MB Motorsports
Encyclopedia
MB Motorsports is a NASCAR
Craftsman Truck Series
team based in Foristell, Missouri
owned by Mike Mittler. The team is one of few to field entries every year since the Series' inception in 1995. Several drivers who went on to Nationwide Series and Sprint Cup careers got their first NASCAR ride in an MB Motorsports Truck.
MB Motorsports debuted at the 1995 Sears Auto Center 125 at The Milwaukee Mile. Tony Roper
drove the #26 Mittler Brothers Machine & Tool F-150
to a 22nd place finish. He made another start weeks later at Martinsville Speedway
, but finished twenty-seventh after suffering rear end problems. Mike Wallace
drove the next race at North Wilkesboro Speedway
, but finished 29th after an engine failure. The team only made two starts in 1996. Kenny Irwin, Jr.
drove the first race, and started and finished 32nd. The next race came at Flemington Speedway
, where Michael Dokken
exited the race after seven laps due to electrical problems.
In 1997, the team made a total of three races, with the first one coming at I-70 Speedway
with Rick Beebe qualifying ninth but finishing twenty-fourth. Jerry Robertson made an additional two starts with Mainstream Technology/Lucas Oil
sponsorship, his best finish being 26th. Doug George
began the 1998 season with MB, but a failure to finish higher than 30th and three consecutive DNQs forced him out of the ride. The team switched to a part-time schedule for the rest of the season, with Randy MacDonald
, Beebe, and Bryan Reffner
driving. Randy Nelson ran the 1999 season-opener, but only completed fifteen laps. Robertson returned to run three races in the MB truck, but only finished one race. Jamie McMurray
ran five races for the team, and had a best finish of eleventh at Las Vegas Motor Speedway
.
McMurray was selected to make a full-time run for Rookie of the Year in 2000, but left midway through the season for TKO Motorsports. Tony Roper returned to the team and drove the rest of the season. MB Motorsports made headlines in 2000 when Roper was killed during a race at Texas Motor Speedway
. Roper was one of four NASCAR drivers, including Adam Petty
, former MB Motorsports driver Kenny Irwin, and seven-time Cup Series Champion Dale Earnhardt
to be killed on track in less than nine months. All four men died of basal skull fractures.
MB returned to the track in 2001, switching to the #63. Rookie Larry Gunselman
joined the team, bringing sponsorship from Waterloo Tool Storage, and occasionally running Chevrolet
s. He ran seventeen races and had a best finish of sixteenth at Kansas Speedway
. Mike Harmon
also drove one race at Dover International Speedway
, but finished thirty-fifth after an early ignition
failure. Gunselman drove three early races for MB in 2002, but the team stopped running for a few races until Carl Edwards
was hired to run seven races. He recorded the first top-ten finish in team history at Kansas. Regan Smith
drove two races late in the season, but failed to finish a race. In 2003, Ronnie Hornaday
drove two races with Summer Bay Resort sponsoring, but suffered engine failures in both races. David Stover
drove the rest of the team's schedule and had two top-twenty finishes.
In 2004, rookie driver Chris Wimmer
drove ten races with Porter Truck Sales sponsorshing, and had a best finish of eighteenth. Justin Allgaier
competed in four races the following season, but only had a best finish of 26th, and failed to qualify for five races. After several DNQs in 2006 with J. R. Patton, Allgaier returned the next season for three races, with a best finish of twenty-first. Cameron Dodson then took over for four races and had a best finish of 24th. Scott Lynch drove one race, and Brad Keselowski
drove in two races under a partnership with K Automotive Racing
. Jason White
drove the season-opening race in 2007 with Gunbroker.com
sponsoring, but the race ended in a crash. For the rest of the season, Scott Lynch and Jack Smith shared the ride with Cooper Bussman sponsoring. The team also fielded a second truck in the first time in its history at Gateway International Raceway
. Smith drove but qualified and finished last, failing to complete a lap.
