Kevin Grubb will drive the #54 Team Bristol Motorsports Chevy at Las Vegas today, replacing Kelly Denton, who has been released from the team. Kelly Denton, who drove the #54 GC Toys Chevy at Daytona and Rockingham, was released from the ride Friday and replaced by Kevin Grubb. Rick Goodwin, team owner for nine months, said it was time to make a change and Denton was the result of that decision. Grubb will have to start at the tail of the field. Denton had qualified 34th.(NASCAR.com), doesn’t say if it is a one race deal or longer.(3-2-2002)
UPDATE: Kevin Grubb is in the #54 full time as of now. Also, crew chief Tony Lambert is looking for a car chief and a couple of fabricators right now and the team is very close on getting a sponsor. See my BGN Team Address page for ways to contact the team.(3-5-2002)
UPDATE 2: Several other changes are in store for Goodwins #54 team, which began operation last season. For starters, he plans to announce a full-time primary sponsor prior to the March 9 Atlanta race. Goodwin said his team will also run five Winston Cup races later this season, and attempt to run the full Winston Cup schedule in 2003. Goodwin said Grubb will be considered for the teams Winston Cup effort, depending on his performance this year. Goodwin said he is also preparing to start a second team, and is close to signing a sponsor, believed to be the Golden Nugget/MGM-Mirage resorts, for that deal. The Golden Nugget was on Goodwins car at Las Vegas for a one-race deal. If everything goes according to plan, he said, the team will make its debut in late April at California Speedway. By landing two primary sponsors, Goodwin is definitely bucking a trend in the sport, as many Winston Cup and Busch team owners are struggling to find financial support. Goodwin said theres no secret behind his success.(Winston Cup Scene – need sub to read)(3-7-2002)
UPDATE 3 and MORE: The Team Bristol Motorsports BGN team will have new sponsorship when the tour rolls into Bristol on March 23 and series regular Kevin Grubb has been tabbed to drive the team’s Chevrolets, team owner Rick Goodwin said Wednesday. Grubb, who replaced Bristol’s Kelly Denton last weekend in Las Vegas, will complete the 2002 BGN schedule in the car, with sponsorship from Toys R Us, a national toy retailer. The team also plans to run five Winston Cup races this season, Goodwin said. “We’ve signed Toys R Us as sponsor for the 54 car and we will launch that in Bristol. It’s a big deal for us and a big deal for NASCAR,” Goodwin said. GC Toys provides product to Toys R Us, Goodwin said. Despite the current sponsor troubles in Winston Cup and Busch, Goodwin has big plans for the Bristol-based team which also employs longtime BGN car owner Ed Whitaker of Bristol. “With this deal we plan to run five Cup races this year and we want to look to Winston Cup for 2003 or 2004,” Goodwin said. “The cars will continue to be fielded here by Team Bristol. We don’t have a Cup schedule yet, but the one I can tell you we plan to run is the August night race in Bristol. Running here is very important to me. To run and run well. The other races we’ll take one at a time,” Goodwin added. “We’ve already expanded the shop and we are currently discussing a second (Busch) team. We’re in negotiation with a sponsor and are looking at a second team. It may race out of Charlotte.”(Bristol Herald Courier)(3-7-2002)
UPDATE a sponsor: Team Bristol Motorsports owner Rick Goodwin announced a primary sponsorship agreement between Toys “R” Us and his Bristol, VA based BGN team. Toys “R” Us will serve as the primary sponsor on the # 54 BGN Chevy driven by Kevin Grubb. The Toys “R” Us Chevrolet competed in its first race, the Channellock 250 at Bristol.(Camp and Assoc PR)(3-24-2002)
