsports industry to team up with long-time friend Stephen Pearcy. Pikarsky was tour manager for WBS Entertainment with the rock band RATT where he managed an 85-city national tour. Pikarsky will be based in Leavine Family Racing's Concord office.(LFR)(7-13-2012)