2009 Races [6] that TaxSlayer.com is scheduled to be the primary sponsor:
Watkins Glen - 8/9 - David Gilliland in the #70
(#70 failed to qualify, so Lally carried it on the #71)
Bristol - 8/22 - Gilliland
Atlanta - 9/6, Bobby Labonte
Charlotte - 10/17, Mike Bliss
Talladega - 11/1, Labonte
Homestead - 11/22, Labonte
David Gilliland's Sprint Cup schedule for the remaining 12 races of 2009:
Atlanta - 9/6: #21 Ford for an injured Bill Elliott
Richmond - 9/12: #7 Toyota for Robby Gordon
New Hampshire - 9/20: none
Dover - 9/27: #71 Chevy
Kansas - 10/4: #04 Robby Gordon, DNQ
Auto Club Speedway - 10/11: #71 Chevy
Charlotte - 10/17: #02 Toyota for JGR
Martinsville - 10/25: #71 Chevy
Talladega - 11/1: no ride
Texas - 11/8, #02 Toyota for JGR
Phoenix - 11/15: ?
Homestead - 11/22, #02 Toyota for JGR
Races Bobby Labonte is scheduled to drive the #71:
Atlanta - 9/6, TaxSlayer.com
New Hampshire - 9/20, many small sponsors
Kansas - 10/4
Talladega - 11/1, TaxSlayer.com
Texas - 11/8, CBR MotorCars
Phoenix - 11/15, CBR MotorCars
Homestead - 11/22, TaxSlayer.com
Contract Status: Drivers: ?; Sponsor: 200?
#71 Team Past News and Rumors
(NOTE: some older links may not work)
Labonte expected back in #71 UPDATE: Bobby Labonte is expected to remain driver of the #71 TRG Motorsports Chevy in 2010. An announcement is expected to take place Saturday [morning around 11:00am] at Phoenix International Raceway.(FoxSports)(11-13-2009)
UPDATE: TRG Motorsports announced NASCAR Cup Series Champion Bobby Labonte will be the full-time driver of the #71 TRG Motorsports Chevy for the 2010 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season. Additionally, TaxSlayer.com has signed a multi-race primary sponsorship agreement with TRG for 2010. “I’m really excited about the opportunity that I’ll have next year with both TRG Motorsports and TaxSlayer.com as a sponsor,” Labonte said. “Each time I’ve run with the team this year I’ve enjoyed the experience, and I’m looking forward to filling the seat full time next year and really building on what we’ve started. I have gotten to know the management team at TaxSlayer and they are great people. I am looking forward to representing them next season.” TaxSlayer.com made its debut in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series at this year’s race at Watkins Glen International Raceway, and will have served as the primary sponsor of the #71 a total of six times in 2009, including the season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway. "Everyone at Taxslayer.com is very excited to continue our relationship with TRG Motorsports and Bobby Labonte," stated Eubanks. "TRG and TaxSlayer both exhibit a phenomenal product and unbelievable quality. Headed in to next season, we're looking forward to showcasing our service to the entire NASCAR community, especially as tax season approaches."(TRG Motorsports)(11-14-2009)
UPDATE 2: Bobby Labonte has signed a one-year contract to drive TRG Motorsports' car in 2010 -- and at least for the season-opening Daytona 500 he'll have a teammate in TRG's hoped-for full-time second car. On Saturday morning at Phoenix International Raceway, TRG owner Kevin Buckler and Labonte announced the deal and a 12-race primary sponsorship with TaxSlayer.com, a provider of online tax preparation software, that Buckler hopes will be the first of several.
One of the biggest short-term decisions TRG must make is which car manufacturer to align itself. Buckler said he hopes to have that decision made right after Homestead. "We're talking to several manufacturers right now, we're in the middle of some strong negotiations with them, and as usual we have to do what's best for the team," Buckler said. "I tend to be very, very loyal about stuff, maybe too much so; but I've got a lot of partners and other people to consider here, and our final decision needs to be based on what's best for TRG Motorsports."(NASCAR.com)(11-14-2009)
TRG and #71 team get assoc for final two races: The last two races of the year have Victory Lane Wealth Solutions as an associate sponsor with TRG Motorsports and Bobby Labonte on-board the #71 Chevy. In addition to its associate sponsorship, Victory Lane Wealth Solutions will donate 10% of its profits directly to the Bobby Labonte Foundation.(TRG)(11-14-2009)
#71 has sponsor for Phoenix: #71-Bobby Labonte comes off of a 31h-place finish in his CBR MotorCars TRG Motorsports Chevy in Texas and is looking to improve significantly on last week's finish. Labonte will carry CBR MotorCars as the primary sponsor on the hood of his #71 Chevy. CBR MotorCars is an industry leader in securing high-end automobiles for luxury car enthusiasts.(TRG Motorsports)(11-13-2009)
Bobby Labonte could return to #71, but still looking: Former Cup champion [2000] Bobby Labonte said he has liked working with the TRG Motorsports team in the few races he has run in the #71 Chevy this year and it has shown him enough to make that car a possible seat for him in 2010. Now whether he actually drives for the team, which has indicated it wants to sign him for 2010, is still to be determined. Labonte, whose car will be sponsored by CBR MotorCars this weekend, said he wasn’t sure when he would know what he’s doing in 2010, but he felt confident he would have a Sprint Cup ride. Labonte is still considered to have a chance at the #1 Earnhardt Ganassi car and the 2000 Cup champion’s name is often mentioned with any other possible opening [rumored to be Jamie McMurray as the new driver]. He drove most of this year with Hall of Fame Racing, which has used Yates Racing to field its cars this year. He will run the final three races this season for TRG Motorsports, where he has had four starts.(SceneDaily)(11-8-2009)
Bobby Labonte could be 26th driver with 200th top 10: #71-Bobby Labonte could earn his 200th series top 10, becoming the 26th driver to do so. Those who have are:
Year: Date, Track, Driver
2008: 7/12, Chicago, Tony Stewart
2008: 4/12, Phoenix, Jeff Burton
2003: 6/15, Michigan, Sterling Marlin
2002: 6/16, Michigan, Jeff Gordon
2001: 6/17, Pocono, Dale Jarrett
1997: 8/31, Darlington, Mark Martin
1996: 7/21, Pocono, Rusty Wallace
1993: 10/3, N. Wilkesboro, Harry Gant
1992: 3/29, Darlington, Bill Elliott
1991: 8/24, Bristol, Ricky Rudd
1990: 8/25, Bristol, Terry Labonte
1989: 6/18, Pocono, Dale Earnhardt
1984: 10/21, Rockingham, Dave Marcis
1984: 2/26, Richmond, Darrell Waltrip
1979: 10/14, N. Wilkesboro, Benny Parsons
1978: 3/19, Atlanta, Cale Yarborough
1977: 10/9, Charlotte, Buddy Baker
1974: 7/20, Nashville Fairgrounds, Bobby Allison
1971: 7/18, Trenton, James Hylton
1969: 6/26, N.C. Fairgrounds, David Pearson
1966: 9/5, Darlington, Jim Paschal
1966: 4/9, Greenville, Richard Petty
1965: 5/15, Winston-Salem, Ned Jarrett
1958: 7/25, Monroe, Buck Baker
1957: 6/15, Tenn.-Carolina, Lee Petty
(NASCAR)(11-6-2009)
TRG would like Labonte to return: Torrey Galida, a former Ford and Roush Fenway Racing executive who most recently was president of the motorsports division for sports marketing company Millsport, has taken a new job as executive vice president and chief marketing officer of #71-TRG Motorsports. One of his main priorities will be finding sponsorship so the team can race every race in 2010. Galida said the team plans to make its first partial-season sponsorship announcement in a few weeks. TRG Motorsports has run the full season, mostly with David Gilliland and Bobby Labonte in the driver's seat. Galida said the team would like for Labonte, the 2000 Cup champion, to drive next year.(SceneDaily)(11-3-2009)
