#37 Team Past News and Rumors
(NOTE: some older links may not work)
Kvapil to Front Row ride in 2010: Travis Kvapil, who failed to qualify the #37 Front Row Motorsports Dodge at Charlotte and started and parked at Martinsville the following week, is expected to run the #37 car [Chevy? Dodge?] full-time in 2010.(FoxSports)(11-7-2009)
Hamlin not approved to run at California: Kevin Hamlin had been scheduled to drive the Front Row Motorsports #37 this weekend at Auto Club Speedway. However, according to SPEED's qualifying coverage, NASCAR did not approve him to race. Even though he has driven at California before and on superspeedways, NASCAR determined that he did not have enough experience in the COT to make his first Sprint Cup start at California. Tony Raines took over the ride, but did not qualify.(10-10-2009)
More on Kevin Hamlin's Cup debut: Kevin Hamlin will attempt to qualify for his first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Kansas Speedway in the Front Row Motorsports #37 Long John Silver’s Dodge. Bob Jenkins, owner of the Front Row Motorsports entry, has given the thirty year old driver his first opportunity to compete in motorsport’s top series for Sunday’s Price Chopper 400. The #37 Dodge Avenger is currently in 45th in owner points. Hamlin must qualify the Long John Silver’s Dodge in on time to make the race. “For Mr. Jenkins to give me this opportunity is a dream come true. Front Row Motorsports has made huge strides this year with the dedication that Jerry Freeze and the entire Front Row team has put towards it, and hopefully we can get the car in the show. I look forward to working with Peter (Sospenzo) and appreciate the confidence he has in me. I like Kansas, it’s where I got my first truck start in 2005,” noted Hamlin. He has two previous starts at Kansas Speedway, both in 2005, in the Craftsman Truck Series and the Nationwide Series.
Crew Chief Peter Sospenzo is looking forward to working with Hamlin at Kansas and California, “We're real excited about Kevin being in the car for Kansas and California. We have to qualify in to race, but Kevin can do it. He has experience in a truck and Nationwide car at Kansas, and his experience testing in the Cup car will really be beneficial for his first time in a Cup race. Kevin's a young guy with a lot of enthusiasm and he has a great attitude." Hamlin is no stranger to Front Row Motorsports, he can be found during most Sprint Cup races spotting for FRM’s John Andretti. Hamlin has also practiced and qualified the team’s Nationwide Series entry driven by Tony Raines on non-companion race weekends when Raines had conflicts traveling between a Sprint Cup and Nationwide track. During the week Hamlin is a test driver for Earnhardt Ganassi Racing, putting in laps on various tracks and straight line testing for the team’s Sprint Cup program. Hamlin was heavily involved in testing during the development of the Car of Tomorrow.(Rising Star Management)(9-30-2009)
Hamlin in the #37 at Kansas and California: From Kevin Hamlin's website: "I get the opportunity to drive the #37 Long John Silver's Cup car starting at Kansas this week, and again next week in California. It's a really cool deal for Front Row Motorsports owner Bob and Brad Jenkins to let me jump in the car. After testing CoT cars since about day 1 at Earnhardt-Ganassi, it'll be great to get my first race opportunity. A huge thanks to Tony Raines also, it's his ride and he had no problem jumping out of the car for two weeks to throw me a bone. I spot for him in the Nationwide races that I don't drive, and we golf together quite a bit. He says I owe him a year supply of Pro v1 golf balls for helping me out, something I'm happy to oblige to do!".(KevinHamlin.com)(9-29-2009)
- 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)
- Gander Mountain sponsoring Front Row Motorsports cars at Daytona Gander Mountain will be the primary sponsor of both Front Row Motorsports' (FRM) #37 Sprint Cup entry and FRM's #34 Nationwide entry at the legendary Daytona International Speedway during the 4th of July holiday race weekend. The sponsorship highlights Gander Mountain's new online firearms department and free standard shipping program. Both race cars will be piloted by Tony Raines, currently 13th in driver point standings in the Nationwide Series. Raines has routinely qualified for races this season behind the wheel of the #37 Dodge for FRM. Gander Mountain, with 116 stores in 23 states, is the nation's largest retail network of stores for hunting, fishing, boating, camping, marine and outdoor lifestyle apparel, products and services. FRM team owner Bob Jenkins welcomes Gander Mountain as a sponsor and said, "Gander Mountain is sure to have success with its launch of online firearms sales and free shipping program." He continued, "We intend to run strong and help spread the word at Daytona over this holiday weekend."(Front Row Motorsports PR)(7-2-2009)
- Raines expects 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)
- McClure to Honor Laura Chichester During Speedweeks: Eric McClure, will run a special decal on the C-post of his #24 HeftyR brand Chevrolet (Nationwide
Series) and his #37 HeftyR brand Impala SS (Sprint Cup Series) during Speedweeks at Daytona International Speedway, honoring Laura Chichester of Cornelius, NC. Chichester, who has been part of the NASCAR family since graduating from the University of South Carolina in 2001 with a degree in Sport and Entertainment Management, passed away on December 20, 2007 at the age of 28. Chichester, an account executive at GMR Marketing in Charlotte, North Carolina for AlltelR Racing, was close friends with Eric's
sister, Emily McClure, who coordinated the tribute with Front Row Motorsports and Chichester's family.(Team McClure- Hefty Brand Racing PR)(2-7-2008) .
