#34 Team Past News and Rumors
(NOTE: some older links may not work)
Stremme to run #09 at Homestead..and 2010?: David Stremme, who has been replaced by Brad Keselowski in the #12 Penske Dodge, will drive the #09 Chevy for Phoenix Racing at Homestead — a race Keselowski had signed on to do. For 2010, Stremme has two options to consider. One, return to the Nationwide Series and drive for Rusty Wallace (who Stremme accompanied to Las Vegas earlier this week) and/or drive for the Bob Jenkins' owned [#34 or #37] Front Row Motorsports.(FoxSports)(11-6-2009)
Andretti's defends NASCAR's late call: #34-John Andretti defended NASCAR's decision not to throw a caution when he couldn't move his disabled car from the finish line at Martinsville Speedway on Sunday. Andretti crashed on the frontstretch during the next to last lap of the race, and NASCAR apparently believed he could move his car out of the way in time for the field to race its way across the finish line. Because he couldn't, the caution wasn't called until the cars were coming out of the final turn and quickly closing in on Andretti. "It wasn't a bad call," Andretti said in a statement on Monday. "To me, I wasn't in a great position, but I wasn't in an overly dangerous position. NASCAR focuses on the race itself, and they want to see the winner come across the finish line. It's probably the call I would've made. I would've gotten out of the way if I could've. But I had a couple of issues. The car was too damaged." It's second time since the start of the Chase for the Sprint Cup championship that NASCAR waited until the last moment to call a caution for an accident near the start/finish line. A similar incident occurred last month in the Chase opener at New Hampshire. Race-winner Denny Hamlin said he thought Andretti's car did not pose a threat to the other competitors and NASCAR made the right call.(Associated Press)(10-27-2009)
Window World Returns to #34 Chevy: The blue-and-white paint scheme of Window World will be back on the Front Row Motorsports #34 car when it hits the high-banked, 2.66-mile Talladega Superspeedway this weekend. After making its motorsports sponsorship debut earlier this season in NASCAR’s Daytona 500 – and its Indy Racing League debut in the Indianapolis 500 – America’s largest window replacement company is ready to go racing again with John Andretti in Sunday’s AMP Energy 500. In addition to the Daytona 500 and Indianapolis 500, Window World sponsored Andretti’s ride in five other Sprint Cup races in the 2009 season. “I really can’t think of a smarter company in the sport right now,” said Andretti, driver of the #34 Window World Chevrolet. “I’ve gotten to know a lot of people in the Window World family and I’m really impressed with their commitment. They saw an opportunity to get their name in front of a whole new audience and they’ve really taken advantage of it.”
“Getting involved with this sport has been a real thrill and a business success story for us,” said Todd Whitworth, CEO of Window World. “We got our feet wet with the Daytona 500 and felt it was pretty successful, so we added a few more races in the season. Then the opportunity to partner with John and Richard Petty for the Indianapolis 500 was something you can only dream about. It just makes sense to come back now and show our support to John and the Front Row Motorsports team. Talladega is always a huge race on the schedule and it makes sense to support John in this race.”(Breaking Limits), see images of the car from earlier in the season on my #34 Team Schemes page.(10-26-2009)
Where may some of the drivers looking end up in 2010? Those drivers looking for rides in 2010 — #07-Casey Mears, #96/71-Bobby Labonte, #43-Reed Sorenson and #12-David Stremme — qualified sixth, eighth, ninth and 11th, respectively at Martinsville. How their futures pan out could depend on the status of Jamie McMurray, who remains the top candidate for the #1 Earnhardt Ganassi ride. Mears could stay put in the #07 if sponsorship can be found. Labonte is a strong candidate for one of the two TRG [#71 team] Racing rides. Sorenson is the favorite for the vacancy at Braun Racing [Nationwide Series ride] and Stremme's name has been mentioned for the #34 Front Row Motorsports car[currently a Chevy] (where he would be reunited with crew chief Steven 'Bones' Lane) or in a Nationwide car with Rusty Wallace Inc.(FoxSports)(10-24-2009)