New driver of #1 announced this week? An announcement on the driver that will replace #1-Martin Truex Jr. could come this week, sources close to the situation said. Jamie McMurray, who is losing his ride at Roush Fenway Racing because the organization has to reach the four-car cap, is one candidate. Bobby Labonte, the 2000 Cup champion, is the other. EGR co-owner Chip Ganassi wants McMurray. Bass Pro Shops, which will sponsor the #1 for 20 races next season, isn't sure he fits the image.(read more at ESPN Insider)(11-2-2009)
Bobby Labonte visits RGM? hearing that Bobby Labonte, who drove the #96 Hall of Fame Racing Ford for the majority of the 2009 season and will finish out the season in the #71 TRG Chevy, recently visited Robby Gordon Motorsports. Supposedly Robby Gordon is considering starting a 2nd team for 2009. Gordon owns and driver the #7 Toyota. And having a driver with a past champion provisional [Labonte won the 2000 Cup Championship] would be attractive to sponsors and a start up team with no owners points as Labonte has a past champions provisional to use.(10-29-2009)
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)
TRG talking to to Dodge: Ralph Gilles, just promoted from the designer ranks to head up Dodge and Dodge motorsports, faces a 2010 NASCAR Sprint Cup racing season with only three Dodge teams, all owned by Roger Penske [#2-Busch, #12-Keselowski, #77-Hornish Jr.] Dodge spent much of 2009 developing a new engine, and the company needs at least one or two more teams for 2010 to give the brand some additional presence and help amortize that powertrain investment . Kevin Buckler, who happens to own a NASCAR team, is the head of TRG, or The Racers Group. Buckler made his name fielding sports cars, including three Porsches in the Grand-Am Rolex Series' season-ending Grand Prix of Miami at Homestead-Miami Speedway last weekend.
But while he sat on the pit box in Homestead, he was on the phone constantly to California, where his #71 Chevy was getting ready to race in the Pepsi 500 at California Speedway. A team that didn't really exist until a few weeks before the 2009 Daytona 500, Buckler and TRG have qualified for 29 of 30 NASCAR races this year, using a list of best-available drivers including David Gilliland, Mike Bliss and--for seven races, including the final four of this season--Bobby Labonte. Labonte has run several races for TRG and likes what he sees, especially being teamed with veteran crew chief Slugger Labbe.
Buckler acquired most of his cars and equipment from Richard Childress, and consequently is a Chevrolet team by default. "But Chevrolet just gives us sheetmetal and some technical help and gives Childress some consideration for our engine program, but it isn't what we need. Especially if we are going to take this to the next level." Enter Dodge? "I'm very much interested in talking to them," Buckler said.
In fact, he has had a few conversations with Penske--they see each other a lot at both Grand-Am and NASCAR races--about Dodge. "I think it would be a great fit," said Buckler, who would like to expand to a two-car team as soon as he can. "You look at how much we've done this season with so little, and I think it shows we have a lot to offer."
So, Dodge, interested in Buckler? "Absolutely," said a Dodge spokesman, a veteran of the NASCAR wars. "I think we'd be crazy not to consider what he could bring to the party, especially if he could bring Bobby Labonte for the full season." And that, Buckler said, is a strong possibility. Buckler has been running the team on a shoestring, assembling a sponsor here, a sponsor there, and "starting-and-parking" to pocket money when none could be found. Bringing Labonte on full-time for 2010, as a semi-factory Dodge team, could go a long way toward signing some of the sponsors Buckler has been courting. The team sits 37th in owners' points, just two spots behind 35th, which would guarantee it a starting spot at the 2010 Daytona 500 and the four following races. Plus, Labonte's "past champion" provisional starting spots--he was the 2000 champ--would appeal to a sponsor, too.(Autoweek)(10-14-2009)
Bliss returns to the #71: Mike Bliss and TRG Motorsports are ready to tackle the NASCAR Banking 500 only from Bank of America at Lowe's Motor Speedway to be run Saturday night, October 17. Bliss will pilot the TRG Motorsports #71 TaxSlayer.com Chevy for the second time this season, the first was at Richmond [in Sept, started and finished]. Bliss qualified seventh [in the #09 Dodge] at Lowe's in the May race and won the Nationwide event on the same weekend. "We will be running the same car that we ran last weekend at California," TRG Motorsports team principal Kevin Buckler said. "That is a good thing. The car was fast in California and the guys had a good setup on it, even though we could not afford to run the complete race. We did have the opportunity to prove the setup which we hope will be a key to first qualifying strong and then running good in the race. Once again we will have a strong contingent of TaxSlayer.com folks at the track and we hope to give them a good showing."(TRG Motorsports)(10-13-2009)
Busch still sick; replaced by Gilliland during race: #18-Kyle Busch is still sick today, apparently from the flu. Denny Hamlin will standy by in case he needs to step out of the car during the Nationwide race this afternoon. David Gilliland will stand by on Sunday for the Cup race.(10-10-2009)
UPDATE: Busch will reportedly get out of the car at the first pit stop during the Nationwide race and let Hamlin take over.(10-10-2009)
UPDATE 2: Hamlin relieved Busch during the first Nationwide race caution on lap 37. Busch said he was getting too hot in the car and wanted to try to get rid of his fever before Sunday's Cup race.(10-10-2009)
UPDATE 3: SPEED reported on RaceDay that Kyle Busch is still not feeling well this morning.(10-11-2009)
UPDATE 3: Joe Gibbs Racing driver Kyle Busch is feeling worse Sunday morning and is not expected to drive the entire Pepsi 500 at Auto Club Speedway in California, team president J.D. Gibbs said Sunday morning. David Gilliland will be his replacement. Gilliland is driving for TRG Motorsports but he is not expected to drive the complete race.(SceneDaily)(10-11-2009)
UPDATE: 4: David Gilliland parked the #71 on lap 11 and went to the #18 pits. Kyle Busch came down pit road on lap 61, during the first caution, and was relived by Gilliland.(10-11-2009)
Labonte may not be able to run full race at NHMS...BUT: After qualifying 8th for Sunday's Sylvania 300 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, Bobby Labonte, driver this week, of the #71 TRG Motorsports Chevy said: "I hope we get to race on Sunday. We still don't have enough money to race. We are still looking for a little bit to race on Sunday. Hopefully this will do it. We have a dinner to go to tonight, so maybe some things will come out of it. I am really excited about the run that we had. Slugger (Richard Labbe, crew chief) did a good job. I changed air pressure a little bit and screwed up my first lap some. I knew getting in to three the second lap was definitely going to be better. I was just hoping it was going to more than the normal 2/10ths sometimes. It was. Really proud of all the guys on the TRG Chevy. It was a lot of fun."(Chevy Racing)
Assoc. SBLI Insurance (Savings Bank Life Insurance Company of Massachusetts) will ride on the Bobby Labonte driven #71 TRG Motorsports Chevy [lower 1/4 panel] as an associate sponsor for New Hampshire. SBLI is a leading provider of life insurance products. Established in 1901, the Massachusetts based provider has over $2 billion in assets and operates in 32 states.(TRG)
AND suppposedly dinner/meetings went well and Labonte will get to run the entire race, no word who the sponsor will be.
