52 Pickup Racing Announces Merger with Bang! Racing

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (Boogertown, North Carolina)

In a bid to strengthen its base for the 2021 NASCAR Cup season and beyond, 52 Pickup Racing has completed a merger with Truck Series team Bang! Racing, effective immediately.

“This wasn’t something we were planning on doing”, said Johnnie Heving, one of the fifty-two co-owners of 52 Pickup Racing.  “But when the deal came before us, we knew we had to act.  You have two choices in racing—get stronger, or stay where you are and get weaker.  Well, I think we just got a bit stronger with this merger.”

Bang! Racing, founded by day trader Alex Meshkin, was the first Toyota-backed team to post a win for the foreign make, doing so in its first season in the Truck Series.  Since then the organization has been relatively dormant.

“I wondered why they wanted to join up with the old 49 team, but then I remembered that no, that was BAM Racing”, said T.B. Dee, driver of the 52 Pickup Racing race car.  “To be able to join up with such an innovative, ground-breaking team is a real boon for us—all help is good help, right?”

The deal grants 52 Pickup Racing (which will retain its current identity going forward) access to the Bang! Racing intellectual property, hard assets, and guarantees that Larry McReynolds will have nothing to do with the team from here on out.

“We got some old race parts, a few banners, and a bunch of t-shirts for Nutzz, whatever the heck that is”, said Dee.  “But I guess anything we can find that they discovered is ours now.  Hopefully we have some protection from lawsuits, though.”

QUOTES: “What’s with all the “no 51 stuff—they must’ve really hated Rowdy Burns.” —T.B. Dee, driver of the 52 Pickup Racing Monday Cigarettes race car.

“Alex Meshkin might have been #51, but WE’RE #52.” —Johnnie Heving, co-owner of 52 Pickup Racing.

ABOUT 52 PICKUP RACING: 52 Pickup Racing is NASCAR Cup’s newest race team.  Based out of Boogertown North Carolina, the team employs up-and-coming driver T.B. Dee and is considering a technical alliance with Swan Racing.

For more information please visit the 52 Pickup Racing website at www.52pickupracing.com

For all media inquiries please contact Moxoc Media at moxoc(at)moxoc.com

Spade Racing’s 2021-2022 Cup Silly Season Debrief Part 2 of 2: The Drivers

With a brand-new car coming into play for 2022 plenty of Nascar teams are using the upcoming offseason as a chance to make some pretty serious changes.  In place of “Lap Zero”, here’s a two-part look at where we stand so far in an already wild “Silly Season”

Click here for Part 1

Part 2: The Drivers

WHO HAVE ANNOUNCED THE PLANS FOR 2022?  So far we know about changes at Team Penske, the Wood Brothers, Roush Fenway Racing, and the new Kaulig Racing Cup team.

PENSKE & THE WOOD BROS?  Yep—Brad Keselowski is leaving Team Penske at the end of the year.  Austin Cindric will move into his 2 Cup ride, while Harrison Burton will move into the Penske-aligned 21 Wood Bros. car.

WOW—BUT WHERE ARE BRAD KESELOWSKI AND MATT DIBENEDETTO GOING?  Brad Keselowski has been confirmed to drive the Roush Fenway 6 car next year as part of a deal that will give him an ownership stake in the team.  As for Matty D, well, he could be The Dreaded Odd Man Out (a la Ty Dillon last year) and could be out of a competitive full-time Cup ride in 2022.

BUT IF BRAD DOES TO ROUSH FENWAY, WHAT HAPPENS TO RYAN NEWMAN?  Newman has been offered a third RFR ride on a part-time basis for next year.  He could take that, retire altogether, or simply leave to drive for someone else.

OK, BACK TO THE START—WHO WILL BE RACING FOR THE NEW KAULIG TEAM?  Justin Haley is confirmed for one car full-time.  The other is said to be earmarked for a number of drivers, likely with AJ Allmendinger anchoring the lineup.

WHAT ABOUT THE NEW GMS CUP TEAM?  That ride seems to be wide-open, and could range from a full-time driver to a number of different part-timers, to the team itself running part-time if a Charter isn’t obtained.

ALRIGHT—WITH TRACKHOUSE BUYING CHIP GANASSI RACING’S TWO-CAR TEAM, WHO’LL BE RACING FOR THEM NEXT YEAR?  One driver will definitely be Daniel Suarez (rumored to continue driving a car numbered 99).  The other car will probably be driven by Ross Chastain, although that is far from a guarantee.

THEN WHAT HAPPENS TO KURT BUSCH?  Well, Kurt is the most-rumored driver for the possible second 23XI ride.  If he doesn’t wind up there, he could go any number of places (he is rumored to have Monster sponsorship attached to him), or could retire to go into broadcasting.

OK, OK, THAT’S A LOT OF CHANGES—WHO *ISN’T* CHANGING NEXT YEAR?  Seeking to prove that consistency is the key to success, none of Nascar’s mega-teams (outside of the Penske/Wood Bros. alliance) are expected to change—Hendrick Motorsports, Stewart-Haas Racing, and Joe Gibbs Racing aren’t expected to make any major driver or sponsorship changes.  Richard Childress Racing is expected to retain its 2021 driver and major sponsorship lineup as well.  Smaller teams like JTG-D, RPM, Front Row, and Live Fast are likely to announce any changes later in the off-season.

WHAT’S THE NEXT MAJOR “DOMINO TO FALL”?  Now that we have the formal announcement of Brad Keselowski going to Roush Fenway, it will likely be 23XI firming up their plans for 2022—will they add a second team, or stay as a single-car operation?  This will determine if Cup will be getting another mid-level ride or not.  Also, Roush Fenway and Trackhouse will need to announce what driver(s) they’ll be retaining for next year.

Spade Racing Opens Six “Fat Packs” of 2021 Donruss Nascar Cards, 4 of 6

Join us (well, me) as we/I continue going through 2021 Donruss Nascar Cards with six “Fat Packs”.

Fat Pack 4—Golden Bobby, Denny’s Camry, and Reed Looks Goofy

FIRST LOOKS: This card is a nice reminder of how cool the old Miller High Life colors were on stock cars and fire suits.  Almost makes up for their beer always exploding out of the can when you open it.  On the flip side the orange-and-white of Poppy Bank kind of just looks like a knockoff of Tony Stewart’s early Home Depot looks…or possibly a tribute to the late-80’s Baltimore Orioles uniforms.

TO THE BACKS: Even with today’s cars looking more and more the same, its nice to see Donruss still referring to them by their proper make and model.  And look—Ben Rhodes is even referred to properly as a “…racer from Louisville”.  I’m guessing they’d call me a “…weirdo from Delaware” in my “Prius covered in dings”.

SAY WHATS: “I never know how to pose for these things.  Is this good enough?”  “No, you gotta get a BIG SMILE!  Like fifth grade picture day!”

RATING: 4 flags out of 10