Bob Leavine Tag

By David Morgan, Associate Editor Leavine Family Racing will end its 10-year run in the NASCAR Cup Series at the conclusion of the 2020 season, team owner Bob Leavine said in a statement released on Tuesday. Citing the impact the COVID-19 pandemic has taken on his team, Leavine noted that the organization would not be in a position to compete after this season, leading to the sale of the No. 95 team to a new owner and his exit from the sport when the final checkered flag falls at season’s end.Read More

By Luis Torres, Staff Writer It hasn’t been the best start to Christopher Bell’s Sunoco NASCAR Rookie of the Year campaign, but Sunday’s Food City Presents the Supermarket Heroes 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway may have just build valuable momentum. Despite a late-race uncontrolled tire penalty, Bell’s No. 95 JBL Toyota Camry was able to survive the mayhem that “Thunder Valley” provided and scored a ninth-place, equaling his Coca-Cola 600 effort last Sunday. “We struggled a little bit early, but we continued to make progress on the JBL Camry,” said Bell.Read More

By Seth Eggert, NASCAR Correspondent Leavine Family Racing and Matt DiBenedetto continue to be the ‘little team that could.’ As the final stage of the Drydene 400 went caution-free at Dover International Speedway, DiBenedetto’s No. 95 Dumont Jets Toyota Camry restarted outside the top-10. While others made mistakes on pit road, the Mike Wheeler-led team had a mistake-free, disciplined run. DiBenedetto inched forward, passing both Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Playoff Grid drivers and those not in the playoffs. As green flag pit stops took place in the final stage,Read More

By Luis Torres, Staff Writer After over a month of speculation, Leavine Family Racing finally confirmed Tuesday that NASCAR Xfinity Series star Christopher Bell will move up to the the sport’s premiere series in 2020. The Norman, Oklahoma native will replace Matt DiBenedetto in the No. 95 Toyota Camry and he’ll have familiar names joining him. Calling the shots will be his Xfinity Series crew chief Jason Ratcliff as Mike Wheeler will become the team’s Competition Director. Bell’s long-time partner of Rheem, who will also move up with the versatile driverRead More

By David Morgan, Associate Editor DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Halfway through last season, Matt DiBenedetto made the choice to bet on himself if he was going to have any future in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series. The Grass Valley, Calif. native announced he was leaving Go Fas Racing, the team he had been with for the two seasons prior, without a place to land for the 2019 season. That gamble could pay off in spades if this season goes to plan. Not long after he made the decision to lookRead More

By Seth Eggert, NASCAR Writer *Editor’s note: Motorsports Tribune will be previewing the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series season for the full-time drivers in the series leading into next month’s 61st running of the Daytona 500. Age: 27 Years in Cup: Four Career Wins: Zero While Matt DiBenedetto joins a growing list of NASCAR drivers taking a chance of themselves, his journey will come full circle in 2019. DiBenedetto will move from Go Fas Racing, his home since 2017, to Leavine Family Racing. The move also marks a return to Toyota Racing, and anRead More

By David Morgan, NASCAR Editor Leavine Family Racing took another step toward their future on Wednesday as the team announced they would be swapping manufacturers to Toyota and bringing Matt DiBenedetto on board to drive their No. 95 Camry in 2019. Since first joining the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series ranks in 2011, LFR has run with both Ford and Chevrolet, but the new announcement will put them in some of the best equipment they’ve had to date, as the deal includes a technical alliance with Joe Gibbs Racing. “We’re thrilledRead More

By David Morgan, NASCAR Editor With his tenure at Hendrick Motorsports coming to a close at the end of the season, Kasey Kahne had to look for a new home for the 2018 season and beyond and on Tuesday, it was announced that Kahne will move over to Leavine Family Racing and their No. 95 Chevrolet next year. “I want to thank Leavine Family Racing for this opportunity and will work as hard as possible to help them continue improving,” said Kahne. “I am ready for this challenge and lookRead More

By Reid Spencer, NASCAR Wire Service With former RCR partner Furniture Row Racing switching from Chevrolet to Toyota this season, Childress has taken on a new alliance as a technical partner and engine supplier to Circle Sport-Leavine Family Racing. That team, in turn, is a new partnership between Circle Sport Racing owner Joe Falk and Leavine Family Racing owner Bob Leavine, who last year fielded Fords for Michael McDowell in 16 of 36 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series points races. Circle Sport-Leavine will run the full schedule in 2016, with McDowellRead More