Wikipedia

CMI Motorsports

CMI Motorsports (formerly Ciccarelli Racing) is an American professional dirt track racing team that competes in the World of Outlaws Late Model Series, fielding the No. 49 Rocket XR1 part-time for Ray Ciccarelli. The team also previously fielded teams in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series and ARCA Menards Series.

CMI Motorsports
Owner(s)Ray Ciccarelli
SeriesNASCAR Camping World Truck Series
Race drivers49. Andrew Gordon (part-time)
Sponsors49. Staar Trucking
ManufacturerFord
Opened2017 (ARCA)
2019 (Trucks)
Closed2017 (ARCA)
2022 (Trucks)
Career
Debut2019 NextEra Energy 250 (Daytona)
Latest race2022 Pinty's Truck Race on Dirt (Bristol)
Races competed41
Drivers' Championships0
Race victories0
Pole positions0

Although Ciccarelli announced on June 10, 2020 that he would be closing down the team and selling off all its equipment after the conclusion of the 2020 Truck Series season. His decision to shut down his race team came in response to NASCAR's announcement on the same day that they would be banning the display of the Confederate flag from all tracks. Ciccarelli believed that the sport was getting too political and unnecessarily taking sides in those matters.[1] In a Twitter post, in October 2020 they said that they would return in 2021 in some capacity, and three weeks later CMI Motorsports would announce that Tim Viens would run the No. 83 truck full time.[2] However, after 2022 the team shut down and sold their assets to G2G Racing on the NASCAR side however continued on as a Super Late Model team.

History edit

ARCA Racing Series edit

Car No. 38 history edit

Ciccarelli ran the season-opener at Daytona in 2017 with his own team, the No. 38 Ford, under the name Ciccarelli Racing. It was not his first race in the series, as he previously drove part-time in the series in 2014, 2015, and 2016 for teams Carter 2 Motorsports, Kimmel Racing, Hamilton-Hughes Racing, and Hixson Motorsports. Ciccarelli returned with his team to Talladega, although he drove the No. 3 instead of the No. 38, using owner points from Hixson (a team he drove for in a few races the prior year) to have a better shot of qualifying for the race, which he successfully did. The No. 3 was running the full season while the No. 38 had only attempted Daytona. He started his team after buying a superspeedway Ford car from Lira Motorsports,[3] an ARCA team which fielded multiple cars in 2016 but had downsized to one car due to financial problems for the 2017 season and therefore was selling off equipment.

NASCAR Camping World Truck Series edit

Truck No. 49 history edit

 
Ciccarelli's No. 49 for his own team at Daytona in 2019.

The team was restarted in 2019 when Ciccarelli, who previously drove in the Truck Series part-time for Jennifer Jo Cobb Racing, bought trucks and equipment from Premium Motorsports, which closed down their Truck Series team after the 2018 season. He kept the same number that Premium ran with, the No. 49, and the owner points that their No. 49 (driven mostly by Wendell Chavous) accumulated the prior year. The name of the team was CMI Motorsports, which stands for "Ciccarelli Moving & Installation", a company owned by Ciccarelli and which is one of the team's sponsors. The team made its debut at the season-opening 2019 NextEra Energy 250 at Daytona, where Ciccarelli successfully qualified for the race. However, he finished 28th after a crash ended his hopes of a good run.[4] Ciccarelli attempted a part-time schedule for the rest of that season, totaling about half of the races. This included an upset ninth-place finish at Michigan. The team had two other surprisingly strong runs that year at Texas in March and Pocono, both top-20 finishes.

