Marsh Racing
Encyclopedia
Marsh Racing is a team in the GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series and formerly a team which competed in the NASCAR Busch Series
. The team is owned by Ted Marsh. A longtime Chevrolet team sporting the No. 31 with backing from Whelen Engineering, Marsh Racing currently fields a Corvette in the Rolex Series, after several seasons in NASCAR. His current Rolex Series drivers include Boris Said and Eric Curran; his former NASCAR drivers included veterans Steve Park
and Richard Childress Racing
development driver Peyton Sellers
.
in 1998 with Ted Christopher
competing in three races for the team. Driving the #13 Whelen Engineering Chevrolet, Christopher posted a best finish of 10th at Nazareth
. In 1999, the team attempted 12 races, again with Ted Christopher
driving the car. The team would make five races and post a best finish of 8th at Nazareth
.
For the 2000 season Marsh Racing selected Steve Park
as the team's driver and Whelen Engineering returned as the sponsor for a limited schedule with the newly renumbered #31 car. Park put the car in the field nine of the fourteen events the team attempted and gave the team a new top finish when he placed 6th at Richmond
. He also gave the team three top ten starts and a best start of second at Richmond
.
Park returned to the team in 2001 and made all seven on the team's attempts. He posted five top ten finishes including a fourth at Bristol
. The team almost managed two top ten starts with a third place start at New Hampshire
. In September 2001, while Steve Park was driving the car he suffered a moderate concussion and was unable to race. Andy Santerre
took over the car for the final three races of the limited schedule for the season, however mechanical failures plagued each race.
For the 2002 season David Green
, Tim Fedewa
, and Dave Blaney
drove the car at different points throughout the season. The team posted a best finish of 14th at Bristol
with Fedewa driving. Unfortunately, the team suffered through four mechanical failures and three crashes throughout the season. Dave Blaney
returned to the car for the 2003 season after working with the team late in the 2002 season.
The team also switched to Ford from Chevrolet
partway the 2003 season, with Blaney bringing support from Jasper Motorsports
, the team he was driving for in Winston Cup at the time. Competing in ten events he managed six top 15 finishes with a best finish of 9th at Richmond
. His best start during the season was a 4th at Chicagoland
.
In 2004, the team again started the year with Dave Blaney
driving the #31 Whelen Engineering Ford, however after three races he was replaced with Todd Bodine
. Bodine would give the car its best finish of the season when he finished 5th at Homestead-Miami
, however the team only managed three top 20 finishes out of the eight races Marsh Racing competed in.
Dave Blaney
returned the #31 team in 2005 and brought support from Richard Childress Racing
as they switched back to Chevrolet
. The team's best finish of the season came at Dover
when Blaney finished 12th and the best start of the season came at Richmond
where the team started 7th.
For the 2006 season it was announced that Steve Park
would return to Marsh Racing and drive the car in ten races. Peyton Sellers
made his Busch Series
debut at New Hampshire
with the #31 team and made another start at Memphis Motorsports Park
.
As of 2008, the team is still operational, and in search of a full-time sponsor. In early 2008, Turner Motorsports Development driver James Buescher was driving at select races. James qualified 18th, and finished 20th at the US Cellular 200 in Newton, Iowa. Then came the Camping World East Series 125 At The Glen at Watkins Glen, NY. They qualified 20th, but due to engine trouble, had to withdraw from the event.
Eric has a long history of racing all types of vehicles, but more recently he has been driving Speed Touring and Speed World Challenge GT cars. In 2007, he finished 5th in Speed Touring points, and won four races in the #30 Speed World Challenge GT Corvette (built and maintained by Marsh Racing). In 2008, Eric finished 18th in Speed Touring (only racing 3 races), while finishing in the top 10 in points in the #30 World GT car (a full 10 race schedule).
Eric's Camping World East Series debut was a success with the Marsh Racing Team. He competed at the Mohegan Sun NASCAR Camping World Series 200 at Limerock Park in Lakeville, CT. Due qualifying being rained out, Eric had to start 26th based on team points. He fought hard, and made his way up through the field to eventually lead by lap 21. After 82 laps, Eric finished in 6th place... a great performance considering it was his first time in this type of car.
Ted Christopher got a chance to hop back in the car for the team's final race of the season at the Carquest Fall Final at Stafford Motor Speedway in Stafford Springs, CT.
The Marsh team is gearing up for the 2009 season in World Challenge GT, and also looking for a full-time sponsor for the NASCAR Camping World Series East car.