Continental Fire & Safety on the #34: Continental Fire & Safety will be an associate sponsor on Front Row Motorsports’ #34 Sprint Cup entry and the primary sponsor on FRM’s #34 Nationwide entry at Dover International Speedway for the upcoming race weekend. The Continental Fire & Safety #34 Chevy in the Nationwide series will be piloted by Tony Raines who is currently 15 in driver points. FRM’s entry in the Sprint Cup series will be driven by John Andretti.(Continental Fire & Safety PR)(9-24-2009)
CARFAX to sponsor Andretti: UPDATE: haven't seen anything official, but an updated Michigan Entry List shows #34-John Andretti being sponsored by CARFAX, which is also the title sponsor of the Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series races at Michigan International Speedway this weekend.(8-13-2009)
UPDATE: Carfax announced it will sponsor the #34 Front Row Motorsports Chevy and driver John Andretti for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series CARFAX 400 at Michigan International Speedway. The #34 Carfax Chevy will make its debut at MIS during the first-ever 'Show Me the CARFAX Race Weekend'.(Carfax PR)(8-14-2009)
Andretti to Make 500th Motorsports Start: This Sunday, John Andretti, driver of the #34 Taco Bell Chevy, will make his 500th professional motorsports oval start at Pocono Raceway. Andretti also has professional starts in the NHRA and IMSA Series not included in this fact. In his 22 year career, Andretti has raced in various forms of oval racing. His start list is as follows:
-376 in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series
-37 in the NASCAR Nationwide Series
-Six in the NASCAR Camping World Series
-73 in the defunct CART/Champ Car World Series
-Seven in the IRL IndyCar Series
Andretti has four wins, 27 top fives, and 80 top-10s, with over 750 laps led in all his previous starts. He has won two Sprint Cup events, one at Martinsville Speedway and one at Daytona International Speedway. He has one CART win at Surfers Paradise, Australia.(FRM)(8-2-2009)
- Long John Silver's on the #34 & #37; Free Tacos Tuesday: Front Row Motorsports and Long John Silver's will be looking to hook your attention this weekend during the LifeLock.com 400 Sprint Cup Series event at the Chicagoland Speedway. Long John Silver's has partnered with Front Row Motorsports to help promote Baja Fish Taco Day on the hood of both the #37 entry driven by Tony Raines and the #34 entry driven by John Andretti. Race fans will be reminded each time they see the Front Row Motorsports entries on the track that Long John Silver's will celebrate Baja Fish Taco Day on Tuesday, July 14, when fans can enjoy a free Baja Fish Taco at participating restaurant locations across the country from Open to 2:30 p.m.(Front Row Motorsports PR), see an image of the #37 car on the #37 Paint Schemes page.(7-9-2009)
- Andretti bumps way into Indy 500: Bump Day drama can even affect an Indy 500 veteran like John Andretti. But the Indy native shook off any nerves Sunday in last-ditch qualifying effort to make his tenth Indianapolis 500 field. Driving his #43 Richard Petty Window World Honda Dallara, Andretti had not been fast enough to make the 33-driver field in his first two qualifying attempts Sunday with a best of 220.2 miles per hour with twenty minutes remaining in time trials. But a quick change by the Window World crew helped the NASCAR regular make the field in his third and final attempt. With six minutes left in Bump Day, Andretti posted laps of 221.571, 221.393, 221.201 and 221.098 for a four-lap of 221.316 m.p.h. and claim the 28th spot in next Sunday’s starting grid. Andretti’s start will be his third consecutive at Indy after taking a 13-year hiatus to drive on the NASCAR circuit. In fact, Tony Stewart even texted Dreyer & Reinbold Racing competition director Larry Curry [who Stewart drove for in the IRL] for advise for Andretti during the afternoon qualifying excitement. The text said, "If he is uneasy about opening the entry, ask him to let it have its head on the exit. He is a full car width off the wall on the exit binding it up."(see more at petty-andretti.com)(5-18-2009)
- Bad day for Andretti at Indy: It was a rough day for John Andretti [driver of the #34 Chevy in the Sprint Cup Series] trying to put Richard Petty's #43 entry into the field for the Indianapolis 500 during the second day of qualifying on Sunday. Andretti got into the wall during a practice run and wiped out the car. "We really wanted to get into the race today so we could work on our race set-up this coming week," he said. "We didn't want to battle to get into the race next weekend. We didn't get a quality run in qualifying, and we knew we would probably have to make another run today. It was frustrating. We worked on the chassis setup this afternoon to get a better balance. But, in practice, the car was a little too loose and we were making adjustments. I was going pretty hot into Turn One, which is always a tough corner, and I lost the back end."(Alabama Live)(5-11-2009)