For 2020, the No. 49 started the year with Ciccarelli himself behind the wheel of truck, failing to qualify for the season-opener at Daytona with Ciccarelli, unlike the previous year. The team signed Bayley Currey on January 30, 2020 to drive for them at the following race at Las Vegas. In that announcement, CMI indicated that the No. 49 would be attempting the first five races to start the year.[5] Currey ended up driving the next two races at Charlotte and Atlanta. He was supposed to have competed at Homestead but left the team in what was considered by many to be a one-screen departure after Ciccarelli made his remarks about the Confederate flag. [6] Tim Viens later drove this truck at Kentucky, Texas, and Michigan. Roger Reuse made his Truck return in August 2020 for the Sunoco 159 at the Daytona International Speedway road course, driving this truck.[7]

Despite announcing that they were going to shut down at the end of the season, CMI Motorsports and their flagship No. 49 truck returned for 2021 with owner Ray Ciccarelli driving at Daytona, failing to qualify.[8] The No. 49 was entered again at the Daytona road course with Roger Reuse, but again failed to qualify due to the lack of qualifying being held. The team returned at Atlanta Motor Speedway with Ciccarelli again behind the wheel, but since the team hadn’t qualified in the last two races, due to no qualifying being held, Ciccarelli automatically DNQ’d. Andrew Gordon would make his Truck Series debut at the Bristol Dirt race, finishing 31st. Ryan Reed would make his Truck Series return at Richmond, finishing 29th. John Atwell and J. J. Yeley would DNQ at COTA and Nashville respectively. Keith McGee would appear at Las Vegas.

In 2022, Gordon would make his return for G2G Racing's No. 46 truck (owned by Viens). Later, NASCAR notified G2G that the chassis for their No. 46 truck for the Bristol dirt race was registered to CMI (who G2G had purchased the truck from). As a result, Viens had to withdraw the No. 46 truck from the race. Viens then phone called Ciccarelli who agreed to file a late entry and field the No. 49 truck for Gordon for the race.

Truck No. 49 results edit

Year Driver No. Make 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 NGTC Pts Ref
2019 Ray Ciccarelli 49 Chevy DAY
28 		ATL
26 		LVS MAR
DNQ 		TEX
16 		DOV
24 		KAN TEX IOW GTW CHI KEN
DNQ 		POC
19 		ELD MCH
9 		BRI MSP LVS TAL MAR
21 		PHO HOM
31 		33rd 135 [9]
Stefan Parsons CLT
24
2020 Ray Ciccarelli DAY
DNQ 		HOM
29 		POC
27 		KAN
32 		KAN
24 		DAR RCH
31 		BRI LVS
26 		TAL
27 		MAR PHO 38th 136
Bayley Currey LVS
DNQ 		CLT
28 		ATL
32
Tim Viens KEN
35 		TEX
26 		MCH
26 		KAN
32 		TEX
37
Roger Reuse DAY
38 		GTW
27
Tyler Hill DOV
30
2021 Ray Ciccarelli DAY
DNQ 		ATL
DNQ 		DAR
DNQ 		41st 75
Toyota TEX
32 		POC
23
Ford BRI
39
Roger Reuse Chevy DAY
DNQ 		LVS
Ford GLN
30 		GTW
24 		DAR MAR
35 		PHO
Andrew Gordon Chevy BRI
31
Ford KNX
24
Ryan Reed Chevy RCH
29
Toyota KAN
40
John Atwell Ford COA
DNQ 		CLT
J. J. Yeley Toyota NSH
DNQ
Keith McGee LVS
32 		TAL
2022 Andrew Gordon Ford DAY LVS ATL COA MAR BRI
32 		DAR KAN TEX CLT GTW SON KNO NSH MOH POC IRP RCH KAN BRI TAL HOM PHO -* -*

Truck No. 72 history edit

In 2021, CMI Motorsports debuted the No. 72 at Circuit of The Americas. Texas-native and Trans am TA 2 Series driver Samuel LeComte would drive this truck. [10]

Truck No. 72 results edit

Year Driver No. Make 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 NGTC Pts Ref
2021 Samuel LeComte 72 Chevy DAY DAY LVS ATL BRI RCH KAN DAR COA
DNQ 		CLT TEX NSH POC KNX GLN
DNQ 		GTW DAR BRI LVS TAL MAR PHO NA 01

Truck No. 83 history edit

CMI Motorsports debuted a second truck, the No. 83, at the second race of the 2020 season at Las Vegas with Stefan Parsons driving it.[11] It was also entered in the next two races at Charlotte and Atlanta with T. J. Bell driving it. Tim Viens later drove this truck for a part-time Truck schedule beginning at Pocono.[12] Owner Ray Ciccarelli drove the No. 83 part time as well, in Kentucky, Michigan, Kansas, Texas, and Martinsville.

