Shelby Howard
Encyclopedia
Shelby Dean Howard IV is a NASCAR
Nationwide Series driver. He is currently a free agent
Howard began racing in 1996 in Junior Sprints. In his first season in the National Series, he finished fifth in points. He competed in various racing series. He won the points championship in the Mini Cup Series, as well as winning the Mini Cup championship at the Jefferson Speedrome, and the 250cc Mini Sprints Rookie of the Year at Miami County Speedway. In 1998, he moved up to the 600cc Adult Class at Miami County, and simultaneously won the championship and Rookie of the Year honors. He also became the youngest driver to win a feature race at the Indianapolis Speedrome.
In 1999, Howard joined the Jasper Modified Series, and won the Rookie of the Year award and finished fifth in the points standings. He also raced at Anderson Speedway
, winning two feature races and the Rookie of the Year award. He won his first Jasper Modified feature race in 2000 at Winchester Speedway
, becoming the youngest driver since Jeff Gordon
to win a race in that series. He finished fifteenth in the Kendall Late Model Series points standings as well. He moved up to the ARCA RE/MAX Series
in 2001, becoming the youngest driver ever to compete at the age of 15. The next season, he won ARCA's Sportsmanship Award.
He won his first ARCA race in 2003, becoming the youngest winner in the series, and finished third in the final standings. That same season, he moved up to NASCAR, making his debut in the Busch Series
at Kansas Speedway
. He finished 20th in the #43 Dr Pepper
Dodge fielded by the Curb Agajanian Performance Group
. He also attempted his first Winston Cup race at Atlanta Motor Speedway
, but failed to qualify. In 2004, he joined NASCAR's Craftsman Truck Series
division, driving the new #23 Toyota Tundra
for Bill Davis Racing
. After eight races, he did not finish any higher than 21st, and was subsequently replaced by Johnny Benson
. He ended the season running five races in the #35 Volvo Trucks
/Snap-On
Ford Taurus
for Team Rensi Motorsports
.
He joined Tony Stewart's USAR team in 2005, and had three poles and four top-tens in USAR's Northern Division. He had three wins in his first USAR season. In 2006, he returned to the Busch Series driving for Odle Motorsports at Memphis Motorsports Park
. He finished 41st after being plagued by ignition
failure. In 2007, he drove two races in the #01 for Johnny Davis Motorsports, his best finishing being a 27th at Kentucky Speedway
. Howard returned to the Trucks with ThorSport Racing
in 2008, but only managed two top tens and a single top five before he was released in favor of Johnny Sauter
.
Howard started 2009 as a free agent, but was picked up by ML Motorsports to drive the #70 Foretravel Motorcoach Chevrolet
after the team released Mark Green
in late March. He would run a total of 17 Nationwide races with a best finish of 12th at Memphis Motorsports Park
.
In 2010, Howard returned to ML Motorsports. Despite missing the season opening race at Daytona, Howard and ML ran 21 races with a best finish of 12th at Gateway and Iowa. Howard returned to ML in 2011, but departed the team after Texas.
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...
Nationwide Series driver. He is currently a free agent
Free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player whose contract with a team has expired and who is thus eligible to sign with another club or franchise....
Howard began racing in 1996 in Junior Sprints. In his first season in the National Series, he finished fifth in points. He competed in various racing series. He won the points championship in the Mini Cup Series, as well as winning the Mini Cup championship at the Jefferson Speedrome, and the 250cc Mini Sprints Rookie of the Year at Miami County Speedway. In 1998, he moved up to the 600cc Adult Class at Miami County, and simultaneously won the championship and Rookie of the Year honors. He also became the youngest driver to win a feature race at the Indianapolis Speedrome.
In 1999, Howard joined the Jasper Modified Series, and won the Rookie of the Year award and finished fifth in the points standings. He also raced at Anderson Speedway
Anderson Speedway
Anderson Speedway is a quarter mile high-banked paved short track in Anderson, Indiana. Weekly racing includes several stock car divisions.The corners are banked at 17 degrees. The 2010 track record of 10.28 seconds in a winged sprint car was the world record for quarter-mile paved ovals until a...
, winning two feature races and the Rookie of the Year award. He won his first Jasper Modified feature race in 2000 at Winchester Speedway
Winchester Speedway
Winchester Speedway is a half-mile paved oval motor racetrack in White River Township, Randolph County, just outside Winchester, Indiana, approximately northeast of Indianapolis. It seats 4000 spectators. It is also known as the "World's Fastest 1/2 mile"....
