2010 races [12] that TaxSlayer.com is scheduled to be the primary sponsor:
Daytona 500 - 2/14
Auto Club Speedway - 2/21
Las Vegas - 2/28
Atlanta - 3/7 [added on 3/2]
Bristol - 3/21
Talladega - 4/25
Darlington - 5/8
All-Star Race, Charlotte - 5/22
Pocono - 8/1
Michigan - 8/15
Atlanta - 9/5
Texas - 11/7 with Andy Lally driving

Brendan Gaughan to Run Rolex 24 Hour with TRG: TRG announced their third entry in the 2011 Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series presented by Crown Royal Cask No. 16 Rolex 24 Hour at Daytona. The three-time Rolex 24 winners will field the TRG/HP/South Point Casino/Porsche 997 with drivers Steve Bertheau, Brendan Gaughan, Andy Lally, Spencer Pumpelly, and a Porsche Factory Driver to be named later, for the twice around the clock race to be run at Daytona International Speedway on January 29th. Bertheau and Gaughan will be taking part in their first Rolex 24 Hour race. Bertheau is a product of the TRG driver ladder competing in Continental Challenge and Rolex Series GT events over the last 18-months. Gaughan is a seasoned NASCAR competitor. Gaughan raced a sports car with TRG at Montreal in 2009, ran the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race last weekend at Phoenix and is looking forward to his first Rolex 24 Hour. This entry will give TRG three cars, so far, for 2011 and a record 64th entry in the Rolex 24 Hour. The team that has traditionally prepared strong multi-car programs for the race has several more announcements pending.(TRG Motorsports)(11-25-2010)

TRG gets sponsor for Homestead: Anderson's Maple Syrup has signed on as the primary sponsor of the TRG Motorsports #71 Anderson's Maple Syrup Chevy at Homestead. Andy Lally will drive the maple sweetened Chevy this weekend. Lally is making his seventh NASCAR Sprint Cup start of the season with the team. Steve Anderson, president, of Cumberland, Wisconsin's Anderson's Maple Syrup likes the prospects of being a part of NASCAR's championship weekend. Team owner, Kevin Buckler, is happy to have Anderson's Maple Syrup continue their program with the team. "We have a great relationship with everyone at Anderson's Maple Syrup," Buckler said. "It is fitting that we close-out the season with them as the primary sponsor on the car. Steve Anderson and his group understand the marketing power of motorsports and with the Chase for the Championship the closest ever, there will be a lot of eyes on the race this weekend." TRG would also like to welcome the Lipman Family Farms (LFC) to the #71 this weekend. The Lipman Family Company is a third generation, vertically integrated supplier with breeding, farming, packing and sales operations. TRG also appreciates the support from TaxSlayer.com, Savory Thymes and Adobe Road Winery.(TRG Motorsports)(11-20-2010)
AND CustomPak joins TRG Motorsports as an associate sponsor on the #71 Anderson's Maple Syrup Chevy at Homestead. Lipman Family Companies, including Custom Pak is a proud supplier of Florida tomatoes including the Vintage Ripe and Cherry Berries brands.(TRG Motorsports)(11-20-2010)

Gaughan in #71 South Point Chevy at Phoenix: NASCR veteran, Brendan Gaughan will drive the TRG Motorsports #71 South Point Chevy at this weekend's NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS) Kobalt Tools 500 at Phoenix International Raceway. Gaughan, from Las Vegas, is fresh off of a 17th place finish at Texas Motor Speedway in his season long Nationwide South Point Toyota. Gaughan last made a NSCS start in 2005 at Pocono, subbing for an ill Mike Bliss. His Phoenix resume is rich in top finishes including a fourth place in the Nationwide race this past Spring and six top 15 finishes in the Camping World Truck Series.
South Point Casino is located in the heart of the premiere southwest Las Vegas valley, just minutes away from the famous Las Vegas Strip. Some of the amenities include a 16-screen Century Theatre movie complex, 64-lane bowling center and a handful of restaurants that cater to all appetites and tastes. TRG would also like to thank Anderson's Maple Syrup, Savory Thymes and Adobe Road Winery for their support.(TRG Motorsports)(11-9-2010)

Lally Ready for Texas in the #71 in TaxSlayer.com Chevy: Andy Lally will drive the TRG Motorsports #71 TaxSlayer.com Chevy at this weekend's NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS) AAA 500 at Texas Motor Speedway. Lally will be making his sixth NSCS start of the year at Texas on Sunday. Lally returns to the site of his first NASCAR start which took place in the Camping World Truck Series (CWTS) in 2007 behind the wheel of a TRG Motorsports Chevy. He is also coming off of a 20th place finish in last weekend's CWTS race at Talladega. The team is 35th in owner's points which will guarantee Lally a start on Sunday. TRG would also like to thank Anderson's Maple Syrup and Adobe Road Winery for their support.(TRG Motorsport), see images of the scheme on the #71 Team Schemes page.(11-4-2010)

Gaughan in the #71 at Phoenix: Brendan Gaughan will make his Sprint Cup Series return behind the wheel of the #71 TRG Chevy at Phoenix on Nov. 14th. Gaughan, who currently races for Rusty Wallace in the Nationwide Series, last raced in Cup for Jasper Motorsports in 2004. In 36 Cup starts, his career-best finish of fourth came in the fall race at Talladega. Gaughan finished 28th in the points his rookie year.(Fox Sports)(10-31-2010)

