Less than a week away from Daytona and we have some updates on sponsors and teams. Start off with the new team with Landon Cassill (still waiting on a name for them, I vote TEAM TBD) regarding the who the owner might be, what their sponsor might be, and who could drive their second car. We then move to Sinica Motorsports for a brief update on that team, as well as an update on Robinson-Blakeney Racing. Then some sponsorship announcements round this news and notes post out.
The TRG Motorsports investor has been identified as minority partner Ron Devine as the majority partner in this new team. Sponsorship will be Burger King, as Devine and his investors (we’ll get a score card together by Daytona so you can keep track) own many of those franchises. It will be like how Front Row Motorsports has Taco Bell, A&W, and Long John Silver’s on their cars, even though the companies don’t acknowledge it, it’s because he owns a bunch of franchises. Crafty little move to get people to go to their restaurants and confuse fans, because I was certainly confused and I’m a sort of trained professional. The second car that was eluded to, Jenna Fryer, of the Associated Press, reports that Travis Kvapil is the leading candidate to drive that car, although not specified how many races that could be or if it would be full races. The number 93 is being rumored as the choice for their second car.
Speaking of the number 93, Sinica Motorsports had grand plans for 2012 that included a car with that number. Apparently they were not too fond of it, because according to their site they will be announcing a new number, hopefully a driver, and will have Chevrolets ready to go for Daytona. Seems really late in the game to be changing numbers and announcing everything, but that’s the crazy 2012 off season for you.
Newer team Robinson-Blakeney Racing will have a unique sponsor for Daytona. Driver J.J. Yeley will pilot a car sponsored by America Israel Racing. Friends Rich Shirey and Mark MacCaull wanted to bring awareness about Israeli/American relations. Kind of an unconventional way to go about it as they could have just built a bike about it, but hey, not my money. The car is…interesting in design to say the least. How many times it gets on track this year, will be left to see.
Sponsor updates: AAA will sponsor the #22 Penske Racing Dodge again in 2012 with A.J. Allmendinger driving. Subway will double its primary sponsorship of the #99 Roush-Fenway Racing Ford, driven by Carl Edwards, going from three races to six in 2012. David Ragan and his Front Row Motorsports Ford will have sponsorship from Maximum Human Performance for multiple races in 2012 and beyond.