In 2008, Diversified Partners sponsored the season-opening race with P. J. Jones driving, but he wrecked early. Jones and Smith drove two races a piece, with Allgaier returning with a 24th-place finish at Kentucky Speedway
. The team also fielded a second truck, the #36 at Texas Motor Speedway
. J.C. Stout finished 34th after an early vibration put him out of contention.
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...
Craftsman Truck Series
Craftsman Truck Series
The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series is a pickup truck racing series owned and operated by the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing...
team based in Foristell, Missouri
Foristell, Missouri
Foristell is a city in St. Charles and Warren Counties in the U.S. state of Missouri. The population was 358 at the 2007 census.-Geography:Foristell is located at ....
owned by Mike Mittler. The team is one of few to field entries every year since the Series' inception in 1995. Several drivers who went on to Nationwide Series and Sprint Cup careers got their first NASCAR ride in an MB Motorsports Truck.
MB Motorsports debuted at the 1995 Sears Auto Center 125 at The Milwaukee Mile. Tony Roper
Tony Roper
Anthony Dean "Tony" Roper was a NASCAR driver. He was born in Springfield, Missouri, to Dean Roper and Shirley Medley. Growing up his family was heavily involved in auto racing. Roper started racing in 1986. For the next six years Tony raced in IMCA Modifieds and late models on Midwest dirt and...
drove the #26 Mittler Brothers Machine & Tool F-150
Ford F-Series
The F-Series is a series of full-size pickup trucks from Ford Motor Company which has been sold continuously for over six decades. The most popular variant of the F-Series is the F-150...
to a 22nd place finish. He made another start weeks later at Martinsville Speedway
Martinsville 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...
, but finished twenty-seventh after suffering rear end problems. 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...
drove the next race at North Wilkesboro Speedway
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...
, but finished 29th after an engine failure. The team only made two starts in 1996. Kenny Irwin, Jr.
Kenny Irwin, Jr.
Kenneth Dale Irwin, Jr. was a NASCAR stock car driver. He had driven in all three major of forms of NASCAR and had two total victories. Before that, he raced in the United States Auto Club against Tony Stewart, who was one of his fiercest rivals...
drove the first race, and started and finished 32nd. The next race came at Flemington Speedway
Flemington Speedway
Flemington Speedway was a motor racing circuit in Flemington, New Jersey which operated from 1915 to 2002. The track is most known for hosting four NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series races and its pioneering use of foam blocks used to lessen the impact of crashes, which led to the adoption of the SAFER...
, where Michael Dokken
Michael Dokken
Michael Dokken,, is a former NASCAR driver. Before racing NASCAR, he raced short tracks in the southeast...
exited the race after seven laps due to electrical problems.
In 1997, the team made a total of three races, with the first one coming at I-70 Speedway
I-70 Speedway
I-70 Speedway is a racetrack near Interstate 70 east of Odessa, Missouri, USA. The track opened in 1969 and was open every year until it closed in 2008. It was built and owned by Bill Roberts who, along with partners, had previously built and owned KCIR Dragstrip on Noland Road in Kansas City,...
with Rick Beebe qualifying ninth but finishing twenty-fourth. Jerry Robertson made an additional two starts with Mainstream Technology/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....
sponsorship, his best finish being 26th. Doug George
Doug George
Doug George is a NASCAR driver and mechanic. Currently, he is the crew chief of the #51 NOS/Miccosukee Gambling Toyota Tundra driven by Kyle Busch and Brian Ickler in the Craftsman Truck Series. He has made a total of 58 starts in NASCAR.He began racing professionally in the 1980s, driving for his...
began the 1998 season with MB, but a failure to finish higher than 30th and three consecutive DNQs forced him out of the ride. The team switched to a part-time schedule for the rest of the season, with Randy MacDonald
Randy MacDonald
Randy MacDonald , is a driver in the NASCAR Nationwide Series, as well as the car owner of the full-time #81 MacDonald Motorsports car in the Nationwide Series. He is a veteran of all three major NASCAR Series...
