Toronto businessman Steve Meehan bought Baker Curb Racing Nationwide team in a deal that closed following the Mar. 19 race in Bristol, Tenn. Driver J.R. Fitzpatrick is a key element in a planned all-Canadian NASCAR outfit that promises to take him to the Sprint Cup. “I think it’s fantastic. Steve is a really good guy, he’s Canadian and he really wants to see Canadian corporate sponsorship and Canadian drivers, so I mean it’s really cool,” Fitzpatrick said. “He really believes in me and that’s what I really like. Given that I do need the experience and the time at the tracks and, even if it can’t be a full year, he is definitely going to push my career along and I am glad to be a part of it.” With NASCAR’s exposure and huge popularity, the team should be attractive to Canadian companies who want to use the series to promote themselves in this country and in the U.S., as well as companies from south of the border looking to get their names known in Canada. But with the ink still fresh, Meehan will back the effort mostly with his “love for racing” until the business development part of the plan gets going and the team starts attracting sponsorship. Although plans haven’t been completely finalized, the short-term goal is to run a limited schedule in 2011 with a long-term objective of getting into the top tier Cup Series by 2013. “We will run primarily in Nationwide and likely a few Cup races in 2011 Â I think J.R. is comfortable running the road courses in Cup and with a little bit more experience and practice I think he could run an oval or two in Cup,” said Meehan, 46, founder of the Investment Planning Counsel, which was acquired by IGM Financial in 2004 for $95 million in a cash and stock deal. “Our focus is to quickly evolve to a full-time Cup team and I think J.R. is sufficiently talented to get there with the right people behind him.” Fitzpatrick has raced nine times in Nationwide since 2007, with seven of those starts coming on road courses. He also has 13 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series starts under his belt. Originally, he was slated to race April 8 in Texas, but the change in ownership has the team regrouping and instead planning to hit the stop three weeks away in Nashville.(Globe and Mail)(4-1-2011)
UPDATE: Baker Curb Racing says that have not been sold. The team sold 1 transporter, 2 cars and some pit equipment, but nothing else. They are still functioning and seeking sponsors.(4-1-2011)
UPDATE 2: Jason Sharpe, Fitzpatrick’s business manager, said that while the driver will race in select Canadian Tire races this season, his main focus will be on a dozen NASCAR Nationwide Series races with one or two Sprint Cup races thrown in later in the year. Sharpe confirm ed that Toronto businessman Steve Meehan had purchased all but the name of the Baker Curb Racing Nationwide team and intends to take Fitzpatrick to the top with the goal of being full-time in Sprint Cup by 2013. Meantime, a press conference is planned in the near future to connect the dots. The new team is aiming to run the Nationwide race at Nashville April 23.(Toronto Star)(4-4-2011)
UPDATE 3: Baker Curb again states that they have only sold equipment that they did not need. By no means have they sold the team. They continue to talk to sponsors and have equipment ready to race.(Baker Curb)(4-4-2011)
UPDATE 4: Steve Meehan … last week finalized the purchase of two NNS cars, a team transporter and some pit road equipment from Baker Curb Racing of Nashville, Tenn. It was originally reported that Meehan had bought out BCR, but that was not the case. “I should note however that I didn’t buy the Baker Curb organization, I bought the assets,” he told the Sun in an e-mail. “It was reported … I bought the team which is an understandable mistake but I don’t want any confusion about owning the corporation. Gary Baker still owns the name and the corporate entity.” The good news is that J.R. Fitzpatrick, of Cambridge, Ont., who has driven the #27 Baker Curb Racing Ford twice already this season, has a deal with Meehan to be behind the wheel of the new outfit’s car at Nashville Superspeedway for the Nashville 300 on April 23. (Toronto Sun)(4-4-2011)
