Brad Coleman returns to Joe Gibbs Racing's Nationwide Series team
Joe Gibbs Racing officials announced Friday the team has signed Brad Coleman to drive a handful of NASCAR Nationwide Series races in 2009.
Coleman, who drove for the team in 2007, will share the team’s No. 20 Toyota with Sprint Cup regulars Joey Logano and Denny Hamlin. Coleman likely will drive the car in many of the series’ standalone races.
Coleman drove in 17 races for JGR in 2007, posting three top-five and five top-10 finishes. But he left after the team was unable to secure sponsorship for a full-time effort in 2008, and Coleman left for Baker Curb Racing.
“I never would have left Gibbs in the first place, but the team just didn’t have the sponsorship available to put me in a full-time Nationwide ride in 2008 and we felt like I needed the seat time,” Coleman said in a news release.
Coleman had also signed with Hall of Fame Racing’s Cup team and left Baker Curb for a chance to drive for Hall of Fame. But that didn’t work out, leaving Coleman on the sidelines.
“I am grateful for both of the opportunities I had this year and appreciative to the owners and sponsors of each team,” Coleman said. “But I can tell you I have never been so happy in my life as when I got the call from Gibbs to come back. This is not only a world-class race team with great equipment, but it is the finest group of people I have ever worked with.”