- 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)
- 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.
AND Front Row Motorsports, which has competed full-time in the Sprint Cup Series for the past three years, will have a full-time entry in the Nationwide Series (NNS) with a new driver and new sponsor for the 2008 season. Bob Jenkins, owner of Front Row Motorsports, announced today that Eric McClure would be joining the FRM organization for the 2008 Nationwide Series season. McClure will pilot a FRM Chevy for a minimum of 32 scheduled Nationwide Series events and at least two Sprint Cup Series events, including an attempt at the season-opening Daytona 500. Additionally, the Hefty Brand will continue its relationship with McClure for the third consecutive season, serving as primary sponsor for the 34 events in 2008.(FRM Site)(1-3-2008)
- Front Row Motorsports Announces Texas Sponsor: myAutoloan.com will be the primary sponsor of the #34 Front Row Motorsports entry driven by Kevin Lepage at Texas Motor Speedway. The company is a privately held, direct-to-consumer, internet-based financing marketplace that helps consumers take control of the research, finance and buy processes for Auto, Motorcycle, Boats, RV's, Home Equity and Mortgages.(Front Row Motorsports PR)(10-30-2007)
- Front Row Motorsports scales down? hearing that #37 Front Row Motorsports team and driver Kevin Lepage will be running at Talladega, Martinsville, Texas and Phoenix;
unsure at Charlotte; and probably not at Atlanta or Homestead. The team is not on the Kansas entry list.(9-27-2007)
- Andretti qualifies for the Indy 500: John Andretti, with little practice time in the third Panther Racing entry, breezed into the field Saturday for the 91st running of the Indianapolis 500 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Andretti posted a four-lap, 10-mile qualification run of 221.756mph, second fastest among 10 qualifiers that brought the field to 32 with Sunday as the final day to make the 33-car starting field. "I think my experience played a big part in it since I've been here a few times," Andretti said. "The line is a little different so I had to relearn some things. We certainly didn't have it on the ragged edge to do the time. It was good, it was solid and I couldn't be happier with the car and Panther Racing." Roger Yasukawa was the fastest of the day at 222.654. Currently, Andretti will start in 24th spot, the outside of Row 8.(MCG Sports PR), Time Trials/Bump Day are scheduled to be aired on TV today from 1:00-3:00pm/et on ABC and 5:00-6:30pm/et on ESPN2.(5-20-2007)
- John Andretti to run Indy [500]? UPDATE confirmed: Word in the [Indy] garage is that John Andretti has struck a deal with Panther Racing for a ride in the Indy 500.(Yahoo Sports)(5-14-2007)
UPDATE: Two-time IndyCar Series Champion Panther Racing announced it will enter a car in the 91st Running of the Indianapolis 500 for John Andretti, who will be making his return to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway after 12-year hiatus from IndyCar racing. Andretti, who last competed in the ‘500’ in 1994, will have his #33 entry sponsored by Camping World and RVs.com. He will join new teammates Vitor Meira and Kosuke Matsuura on the historic 2.5-mile oval for practice Wednesday. Andretti’s yellow Camping World Panther Dallara Honda will attempt to qualify for the Greatest Spectacle in Racing this coming Saturday, when spots 22-33 are available. Andretti is looking to make his eighth career start in the Indianapolis 500, a track where he finished fifth in 1991 – his best career effort at the Speedway. Panther’s #33 entry will feature the color scheme of Camping World, which is a familiar site on the NASCAR circuit, where the company – and associate partner RVs.com - will sponsor over 60 events in 2007 Nextel Cup, Busch and Craftsman Truck Series(Panther Racing site)(5-16-2007)
- Said to run Nextel Open: Boris Said will be drivign the #37 Huddle House Dodge for Front Row Motorsports in the Nextel Open at Lowe's Motor Speedway. Since John Andretti [the planned driver] is expected to be at Indy 500 qualifying Saturday, a larger seat is being installed for Said. If Andretti makes the Indy 500 field as expected, Kevin LePage is scheduled to drive the #37 Huddle House Dodge in the Coca Cola 600 at LMS.(5-16-2007)
