Phoenix Racing (NASCAR team)

Phoenix Racing is a motorsports team that currently competes part-time in the ARCA Menards Series East fielding the No.

Owned by Florida businessman James Finch, the team fielded NASCAR entries across the top three series from 1989 through 2013.

The team fielded a wide variety of drivers and often changed manufacturers, though it often maintained a relationship with Hendrick Motorsports.

Phoenix Racing would reopen its doors in 2020 to help Finch's son Jake start his racing career in Outlaw Late Models locally in Florida, then moving up to Super Late Models in 2021, and moving up to the ARCA Menards Series East in 2022.

Due to a lack of funding, the team only ran two races in 1992, with Finch's company Phoenix Construction of Panama City, Florida, serving as sponsor.

For 1994, they picked up sponsorship from Country Time and had planned to run a limited schedule with Neil Bonnett driving.

MCA Records became the new sponsor for 1996, and the team had two top-ten qualification starts, but could not finish higher than twelfth.

Scott Pruett and Buckshot Jones also ran one race deals for the team that season, during which they switched to Dodge.

The team would attempt most of the schedule with Benson sharing the ride with Joe Ruttman, who had not raced full-time in the Cup Series since the early 1990s.

This was evident on the entry they filled out for the 09, where the team listed Ruttman as the driver but forgot to include Miccosukee as the sponsor.

Finch did not even bring a proper crew to the race, with the intent being that they would run the Cup car for a few laps before pulling off and collecting the last place prize.

For that weekend’s Cup race, the Subway 400 Ruttman ran one qualifying lap and was significantly off the pace, settling for a 40th place starting spot.

Phoenix Racing announced for 2009 that they would be running two different makes of cars for the upcoming Sprint Cup season.

Bill Elliott drove the first 4 races before Landon Cassill took over the ride with sponsorship from Security Benefit.

22 car at Penske Racing due to on-track incidents and off-track temperament, including a profanity-laced tirade directed at ESPN reporter Jerry Punch.

[4] The team ran most of the season unsponsored, with HendrickCars.com, Monster Energy, and TAG Heuer coming on for single races.

[7] Austin Dillon ran four races, and Ryan Truex made his series debut at Bristol in the fall.

Bobby Labonte, Owen Kelly, Mike Bliss, Jacques Villeneuve, and Brendan Gaughan would all make single starts for the team in 2013.

He would continue to own the team through Labor Day weekend, providing assistance in the transition to new ownership.

Purvis ran the first four races of the 1997, and had a top-ten finish, but was replaced by Tim Steele, who brought sponsorship from HS Die.

He was replaced by multiple drivers, with Dale Shaw running a majority of the races that season, including a 2nd-place finish at South Boston Speedway.

They did not have major sponsorship of start the season, and signed a one-race deal with Jani-King before winning the season-opening NAPA Auto Parts 300.

McMurray had two wins, both at Rockingham, while Stremme made sixteen starts with two top-fives, earning him Rookie of the Year honors.

Buckshot Jones drove the next two races with the return of Yellow Transportation to the team, followed by Tony Raines, Casey Mears, Bobby Hamilton, Sterling Marlin, Reed Sorenson, and Regan Smith.

Sauter left for Haas CNC Racing and took the sponsorship with him, and Jason Keller was hired to drive.

After eight races, Keller was released and replaced by Mike Wallace, who garnered two top-five finishes, with Scott Pruett and development driver Cale Gale filling in.

Marc Reno, who was born in California and currently resides in Concord, NC, serves as the crew chief and manages the team.

Ryan Newman, Reed Sorenson, Max Papis, Martin Truex Jr., David Gilliland, and Landon Cassill also took turns sharing the ride following Bliss' release.

Rookie James Buescher was to drive the car full-time in 2010, but Finch put his entire operation up for sale on April 24.

On July 6, 2012, Phoenix recorded its first Nationwide Series win in three years when Kurt Busch, who would make occasional starts for the team that season, won the Subway Jalapeno 250 at Daytona for his fifth win in the series and his first for another team owner besides Roger Penske and Kyle Busch.

The No. 09 car
Kurt Busch driving the No. 51 at Texas Motor Speedway in 2012
Regan Smith in 2013.
2009 No. 1 Nationwide car