McCumbee driving for TRG at Talladega: Chad McCumbee will drive the #71 ModSpace Chevy in the Sprint Cup Series race at Talladega Superspeedway as ModSpace continues their partnership with TRG Motorsports, LLC as the primary sponsor. McCumbee presently pilots the #1 ModSpace car in the ARCA Racing Series having posted seven top-10 finishes this past season. The 26-year-old made his NSCS debut at Pocono Raceway in the #45 Petty Enterprises entry in 2007 and gained additional experience in 2008 making six starts under the Petty Enterprises banner.(TRG)(10-28-2010)

TRG picks up sponsor for Martinsville & Talladega: Following a successful partnership during last weekend’s Bank of America 500 at Charlotte Motor Speedway, ModSpace and TRG Motorsports will continue their partnership through the next two rounds of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series at Martinsville and Talladega. ModSpace is the leading North American supplier of permanent modular construction and temporary modular space. Headquartered in Berwyn, PA, they are an Industry innovator in modular construction. They have been involved in a number of different motorsport endeavors, including their first ever NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race during last weekend’s Bank of America 500. For this weekend’s Tums Fast Relief 500, ModSpace will be part of the “local” story as they support Virginia native Hermie Sadler in the #71 Chevy. Sadler, a veteran of 59 Cup races, is more recently known as an on-air personality for many SPEED television programs.(TRG), no word who will drive the #71 at Talladega.(10-24-2010)

Kenny Wallace to run Rolex 24: Continuing TRG’s strong heritage as the premier team at the Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona, TRG and the Children’s Tumor Foundation (CTF) have agreed to partner for the Racing4Research program at the 2011 race. This is the first time the Children’s Tumor Foundation will run with the team, and the first of several upcoming announcements for the three-time winners of the event. Daytona 24 veterans Ron Yarab, Daniel Graeff, and Pierre Bourque will be joined by NASCAR star Kenny Wallace as the Children’s Tumor Foundation team seeks to exceed $1 million in total donations since its founding in 2007. Known for his nine wins in the NASCAR Nationwide Series, as a colorful host of numerous SPEED programs, as well as a three-time recipient of the Nationwide Series’ “Most Popular Driver Award,” Kenny Wallace will be joining the team for his second Rolex 24.(TRG)(10-19-2010)

Hermie Sadler to run at Martinsville? UPDATE: hearing that Hermie Sadler [current SPEED reporter and part time NASCAR driver] will run the #71 TRG Motorsports Chevy at Martinsville Speedway on October 24th. Supposedly the car will come from RCR and prepared by Kevin Harvick Inc.(10-12-2010)
UPDATE: TRG Motorsports will have Hermie Sadler behind the wheel of the #71 TRG Motorsports Chevy at this weekend's NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Tums Fast Relief 500 to be run at Martinsville Speedway. Sadler, NASCAR racer and SPEED Channel reporter, is no stranger to the tight Martinsville .526-mile layout, often called the paperclip. Sadler has 59 starts in the Sprint Cup Series, nine of those at Martinsville. He has a fourth place finish there in the Nationwide Series in 1993 and a fifth place in the Camping World Truck Series in 1995. The Emporia, Virginia native is ready to get back behind the wheel at his favorite short track. "Martinsville is one of my home tracks here in the state of Virginia," Sadler said. "I have been going to races there since I was five years old. I have run late models, Nationwide Series and truck races there. If I had to pick one Sprint Cup race to do, it is going to be Martinsville."
Kevin Buckler, team owner, is anxious to see what Sadler can do at Martinsville. "This is going to be a really fun deal," Buckler said. "We were looking to hire a driver to run Martinsville that had a strong track record there and that can help us stay in the top 35 in owner's points. Hermie fits the bill perfectly. I had to wrestle him out of the SPEED booth to run this weekend. We have always done well kind of going off the reservation and finding that someone that others might have overlooked. I think Hermie is that guy, especially at Martinsville. Martinsville is a very tough short track and one that Hermie loves and is a local fan favorite. He has a genuine passion and understanding for the track. I can't wait to see what happens this Sunday."(TRG)(10-18-2010)

Associated sponsor joins #71 team at CMS: TRG Motorsports announced that the Apple Baking Company and maker of the Apply Ugly, will serve as an associate sponsor of the TRG Motorsports #71 ModSpace/Chevrolet Impala SS driven by Andy Lally in the Bank of America 500 to be run this evening. Apple Bakery logo 2The Salisbury, NC company's website address, www.EatTheUgly.com, will appear on the side of the car.(TRG Motorsports)(10-16-2010)

ModSpace Joins Forces with TRG for CMS: TRG Motorsports announced Thursday that ModSpace agreed to join forces for this weekend's "home" race for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series at Charlotte Motor Speedway to be run Saturday night under the lights. Andy Lally, seasoned road racer, will be at the wheel of the #71 ModSpace/Savory Thymes/TRG Motorsports Chevy with his first opportunity to run a full Sprint Cup race distance on an oval. ModSpace will be using their Charlotte race partnership with TRG Motorsports to capitalize on the new business-to-business opportunities provided by the media exposure of NASCAR's vast corporate network. ModSpace is among the largest global suppliers of permanent modular construciton and temporary modular space. Headquartered in Berwyn, PA, the company is a leading innovator in modular construction. ModSpace has been involved in a number of different motorsport endeavors, this will be the first venture into the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. TRG Motorsports will also receive support from boutique kitchenware company Savory Thymes. Savory Thymes is a specialist in providing a number of designer wares and accessories for your kitchen (TRG Motorsports), see image of the car on my #71 Team Schemes page.(10-15-2010)