- Raines to replace Andretti in #34 during Indy 500 conflicts: Tony Raines said Saturday that he would be surprised if he is not in the #34 NASCAR Sprint Cup car for Front Row Motorsports next week at Darlington Raceway while John Andretti attempts to qualify for the Indianapolis 500. Team owner Bob Jenkins has said that Raines would likely fill that seat for the events at Darlington and Lowe’s Motor Speedway while Andretti is in Indianapolis. Raines competes for the team in the Nationwide Series and has run in select Cup races for the team this year.(Scene Daily)(5-4-2009)
- John Andretti goes skydiving: Despite having competed in NASCAR, IndyCar and NHRA, John Andretti experienced a new type of speed this week. The driver of the #34 Window World Chevy performed a tandem skydive with the elite Golden Knights Parachute Team. For Andretti, it was a thrilling way to kickoff a month that promises even more excitement. Andretti and Window World CEO Todd Whitworth were invited to be guests of the U.S. Army Golden Knights Parachute Team. Each individual was paired with an instructor and experienced the thrill of skydiving from 13,500 feet. Andretti still has more to look forward to. After competing in this weekend's Crown Royal 400, Andretti turns his focus to open-wheel racing. Andretti will drive the #43 Window World/Richard Petty Motorsports/Dreyer and Reinbold Racing Honda-Dallara in the Indy 500.(Breaking Limits PR)(5-3-2009)
- Andretti and Front Row Motorsports Head to Richmond: “Richmond is a favorite of a lot of guys. It’s a short track, but it’s a ‘bigger’ short track too. It’s unique in a lot of ways. It will wear your neck out more than Bristol will. You never stop turning at Richmond. The whole straightaway is a turn. The only rest you get is about the two seconds you go down the back. I like the fact that it’s a ‘racers’ track. I think a lot of guys agree. You can race down at the bottom, run the middle or run the top. You never know where the race is going to be won. It’s been won from all three. It’s a great little track. There is ‘rooting’ and ‘gouging’, but this isn’t Martinsville. We can put on a great show and usually always do. I’m sure after Talladega, a bunch of us are looking forward to it. Our team, Front Row Motorsports with Window World support this weekend, has overachieved in some areas and underachieved in others. We’re looking at the areas that we can get better and trying to capitalize on that. We’re still a new race team. People have spoken about the new teams that have come in this season, but this is a whole new team too. Sure, Front Row Motorsports has been around for while, but this is a whole new team. We have a new location (Statesville, N.C.), new people, new parts, different equipment and a lot of good things going on. The only thing that is the same is the team name, Front Row Motorsports and Bob Jenkins (team owner). We’re getting our legs underneath us. We’re a July, August team. I don’t mean we’re going to be chasing down Hendrick Motorsports at that time, but we’re certainly going to be making strides forward at that point. Right now, it’s one race at a time. The next race is in Richmond. Our hope is to have another good night and continue to build with this team.” This is the last race before Andretti takes a hiatus from Front Row Motorsports to concentrate on the Indianapolis 500 in May. Front Row Motorsports will continue to race at Darlington and Lowe’s with a driver to be announced.(Breaking Limits PR)(5-1-2009)
- Andretti will drive 34 races: John Andretti wasn't sure how many Sprint Cup races he would enter when Front Row Racing offered him a ride for the Daytona 500. Turns out he will attempt all but two of 36. Andretti plans to miss only two races, the Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway and Coca-Cola 600 at Lowe's Motor Speedway in Charlotte. He?ll be at Indianapolis Motor Speedway for both weekends, one for qualifying and the other for the Indianapolis 500. His replacement for those events hasn't been named.(ESPN Insider)(4-15-2009)
