Randy Moss is now a NASCAR team owner, announcing Thursday he’s purchased 50 percent of a Truck Series team. Randy Moss Motorsports will make its debut on July 19 at Kentucky Speedway with Willie Allen driving the No. 81 Chevrolet. The number was changed from 46 to reflect Moss’ NFL jersey number. Moss has been eyeing entering NASCAR for some time, but said he decided to buy half of Morgan-Dollar Motorsports rather than build a team from the ground up. Moss wants the team to eventually move up to the premier Sprint Cup Series.
By 2009, all of NASCAR’s top three series will have a new name. NASCAR officials confirmed on Tuesday, Craftsman, which has sponsored the Trucks series since its inception in 1995, will depart at the conclusion of the 2008 season. NASCAR has already announced the Nextel Cup and Busch series will change to the Sprint Cup and Nationwide series, respectively, beginning next season. The move comes as a surprise, in part because during the 2005 season, Craftsman announced an extension of its sponsorship of the series through the 2010 season.
Aric Almirola, who was credited with the Milwaukee Busch Series race win Saturday night, is rumored to be joining Ginn Racing in 2008 as a protege to Mark Martin. Supposedly the plan is for Almirola to run part-time Cup, Busch and Trucks in 2008 and take over the No. 01 Chevy full-time in 2009.
Bobby Hamilton Racing officials announced that Mike Bliss will drive the team’s No. 4 Dodge in 11 of the remaining 18 Craftsman Truck Series races.