Junie Donlavey
Encyclopedia
W.C. "Junie" Donlavey is a former NASCAR
Sprint Cup Series car owner with a team based in Richmond. Rarely fielding a car without his familiar #90, he began fielding his team in 1950. He drove for his team at first, but soon gave way to other drivers. Donlavey earned a reputation as working well with young drivers over his tenure, as Ken Schrader
and Jody Ridley
won NASCAR Rookie of the Year
honors while driving for Donlavey. Donlavey served in the United States Navy
during the 1940s. Afterwards, Donlavey started his own auto repair business, and began to develop an interest in racing. He was inducted into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame
in 2007.
, where Runt Harris drove Donlavey's Oldsmobile to a nineteenth place finish after suffering mechanical failures. Donlavey's next race as an owner came in 1952 Southern 500
, fielding the #53 Hudson Hornet
for Joe Weatherly
. He started 38th and finished 16th. He did not field a car again until 1957, when Emanuel Zervakis
drove Donlavey's #90 Ford at Raleigh Speedway
, finishing 24th. Zervakis ran two more races for Donlavey that year, at Langhorne Speedway
and Martinsville, finishing 26th and 22nd respectively. Harris ran another race for Donlavey as well, finishing 39th at the Southern 500. Zervakis returned to run Donlavey's Chevys the next season, but did not a finish a race all season. Donlavey only ran one race in 1959, at the Capital City 200. Harris had a fifth place finish in that race.
Harris ran three more races for Donlavey the following season, but struggled with mechanical problems, and could only manage a best finish of 30th. Speedy Thompson
took over for three races, his best finish being a 12th at the Dixie 300. Tiny Lund
drove for Donlavey at the Atlanta 500, but finished 36th after suffering engine failure early in the race. Johnny Roberts drove one race for Donlavey in 1961, finishing 21st at Richmond after suffering a blown head gasket
.
Donlavey did not field a car until 1965, when Sonny Hutchins
took over the ride. Making ten starts, he had a fifth place run at Moyock, and a tenth at Martinsville. After going 1966 without a top-ten, Hutchins came back in 1967, and had two top ten finishes. He finished 34th in points. He made four starts in 1968, but they all ended in DNFs. He made eight starts in 1969, and had two second-place finishes, at Dover
and Richmond, respectively.
drove for Donlavey in one race at Trenton Speedway
, but his engine expired several laps into the race. Bill Dennis
finished the year with Donlavey. Dennis would run with Donlavey in his first full season the next year. He had ten top-tens, one pole position, and finished eighteenth in points. Dennis started 1972, with a fifth at Richmond, but resigned after that race. Max Berrier, Butch Hartman
, Bobby Isaac
, David Pearson, Johnny Rutherford
, and Fred Lorenzen
were among those who shared the ride for the rest of the year. Donlavey also fielded a second car for the first time in his career, when he fielded the #98 at Martinsville for Isaac, who finished 35th as a teammate to Jimmy Hensley
, and again two races later at the National 500 for Richard D. Brown, who finished 41st.
In 1973, Donlavey secured his first full-time sponsor, signing Truxmore Industries. Brooks began the year with Donlavey, and ran part of his season with him. Other drivers included Harry Gant
, Charlie Glotzbach
, Ray Hendrick
, and a one-off with Yvon Duhamel
. He also fielded the 98 for Brooks and Richie Panch
. Then next season, Dennis returned for three races, before being replaced by multiple drivers. Glotzbach ran eleven races with him, the most by any driver that year. In 1975, Donlavey decided to run full-time, and hired Brooks as driver. Brooks ran 25 races, had six top-fives and finished 10th in points. Donlavey also fielded a second car, the #93, for Kenny Brightbill, Dick May
, Earl Ross
, and Jody Ridley. In 1976, Brooks had eighteen top-ten finishes and finished tenth in points again. The #93 ran in two races for Buck Baker
and Gene Felton, with Donlavey also fielding the #99 for Dick Trickle at Charlotte Motor Speedway
. The next season, Brooks finished sixth in points, with Donlavey fielding the #93 for Belgian
racer Christine Beckers. She finished 37th. Brooks began 1978 by finishing fifth in two out of the first three races of the season, but despite an eighth-place points finish, Brooks departed the team.
to drive the #90. Competing in 28 races, Rudd had 17 top-ten finishes and finished 9th in points. Donlavey also fielded the #77 Sunny King Mercury for Jody Ridley, who had two top-tens in three races. After Rudd left at the end of the season, Ridley signed to drive the 90 for the full season. He had eighteen top-ten finishes, finished seventh in points, and was named Rookie of the Year. The next season, he finished fifth in points and won the Mason-Dixon 500, the only points win Donlavey would have during his career. After losing the Truxmore sponsorship, J.D. Stacy sponsored the car in 1982, but after he failed to post a top-five, Ridley left the team.