UPDATE: Bobby Labonte qualified the #71 TRG Motorsports Chevy in eighth for tomorrow's running of the Sylvania 300 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Labonte put in a lap of 28.888 seconds with an average speed of 132 mph that will see him start from the fourth row on Sunday. The effort is the best starting position that the first-year team has had all season as well as Labonte's best starting position of 2009. "The good news is that with the local support that we received, it looks like we will be able to race tomorrow," Labonte said. "I am really excited about the run that we had. Slugger (Richard Labbe, crew chief) did a good job. I changed air pressure a little bit and screwed up my first lap some. I knew getting into turn three on the second lap was definitely going to be better. I was just hoping it was going to be more than the normal 2/10ths and it was. I am really proud of all the guys on the TRG Motorsports team. It was a lot of fun." The team has received a ground swell of local support to allow them to race on Sunday. SBLI Insurance (Savings Bank Life Insurance Company of Massachusetts) came on board during the week and the team signed CBR Motorcars, EmployInlt.com, Velocity Terminal (racing simulators) and Commonwealth Foreign Exchange to help get the car on the track Sunday.
Kevin Buckler, TRG Motorsports team principal, has a good base of support in the Northeast. "We have a couple of strong guys in the Northeast that have really helped us out this weekend," Buckler said. "RJ Valentine, who won the Rolex 24 Hour with us in February, as well as Bruce Ledoux and his Guardian Angel Motorsports group have really helped spread the word this weekend and made that last ditch effort to get the funds we needed to race. Several of our TRG Motorsports partners helped too. Bobby and the crew did a great job in qualifying. When I saw P8 I thought - do you know how many really big team we just out qualified? We have to race tomorrow. That qualifying effort sure made our job easier to secure the funds. Hopefully we can put it all together in the race on Sunday. This is working out to be a magical weekend. It's still really tight for us and several others are still trying to jump on board and help. It looks like we are going to make it. This sure is going to be an exciting weekend. What a tremendous team we have!" The TRG Motorsports crew is comprised of Mike Brown, Paul Clapprood, Dennis Croxell, Bobby Dell, Marc Hendricksen, Richard "Slugger" Labbe, Andy Pugh, Tim Rice, Jesse Sanders and Joe Zanolini.(TRG Motorsports)(9-19-2009)
Bobby Labonte to the #07? #1?: Bobby Labonte's popularity has picked up considerably in the last few weeks. Apparently, his name is being presented as a possible candidate for the #07 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet to sponsor Jack Daniels this week. Also hearing that he could be competition for Jamie McMurray in the #1 Chevy at Earnhardt Ganassi Racing.(FoxSports)(9-13-2009)
Robby to skip Richmond? during SPEED's Sprint Cup practice coverage on Staurday at Atlanta it was mentioned that David Gilliland would run the #7 Toyota at Richmond next weekend in place of Robby Gordon [owner/driver] who will be running the road race in Baja. Mile Bliss will run the #71 Chevy instead of Gilliland.(9-5-2009)
Gilliland to run a race for Robby Gordon and...: David Gilliland will run at least one race for owner/driver #7-Robby Gordon (NASCAR.com). Gilliland is scheduled to visit Army Reserve Soldiers of the 80th Training Command and the Defense Supply Center Richmond on behalf of Operation Homefront on Sept. 10th. No word which race but Gilliland is set for a ride at 8 [maybe 9] of the 12 remainig races:
Scheduled to run five races in the #71 TRG Chevy: Richmond, Dover, Auto Club, Charlotte [but also scheduled in the #02?], and Martinsville.
One race in the #21 Ford at Atlanta [subbing for sore Bill Elliott];
and three races for Joe Gibbs Racing in the #02 Toyota: Charlotte [but also scheduled in the #71?], Texas and Homestead
so that leaves three or four open races for Gilliland: New Hampshire, Kansas, Talladega [w/Gordon team?] and Phoenix. Look for the #71 to put another driver in the #71 at Charlotte.(9-5-2009)
dings.(RGM)(9-5-2009)
Gilliland in the #21 at Atlanta UPDATE 2: Motorcraft's Facebook page is reporting: Wood Brothers just announced David Gilliland to drive the #21 car this weekend in Atlanta. A press release with more details is coming soon.
