Braun Motorsports

This article is about the NASCAR Nationwide Series team. For the Formula 1 team, see Brawn GP.
Braun Motorsports
Owner(s) Todd Braun
Base Mooresville, North Carolina
Series Camping World Truck Series
Car numbers 08, 10, 11, 19, 30, 32, 38, 71, 77, 78
Race drivers 32. Justin Marks, Justin Haley
Sponsors 32. Katerra
Manufacturer Toyota
Opened 2001
Closed 2010 (reopened 2015)[1]
Career
Debut Sprint Cup Series:
2005 Golden Corral 500 (Atlanta)
Nationwide Series:
2003 Koolerz 300 (Daytona)
Camping World Truck Series:
2015 UNOH 200 (Bristol)
ARCA Re/Max Series:
Latest race Sprint Cup Series:
2010 Air Guard 400 (Richmond)
Nationwide Series:
2010 Ford 300 (Homestead)
Camping World Truck Series:
2015 Lucas Oil 150 (Phoenix)
ARCA Re/Max Series:
2004 Quaker Steak & Lube 100 (Charlotte)
Races competed Total: 561
Sprint Cup Series: 8
Nationwide Series: 516
Camping World Truck Series: 3
ARCA Re/Max Series: 34
Drivers' Championships Total: 0
Sprint Cup Series: 0
Nationwide Series: 0
Camping World Truck Series: 0
ARCA Re/Max Series: 0
Race victories Total: 8
Sprint Cup Series: 0
Nationwide Series: 4
Camping World Truck Series: 0
ARCA Re/Max Series: 4
Pole positions Total: 18
Sprint Cup Series: 0
Nationwide Series: 13
Camping World Truck Series: 0
ARCA Re/Max Series: 5

Braun Motorsports, formerly known as Braun Racing, is an American professional stock car racing team that currently competes in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. The team is based in Mooresville, North Carolina. Best known as one of the top independent Xfinity Series teams from 2003 to 2010,[2] the team also made several starts in the Sprint Cup Series. The team is owned by Todd Braun, son of Braun Corporation founder Ralph Braun. The team formerly had alliances with Chip Ganassi Racing and Dale Earnhardt, Inc., and the team's operations also included former entries from ppc Racing and Akins Motorsports.

In late 2010, the team was sold to Texas businessman and Camping World Truck Series team owner Steve Turner, becoming Turner Motorsports and later Turner Scott Motorsports (TSM).[2][3][4] TSM ceased operations in 2014.[5]

After fielding entries in the regional K&N Pro Series East in 2014, the team returned to national competition in 2015 in the Camping World Truck Series with longtime sponsor Great Clips.[1] The team currently fields the No. 32 Katerra Toyota Tundra part-time for Justin Marks, and Justin Haley.

Sprint Cup Series

Braun Racing briefly fielded a team in the Sprint Cup Series (then the NEXTEL Cup Series) in 2005, when they began fielding the No. 08 WinFuel Chevrolet driven by Busch Series driver Shane Hmiel. It debuted at Atlanta Motor Speedway,[6] but finished 43rd after Hmiel was swept up in a multi-car accident on the first lap. Hmiel raced the car the following week at Bristol Motor Speedway, and finished 40th due to overheating. The team did not run the rest of the year due to Hmiel's suspension from competition.

Braun attempted another Cup race in 2006 at the fall Phoenix race with Jason Leffler driving a number 71 car and sponsorship from Ft. McDowell Resort Destination.[7] Leffler, however, failed to qualify for the event.

The team announced plans to field a Sprint Cup team for at least five races in 2010. Reed Sorenson drove the No. 32 Toyota Camry in those five races with Dollar General as the sponsor.[8] The team also attempted a few races with no sponsor as a start and park. When Turner Motorsports announced their purchase of Braun Racing, they also announced that the Sprint Cup team had been shut down.[9]

Nationwide Series

Car No. 10 history

Main article: ppc Racing
Kelly Bires in 2009.
Tayler Malsam in 2010.

