Marc Davis Makes '09 Nationwide Debut at Dover

Marc Davis joins Braun Racing for the Heluva Good 200 Nationwide Series race at Dover

Eighteeen-year-old NASCAR rookie Marc Davis—who finished 10 spots ahead of a 37th-place start in the 2008 Nationwide finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway—is back on track this weekend, making his ’09 debut at Dover. The Maryland native will drive a Toyota Camry for Braun Racing, where he will team with Jason Leffler and Burney Lamar, husband to Ft. Lauderdale-native supermodel Niki Taylor. Davis has signed on to run six races with Braun Racing in 2009.


Davis drove for Armando Fitz and Joe Gibbs Racing at Homestead-Miami in 2008, and he also won his first race for Gibbs—as a 15-year-old at Hickory (N.C.) Motor Speedway with NASCAR’s Drive for Diversity program (from which he graduated).


While currently committed to drive six events this year, Davis has hopes that he can find increased sponsorship and again run during Ford Championship Weekend at Homestead-Miami Speedway.


“I’m only 18 years old, but I’ve still been around,” said Davis. “I’ve [got] quite a good relationship with Joe Gibbs Racing still, so I feel like my track record is pretty good, and I have pretty good respect in the industry.”


Davis has six Nationwide Series starts under his belt, including the finale in Miami driving for Joe Gibbs Racing. This season, he has run two races under his own banner, Marc Davis Motorsports, and for this weekend’s Dover race he brings sponsorship from Howard University’s WHUR radio station and the Word Network.

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Andretti Green Racing's New Hotshoe in the ALMS

Two recognizable names in American auto racing were shown the door at Andretti Green Racing. The accomplishments of Christian Fittipaldi and Bryan Herta may soon be erased by newcomer Franck Montagny

Andretti Green Racing has endured a rough couple of weeks. Reasons for firing Christian Fittipaldi and Bryan Herta still defy logic. Herta has landed on his feet as a road course consultant for Vision Racing this weekend. Maybe Tony George will create a ride for Bryan Herta. Herta is a great driver and a popular person in the paddock. Fittipaldi is a skilled driver whose productive years are behind him. Unfortunately, Christian has been saddled with a legendary racing pedigree and less than stellar results. Despite the unceremonious dismissal of two talented and likeable drivers, AGR has discovered a driver with a huge upside.

Franck Montagny had never driven an American Le Mans Series prototype until last week at Mid-Ohio before heading off to Lime Rock. Circumstances were stacked against the diminutive French driver last week in Connecticut. Marco Andretti decided to pull off the weekend double, the IndyCar Series in Nashville and the ALMS Northeast Grand Prix at Lime Rock. As a consequence of Marco missing practice, the Andretti Green Acura ARX-01b started from last place.

There were some brilliant moments for the team; however, Montagny could only muster a fifth-place LMP2 class finish. So give the guy a chance. I wonder what would happen if Montagny got a little more seat time to learn the intricacies of perhaps the most advanced racing machines on the planet. Franck Montagny is growing more and more comfortable behind the wheel of a sports car should be a bit frightening to the rest of the American Le Mans Series paddock. He was the fastest driver in Thursday's test session for the Acura Sports Car Challenge with a lap of 1:08.827 (118.105 mph) at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course.

Montagny will pair with Raphael Matos, in AGR's Acura ARX-01b, at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course this weekend. Matos is a veteran of the Firestone Indy Lights Series and won the 2007 Champ Car Atlantic title. The Frenchman is a quick study having driven the LMP2 car for the first time last week at Mid-Ohio, just days before his first Series race at Lime Rock Park. And while the familiarity with the circuit helps, more and more laps in the Acura are even more beneficial.

Photo courtesy of the American Le Mans Series
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