- NASCAR team owner to run Indy 500? UPDATE 3: According to a press release from TB Communications, a press conference has been scheduled for Monday at Indianapolis Motor Speedway for a "NASCAR team owner" to announce an entry into the 93rd running of the Indianapolis 500 on May 24. The release said the team owner will be making his debut as a car owner in the Indy 500. Two Sprint Cup Series team owners can be eliminated. Roger Penske and Chip Ganassi have both won the Indy 500 as car owners. The NASCAR team owner announcing the entry is also expected to announce a major sponsor for the deal and also who will drive his car. The release did not say if the NASCAR team owner involved is an owner in the Sprint Cup Series.(Hartford Courant)(4-3-2009)
UPDATE: Richard Petty Motorsports will field an Indy 500 entry for driver John Andretti, sources have confirmed to NASCAR.COM. The official announcement will be made Monday. Given that RPM currently does not have an IndyCar operation, it was unclear Friday how the program would take shape.(NASCAR.com)(4-3-2009)
UPDATE 2: Richard Petty will make his first foray into the Indianapolis 500 as an owner when he fields a car for John Andretti in next month's race. A news conference is scheduled Monday at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, but details were confirmed Friday by a person familiar with the arrangement. The person spoke on the condition of anonymity to The Associated Press because the deal has not been announced. In 1994, Andretti became the first driver to run both the Indy 500 and the Coca-Cola 600 NASCAR event in Charlotte on the same day, finishing 10th at Indianapolis and crashing and finishing 36th at Lowe's Motor Speedway. Tony Stewart and Robby Gordon have both since done the double, but the grueling feat is no longer possible since Indianpolis changed its starting time several years ago.
Petty is a partner in NASCAR with George Gillett in Richard Petty Motorsports, the team formerly known as Gillett Evernham Motorsports. Gillett is not expected to be part of the Indy deal. Dreyer & Reinbold Racing, which runs the full IndyCar Series, will work with Petty at Indy, providing equipment and personnel.(Associated Press)(4-4-2009)
UPDATE 3: Richard Petty will field an entry for the Indianapolis 500 for the first time, with John Andretti driving the Window World-sponsored car in the 2009 edition of "The Greatest Spectacle in Racing" on Sunday, May 24. Seven-time NASCAR champion Petty unveiled the #43 Window World Dallara/Honda/Firestone for Indy 500 veteran and NASCAR regular Andretti on April 6 at the legendary Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Window World, the world's largest replacement window company, brought Andretti to the Daytona 500 earlier this year. Petty's new entry will feature the traditional "Petty Blue" and "Day-Glo Red" from his stock cars in the "King's" debut as a team owner in the Indy 500 after participating in the Allstate 400 at the Brickyard for the past 15 years. Richard Petty Motorsports currently campaigns four Dodge cars in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. Window World and Petty will combine efforts with the Indy-based Dreyer & Reinbold Racing team to field the #43 Honda-powered Indy car for Andretti, an Indianapolis native.(see more, a transcript and photos at Indy500.com)(4-6-2009)
- MyAutoLoan.com to sponsor Andretti at Texas: myAutoloan.com will be the primary sponsor of the #34 Front Row Motorsports entry driven by John Andretti at Texas Motor Speedway, for NASCAR’s Sprint Cup race, the Samsung 500. "I look forward to driving the #34 myAutoloan.com Chevrolet Impala at Texas Motor Speedway," commented driver John Andretti. "The guys in the shop have spent a lot of time the last couple of weeks getting the car ready for the race and branding it for myAutoloan.com this weekend. Texas is a fast track and we have a great car, I’m confident we will put together a superior effort." For more information about myAutoloan.com please visit myAutoloan.com. "We are grateful for the support of myAutoloan.com for the Texas race," said Front Row Motorsports team owner Bob Jenkins. "There is no doubt the Sprint Cup Series is as tough as it has ever been, but great partners like myAutoloan.com, make it possible for us to go to the track week after week."(PR Leap)(3-30-2009)
- Labonte and Andretti Discuss Benefits of 2009 Testing Rules: In response to the troubling economy, NASCAR implemented a new policy for the 2009 season that banned testing at NASCAR sanctioned tracks. Although several teams were skeptical of the change when it was first administered, most teams now agree that it has helped make everyone more competitive with their given budget. NASCAR drivers Bobby Labonte and John Andretti discuss the effects of the new policy.