UPDATE: David Gilliland will be taking over the driving duties of the #21 Motorcraft Ford Fusion this weekend for the Pep Boys Auto 500, filling in for Bill Elliott. Elliott is experiencing some back problems and uncertain how he will feel driving the car. Co-owner Eddie Wood stated, “Given the modified practice schedule where the practices and qualifying are all being done on Saturday, we didn’t feel there was enough time to make changes to the seat if Bill wasn’t comfortable and we needed to get another driver. We called David to see if he was available. Thankfully he was and agreed to help.” Gilliland has 6 starts at Atlanta Motor Speedway with his best finish (15th) coming in 2006.(Wood Brothers Racing)
UPDATE 2: Bill Elliott has cracked three ribs riding his dirt bike. “It was just a freak deal,” Elliott said. He said although he probably could have raced in pain, he decided to step out of the Wood Brothers Ford for this weekend’s race at Atlanta Motor Speedway because he didn’t want to jeopardize the team’s chances of running well in the Pep Boys Auto 500. “I just decided that those boys had worked so hard on the car it wouldn’t be fair for me to have a problem and mess them up,” Elliott said. David Gilliland, who lost his regular ride to Bobby Labonte, will drive in Elliott’s place this weekend. “He runs good at Atlanta, so they should be OK,” Elliott said. “And I’ll be back in the car for Kansas.”(Racin' Today)(9-4-2009)
Gilliland in fourth Gibbs car this year? UPDATE: It's been a tough road for former Yates driver David Gilliland this season. Gilliland, who was 21st in the #28 Ford for Doug Yates at this juncture last year, has qualified for every race in the #71 TRG Motorsports Chevy. Gilliland has been a loyal soldier in the start-n-park venture and is currently 43rd in the point standings. However, it appears he will have a reprieve — at the hand of Joe Gibbs Racing. Gilliland, 33, is expected to drive the fourth JGR car [#02 sponsored by Farm Bureau] in four races at the end of this season.(Fox Sports)(7-11-2009)
UPDATE: David Gilliland, who earlier this week was replaced by Bobby Labonte for seven races at #71 TRG Motorsports, will attempt to qualify a fourth Sprint Cup car [supposedly the #02 Toyota] at Joe Gibbs Racing for three of the final 12 events, multiple sources told ESPN.com on Friday. Gilliland will compete at Lowe's Motor Speedway in Charlotte, Texas and Homestead-Miami in a car sponsored by Farm Bureau. The JGR deal actually initiated the deal for TRG Motorsports to sign Labonte after the 2000 Cup champion was pulled from the #96 Ford at Hall of Fame/Yates Racing in favor of Erik Darnell for seven of the final 12 events. Gilliland had made 22 of 24 events for TRG Motorsports and ranks 37th in points in the #71 [and a failed attempt at Watkins Glen in TRG's #70]. Sources said the decision to go with Gilliland was to satisfy a contract with Farm Bureau to compete in three Cup events and does not necessarily mean the organization will expand to a fourth full-time team in 2010. Officials at JGR were not available for comment.(ESPN)(9-4-2009)
Bobby Labonte in the #71 for seven races UPDATE: After Bobby Labonte was dismissed from his driving duties for seven of the remaining 12 races in the #96 Yates Racing [Hall of Fame Racing] Ford, the 2000 Sprint Cup champ has agreed to pilot the #71 TaxSlayer Chevy for TRG Motorsports in those seven events starting this weekend at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Yates Racing announced on Monday that rookie Erik Darnell would share the ride with Labonte for the remainder of the year. David Gilliland, who has competed in 22 races for TRG this season, will continue driving for the team in the remaining events.(FoxSports), this move also affects the Past Champions Provisional, especially at AMS where three past Sprint Cup champions are eligible for the past champions provisional. #71-Bobby Labonte [2000 Champ], #08-Terry Labonte [1996 & 1984 Champ] and #21-Bill Elliott [1988 Champ] all are with teams outside the Top-35 in Owners Points and must qualify 7th or better among the 11 go-or-go-homers to make the race. If one or more does not, the 8th spot [43rd starting spot] would go to the most recent past champion. If all three race into the lineup, the 43rd spot goes to the 8th fastest of the eleven.
BUT, rules state: "If after starting position 1 through 42 are assigned and there remains an eligible car owner whose driver is the current or a former NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion who participated as a driver in the 2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and who was entered in the Event for that owner in that car prior to the entry deadline, a 43rd provisional starting position, the "Champion's Provisional", will be assigned to that car owner." So since LBobby Labonte was not entered in the #71 prior to the deadline [13 days before the event usually], he will not be eligible to use the past championa provisional at Atlanta this week.(9-3-2009)
UPDATE: Bobby Labonte has signed a seven race deal to drive the TRG Motorsports #71 TaxSlayer.com Chevy starting this weekend in the Pep Boys Auto 500 Sprint Cup Series race at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Labonte will keep his streak of 568 NASCAR Sprint Cup starts intact, the first of which dates back to the 1993 Daytona 500. "This whole thing came together over the last 24 hours," Labonte said. "Slugger (Richard "Slugger" Labbe, TRG Motorsports crew chief) called me yesterday morning and had an idea and wondered if I would be interested or not. I had some openings I wasn't planning on, so it just kind of worked out. I am just trying to go to the rest of the races full-tilt. I talked to Kevin (Buckler TRG Motorsports team principal) a couple of times yesterday and he seems very committed and I think it will work out for both of us. Slugger worked with my brother Terry years ago when we had our Busch team. Terry and I had a team and Slugger worked on Terry's car. He worked at our shop in High Point, so I have known him for a long time." Buckler has a lot of respect for what David Gilliland has done for TRG Motorsports this year. "I have the utmost respect and appreciation for what David Gilliland and TRG Motorsports has done together this year. He performed behind the wheel and was the consummate professional and a great guy. I know he has some terrific opportunities coming up with several top teams. We maintain our relationship with David and he will be in our car again before the season is over." The TRG Motorsports crew is comprised of Mike Brown, Jim Burns, Paul Clapprood, Dennis Croxell, Bobby Dell, Marc Hendricksen, Richard "Slugger" Labbe, Andy Pugh, Tim Rice, Jesse Sanders and Joe Zanolini.(TRG Motorsports)(9-4-2009)
TRG wants 2 teams in 2010: [TRG Motorsports owner Kevin] Buckler was hoping to run up to three Truck Series entries this season, but that was "before the economy took a dump." The #7 truck has made only six starts this season, four with driver J.R. Fitzpatrick. There will likely be no TRG Motorsports truck next season because of sponsorship issues, but Buckler hopes to expand into a two-car Cup operation in 2010. Buckler's plan is to find success by becoming the exact opposite of stock-car behemoth Hendrick Motorsports. "It's very exciting," Buckler said. "Everybody feels it. We got a little buzz going. We're trying to position ourselves to be sort of the new, small, and efficient, lean, and mean business model. "We want to establish a new way of doing things. I'm not out to compete today with a Hendrick, but what I want to be the toughest dog in the fight."(Daytona Beach News Journal)(8-27-2009)
TaxSlayer to sponsor Lally in #71: #71-Andy Lally qualified 15th for his first ever NASCAR Sprint Cup Race at Watkins Glen International for the Heluva Good! Sour Cream Dips at The Glen to be run Sunday, August 9. Teammate #70-David Gilliland did not qualify for the race, so the team will put the TaxSlayer.com livery on the #71 for Sunday's race. Lally put in a lap time of 72.460 that will see him start from the eighth row. The time was a half second faster than his best practice time. During the only practice before qualifying Lally and the team suffered through a misfire in the Chevrolet motor which hampered the amount of laps that he was able to complete. The team was able to fix the car with just eight minutes remaining in the session. Lally is elated to get his first Sprint Cup start at his home track. "I am having trouble putting it into words how I feel about qualifying for my first NASCAR race. I have my whole family here and it is a great day. I grew up in New York and making my Sprint Cup start in my home state is just amazing. It puts a lump in my throat just thinking about it."