TRG gets sponsor for Auto Club: The Media Barons and TRG Motorsports announced a partnership for the #71 Chevy at this weekend’s Pepsi Max 400 at the Auto Club Speedway with sportscar driver Andy Lally driving the car. The Media Barons, best known for their, err, “innovative” concepts and creative campaigns for a number of commercial entities, have somehow finagled their way on to the side of another race car. Using motosports as a forum to encourage their behavior, NASCAR is the last step for their brand, having been adorned on the side of IndyCars, sportscars in the American Le Mans and GRAND-AM Series, and on a number of individual driver’s suits and helmets throughout the industry. The Media Barons [Note: their website is not for children and may offend some readers] are a Hollywood-based Creative Services company. Known for their unique specialty in the worlds of sketch comedy and also motorsports, the team is known for being able to provide quality, young and edgy content focused on any number of creative and product themes.(TRG Motorsports)(10-8-2010)

Labonte and TaxSlayer.com Racing for a Cause This Weekend: This weekend, Bobby Labonte will be behind the wheel of the #71 TaxSlayer.com Chevy for Sunday night's Emory Healthcare 500 at the Atlanta. For team sponsor, TaxSlayer.com, the race will have special meaning. The primary sponsor of Labonte and the TRG Motorsports team will place a special decal on the "C post" to support and give tribute to Lisa Murray, a dear friend to the TaxSlayer.com family who is currently undergoing treatment for colon cancer. Murray, who was diagnosed with colon cancer this past April, is not only a passionate race fan, but an extended member of the TaxSlayer.com family. Murray and her family planned to attend the race this weekend as a part of TaxSlayer.com and their "Family and Friends" day. Unfortunately, part of Murray's treatment includes surgery which she will undergo this Thursday at the Mayo Clinic, making her unable to attend the race weekend. TaxSlayer.com, along with the Bobby Labonte Foundation, will obtain the participating driver signatures of Sunday's Emory Healthcare 500 on a race helmet to be auctioned off at a later date on eBay, with 100% of the proceeds going to the American Cancer Society in her honor. Along with the helmet, all guests this weekend of TaxSlayer.com will be sporting orange bracelets with the "Murray's March" slogan. TaxSlayer.com is a subsidiary of Rhodes Financial Services and is based in Augusta (Ga.) Murray is also a resident of Augusta.(TRG Motorsports)(9-4-2010)

Post-9/11 GI Bill to Ride with TRG Motorsports at Richmond: The Department of Veterans Affairs Post-9/11 GI Bill will be a partner on the #71 Post-911 GI Bill/TRG Motorsports Chevrolet Impala SS for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Air Guard 400 to be run at Richmond International Raceway on Saturday, September 11. The Post-9/11 GI Bill provides financial support for education and housing to individuals with at least 90 days of aggregate service on or after September 11, 2001. Approved training under the Post-9/11 GI Bill includes graduate and undergraduate degrees as well as vocational/technical training. Landon Cassill will be the driver of the #71 Chevy. TRG Motorsports team principal, Kevin Buckler, is proud to be associated with the Veterans Affairs Post-9/11 GI Bill and their introduction into NASCAR Sprint Cup Racing. The GI Bill has had a personal impact on his family. The Post-9/11 GI Bill, passed by Congress in 2008, provides financial support for education and housing to veteran service men and women, and allows every eligible veteran, service member, reservist and National Guard member an opportunity to receive undergraduate and graduate degrees, as well as vocational and technical training. For more information refer to gibill.va.gov.(TRG Motorsports), see images of the scheme on my #71 Team Schemes page.(8-26-2010)

Lally returns to #71 at Watkins Glen: TRG team driver Andy Lally will be at the controls of the #71 Adobe Road/TRG Motorsports Chevy for the Sprint Cup Series Helluva Good! Sour Cream Dips at The Glen race. Lally, an accomplished road racer, is currently dividing his time between four series'. He is third in points in the Grand-Am Rolex Series GT class with TRG, he is leading the points in the American Le Mans Series (ALMS) GTC class with TRG, and drives in the Grand-Am Continental Sports Car Challenge Series. This weekend Lally will be looking to defend his Watkins Glen Rolex Series Six Hour win from June as well as improve, significantly, on his 27th place, after being caught up in someone else's accident, finish in last year's NASCAR Sprint Cup race. The Northport, New York native made his first Sprint Cup Series start last year at The Glen.(TRG PR)(8-5-2010)