The No. 83 returned in 2021 as a full-time team, with Tim Viens being tabbed to run the full schedule.[13] Viens had a rough start to his first full-time season, failing to qualify for both Daytona races and skipping Las Vegas and Atlanta to focus on the upcoming Bristol Dirt Race,[14] where Trevor Collins would drive but fail to qualify. Brad Gross, a Texan driver, was tabbed to run the Toyota Tundra 225, but he failed to qualify along with John Atwell and Samuel LeComte.

Truck No. 83 results edit

Year Driver No. Make 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 NGTC Pts Ref
2020 Stefan Parsons 83 Chevy DAY LVS
29 		41st 103
T. J. Bell CLT
33 		ATL
38 		HOM
Tim Viens POC
29 		DAY
24 		DOV
31 		GTW DAR RCH
35 		BRI LVS
33 		TAL PHO
Ray Ciccarelli KEN
32 		TEX KAN KAN MCH
34 		KAN
26 		TEX
22 		MAR
25
2021 Tim Viens DAY
DNQ 		DAY
DNQ 		LVS ATL NA 01
Trevor Collins BRI
DNQ 		RCH KAN DAR
Brad Gross COA
DNQ 		CLT TEX NSH POC KNX GLN GTW DAR BRI LVS TAL MAR PHO

References edit

  1. ^ Fernandez, Gabriel (June 10, 2020). "NASCAR driver Ray Ciccarelli says he's leaving at end of the season, citing disagreement with flag policy". CBS Sports.
  2. ^ Carey, Michael (2020-11-19). "Timothy Viens returning to CMI Motorsports for full-time campaign in Truck Series". TobyChristie.com. Retrieved 2021-04-03.
  3. ^ "Ray Ciccarelli forming own team; to compete at Daytona & Talladega". ThePitLane. December 9, 2016. Retrieved June 11, 2020.
  4. ^ "Driver Ray Ciccarelli 2019 NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved February 15, 2020.
  5. ^ "Ray Ciccarelli plans to enter the first five Truck races; adds Currey to roster". Jayski's Silly Season Site. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. January 30, 2020. Retrieved June 11, 2020.
  6. ^ https://twitter.com/BayleyCurrey/status/1271186989753270273. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  7. ^ Srigley, Joseph (August 11, 2020). "What You Need to Know About NASCAR's Newly Implemented Starting Lineup Procedure". TobyChristie.com. Retrieved August 11, 2020.
  8. ^ Owens, Jeff (2021-02-13). "NASCAR Truck Series drivers: Qualifying, Daytona starting lineup". Retrieved 2021-03-15.
  9. ^ "NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series 2019 Final owner point standings". Motorsports One. Retrieved November 17, 2019.
  10. ^ Srigley, Joseph (May 17, 2021). "CMI Motorsports Fielding Three Trucks at COTA, Atwell, Gross, LeComte Scheduled for Series Debuts". TobyChristie.com.
  11. ^ Eggert, Seth (February 20, 2020). "Stefan Parsons joins CMI Motorsports at Las Vegas". Kickin' the Tires. Archived from the original on February 28, 2020. Retrieved February 20, 2020.
  12. ^ Srigley, Joseph (June 19, 2020). "Ray Ciccarelli's CMI Motorsports Reveals Plans for Full-Time Schedule, Taps Tim Viens for Multi-Race Deal in No. 83 Truck". TobyChristie.com. Retrieved July 16, 2020.
  13. ^ Carey, Michael (2020-11-19). "Timothy Viens returning to CMI Motorsports for full-time campaign in Truck Series". TobyChristie.com. Retrieved 2021-03-15.
  14. ^ Twitter https://twitter.com/cmimotorsports/status/1362075026703327237. Retrieved 2021-03-15. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)

External links edit

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