For the 2007 season, the No. 10 team became part of Braun Racing through an alliance with ppc Racing, which had fielded the 10 car since 2000. ppc driver John Andretti ran the Daytona season opener with 2006 sponsor Camping World.[10][11] Initially announced to drive the full season,[10] Andretti left after Daytona and Braun took full control over the No. 10 entry, with Dave Blaney assuming driving duties.[12] Blaney drove the car until Montreal. British driver John Graham then took over for the next road races, and Brian Vickers took over for four races. Blaney returned for several more races before Brent Sherman was signed for the last four races. Brian Vickers drove a part-time schedule for Braun in 2008, with Blaney and Justin Marks driving in one race apiece. The Team ran again full-time in 2009 with rotating drivers David Reutimann, Kelly Bires, Brian Scott, Marc Davis, Chad Blount, Justin Marks and Cup drivers Kasey Kahne, Elliott Sadler, and Reed Sorenson under a partnership with Richard Petty Motorsports.

For 2010, Jason Leffler drove 8 races in the No. 10 when Kasey Kahne was driving the No. 38.[13] Tayler Malsam, who had left Kyle Busch Motorsports in the Truck Series due to lack of sponsorship, began running the car at Nashville with sponsorship from Iron Horse Jeans.[14] Malsam was released from the team following the Turner Motorsports takeover, after 11 starts over 14 races.[9][15] Other drivers for the team included David Reutimann, Chad Blount, Mikey Kile, Casey Mears, Reed Sorenson and Josh Wise. Turner drivers Ricky Carmichael, James Buescher and Scott Wimmer made starts for the team at the end of the season.[9] This team became the No. 30 for Turner.[3]

Car No. 11 history

No. 11 in 2010

This team debuted in 2010 with rookie Brian Scott running the full season with AccuDuc Solutions, StopRepairBills.com, BigSpot.com, and Scott's family business Shore Lodge sponsoring the car.[13] Scott was leading the Rookie of the Year standings when the team was purchased by Steve Turner, and was released due to his plans to leave the team at the end of the year.[2][9] Truck Series driver James Buescher drove the No. 11 Great Clips car at Kansas.[9][16] Buescher finished 35th, 7 laps down. David Reutimann also drove a few races with Rexall sponsorship. The team became the No. 31 car for Turner Motorsports;[3] the No. 11 moved to Joe Gibbs Racing's Nationwide Series car, coincidentally driven by Scott.[17][18]

Car No. 32 history

No. 32 in 2010

Braun Racing was formed in 2002 when team owner Todd Braun hired rookie Chad Blount to drive in the ARCA RE/MAX Series. Blount finished second in points, and won Rookie of the Year honors. Braun moved his operation to the Busch Series in 2003, in a technical alliance with Chip Ganassi Racing.[19] Braun fielded the No. 30 Dodge for Jimmy Vasser for two races, and the No. 19 for Chad Blount and Ganassi drivers Casey Mears, David Stremme, and Jamie McMurray.[19] Mears ran the most races for Braun,[19] winning a pole at Chicagoland Speedway and finishing in the top-ten four times in fourteen starts. In 2004, McMurray won the team's first race at North Carolina Speedway in the No. 30. The 19 team meanwhile became the No. 32, running full-time with sponorship from TrimSpa X32 (leading to the number change) and Stremme as the driver.[19] Stremme won a pole at The Milwaukee Mile and five top-fives before moving to FitzBradshaw Racing towards the end of the season.[20] He was replaced by Shane Hmiel.[21]

Shane Hmiel was named the full-time driver in 2005, and the team switched from Dodge to Chevrolet in an alliance with Dale Earnhardt, Inc. The team also gained sponsorship from WinFuel Multivitamins, owned by TrimSpa's parent company.[22] Hmiel won the pole position at Texas and three top-fives when he was suspended by NASCAR in violation of its drug policy.[23][24] Jorge Goeters, Ron Hornaday, Blount, and Jason Leffler finished out the year for the team.

After struggling to find primary sponsorship for 2006, Braun merged with Akins Motorsports (then a Dodge team) and hired Jason Leffler as the full-time driver, running as Braun-Akins Racing.[10] After the release of Akins' driver A.J. Foyt IV, Leffler moved in the No. 38 and the No. 32 became a part-time team, running with driver Dave Blaney.[25] Blaney had a few good runs and then pulled off an upset victory in the fall event at Lowe's Motor Speedway. Racing side by side with Matt Kenseth on the final laps, before Kenseth spun in turn 4, Blaney raced to the checker flag for the win.