, Beebe, and Bryan Reffner
Bryan Reffner
Bryan Reffner is a veteran of the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. He was also a champion in the American Speed Association.-Career prior to NASCAR:...
driving. Randy Nelson ran the 1999 season-opener, but only completed fifteen laps. Robertson returned to run three races in the MB truck, but only finished one race. Jamie McMurray
Jamie McMurray
James Christopher "Jamie" McMurray is a professional American race car driver. McMurray is best known for winning the 2002 UAW-GM Quality 500 as a substitute driver in his second Winston Cup start, and is one of three drivers to win both the Daytona 500 and Brickyard 400 in the same year...
ran five races for the team, and had a best finish of eleventh 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:...
.
McMurray was selected to make a full-time run for Rookie of the Year in 2000, but left midway through the season for TKO Motorsports. Tony Roper returned to the team and drove the rest of the season. MB Motorsports made headlines in 2000 when Roper was killed during a race at Texas Motor Speedway
Texas Motor Speedway
Texas Motor Speedway is a speedway located in the northernmost portion of the U.S. city of Fort Worth, Texas – the portion located in Denton County, Texas....
. Roper was one of four NASCAR drivers, including Adam Petty
Adam Petty
Adam Kyler Petty was a professional racing driver. He was the first fourth-generation driver in NASCAR history.-Early life:...
, former MB Motorsports driver Kenny Irwin, and seven-time Cup Series Champion Dale Earnhardt
Dale Earnhardt
Ralph Dale Earnhardt, Sr. was an American race car driver, best known for his involvement in stock car racing for NASCAR...
to be killed on track in less than nine months. All four men died of basal skull fractures.
MB returned to the track in 2001, switching to the #63. Rookie Larry Gunselman
Larry Gunselman
Larry Gunselman is an American former race car driver. He has made a total over 100 starts and over 2 million in earnings in all three of NASCAR's top divisions...
joined the team, bringing sponsorship from Waterloo Tool Storage, and occasionally running Chevrolet
Chevrolet
Chevrolet , also known as Chevy , is a brand of vehicle produced by General Motors Company . Founded by Louis Chevrolet and ousted GM founder William C. Durant on November 3, 1911, General Motors acquired Chevrolet in 1918...
s. He ran seventeen races and had a best finish of sixteenth at Kansas Speedway
Kansas Speedway
Kansas Speedway is a tri-oval race track in Kansas City, Kansas. The speedway was built in 2001 and currently hosts two annual NASCAR race weekends. The IndyCar Series also raced at the speedway until 2011...
. 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...
also drove one race at Dover International Speedway
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...
, but finished thirty-fifth after an early ignition
Ignition system
An ignition system is a system for igniting a fuel-air mixture. Ignition systems are well known in the field of internal combustion engines such as those used in petrol engines used to power the majority of motor vehicles, but they are also used in many other applications such as in oil-fired and...
failure. Gunselman drove three early races for MB in 2002, but the team stopped running for a few races until Carl Edwards
Carl Edwards
Carl Michael Edwards, II is a NASCAR driver. He currently drives the #99 Fastenal/Aflac Ford Fusion in the Sprint Cup Series and the #60 Ford in the Nationwide Series for Roush Fenway Racing...
was hired to run seven races. He recorded the first top-ten finish in team history at Kansas. Regan Smith
Regan Smith
Regan Smith is a NASCAR driver. He currently drives the #78 Furniture Row Chevrolet Impala for Furniture Row Racing.-Beginnings:...
drove two races late in the season, but failed to finish a race. In 2003, Ronnie Hornaday
Ronnie Hornaday
Ron Hornaday III is a NASCAR driver and the son of NASCAR Camping World Truck Series champion Ron Hornaday, Jr. On May 12, 2001, he earned a career best finish of 11th at Darlington Raceway, his best out of 12 starts....
drove two races with Summer Bay Resort sponsoring, but suffered engine failures in both races. David Stover
David Stover
David Stover , is a former NASCAR driver.He did a part-time schedule for MB Motorsports in 2003. He made his debut at the Memphis, starting 23rd and finishing 25th. He would earn his first career top-20 finish the next race at Milwaukee, finishing 18th. Stover's best run would come at Bristol,...
drove the rest of the team's schedule and had two top-twenty finishes.