Brooks returned to the team, where he posted two top-fives and finished 14th in points with sponsorship from Chameleon Sunglasses. After just one top-five in 1984, Brooks departed the team for the final time.
The next season, Donlavey signed rookie driver Ken Schrader to pilot the #90, with new sponsorship from Ultra Seal. Schrader had three top-tens and finished sixteenth in points. In 1986, Red Baron Frozen Pizza, signed as primary sponsor, and in 1987, Schrader won one of two qualifying races for the Daytona 500
, as well as picking up a pole at Darlington Raceway
, finishing tenth in championship points. At the end of the season, Schrader left, and was replaced by Benny Parsons
with Bull's Eye Barbecue Sauce. Running what turned out to be his last season, Parsons competed in 27 starts and grabbed an eighth-place finish at Phoenix International Raceway
. He was replaced for one race at North Wilkesboro
by Jimmy Means
, who finished 24th. After the season, Bull's Eye left the team, and Donlavey signed rookie Chad Little
to his ride. However, Little struggled and was released after the Coca-Cola 600
. Donlavey cut back to part-time schedule for the rest of the season, with Stan Barrett
and Lennie Pond
running selected races for him.
. Buddy Baker
and Charlie Glotzbach ran nine races between the two of him for the rest of the season. The next season, Donlavey signed Robby Gordon
for the first two races of the season. He finished 18th and 26th, respectively. At the Motorcraft Quality Parts 500, Donlavey fielded a car for Wally Dallenbach, Jr.
, who would run eleven races for him that season.
Dorsey Schroeder
started off 1992 driving for Donlavey, before Glotzbach took over for two races. Other drivers who raced for Donlavey that year were Glotzbach, Kerry Teague, Pancho Carter
, Bobby Hillin, Jr.
, and Hut Stricklin
. Hillin returned to run the full season for Donlavey the next year, with sponsorship from Heilig-Meyers
. Hillin posted a best finish was eleventh and he finished twenty-seventh in points. Hillin ran just three races in 1994, before he was replaced by Mike Wallace
. Wallace made 22 starts and had a fifth-place finish at the season-ending Hooters 500. He returned in 1995 but dropped to 34th in points.
After making ten starts in 1996, Wallace was released in favor of Dick Trickle, whose best finish that season was a thirteenth at Michigan
. Trickle signed the next season. He posted two top-fives and finished 31st in points. He improved to 29th in points in 1998, but he, along with Heling-Meyers and crew chief Tommy Baldwin, Jr., left the team at the end of the year. During the season, Donlavey missed attending his first race in years, when he had to undergo heart surgery.
Ford Taurus
driven by rookie Mike Harmon
. During the lead-up to the Daytona 500, rumors began spreading that Big Daddy's was not paying its sponsorship checks. Originally, those rumors were denied by Donlavey, but questions continued to swirl when the team practiced for the 500 without Big Daddy's sponsor decals on the car. Eventually, it was revealed that Big Daddy had not been paying its checks on time. Before long, tensions became so high that Harmon was fired for the ride before the race and replaced by Wallace. The team ran the 500 with sponsorship from Accu-turn and Kodiak (a one-race deal after Kodiak's regular team
missed the race). The Big Daddy's contract was cancelled, and Morgan Shepherd
took over the next week at Rockingham, and Stanton Barrett
at Las Vegas Motor Speedway
. Those two drivers, along with Hut Stricklin and Ed Berrier
, shared the driving duties of the 90 for the rest of the year.
In 2000, Berrier signed to drive the 90 from sponsorship from Hills Brothers Coffee, competing for Rookie of the Year honors. Berrier struggled during the course of the season, DNQ-ing nine times, before he was released. Brian Simo
took over at Watkins Glen, before Stricklin took over the rest of the year. He signed to drive the 90 full-time in 2001, and had a sixth-place run at Michigan, but the team continued to struggle. At the EA Sports 500, Donlavey fielded the #91 for Rick Mast
, but did not make the race. More trouble began brewing when Sara Lee asked Donlavey to move his team from Richmond to North Carolina
. When Donlavey refused, they announced they were leaving for Bill Davis Racing
, taking Stricklin with them.