Labonte finds ride for 2011: JTG Daugherty Racing announced that 2000 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Bobby Labonte will take the reins as driver of the #47 Toyota Camry for the 2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series 36-race schedule. “JTG Daugherty Racing is a solid race team that has come close to winning races with Marcos Ambrose and I’m looking forward to developing our new partnership in 2011,” Labonte said. “The team is thriving and their technical alliance with MWR (Michael Waltrip Racing) is intact. It’s great to have next year already set in stone so when this season ends we can begin focusing on next year right away. Everything is in place and we have all the right ingredients to win races together.”
Labonte’s credentials speak for themselves. The Corpus Christi, Texas native is a 21-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series winner with 26 pole awards, 114 top-five and 199 top-10 finishes. Team owners Jodi and Tad Geschickter and Brad Daugherty are pleased Labonte accepted the offer to drive the JTG Daugherty Racing NASCAR Sprint Cup Series entry as they enter their third full-time season of competition at Daytona International Speedway on February 13th.
“We are really happy Bobby has decided to join our team because I have known him for a long time and I have always admired him as a professional driver and as an individual,” Daugherty said. “He will do an outstanding job representing our products and team. He has gotten to a point in his career that he still has some things to accomplish. He is highly experienced with a championship on his résumé’ and we know he is capable of winning.”
“We would like to give a warm welcome to Bobby as he joins the JTG Daugherty Racing family,” said Jodi Geschickter. “We know he is an amazing fit for our sponsors and racing organization. The Labonte name has a history of excellence. Bobby is a proven winner, a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion and his character is solid. We share similar goals and views regarding the future. We are pleased that he has accepted the offer to join JTG Daugherty Racing in 2011.”
JTG Daugherty Racing’s partners concur. “We are extremely excited to have Bobby coming on board,” said Grant LaMontagne, Senior Vice President and Chief Customer Officer of The Clorox Company, the longest running sponsor partner of JTG Daugherty Racing. “He’s a champion and a great fit for our brands. We expect to have a serious run for the Chase next season.” This announcement follows Marcos Ambrose’s decision to part ways with JTG Daugherty Racing at the end of the year, which was confirmed on Tuesday by team officials.(JTG Daugherty Racing)(7-28-2010)

Labonte to the #47?: Bobby Labonte is the leading candidate to drive the #47 Toyota for JTG Daugherty Racing in 2011, multiple sources confirmed Tuesday. JTG Daugherty Racing will be the sixth team in four years for Labonte, who left Petty Enterprises after the 2008 season. In 2009, he drove for Hall of Fame Racing in a #96 Ford fielded by Yates Racing for much of the year but found himself out of a ride late in the season. He drove the remaining races for #71 TRG Motorsports and started 2010 with that organization. He left that seat in June when the team began having to park early in events because of a lack of funding. He has driven for Robby Gordon Motorsports and Phoenix Racing in the months since then and will be back in a TRG car this weekend at Pocono Raceway. The 2000 Cup champion, Labonte has 602 career Cup starts with 21 victories. The 46-year-old Labonte will replace Marcos Ambrose, who announced Tuesday he was parting ways with the team after the 2010 season. A Bobby Labonte spokesman declined to comment.(SceneDaily)(7-28-2010)

Labonte returning to TRG for four races: With the second half of the 2010 Sprint Cup season under way, TRG Motorsports and Bobby Labonte have agreed to campaign in four additional races sponsored by TaxSlayer.com. After parting ways following the Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Infineon Raceway in June, Labonte and TRG Motorsports have agreed to campaign at the upcoming races at:
Pocono,
Michigan,
Atlanta and
Texas.
For all four races, the car will feature the familiar red and black paint scheme of TRG sponsor Taxslayer.com.(TRG PR)(7-21-2010)

Cassill to Drive for TRG at Chicago: Landon Cassill will make his second NASCAR Sprint Cup Series start behind the wheel of the #71 TRG Motorsports Chevy at the LifeLock.com 400 to be run at Chicagoland Speedway on Saturday night, July 10. The recently turned 21-year old, July 7th, Cassill is a development driver for Hendrick Motorsports. The Cedar Rapids, Iowa native and 2008 Nationwide Series Raybestos Rookie of the Year is excited to be making his second Sprint Cup Series start this weekend. "The deal came about with through Dan Stillman (TRG Motorsports crew chief) he put me together with Kevin Buckler," Cassill said. "We talked over the past couple of weeks and they needed a driver for this weekend and I am happy to step in. This will be my second Sprint Cup Series start, the first was in the 09 at Michigan. I have been spending my time as the development driver for Hendrick Motorsports and the 48, 5, 88 and 24 teams. TRG Motorsports is building a team and are trying to market their product and I am a driver in need of a ride. I need every opportunity to showcase my ability behind the wheel. I can't thank them enough for the opportunity. I hope this is a relationship that can grow."(TRG Motorsports)(7-9-2010)

Bliss to drive for TRG at Daytona: TRG Motorsports welcomes back Mike Bliss to drive the #71 TRG Motorsports Chevy for the Coke Zero 400 to be run at Daytona International Speedway this Saturday, July 3. Bliss had two starts with TRG Motorsports in 2009 at Charlotte Motor Speedway and Richmond as well as their first Craftsman Truck race at Daytona in 2008 where he had an outstanding run. Bliss will be running with Dan Stillman, crew chief, for the first time. Bliss qualified tenth in his last superspeedway start at Talladega in April. Bliss has the highest qualifying effort to date for TRG Motorsports, a seventh at the Charlotte Sprint Cup race last year.(TRG Motorsports PR)(6-3-2010)

Labonte talks about leaving TRG and future: When Bobby Labonte starts the 2010 Brickyard 400, he will be making his 600th consecutive start. Well, for right now, that’s if Labonte starts the 2010 Brickyard 400. Labonte likely will have a ride for that event – considering he is a past Cup champion (he won the title in 2000) and has access to past champion provisionals. So even if a team isn’t in the top 35, he’d be in the race. But Labonte was prepared last Monday to see that streak end this weekend. He was prepared to leave TRG Motorsports and the #71 car because he couldn’t stomach the start-and-park plan for the organization’s unsponsored races. He had done three of them and that was enough. He didn’t have a ride until Tuesday afternoon when he got a call from Robby Gordon, who needed someone to drive his car while he went to Argentina on a business trip for his off-road racing team. The streak – which includes all but two of his career Cup races – is not that huge a deal to Labonte, who is driving for Gordon this weekend at New Hampshire and then #09 Phoenix Racing the next two weekends at Daytona and Chicago. Gordon has talked about entering a second car [#07 Toyota] for Labonte at Indianapolis but nothing is certain yet. “It’s there, but it’s not like one of those things I’ve got to sit there and say, ‘Hey, I’m only doing it because of that,’” Labonte said about the streak. “I’m doing this because of the passion I have for it and what I want to do." It is possible that Labonte will drive for #71 TRG Motorsports in a few races later this year if the races are fully funded. Beyond that, he is not sure what will happen for him after Chicago and into 2011. “It’s pretty early in the year to be looking,” Labonte said. “It’s good to be looking that far ahead but we’re not quite there yet [where teams are deciding for 2011].”(SceneDaily)(6-27-2010)

