Specialty Racing
Encyclopedia
Specialty Racing, LLC is an auto racing team that competes in the NASCAR Nationwide Series. Based in Statesville
, North Carolina
, it is owned by Doug Taylor and Charles Shoffner. In 2011, Specialty Racing will field the #61 Ford Mustang
. A driver has yet to be announced.
The team was re-established from the Doug Taylor Motorsports/Specialty Motorsports NASCAR team.
drove the #40 Dial/Purex Ford to a 19th place finish. The team would run 5 more races that season achieving a season best 12th place at Michigan
in just their 3rd race. In 1995 Specialty/Doug Taylor Motorsports would continue to build in the foundation laid the previous year by racing in 22 races with Moise behind the wheel for all of them. The highlights of the season came at the Red Dog 300 in Charlotte when the team earned its first top ten stating spot as it qualified 8th and finished the race 18th. Another milestone came at the Humminbird Fishfinder 500K at Talladega
when Moise drove the car to its first top ten finish, a 7th place showing.
Moise was released as the team's driver at the end of the 1995 season and Tim Fedewa
was hired to serve as driver for the 1996 campaign. Kleenex
signed on to sponsor the Number 40. Fedewa drove the car to 5 top ten starts and 2 top ten finishes, with a season-best 4th place finish in Indianapolis
at the Kroger 200
. The finish at IRP would mark the team's first top five finish. In 1997 a total of seven drivers sat in the seat of the car, including Doug Taylor himself for the March Las Vegas
race. The best finish for the year was put forth when Ted Musgrave
drove to a 12th place finish at Darlington
.
1998 was the last year of Doug Taylor Motorsports. The team raced in 31 out of 32 races with Kerry Earnhardt, Rick Fuller
, Jack Sprague
, Taylor and Lepage sharing driving duties. Lepage drove the car in 24 of the races. Full-time sponsorship was provided by Channellock
and manufacturers were switched from Ford to Chevrolet
. The team earned its first pole award with Lepage driving at the MBNA Platinum 200 at Dover
. Also, it posted 10 top ten finishes, 6 top five finishes and the highlight of the season at the Food City 250
in Bristol
when Kevin Lepage led 13 laps and came away with Doug Taylor Motorsports' first victory. At the end of the season, the team was bought out by Galaxy Motorsports.
, Memphis Motorsports Park
. The driver of the car, Matt Carter
, drove to a 39th place finish. The team then signed Lepage, and made plans to run the entire 2008 Nationwide Series Schedule. After failing to qualify for the opening race of the season, the Camping World 300 at Daytona International Speedway
the team qualified for every race for the rest of the season. Specialty posted two top twenty finishes with a 17th place finish in the Sam's Town 300
and an 18th place finish in the Sharpie Mini 300
. Matt Carter returned to the team in 2009 and gave the team two top 20s at Bristol and Daytona, enough to lock the team into the top 30 in owners points for 2010. That year, Carter was released and was replaced by Josh Wise
. Wise would run with the team until May, when a handful of drivers, including Carter, J.J. Yeley, Chase Miller
, and Pierre Borque took over the reins of the #61. The team cut back to a limited schedule due to a lack of funds.
Statesville
Statesville may refer to the following places in the United States:*Statesville, North Carolina*Statesville, Tennessee...
, 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...
, it is owned by Doug Taylor and Charles Shoffner. In 2011, Specialty Racing will field the #61 Ford Mustang
Ford Mustang
The Ford Mustang is an automobile manufactured by the Ford Motor Company. It was initially based on the second generation North American Ford Falcon, a compact car. Introduced early on April 17, 1964, as a "1964½" model, the 1965 Mustang was the automaker's most successful launch since the Model A...
. A driver has yet to be announced.
The team was re-established from the Doug Taylor Motorsports/Specialty Motorsports NASCAR team.
Team history to 1990s
Team owner Doug Taylor's first race as an owner came in 1994 at Dover when Patty MoisePatty Moise
Patty Moise is a former NASCAR driver. She drove in five Winston Cup races from 1987 to 1989, and 133 Busch Series races from 1986 to 1998. She is the wife of former fellow NASCAR driver Elton Sawyer....
drove the #40 Dial/Purex Ford to a 19th place finish. The team would run 5 more races that season achieving a season best 12th place at Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
in just their 3rd race. In 1995 Specialty/Doug Taylor Motorsports would continue to build in the foundation laid the previous year by racing in 22 races with Moise behind the wheel for all of them. The highlights of the season came at the Red Dog 300 in Charlotte when the team earned its first top ten stating spot as it qualified 8th and finished the race 18th. Another milestone came at the Humminbird Fishfinder 500K at Talladega
Talladega
Talladega can have multiple uses:*Talladega, Alabama, a city in northern Alabama, USA*Talladega County, Alabama, which has the city of Talladega as its seat*Talladega National Forest in Alabama...
when Moise drove the car to its first top ten finish, a 7th place showing.
Moise was released as the team's driver at the end of the 1995 season and 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:...
was hired to serve as driver for the 1996 campaign. Kleenex
Kleenex
Kleenex is a brand name for a variety of toiletry paper-based products such as facial tissue, bathroom tissue, paper towels, and diapers. The name Kleenex is a registered trademark of Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc. Often used as a genericized trademark, especially in the United States, "Kleenex"...
signed on to sponsor the Number 40. Fedewa drove the car to 5 top ten starts and 2 top ten finishes, with a season-best 4th place finish in Indianapolis
Indianapolis
Indianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S...
at the Kroger 200
Kroger 200
Kroger 200 can mean:*The Kroger 200 , a NASCAR Nationwide Series race held at O'Reily Raceway Park*The Kroger 200 , a NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race held at Martinsville Speedway...