Bobby Labonte, Driver of the #96 Ask.com Ford and President of Breaking Limits: “I think the new policy that NASCAR implemented this year was the right thing to do. Looking back on it, if they (NASCAR) didn’t do anything and we were testing like normal, it would be disastrous for a lot of teams. I’m sure it’s saving them a lot of money in that area. I’m sure they’re spending it in another. I can’t see the difference at the race track, basically. I’m not sure that you’d want to do this every year, but it’s definitely been good not having some teams waste or spend their money. At this point in time, all the teams are pretty strong because they’ve been able to figure things out pretty fast and they’ve adapted quickly to it.”
John Andretti, Driver of the #34 Front Row Motorsports Chevrolet: “I think the new testing policy has served its purpose. It’s helped reduce the separation between the 'haves,' 'have-nots' and even the 'have-less.' Some of the more well-funded teams have found ways to test. There are still tracks that you can test at that might help you prepare for an upcoming race, but it’s only a slight advantage. When you arrive for a race weekend, there won’t be a team with a head and shoulders advantage over anyone else. Everyone will begin at nearly the same starting point and that’s because of the testing policy, so it’s definitely helped keep the playing field level in the tough economic times.”(Breaking Limits PR)(3-26-2009)
- Front Row Motorsports plans full season, hires crew chief: Front Row Motorsports has hired Steve Lane from Earnhardt Ganassi Racing to be its crew chief and is still focused on running the entire season, team owner Bob Jenkins said. Driver John Andretti is 33rd in driver points and the team is 33rd in owner points for Jenkins, whose team, prior to this year, had qualified for 34 of 135 Cup races it attempted from 2005 through 2008. The team started 2009 locked into the first five races with the points from the Dale Earnhardt Inc. #15 car as part of an alliance with Earnhardt Ganassi Racing. That brought Lane and other EGR crewmen over to work with the team, and some have now become permanent employees. “We’ve tried to fly under the radar screen and not create a lot of noise about what we’re doing,” Jenkins said Sunday at Bristol Motor Speedway. “I feel like we can stay locked in once we’re there. [EGR] ran Daytona. It was their operation. Since then, we’ve ran it, and John would have made every one of those races on time anyway. I feel good about that. I just don’t want to get to the point where we have to make it on time.” The team bought some cars from EGR but also has raced its own cars this year. It also has been using Pro Motors, except for the races at Daytona and Atlanta, where it used Earnhardt Childress Racing Technologies engines. “When we started this deal, we did a technical alliance with them [at EGR] and shared information both ways,” Jenkins said. “We don’t get full-blown engineering support. We have our own folks to do that. But there has been information-sharing. I think it has helped us and also maybe has helped them. It gives them a chance to test some things at a lower risk [than] if they were doing it on the 1 [of Martin Truex Jr.] or 42 car [of Juan Pablo Montoya].” Knowing that it was in the first five races, Front Row was able to secure sponsorship for four events from Window World. The team is currently unsponsored, but Jenkins hopes to have Window World back on the car. “They won’t do all the races,” Jenkins said. “They could do as many as 10. We don’t know at this point. For sure, they’re going to do Richmond. Beyond that, we’re still working on stuff.” The team’s Cup operation is based in Statesville, N.C., at Travis Carter’s shop. The Nationwide team, with Tony Raines behind the wheel, is in Denver, N.C. Andretti most likely won’t run the full schedule. He plans to compete in the Indianapolis 500 in May and probably will miss two events. Jenkins hasn’t named a driver for those races, but Raines could step into the seat, he said. Raines is competing this weekend at Martinsville in a second Front Row [#37] car because the Nationwide Series is off, but that car likely won’t run much again this year, Jenkins said.(SceneDaily)(3-24-2009)
- Window World Extends Sponsorship with FRM: After a successful debut in the Sprint Cup Series during the 51st Daytona 500, Window World Inc. announced it will extend its sponsorship of the #34 Front Row Motorsports team driven by John Andretti.
