However - to fill the void of star & Parks that leave there are:
R3 Motorsports to run Cup Series in 2012: After completing the full 2011 NASCAR Nationwide season, resulting in a top-30 in points, [#23 Chevy] R3 Motorsports has announced its racing plans for 2012. Robert Richardson, Jr. will return to the seat for a limited NASCAR Nationwide Series schedule. R3 Motorsports has also purchased a fleet of Sprint Cup Chevy's from Earnhardt Ganassi Racing to enter all of the NASCAR Sprint Cup races for the 2012 season. Robert Richardson, Jr. will attempt to qualify for his third Daytona 500 and a few other Cup races as well. Greg Conner will be the crew chief and the team will run the #23 in both series.(R3 Motorsports)(1-3-2012)
Geoff Bodine, sponsor have big Sprint Cup plans for 2012: In an industry that relies heavily on sponsors, the tough economy has brought uncertainty among many NASCAR drivers and teams this off-season. That's not the case for veteran driver Geoff Bodine, who has developed a bond with emerging 2011 stock car sponsor Luke & Associates Inc., which is looking to broaden its exposure in Sprint Cup. At 62, the Chemung native made a comeback of sorts this past season, competing in four of his six Sprint Cup races with sponsorship from Luke & Associates. "I'm very thankful that they gave me this opportunity," Bodine said Wednesday from his Melbourne, FL home. The Florida-based health care provider to the U.S. military is stepping up its program in NASCAR in 2012 and beyond, with Bodine as its initial driver. "There's teams out there that want us and would like to work with us and we're happy about that," Bodine said. Bodine has sponsorship for a minimum of 15 Sprint Cup races next season. He said he and his sponsor are not just shopping this deal around to teams but instead want a partnership. "They are serious about it and they want some ownership with a team," Bodine said. "A little bit this year (2012), and next season a little bit more." Bodine has been working with Serena Brock of Charlotte, a marketing representative with Luke & Associates who has previous experience in NASCAR racing. "We've got a lot of data from different teams and we're looking through it so that we can try to make the best decision, business-wise and performance-wise," he said. Bodine said while it won't be a top-tier team, it will be a competitive team that already runs multiple cars. Bodine said a deal could be struck as early as the end of this week, but "for sure before New Year's." Depending on the team deal, Bodine could race fewer than 15 events himself or even a full season if more sponsors come aboard. Driving for Tommy Baldwin Racing this year, Bodine had a best finish of 30th in his four starts. "I had no problem as far as endurance," Bodine said. "I felt great. The only problem I had was I didn't go fast enough. That was strictly related to the vehicle." Baldwin is a small, relatively new team, and Bodine knows he can do better with the right equipment. "I'm thankful for what Tommy did for us last season, but I'm hoping next season we get in a better opportunity where I can show whether I can do a good job or can't do a good job," he said. "I think I can do well." Bodine said he would prefer to run a full season.(see full post at the Elmiria Star Gazette)(12-22-2011)
Scott Speed Joins Leavine Family Racing: Scott Speed has joined Leavine Family Racing (LFR) for a limited 15-race NASCAR Sprint Cup Series schedule for 2012 in the #95 Ford. A veteran of all three of NASCAR's premier national touring series, Speed joins Leavine Family Racing after making 13 Sprint Cup starts with Whitney Motorsports' in the #46 Ford. Speed will be competing in his fifth Sprint Cup Series season. The California native competed full-time with Red Bull Racing in 2010; earning two top-10 finishes and leading 21 laps. "We are pleased to have Scott Speed join our team," team owner Bob Leavine said. "We, as a team, want to give Scott the equipment and the resources he needs to win – and that is what I believe he will do for us in return. Scott is a proven driver. He was the first American to race in Formula One since Michael Andretti and has a lot to offer our program as a teammate and a competitor."
Speed has made 18 starts in the Nationwide Series and 16 starts in the Camping World Truck Series over the past four years. He posted a truck series win at the Dover International Speedway in 2008. His best Nationwide Series finish came on the road course at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve last year where he placed sixth. Speed earned career first pole in the series in 2009. Speed began his racing career in Karting at the age of 10. Making his way through the open-wheel racing ranks throughout the West Coast, he made his Formula One debut in 2001. From there he has successfully competed in Formula One making 28 career starts before making the transition to stock-car racing in 2007 with the ARCA Racing Series.
The 28-year-old driver is thrilled to have the opportunity to compete with Leavine Family Racing. "I am excited to team up with Bob Leavine and his guys at Leavine Family Racing," Speed said. They have a solid group of guys working on the team and I think it will be a real fun deal. Our goal is to build this race team to become competitive. We know it will be baby steps, but we are all excited to get it rolling."(Leavine Family Racing)(12-14-2011)
Hamilton Means Racing plans to make Cup debut in 2012: Hamilton Means Racing, a team created by four principal owners with various levels of involvement in NASCAR, have announced their intentions to go NASCAR Sprint Cup Racing in 2012. Dell Hamilton, Jimmy Means, Arash Khorsandi and Kelly Owen will team up and look to make their first start in the Cup series at Daytona in February. The team is still reviewing their options for the driver of their newly formed #52. Recruiting talented individuals available in NASCAR and obtaining additional equipment vital to the team’s effort, is the focus of the group at this point. Their plans are to operate from Means Motorsports race shop located in Forest City, NC alongside his fulltime Nationwide team. Means, no stranger to the NASCAR scene, has many years of experience as a Driver/Owner with 455 starts in the Cup series dating back to 1973. He has also owned and managed the #52 Nationwide team for the past 10 season since retiring as a driver. Hamilton Means Racing is hoping to secure additional partnerships and sponsors based on the relationships that Means, aka “Smut”, has developed within the sport.
Hamilton, a businessman from Chattanooga Tennessee, operates Crusader Staffing who has been, and will continue to be, a longtime supporter of MacDonald Motorsports in the NASCAR Nationwide Series. Hamilton is excited about his role in the startup of HMR Racing, and stated “after researching what it takes to be competitive in NASCAR’s top series, we are ready to get going and establish our team in the series.” Owen and Khorsandi, Floridian natives, longtime friends and fans of the sport, see this opportunity as a way to fulfill a lifetime dream of being involved in the operations as well as creating new relationships in the sport of NASCAR. Owen entered the sport as a sponsor and has been involved with operations at Means Motorsports dating back to the summer of 2010. The two say they are aware of the obstacles ahead of them but look forward to the challenge.(Crusader Racing PR)(12-1-2011)
