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#? BANG Racing Team Past News and Rumors
(NOTE: some older links may not work)
- Contract Status: Driver: ?; Sponsor: ?
- Kvapil sues Meshkin [BANG]: Penske Racing South driver #77-Travis Kvapil, a rookie in the Nextel Cup Series, has filed suit in North Carolina against his former employer, Alex Meshkin, who owned the now-defunct Bam! [Actually it is BANG not BAM] Racing Craftsman Truck team. Kvapil, who drove for Bam! Last season, alleges that Meshkin was contracted to provide a Busch Series ride for him this year but failed to do so. Meshkin, who is also involved in litigation with former employee Larry McReynolds, closed his race team late last year.(Speed Channel)(5-29-2005)
- BANG CLOSED? UPDATE: hearing that BANG Racing, who was to run a limited Busch Series schedule in 2005 has closed its doors. Travis Kvapil, now in the #77 Kodak Dodge, was to driver for BANG, and drove in the Truck Series last season for the team.(1-21-2005)
UPDATE: The news was even worse for Bang Racing, which was supposed to attend the [Daytona testing on Jan 22-24] test with driver Travis Kvapil, but was absent. Bang's former spokesperson said the team had closed its doors Friday.(NASCAR.com)(1-23-2005)
- BANG Racing Resignations: Cameron Tousi announced his resignation from Bang Racing, a NASCAR team [was #24 in Trucks, now part-time in Busch] operating in Mooresville, NC. As part owner, VP and General Counsel for the Team and its operating company Bang, LLC, Tousi was instrumental in forging the business alliances and transactions that placed the startup company on the NASCAR map. As a member of Bang's Executive Committee, he was responsible for sports transactions and legal affairs, merchandising and licensing, and played a significant role in the company's notable marketing and technology efforts. Mr. Tousi has joined Genus Law Group (www.genuslaw.com) as Senior Partner, where he will contribute his considerable knowledge and experience in corporate transactions, sports and entertainment law, and intellectual property.
AND John S. Adalio announced his resignation as Vice President of Sponsorship for Bang Racing, a NASCAR team operating in NC. Mr. Adalio, having twelve years experience in motorsports marketing, has established WIT Marketing, LLC and will provide marketing and public relations services as well as sponsorship development and implementation. Mr. Adalio stated, "It has been an adventure working with CEO Alex Meshkin and everyone at Bang Racing. I wish them success in the 2005 NASCAR Busch Series and beyond. Through WIT Marketing, LLC, I will work to assist sports entities and corporations in reaping a greater return-on-investment for their sponsorship and marketing dollars." Interested parties should contact John S. Adalio, 401-647-4476 for information regarding WIT Marketing, LLC.(PR's)(1-8-2005)
- No word on BANG UPDATE: The weekend passed without the announcement on the future of Bang Racing that owner Alex Meshkin had promised two weeks earlier. Bang fielded trucks for Travis Kvapil and had planned to move to the Busch Series next year. Kvapil has driven in three Nextel Cup races for Penske Racing, though, and that team is working on a deal for him.(Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)(11-22-2004)
UPDATE: hearing that crew chief Eric Phillips left the team after Homestead, supposedly the team only has a twenty race Busch Series deal in place with Line-X. Kvapil has said he is signed thru 2005, imagine that hinges on a full-time sponsor. Most rumors point to Kavapil in Penske's Kodak Dodge in 2005.(11-23-2004)
- BANG Racing close to announcement? Ward and Dodge? UPDATE 2 NO DEAL: hearing that BANG Racing is close to signing their Cup and Busch deal for next year with Ward as the driver for the NetZero Dodge in Cup and Travis Kvapil in the Busch car [Dodge?] with Line-X as the sponsor. The team expects to announce a new General Manager soon also.(11-8-2004)
UPDATE: been told that NetZero will STAY with the #0 Haas CNC Chevy anf NOT go to BANG.(11-9-2004)
UPDATE 2: also been told that BANG Racing will now NOT have a full-time Cup team in 2005 as the NetZero/Ward Burton deal fell thru. NetZero didn't want to be on a team that was out of the top 35 owners points cushion, the likely new qualifying formet for 2005.(11-13-2004)
- BANG Racing closing shop? UPDATE, NO..to Cup and Busch? Ward? during the Nextel Cup qualifying coverage on Speed Channel, former BANG Racing owner Larry McReynolds mentioned when Travis Kvapil [#24 BANG Racing's driver] was qualifying for his first Nextel Cup race at Martinsville in the #06 Penske Dodge, that it is likely that BANG Racing will close its doors at the end of the 2004 season.(10-22-2004)
BUT another source says BANG Racing has secured a sponsor for a full-time cup ride for next year and will make the announcement at Phoenix or Homestead.(10-23-2004)
UPDATE: still hearing Travis Kvapil will run BANG Racing full-time Busch team in a Ford with Linex as the sport.