. The finish at IRP would mark the team's first top five finish. In 1997 a total of seven drivers sat in the seat of the car, including Doug Taylor himself for the March Las Vegas
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
race. The best finish for the year was put forth when Ted Musgrave
Ted Musgrave
Theodore Musgrave is an American race car driver.-Pre-NASCAR:Musgrave's father, Elmer, was a famous short-track racer in the Midwest who raced for over 25 years at Soldier Field, O'Hare, Waukegan, and Wilmot, Wisconsin before moving into asphalt late models in the American Speed Association and...
drove to a 12th place finish at Darlington
Darlington
Darlington is a market town in the Borough of Darlington, part of the ceremonial county of County Durham, England. It lies on the small River Skerne, a tributary of the River Tees, not far from the main river. It is the main population centre in the borough, with a population of 97,838 as of 2001...
.
1998 was the last year of Doug Taylor Motorsports. The team raced in 31 out of 32 races with Kerry Earnhardt, Rick Fuller
Rick Fuller
Richard Fuller is an American professional wrestler. He is best known for his appearances World Championship Wrestling. He would later be featured in several video games including WCW Nitro and WCW/NWO Thunder....
, Jack Sprague
Jack Sprague
Jack Sprague is a NASCAR Camping World Truck Series driver. He is currently a free agent. Sprague has finished in the top-ten in the points standings almost every year he has raced in the trucks, and won three championships in 1997, 1999, and 2001 while driving for Hendrick Motorsports.-...
, Taylor and Lepage sharing driving duties. Lepage drove the car in 24 of the races. Full-time sponsorship was provided by Channellock
Channellock
Channellock is an American company that produces hand tools. It is best known for its pliers—the company manufactures more than 120 types of pliers—particularly its eponymous style of tongue-and-groove, slip-joint pliers...
and manufacturers were switched from Ford 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 earned its first pole award with Lepage driving at the MBNA Platinum 200 at Dover
Dover
Dover is a town and major ferry port in the home county of Kent, in South East England. It faces France across the narrowest part of the English Channel, and lies south-east of Canterbury; east of Kent's administrative capital Maidstone; and north-east along the coastline from Dungeness and Hastings...
. Also, it posted 10 top ten finishes, 6 top five finishes and the highlight of the season at the Food City 250
Food City 250
The Food City 250 is a NASCAR Nationwide Series stock car race that takes place each August under the lights at Bristol Motor Speedway in Bristol, Tennessee. It is held the night before the Sprint Cup Series Sharpie 500...
in Bristol
Bristol
Bristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007...
when Kevin Lepage led 13 laps and came away with Doug Taylor Motorsports' first victory. At the end of the season, the team was bought out by Galaxy Motorsports.
Current team history
Specialty Racing returned to the NASCAR Busch Series on October 27, 2007 at the Sam's Town 250Sam's Town 250
The Kroger On Track for the Cure 250 presented by the Southern Dodge Dealers was a NASCAR Nationwide Series stock car race that took place at Memphis Motorsports Park in Memphis, Tennessee. The 2007 race had twenty-five caution periods, ten more than any other Nationwide Series race that has been...
, 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...
. The driver of the car, Matt Carter
Matt Carter (racer)
Matt Carter is an American race car driver and the son of former NASCAR Sprint Cup Series car owner Travis Carter. He is currently drives the #68 Ford Mustang for Fleur-de-lis Motorsports.-Early career:...
, drove to a 39th place finish. The team then signed Lepage, and made plans to run the entire 2008 Nationwide Series Schedule. After failing to qualify for the opening race of the season, the Camping World 300 at Daytona International Speedway
Daytona International Speedway
Daytona International Speedway is a race track in Daytona Beach, Florida, United States. Since opening in 1959, it has been the home of the Daytona 500, one of the most prestigious races in NASCAR. In addition to NASCAR, the track also hosts races of ARCA, AMA Superbike, Grand-Am and Motocross...
the team qualified for every race for the rest of the season. Specialty posted two top twenty finishes with a 17th place finish in the Sam's Town 300
Sam's Town 300
The Sam's Town 300 is a NASCAR Nationwide Series stock car race held at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in Las Vegas, Nevada. It has been scheduled as either the third, fourth, or fifth race of the season for the Nationwide Series since it was first held in 1997....
and an 18th place finish in the Sharpie Mini 300
Sharpie Mini 300
The Scotts EZ Seed 300 is a NASCAR Nationwide Series race that takes place at Bristol Motor Speedway. The first Busch Series race at Bristol was 150 laps, and was won by Phil Parsons in 1982. The race was not held in 1984. The race has increased in length several times since then...
. Matt Carter returned to the team in 2009 and gave the team two top 20s at Bristol and Daytona, enough to lock the team into the top 30 in owners points for 2010. That year, Carter was released and was replaced by Josh Wise
Josh Wise
Josh Wise is a NASCAR driver who currently runs in its Nationwide Series. He drives the #7 Chevrolet Impala for JR Motorsports and the #39 Ford Mustang for Go Green Racing in the NASCAR Nationwide Series. He is a former member of the driver development program for Michael Waltrip Racing...
. Wise would run with the team until May, when a handful of drivers, including Carter, J.J. Yeley, Chase Miller
Chase Miller
Eldon Chase Miller is a NASCAR Nationwide Series driver from Canton, Georgia. Chase graduated from Sequoyah High School...
, and Pierre Borque took over the reins of the #61. The team cut back to a limited schedule due to a lack of funds.