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Evander Holyfield is investor in new Nationwide Series team
By Bob Pockrass - Associate Editor
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Florida businessman Eddie Smith, who was a co-owner of some of the vehicles driven by Rich Bickle in the 1990s in what are now known as the NASCAR Nationwide and Camping World Truck Series, is back in the NASCAR garage. And this time he hopes to pull a few punches, so to speak.
Smith said Wednesday that he had formed a partnership with former heavyweight boxing champion Evander Holyfield to buy the assets of the Chip Ganassi Racing Nationwide Series team. Holyfield joined Smith at the Ganassi shop two weeks ago before the purchase.
“Obviously he’ll be instrumental in helping us secure sponsorship,” Smith said of Holyfield. “We met at a golf tournament [a year ago]. We hit it off very well.
“I talked to him about a few other business ventures I’ve been involved with. … When the opportunity came up, I just called him, and he flew up to the shop with me.”
Holyfield has attended races in the past and is familiar with the sport, and Smith said Holyfield will attend races as his schedule permits.
“It has been a real quick turn of events, but I’m sure that Evander will be at every race he can be,” Smith said. “He’s excited about it. He’ll do whatever it takes to make this thing successful.”
The team, called Smith-Ganassi Racing for now, has the Ganassi points from last year and is locked in for the season’s first five races. Smith said he hopes to run the full season with driver Kenny Hendrick.
“Kenny actually helped me back in my first venture back in the ‘90s,” Smith said. “He was instrumental in bringing the team to me. He deserves his chance. He paid his dues. He helped Stanton Barrett quite a bit last year. It’s his turn. We’re going to give him his shot.”
Hendrick, who has 54 career starts in the Nationwide and Truck series, has known Smith for a decade. The 39-year-old Hendrick had his own shock business and is no relation to Hendrick Motorsports owner Rick Hendrick.
“We put this thing together less than two weeks ago,” Kenny Hendrick said. “It’s amazing. I’m pinching myself.”
Smith said he left the sport to spend more time with his family. Now that his son is 16, he thought it was a good time to come in, considering the economy and the opportunity.
“Things in the economy seem to be going in the wrong direction – my 401k has gone to a 101k – so I thought this might be a time to re-enter NASCAR,” Smith said. “I had a team back in the ‘90s. I told [NASCAR’s] Brett Bodine I kind of feel like a fireman running inside the burning building while everybody is running out.
“It’s going to be fine. We’re going to enjoy it and have a good time with it.”
The team will have Ernie Elliott engines, and Tim Weiss will be the crew chief. The Ganassi fleet had 11 cars prepped to race, so Smith believes the team can run the entire 35-race schedule.
“We’ve got the equipment; the funding is going to be a little short,” he said. “We’d like to run the full season. … The equipment pretty much is all good equipment. The guys over at Ganassi build a phenomenal car.”
Smith said he hasn’t watched a lot of racing since getting out of the sport about a decade ago.
“I was totally away from it,” Smith said. “I very seldom watched it on TV. I wanted so much to be a part of it [that] when I decided I wasn’t going to be a part of it, I couldn’t keep one foot in it.”
2009 Sprint Cup Race for the Chase Standings
Driver Standings after the Checker O'Reilly Auto Parts 500
| 1 | Jimmie Johnson | 6492 |
| 2 | Mark Martin | -108 |
| 3 | Jeff Gordon | -169 |
| 4 | Kurt Busch | -211 |
| 5 | Tony Stewart | -285 |
| 6 | Juan Pablo Montoya | -289 |
| 7 | Greg Biffle | -321 |
| 8 | Denny Hamlin | -352 |
| 9 | Ryan Newman | -411 |
| 10 | Kasey Kahne | -476 |
| 11 | Carl Edwards | -520 |
| 12 | Brian Vickers | -666 |
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8 responses to "Evander Holyfield is investor in new Nationwide Series team". Post a Comment.
Werner Boehmert said:
Feb 11, 2009 at 5:21 PMwhen is George Foreman going to start a team??...
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» Confirm Abuse ReportMichael Odell said:
Feb 11, 2009 at 6:26 PMIts always interesting to see what happens when a journeyman driver like kenny gets a chance in good equiptment!
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» Confirm Abuse ReportWerner Boehmert said:
Feb 11, 2009 at 7:59 PMbring on the Lean Machine George...
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» Confirm Abuse ReportBernadette Motherway said:
Feb 11, 2009 at 9:28 PMI hope you're being sarcastic, Werner.
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» Confirm Abuse Reported gordon said:
Feb 11, 2009 at 11:12 PMThey have purchased some good cars.The Ganassi NNS cars were competetive,lets hope these guys know what they have and can keep them competetive.
Report as AbuseGOOD LUCK GUYS!
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» Confirm Abuse Reportteresa beachler said:
Feb 12, 2009 at 11:25 AMI dont see this goin anywhere.
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» Confirm Abuse Reportterry ruth said:
Feb 12, 2009 at 12:11 PMGood thing it is Kenny Hendick and not Kenny Wallace...or Evander would loose another ear....talked off ....not bitten....
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» Confirm Abuse ReportWerner Boehmert said:
Feb 12, 2009 at 5:08 PMi'm always sarcastic...lol
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