"This is a really big weekend for TRG Motorsports and all of our friends and partners that believed in us and helped us to get this far," Kevin Buckler, TRG Motorsports team principal said. "What a job by Andy today. He had virtually no practice, couple that with the pressure of his first Sprint Cup start and that makes for a stressful day. He is a professional and has six pro wins here at The Glen and he gathered it up and did a great job in qualifying. It is too bad that David did not make the race. We have a lot faith in David and he represents the future of our team in NASCAR. He has done a fantastic job for us all season and got us here at The Glen and we will back next weekend at Michigan stronger than ever. We are excited to have TaxSlayer.com onboard with us. This will be one hell-of-a-good first race!"(TRG Motorsports), see images of the #70 Taxslayers and #71 Adobe Road Winery.(8-8-2009)
Gilliland Ready for The Glen, new sponsor, new car#: David Gilliland is ready for The Glen and to debut his new TaxSlayer.com colors on the #70 TaxSlayer.com Chevy in this weekend's NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Heluva Good! Sour Cream Dips at The Glen to be run Sunday, August 9. Gilliland will be going back to the track where he had one of his worst racing accidents. He will also have a teammate for the first time this year with TRG's sports car ace Andy Lally. New sponsor TaxSlayer.com will ride with David for the first time this weekend. Gilliland: "Watkins Glen will be a good debut for TaxSlayer.com on the car. The car really looks great. It has a medieval feel to it, which is cool. I am looking forward to meeting those folks and working with them over their six race term." TaxSlayer Pro's computerized tax return system, which was introduced to professional tax practitioners in 1992, is the first chapter in the company's story. More info at taxslayer.com and www.taxslayerracing.com.(TRG Motorsports), see an image of the scheme on my #70 Team Schemes page.(8-5-2009)
#71 to run Leiomyosarcoma scheme at Pocono: TRG Motorsports will run Leiomyosarcoma livery on the #71 TRG Motorsports Chevy this weekend at the NACAR Sprint Cup Series Sunoco Red Cross Pennsylvania 500 at Pocono Raceway. Leiomyosarcoma (LMS) is a rare form of cancer. It affects only four to six people out of every million in the U.S. It is a soft-tissue cancer, which means it can occur in any soft tissue in the body, i.e. muscle, nerves, blood vessels, all the organs, fat, skin, connective tissues, etc. It spreads through the blood stream and is, in most cases, very aggressive and resists chemotherapy and radiation. Few doctors ever see LMS and often LMS goes misdiagnosed until it is too late. It has an incredibly high recurrence rate and, sadly less than 35% survive to five-years after diagnosis. The National Leiomyosarcoma Foundation hopes to raise awareness of this "forgotten cancer" and gives 100% of the money raised and donated for research. Information on how to help can be found at www.nlmsf.net, www.leiomyosarcoma.info, and www.team-sarcoma.net.(TRG Motorsports)(7-30-2009)
Lally to make Cup debut with TRG at Watkins Glen: Sports car ace Andy Lally is set to make his NASCAR Sprint Cup debut at the Heluva Good! Sour Cream Dips race at Watkins Glen International Raceway on August 9. Lally will join TRG Motorsports regular David Gilliland in a second car at The Glen [#Lally will run the #71 and Gilliland the #70]. The 34-year old Lally, originally from Northport, New York, has always called Watkins Glen his home track. The sports car veteran has an impressive road racing background having won Rolex Series championships in three different classes, GT in 2006, SGS in 2004 and SRPII in 2001. In addition, Lally anchored the GT class winning Rolex 24 Hour GT team this past February. He currently drives the #67 TRG Porsche in the Rolex GT Series. "Not only am I extremely honored to have a chance to qualify for my first ever Sprint Cup race, but when you add in the fact that it will be in my home state of New York, and at my favorite track makes this opportunity all that more special," Lally said. "I can't wait to get out there and see what we have. I would like to thank Kevin Buckler and the partners at TRG Motorsports for putting their faith in me for this race." Lally has some miles behind the wheel of the TRG Motorsports Chevy. "I have had a chance to test the car already as the team prepared for Infineon. I learned a lot that day and the guys have improved the car since then. I only did about 20 laps in that session so it was a good first outing in the car. The team had a good primary car at Infineon and I think we can even improve on that for The Glen. We have a couple of more test dates set, so I will be able to get some more miles under my belt prior to the race. I have three weeks before the race and in that time I will be working with Slugger (Richard "Slugger" Labbe, crew chief) to cram in as much knowledge as possible. " Kevin Buckler, TRG Motorsports team principal, once again, is giving Lally an opportunity to expand his racing resume. "Andy has been an integral part of our sports car team for over four years now and has also been a good friend," Buckler said. "He is one of the best road racers there is and he knows Watkins Glen like his own backyard. We brought him into NASCAR in 2007 when we started our programs, so I feel it is really cool to give him this shot in Sprint Cup. The partners and I are all really excited about this race. We are running two cars for the first time all season. We will also be introducing our TRG hospitality program that we intend to us in 2010."(TRG Motorsports)(7-29-2009)
New sponsor for Gilliland at Indy: TRG Motorsports' welcomes Racehost.com onboard the #71 Chevy of David Gilliland this weekend for the Allstate 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Race Host, founded in 1996, was the first racing website design company to work exclusively in the racing, motorsport and automotive industry. "We're excited about our new team partner Racehost.com and are looking forward to working together long into the future," Buckler continued. Gilliland qualified the #71 Racehost.com/TRG Motorsports Chevy in 37th for the race.(TRG), see images of the car on my #71 Team Schemes page.(7-26-2009)
- Gilliland in fourth Gibbs car this year? It's been a tough road for former Yates driver David Gilliland this season. Gilliland, who was 21st in the #28 Ford for Doug Yates at this juncture last year, has qualified for every race in the #71 TRG Motorsports Chevy. Gilliland has been a loyal soldier in the start-n-park venture and is currently 43rd in the point standings. However, it appears he will have a reprieve — at the hand of Joe Gibbs Racing. Gilliland, 33, is expected to drive the fourth JGR car [#02 sponsored by Farm Bureau] in four races at the end of this season.(Fox Sports)(7-11-2009)
- TRG leases a Chevy from EGR: TRG Motorsports has leased the #1 Chevy [backup] from Earnhardt Ganassi for the Toyota Save Mart 350 to be run at Infineon Raceway tomorrow, Sunday, June 21. Gilliland will be relegated to the back of the field for the start of the race. In today's first practice, David Gilliland was involved in an accident exiting pit road when he collided with the #34 of John Andretti. The damage to the #71 Adobe Road Winery Chevy was too extensive to repair. The team, working on a very tight budget, had their short track car as a backup. The management at Earnhardt Ganassi offered their Martin Truex Jr. road course backup car, which finished 16th here last year and fifth at Watkins Glen, and TRG Motorsports team principal Kevin Buckler gladly accepted. The team would like to thank Ultimate Limousine Service in Petaluma and the Fairfield Inn of Vacaville for their support this weekend.(TRG Motorsports)(6-20-2009)