One of the sport’s newest sponsors, Window World will be the primary sponsor of the Front Row Motorsports Chevrolet at Auto Club Speedway on February 22, Las Vegas Motor Speedway on March 1, Atlanta Motor Speedway on March 8 and Bristol Motor Speedway on March 22. “This is great news for Front Row Motorsports and Window World,” said Front Row Motorsports owner Bob Jenkins. “Daytona was the first time Window World sponsored a race car. On the track, and off the track, their program was a success. The Window World customers and employees have all rallied behind this program. We want to continue that momentum for another four races.” More info about Window World at windowworld.com.(Breaking Limits/Front Row Motorsports PR)(2-18-2009)
- Andretti Driving Window World Chevrolet in Daytona 500 Window World announced John Andretti will drive in the 2009 Daytona 500 as he steps behind the wheel of the #34 Window World Chevy as part of a partnership between Front Row Motorsports (FRM) and Earnhardt Ganassi Racing. The Moorseville, NC based Front Row Motorsports will work together with Earnhardt Ganassi Racing to field the car for the Daytona 500. Window World, the nations leading residential replacement window company, will provide sponsorship for Andretti’s Daytona effort.(Window World PR), see image of the car on my #34 Team Schemes page. Windows World will also be the sponsor on the #66 Toyota of Terry Labonte at Daytona.(2-6-2009)
- EGR close to naming driver for 4th car UPDATE 3 using #34?: Earnhardt Ganassi Racing will field a fourth entry -- the #41 Chevy -- in the Daytona 500 and expects to decide on a driver Monday, team president Steve Lauletta said Saturday before the start of the Rolex 24 Grand-Am race at Daytona. Lauletta said the choice had been narrowed to two drivers but declined to name them, though he did indicate that veteran Sterling Marlin was not among the finalists. "We're hoping by Monday," Lauletta said of the decision process. "We came close to making a final decision [Friday]. We need to work over the weekend and Monday, but it'll be pretty quick. Same thing with one of the sponsor deals we have done for Aric -- next week."(NASCAR.com / Sporting News)(1-25-2008)
UPDATE: John Andretti is expected to drive the fourth Earnhardt Ganassi Racing Chevy at Daytona. A technical alliance is in the works that would partner Front Row Motorsports owner Bob Jenkins and Andretti with EGR for Daytona and beyond, The car's number and sponsor should be announced later this week. Andretti, 45, who won the Pepsi 400 at Daytona in 1997 driving for Cale Yarborough, has raced for Jenkins the last two seasons but would not comment on the current negotiations. Andretti admitted that after four seasons, Jenkins has wanted to expand his involvement in racing but wasn't entirely sure to what extent. "We're good friends and we work together on a lot of things," Andretti said of Jenkins. "(The future of the team) all depends on what Bob can do because sponsorship right now is limited." In 2009, Andrett's plans will not be limited to NASCAR. "The Indy 500 is not going to go off my radar screen," Andretti said. "I can't imagine not doing the Indy 500. I've had so much fun at Indy the last two years."(FOXSports)(1-27-2009)
UPDATE 2: hearing that the 4th team will use the #15 and the owners points from the #15 DEI team and be affiliated with Front Row Motorsports and supposedly the #34 Front Row Motorsports team will run with Tony Raines driving.(1-28-2009)
UPDATE 3: John Andretti will drive the #34 Window World Earnhardt Ganassi Racing Chevy in the Daytona 500 on February 15th.