, and he and Curran finished ninth. Curran won the pole for the next race, the season finale at Miller Motorsports Park
, but mechanical problems forced a 17th-place result. The team finished 15th in points.
Busch Series
The NASCAR Nationwide Series is a stock car racing series owned and operated by the National Association of Stock Car Auto Racing. It is promoted as NASCAR's "minor league" circuit, and is a proving ground for drivers who wish to step up to the organization's "big leagues"; the Sprint Cup circuit...
. The team is owned by Ted Marsh. A longtime Chevrolet team sporting the No. 31 with backing from Whelen Engineering, Marsh Racing currently fields a Corvette in the Rolex Series, after several seasons in NASCAR. His current Rolex Series drivers include Boris Said and Eric Curran; his former NASCAR drivers included veterans Steve Park
Steve Park (NASCAR)
Stephen Park is a professional race car driver. Park is currently racing in the #35 Waste Management Recycle America Monte Carlo in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East....
and Richard Childress Racing
Richard Childress Racing
RCR Enterprises, LLC, doing business as Richard Childress Racing, is a NASCAR team based in Welcome, North Carolina, and is owned and operated by former driver Richard Childress...
development driver Peyton Sellers
Peyton Sellers
Peyton Sellers is an American race car driver, competing in the NASCAR Nationwide Series. He won the 2005 national championship of NASCAR's Weekly Racing Series. He is currently driving the #25 Chevrolet for Sellers Racing.-Racing career:Sellers started his racing career in karting, beginning at...
.
Nationwide Series History
Marsh Racing began competing in the Busch SeriesBusch Series
The NASCAR Nationwide Series is a stock car racing series owned and operated by the National Association of Stock Car Auto Racing. It is promoted as NASCAR's "minor league" circuit, and is a proving ground for drivers who wish to step up to the organization's "big leagues"; the Sprint Cup circuit...
in 1998 with Ted Christopher
Ted Christopher
Ted Christopher , from Plainville, CT is an American racing driver who has raced and won in many different types of race cars, including Modifieds, SK Modifieds, Camping World East Series, Late Models, Pro Stocks, Midgets, and Supermodifieds. He has also raced in NASCAR's Sprint Cup, Nationwide...
competing in three races for the team. Driving the #13 Whelen Engineering Chevrolet, Christopher posted a best finish of 10th at Nazareth
Nazareth Speedway
Nazareth Speedway was an auto racing track in Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania which operated from 1910 to 2004. The track is often associated with local drivers Mario and Michael Andretti. It was associated with Frankie Schneider in its earlier dirt track history....
. In 1999, the team attempted 12 races, again with Ted Christopher
Ted Christopher
Ted Christopher , from Plainville, CT is an American racing driver who has raced and won in many different types of race cars, including Modifieds, SK Modifieds, Camping World East Series, Late Models, Pro Stocks, Midgets, and Supermodifieds. He has also raced in NASCAR's Sprint Cup, Nationwide...
driving the car. The team would make five races and post a best finish of 8th at Nazareth
Nazareth Speedway
Nazareth Speedway was an auto racing track in Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania which operated from 1910 to 2004. The track is often associated with local drivers Mario and Michael Andretti. It was associated with Frankie Schneider in its earlier dirt track history....
.
For the 2000 season Marsh Racing selected Steve Park
Steve Park (NASCAR)
Stephen Park is a professional race car driver. Park is currently racing in the #35 Waste Management Recycle America Monte Carlo in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East....
as the team's driver and Whelen Engineering returned as the sponsor for a limited schedule with the newly renumbered #31 car. Park put the car in the field nine of the fourteen events the team attempted and gave the team a new top finish when he placed 6th at Richmond
Richmond International Raceway
Richmond International Raceway is a 3/4-mile , D-shaped, asphalt race track located just outside Richmond, Virginia in Henrico County. It hosts the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and Nationwide Series...
. He also gave the team three top ten starts and a best start of second at Richmond
Richmond International Raceway
Richmond International Raceway is a 3/4-mile , D-shaped, asphalt race track located just outside Richmond, Virginia in Henrico County. It hosts the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and Nationwide Series...
.
Park returned to the team in 2001 and made all seven on the team's attempts. He posted five top ten finishes including a fourth at Bristol
Bristol Motor Speedway
Bristol Motor Speedway, formerly known as Bristol International Raceway and Bristol Raceway is a NASCAR short track venue located in Bristol, Tennessee. Constructed in 1960, it held its first NASCAR race on July 30, 1961...