Labonte not in the #71 at NHMS UPDATE: Andy Lally, and not Bobby Labonte, will drive the #71 Chevy for TRG Motorsports in the Sprint Cup race this weekend in New Hampshire. Despite rumors that Labonte and TRG have parted ways, owner Kevin Buckler said that wasn’t the case. “We’re still trying to work through everything,” Buckler said. Lally, 35, has won three Grand-Am Rolex Series titles and also competing in the Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge. Lally is a six-year TRG veteran.(FoxSports)
AND: Bobby Labonte plans to part ways with TRG Motorsports, sources said Tuesday. An announcement is expected Wednesday that Labonte has left the team. Labonte possibly could end up in the #7 Robby Gordon Motorsports Toyota and run the full race this weekend at New Hampshire. The team and crew chief Doug Randolph parted ways a few weeks ago.(SceneDaily)(6-23-2010)
UPDATE: Andy Lally will make his NASCAR Sprint Cup oval debut in the #71 TRG Motorsports/Chevy in this Sunday's running of the LENOX Industrial Tools 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Andy LallyThe Northport, NY native made his first official Sprint Cup start at Watkins Glen last year; posting a 15th place qualifying effort and a 27th finish for TRG Motorsports. Lally, a seasoned sports car ace, cut his teeth in the NASCAR ranks by participating in the Camping World Truck Series with TRG Motorsports in 2007 and 2008. Lally has won the coveted Grand-Am Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona two times (2009, 2001) and is a three time series champion (2006, 2004, and 2001). Lally is currently third in Grand-Am Rolex Series Presented by Crown Royal Reserve GT points on the strength of two wins at Virginia International Raceway and Watkins Glen. Lally is appreciative of the opportunity to perform on the world's biggest motorsport stage. "I am going at this weekend with the most positive outlook that I can. I am getting a pretty neat opportunity to get some laps in on an oval in a Sprint Cup car on a track that I have never driven. This will be my first time on an oval in a Sprint Cup car. Having just one 90-minute practice session before we qualify to acclimate myself with how this car feels and drives with an oval setup on it and 44 other guys on the track at the same time will be pretty tricky. It will be a monumental challenge to be productive. I am going to take it one lap at a time, respect every other driver's space out there and do the best that I can." Team owner Kevin Buckler is managing change for his second year Sprint Cup team. "After Infineon we went through some soul searching regarding the direction and goals of our team as we have yet to achieve what we have set out to do this year. Bobby (Labonte) is a NASCAR Champion and a good guy. We figured out after Infineon though, that our relationship had run its course and we both needed to mix it up a little. We may still have Bobby in our car for a few more races this season, but for now we are going in different directions. We are a young team in this sport and we are trying very hard to attract a sponsor partner as we have a lot to offer on all of our programs. We are exploring our options for the Daytona weekend as we plan to race hard at the Coke Zero 400."(TRG Motorsports)(6-24-2010)

Labonte to run #09 car for two race: Phoenix Racing and team owner James Finch announced that Bobby Labonte will drive the team's #09 Chevy in a two-race agreement. Labonte will race the #09 Chevy in the Coke Zero 400 at Daytona International Speedway on July 3rd. He is also slated to drive the LifeLock.com 400 at Chicagoland Speedway on July 10th for the team. The team will compete for wins in both events. "It's good to know that we'll have a past champion in our car for these two races," said team owner James Finch. "I've known Bobby for a while and he always works hard behind the wheel. This is a good opportunity for us to race for a win." Labonte, a veteran of the Coca-Cola Racing Family, will be making his 600th career start at Daytona during the Coke Zero 400. The team is currently looking for sponsorship for the two events and will secure Labonte for additional events if sponsorship can be acquired. "Any driver wants the chance to win at Daytona," said Labonte. "It's awesome that James has given me this opportunity and also the chance to compete at Chicagoland. I'm looking forward to these two races and making my 600th start at Daytona during the Coke Zero 400."(Breaking Limits / PR)(6-23-2010)

Bobby Labonte to Drive for Robby Gordon Motorsports at Loudon: Robby Gordon Motorsports will put 2000 NASCAR Sprint Cup champion Bobby Labonte behind the wheel of the #7 Toyota at New Hampshire Motor Speedway for the Lenox Industrial Tools 301 this weekend in a current one-race deal. “When we found out that Bobby was available to drive for us, we jumped at it,” said team owner Robby Gordon. “To have a past champion driving your car is a good opportunity. I think we can learn from him this weekend and it will help our program moving forward.” Robby Gordon Motorsports finished second in last weekend’s race at the Infineon Raceway. “I can’t thank Robby and his folks enough for this opportunity,” said Labonte. “We’re going to New Hampshire with the goal of having another solid run for his team. They had a great finish at Sonoma and have some momentum right now. I’m just thankful for the opportunity and hope to get another solid finish for his team.” Labonte will be making his first start for Robby Gordon Motorsports and plans on running the full race this Sunday.(Robby Gordon Motorsports)(6-23-2010)

