#44 Team Car Stolen at Hotel

[Tim2488]

Xtreme Motorsports Hauler carrying their Atlanta #44 was stolen outside of the hotel their driver was staying in in Morrow, GA this morning.

 

[IMCool332]

Credit to Jayski:
#44 car stolen outside hotel: A trailer carrying a NASCAR racing team's car was stolen overnight in Morrow, GA, according to the driver of the vehicle hauling the trailer. The driver says the unmarked white Xtreme Racing trailer had the #44 car inside and was stolen from a hotel sometime overnight. Local authorities have been notified.kfvs12.com.
AND A spokeswoman for Team Xtreme (#44 car) confirms Atlanta car and trailer were stolen from outside the team hotel.(Jeff Gluck/USA Today twitter)
MORE Travis Kvapil's car for this weekend's Sprint Cup Series race at Atlanta Motor Speedway has apparently been stolen. A spokeswoman for Team Xtreme confirmed a Missouri TV station's report that the #44 car and its hauler disappeared from outside the team's hotel in Morrow, Ga. overnight. KFVS reported the trailer was white and unmarked and said the hauler driver reported it missing. Team Xtreme, owned by John Cohen, qualified for the Daytona 500 last week and finished 32nd with driver Reed Sorenson. But Kvapil is in the car this week with Sorenson driving for another [#29 RAB Racing] team. NASCAR teams tested at Atlanta on Thursday, meaning all the other cars are already secured inside the track (USA Today)(2-27-2015)

This team just can't catch any kind of break...

 

[Phoenix]

Well... looks like Mike Harmon finally got a cup car... (kidding)

 

[Tim2488]

The Hauler itself is at Atlanta, they had a Ford Dually pulling their Atlanta Car and said dually with the trailer was stolen.

 

[AMLNet49]

I feel like this would only happen to this team… and I'm not even surprised by it. Hopefully they find it before 5:45 today, though even if they do there's no way they are beating 12 other cars speeds to make this race.

 

[Elio Lugaru]

The team has said they will be withdrawing from the race because of this.

 

[AMLNet49]

Here's what it looks like:

 

[jordanvile]

I'm shocked its not RAB...

 

[Steven Merzlak]

What the hell?

 

[4WideRacing]

Okay, that's strange

 

[ayrwolf]

It would have been nice if a "big buck" Chevy team with a fleet of back-up cars in Atlanta could have loaned the 44 team a car for the race. Not naming any names

 

[phantom17]

HMMMM, Kurt Busch is like if I can't race either can Travis as he drives away with the car.

 

[vozdt24]

It would have been nice if a "big buck" Chevy team with a fleet of back-up cars in Atlanta could have loaned the 44 team a car for the race. Not naming any names

Agreed. It's one thing for the team to not get in on speed or what have you. But this is a whole other deal and there's precedent - back when Brian K made the 500 - Penske loaned a motor (even though it didn't fit in the car), other teams helped with tires, crew. Folks chipped in so they could beat him on the track and not because the guy didn't have the funds to go all the way and had to quit.

 

[Dodgeman4345]

It was reported during practice for the Xfinity Series which started at 10 am this morning that the #44 team needed to have a car there by 11:30 am. I'm guessing that doesn't give much time for one team or a couple of teams to get things together for them. I'm surprised NASCAR didn't give them a little more time considering the car was stolen. That is kind of beyond their control.

 

[4WideRacing]

I wonder how it was stolen. The article on Jayski even made it sound like the truck was stolen.

 

[WayneD92]

The car was in the trailer that was stolen with the truck

 

[RP Motorsports]

The whole thing is starting to seem a little fishy to me. With the way it went down, the "thieves" must've had a key. One guy jumps out of the jeep, jumps into the truck, and takes off. All within less than a minute. I also didn't like how Cohen said to TMZ "I was going to tell the guys to park a car in front of it to block it in, but didnt." Makes it seem contrived in a way.

It just doesn't seem right. I wouldn't be surprised if theres more to the story we don't know about. Whether that be something similar to the Harmon/Cobb deal with a dispute over property ownership, or even some kind of inside job for one reason or another. I hate to even suggest "conspiracy", but the whole thing is starting to look sketchy to me. My BS meter is turning high RPM on it.

 

[David24]

Here's what it looks like:

Wow is that really their transporter? They are hauling a beautiful looking race car with this? This team has all of their priorities backwards it seems.

Also surprised this hasn't been brought up but....insurance fraud?

 

[4WideRacing]

And the fact that it's the famous disappearing #44 team.... anything is possible.

 

[ChevyMan150]

Wow is that really their transporter? They are hauling a beautiful looking race car with this? This team has all of their priorities backwards it seems.

Also surprised this hasn't been brought up but....insurance fraud?

That isn't their transporter, their transporter is (or at least was) parked at the speedway. The team sent the real transporter down to Atlanta early to beat weather however they didn't have the car ready in time to go with it. So they ended up using this truck to get the car from the shop down to Atlanta.

I like your idea about insurance fraud, hadn't thought of it but it is completely in the realm of possibility.