AND a WILD one: hearing that BANG Racing will field a full time cup team next year with NetZero as the sponsor and Ward Burton as the driver.(10-25-2004)
- BANG Racing Cup team on hold UPDATE 2 McReynolds leaves BANG: Larry McReynolds' plans to expand his two-team Truck program to add a Nextel Cup team are on hold. "Things were in place for six, seven, eight races this year, but it wasn't solid for next year," said McReynolds, a Fox broadcaster, Truck team owner and former star crew chief. "I told Alex (Meshkin, the team owner) we don't need to take our focus away from the Truck championship this year and trying to win races this year, and there is no way you can put together a good Cup program for this year without having everything in place for next year. In all honesty, it's a little relief to me, because I don't want to take focus away from the Trucks, and I'm still nervous about Busch and Cup from my standpoint. The Truck deal works, because it's not a conflict of interests (with his TV jobs). When I walk through this garage, the guys respect me, and respect that when I'm with the Trucks, I'm with the Trucks, but when I'm in with them, I'm a broadcaster. So the Cup deal is not going to happen right now."(Winston Salem Journal)(7-6-2004)
UPDATE: an hearing that Larry MacReynolds parted way with BANG Racing today.
HOWEVER: there is a brand new article posted by McReynolds at FoxSports, where the teams switched crews again, back to where they were.(7-7-2004)
AND no mention of McReynolds anymore on the BANG Racing Site, also of note, the car# listed on the BANG Racing site for their Nextel Cup team is #28.(7-9-2004)
UPDATE 2: Fox TV commentator and former Nextel Cup crew chief Larry McReynolds said Friday he had resigned from his role with Bang Racing on Tuesday and will concentrate his time on his family and his broadcasting duties with Fox and Speed Channel.
"It was a business decision. I was spreading myself awfully thin," he said. "Not that I felt like I was short-cutting anything. I still feel I was doing as good a job broadcasting as I was when I didn't have anything else going on. My days were getting longer and longer and longer. I am going to devote a little more time to broadcasting. I'm going to catch my breath a little bit. I hope I never leave Fox or Speed because I enjoy it and I feel I put a lot into it," McReynolds said. He did not rule out an eventual role again as a consultant or team owner. "I'm not saying that in the near future I won't go back and do something" he said. "It would have to be probably under some different circumstances, though. I bit off an awful lot."(ThatsRacin.com)(7-9-2004)
- Bang Racing adds sponsorhip for Truck and Cup programs: Bang Racing says Limelight Media Group Inc. of Memphis, Tenn., has signed on as an associate sponsor of its #42 Toyota for Mike Skinner and #24 Toyota of Travis Kvapil in the Craftsman Truck Series. The team says the agreement also includes Limelight's sponsorship of Bang Racing in the Nextel Cup Series during the second half of 2004. Limelight Media creates and manages what it describes as "out-of-home digital advertising and promotional networks." Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.(NASCAR Scene Daily Newsletter)(4-15-2004)
- Bang Racing to run some Cup races later in 2004 UPDATE 3: First-year Craftsman Truck Series team owner Alex Meshkin says he will make an announcement Tuesday about a sponsorship deal that will see his team compete in the Nextel Cup Series near the end of this season. Meshkin, 23, owns Bang Racing, which will field a pair of Toyotas for Mike Skinner and Travis Kvapil in the truck series this season.(NASCAR Scene daily Newsletter)(2-6-2004)
UPDATE: Hearing that Bang Racing owners Alex Meshkin and Larry McReynolds will announce an associate relationship with EBAY.......and that EBAY will sponsor 10 - 12 NEXTEL Cup races with Bang this year. No word on a car# or manufacturer.(2-7-2004)
UPDATE 2: "It's a pretty significant deal," Meshkin said Saturday. "We have tried to get involved in Cup since Day 1 and have been looking for the right opportunity. Our truck team has generated a lot of press and with that comes a lot of corporate sponsorship interest." Bang is one of four NASCAR Craftsman Truck series teams to debut this season with the Toyota Tundra. The Toyota truck entries have fueled speculation the manufacturer will soon move into Cup. Asked the car make of his Cup entries, Meshkin said: "It will not be a Toyota. I'm not saying if anyone has a Toyota race car right now, but there is certainly not a NASCAR-approved Toyota entry right now." Before a Toyota could compete in Cup, the manufacturer would have to submit a car and engine for approval by NASCAR. Meshkin said Tuesday's announcement will include the Cup team's sponsor and information on the team's driver and possible car make.(ThatsRacin.com)(2-8-2004)
UPDATE 3: BANG RACING will participate in all NASCAR race series. During the last half of 2004, BANG RACING will enter the Nextel Cup series, with the eBay Cup team. eBay will serve as a co-primary sponsor of BANG RACING'S Nextel Cup team in 2004; this is in preparation for a full Cup Program in 2005 and beyond. Their Nextel Cup drivers will include, Mike Skinner and Travis Kvapil.(Bang Racing Site)(2-10-2004)
