Sources say that Arrowhead, the primary sponsor for Jeb Burton in the #4 Chevy has abruptly withdrawn its support to Turner Scott Motorsports, suddenly leaving the driver and team in limbo with the 2014 Camping World Truck Series season-opener less than a month away. Reported troubles within the Arrowhead corporate structure have been cited for the sudden and unexpected departure from the South Boston, Virginia driver. In August 2013, federal agents from the USDA’s Office of Inspector General and the IRS raided Cherokee Tobacco LLC, the operating company of the Arrowhead electronic cigarette brand, seizing business records. It is currently unknown if the apparent drop of sponsorship is linked to that investigation. After a surprisingly strong freshman season in the Camping World Truck Series, which included a season-high six poles, a win at Texas Motor Speedway, five top-fives and 11 top-10s en route to a fifth place finish in the final championship standings, Burton had been eyed as a champion hopeful this season. Burton under the reins of Mike Hillman Jr. posted one of the fastest laps in preseason testing at Daytona International Speedway two weeks ago adorning the Arrowhead brand. The duo finished fifth in their Daytona debut last February. Turner Scott Motorsports could not be reached for comment and it is unknown if the #4 team will compete in the season-opening NextEra Energy Resources 250 on February 21.(Catchfence.com)(1-27-2014)
UPDATE: Turner Scott Motorsports announced today that Arrowhead, the primary sponsor of the #4 entry driven by Jeb Burton in the Camping World Truck Series, has defaulted on payment to the team. As a result of Arrowhead’s unfortunate and untimely failure to make a critical payment, Turner Scott Motorsports will not be able to field Burton and the #4 truck full time for the 2014 season. The loss of the primary sponsor also means that the company must begin making staff reductions. It is anticipated that the reductions will affect up to 20-percent of the current TSM workforce. The company is moving as quickly as possible to give the affected employees the maximum opportunity to seek employment with other teams.
‘The breakout success of Jeb Burton and the entire #4 team in 2013 makes these decisions especially painful,’ said team co-owner Harry Scott Jr. ‘However, we will do everything we can to put Jeb on the racetrack with our organization going forward. He is a great talent and has a great career ahead of him. Despite this setback, Turner Scott Motorsports remains strong overall and will compete for championships in both the Nationwide Series and the Camping World Truck Series. We are extremely proud of the talent of our workforce here at TSM, and it is very difficult for us to lose anyone within our organization. We understand the way that this affects the lives of everyone involved, and we will do our best to assist in placement elsewhere in the sport.’
‘Obviously, these are tough circumstances for everyone involved, not just for me, but also for my teammates who are affected,’ said Burton. ‘I am working with Turner Scott Motorsports to identify any potential opportunities for me to get on the track this year.’
Turner Scott Motorsports is still preparing to compete in the 2014 season with multiple entries in both the Nationwide Series and NCWTS. The team will compete in the NNS with two full-time teams, including Kyle Larson and a second driver to be named in the near future. TSM will compete in the NCWTS with one full-time team (Ben Kennedy in the #31) and one part-time team (Brandon Jones with other drivers to be named later).(Turner Scott Motorsports)(1-31-2014)
