HOMESTEAD, Fla. – Leavine Family Racing confirmed Thursday that it has purchased a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series ownership charter which will be used to field a full-time entry in 2017.
By acquiring the charter before Sunday’s Ford EcoBoost 400, Leavine Family Racing will have the benefit of being locked in for the team’s second car driven by Michael McDowell in the No. 59 Chevrolet in the season-finale.
The charter was purchased from Tommy Baldwin Racing, whose owner Tommy Baldwin announced on Facebook that his team will shift from a full-time to a part-time schedule in 2017.
With the transfer of ownership, TBR’s Regan Smith must qualify on time Friday at Homestead.
“We felt that it’s time for a new chapter in our lives and we have sold our charter to a great group of people who will continue to guide our vision,” Baldwin wrote in a Facebook post on his team’s page.
“For the past eight years we’ve shown up at every race, worked hard to compete at the top level and bring value to our sponsors. I feel confident that we are moving on having accomplished
that. There have been many teams like ours that have come and gone. I’m proud that we have been able to sustain ourselves from the very beginning. So what’s next?
“Well, we’re not 100 percent sure. We are going to work hard to get the best possible results in Miami, take a little family time and then figure out the rest. So, stay tuned – announcements will be forthcoming.”
Leavine Family Racing partnered with Circle Sport Racing to field one entry this season in Cup, with help of a charter granted to Circle Sport Racing’s owner Joe Falk. That partnership will
dissolve following Sunday’s Ford EcoBoost 400.
NASCAR viewed the merger as a charter lease which teams can only do once every five years.
Team owner Bob Leavine says acquiring the charter was the next step for the evolution of his growing team.
“Leavine Family Racing is committed to continued growth on and off the race track,” said owner Leavine in a statement. “The charter is a meaningful step forward for our team and provides us
further stability as we look towards success in 2017 and beyond.
“We are confident that the purchase of the charter and continued improvement on the track will lead to increased revenue opportunities.”
Owners Leavine and wife Sharon have competed in NASCAR since 2010 when they became sponsors in what was then the NASCAR Nationwide and the Camping World Truck Series. LFR was formed a year later and has grown to an organization employing 25 people housed in Concord, N.C.
Follow Chris Knight on Twitter @Knighter01.