Winery to sponsor #71 TRG car at Infineon: Adobe Road Winery will be the primary sponsor for the #71 TRG Motorsports Chevy that Bobby Labonte will drive this weekend at the 1.99-mile Infineon Raceway. Labonte has two top-five and five top-10 finishes with an average start and finish of 18th. Team Owner Kevin Buckler will serve as race strategist for the team. Buckler will sit atop the pit box and call the race for the team. From the Owner, Kevin Buckler :"TRG Motorsports is also proud to have Adobe Road Winery as the primary sponsor for the No. 71 Chevrolet. It's just a part of being home and being by our winery. Like the race team, I take pride in the winery. We're going to showcase it on the car and get the fans excited about it. We are still working on sponsorship for the upcoming races. Hopefully with momentum from this weekend, we will be able to attract future partners to the sport. The goal for TRG Motorsports is to be competitive in NASCAR. We will be making the necessary changes that will help us achieve our goal."(TRG)(6-18-2010)

New crew chief for Labonte: TRG Motorsports announced today Paul Clapprood has been named interim crew chief for the #71 Chevy driven by Bobby Labonte in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. The change is effective immediately. Clapprood, who takes over the crew chief duties from Doug Randolph, will be on top of the pit box for this weekend's Helavua Good! Sour Cream Dips 400 at the two-mile Michigan International Speedway. "We are pleased to give Paul this opportunity and we wish Doug all the best," said team owner, Kevin Buckler. "Paul has demonstrated his abilities with the car in the past and has been very dedicated to our program since we started our Sprint Cup operation. We will be on a methodical two-week process to hire a full-time crew chief and will expect an announcement after Infineon."(TRG Motorsports)(6-9-2010)

Labonte Bowls to help out: #71-Bobby Labonte hasn't bowled since his younger days, but found he still had a little something in his arm during a charity event Thursday in Philadelphia. The 2000 Sprint Cup Series champion rolled a 137 and broke 100 in the second game of Philadelphia Phillies second baseman Jimmy Rollins' BaseBowl Tournament. Labonte was the only NASCAR driver participating in the event saturated with Philadelphia-area sports celebrities and several Phillies including pitcher Roy Halladay, who pitched a perfect game against Florida on May 29. (Scheduled to pitch at home Friday night against San Diego, he did not bowl.) "There were a lot of great people there and I hope I made an impact," Labonte said. "I was very impressed with what the Rollins family is doing. I found out Jimmy is a big NASCAR fan. I talked with Roy a little bit, mostly about the cause. He could've been one of those guys that want to talk about what they did, but he didn't mention it."(Roanoke Times)(6-6-2010)

TRG Motorsports features West Virginia Miners & Post-9/11 GI Bill: TRG Motorsports today announced a partnership with The Upper Big Branch Family Fund to pay tribute to the 29 West Virginia miners who lost their lives in a mining incident on April 5th. This partnership will launch during this weekend's Coca-Cola 600 at the Charlotte Motor Speedway. The team will help raise awareness through the website, www.RememberTheMiners.org, to be featured as a part of the paint scheme of the TRG Motorsports #71 Chevrolet driven by NASCAR Sprint Cup champion Bobby Labonte. The Upper Big Branch Family Fund was formed to give support, assistance and scholarships to the families of the fallen miners. The fund will help the miners' family members pay for college or take care of other expenses to keep the family stable, a fitting tribute to the men who died. The Fund was created by West Virginia University Head Basketball Coach Bob Huggins and Big Coal River native Jason Parsons (TRG Motorsports).
AND TRG Motorsports announced a new partnership with The United States Department of Veterans Affairs. The team will highlight the Post-9/11 GI Bill program on the #71 Chevry driven by Bobby Labonte this weekend during the Coca-Cola 600. The Post-9/11 GI Bill is an education program that provides benefits for Veterans, Service Members and their families. This bill is a flexible educational benefit designed to help these men and women jumpstart their new careers. This is a tribute to thank all these men and women for their extraordinary service. The #71 Chevy will carry the URL www.GIBill.va.gov on various primary positions of the car including the quarter panel and TV panel. An American flag will adorn the hood of the car this weekend. The Post-9/11 GI Bill can include up to 100% of tuition, a housing allowance and money for books. This is a part of our Country's gratitude for the service and sacrifices by true hero's. Currently more than 600,000 Veterans are using the VA Education Benefits. VA has made over three billion in payments under the Post-9/11 GI Bill program.(TRG Motorsports)(5-29-2010)

