JTG Daughterty Racing co-owner Tad Geschickter said Wednesday that the teams #47 Nationwide Series team for driver Kelly Bires will run at least 12 races in 2009 as sponsorship issues will likely force the team to cut back to part-time status. Geschickter has run full-time teams in the series since the mid-1990s, running two cars since 2004. But JTG Daugherty likely will have two part-time teams in 2009. Geschickter said Frank Kerr, crew chief for the teams Sprint Cup car driven by Marcos Ambrose, will likely call the shots for Bires on race days. Otherwise, a full-time replacement for the departed Scott Zipadelli will not be named. The teams #59 Nationwide entry, driven last year by Ambrose, will sit most of the year. Ambrose will run two Nationwide road-course races, and development driver Coleman Pressley could drive in some short-track events later in the year.(Scene Daily)(1-7-2009)
UPDATE: Hearing that JTG will have Michael McDowell driving the #47 at Daytona and there is sponsorship with him for a partial schedule. Gene Nead will be the crew chief for the team. JTG Daugherty continues to work with Kelly Bires to run a limited number of races.(1-20-2009)
UPDATE 2: Bires could race in the second half of the year if the team finds money, but he also is free to pursue other opportunities. As consolation prizes go, though, Bires’ is not bad. He will drive for Blackjack Racing, a new, part-time team out of the ARCA series, [in the Daytona 500]. “If we make the race, we’ll probably get more publicity out of that than I did out of a whole year and a half in the Nationwide Series.” Blackjack plans a limited schedule for its regular driver, Westby native Dexter Bean, but with only one NASCAR short-track race to his credit, Bean has not been approved by NASCAR to race on a superspeedway.(Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)(1-20-2009)
UPDATE 3: McDowell will run for Raybestos Rookie of the Year honors and plans to enter at least the first 16 races. By mid-summer, McDowell hopes team owner Tad Geschickter will have found funding to allow the team to continue further. McDowell hopes that with some solid performances, hell be able to work toward 2010 in securing funding to go Cup racing with JTG.(Scene Daily)(1-22-2009)
UPDATE 4: JTG Daugherty Racing announces Michael McDowell has been signed to compete in the Nationwide Series for the 2009 season. Joining McDowell at JTG Daugherty is new Crew Chief Gene Nead. The 2008 driver of the #47, Kelly Bires, remains under contract with the team. The team is actively pursuing sponsorship for Bires.(JTG Daugherty Racing PR)(2-4-2009)