- Adobe Road Winery to Sponsor #71 at Infineon: TRG Motorsports has signed Adobe Road Winery to sponsor the No. 71 TRG Motorsports Chevrolet Impala SS for this weekend's Toyota SaveMart 350 to be run at Infineon Raceway. Petaluma, California rooted Adobe Road Winery is one of the hottest boutique wineries in the industry right now. The winery has won numerous accolades for their wide range of varietals. Some of their most notable accomplishments include four of their wines receiving "Outstanding" 90+ point reviews in the prestigious Wine Spectator magazine, as well as numerous Gold Medal honors from wine competitions located around the country and taking the overall victory and sweepstakes award at this year's Sonoma Harvest Fair out of 1,100 wines entered. Adobe Road Winery in Petaluma, California specializes in handcrafting small batches of red and white wine from the best vineyards in the Sonoma and Napa Valleys. For more information about their exclusive wine club, visit www.adoberoadwines.com.(TRG Motorsports), see an image of the scheme on my #71 Team Schemes page.(6-19-2009)
- TRG Motorsports Signs Charter Air Transport on #71: TRG Motorsports has signed Charter Air Transport as an associate sponsor on the #71 TRG Motorsports Chevy starting at the Coca-Cola 600 at Lowe's Motor Speedway. Charter Air Transport will help the team get the next races at Dover, Pocono and Michigan. The Cleveland, Ohio based Charter Air Transport operates a fleet of fuel efficient Embraer 120 Brasilia turboprop planes as well as Citation private jet air craft, offering an affordable solution to team transport. Charter Air Transport familiarized themselves with the team through David Gilliland's web site. More in about Charter Air Transport at www.charterairtransport.com.(TRG Motorsports)(5-22-2009)
- CompUSA on the #71 at Lowe's; team still looking for sponsorship: David Gilliland and TRG Motorsports are ready to tackle 600 miles of racing at Lowe's Motor Speedway for the Coca-Cola 600. The team was able to take away a lot data from last weekend to apply to race this Sunday. The key component will be a different # 71 CompUSA/TRG Motorsports Chevy than the team ran in the Open. Kevin Buckler, TRG Motorsports team principal, is forging ahead with limited resources to keep this team going on the track. "The Coca-Cola 600 is one of the biggest races on the schedule and I wanted to make sure we put our best stuff on the track," Buckler said. "The car we ran in the Open we didn't think was going to do we needed in the 600 so we brought a different one. We have very limited resources with this team so we are picking our battles very carefully and trying to perform at a very level on selected stages. We still need to land that sponsor/partner that can help us take this great little team forward into the future."(TRG Motorsports PR)(5-20-2009)
- TRG's Eight Cars A Truck and 36-Hours: TRG Motorsports and TRG will be running eight cars and a truck in four races on two coasts in 36-hours. David Gilliland will be going for the weekend Hat-Trick at Lowe's Motor Speedway starting Friday, May 15th with his appearance in the #7 TRG Motorsports Chevy in the Camping World Truck Series North Carolina Education Lottery 200 race. Gilliland will then transition to the #71 team Sprint Cup car for the Sprint All-Star Open race and then, hopefully, the All-Star race and then come back for the Coca-Cola 600 in 10-days. On the West Coast, running the Verizon Festival of Speed at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, TRG and the sports car crew will be running five Porsche 997 GT cars and two Porsche KONI Challenge cars. The TRG team of Spencer Pumpelly and Ted Ballou lead the Grand-Am Rolex Series GT driver's points championship. The team is also coming off of a win with Duncan Ende and Pumpelly in the KONI Challenge Series two weeks ago at New Jersey Motorsports Park. TRG will deploy an army of over 125 people at two different tracks and four different races this weekend.(TRG Motorsports)(5-15-2009)
- #71 TRG sponsorship on hold: David Gilliland is ready to put the TRG Motorsports #71 Chevy through its paces at the Aaron's 499 to be run at Talladega Superspeedway on Sunday, April 26. The team heads to the famed track located outside of Birmingham, Alabama with superspeedway redemption on their mind. TRG Motorsports failed to qualify for the Daytona 500 and is looking to show the world that the TRG Motorsports Chevy and five guys can work their magic at a superspeedway. The team heads to Talladega 36th in owner points, just 26 out of 35th position. Gilliland will have to qualify in speed. Kevin Buckler, TRG Motorsports team principal, looks at Talladega as just another challenge for this tight-knit team. "This will be the team's first restrictor plate race," Buckler said. "The guys know we have something to prove after what happened at Daytona. We found a good superspeedway car for David that Slugger really likes, so we are going in with a good piece. David has done well at Talladega and has a lot of confidence. We haven't had a problem getting into the races, we just need to perform better and get the tire monkey off of our back to finish well. This team needs a big time performance this weekend! We will be running the familiarTRG Motorsports blue this weekend. We have experienced funding delays with the sponsor that was announced last weekend at Phoenix. The team continues to persevere in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and pursue all avenues for funding and sponsorship with the goal of running the full 36 race schedule."(TRG Motorsports PR)(4-24-2009)
- American Monster to sponsor #71 at Phoenix UPDATE: the sponsor listed on the updated Phoenix Entry List for the #71 Chevy of David Gilliland is American Monster, a TV Show, a project that showcases successful, homegrown talent from a variety of arenas. More info at americanmonstertv.com. The announcement is expected sometime Friday. See images of the car on my #71 Team Schemes page.(4-17-2009)
UPDATE: American Monster has agreed to a deal with TRG Motorsports to become the primary sponsor on the #71 American Monster Chevy driven by David Gilliland. The car will debut this weekend at Phoenix International Raceway. American Monster is a television concept that will showcase successful, homegrown talent from a variety of competitive arenas. To be an American Monster is to defy the odds and compete at the highest levels relying on little more than your natural talent, innate abilities and pure determination. In 2009, each series will focus on athletes and talent from the Mixed Martial Arts, Monster Trucks, and NASCAR expanding to other sports in the near future. The show will give viewers a behind the scenes view on what it takes to compete against the world's most sophisticated competition without any of the luxuries of huge budgets, or traditional means of support. The American Monster TV concept will be revealed on FOX Sports Net by the fourth quarter of 2009.
"The TRG Motorsports NASCAR on a Dime story of entering the most competitive racing series on the planet is exactly what the American Monster concept is all about," Roger Dean, American Monster creator said. "We chose TRG Motorsports as the catalyst to introduce and publicize the American Monster brand. The car will be used as a 180 mph billboard to let people know what will be coming on the American Monster TV shows. We will also use the NASCAR venues to cross promote our other exciting program segments and brand lifestyle. American Monster's creative partners Joe Iacono of Iacono Design Group and James Begera of WA007 will leverage the NASCAR audience to offer American Monster's television viewers and advertisers added value by building a lifestyle brand of the future. American Monster will utilize David Gilliland and the sport to explain to everyone that an American Monster lives in all of us, but you have to have what it takes."
TRG Motorsports team principal Kevin Buckler now has a few more dimes to continue running in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. "We have found a partner that really mirrors what we are all about at TRG Motorsports," Buckler said. "The very definition of an American Monster is what we portray in our team. What we have been able to do, with 11 Monsters on the crew, against the large well funded teams has earned us a place in this sport. It was a huge risk to get involved when we did, but that risk is now rewarded with a great looking blue and silver #71 American Monster Chevrolet. The partnership with American Monster will help us to focus on increasing our level of competitiveness on the track as well as begin to incubate a fan following in NASCAR through a very cool merchandising program."
