Finch plans to enter a car in the 500.

[ChevyMan150]

Credit to Jayski:

Former #51 Phoenix Racing team owner James Finch told Brad Gillie and Buddy Baker on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio's The Late Shift that he plans to enter a car in the 2014 Daytona 500.(listen at Soundcloud/SiriusXM). Finch will use a car from his old team, Phoenix Racing, now owned by Harry Scott Jr.. No word on a driver or what car number Finch will use.(12-10-2013)

Well thats about as surprising as Dale Jr. winning the Most Popular Driver Award.

 

[ShadowKnight508]

I knew that Finch would not be able to stay out of the sport for long, even if it is for one-time race deals like what he hopes to do next year in the 500. It will be interesting to see just how it works out for his car when Speedweeks 2014 rolls around in a little over two months from now.

 

[labontefanboy]

Am I the only one that would LOVE to see a #09 Miccosukee Resorts throwback scheme?

 

[Thunder98]

I doubt Miccosukee would sponsor Finch, but it'd be nice to see the #09.

 

[coolboy]

I could see Bobby Labonte as the driver because of him being a past champion.

 

[Relly]

This is why I keep saying I will not believe Finch will be gone until we go through a season without one of his cars showing up at a track.

I have a strange strange feeling that they'll run well and this will turn into "well, we'll run the first few races and see if we can grab some sponsorship." And then we'll keep going through the same thing with Finch that we do every year.

 

[AMLNet49]

He will most likely take the Phoenix Racing name for this operation I would suspect, and Scott will find a new name – Finch will probly run #09 unless Scott changes the number of his car to something more TSM-ish, though all the usual TSM numbers are taken

 

[KyleBuschFan18]

Happy to see him field a car hopefully he will get Labonte, that would be nice.

 

[ayrwolf]

Finch is like an ex-wife, just when you think you will never see them again there they are

 

[B.McKeever]

Haven't heard anything recent about FAS Lane Racing....OXYWater is under investigation....possible the sponsorship deal is going to fall through.

I can see Scott retaining the # 32 for his team and Finch using his # 51.

 

[Devin41]

Haven't heard anything recent about FAS Lane Racing....OXYWater is under investigation....possible the sponsorship deal is going to fall through.

I can see Scott retaining the # 32 for his team and Finch using his # 51.

According to Jayski, OxyWater apparently went bankrupt in August and U.S. Chrome was signed to sponsor the rest of the season...the #32 could be back next season with Timmy Hill and U.S. Chrome.

 

[B.McKeever]

They COULD be back...but without adequate funding, I don't see them coming back this year. If OXYWater went bankrupt, odds are, they didn't pay FAS their sponsorship money....after FAS probably invested in the team.

Who knows? I know I haven't heard a single thing about FAS and by now you have a good idea who will be running full seasons.

 

[Brandon Miller]

Finch said on Sirius radio yesterday he was guaranteed in the Daytona 500. That tells me one of the Labonte boys will be driving.

 

[wslates]

Bobby Labonte invited to race in Daytona 500 for Phoenix Racing

It might just be racing a car during Speedweeks at Daytona International Speedway. James Finch has asked Labonte to run a second Phoenix Racing Chevy in the 2014 Daytona 500.

Finch, who sold majority interest of his team to Harry Scott last summer, said he hopes to have the car, engine and team solidified next week.

“We’ll be running out of the Phoenix Racing shop,” Finch said. “I hope to have a number before Christmas. I’m waiting for NASCAR to get back to me on that.”

Labonte, the 2000 Sprint Cup champion, was replaced by AJ Allmendinger at JTG/Daugherty Racing late in the 2013 season. Labonte, 49, drove the No. 47 Toyota the past three seasons. His most recent top-five finish was in the 2011 Daytona 500.
This will be Labonte’s third tour with Finch. He competed in the No. 09 Phoenix Racing Chevy for 14 races in 2010 and was offered a seat by Finch last year when JTGD first put Allmendinger in the car at the Michigan race in June.

That was....predictable.

 

[AMLNet49]

Remember, Harry Scott talked about Finch running a few races and just not wanting to manage a team anymore – Finch’s entries are basically a continuation of the pre-Richmond Phoenix team and the Scott team is basically a new operation

 

[labontefanboy]

Yay.

 

[Alonso2005]

So, today was confirmed that Labonte will be driving in the Phoenix/Finch car in the 500. No number and Crew Chief announced.

 

[ChadVSO]

2014 Daytona 500: Bobby Labonte to drive for Phoenix Racing

"In a news release, Phoenix Racing said Labonte would run "a number of races" for the team in 2014. No crew chief, car number or sponsor were named."

 

[ThatOneShredder]

2014 Daytona 500: Bobby Labonte to drive for Phoenix Racing

"In a news release, Phoenix Racing said Labonte would run "a number of races" for the team in 2014. No crew chief, car number or sponsor were named."

A number of races? Lol. Finch doesn't know when to stop.

 

[B.McKeever]

I remember reading somewhere that NASCAR begged him to continue fielding the # 09 a few years ago. Can you blame the guy for entering the Superspeedway races? He's got good equipment for those races - and they pay well.