Photo Credit: Ronald Costigan
Throughout the off-season, there are always changes to watch out for with drivers and crew chiefs switching drivers and organizations. It seems this past season was no different, as there was news for fans to watch out for on a weekly basis. Here is the first part of our look at how things shake out for the upcoming season, with the changes marked in red. Be sure to stay tuned for the second half of the article later on this week.
Car #: 00
Driver: Cole Custer
Crew Chief: Joe Shear
Team: JR Motorsports
Rather than this ride being shared by Custer and other drivers at JR Motorsports, Custer is scheduled to run the full schedule and compete for the championship.
Car #: 02
Driver: Tyler Young
Crew Chief: Bryan Berry
Team: Young Motorsports
Car #: 05
Driver: John Wes Townley
Crew Chief: Michael Shelton
Team: Atheneian Motorsports
Car #: 07
Driver: Michel Disdier
Crew Chief: Jason Miller
Team: SS Green Light Racing
Ray Black Jr., whom ran the truck full-time last season, will be moving up to the XFINITY Series full-time in 2016. Disdier is set to run the truck for Daytona, but there have been no other plans announced.
Car #: 1
Driver: David Leavine
Crew Chief: ?
Team: Mark Beaver
The team ran multiple drivers last year, but has yet to announce anything for 2016, except that ARCA Racing Series competitor David Leavine is behind the wheel for Daytona.
Car #: 4
Driver: Christopher Bell
Crew Chief: Jerry Baxter
Team: Kyle Busch Motorsports
After running a partial schedule last year, Christopher Bell will run the full schedule this season. Jerry Baxter, who crew chiefed for the No. 51 effort last season (working with Kyle Busch, Bell and Daniel Suarez) at KBM, moves over to work with Bell on a full-time basis.
Erik Jones, who won the championship last year, moves up to the XFINITY Series in a full-time ride for Joe Gibbs Racing. Rudy Fugle, who led Jones to the championship, moves over to No. 9 truck with William Byron.
Car #: 6
Driver: Norm Benning
Crew Chief: Brian Peoff
Team: Norm Benning
Car #: 8
Driver: John Hunter Nemechek
Crew Chief: Gere Kennon
Team: NEMCO Motorsports
Car #: 9 (was #54)
Driver: William Byron
Crew Chief: Rudy Fugle
Team: Kyle Busch Motorsports
William Byron joins the organization on a full-time basis after winning the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East Championship. Fugle makes the move from the No. 4 truck at KBM to the No. 9 truck.
Last season, the No. 54 was split by Tifft, Bell, Suarez and Busch after Justin Boston separated from the organization. Tifft is set to run 13 XFINITY races for Joe Gibbs Racing, while Bell moves to the No. 4 truck full-time and Suarez gets set for his second full season in the XFINITY Series. Shannon Rursch, who led the effort for the No. 54 last season, has yet to announce any plans for 2016.
Car #: 10
Driver: Jennifer Jo Cobb
Crew Chief: Steve Kuykendall
Team: Jennifer Jo Cobb Racing
Car #: 11
Driver: Ben Kennedy
Crew Chief: Scott Zippidelli
Team: Red Horse Racing
Car #: 13
Driver: Cameron Hayley
Crew Chief: Eddie Troconis
Team: ThorSport Racing
Eddie Troconis joins the organization after serving as one of the engineers at Kyle Busch Motorsports. Jeff Hensley, who led Hayley’s team last year, has moved over to GMS Racing.
Car #: 14
Driver: Scott Lagasse Jr.
Crew Chief: Mark Gibson
Team: NTS Motorsports
With Daniel Hemric leaving NTS Motorsports to go to Brad Keselowski Racing, it sort of left things in limbo at NTS Motorsports. They essentially looked as though they were set to close doors with employees being let go in December, The plans are still up in the air, but Lagasse will run Daytona for the team.
Car #: 17
Driver: Timothy Peters
Crew Chief: Shane Huffman
Team: Red Horse Racing
Shane Huffman joins the organization after spending last year crew cheifing at GMS Racing, while Peters’ crew chief from last season, Marcus Richmond, makes the move to join GMS Racing.
Car #: 18
Driver: Cody Coughlin
Crew Chief: Wes Ward
Team: Kyle Busch Motorsports
When KBM is set to enter four trucks, this will be the number of the fourth truck. Cody Coughlin has gotten the nod for Daytona.