Mast signed with Donlavey for 2002 with sponsorship from the C.F. Sauer Company. Mast had a best finish of 24th at Darlington when he began feeling anemic. He took several races off, and was replaced by Hermie Sadler
, and Gary Bradberry
. When Mast became too ill to return and Sauer left, Donlavey cut back his racing schedule, and planned to retire, but came back to field the Lucas Oil
Ford for Lance Hooper
at Bristol, as well as a car for team manager Jason Hedlesky
at Lowe's. Hooper finished 31st and Hedlesky started 41st and finished 43rd. In 2003, Kirk Shelmerdine
drove Donlavey's car at the Daytona 500, but missed the field. Hedlesky drove the car at the Winston Open, but Donlavey did not field an entry for the rest of the season. Donlavey hoped to revive his team in 2004 by announcing Kevin Ray would drive a limited schedule that season with sponsorship from Boudreaux's Butt Paste
. Unfortunately, the deal ended up running only one ARCA race at Pocono
. Late in the year A.J. Henriksen, began running races for Donlavey, but did not make a race. Donlavey did not field a car in 2005, but continued to stay involved in NASCAR. During a gathering at Richmond in September 2006, Donlavey stated that he still had several cars in his race shop, but was in the process of selling them and had no plans to return to racing.
NASCAR
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing is a family-owned and -operated business venture that sanctions and governs multiple auto racing sports events. It was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1947–48. As of 2009, the CEO for the company is Brian France, grandson of the late Bill France Sr...
Sprint Cup Series car owner with a team based in Richmond. Rarely fielding a car without his familiar #90, he began fielding his team in 1950. He drove for his team at first, but soon gave way to other drivers. Donlavey earned a reputation as working well with young drivers over his tenure, as Ken Schrader
Ken Schrader
Kenneth Schrader is a second-generation race car driver. He currently races on local dirt and asphalt tracks around the country while driving part-time in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series and the ARCA Racing Series for his own Ken Schrader Racing. He also runs part time in the NASCAR Camping...
and Jody Ridley
Jody Ridley
Jody Ridley is a former NASCAR driver. He won the 1980 NASCAR Winston Cup Rookie of the Year award and one race at Dover International Speedway the next year, the only Cup victory for Donlavey Racing....
won NASCAR Rookie of the Year
NASCAR Rookie of the Year
The NASCAR Rookie of the Year Award is presented to the first-year driver that has the best season in a NASCAR season. Each of NASCAR's national and regional touring series selects a RotY winner each year....
honors while driving for Donlavey. Donlavey served in the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
during the 1940s. Afterwards, Donlavey started his own auto repair business, and began to develop an interest in racing. He was inducted into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame
International Motorsports Hall of Fame
The International Motorsports Hall of Fame is a Hall of Fame dedicated to enshrining those who have contributed the most to auto racing either as a driver, owner, developer or engineer...
in 2007.
1950s-1960s
Donlavey made his debut as an owner in 1950 at Martinsville SpeedwayMartinsville Speedway
Martinsville Speedway is an International Speedway Corporation-owned NASCAR stock car racing track located in Henry County, near Ridgeway, Virginia, just to the south of Martinsville. At in length, it is the shortest track in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. The track was also one of the first paved...
, where Runt Harris drove Donlavey's Oldsmobile to a nineteenth place finish after suffering mechanical failures. Donlavey's next race as an owner came in 1952 Southern 500
1952 Southern 500
The 1952 Southern 500 was a NASCAR Grand National race that took place on September 1, 1952 at Darlington Raceway in the American community of Darlington, South Carolina.-Summary:...
, fielding the #53 Hudson Hornet
Hudson Hornet
The Hudson Hornet is an automobile that was produced by the Hudson Motor Car Company of Detroit, Michigan between 1951 and 1954. The Hornet was also built by American Motors Corporation in Kenosha, Wisconsin and marketed under the Hudson brand between 1955 and 1957.The first-generation Hudson...
for Joe Weatherly
Joe Weatherly
Joseph "Joe" Weatherly was a two-time NASCAR championship driver. Weatherly was inducted into the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America in 2009 after winning NASCAR's Grand National championships in 1962 and 1963, three A.M.A...
. He started 38th and finished 16th. He did not field a car again until 1957, when Emanuel Zervakis
Emanuel Zervakis
Emanuel Zervakis was a NASCAR driver and team owner. He won two NASCAR Grand National races in his career, both in 1961...
drove Donlavey's #90 Ford at Raleigh Speedway
Raleigh Speedway
Raleigh Speedway was a one-mile oval race track which opened in 1952 one mile north of Raleigh, North Carolina in Wake County. It was the second superspeedway ever built...
, finishing 24th. Zervakis ran two more races for Donlavey that year, at Langhorne Speedway
Langhorne Speedway
Langhorne Speedway was an automobile racetrack in Middletown Township, Bucks County, near the borough of Langhorne, Pennsylvania, a northern suburb of Philadelphia....
and Martinsville, finishing 26th and 22nd respectively. Harris ran another race for Donlavey as well, finishing 39th at the Southern 500. Zervakis returned to run Donlavey's Chevys the next season, but did not a finish a race all season. Donlavey only ran one race in 1959, at the Capital City 200. Harris had a fifth place finish in that race.
