Braun Racing

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Braun Racing
Owner(s) Name(s) Todd Braun
Racing Series Nationwide Series
Number of Championships 0
Car Number(s) #10
#32
#38
Driver(s) Brian Vickers/Denny Hamlin/Kyle Busch/James Buescher(#10) and (#32)
Jason Leffler (#38)
Primary Sponsor(s) Hass Avocados/ Fan1st.com/ Dollar General/ Seymour Paints (#10)
Fort McDowell/ Dollar General (#32)
Great Clips (#38)
Shop Location Mooresville, North Carolina
Homepage Braun Racing Homepage

Braun Racing is a NASCAR racing team based in Mooresville, North Carolina. Currently racing with Toyota Camry's in the Nationwide Series, they field a full time entry for Jason Leffler (#38) and part time entries for James Buescher, Kyle Busch, Denny Hamlin, and Brian Vickers (#s 10 and 32).

Contents

[edit] Sprint Cup

Braun Racing briefly fielded a Sprint Cup team in 2005 when they began fielding the #08 Chevrolet driven by Shane Hmiel. It debuted its Cup team at Atlanta Motor Speedway, but finished 43rd after an accident on the first lap. Hmiel raced the car the following week at Bristol Motor Speedway, and finished 40th due to overheating.

Braun attempted another Cup race in 2006 at the fall Phoenix race with Jason Leffler, but failed to qualify for the event.

[edit] Nationwide Series

[edit] Car #10 history

Main article: ppc Racing

For the 2007 season, through an alliance with ppc Racing, the #10 team became part of Braun Racing and ran under ppc's 2006 owner points. John Andretti, the previous driver of the car, was announced as the driver, but Dave Blaney raced the car until Montreal in 2007. British John Graham then took over for the next road races, and Brian Vickers took over for four races. Blaney returned for several more reaces before Brent Sherman was signed for the last four races. Brian Vickers, Kyle Busch, and Denny Hamlin will share both the #10 and #32 rides for the 2008 season.

[edit] Car #32 history

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, fielding the #30 Dodge for Jimmy Vasser for two races, and the #19 for Chad Blount, Casey Mears, David Stremme, and Jamie McMurray. Mears ran the most races for Braun, 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 #30. The team ran the #32 full-time with sponorship from TrimSpa with David Stremme as driver, who won a pole at The Milwaukee Mile and five top-fives before switching to FitzBradshaw Racing towards the end of the season. He was replaced by Shane Hmiel.

Shane Hmiel was named the full-time driver in 2005, and the team switched from Dodge to Chevrolet. He won the pole position at Texas and three top-fives when he was suspended by NASCAR in violation of its drug policy. Jorge Goeters, Ron Hornaday, Blount, and Leffler finished out the year for the team.

After struggling to find primary sponsorship for 2006, they merged with Akins Motorsports and hired Jason Leffler as driver, running as Braun-Akins Racing. After the release of Akins' driver, A.J. Foyt IV, Leffler moved to the 38. The #32 became a part-time team, running Dave Blaney. Blaney had a few good runs and then pulled off an upset victory in the fall event at Lowe's Motor Speedway, doing a bump and run on Matt Kenseth to win.

The team was to continue with Blaney full-time in 2007, running Toyotas with support from Hass Avocados and Fans1st.com, but following Andretti's departure from the 10 car, Blaney began piloting that car full-time. Michael Waltrip, Bill Elliott, and Brian Vickers have driven the 32 on a limited basis since then.

In 2008 the #32 will be driven by Denny Hamlin, Kyle Busch, and Brian Vickers with sponsorship from Dollar General, and Hass Avocados.

[edit] Car #38 history

The #38 in the garage area.
The #38 in the garage area.
Main article: Akins Motorsports

Akins Motorsports began 2006 with AJ Foyt IV in the 38 competing for Rookie of the Year. Shortly after the season began, Akins Motorspors and Braun Racing merged and the 38 switched from Dodge to Chevrolet. Foyt was then released from the ride because he had a driver development deal with Dodge, and could not break it. Leffler took over the ride, and had an up-and-down year. Leffler was at 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. Also, Leffler and team barely missed making a Nextel Cup event late in the season at Phoenix International Raceway.

Running first year manufacturer Toyota in the Busch Series in 2007, Jason Leffler gave Toyota its first Busch Series win on July 28th, 2007 by winning at O'Reilly Raceway Park. The win established the #38 team as the top non-Cup affiliated team in the Busch Series, and they proved this by finishing third in points.

[edit] External links

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