The team was to continue with Blaney full-time in 2007, running Toyotas with support from Hass Avocados and Fans1st.com,[10] but following John Andretti's departure from the 10 car, Blaney began piloting that car full-time. Michael Waltrip, Bill Elliott, and Brian Vickers drove the No. 32 on a limited basis during the season.[26]

In 2008 the No. 32 was driven by Denny Hamlin, Kyle Busch, Brian Vickers and James Buescher with sponsorship from Dollar General and Hass Avocados.[26] Michel Jourdain, Jr. and Jacques Villeneuve raced on the road courses. The team finished 12th in owner points. Dollar General sponsored the No. 32 full-time in 2009, with Burney Lamar and Brian Vickers driving. Lamar was released midway through the season, and was replaced by Reed Sorenson at Gateway, Villeneuve at Montreal, Reutimann at ORP, Bristol, Dover, and Homestad, and West Series driver Brian Ickler at Iowa and Memphis. Vickers returned in 2010 along with Reed Sorenson,[2] however, in May, Vickers suffered blood clots in his leg, ending his participation in the Nationwide Series and the Sprint Cup Series for 2010.

The team continued as the 32, and later the 42 team for Turner Scott Motorsports and HScott Motorsports with Chip Ganassi.[3][5] It is currently the 42 Xfinity team for Chip Ganassi Racing.

Car No. 38 history

Main article: Akins Motorsports
Jason Leffler in 2010.

Akins Motorsports began 2006 with A. J. Foyt IV in the No. 38 Great Clips Dodge competing for Rookie of the Year. Shortly after the season began, Akins Motorsports and Braun Racing merged and the No. 38 switched from Dodge to Chevrolet after seven races.[10][25] Foyt was then released from the ride because he had a driver development deal with Dodge. After Ryan Moore drove the car at Phoenix,[27] Jason Leffler, who had been driving the Braun 32 car, took over the ride and had an up-and-down year.[25] Leffler was often one of the best non-Cup teams on the track. However, engine woes continually ended his bid to make the top-10 in points.

Running first year manufacturer Toyota in the Busch Series in 2007, Leffler gave Toyota its first Busch Series win on July 28, 2007 by winning at O'Reilly Raceway Park.[2] The win established the No. 38 team as the top non-Cup affiliated team in the Busch Series,[2] finishing third in points.

In 2010, Leffler split the car with Richard Petty Motorsports driver Kasey Kahne, who had driven the 38 Great Clips car for Akins early in his career. Leffler ran the remaining races in the No. 10 car.

Camping World Truck Series

Truck No. 32 history

In 2015, the re-branded Braun Motorsports made its return to national series competition. K&N Pro Series East driver J. J. Haley made his series debut driving the No. 32 Chevrolet Silverado in the UNOH 200 presented by Zloop on August 19 at Bristol Motor Speedway, with two additional races planned. The entry was sponsored by Great Clips, which sponsored the team from 2006 to 2010.[1] Haley finished 14th in his debut at the Bristol race. He then finished dead last at Martinsville after being involved in a single car accident. At Phoenix, Haley qualified 3rd and finished 7th his best NASCAR finish.

The team announced in 2016 it would attempt to run at Atlanta with Justin Marks in the No. 32 Toyota Tundra.