. The team almost managed two top ten starts with a third place start at New Hampshire
New Hampshire International Speedway
New Hampshire Motor Speedway is a oval speedway located in Loudon, New Hampshire which has hosted NASCAR racing annually since the early 1990s, as well as an IndyCar weekend and the oldest motorcycle race in North America, the Loudon Classic...
. In September 2001, while Steve Park was driving the car he suffered a moderate concussion and was unable to race. Andy Santerre
Andy Santerre
Anthony Lee "Andy" Santerre is a NASCAR Grand National Division car owner, former champion driver of the East Series, and a winner of one Busch Series race as a driver...
took over the car for the final three races of the limited schedule for the season, however mechanical failures plagued each race.
For the 2002 season David Green
David Green (NASCAR)
David A. Green is a NASCAR driver. He won the Nationwide Series championship in 1994. His two younger brothers, Jeff and Mark have also competed in the NASCAR circuit...
, Tim Fedewa
Tim Fedewa
Tim Fedewa is a NASCAR driver and son of former race car driver Butch Fedewa. Tim is a spotter in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and currently spots for Marcos Ambrose.-Family:...
, and Dave Blaney
Dave Blaney
David Blaney is a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver. He currently drives the #36 Golden Corral/Big Red Chevrolet Impala for Tommy Baldwin Racing. Blaney was a successful sprint car driver before he started racing in NASCAR...
drove the car at different points throughout the season. The team posted a best finish of 14th at Bristol
Bristol Motor Speedway
Bristol Motor Speedway, formerly known as Bristol International Raceway and Bristol Raceway is a NASCAR short track venue located in Bristol, Tennessee. Constructed in 1960, it held its first NASCAR race on July 30, 1961...
with Fedewa driving. Unfortunately, the team suffered through four mechanical failures and three crashes throughout the season. Dave Blaney
Dave Blaney
David Blaney is a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver. He currently drives the #36 Golden Corral/Big Red Chevrolet Impala for Tommy Baldwin Racing. Blaney was a successful sprint car driver before he started racing in NASCAR...
returned to the car for the 2003 season after working with the team late in the 2002 season.
The team also switched to Ford from 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...
partway the 2003 season, with Blaney bringing support from Jasper Motorsports
Jasper Motorsports
Jasper Motorsports is a former NASCAR Winston Cup/NEXTEL Cup team. It was owned by a variety of owners including D.K. Ulrich and Doug Bawel.- 1970s-1980s :...
, the team he was driving for in Winston Cup at the time. Competing in ten events he managed six top 15 finishes with a best finish of 9th at Richmond
Richmond International Raceway
Richmond International Raceway is a 3/4-mile , D-shaped, asphalt race track located just outside Richmond, Virginia in Henrico County. It hosts the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and Nationwide Series...
. His best start during the season was a 4th at Chicagoland
Chicagoland Speedway
Chicagoland Speedway is a tri-oval speedway in Joliet, Illinois, USA, southwest of Chicago. The speedway opened in 2001 and currently hosts NASCAR racing including the opening event in the 2011 Chase for the Sprint Cup. Until 2011, the speedway also hosted the IZOD IndyCar Series, recording...
.
In 2004, the team again started the year with Dave Blaney
Dave Blaney
David Blaney is a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver. He currently drives the #36 Golden Corral/Big Red Chevrolet Impala for Tommy Baldwin Racing. Blaney was a successful sprint car driver before he started racing in NASCAR...
driving the #31 Whelen Engineering Ford, however after three races he was replaced with Todd Bodine
Todd Bodine
Todd Bodine is a NASCAR driver. Todd is the younger brother of former racers Geoff Bodine and Brett Bodine. Bodine is known for his bald head, which has given him the nickname The Onion...
. Bodine would give the car its best finish of the season when he finished 5th at Homestead-Miami
Homestead-Miami Speedway
Homestead-Miami Speedway is a race track in Homestead, Florida southwest of Miami.Since 2002 Homestead has hosted the final races of the season in all three of NASCAR's series: the Sprint Cup Series, Nationwide Series, and the Camping World Truck Series...
, however the team only managed three top 20 finishes out of the eight races Marsh Racing competed in.
Dave Blaney
Dave Blaney
David Blaney is a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver. He currently drives the #36 Golden Corral/Big Red Chevrolet Impala for Tommy Baldwin Racing. Blaney was a successful sprint car driver before he started racing in NASCAR...
returned the #31 team in 2005 and brought support from Richard Childress Racing
Richard Childress Racing
RCR Enterprises, LLC, doing business as Richard Childress Racing, is a NASCAR team based in Welcome, North Carolina, and is owned and operated by former driver Richard Childress...
as they switched back to 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...
