Swan Racing

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Swan Racing
Owner(s) Brandon Davis
Bill Romanowski (minority)
Andrew Marlowe (minority)
Curtis Jackson (minority)
Base Mooresville, North Carolina, United States
Series Sprint Cup Series
Race drivers 26. Cole Whitt
30. Parker Kligerman
Sponsors Nutrition53/Lean1
SMS Audio
Manufacturer Toyota
Career
Debut 2011 Crown Royal 400 (Richmond)
Drivers' Championships 0
Race victories 0
Pole positions 0

Swan Racing is a stock car racing team that currently competes in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, fielding the No. 26 Toyota driven by Cole Whitt and the No. 30 Toyota driven by Parker Kligerman. Owned by Swan Energy CEO Brandon Davis, the team is headquartered in Mooresville, North Carolina in the United States.

#26 Car History

On January 7, 2014, Swan Racing announced that their second team would be numbered 26, with Cole Whitt driving.[1] Swan had previously used the No. 26 in a one race deal at the 2013 Daytona 500.

#30 Car History

As Inception Motorsports

The team's 2011 car under Inception Motorsports

Established in April 2011 in Mooresville, North Carolina by Inception Investment Group CEO Timothy McSweeney as Inception Motorsports,[2] the team made its debut as Inception Motorsports in the 2011 Crown Royal 400 at Richmond International Raceway with David Stremme as the driver, qualifying 16th in their first attempt at competition.[3] Steve Lane was the crew chief. Throughout the season, the team participated in 18 races,[4] but failed to qualify for five, including the 2011 Brickyard 400.[5] Inception Motorsports finished 43rd in the 2011 Sprint Cup Series team owners' standings.[6]

For the 2012 Sprint Cup Series season, Inception Motorsports switched from Chevrolet to Toyota-bodied and -engined race cars.[7] The team ran the full 36 race schedule with David Stremme driving for the team in all the races except the road courses where Brian Simo and Patrick Long drove.[8] They made the field on time for the 2012 Daytona 500, taking the third of three guaranteed starting positions for drivers not in the top 35 in owner points prior to the Gatorade Duel qualifying races.[9] The team acquired the 2011 owners' points from the defunct TRG Motorsports No. 71 team, which had finished 36th in the owner standings and shut down at the end of 2012, to improve their position in case of qualifying being rained out, and in hopes of moving into the top 35 if a team higher in the standings ceased competition, which did not happen.[10] The team qualified for each of the first six races of the season, with a best finish of 28th at Las Vegas Motor Speedway,[11] before failing to qualify for the season's seventh race at Texas Motor Speedway. Having failed to reach the top 35 in owners points, the team began to start and park due to a lack of sponsorship, eventually parking in 20 out of 28 races.[12] The team did finish six races and its best 2012 finish was 24th at Indianapolis.

As Swan Racing

2013

The team's 2013 car at Richmond International Raceway

Before the Talladega fall race, McSweeney sold the team to Swan Energy Inc. owner Brandon Davis. The team switched names to Swan Racing Company (Swan Racing for short). Stremme remained the driver, though Michael Waltrip raced in the 2013 Daytona 500 for Swan Racing.[13] Former crew chief Steve Hmiel was hired as competition director. The team utilizes engines from Triad Racing Technologies.[14] Tony Eury, Jr. became the crew chief for the team beginning in 2013.[15]

On January 31, Bill Romanowski became a minority owner of Swan Racing. His health supplement company, Nutrition53 (Romanowski wore the #53 during his 16-year NFL career) was a primary sponsor for ten races and an associate sponsor for the remaining 26.[16]

On February 13, NASCAR approved a temporary number change for the Daytona 500 to allow Swan Racing to compete using the number 26. Michael Waltrip drove the car as a charity effort in honor of the 26 who died during the Sandy Hook shooting in Newtown, Connecticut[17] to a 22nd place finish.[18]

Stremme returned after Daytona, but only recorded two top 20s in the first 26 races; he was released following the September race at Richmond International Raceway, being replaced by Cole Whitt for four races with other drivers to be announced.[19] Whitt finished 39th at Chicagoland Speedway. Kevin Swindell took over the #30 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.[20] Whitt wound up running seven races for the team, while Parker Kligerman started two races at Texas and Homestead, finishing 18th and 25th respectively.[21][22][23] Overall, the team had five DNF's all season and failed to reach the halfway point only once, when Whitt crashed at Phoenix at lap 142.