Harris ran three more races for Donlavey the following season, but struggled with mechanical problems, and could only manage a best finish of 30th. Speedy Thompson
Speedy Thompson
Alfred Bruce "Speedy" Thompson was a NASCAR pioneer and driver in the Grand National series from 1950 to 1971; capturing 20 wins along the way.-Racing career:...
took over for three races, his best finish being a 12th at the Dixie 300. Tiny Lund
Tiny Lund
DeWayne Louis "Tiny" Lund was a NASCAR driver. He was ironically nicknamed "Tiny" due to his rather large and imposing size.-Background:...
drove for Donlavey at the Atlanta 500, but finished 36th after suffering engine failure early in the race. Johnny Roberts drove one race for Donlavey in 1961, finishing 21st at Richmond after suffering a blown head gasket
Head gasket
A head gasket is a gasket that sits between the engine block and cylinder head in an internal combustion engine. Its purpose is to seal the cylinders to ensure maximum compression and avoid leakage of coolant or engine oil into the cylinders; as such, it is the most critical sealing application in...
.
Donlavey did not field a car until 1965, when Sonny Hutchins
Sonny Hutchins
Ernest Lloyd "Sonny" Hutchins was a stock car driver who raced in NASCAR's Grand National/Winston Cup Series from 1955 to 1974. He died in 2005.-External links:*...
took over the ride. Making ten starts, he had a fifth place run at Moyock, and a tenth at Martinsville. After going 1966 without a top-ten, Hutchins came back in 1967, and had two top ten finishes. He finished 34th in points. He made four starts in 1968, but they all ended in DNFs. He made eight starts in 1969, and had two second-place finishes, at Dover
Dover International Speedway
Dover International Speedway is a NASCAR-sanctioned race track located in Dover, Delaware, owned by, and serving as the corporate headquarters of, Dover Motorsports, Inc. It is co-located with a harness racing track, Dover Downs, and shares the complex with Dover Downs Hotel & Casino...
and Richmond, respectively.
1970s
Hutchins returned in 1970, and had a fifth-place at Richmond, but was soon removed from the ride. LeeRoy YarbroughLeeRoy Yarbrough
Lonnie "LeeRoy" Yarbrough was a NASCAR racer. His best season was 1969 when he won seven races, tallied 21 finishes in the top-ten and earned $193,211...
drove for Donlavey in one race at Trenton Speedway
Trenton Speedway
Trenton Speedway was a racing facility located near Trenton, New Jersey at the New Jersey State Fairgrounds. Races for the United States' premier open-wheel and full-bodied racing series of the times were held at Trenton Speedway.-Racing history:...
, but his engine expired several laps into the race. Bill Dennis
Bill Dennis
Bill Dennis is a former NASCAR driver and rookie of the year in the Grand National Series .-Racing career:...
finished the year with Donlavey. Dennis would run with Donlavey in his first full season the next year. He had ten top-tens, one pole position, and finished eighteenth in points. Dennis started 1972, with a fifth at Richmond, but resigned after that race. Max Berrier, Butch Hartman
Butch Hartman
Elmer Earl "Butch" Hartman IV is an American animator, executive producer, animation director, storyboard artist, voice actor, occasional singer, producer, and creator of the animated series The Fairly OddParents, Danny Phantom and T.U.F.F. Puppy.-Childhood:Hartman was born in Highland Park,...
, Bobby Isaac
Bobby Isaac
Bobby Isaac is a former NASCAR Grand National champion.-Early life:Isaac grew up on a farm near Catawba, North Carolina, the second youngest of nine children...
, David Pearson, Johnny Rutherford
Johnny Rutherford
For the Major League Baseball pitcher, see Johnny Rutherford . For other people with a similar name, see John RutherfordJohn Sherman Rutherford III , better known as Johnny Rutherford, and also known as "Lone Star JR" is a former U.S...
, and Fred Lorenzen
Fred Lorenzen
Fred Lorenzen , nicknamed The Golden Boy, Fast Freddie, The Elmhurst Express and Flyin Freddy, is a former NASCAR driver active between 1958 and 1972. He won the 1965 Daytona 500. Lorenzen was born in Elmurst, Illinois.-Early career:Lorenzen first caught the car bug young, and had built his first...
were among those who shared the ride for the rest of the year. Donlavey also fielded a second car for the first time in his career, when he fielded the #98 at Martinsville for Isaac, who finished 35th as a teammate to Jimmy Hensley
Jimmy Hensley
Jimmy Hensley is a former NASCAR driver. With a career spanning 27 seasons in all three of NASCAR's elite divisions, Hensley may be best remembered for his Rookie of the Year award won in 1992, his 15th season in the series, and for his nine career Busch Series wins. He spent most of his career...
, and again two races later at the National 500 for Richard D. Brown, who finished 41st.
