JR Motorsports, a Mooresville, NC-based company owned by Dale Earnhardt, Jr., will step up a couple of rungs on the stock car racing ladder when they field their first NASCAR Busch Series entry in the Ford 300 season finale at the Homestead-Miami Speedway in Homestead, Fl. Mark McFarland, who will compete full-time in the Busch Series in 2006 in the #88 U.S. Navy-sponsored Monte Carlos, will attempt to make his first Busch Series start of 2005 and his first at Homestead-Miami Speedway. He has nine career Busch Series starts with his best finish of 16th coming at Richmond International Speedway in September of 2004. McFarland has been competing full-time on the USAR Hooters Pro Cup circuit in 2005 where he has compiled 1 win, six poles and nine top-five finishes in the ultra-competitive series. McFarland, a Winchester, Va. native, will have fellow Virginian Jefferson Hodges on top of the pit box as his crew chief. Hodges, who is from Williamsburg, Va., has been the crew chief for JR Motorsports’ Hooters Pro Cup effort and the car will have Richard Childress Racing engines. While the 27-year-old McFarland is technically a rookie, this will be his 10th Busch Series start. Most recently he participated in Tommy Baldwin Racing’s rotating lineup of 2004. His average finish of 20th was the highest for the #6 entry.(JR Motorsports PR)(11-17-2005)