TRG needs sponsorship, will start-and-park if needed: TRG Motorsports had no sponsor for the Autism Speaks 400 on Sunday at Dover International Speedway and 2000 Sprint Cup champion Bobby Labonte parked after 65 laps. The team needs sponsorship for several future races this season as well, team executive vice president Tortey Galida said before the race. Sponsor TaxSlayer.com was a 12-race primary deal and most of its races were early in the year to coincide with tax season. Team owner Kevin Buckler’s Adobe Road Winery is another sponsor. “We’re still looking for partners,” Galida said prior to the Autism Speaks 400. “TaxSlayer has been a great partner for us this year but they’re not on for the full season. We’re getting to the point where we’ve got to be strategic with how we use our resources and continue to run as well as we can and attract more sponsorship. We’ve had tons of leads, lots of great meetings but just haven’t been able to close [with] anybody. We think we’re close on a couple of things. We’re at a point now where we’ve got to start [getting sponsors] pretty quickly.” TRG has alliances with several organizations. It uses a pit crew provided by Stewart-Haas Racing. It has a strategic alliance with Richard Childress Racing as it uses RCR cars and chassis. The team plans to show up for every race, Galida said, and not do a program such as the Wood Brothers, which comes to select races as a fully funded car. Labonte, who has a spot in the Sprint All-Star Race, will run the full event next week with sponsorship from TaxSlayer.com.(SceneDaily)(5-17-2010)

Texas Governor sponsoring Labonte at TMS: TRG Motorsports, Bobby Labonte and Texas Gov. Rick Perry announced that Texans for Rick Perry will sponsor the #71 racecar of NASCAR’s most popular Texan, Bobby Labonte, during the Samsung Mobile 500 at Texas Motor Speedway on April 18, 2010. Emblazoned with the Texans for Rick Perry logo and the sponsorship slogan “Moving Texas Forward”, the Chevy driven by Labonte will tour across the state in the days leading up to the Samsung Mobile 500 race at Texas Motor Speedway on April 18, offering race fans the chance to get an up close and personal glimpse at a stock car and learn more about Gov. Perry’s effort to keep “Moving Texas Forward”. NASCAR is an important contributor to Texas’ economic vitality, drawing more than 400,000 spectators and generating revenue equivalent to one Super Bowl event, approximately $90 million, during a single NASCAR weekend at Fort Worth’s Texas Motor Speedway. The speedway is home to the five largest single-day spectator events in the state of Texas, two NASCAR Sprint Cup Series events, two NASCAR Nationwide Series events and the IndyCar Series Race, contributing a regional economic impact of approximately $300,000,000 per year.(TRG PR)
AND: Perry's campaign paid $225,000 to sponsor the car through the April 18 race.(Ft. Worth Star-Telegram)(4-6-2010)

Bobby Labonte Racing Launches Fan-Friendly Web Site: Fans of Bobby Labonte Racing can now get all the information they need about Earl Pearson Jr., Brad Neat and the whole BLR team on the new BobbyLabonteRacing.com. The new Web site provides the most up-to-date news and information about the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series team owned by NASCAR Sprint Cup Champion Bobby Labonte. BobbyLabonteRacing.com helps fans follow the race-by-race action of the team's two cars - Pearson Jr.'s #44 Lucas Oil Dodge and Neat's #41 Red Buck Filtered Cigars Chevrolet - with news, schedules, results, photos and team-member bios. The site also embraces the growing use of social media, providing fans with Facebook and Twitter connections to Bobby Labonte Racing, Pearson Jr. and Neat, and the ability to subscribe via RSS feed to team news.(Breaking Limits)(3-17-2010)

Taxslayer.com adds Atlanta race to 2010 schedule: As tax season gets into full swing, TaxSlayer.com has decided to add the Kobalt Tools 500 to its list of primary sponsorship races for the #71 TRG Motorsports team and NASCAR Champion Bobby Labonte, who returns to Atlanta Motor Speedway as the track’s most winning active driver. TaxSlayer.com made its debut in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series last year at Watkins Glen International Raceway and served as the primary sponsor of the #71 a total of six times in 2009 before signing on for a multi-race sponsorship in 2010. Jimmy Rhodes, President of TaxSlayer.com, has seen a tremendous upswing in the company’s business since joining the ranks of NASCAR sponsors. “We’ve seen that the power of sponsorship really does work since we’ve joined forces with TRG as the primary sponsor on the # 71,” Rhodes said. “This is always our busiest time of year, but we’re really seeing a return on our investment in the sport and believe that adding the Atlanta race to our primary sponsorship schedule can only serve to grow our business further.”(TRG Motorsports), TaxSlayer.com is scheduled to be the primary sponsor for 14 races in 2010 [including the Bud Shootour and All-Star Race], now 15 races with the addition of Atlanta in March.(3-2-2010)

TRG gains assoc sponsor..."'Festivus Pole" makers: TRG Motorsports announced that The Wagner Companies will serve as an associate sponsor with Bobby Labonte on-board the #71 TaxSlayer.com Chevy in Las Vegas. The Wagner Companies’, which primarily produces a wide variety of metal products, assisted in developing the safety cage for NASCAR’s COT and also manufactures the “Festivus Pole” made popular by the television sitcom “Seinfeld.” The Wagner Companies has been in the metal business since 1850 as a manufacturer of handrail fittings and metal products for architectural and industrial applications, more info at wagnercompanies.com.(TRG)(2-23-2010)

