Chad Chaffin

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Chad Chaffin
Born: July 20, 1968 (1968-07-20) (age 39)
Birthplace: Smyrna, Tennessee
Achievements:
Awards:
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Statistics
2005 Sprint Cup Position: 88th
Best Cup Position: 85th - 2004
First Race: 2004 Subway 500 (Martinsville)
Last Race: 2007 USG Sheetrock 400 (Chicago)
Wins Top Tens Poles
0 0 0
NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Statistics
2005 NCTS Position: 26th
Best NCTS Position: 10th - 2003 & 2004
First Race: 2000 Federated Auto Parts 250 (Nashville)
First Win: 2004 MBNA America 200 (Dover)
Last Win: 2004 Power Stroke Diesel 200 (IRP)
Wins Top Tens Poles
2 29 2
Statistics current as of October 20, 2007.

Chad Chaffin (born July 20, 1968 in Smyrna, Tennessee) is a rookie NASCAR driver. He has become one of the drivers for the #49 BAM Racing Dodge along with Larry Foyt, replacing Mike Bliss after his resignation. Chaffin was a two time track champion at the historic Nashville Speedway USA, where he met his friend the late Andy Kirby.

Contents

[edit] NASCAR career

[edit] NEXTEL Cup

Chad made his Nextel Cup debut in 2004 at Martinsville. Driving the #98 Mach 1 Racing Ford he ran 100 laps before experencing a mechicanical failure and finished the race in 39th place. In 2005, he would attempt three races with Front Row Motorsports and Mach 1 Racing. Chaffin was able to qualify for the Checker Auto Parts 500 at Phoenix and finished the race in the 43rd position after overheating issues. He began the 2006 season in the #92 Oak Gloves Chevrolet driving for Front Row Motorsports, however he switched to the #34 Oak Gloves Chevrolet within the organization after two races. After another eight races, he would yet again move within FRM, this time to the recently acquired #61 team. Chaffin has currently made four of the fourteen races he has attempted, three in the #34 Oak Gloves Chevrolet and two in various cars with #61 team. At the beginning of the 2007 season, Chaffin switched to the #37 R&J Racing car but was replaced by John Andretti before qualifying for a race. After Mike Bliss' resignation as the driver of the #49 BAM Racing Dodge on June 27, 2007, Chaffin was selected as one of the replacements along with Larry Foyt. In his first attempt to qualify of the season at Loudon, Chaffin made the race after Brian Vickers and the #83 Team Red Bull Toyota were disqualified after failing post-qualifying inspection.

[edit] Busch Series

His NASCAR career began in a 1993 Busch Series race at Rockingham. He drove three races in the #16 31-W Insulation Chevrolet with a best finish of 29th in his debut. In 1994, he would again turn to the #16 and had a best finish of 20th in seven races. During 1997 he ran one race in the #87 BellSouth Mobility Chevrolet and posted a finish of 19th at Nashville. Again in 1998 he would just run one race, this time in a family owned #84 Logan's Roadhouse Ford, where he would finish 28th. In 1999, Chaffin made nine starts, three with his family owned team and six with #77 Lear Corporation Ford featuring Tony Hall as the owner. He would have a best finish of 9th at Richmond. Chaffin made 18 starts in 2000, all except for one in the #77 Lear Corporation Ford. He would post his best finish again at Richmond with an 11th place. In 2001, he would drive for Team Rensi Motorsports and Day Enterprise Racing. Making 14 starts, he would have a best finish of 16th at Atlanta. 2002 is Chaffin's most active year in the Busch Series to date with 26 starts out of the 34 races. The majority of these starts came in the #16 31-W Insulation Chevrolet owned by Day Enterprise Racing. Although he struggled to finish many of the races because of mechicanical failures he was able to achieve a best finish of 12th at Talladega. Chad was absent from the series for two years before returning for a race in 2005. He finished 36th in his only start during that year. For the 2006 season Chaffin was expected to compete in up to 15 events for Day Enterprise Racing in the #05 31-W Insulation Chevrolet, but ended up only making 2 starts for the team, then returned later in the year to make a single start for Sadler Bros. Racing. He has one career Top 10 finish in over 80 starts.

[edit] Craftsman Truck Series

Chad first raced in the Craftsman Truck Series in 2000 with three different teams. He raced the #84 Romeo Guest Associates Ford owned by Long Brothers Racing to his best finish of the season a 3rd at Nashville. He returned in 2001 and again raced with Long Brothers Racing and had a best finish of 4th. In 2002, he started only two races as well and was unable to finish either of them in a family owned car. For the next two years he drove the #18 Dickies Dodge for Bobby Hamilton Racing and had two wins in 2004 (Dover International Speedway and Indianapolis Raceway Park). He finished a career best 10th in the final points standings in 2003 and 2004. In 2005, he drove for three different teams and competed in 21 of the 25 races. Chaffin began the season in the #30 Germain Racing Toyota and had a best finish of forth before bring replaced by Todd Bodine. Despite being replaced, Wyler Racing selected Chaffin as their driver and he ran 10 races with them placing 9th as his best finish. Jack Sprague then replaced Chaffin and he was left without a ride. He ran one final race in 2005 with #13 ThorSport Racing Chevrolet and finished 13th at Phoenix. For 2006, he was scheduled to drive the #40 Chevrolet for Key Motorsports in the opening races of the season, but has since left to focus on his Nextel Cup team. Ryan Moore, a Dale Earnhardt, Inc. development driver, has replaced him as of Charlotte. Chaffin also made one start this season in the #02 Team Copaxone Chevrolet for Sutton Motorsports. It was announced on July 3rd that Chaffin would drive the #59 Harris Trucking Ford for HT Motorsports after Steve Park's departure. He has not attempted any Truck Series races in 2007. In his career, he has had 2 poles, 11 Top 5, and 26 Top 10 finishes in his first 81 starts. As of 2008 Chad is currently driving in the Truck Series in 2008 with his best finish of 17th at the O'Reilly Auto Parts 250 in 2008 and is currently 24th in drivers points.

[edit] ARCA career

Chaffin's only attempt in ARCA came in 2000 with his own Chaffin Motorsports. The #92 Upstate Helicopters Ford, which was a 97 Thunderbird, qualified third for Pro2Call 200 at Daytona. He would exit the race after a transmission failure on lap 10, leaving him in the 40th position.

[edit] External links