In 1973, Donlavey secured his first full-time sponsor, signing Truxmore Industries. Brooks began the year with Donlavey, and ran part of his season with him. Other drivers included Harry Gant
Harry Gant
Harry Phil Gant is a retired American racecar driver best known for driving the #33 Skoal Bandit car on the NASCAR Winston Cup circuit during the 1980s and 1990s.-Nicknames:...
, Charlie Glotzbach
Charlie Glotzbach
Charles "Charlie: Glotzbach is a former ARCA and was a NASCAR Sprint Cup driver. Charlie holds one of the oldest race records in NASCAR. He was also known as "The Chargin' Comet" and "Chargin' Charlie"....
, Ray Hendrick
Ray Hendrick
Ray Hendrick , was known as "Mr. Modified" during his 36-year career in motorsports mainly in the modified stock car racing class....
, and a one-off with Yvon Duhamel
Yvon Duhamel
Yvon Duhamel is a French-Canadian professional motorcycle racer and father to current AMA Superbike roadracer Miguel Duhamel. He won the World Championship Snowmobile Derby in 1970...
. He also fielded the 98 for Brooks and Richie Panch
Richie Panch
Richard "Richie" Panch was a NASCAR Winston Cup Series driver from 1973 to 1976. Panch had officially raced a grand total of 9295 laps - the equivalent of of stock car racing. His average start is 18th place while his average finish is 23rd place. Total earnings for Richie Panch were $90,842 USD...
. Then next season, Dennis returned for three races, before being replaced by multiple drivers. Glotzbach ran eleven races with him, the most by any driver that year. In 1975, Donlavey decided to run full-time, and hired Brooks as driver. Brooks ran 25 races, had six top-fives and finished 10th in points. Donlavey also fielded a second car, the #93, for Kenny Brightbill, Dick May
Dick May
Dick May was a NASCAR driver who competed in 185 races in the NASCAR Grand National/Winston Cup between 1967 and 1985....
, Earl Ross
Earl Ross
Earl Ross is a Canadian race car driver who competed in the NASCAR Winston Cup Series from 1973 to 1976 driving the Carling Red Cap #52...
, and Jody Ridley. In 1976, Brooks had eighteen top-ten finishes and finished tenth in points again. The #93 ran in two races for Buck Baker
Buck Baker
Elzie Wylie Baker Sr. , better known as Buck Baker, was an American race car driver.-Racing career:...
and Gene Felton, with Donlavey also fielding the #99 for Dick Trickle at Charlotte Motor Speedway
Charlotte Motor Speedway
Charlotte Motor Speedway is a motorsports complex located in Concord, North Carolina, United States 13 miles from Charlotte, North Carolina. The complex features a quad oval track that hosts NASCAR racing including the prestigious Coca-Cola 600 on Memorial Day weekend and the Sprint All-Star Race...
. The next season, Brooks finished sixth in points, with Donlavey fielding the #93 for Belgian
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
racer Christine Beckers. She finished 37th. Brooks began 1978 by finishing fifth in two out of the first three races of the season, but despite an eighth-place points finish, Brooks departed the team.
1980s
In 1979, Donlavey signed Ricky RuddRicky Rudd
Ricky Rudd is a former American NASCAR driver. He is the uncle of actor Skeet Ulrich and Nationwide Series driver Jason Rudd. Rudd is known as the "Iron Man" of NASCAR; holding the record for most consecutive starts in NASCAR racing. At the conclusion of the 2005 season, Rudd had made 788...
to drive the #90. Competing in 28 races, Rudd had 17 top-ten finishes and finished 9th in points. Donlavey also fielded the #77 Sunny King Mercury for Jody Ridley, who had two top-tens in three races. After Rudd left at the end of the season, Ridley signed to drive the 90 for the full season. He had eighteen top-ten finishes, finished seventh in points, and was named Rookie of the Year. The next season, he finished fifth in points and won the Mason-Dixon 500, the only points win Donlavey would have during his career. After losing the Truxmore sponsorship, J.D. Stacy sponsored the car in 1982, but after he failed to post a top-five, Ridley left the team.
The next season, Donlavey signed rookie driver Ken Schrader to pilot the #90, with new sponsorship from Ultra Seal. Schrader had three top-tens and finished sixteenth in points. In 1986, Red Baron Frozen Pizza, signed as primary sponsor, and in 1987, Schrader won one of two qualifying races for the Daytona 500
Daytona 500
The Daytona 500 is a -long NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race held annually at the Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida. It is one of four restrictor plate races on the Cup schedule....
, as well as picking up a pole at Darlington Raceway
Darlington Raceway
Darlington Raceway is a race track built for NASCAR racing located near Darlington, South Carolina. It is nicknamed the "Lady in Black" and "The Track Too Tough to Tame" by many NASCAR fans and drivers and advertised as "A NASCAR Tradition"...