. The team's best finish of the season came 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...
when Blaney finished 12th and the best start of the season came at Richmond
Richmond International Raceway
Richmond International Raceway is a 3/4-mile , D-shaped, asphalt race track located just outside Richmond, Virginia in Henrico County. It hosts the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and Nationwide Series...
where the team started 7th.
For the 2006 season it was announced that Steve Park
Steve Park (NASCAR)
Stephen Park is a professional race car driver. Park is currently racing in the #35 Waste Management Recycle America Monte Carlo in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East....
would return to Marsh Racing and drive the car in ten races. Peyton Sellers
Peyton Sellers
Peyton Sellers is an American race car driver, competing in the NASCAR Nationwide Series. He won the 2005 national championship of NASCAR's Weekly Racing Series. He is currently driving the #25 Chevrolet for Sellers Racing.-Racing career:Sellers started his racing career in karting, beginning at...
made his Busch Series
Busch Series
The NASCAR Nationwide Series is a stock car racing series owned and operated by the National Association of Stock Car Auto Racing. It is promoted as NASCAR's "minor league" circuit, and is a proving ground for drivers who wish to step up to the organization's "big leagues"; the Sprint Cup circuit...
debut at New Hampshire
New Hampshire International Speedway
New Hampshire Motor Speedway is a oval speedway located in Loudon, New Hampshire which has hosted NASCAR racing annually since the early 1990s, as well as an IndyCar weekend and the oldest motorcycle race in North America, the Loudon Classic...
with the #31 team and made another start at Memphis Motorsports Park
Memphis Motorsports Park
Memphis International Raceway is an auto racing park located across the Loosahatchie River from Memphis, Tennessee, approximately ten miles south of Millington, Tennessee. The facility opened in 1987 with a drag strip and 1.8-mile road course...
.
As of 2008, the team is still operational, and in search of a full-time sponsor. In early 2008, Turner Motorsports Development driver James Buescher was driving at select races. James qualified 18th, and finished 20th at the US Cellular 200 in Newton, Iowa. Then came the Camping World East Series 125 At The Glen at Watkins Glen, NY. They qualified 20th, but due to engine trouble, had to withdraw from the event.
SCCA World Challenge
Next came a new driver for the #31 team... Eric Curran.Eric has a long history of racing all types of vehicles, but more recently he has been driving Speed Touring and Speed World Challenge GT cars. In 2007, he finished 5th in Speed Touring points, and won four races in the #30 Speed World Challenge GT Corvette (built and maintained by Marsh Racing). In 2008, Eric finished 18th in Speed Touring (only racing 3 races), while finishing in the top 10 in points in the #30 World GT car (a full 10 race schedule).
Eric's Camping World East Series debut was a success with the Marsh Racing Team. He competed at the Mohegan Sun NASCAR Camping World Series 200 at Limerock Park in Lakeville, CT. Due qualifying being rained out, Eric had to start 26th based on team points. He fought hard, and made his way up through the field to eventually lead by lap 21. After 82 laps, Eric finished in 6th place... a great performance considering it was his first time in this type of car.
Ted Christopher got a chance to hop back in the car for the team's final race of the season at the Carquest Fall Final at Stafford Motor Speedway in Stafford Springs, CT.
The Marsh team is gearing up for the 2009 season in World Challenge GT, and also looking for a full-time sponsor for the NASCAR Camping World Series East car.
Rolex Sports Car Series
Marsh Racing debuted in the Rolex Series GT class in 2010 at Barber Motorsports Park, with Said and Curran in the No. 31 Corvette. The pair finished 16th in their initial outing. After several months of development, Said earned the pole position at Circuit Gilles VilleneuveCircuit Gilles Villeneuve
The Circuit Gilles Villeneuve is a motor racing circuit, venue for the Formula One Canadian Grand Prix, NASCAR Canadian Tire Series, NASCAR Nationwide Series and Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series....
, and he and Curran finished ninth. Curran won the pole for the next race, the season finale at Miller Motorsports Park
Miller Motorsports Park
Miller Motorsports Park is an auto, motorcycle, bicycle and kart racing facility located in the unincorporated Erda area just outside Tooele, Utah.- The Track :...
, but mechanical problems forced a 17th-place result. The team finished 15th in points.