Team Xtreme Racing

Team XTREME Racing
Owner(s) John Cohen
Base Statesville, North Carolina[1] (April 2014)
Dawsonville, Georgia[2] (Early 2014)
Series Sprint Cup Series
Nationwide Series
Car numbers 30, 44, 58
Race drivers 44. Reed Sorenson, Travis Kvapil
Sponsors 44. Golden Corral, Phoenix Warehouse
Manufacturer Chevrolet
Ford
Opened 2009
Closed 2015
Career
Debut Sprint Cup Series:
2012 AdvoCare 500 (Phoenix)
Nationwide Series:
2009 Subway Jalapeño 250 (Daytona)
Latest race Sprint Cup Series:
2015 Daytona 500 (Daytona)
Races competed Total: 19
Sprint Cup Series: 16
Nationwide Series: 3
Drivers' Championships Total: 0
Sprint Cup Series: 0
Nationwide Series: 0
Race victories Total: 0
Sprint Cup Series: 0
Nationwide Series: 0
Pole positions Total: 0
Sprint Cup Series: 0
Nationwide Series: 0

Team Xtreme Racing (formerly Xxxtreme Motorsport) was an African-American professional stock car racing team that last competed in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, and the Nationwide Series. The team last fielded the No. 44 Chevrolet SS part-time for Reed Sorenson, and Travis Kvapil. The team was owned by John Cohen. Cohen is one of the few African-Americans to have owned a NASCAR team in a major touring series.

Sprint Cup Series

Car No. 44 history

The team was founded as "Xxxtreme Motorsport" in November 2012. A car numbered 44 for David Reutimann was fielded at the 2012 AdvoCare 500 at Phoenix International Raceway with sponsorship from No Label Watches.[3] Reutimann finished 40th, pulling out of the race early due to a vibration.[4]

For 2013, Scott Riggs was hired as the team's full-time driver.[5] The team attempted most races in the first half of the season, but following numerous instances of having to start and park, coupled with poor sponsorship, the team shut down for the year midseason, and Riggs moved to Ricky Benton Racing in the Camping World Truck Series.

In 2014, J. J. Yeley moved to the team following his departure from Tommy Baldwin Racing. The team struggled for speed early in the season, failing to qualify for two races and withdrawing from two others. Before the Richmond spring race, the team purchased the owner points and assets of the recently defunct No. 30 from Swan Racing, including their race shop in Statesville, NC hoping to end their recent struggles in qualifying by having a solid points base.[6] The team used No. 30 for Richmond due to NASCAR rules regarding ownership transfers, but switched back to the No. 44 thereafter.[7]

The team qualified for Richmond after the field was set by the rulebook due to rain, but were running four laps down when the engine expired on lap 384. In May, after failing to qualify for the Aaron's 499 in the All City Leasing & Warehousing Chevrolet SS, the team qualified for the 5-hour Energy 400 on speed in the Phoenix Warehouse Chevrolet SS, starting the race in the 35th position. However, they once again suffered an engine failure, finishing 41st. They then missed the Coca-Cola 600, and blew their third engine at Dover. The next week at Pocono, despite cutting down a tire mid-race, they were able to stay on the track and complete a race for the first time in their existence, finishing 38th. An incident-free race the next week at Michigan brought the team's best finish to that point, 36th, which they then bested again at Sonoma with a 34th. The team then withdrew from Kentucky in the midst of more personnel shuffling. The team was absent for most of the summer, returning as "Team Xtreme Racing" in September for the AAA 400 at Dover, with Timmy Hill as driver.[8] The team made the race, but lost an engine early into the event.

Former Tommy Baldwin Racing driver Reed Sorenson was signed by the team to compete in the 2015 Daytona 500 with Golden Corral sponsorship.[9] Despite crashing on the final lap Sorenson was able to cross the start-finish line to record the team's first lead-lap finish, in 32nd place. Travis Kvapil was scheduled to drive the car in Atlanta, but they were forced to withdraw after the car, truck and hauler were stolen from a hotel parking lot. The race car and truck that was hauling the trailer have been recovered. The trailer remains missing.

After Kvapil failed to qualify for the next three races, combined with Cohen facing his own civil arrest warrant for not answering an information subpoena,[10] the team announced that they would withdraw from Martinsville in order to better prepare for Texas;[11] however, they have not returned to the series since. On August 3, Jason Terry pleaded guilty in the theft of the Team Xtreme truck and trailer.[12] Since then, the No. 44 became available and is currently used by Richard Petty Motorsports for Brian Scott.[13]

Nationwide Series

Car No. 58 history

On July 3, 2009, Mike Harmon made the team's debut at Daytona with sponsorship Cavi Clothing and Macy's, where he started 20th, and finished 31st.

References

  1. ↑ Ryan, Nate. "Ryan: Xxxtreme Motorsport another young team trying to catch up". USA Today Sports. USA Today. Retrieved 9 August 2014.
  2. ↑ Renner, David. "Racing team moving headquarters here". DawsonNews.com. Dawsonnews. Retrieved 9 August 2014.
  3. ↑ Spencer, Lee (November 6, 2012). "Reutimann to return to Cup racing". Foxsports.com. Retrieved April 24, 2014.
  4. ↑ "2012 AdvoCare 500". Racing-Reference. Retrieved April 24, 2014.
  5. ↑ "No Label Watches Clocks in with Xxxtreme Motorsport for 2013 Season". Catchfence. February 27, 2013. Retrieved April 24, 2014.
  6. ↑ Caraviello, David (April 23, 2014). "Swan Breakup Leaves Kligerman Without A Ride". NASCAR.com. Retrieved April 23, 2014.
  7. ↑ "#44 NASCAR Team News and Links". Jayski's Silly Season Site. Retrieved April 24, 2014.
  8. ↑ "Dover Entry List". Jayski's Silly Season Site. Retrieved September 22, 2014.
  9. ↑ Spencer, Lee (February 9, 2015). "Reed Sorenson joins forces with Xtreme Motorsports". Motorsport. Retrieved February 10, 2015.
  10. ↑ Pennell, Jay (March 12, 2015). "Team Xtreme Racing's John Cohen facing arrest warrant of his own". FoxSports.com. Fox Sports Interactive Media, LLC. Retrieved August 3, 2015.
  11. ↑ Turner, Jared (March 27, 2015). "Team Xtreme Racing withdraws from Martinsville Sprint Cup event". FoxSports.com. Fox Sports Interactive Media, LLC. Retrieved August 3, 2015.
  12. ↑ Pennell, Jay (August 3, 2015). "Team Xtreme Racing: Man pleads guilty in theft of truck and trailer". FoxSports.com. Fox Sports Interactive Media, LLC. Retrieved August 3, 2015.
  13. ↑ Long, Dustin (January 11, 2016). "RPM brings back history with number change for Brian Scott". NBC Sports. Retrieved January 11, 2016.
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