Racer Management led by Bryan Houtchens in conjunction with The Hufco Pro-Motion Agency led by John Huffman worked with American Monster to find the appropriate team that fit the American Monster program with a lean, mean, and targeted approach in motorsports; thus culminating in the relationship between TRG Motorsports and American Monster as a predominant force within NASCAR for many years to come.(TRG PR)(4-17-2009)
- Two teams could be missing from Phoenix UPDATE #71 will be there: on SPEEDtv's SPEED Report, Bob Dilner reported that two Sprint Cup teams could be missing at Phoenix on the weekend on April 17-18th. #8-Aric Almirola [the team plans to meet about the future of the #8 on Tuesday, Aprl 7th] and the #71 TRG Motorsports team that David Gilliland drives. Gilliand said the team needs a sponsor to continue on.(4-6-2009)
UPDATE: on Monday's “The Morning Drive” on SIRIUS NASCAR Radio, hosts Mike Bagley and David Poole spoke with Slugger Labbe, crew chief for TRG Motorsports’ #71 Chevy and driver David Gilliland, about the team’s plans for the Phoenix race on April 18.
Host, David Poole: “There was at least one report that said that you guys might not be going to Phoenix. What’s the status of that deal?”
Slugger Labbe: “Well, we’re going. You know, we’ve got the motor sitting here, the gear transmission. We just got the car back from getting the body fixed and it is in the paint booth now getting ready. We’re planning on going. David is wanting to race. He’s going to run the West race out there, whatever that series is. He’s going to run out there. I’m going to go help him. And, you know, Kevin [Buckler] is trying to secure funding. We’re so close to the top 35. It helps that they say the #8 car is shut down. He’s 37th in points. The next three guys behind us all missed the race at Texas this weekend so we’re in a unique situation that we have to go.”
“The Morning Drive” airs weekdays (7-11am/et) exclusively on SIRIUS NASCAR Radio (available nationwide on SIRIUS channel 128 and on XM channel 128 with the “Best of XM” programming package.)(4-6-2009)
- Mike Brown named GM at TRG: Mike Brown has been named General Manager of The Racers Group NASCAR program. Brown was GM at Bill Davis Racing [#22 Toyota] for the last 12 years and watched the operation expand from 19 employees with a single Cup operation to a workforce of 300 that also fielded multiple truck teams, including last year's series champion Johnny Benson. "I feel like my experience with Bill and Gail (Davis) is a good fit for what Kevin (team owner Buckler) and Debra have started. I have the perfect template for helping them grow," Brown said. TRG currently fields the #71 Chevy with David Gilliland in Sprint Cup and J.R. Fitzgerald in the #7 Tundra in the Camping World Truck Series. Slugger Labbe and Butch Hylton serve as crew chiefs for the teams.(FoxSports)(3-30-2009)
- Gilly's Gang on the #71: David Gilliland's fan club known as Gilly's Gang has collected money to help TRG Motorsports this weekend. The team has placed the Gilly's Gang logo on the back deck-lid for their efforts as the team prepares for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Goody's Fast Relief 500 at Martinsville. The group banded together on David's web site, www.davidgilliland.com, and have raised over $3,000 to help the effort this weekend.(TRG Motorsports PR), see an image of the car on my #71 Team paint schemes page.(3-29-2008)
- TRG Motorsports Heads to Martinsville 35th in Owner Points: David Gilliland soldiered through a tough day at Bristol Motor Speedway to finish the #71 Capital Window/TRG Motorsports Chevy in 36th position in the Food City 500. The team leaves Bristol 35th in owner points assuring that they are locked into next weekend's race at Martinsville.(TRG Motorsports PR)
For the owner points standings, see my Drivers/Owners Points Standings page.(3-23-2009)
- Capital Window signs with TRG Motorsports: Capital Window, has signed a multi - race partnership on the #71 TRG Motorsports Chevy with driver David Gilliland in the Sprint Cup Series starting this weekend at the Shelby 427 being run at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Capital Window specializes in packaging and positioning companies to experience growth and attract capital. Capital Window has helped many companies attract millions of dollars in private equity funding. The Capital Window team of seasoned entrepreneurs whose skills at measuring opportunities, packaging companies and raising capital has consistently helped individuals and companies achieve their goals.(TRG Motorsports PR)(2-28-2009)
- Yates and Gilliland part ways: UPDATE: Yates Racing and David Gilliland announced that they are terminating their relationship due to a lack of sponsorship on Yates Racing's #38 Sprint Cup car. Gilliland began driving the #38 car for Robert Yates Racing in mid-2006. "David did a great job for us and is a gifted driver. We are sorry to lose him but it is important for David to continue driving, and sponsorship is very tough this year," stated Doug Yates of Yates Racing.(Yates Racing PR)(2-20-2009)
UPDATE: Gilliland said he has no ill will toward Yates Racing, where he finished 27th in points last year but was left without a ride as the team found sponsorship for Paul Menard and Bobby Labonte - but not for him. The team is running a partial schedule for Travis Kvapil but had nothing for Gilliland this year. “They’ve been so good to me – they brought me into the Cup series, gave me my first opportunity here and really stood behind us last year when we weren’t fully funded and did run us all year,” Gilliland said. “They stuck their neck out on the line for Travis and myself when we weren’t fully funded.”(Scene Daily)(2-21-2009)
- Mike Wallace looking for ride: The roar of the engines after Daytona Speedweeks has silenced and the series is heading west to Auto Club Speedway in California. For one driver with victories in two out of NASCAR three series racing this weekend, the silence is deafening. Mike Wallace, with four NASCAR Nationwide and four Camping World Truck Series victories to his credit, will not be competing. “I think people thought I was all set during Daytona because I was in both the Cup and Nationwide Series garages,” said Wallace. “I had a one-race deal with TRG to make the Daytona 500 in their #71 car. “Then, I had a one-race deal with JD Motorsports in the Nationwide race down there. We did okay there earning a top-20 in 19th place. In addition to the eight victories; he’s amassed a total of 56 top-fives and 130 top-10 finishes. “Right now, I am open to talking with owners about driving for their team,” said Wallace. “I’m sure there is a need for an experienced driver like myself and I’m willing to talk. If I can obtain a sponsor, I have several quality teams that I can take it to and we can be competitive right from the start. Basically, I just want folks to know I am available and ready to drive.” Wallace will be a co-host on ESPN2’s “NASCAR Now” Sunday morning, March 8 and on ESPN News following the Sprint Cup Series race. The following day, he will be a panelist on the Monday edition of “NASCAR Now” on ESPN2.(PR)(2-20-2009) .
