Leavine Family Racing secures Sprint Cup Series charter – Nascar

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NASCAR Sprint Cup Series team owner Tommy Baldwin said Thursday that this weekend’s event at Homestead-Miami Speedway will be the last as a full-time organization for his single-car outfit.

The former crew chief said in a post on Facebook that “we felt 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.”

According to a release from Leaving Family Racing, which currently runs under the Circle Sport Leavine Family Racing name, LFR has purchased the charter from Tommy Baldwin Racing. No purchase price was announced.

Baldwin’s team currently fields the No. 7 Chevrolet with driver Regan Smith. The team was formed following the departure of Bill Davis Racing, for whom Baldwin served as crew chief, in 2009.

It has just two top-five finishes in nearly 400 starts, the most recent coming at Pocono this year when Smith finished third.

“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,” Baldwin wrote. “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. …

“If you’re reading this, you already know that NASCAR is the greatest sport in the world. I have been blessed to have a career in motorsports because of how NASCAR has grown over the years.”

Baldwin went on to say that he isn’t sure what the future holds; fielding a part-time team wasn’t mentioned but neither was closing the team entirely.

Securing the charter means that the LFR team, which currently fields the No. 95 Chevrolet for driver Michael McDowell, will be guaranteed a starting spot in each race next season.

“Leavine Family Racing is committed to continued growth on and off the race track,” owner Bob Leavine said. “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.”