Chris Wimmer
Chris Wimmer is an American driver. He has raced mostly in short track competition and as high as the NASCAR Busch Series . Wimmer is currently competing in the ASA Midwest Tour where he finished fourth in 2008.-Early career:Wimmer's career began in his youth, when he began working on his uncle,...
drove ten races with Porter Truck Sales sponsorshing, and had a best finish of eighteenth. Justin Allgaier
Justin Allgaier
Justin Allgaier , is an American stock car driver. He drives the No. 31 Brandt Chevrolet Impala for Turner Motorsports in the NASCAR Nationwide Series. He was the 2008 ARCA RE/MAX Series Champion and the 2009 Nationwide Series Rookie of the Year. Justin is nicknamed 'Little Gator'...
competed in four races the following season, but only had a best finish of 26th, and failed to qualify for five races. After several DNQs in 2006 with J. R. Patton, Allgaier returned the next season for three races, with a best finish of twenty-first. Cameron Dodson then took over for four races and had a best finish of 24th. Scott Lynch drove one race, and Brad Keselowski
Brad Keselowski
Bradley Robert Keselowski is an American auto racing driver currently competing in the #2 Miller Lite Dodge Charger in the Sprint Cup Series and the #22 Discount Tire Company/Ruby Tuesday Dodge Challenger in the Nationwide Series for Penske Racing...
drove in two races under a partnership with K Automotive Racing
K Automotive Racing
K Automotive Racing is an auto racing team that competes in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. K-Automotive previously raced in ARCA and the Nationwide Series. The team is owned and operated by Bob, Brian, and Kay Keselowski. They currently field a full-time entry, the 92 Chevrolet driven by Brian...
. Jason White
Jason White (NASCAR)
Jason White is the driver for the #23 GunBroker.com Chevy Silverado for Joe Denette Motorsports in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. He has been racing in NASCAR since 1999.-Beginnings:...
drove the season-opening race in 2007 with Gunbroker.com
GunBroker.com
Gunbroker.com is an Atlanta, Georgia United States based auction website specializing in the sale of firearms. It was founded in 1999 by Steven F. Urvan, who serves as the CEO and Chief Technology Officer...
sponsoring, but the race ended in a crash. For the rest of the season, Scott Lynch and Jack Smith shared the ride with Cooper Bussman sponsoring. The team also fielded a second truck in the first time in its history at Gateway International Raceway
Gateway International Raceway
Gateway Motorsports Park is a race track in Madison, Illinois, USA, just east of St. Louis, Missouri. After being shuttered by former owner Dover Motorsports Inc., on Nov. 3, 2010, it was announced Sept. 8, 2011, that the facility would re-open and host an NHRA Full Throttle Series event Oct. 5-7,...
. Smith drove but qualified and finished last, failing to complete a lap.
In 2008, Diversified Partners sponsored the season-opening race with P. J. Jones driving, but he wrecked early. Jones and Smith drove two races a piece, with Allgaier returning with a 24th-place finish at Kentucky Speedway
Kentucky Speedway
Kentucky Speedway is a tri-oval speedway in Sparta, Kentucky, which has hosted ARCA, NASCAR and Indy Racing League racing annually since it opened in 2000. The track is currently owned and operated by Speedway Motorsports, Inc. and Jerry Carroll, who, along with four other investors, owned...
. The team also fielded a second truck, the #36 at Texas Motor Speedway
Texas Motor Speedway
Texas Motor Speedway is a speedway located in the northernmost portion of the U.S. city of Fort Worth, Texas – the portion located in Denton County, Texas....
. J.C. Stout finished 34th after an early vibration put him out of contention.