BAM Racing

NASCAR_Owner_Infobox
Company Name = BAM Racing

| Owner(s) Name = Beth Ann & Tony Morgenthau
Racing Series = Sprint Cup
Championships = 0
Car Number(s) = #49
Driver(s) = None
Primary Sponsor(s) = None
Shop Location = Charlotte, North Carolina
Homepage = [http://www.BAM49racing.com/ BAM Racing]

BAM Racing is a NASCAR racing team based in Charlotte, North Carolina, United States, owned by Beth Ann and Tony Morgenthau. The team's #49 Toyota Camry runs part-time in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, although the team is currently inactive.

The team was created in 2001, when they ran the ARCA RE/MAX Series with Andy Hillenburg. They attempted their first cup race at the Pepsi 400 with Hillenburg, but failed to qualify. They also attempted the Pennsylvania 500 and the Brickyard 400 with Hillenburg, as well as the Pennzoil Freedom 400 with Rich Bickle, but did not qualify for any of those races.

BAM made its first Cup race in 2002 with Shawna Robinson as its driver. It was announced that she would compete in 24 races, but struggled and her last race for the season was at the second Daytona race where she would finish 40th. Kevin Lepage, Stuart Kirby, Ron Hornaday, Stacy Compton, and Derrike Cope would finish out the season with a best finish of 22nd at Talladega. For the 2003 season it was announced that Ken Schrader would drive #49 1-800-CALL-ATT Dodge. This sponsorship was only for a quarter of the season and again the team had to run without sponsorship for multiple races. The team qualified for 32 races and had a best finish of 8th at Michigan. In 2004, it was announced BAM Racing had secured a deal with Schwan Food Company for multiple years. They were able to achieve a best finish of 6th during the season, had three less DNF's, and improved their average finish by two places. The team also ran a second car for Klaus Graf at Infineon and he brought the #59 SEM/Color Horizons Dodge home in 17th place. Schwan's and Schrader again returned for the 2005 season and BAM had its best season to date with three top tens and an average finish of 25th place.

After the conclusion of the 2005 season, Ken Schrader left to join Wood Brothers/JTG Racing. For 2006, Schrader was replaced by Brent Sherman who brought along sponsorship from Serta. He was to run for the Rookie of the Year award, however after struggling through the start of the season Jimmy Spencer was hired by BAM Racing to race at Martinsville Speedway, although the firing of Sherman cost the team its sponsorship (Serta, Sherman's primary sponsor in the ARCA series, had followed him to his Busch cars as well as his cup ride). Spencer was also be an advisor for BAM and was a mentor for Sherman during his time there. Another driver change was announced in May, as Mike Wallace raced the #49 at Richmond. In May 2006, Kevin Lepage left Front Row Motorsports to take over the #49, before he was replaced by Mike Bliss in October. Chris Cook was hired to drive for the team to run the road course events, but failed to qualify for both events.

In 2007, BAM Racing was to race with Mike Bliss as the driver, using Evernham engines, but Bliss failed to qualify for 11 out of 15 attempts, and resigned midway through the season. Chad Chaffin was the team's interim driver at Loudon and Chicagoland, and Larry Foyt racing at Daytona. In the team's first attempt to qualify after Bliss' resignation at Loudon, Chaffin made the race after Brian Vickers and the #83 Team Red Bull Toyota were disqualified after failing post-qualifying inspection. Bliss briefly returned for a few races, before journeyman John Andretti was hired to complete the rest of the season for BAM.

John Andretti was signed to drive the full 2008 season, but the contract was nullified just days before 2008 Daytona testing to put Ken Schrader in the seat in hopes of attracting more sponsorship. [ Ken Schrader and the BAM team failed to qualify for the Daytona 500 and the following race at California Speedway. [http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/writers/tom_bowles/01/15/sponsors/1.html] ] Schrader drove in the Budweiser Shootout, but failed to qualify for the first two races of the season. [ [http://www.scenedaily.com/stories/2008/01/14/scene_daily1.html] ] . to refocus the team's efforts [ [http://www.nascar.com/2008/news/headlines/cup/04/01/kschrader.bam.withdraws.entry/index.html NASCAR.COM - BAM Racing to skip Cup races at Texas and Phoenix - Apr 1, 2008 ] ] .Both the expenses of switching manufacturers and the pullout of Microsoft to Michael Waltrip Racing have forced BAM Racing to push their scheduled return further back, with NASCAR.com reporting on April 15, 2008 that the team may not return to racing until the fall. However, BAM made a minor attempt at a comeback in the Sprint All-Star Race. BAM fielded a ride for Petty Enterprises developmental driver Chad McCumbee, the car was a Dodge with sponsorship from Marathon Oil.McCumbee finished 13th.

On July 11, 2008 Sports Illustrated reported that BAM Racing was in talks with Barack Obama regarding a 1 Race Sponsorship at Pocono, through BAM spokesman Rhett Vandiver. However, Obama spokesman Bill Burton told Yahoo! Sports on the 11th that the sponsorship would not happen. [ [http://sports.yahoo.com/nascar/news;_ylt=AsvBhwjCx62EGfn9lrEkd.Pov7YF?slug=ap-nascar-obamasponsorship&prov=ap&type=lgns Yahoo! Sports Article on Obama Sponsorship] ]

print Cup Statistics

"Note: Stats as of July 27, 2008"

References

External links

* [http://www.BAM49racing.com BAM Racing Homepage]
* [http://www.racing-reference.info/owner?id=morgebe01 BAM Racing's Ownership Statistics]
* [http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/writers/tom_bowles/07/11/obama/index.html]
* [http://sports.yahoo.com/nascar/news;_ylt=AsvBhwjCx62EGfn9lrEkd.Pov7YF?slug=ap-nascar-obamasponsorship&prov=ap&type=lgns]