Car #: 19
Driver: Daniel Hemric
Crew Chief: Doug Randolph
Team: Brad Keselowski Racing
Daniel Hemric joins the organization from NTS Motorsports. The No. 19 truck at BKR was driven by Tyler Reddick last year, in which Reddick shifts over to the No. 29 truck at BKR.
Car #: 21
Driver: Johnny Sauter
Crew Chief: Marcus Richmond
Team: GMS Racing
Johnny Sauter joins the organization after racing for ThorSport Racing last year. Marcus Richmond joins the organization after crew chiefing for Timothy Peters last year at Red Horse Racing.
This truck was split between Brandon Jones and the Dillon brothers last season; Jones is scheduled to run the full XFINITY Series schedule for Richard Childress Racing.
Car #: 22
Driver: Austin Wayne Self
Crew Chief: Marc Browning
Team: AM Racing
After success in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series, AM Racing has decided to take their team forward to the next division and race as part of the truck series in 2016.
Car #: 23
Driver: Spencer Gallagher
Crew Chief: Jeff Hensley
Team: GMS Racing
Hensley joins the team after crew chiefing for Cameron Hayley last season.
Car #: 29
Driver: Tyler Reddick
Crew Chief: Chad Kendrick
Team: Brad Keselowski Racing
Reddick makes the shift over from the No. 19 at BKR to the No. 29. This truck was split by Austin Theriault, Brad Keselowski and Ryan Blaney last season.
Austin Theriaul does not have any full-time plans in place for the upcoming season, but will drive a third BKR truck at Daytona.
Car #: 33
Driver: Grant Enfinger
Crew Chief: Jeff Stankiewicz
Team: GMS Racing
GMS Racing is set to enter three full-time teams in 2016, with Grant Enfinger moving up from the ARCA Racing Series. Stankiewicz will work with Enfinger after spending last season at GMS Racing working with Spencer Gallagher. Gallagher is now paired with Jeff Hensley
Car #: 41
Driver: Ben Rhodes
Crew Chief: Kevin Bellicourt
Team: ThorSport Racing
ThorSport Racing expands from three trucks to four trucks in 2016, with Ben Rhodes behind the wheel of the fourth entry after running a partial schedule last year for JR Motorsports. Kevin Bellicourt will call the shots after winning the NASCAR K&N Pro Series Championship last season with William Byron.
Car #: 44
Driver: Tommy Joe Martins
Crew Chief: Kevin Eagle
Team: Tommy Jo Martins
Brand new team for 2016 that plans to run the full schedule.
Car #: 49
Driver: Timmy Hill
Crew Chief: Wayne Carroll
Team: Precision Performance Motorsports
This was the No. 94 team last season.
Car #: 50
Driver: Travis Kvapil
Crew Chief: ?
Team: MAKE Motorsports
Car #: 51
Driver: Daniel Suarez/Cody Coughlin
Crew Chief: Kevin Manion
Team: Kyle Busch Motorsports
Kevin Manion joins the organization after crew cheifing for Sam Hornish Jr. last year at Richard Petty Motorsports.
Car #: 58
Driver: Ryan Reed
Crew Chief: Teddy Brown
Team: Lira Motorsports
Brand new team for 2016 that plans to run the full schedule after success in the ARCA Racing Series. Reed is scheduled to be in the truck for Daytona, but no word on schedule beyond that. Reed is already running the full XFINITY schedule for Roush Fenway Racing.
Car #: 59
Driver: Korbin Forrister
Crew Chief: Sam Schram
Team: Lira Motorsports
Brand new team for 2016 that plans to run the full schedule after success in the ARCA Racing Series. Forrister is scheduled to be in the truck for Daytona, and will run some other races to go along with his ARCA schedule.
Car #: 63
Driver: Reed Sorenson
Crew Chief: Trip Bruce
Team: MB Motorsports
The team ran multiple drivers in 2016 and exact plans for the new year are unknown, except that Sorenson will drive at Daytona.
Car #: 66
Driver: Jordan Anderson
Crew Chief: ?
Team: Jeff Bolen
Brand new team for 2016 that plans to run the full schedule.
Car #: 71
Driver: Carlos Contreras
Crew Chief: Tim Andrews
Team: Contreras Motorsports
Brand new team for 2016 that plans to run the full schedule.
Car #: 88
Driver: Matt Crafton
Crew Chief: Carl Joiner
Team: ThorSport Racing
Car #: 98
Driver: Rico Abreu
Crew Chief: Doug George
Team: ThorSport Racing
Rico Abreu joins the team after success in the K&N Pro Series, replacing Johnny Sauter. Sauter has joined GMS Racing for 2016.