, finishing tenth in championship points. At the end of the season, Schrader left, and was replaced by Benny Parsons
Benny Parsons
Benjamin Stewart Parsons was an American NASCAR driver, and later an announcer/analyst on TBS, ESPN, NBC and TNT...
with Bull's Eye Barbecue Sauce. Running what turned out to be his last season, Parsons competed in 27 starts and grabbed an eighth-place finish at Phoenix International Raceway
Phoenix International Raceway
Phoenix International Raceway, also known as PIR, is a one-mile, low-banked tri-oval race track located in Avondale, Arizona. The track opened in 1964 and currently hosts two NASCAR race weekends annually. PIR has also hosted the Indycar Series, CART, USAC and the Rolex Sports Car Series...
. He was replaced for one race at North Wilkesboro
North Wilkesboro Speedway
North Wilkesboro Speedway was a short track that held races in NASCAR's top three series from NASCAR's inception in 1949 until its closure in 1996...
by Jimmy Means
Jimmy Means
James "Jimmy" Means is a former Winston Cup/Nextel Cup owner/driver. Currently, he is an adviser for Front Row Motorsports and owns his own team, Means Racing. He competed in NASCAR for eighteen years in mostly his own equipment, posting seventeen career top-tens...
, who finished 24th. After the season, Bull's Eye left the team, and Donlavey signed rookie Chad Little
Chad Little
Chad Little is a former NASCAR driver. He holds a degree in marketing from Washington State University, and a law degree from Gonzaga University...
to his ride. However, Little struggled and was released after the Coca-Cola 600
Coca-Cola 600
The Coca-Cola 600, formerly known as the World 600, is a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race held each year at Charlotte Motor Speedway in Concord, North Carolina on Memorial Day weekend...
. Donlavey cut back to part-time schedule for the rest of the season, with Stan Barrett
Stan Barrett
Stan Barrett is a Hollywood stuntman, stunt coordinator and actor. His biggest act was however outside the movie world. On 17 December 1979, he attempted to break the Land Speed Record, and the sound barrier in the Budweiser Rocket rocket-powered three-wheel vehicle...
and Lennie Pond
Lennie Pond
Lennie Pond is a former NASCAR driver. He won NASCAR Winston Cup Rookie of the Year honors in 1973, and won his only race at Talladega Superspeedway in 1978 for Ronnie Elder and Harry Ranier....
running selected races for him.
1990s
In 1990, Donlavey signed True Cure as sponsor, and at the advice of Schrader, signed Ernie Irvan as driver. Unfortunately, True Cure did not meet their financial expectations, and Donlavey cancelled the contract. Despite the financial setback, Donlavey fielded a second car, the #91, at GM Goodwrench 500 for J.T. Hayes as a teammate to Irvan. After three races, Donlavey granted permission for Irvan to seek other opportunities, and Irvan signed with Morgan-McClure MotorsportsMorgan-McClure Motorsports
Morgan-McClure Motorsports is an American auto racing team that competed in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series full time until 2007 and now occasionally attempts races. It has been in operation for 27 years, starting in 1982. The team is most notable for running the #4 from 1983 to 2009.-Starting...
. Buddy Baker
Buddy Baker
Elzie Wylie Baker, Jr. , nicknamed "Leadfoot" or more famously Buddy, is a former American NASCAR racecar driver.-Early life:...
and Charlie Glotzbach ran nine races between the two of him for the rest of the season. The next season, Donlavey signed Robby Gordon
Robby Gordon
Robert W. "Robby" Gordon is an American racecar driver who currently competes in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series as an owner-driver, driving the No. 7 Speed Energy Dodge Charger for Robby Gordon Motorsports, and also competes part-time in the Nationwide Series...
for the first two races of the season. He finished 18th and 26th, respectively. At the Motorcraft Quality Parts 500, Donlavey fielded a car for Wally Dallenbach, Jr.
Wally Dallenbach, Jr.
Wally Dallenbach, Jr. is an American former NASCAR Winston Cup driver. He competed in 226 Winston Cup races from 1991 to 2001 and had 23 top 10 finishes. The son of open wheel racer and former CART chief steward, Wally Dallenbach, Sr., Wally Jr. is also a road racer...
, who would run eleven races for him that season.
Dorsey Schroeder
Dorsey Schroeder
Dorsey Schroeder is a race car driver born February 5, 1953 in Kirkwood, Missouri. Dorsey currently lives in Florida with his wife Kim and daughter Carissa Schroeder from his second marriage...
started off 1992 driving for Donlavey, before Glotzbach took over for two races. Other drivers who raced for Donlavey that year were Glotzbach, Kerry Teague, Pancho Carter
Pancho Carter
Duane "Pancho" Carter, Jr. is a retired American race car driver. He is most famous for his participation in CART races.-Background:...