2014

On December 3, 2013, the team announced that both Whitt and Kligerman would drive for them in 2014, as the team expanded to two full-time cars.[24] On January 7, 2014, Kligerman was confirmed as the driver of the #30 for 2014.[1] Swan Racing will field both entries full time and have both drivers compete for Rookie of the Year. On February 4, 2014, it was announced that rapper 50 Cent's headset company SMS Audio will serve as Swan Racing's associate sponsor.[25]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Swan Racing (January 7, 2014). "Swan Racing Announces 2014 Season Updates". Retrieved January 7, 2014. 
  2. ↑ "Inception Motorsports: About the Team". Inception Motorsports. Retrieved June 5, 2012. 
  3. ↑ "Montoya claims Richmond pole". Racer. April 29, 2011. Retrieved 2012-06-07. 
  4. ↑ "Timothy McSweeney Sprint Cup Owner Statistics". Racing-Reference. USA Today Sports Media Group. Retrieved June 5, 2012. 
  5. ↑ "David Stremme 2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup Results". Racing-Reference. USA Today Sports Media Group. Retrieved June 5, 2012. 
  6. ↑ "NASCAR Sprint Cup Series 2011 Owner Standings". NASCAR.com. Turner Sports. Retrieved 2012-06-07. 
  7. ↑ Pockrass, Bob (February 24, 2012). "Trevor Bayne, Tony Raines, David Stremme earn starting spots in Daytona 500". Sporting News. Retrieved 2012-06-07. 
  8. ↑ Bigelow, Billy (January 19, 2012). "The Cup Series Adds Another Full-time Team - Sadly It Looks Like a Start-and-Park". The Caledonian-Record. St. Johnsbury, VT. Retrieved 2012-06-07. 
  9. ↑ "Edwards leads Roush Fenway Daytona 500 front row sweep". Racer. February 19, 2012. Retrieved 2012-06-07. 
  10. ↑ Rodman, Dave (February 27, 2012). "Stoddard persevering, improving in 2012". NASCAR.com. Turner Sports. Retrieved 2012-06-07. 
  11. ↑ "David Stremme 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup Results". Racing-Reference. USA Today Sports Media Group. Retrieved 2012-06-07. 
  12. ↑ Keith, Bryan Davis (May 28, 2012). "Five Points to Ponder: Enough with the Whining and Debris Already". Frontstretch.com. Retrieved 2012-06-07. 
  13. ↑ Associated Press (January 10, 2013). "Waltrip to enter Daytona 500 with Swan Racing". Yahoo! Sports. Retrieved January 10, 2013. 
  14. ↑ "New ownership team enters NASCAR". NASCAR.com. Turner Sports. December 10, 2012. Retrieved 2012-12-15. 
  15. ↑ "Eury Jr. to serve as Stremme's crew chief". NASCAR.com. Turner Sports. December 10, 2012. Retrieved 2012-12-15. 
  16. ↑ Former NFL Linebacker Bill Romanowski Joins NASCAR’s Swan Racing
  17. ↑ Michael Waltrip To Honor Sandy Hook Victims In Daytona 500
  18. ↑ Associated Press (February 24, 2013). "Daytona 500 Results 2013: Complete Finishing Order". The Huffington Post. Retrieved March 10, 2013. 
  19. ↑ Spencer, Lee (September 6, 2013). "Stremme stunned by impending ouster". Fox Sports. Retrieved 2013-09-07. 
  20. ↑ "Swindell to make Sprint Cup debut with Swan". Yahoo! Sports. September 19, 2013. Retrieved September 19, 2013. 
  21. ↑ http://motorsportstalk.nbcsports.com/2013/11/04/swan-racings-parker-kligerman-impresses-with-p18-in-nascar-cup-debut/
  22. ↑ http://www.yardbarker.com/nascar/articles/kligerman_to_run_homestead_with_swan_racing/15000386
  23. ↑ http://www.nascar.com/en_us/sprint-cup-series/drivers/parker-kligerman.html
  24. ↑ "Swan Racing announces 2014 Cup lineup". NASCAR.com. December 3, 2013. Retrieved December 3, 2013. 
  25. ↑ Caraviello, David (February 4, 2014). "50 CENT PARTNERS WITH SWAN RACING". NASCAR. Retrieved February 4, 2014. 

External links

Toyota in NASCAR
Sprint Cup Series
Nationwide Series
Camping World Truck Series
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