Andretti will have a technical alliance that partners Front Row Motorsports owner Bob Jenkins and Andretti with EGR for Daytona and beyond, Ganassi sources confirmed on Friday. Window World [which was also announced as Terry Labonte's sponsor on the #66 Toyota], based in North Wilkesboro, N.C., is a residential replacement window company with more than 200 distributors nationwide. "The Daytona 500 is always exciting but to go down there with the bullet I have to drive and be surrounded by so many friends, that's really exciting," Andretti said. "I know what to expect from the engines having worked with Richie Gilmore (COO of Earnhardt Childress Racing Technology) at DEI and (engine builder) Rick Mann at Petty Enterprises. I know it's last minute, but it's not so bad. They've been preparing for this for a long time."(FoxSports), no word which of EGR's owners points will used for the #34 team, #15 or #41. No word if Front Row Motorsports will run a 2nd car for Raines as rumored or not.(1-30-2009)
- Chaffin in the #34 at Pocono, names assoc sponsors: Continental Fire & Safety will be an associate sponsor of the #34 Front Row Motorsports entry at Pocono Raceway for the Sunoco Red Cross Pennsylvania 500. The #34 will be driven by Chad Chaffin. For information Continental Fire & Safety please visit their website at continentalfireandsafety.com.(FRM PR), also Doorstopnation.com will be an associate sponsor for the #34 at Pocono.(7-31-2008)
- Sad News - "Checker" Carmichael: Ronnie "Checker" Carmichael, 49, died in a work-related accident on Monday, July 28th. Carmichael, the brother-in-law to #34 NSCS and #24 NNS team owner Bob Jenkins, volunteered as a crew member for several teams over the past twenty years. Carmichael is survived by his wife Mary Neal, and daughters Kristin and Amanda.(FRM PR)(7-29-2008)
- Associate sponsor for #34 team at Indy: doorstopnation.com will be an associate sponsor of the #34 Front Row Motorsports entry driven by Tony Raines at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The Doorstop Nation was founded in 2005 by self professed doctor of doorstopology Joe Laracuente and it has gained a loyal and growing following, not a small accomplishment considering Laracuente is a 20 year old St. Louisan. For more information check out doorstopnation.com.(Doorstop Nation PR)(5-29-2008)
- #34 team gets assoc: Continental Fire & Safety will be an associate sponsor of the #34 Front Row Motorsports entry at various tracks during the reminder of the 2008 season. Continental was on the #34 entry driven by Tony Raines at Dover on June 1st of this year. They will also be on the car for the Lifelock.com 400 at Chicagoland Speedway on Saturday, July 12th and the Dover 400 at Dover International Speedway on Sunday, September 21st. Additional races will be announced at a later date. Continental Fire & Safety - Your one stop solution for fire & safety products. They are committed to their customers by providing the most innovative and advanced fire, safety and suppression equipment and services available today to protect lives and property. "Continental Fire & Safety has partnered with us in the past and we appreciate the support they have given us", commented owner Bob Jenkins. "We are pleased to be associated with them for another year."(FRM PR)(6-13-2008)
- Andretti sticking with Indy Cars for next two weeks: John Andretti, who replaced rookie Jay Howard at Roth Racing for the Indianapolis 500, will keep the job for at least two more weeks. Andretti, 45, will make his first IndyCar Series start in a race other than the 500 in Sunday's A.J. Foyt 225 at the Milwaukee Mile. He'll also be in the No. 24 car next week at Texas Motor Speedway.(Indianapolis Star), Andretti had been attempting top make the Cup races with #34 Front Row Motorsports the first ten Cup races of the season [making the races at Daytona, California and Texas]. Jeff Green attempted to make the races at Darlington and Charlotte but failed to qualify, Tony Raines made the race at Dover and since he tested at Pocono for the team this past week, Raines could run the car there, but is scheduled to be back in the #08 Dodge for EM Motorsports for Michigan in June. No word if Andretti will return to the #34 after the Texas Indy Car race.(5-31-2008)
- #34 team gets sponsor for Dover UPDATE: The #34 Front Row Motorsports Chevy driver [either John Andretti or Jeff Green] takes the track with associate sponsorship from doorstopnation.com. Dealing with, among innumerable other things, entertainment, sports and Americana. The Doorstop Nation was founded in 2005 by Joe Laracuente and it has gained a loyal and growing following. See more at Doorstopnation.com.(Doorstop Nation PR)(5-29-2008)
UPDATE: being told that Tony Raines, who tested the #34 at Pocono on Tues/Wed, will drive the car at Dover and that the #08 Dodge that was entered by EM Motorsports has been withdrawn.(5-29-2008)
- John Andretti gets Indy 500 ride: John Andretti will attempt to qualify for his ninth Indianapolis 500 in the #24 Roth Racing car. Andretti, who started 24th and finished 30th last year in a Panther Racing-prepared car in his first Indy 500 since 1994, will replace Jay Howard in the seat for the race. Howard, the 2006 Firestone Indy Lights champion, passed the Rookie Orientation Program earlier in the week and practiced May 6. He has finishes of 22nd, 14th, 13th and 13th in IndyCar Series races this season. "As a result of the days lost due to weather, and losing our chief engineer (David Cripps) days before the start of this month, we found ourselves behind the 8-ball," team president Margaret Roth said. "John brings with him a wealth of experience, which can help us build two competitive cars for the 500. Jay will be back at Milwaukee. He has our full support. He's a great driver."