TRG form alliance with RCR: TRG Motorsports announced a strategic alliance with Richard Childress Racing for its 2010 NASCAR Sprint Cup program. In this new agreement, RCR will provide cars, chassis repairs and testing resources for TRG’s Sprint Cup Series operations. TRG will team with Stewart-Haas Racing for Pit Crew support to coordinate faster pit stops. “All of these new partnerships are really a great thing for us as an organization,” Team Owner Kevin Buckler said. “As a one-car team, our resources have been limited in the past. This is really the best of both worlds for us to work with strong, successful organizations like RCR and Stewart-Haas.” After its first full year in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, TRG Motorsports begins 2010 with Championship-winning driver Bobby Labonte in the #71 Chevy, Crew Chief Doug Randolph, a new executive team led by Torrey Galida and Grand-American Championship-winning Driver/Owner Kevin Buckler, the organization will build on its winning history for a successful future and is poised as a serious competitor. Despite being a one-car operation in a sport filled with multi-car teams, TRG Motorsports brings a new business plan and organizational outlook, positioning itself to successfully go toe-to-toe with the powerhouses of NASCAR. With a solid strategic alliance with Richard Childress Racing and engine program through Earnhardt-Childress Racing Technologies, TRG will begin its second year of Cup competition with a strong stable of Chevrolet Impalas and a vision to succeed. Sponsor TaxSlayer.com makes its return to NASCAR with TRG as the primary sponsor for a portion of the 2010 season [13 races]. TaxSlayer.com made its debut in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series last year at Watkins Glen International Raceway and served as the primary sponsor of the #71 a total of six times in 2009.(TRG)(2-10-2010)

Most NASCAR drivers don't fare well in Rolex 24: Full-time NASCAR drivers were shut out from the winner’s circle and even podium finishes Sunday at the Rolex 24 At Daytona. The 24-hour race was won by the Porsche of Action Express Racing driven by Joao Barbosa, Terry Borcheller, Mike Rockenfeller and Ryan Dalziel. They finished 50 seconds ahead of Chip Ganassi Racing’s car driven by Scott Pruett and Memo Rojas as well as Germain Racing part-time Cup driver Max Papis and IndyCar Series driver Justin Wilson. Ganassi’s other car – co-driven by his Cup drivers Juan Pablo Montoya and Jamie McMurray as well as his IndyCar Series drivers Dario Franchitti and Scott Dixon – blew an engine while leading less than nine hours into the event at Daytona. About half the field did not finish the race, including four-time defending Sprint Cup champion Jimmie Johnson as his Bob Stallings Racing car had an oil pump issue and retired with about four hours remaining. Richard Petty Motorsports had two drivers in the field. AJ Allmendinger drove for Michael Shank Racing and was in third when his engine blew less than two hours prior to the finish and the team had to settle for seventh. Paul Menard drove for Spirit of Daytona Racing, which retired before the halfway point and wound up 32nd. Roush Fenway Racing Nationwide Series driver Colin Braun had the best day of the NASCAR contingent as he was part of the fourth-place Krohn Racing team. TRG Motorsports’ Bobby Labonte drove one of the team cars and was leading before running out of fuel and having to be towed back to the pits with about five hours remaining. Other mechanical issues plagued the team, which finished 16th overall, ninth in the Grand Touring class. Part-time Cup driver Boris Said was part of a Turner Motorsport team that finished 15th overall, eighth in the GT class.(Scene Daily)(2-1-2010)

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

Labonte to run Rolex 24: #71-Bobby Labonte, the 2000 NASCAR Cup Series champion, was spotted in Tuesday's Grand-Am test at Daytona International Speedway in a TRG Porsche. Labonte drives Kevin Buckler's TRG NASCAR Sprint Cup car and plans to compete in the Rolex 24. Labonte, who has three Rolex 24 starts, will join the defending GT winning #67 TRG Porsche GT3 in the 2010 race, co-driving with Andy Lally, Spencer Pumpelly and Tim George Jr. "Kevin really didn't have to talk me into it," Labonte said. "I've always been a big fan of the Rolex 24 since I started racing and I raced a go-kart on the same track back when I was 15. He didn't have to twist my arm." (Daytona Beach News Journal)(12-9-2009)

Randolph named crew chief for Labonte: TRG Motorsports announced that veteran crew chief Doug Randolph will take the reins as the new crew chief for Bobby Labonte and the #71 Sprint Cup Series team effective immediately. Randolph, who was most recently at the helm of the #07 at Richard Childress Racing, began his Cup career with Junior Johnson and has worked with organizations including DEI, Bill Davis Racing and sat atop the pit box for Labonte in 2007 at Petty Enterprises. In their short time together, the pair garnered some strong finishes and are eager to renew their relationship under TRG Motorsports banner.(TRG PR)(12-8-2009)

TRG and Labbe part ways UPDATE 2 to the #98: Official Statement from TRG Motorsports Regarding Former Crew Chief Slugger Labbe: TRG Motorsports today released Slugger Labbe as crew chief of the #71 Cup car. TRG appreciates Slugger's dedication in its first year as a Cup organization where he helped guide the team to 35 consecutive starts and TRG's first top-10 finish in the Sprint Cup Series. TRG Motorsports will, as planned, compete full time in 2010 with Bobby Labonte behind the wheel of the #71 with TaxSlayer.com on-board for a good portion of the season and is currently in negotiations with several top-level crew chiefs.(TRG Motorsports)(12-3-2009)
UPDATE: Labbe has several offers on the table and is expected to make an announcement concerning his future on Monday. GM Mike Brown has left TRG as well. Brown was a longtime fixture at Bill Davis Racing prior to joining TRG in March. Brown says he has no formal plans but "several irons in the fire".(FoxSports)(12-4-2009)
UPDATE: Labbe will be the crew chief for Paul Menard and the #98 Menard's Ford in 2010. A formal announcement is expected from Yates Racing on Monday. Labbe parted ways with TRG Motorsports on Thursday to accept the new role. Labbe was touring the Yates shops on Friday and was introduced as "Menard's new crew chief," several sources confirmed. Menard's previous crew chief Larry Carter parted ways with the organization at season's end.(FoxSports)(12-4-2009)

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.(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)