, Bobby Hillin, Jr.
Bobby Hillin, Jr.
Bobby Hillin, Jr. , is an American stock car racecar driver. Hillin's love for racing began when he was a young boy watching his father's USAC Sprint and Indy cars race across the Midwest. At the age of 13, after a short period of racing go-karts and motocross, Hillin drove his first race car in...
, and Hut Stricklin
Hut Stricklin
Waymond Lane "Hut" Stricklin is a former NASCAR race car driver. He was born on June 24, 1961, in Calera, Alabama. He married Pam Allison, the daughter of NASCAR legend Donnie Allison after they were introduced by her cousin Davey. Hut was the last member of the Alabama Gang.In 1986, Stricklin won...
. Hillin returned to run the full season for Donlavey the next year, with sponsorship from Heilig-Meyers
Heilig-Meyers
Heilig-Meyers was a retail furniture store chain founded in Goldsboro, North Carolina, in 1913 by two Lithuanian immigrants, H. A. Heilig and J. M. Meyers. Its corporate headquarters was in Richmond, Virginia. The chain grew to become the largest furniture retailer in the United States in...
. Hillin posted a best finish was eleventh and he finished twenty-seventh in points. Hillin ran just three races in 1994, before he was replaced by Mike Wallace
Mike Wallace (NASCAR)
Mike Wallace is a NASCAR race car driver born in Fenton, Missouri. He currently drives the #01 Chevrolet for JD Motorsports in the Nationwide Series. He is a younger brother to Rusty Wallace, older brother to Kenny Wallace, and uncle to Steve Wallace...
. Wallace made 22 starts and had a fifth-place finish at the season-ending Hooters 500. He returned in 1995 but dropped to 34th in points.
After making ten starts in 1996, Wallace was released in favor of Dick Trickle, whose best finish that season was a thirteenth at Michigan
Michigan International Speedway
Michigan International Speedway is a two-mile moderate-banked D-shaped superspeedway located off U.S. Highway 12 on more than in Brooklyn, in the scenic Irish Hills area of southeastern Michigan. The track is used primarily for NASCAR events. It is sometimes known as a "sister track" to Texas...
. Trickle signed the next season. He posted two top-fives and finished 31st in points. He improved to 29th in points in 1998, but he, along with Heling-Meyers and crew chief Tommy Baldwin, Jr., left the team at the end of the year. During the season, Donlavey missed attending his first race in years, when he had to undergo heart surgery.
Final years
After the loss of personnel in 1998, Donlavey announced that for 1999, he would field the #90 Big Daddy's BBQ SauceBig Daddy's BBQ Sauce
Big Daddy's BBQ Sauce is a company that produces barbecue sauce. Based in Yukon, Oklahoma.-History:The sauce came from the result of two friends merging their famous recipes together...
Ford Taurus
Ford Taurus
The Ford Taurus is an automobile manufactured by the Ford Motor Company in the United States. Originally introduced in the 1986 model year, it has remained in near-continuous production for more than two decades, making it the fourth oldest nameplate that is currently sold in the North American...
driven by rookie Mike Harmon
Mike Harmon
Mike Harmon is an American race car driver. Currently, he drives the #74 Mike Harmon Racing Chevrolet in the NASCAR Nationwide Series. In the past, he drove in the NASCAR Slim Jim All Pro Series, finishing 8th in points in 1997...
. During the lead-up to the Daytona 500, rumors began spreading that Big Daddy's was not paying its sponsorship checks. Originally, those rumors were denied by Donlavey, but questions continued to swirl when the team practiced for the 500 without Big Daddy's sponsor decals on the car. Eventually, it was revealed that Big Daddy had not been paying its checks on time. Before long, tensions became so high that Harmon was fired for the ride before the race and replaced by Wallace. The team ran the 500 with sponsorship from Accu-turn and Kodiak (a one-race deal after Kodiak's regular team
Larry Hedrick Motorsports
Larry Hedrick Motorsports is a former NASCAR team. It was owned by businessman Larry Hedrick and always fielded the #41 Chevrolet in both the Winston Cup and the Busch Series. The team ran from 1990 until its closure in 2001.- Beginnings :...
missed the race). The Big Daddy's contract was cancelled, and Morgan Shepherd
Morgan Shepherd
Clay Morgan Shepherd has been a NASCAR Sprint Cup driver since 1977. He has also raced in the Nationwide, and Camping World Truck Series. He is a born again Christian who serves as a lay minister to the racing community...
took over the next week at Rockingham, and Stanton Barrett
Stanton Barrett
Stanton Thomas Barrett is a NASCAR driver and Hollywood stuntman. He has driven in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and Nationwide Series, as well in the IZOD IndyCar Series.-NASCAR:...
at Las Vegas Motor Speedway
Las Vegas Motor Speedway
Las Vegas Motor Speedway, located in Clark County, Nevada near Las Vegas, is a complex of multiple tracks for automobile racing. The complex is owned by Speedway Motorsports, Inc., which is headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina.-History:...