- Gilliland to drive the #71 for next four races UPDATE 2: the TRG team — that stands for The Racers Group — led by owner Kevin Buckler, whose car, driven by Mike Wallace, missed the Daytona 500 by one position. That one position cost $500,000, Buckler said. "Last place in the Daytona 500 pays $250,000, and I had a sponsor who was ready to come aboard for the race, if we made it, for another $250,000. So it hurt." But Buckler is entered in the California race next week, and he plans to attempt the next four races with driver David Gilliland, who was the odd man out in the Yates organization this year.(Orlando Sentinel)(2-16-2009)
UPDATE: David Gilliland will drive the #71 TRG Motorsports Chevy in round two of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series at the Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California on Sunday, February 22. Daytona 500 winning crew chief, Richard "Slugger" Labbe, has also joined the team. The 33-year old Gilliland raced in 2008 for Robert Yates behind the wheel of the #38 and was the 2007 Daytona 500 Pole Winner. Gilliland is originally from Riverside, California, just up the road from Fontana. He cut his teeth on ovals all over the West Coast in his ascension up the NASCAR ladder. Slugger Labbe knows how to win in NASCAR's premier league. As a crew chief at Dale Earnhardt Inc., he won two races at Daytona including the 2003 Daytona 500. Labbe most recently worked with Red Bull Racing in driver development [and was Mike Skinner's crew chief in his attempt to make the 2009 Daytona 500 in the #23 Chevy]. TRG Motorsports' Kevin Buckler is determined to establish the team in the Sprint Cup Series. "Daytona was a hard lesson," Buckler said. "We are determined to put the right pieces in place to be successful. David has the most experience in the COT car of any driver available. Slugger gives us a lot of experience working with the COT car. We were short a few pieces at Daytona, but I believe we have put the right people together to have a successful weekend in California."(TRG Motorsports PR)(2-17-2009)
UPDATE 2: TRG Motorsports will run their #71 Chevy in the next four Sprint Cup Series rounds at the Auto Club Speedway, Las Vegas, Atlanta and Bristol. Kevin Buckler, TRG Motorsports team principal, is working hard to get sponsorship while the team focuses on accruing enough points to be in the top 35 in owner points going into the fifth race at Bristol. "We are pulling out all of the stops to make the next four races," Buckler said. "We want to be in the top 35 in owner points by the time we finish Bristol. We have singed-up David Gilliland and Slugger Labbe to help us accomplish that goal. The water is deep in NASCAR and we are not afraid to dive in with the sharks, but we have a very steep learning curve ahead of us and we will do our best. The team did not hesitate after Daytona getting ready for California. I met with Richard Childress about an engine package and we had a good backup car in the trailer that suits California, Las Vegas and Atlanta. It was just a matter of jumping in with both feet and moving forward. We took a big hit a Daytona by not making the race, but we have taken that and turned it into determination. Everyone involved sees the upside and wants to keep our foot firmly planted on the accelerator to turn this into a full season. With that kind of attitude and a strong team behind the 71, I think we can push it into the field on Friday."(TRG Motorsports PR)(2-18-2009) .
- TRG unsure if they will run California: TRG Motorsports missed making the Daytona 500 by one place after finishing 13th in the second Gatorade Duel 150 with Mike Wallace in the #71 TRG Motorsports Chevy. Wallace started from the 22nd position and steadily moved toward the front of the field. The race witnessed two cautions and the fast pit work of the Casey Mears/Jack Daniels crew made up spots for the team with each stop. Kevin Buckler, TRG Motorsports team owner, looks at today as a learning experience and wants more. "We will be back," Buckler said. "Mike did a good job, the pit stops were flawless and we were in a position to get in there at the end when we got pushed up the track. The ending of theses restrictor plate races can put you in victory lane or on the trailer in one lap. We are entered for California next week for the Sprint Cup race, but I am unsure if we can make it. We will catch our breath and take a look at the calendar and see when it makes sense to run the car again. It will be sooner than later."(TRG PR)(2-13-2009)
- Mike Wallace has ride for Daytona 500 UPDATE: Mike Wallace says he's secured a ride in a "competitive car" for the season-opening Daytona 500, providing he can get through the arduous Daytona qualifying process. But beyond Daytona, Wallace said this week he just doesn't know what's going to happen. "We're still talking to people, and they're still interested in possibly doing something," Wallace said. "The only thing that I'm thinking is that I wish it was, like, three months ago -- because the way they're thinking and the way I'm thinking, knowing how close the beginning of the season is, causes me a little bit of concern." Wallace just doesn't know exactly what he's doing beyond Speedweeks -- though he'd consider racing any of NASCAR three national tours.(in part from NASCAR.com)(1-1-2009)
UPDATE: TRG Motorsports announced today their entry in the 51st running of the Daytona 500. The team is taking its experience garnered at the top levels of professional sports car racing and in the Camping World Truck Series, where they posted their first win in 2008, to NASCAR's biggest stage. The team will have veteran driver Mike Wallace pilot the #71 TRG Motorsports Chevrolet on Sunday, February 15 at the World Center of Speed. "This is a huge opportunity for TRG Motorsports," Kevin Buckler, team principal said. "With the group of partners we have and very competitive team and package we decided to put a program together and race at the 500. We have been on a very steep growth curve with our entries in the Truck Series and ARCA. With the economic situation, it is always nice to be able to look for opportunity wherever possible and that what we have done. This will be defining moment in our team's history. The plan we crafted two years ago is in place, objectives are being met and we are trying to reach our goals." With more than 55 entries expected to compete for 43 starting positions in the 200-lap Daytona 500, the biggest goal for TRG Motorsports is to make it in the show. TRG has enlisted one of the most competent super speedway drivers in the world to pilot their entry in "The Great American Race". Mike Wallace, who has often been regarded as a restrictor plate specialist, will drive for TRG in their debut in Daytona Beach, Florida. "I'm excited about the opportunity to work with TRG Motorsports in regard to their new Sprint Cup effort," Wallace said. "With all of the success that they've had in road racing and the championship caliber organization that they've put together on the NASCAR side, I'm really excited about he opportunity to race for them at Daytona. They are true racers and that's the type of group that I want to be associate with. They've proven that they can win in the Truck Series and to be able to help with their first effort in Sprint Cup is exciting." Wallace will have a solid chance after pairing with TRG Motorsports and veteran Crew Chief, Butch Hylton. Hylton is a Daytona winner, having led Kevin Harvick Inc.'s #33 Nationwide team to a win in the 2005 Daytona 300. Hylton was also responsible for helping Yates Racing place two cars on the front row for the 2007 Daytona 500. TRG Motorsports has purchased a super speedway car from one of the most powerful teams in NASCAR, Richard Childress Racing. Through their association with Chevrolet, TRG and RCR have entered into a technical alliance which will benefit both teams. "With a former Richard Childress Racing car and engines supplied by ECR Engines we have accelerated our learning curve substantially," Buckler explained. "Couple that package with the experience that Mike brings and I believe we have a very competitive package. While the competition will be very, very tough with Mike behind the wheel and Butch calling the shots as the crew chief, we should have a legitimate shot at qualifying our way into the field and making our Sprint Cup debut in this prestigious race! This will be a real honor to be able to see our time take that green flag." TRG Motorsports is based in Mooresville, North Carolina where they run two Camping World Truck Series teams as well as a two car ARCA series effort. The company founded in 1993 has been competing at the top level of motor racing ever since. The team has the most wins of any team in the Grand-Am Rolex Series with 25, including the 2005 and 2006 Rolex Series GT championship trophy to go along with wins at the Rolex 24 at Daytona and the 24 Hours of Le Mans. More info about the team at theracersgroup.com.(TRG Motorsports PR), see images of the car on my #71 Team Schemes page.(1-22-2009)