- Lepage to Make 200th Start: Kevin Lepage will start his 200th NASCAR Nextel Cup race on Saturday night at Darlington Raceway in the #37 Long John Silver´s Dodge. Lepage has been racing in the Nextel Cup series since 1997, where he has 199 career starts, 2-top 5 finishes and 9-top 10 finishes. His first Busch start came in 1994. Since then he has racked up 2 wins, 19-top 5 finishes and 51 top 10´s.(Front Row Motorsports PR)(5-12-2007)
- Long John Silver's/A&W to sponsor Lepage and the #37 team: Long John Silver's/A&W will be the primary sponsor of the #37 Front Row Motorsports entry driven by Kevin Lepage at Richmond International Raceway, for the Crown Royal presents the Jim Stewart 400. "I look forward to driving the Long John Silver's/A&W car at Richmond," commented driver Kevin Lepage. "We had a real good test in Richmond about a month ago and I'm excited about the opportunity for my 200th career Nextel Cup start." Long John Silver's is the world's most popular quick-service seafood chain with more than 1,200 restaurants worldwide. In May, 2002, Long John Silver's was acquired by Yum! Brands, Inc., joining a family of restaurants that number more than 33,000 units in more than 100 countries and territories. Long John Silver's along with Taco Bell, Pizza Hut, KFC and A&W Restaurants make Yum! Brands, Inc., the world's largest restaurant company in terms of system units. For more information about Long John Silver's/A&W please visit www.ljsilvers.com or www.awrestaurants.com.(FRM PR)(5-2-2007)
- Andretti Ready To Make Car of Tomorrow Debut: This weekend, John Andretti and the #37 Camping World Dodge team will head to the flat one-mile Phoenix International Raceway for Saturday night's Subway Fresh 500. Andretti will be making his debut in the Car of Tomorrow for Front Row Motorsports. Andretti has 12 Nextel Cup starts at Phoenix dating back to 1993. He was a pole
winner in 1999 and has two top 10 finishes at the track. Andretti has led a total of 99 laps at the track. Andretti has started on the front row three times in his career at Phoenix.(MCG sports PR)(4-18-2007)
- Andretti back in the #37 at Texas: This weekend, John Andretti and the #37 Camping World Dodge team will head to 1.5-mile Texas Motor Speedway teaming with Front Row Motorsports. Andretti raced the #37 Camping World Dodge earlier this season at the two-mile California Speedway. Andretti was strong throughout the event, racing in the top-15, before an electrical problem dropped the team out of contention. Andretti will be looking to make his eighth career start at Texas this weekend in Nextel Cup competition. "We're bringing the same car that we raced in California to Texas. We had an electrical problem at California, but before that we were
pretty fast. That's promising. Ernie Elliott prepares the engines for the cars, and his reputation speaks for itself. We haven't lost anything under the hood. Looking at those factors, we feel that not only do we feel good about qualifying, but we think we can have a strong race."(MCG PR)(4-12-2007)
- Front Row Motorsports to Focus on #37 Team: Front Row Motorsports announced they will focus primarily on the #37 Dodge for the reminder of the 2007 season and that the team still plans on running the #34 with a limited schedule. "We would love to continue entering two cars each week, but in today’s climate, we feel that focusing on one car will give us our best shot at making races," said team owner Bob Jenkins. "With the number of well-funded teams that are entered each week, it is very difficult for the independent teams such as ours to compete as a multi-car effort."(Front Row Motorsports PR)(3-22-2007)