K&N Pro Series East

In 2014, Todd Braun returned to the sport, fielding a No. 10 Chevrolet for J.J. Haley in three K&N Pro Series East races. Haley scored a seventh-place finish in his third start at Dover. Haley moved to HScott Motorsports in 2015, with Braun Auto Group continuing to sponsor Haley's entries.[5]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 Press Release (August 11, 2015). "J.J. Haley to Make Truck Debut at Bristol with Braun Motorsports". Mooresville, North Carolina: Catchfence.com. Retrieved 11 August 2015.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Turner Motorsports acquires Braun Racing". motorsport.com. Mooresville, North Carolina: motorsport.com. September 24, 2010. Retrieved 3 November 2014.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "Turner Motorsports announces 2011 plans". motorsport.com. Mooresville, North Carolina: motorsport.com. November 5, 2010. Retrieved 3 November 2014.
  4. ↑ "Turner Motorsports acquires Braun Racing". Retrieved 2010-09-27.
  5. 1 2 3 Associated Press (December 11, 2014). "Ganassi and Harry Scott to field 1 Xfinity entry". USA Today. Charlotte, North Carolina: USA Today. Retrieved 11 December 2014.
  6. ↑ Braun Racing (March 15, 2005). "BUSCH: Atlanta: Shane Hmiel preview". motorsport.com. Mooresville, North Carolina: motorsport.com. Retrieved 3 October 2014.
  7. ↑ Braun Racing (November 8, 2011). "Phoenix II: Jason Leffler preview". motorsport.com. Mooresville, North Carolina: motorsport.com. Retrieved 17 December 2014.
  8. ↑ "The Road to Cup: ARCA Key to Braun Racing's Newest Endeavor". Automobile Racing Club of America. Mooresville, North Carolina: Automobile Racing Club of America. January 18, 2010. Retrieved 17 December 2014.
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 Fan, Horn (September 24, 2010). "Steve Turner Purchases Braun Racing Becomes an Important Owner in NASCAR Updated". Bleacher Report. Retrieved 20 August 2015.
  10. 1 2 3 4 5 Braun Racing (January 18, 2007). "BUSCH: Braun Racing expands to three-car entry". Mooresville, North Carolina: motorsport.com. Retrieved 19 August 2015.
  11. ↑ ppc Racing (January 19, 2007). "BUSCH: ppc Racing announces 2007 plans". Mooresville, North Carolina: motorsport.com. Retrieved 19 August 2015.
  12. ↑ NASCAR (February 19, 2007). "BUSCH: Fontana: News of note, schedule". motorsport.com. Retrieved 19 August 2015.
  13. 1 2 Moody, Dave (February 7, 2010). "Dateline: Daytona". GodfatherMotorsports.com. Retrieved 20 August 2015.
  14. ↑ Broomberg, Nick. "Kyle Busch says that he needs a sponsor to run his truck team in 2011". Yahoo!. Yahoo!. Retrieved 10 December 2014.
  15. ↑ Moody, Dave (May 5, 2014). "Malsam Returns With Turner Scott Motorsports". GodfatherMotorsports.com. Retrieved 20 August 2015.
  16. ↑ "JAMES BUESCHER TO PILOT THE NO. 11 TOYOTA CAMRY IN UPCOMING NASCAR NATIONWIDE SERIES RACE". Retrieved 2010-09-28.
  17. ↑ Press Release (December 15, 2010). "Brian Scott to drive No. 11 JGR Toyota with crew chief Kevin Kidd in Nationwide". SkirtsAndSkuffs.com. Huntersville, North Carolina: Skirts and Skuffs. Retrieved 20 October 2014.
  18. ↑ "NASCAR Notebook: Brian Scott signs to drive for Joe Gibbs Racing in NASCAR Nationwide Series". MassLive.com. Fort Worth, Texas: MassLive.com. November 6, 2010. Retrieved 20 October 2014.
  19. 1 2 3 4 "Trimspa To Sponsor Stremme". mrn.com. Mooresville, North Carolina: Motor Racing Network. January 20, 2004. Retrieved 23 July 2015.
  20. ↑ "BUSCH: Stremme to pilot #14 in remaining races". motorsport.com. Mooresville, North Carolina: motorsport.com. October 26, 2004. Retrieved October 29, 2014.
  21. ↑ Braun Racing (October 27, 2004). "BUSCH: Shane Hmiel to pilot Braun Racing's Dodge". motorsport.com. Mooresville, North Carolina: motorsport.com. Retrieved 3 October 2014.
  22. ↑ Braun Racing (February 17, 2005). "BUSCH: Daytona: Shame Hmiel preview". motorsport.com. motorsport.com. Retrieved 3 October 2014.
  23. ↑ Smith, Steven Cole (October 12, 2010). "Disgraced NASCAR driver Hmiel had turned his life around". Orlando Sentinel. Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved 27 October 2014.
  24. ↑ NASCAR (June 2, 2005). "BUSCH: Hmiel suspended for substance abuse". motorsport.com. Daytona Beach, Florida: motorsport.com. Retrieved 3 October 2014.
  25. 1 2 3 Braun-Akins Racing (April 25, 2006). "BUSCH: Jason Leffler transfers points to new number". Mooresville, North Carolina: motorsport.com. Retrieved 20 August 2015.
  26. 1 2 Toyota Motorsports (December 6, 2007). "BUSCH: Toyota 2007 season review". motorsport.com. Retrieved 19 August 2015.
  27. ↑ Braun Racing (April 19, 2006). "BUSCH: Braun Racing changes announced". Mooresville, North Carolina: motorsport.com. Retrieved 20 August 2015.
  28. ↑ Turner Scott Motorsports Official Release (January 4, 2013). "SCOTT JR. EXPANDS ROLE AT TURNER MOTORSPORTS". nascar.com. Mooresville, North Carolina: NASCAR. Retrieved 3 November 2014.

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