"I want to feel it out a little bit, and see what we can do," Andretti said on the way to pit lane for the tail end of practice preceding qualifications for the first 11 spots in the 33-car field. He topped 220 mph on three laps. Team owner-driver Marty Roth will attempt to qualify for his fourth 500-Mile Race in the #25 car. He has a high finish of 24th in 2004.(Roth Racing), Andretti skipped Darlington and Lowe's testing to find an Indy 500 ride and Jeff Green attempted and failed to get the #34 Chevy into the race at Darlington.(5-10-2008)
- Associate sponsor named for Front Row: Front Row Motorsports (FRM) announced it has acquired sponsorship from Waverly Property Group for the 2008 Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series events at Daytona International Speedway. Waverly Property Group, Daytona's #1 independent real-estate company, with a focus on waterfront properties, will serve as an associate sponsor on FRM's # 34 [John Andretti] and #37 [Eric McClure] Sprint Cup entries and the #24 [McClure] Nationwide Series entry during February and July events at DIS, including the prestigious Daytona 500 festivities. The 2008 season will mark Waverly Property Group's debut as a sponsor in NASCAR. For more information on WPG, please visit www.daytonabeachluxuryrentals.com.(Team McClure- Hefty Brand Racing PR)(2-1-2008)
- Andretti gets a ride...for now: Some late moves at #49 BAM Racing, for whom John Andretti did well to get into six of the 10 Chase races last season, and 10 of the last 14 overall, put the Indiana veteran on the sidelines. But Andretti was at Las Vegas and California with two former Dale Earnhardt Inc. Chevrolets -- one new and one previously raced -- carrying Front Row Motorsports' #34. Andretti said the team was using engines from Joe Gibbs Racing's former Chevrolet inventory before JGR switched to Toyota. Andretti said at least some early season rides were in the offing. "I didn't have many laps on the new Las Vegas, so I figured it was an opportunity to work on the new car, and stay up to date, and hopefully we can do some good," Andretti said. "Hopefully we can get it going and make the races. Who knows? You never know what's going to happen in Cup, but Bob [Jenkins, team owner] went and bought a lot of Gibbs engines and some cars from DEI. I like working with Bob, I did some stuff with he and John Carter last year so we're going to try to come out and do some good."(NASCAR.com)(2-1-2008)
- Makoto's sponsorship for Front Row: Tom Cobb, owner of Makoto's Seafood and Steakhouse of Japan in Melbourne and Palm Bay and the Makoto's Ginger Dressing brand will once again be an associate sponsor on the Front Row Motorsports Sprint Cup [supposedly 2 teams in Daytona #34-Driver TBA and #37-McClure] team for Speedweeks at Daytona. No driver has been named.(Florida Today)(1-10-2008)
- Front Row Motorsports to Busch, some Cup UPDATE: been told that Front Row Motorsports [ran the #37 and #34 Dodges part time in 2007] will run the full Nationwide schedule with Eric McClure as the drive and Hefty as the sponsor, with McClure attempting to make the Daytona 500. The team plans to run the first 5-6 Sprint Cup races in 2008 with either McClure or another driver and see how the owners points shakes out and decide from there, either to continue to go every week or pick and choose which races to enter. Also hearing that former driver Kevin Lepage is actively seeking a ride in Cup, Nationwide or Truck Series.(12-29-2007)
UPDATE: McClure will run the full Nationwide Series in the #24 Hefty Chevy; McClure to attempt the Daytona 500 in the #37 Hefty Chevy and may run some more races; FRM plans to run the #34 Chevy full time in 2008, driver is TBD with Scott Eggleston as the crew chief.(1-3-2008)