, becoming the youngest driver since Jeff Gordon
Jeff Gordon
Jeffery Michael "Jeff" Gordon is a professional NASCAR driver. He is the driver of the #24 Drive to End Hunger/DuPont/Pepsi Chevrolet Impala. He is a four-time Sprint Cup Series champion and a three-time Daytona 500 winner. He is third on the all-time wins list, with 85 career wins, and has the...
to win a race in that series. He finished fifteenth in the Kendall Late Model Series points standings as well. He moved up to the ARCA RE/MAX Series
ARCA RE/MAX Series
-History:The series started as a local touring group. Led by John Marcum, the Midwest Association for Race Cars was formed with drivers like Iggy Katona and Nelson Stacy being early drivers.The series became a part of the Daytona Speedweeks in 1964...
in 2001, becoming the youngest driver ever to compete at the age of 15. The next season, he won ARCA's Sportsmanship Award.
He won his first ARCA race in 2003, becoming the youngest winner in the series, and finished third in the final standings. That same season, he moved up to NASCAR, making his debut in the 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...
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...
. He finished 20th in the #43 Dr Pepper
Dr Pepper
Dr Pepper is a soft drink, marketed as having a unique flavor. The drink was created in the 1880s by Charles Alderton of Waco, Texas and first served around 1885. Dr Pepper was first nationally marketed in the United States in 1904 and is now also sold in Europe, Asia, Canada, Mexico, Australia ...
Dodge fielded by the Curb Agajanian Performance Group
Curb Agajanian Performance Group
The Curb Agajanian Performance Group is a NASCAR Busch Series team. It is owned by record executive Mike Curb and racing personality Cary Agajanian. It has fielded the #43 entry for many years in the Busch Series.- NASCAR Winston Cup :...
. He also attempted his first Winston Cup race at Atlanta Motor Speedway
Atlanta Motor Speedway
Atlanta Motor Speedway is a track just outside Hampton, Georgia, twenty miles south of Atlanta. It is a quad-oval track with a seating capacity of over 125,000. It opened in 1960 as a standard oval. In 1994, 46 condominiums were built over the northeastern side of the track...
, but failed to qualify. In 2004, he joined NASCAR's 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...
division, driving the new #23 Toyota Tundra
Toyota Tundra
The Toyota Tundra is a full-size pickup truck introduced by Toyota in the year 2000. It was widely considered to be the first full-size import-brand truck built with an American look and feel and a refined V8 engine. The Tundra was eventually nominated for the North American Truck of the Year...
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...
. After eight races, he did not finish any higher than 21st, and was subsequently replaced by Johnny Benson
Johnny Benson
Jonathan Benson, Jr. is an American NASCAR driver and the son of former Michigan modified driver John Benson, Sr...
. He ended the season running five races in the #35 Volvo Trucks
Volvo Trucks
Volvo Trucks is a global truck manufacturer based in Sweden, owned by Volvo Group - AB Volvo it is the world's second largest heavy-duty truck brand....
/Snap-On
Snap-on
Snap-on is a leading US designer, manufacturer and marketer of tools and equipment to professional tool users. It was founded in 1920. Snap-on is located in Kenosha, Wisconsin, and employs approximately 11,500 people worldwide...
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...
for Team Rensi Motorsports
Team Rensi Motorsports
Team Rensi Motorsports is a NASCAR Nationwide Series team owned by Ed Rensi, Gary Weisbaum, and formerly Sam Rensi. The team has also competed in the Winston Cup Series, Craftsman Truck Series, and ARCA racing series...
.
He joined Tony Stewart's USAR team in 2005, and had three poles and four top-tens in USAR's Northern Division. He had three wins in his first USAR season. In 2006, he returned to the Busch Series driving for Odle Motorsports 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...
. He finished 41st after being plagued by 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. In 2007, he drove two races in the #01 for Johnny Davis Motorsports, his best finishing being a 27th 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...
. Howard returned to the Trucks with ThorSport Racing
ThorSport Racing
ThorSport Racing is a Sandusky, Ohio based NASCAR racing team that competes in the Camping World Truck Series. Owned by Duke Thorson and his wife Rhonda, the team currently fields the #13 Safe Auto Insurance Company/Curb Records Toyota Tundra driven by Johnny Sauter through an alliance with Mike...
in 2008, but only managed two top tens and a single top five before he was released in favor of Johnny Sauter
Johnny Sauter
Johnathan Joseph Sauter is a NASCAR driver from Wisconsin. Sauter is the son of former NASCAR driver Jim Sauter, and the brother of NASCAR drivers Tim Sauter and Jay Sauter...
.
Howard started 2009 as a free agent, but was picked up by ML Motorsports to drive the #70 Foretravel Motorcoach 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...
after the team released Mark Green
Mark Green (NASCAR)
Mark Green is a NASCAR driver. He currently drives the #49 Chevrolet for Jay Robinson Racing in the Nationwide Series on a part time basis. He is the brother of drivers, Jeff Green and David Green.- Beginnings :...
in late March. He would run a total of 17 Nationwide races with a best finish of 12th 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...
.
In 2010, Howard returned to ML Motorsports. Despite missing the season opening race at Daytona, Howard and ML ran 21 races with a best finish of 12th at Gateway and Iowa. Howard returned to ML in 2011, but departed the team after Texas.