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Uncertainty in Nationwide Series has Braun weighing options
Is the four-car Braun Racing outfit about to be sold?
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HAMPTON, Ga.
The hot rumor at Atlanta Motor Speedway on Saturday wasn’t swirling around the Sprint Cup garage. Instead, it involved NASCAR’s top independent Nationwide Series team — Braun Racing, and the possible sale of the organization to Steve Turner.
Todd Braun said any announcement was "premature," but called Turner a “great guy who has a great passion for racing.”
Cup lite?
The NASCAR Nationwide Series has boasted 12 winners this season - but only one is a full-time Nationwide-only driver. Who is it? Take a look at the 2010 Nationwide race winners here.Braun, who currently fields the Nos. 10, 11, 32 and 38 Toyotas, is currently the largest independent Nationwide Series owner in NASCAR. However, in eight years of competition, his drivers have scored just four wins against fields that have been dominated by Cup-affiliated teams. With the exception of Jason Leffler’s 2007 win at what is now O’Reilly Raceway Park, Braun’s wins came with Cup Series regulars Jamie McMurray, Dave Blaney and Kyle Busch.
“This is a changing sport, and you have to stay on top of the changes,” Braun said. “We’re always looking for opportunities that can make Braun Racing better. Sure, we’re exploring all opportunities.”
Braun said his lineup for 2011 “is about half-done.” Braun has an option on Reed Sorenson that he has not exercised yet, and “no decision” has been made on Jason Leffler. A sale or even a partnership with a new owner could change the complexion of the organization, but Braun is also waiting to see how NASCAR alters its game plan moving forward.
“A lot of things will be defined after NASCAR decides what it’s going to do with their program,” Braun said. “If they don’t change, I think we know what we’re going to do. If they change, I don’t know if it will affect us or not. We’re going to wait and see what everybody else does. There’s a little cat-and-mouse game going on right now with what the NASCAR rules are going to be as far as points, who can get championship points and who’s going to put who in their car to run for a championship or change their stuff around, run less races with their heroes.
“We want to look at all of that and give ourselves the best opportunity to be in a position to win races every weekend. We’re there now. I don’t know how many seconds, thirds or fourth (place finishes) I have (had) the last few years. I’ve probably had 40 or so over the last couple of years, but I haven’t won a race. We have to keep putting ourselves in position to win those races whether it be putting Jacques Villeneuve in a car or Kasey Kahne when we can, or Reed or even Jason a couple weeks ago in Bristol. Hopefully, we can continue to stay healthy in this sport at a time when it’s really difficult to find sponsorship.”
Turner owns Turner Motorsports, which fields teams for Ricky Carmichael and James Buescher in the Camping World Truck Series. Carmichael and Buescher are currently 12th and 13th, respectively, in the standings. Although there was talk earlier this season that Turner was interested in buying Phoenix Racing, a move to the Nationwide Series would be the next logical move considering this is the organization’s first full season of trucks.
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