. Those two drivers, along with Hut Stricklin and Ed Berrier
Ed Berrier
Ed Berrier is a second-generation NASCAR driver. His father Max Berrier competed in seven Grand National races over four years, and won 125 feature races as a modified driver...
, shared the driving duties of the 90 for the rest of the year.
In 2000, Berrier signed to drive the 90 from sponsorship from Hills Brothers Coffee, competing for Rookie of the Year honors. Berrier struggled during the course of the season, DNQ-ing nine times, before he was released. Brian Simo
Brian Simo
Brian Simo is a race car driver from Carlsbad, California, USA. On the NASCAR circuits, he is a road course ringer who races selected road course races. He drove the #33 Korbel Chevrolet for Richard Childress Racing at Infineon Raceway in the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series in 2005, recording a top ten...
took over at Watkins Glen, before Stricklin took over the rest of the year. He signed to drive the 90 full-time in 2001, and had a sixth-place run at Michigan, but the team continued to struggle. At the EA Sports 500, Donlavey fielded the #91 for Rick Mast
Rick Mast
Rick Mast is a former NASCAR driver. He competed in both the Winston Cup and Busch Series before retiring in 2002...
, but did not make the race. More trouble began brewing when Sara Lee asked Donlavey to move his team from Richmond to North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
. When Donlavey refused, they announced they were leaving for Bill Davis Racing
Bill Davis Racing
Bill Davis Racing was a racing team that participated in all three of NASCAR's top divisions until 2009.The team had run Toyota-branded stock cars and trucks in both the Camping World Truck Series and Sprint Cup Series since 2007. Dodge, Ford, and Pontiac previously backed the team...
, taking Stricklin with them.
Mast signed with Donlavey for 2002 with sponsorship from the C.F. Sauer Company. Mast had a best finish of 24th at Darlington when he began feeling anemic. He took several races off, and was replaced by Hermie Sadler
Hermie Sadler
Herman Marion Sadler III is an American race car driver/announcer and professional wrestling promoter from Emporia, Virginia. He is also an advocate for autism research, as his daughter Hailie Dru, was diagnosed with the disorder in 2001...
, and Gary Bradberry
Gary Bradberry
Gary Bradberry is a race car driver. He raced in the NASCAR All-Pro Series, and had top-ten points finishes from 1990-1993. After that, Bradberry made the jump to major NASCAR leagues...
. When Mast became too ill to return and Sauer left, Donlavey cut back his racing schedule, and planned to retire, but came back to field the Lucas Oil
Lucas Oil
Lucas Oil Products is a manufacturer and distributor of automotive oil, additives, and lubricants. It was founded by trucker Forrest Lucas and his wife Charlotte in 1989....
Ford for Lance Hooper
Lance Hooper
Lance Allen Hooper is a race car driver in NASCAR as well as several touring divisions. Hooper attended his first race when he was just two weeks old, and also came from a long line of racing champions, including his uncle, father, and brother...
at Bristol, as well as a car for team manager Jason Hedlesky
Jason Hedlesky
Jason Hedlesky is an American race car driver.- Racing career :Hedlesky has competed in select ARCA Re/Max races every year since 2000, with the exception of 2004...
at Lowe's. Hooper finished 31st and Hedlesky started 41st and finished 43rd. In 2003, Kirk Shelmerdine
Kirk Shelmerdine
Kirk Shelmerdine is a NASCAR driver and former championship-winning crew chief for the late Dale Earnhardt.-Crew chief:...
drove Donlavey's car at the Daytona 500, but missed the field. Hedlesky drove the car at the Winston Open, but Donlavey did not field an entry for the rest of the season. Donlavey hoped to revive his team in 2004 by announcing Kevin Ray would drive a limited schedule that season with sponsorship from Boudreaux's Butt Paste
Boudreaux's Butt Paste
Boudreaux's Butt Paste is a skin cream used to treat skin ailments such as diaper rash, minor burns and insect bites.The product is made by Blairex Industries, which is not based in Louisiana, but in Columbus, Indiana.- Ingredients :The combination of ingredients is:*16 percent zinc oxide*a...
. Unfortunately, the deal ended up running only one ARCA race at Pocono
Pocono Raceway
Pocono Raceway also known as the Tricky Triangle, is a superspeedway located in the Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania at Long Pond...
. Late in the year A.J. Henriksen, began running races for Donlavey, but did not make a race. Donlavey did not field a car in 2005, but continued to stay involved in NASCAR. During a gathering at Richmond in September 2006, Donlavey stated that he still had several cars in his race shop, but was in the process of selling them and had no plans to return to racing.