- Lepage in #37; Chaffin in #34 at Bristol: Kevin Lepage, who tested the Car of Tomorrow (COT) for Front Row Motorsports at Bristol while be driving the #37 COT at Bristol and Martinsville. John Andretti, who drove the #37 car the last three races in California, Vegas and Atlanta, will be back in the #37 car next month at Texas Motor Speedway. Race Week Media is still searching for sponsors for Bristol and Martinsville for the #37 team. Chad Chaffin is scheduled to drive the #34 Front Row Motorsports Dodge at Bristol.(3-21-2007)
- Andretti to run the #37 at Atlanta: John Andretti will continue to drive the #37 Dodge at Atlanta with Huddle House as the sponsor. Contrary to earlier reports [initial entry list], Bill Elliott will not be driving the car. However, the team is still based out of the Elliott shop in Dawsonville, GA.(Race Week Media)
AND Contrary to a number of published reports that originated from a media release issued by Huddle House on March 8, 2007,
former NASCAR Cup Champion Bill Elliott has not agreed to the reported three-race partnership that would put him in the #37 Huddle House Dodge for the Kobalt Tools 500 on March 18, Talladega on April 20, and the Coca-Cola 600 on May 27. The media release made the erroneous claim that Front Row Motorsports - owner of the #37 Dodge - and Huddle House had reached terms on a partnership in which the family restaurant franchise would serve as the primary sponsor of an Elliott-driven Dodge. Unfortunately, the media release was issued without the knowledge or participation of Bill Elliott Racing or any of its officers. Bill Elliott Racing sincerely apologizes to NASCAR fans around the world for any confusion this error may have caused. We certainly know how eager fans are to see Bill back on the race track, and we share in their enthusiasm.
Elliott's Racing at AMS: Fans should be pleased to know that Bill Elliott is going to be racing in the final race of the Legends Winter Flurry series on Saturday, March 17th at the Atlanta Motor Speedway following the conclusion of the Nicorette 300 Busch Series event. Bill will be competing in the Thunder Roadster Division, while his son, Chase Elliott, will be racing in the Bandelero Division. Bill's nephew, Trey Poole will be competing in the Legends division.(Bill Elliott Racing/AMS PR)(3-15-2007)
- Huddle House to sponor the #37 for three races: After sponsoring Bill Elliott's #37 Dodge throughout the Daytona 500 week of events, Huddle House, a 420-unit nationwide family restaurant franchise with deep ties to the South, was hungry for more. Huddle House, along with Front Row Motorsports, the owner of Bill Elliott's/John Andretti's #37 Dodge, have announced a partnership for the family restaurant franchise to serve as the primary sponsor of the car for the Kobalt Tools 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway on March 18; the Aaron's 499 at Talladega Superspeedway on April 29; and the Coca-Cola 600 at Lowe's Motor Speedway in Charlotte, NC on May 27. Huddle House, fresh off an infusion of funding from its recently announced $124 million acquisition by Allied Capital, has signed on as the
primary sponsor of NASCAR racing legend Bill Elliott and Mario Andretti's nephew John Andretti, giving the Huddle House brand extensive positive exposure to tens- of-millions of Americans who are known to be very loyal to the companies that sponsor their favorite drivers. As the primary sponsor of Bill Elliott's/John Andretti's #37 Dodge, the Huddle House logo will be detailed on the hood, trunk, bumper and inside the car, as well as patched onto the team jersey. As part of the sponsorship deal, Elliott's car has been officially renamed "The Huddle House Dodge" for all three of the upcoming races. Also, the Huddle House #37 Dodge will be featured at several Huddle House locations during an eight day tour of the car, beginning with a March 15-17 stop at the Locust Grove, GA location, 4830 Bill Gardner Pkwy.(PRN Newswire)(3-8-2007)
- Andretti in the #37 at California? UPDATE and Las Vegas hearing John Andretti and not Bill Elliott will drive the #37 Dodge in the Nextel race at California Speedway. Supposedly Andretti will drive the same Dodge that Elliott ran in the Bud Shootout and the primary sponsor for this race will be Camping World. Elliott will be back in the car in a few other races with Andretti driving in the other races.(2-20-2007)
UPDATE: confirmed Andretti will run the #37 Dodge at California and Las Vegas, there could be more races but those are the only two scheduled for Andretti as of now.(2-21-2007)
- Sponsor to be announced for Elliott? UPDATE 2 and image: hearing #37-Bill Elliott will be sponsored at Daytona in the Bud Shootout and Daytona 500 by restaurant chain Huddle House.(2-10-2007)
UPDATE: nothing announced, but the car was listed in the Bus Shoot results as the Huddle Hiuse Dodge and have an image of the car on my #37 Team Schemes page.(2-11-2007)
UPDATE 2: Huddle House, a 420-unit nationwide family restaurant franchise with deep ties to the South, along with Front Row Motorsports, the owner the #37 Dodge driven by NASCAR legend Bill Elliott, have announced a partnership for the Daytona 500 uniting two Georgia homegrown icons into a powerful force for the opening of NASCAR season. Elliott drove The Huddle House Dodge in the Budweiser Shootout on Saturday night and then Sunday in qualifying for the Daytona 500, which will be next Sunday afternoon. The car will be on the Daytona track again Thursday in the Gatorade Duel 150's. Huddle House, fresh off an infusion of funding from its recently
announced $124 million acquisition by Allied Capital, has signed on as the primary sponsor, giving the Huddle House brand extensive positive exposure to tens-of-millions of Americans who are known to be very loyal to the companies that sponsor their favorite drivers.
As the primary sponsor of the #37 Dodge, the Huddle House logo will be detailed on the hood, trunk, bumper and inside the car, as well as patched onto Elliotts team jersey. As part of the sponsorship deal, Elliotts car has been officially renamed The Huddle House Dodge for all of Daytona week.(RJ Racing PR)(2-13-2007)
- Front Row Motorsports buying #37 R&J Racing? UPDATE 2: hearing that Front Row Motorsports, who has three teams, the #34 with Kevin Lepage [which plans to run at least the first five races of the 2007 season], and the #61 and #92 teams that have no schedules or drivers yet for 2007, have bought out or into the #37 RJ Racing Dodge team. The #37 team plan to run Bill Elliott at Daytona in the Budweiser Shootout and Daytona 500, but after that plans have not been announced. Elliott did test the #37 Dodge at Las Vegas, which was listed as the #37 Front Row Motorsports Dodge.(2-4-2007)
UPDATE: hearing that #37 team over John Carter will still own the #37 team, with RJ Racing partnering up with Front Row Motorsports in 2007.(2-4-2007)
UPDATE 2: Front Row Motorsports (FRM) announced today they will run two (2) cars during the 2007 Nextel Cup season. FRM will run the #34 driven by Kevin Lepage with Randy Seals as the crew chief. For the second FRM entry, team owner Bob Jenkins has formed a partnership with John Carter. The team will convert the #61 from 2006 to the #37 for the 2007 season. The team has hired Bill Elliott to run a limited number of events, with Chad Chaffin slated to compete in the remainder of the schedule. Mark Tutor will serve has crew chief for the team. NASCAR veteran Gere Kennon will be Director of Competition and oversee the efforts of both teams. Both teams will run Dodge Chargers powered by motors built by Ernie Elliott Inc. "Given the increased level of competition this season, I could not be happier with the group of experienced professionals we have assembled," stated Jenkins. "I am excited about our driver line-up, and with the opportunity to partner with someone like John. In addition, our affiliation with Dodge has already paid dividends in testing and with car preparation. Obviously to compete at this level, sponsorship is essential to having a successful team. We currently have several associate sponsorships in place. However, we are continuing to pursue full-time primary sponsors for both teams. Our approach has always been to build a strong foundation so that a potential sponsor would see themselves as the only missing component to our success." For additional information about Front Row Motorsports please visit: www.frontrowmotorsports.com.(FRM PR)(2-8-2007)
