Chad Chaffin (born July 20, 1968 in
Smyrna, TennesseeSmyrna is a town in Rutherford County, Tennessee, United States. Smyrna's population was 26,614 people at the 2000 census.- Businesses :Smyrna is the location of a large manufacturing facility owned by Nissan, and has been since 1982....
) is a rookie
NASCARThe National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing is a family-owned and operated business venture that sanctions and governs multiple auto racing sports events. It was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1947-48. As of 2009, the CEO for the company is Brian France, grandson of the late Bill France Sr...
driver. He has become one of the drivers for the #49
BAM RacingBAM Racing was a NASCAR racing team based in Charlotte, North Carolina, United States, owned by Beth Ann and Tony Morgenthau. The team's #49 Toyota Camry ran in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series until 2008....
Dodge along with
Larry FoytLarry Foyt is a semi-retired NASCAR driver and IRL driver. He is the grandson and adopted son of A. J. Foyt, and a cousin of A. J. Foyt IV. His biological mother is Terry Lynn Foyt, daughter of A. J. Foyt, who divorced his biological father Larry Gene Roberds when he was an infant. He also drove in...
, replacing
Mike BlissMichael Bliss is a NASCAR driver. He is currently a free agent, previously driving the #1 Miccosukee Indian Gaming Chevrolet for Phoenix Racing in the Nationwide Series. Mike began racing at age 10...
after his resignation. Chaffin was a two-time track champion at the historic Nashville Speedway USA, where he met his friend the late
Andy KirbyAndy Kirby , is a former stockcar driver, most notably in NASCAR. Kirby did not initially begin with NASCAR, where his career would end. Instead, Kirby quickly earned his reputation as a motorcycle racer in the Southeastern United States...
.
Chad made his Nextel Cup debut in 2004 at
MartinsvilleMartinsville Speedway is an International Speedway Corporation-owned NASCAR stock car racing track located in Ridgeway, Virginia, just to the south of Martinsville. At in length, it is the shortest track in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. The track was also one of the first paved oval tracks in...
. Driving the #98
Mach 1 RacingMach 1 Racing is a former NASCAR Winston Cup Series team. It was owned by Hollywood stuntman Hal Needham and actor Burt Reynolds. A team owned by Chris Edwards ran under this name from 2004 until 2006....
Ford he ran 100 laps before experiencing a mechanical failure and finished the race in 39th place.
Chad Chaffin (born July 20, 1968 in
Smyrna, TennesseeSmyrna is a town in Rutherford County, Tennessee, United States. Smyrna's population was 26,614 people at the 2000 census.- Businesses :Smyrna is the location of a large manufacturing facility owned by Nissan, and has been since 1982....
) is a rookie
NASCARThe National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing is a family-owned and operated business venture that sanctions and governs multiple auto racing sports events. It was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1947-48. As of 2009, the CEO for the company is Brian France, grandson of the late Bill France Sr...
driver. He has become one of the drivers for the #49
BAM RacingBAM Racing was a NASCAR racing team based in Charlotte, North Carolina, United States, owned by Beth Ann and Tony Morgenthau. The team's #49 Toyota Camry ran in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series until 2008....
Dodge along with
Larry FoytLarry Foyt is a semi-retired NASCAR driver and IRL driver. He is the grandson and adopted son of A. J. Foyt, and a cousin of A. J. Foyt IV. His biological mother is Terry Lynn Foyt, daughter of A. J. Foyt, who divorced his biological father Larry Gene Roberds when he was an infant. He also drove in...
, replacing
Mike BlissMichael Bliss is a NASCAR driver. He is currently a free agent, previously driving the #1 Miccosukee Indian Gaming Chevrolet for Phoenix Racing in the Nationwide Series. Mike began racing at age 10...
after his resignation. Chaffin was a two-time track champion at the historic Nashville Speedway USA, where he met his friend the late
Andy KirbyAndy Kirby , is a former stockcar driver, most notably in NASCAR. Kirby did not initially begin with NASCAR, where his career would end. Instead, Kirby quickly earned his reputation as a motorcycle racer in the Southeastern United States...
.
NEXTEL Cup
Chad made his Nextel Cup debut in 2004 at
MartinsvilleMartinsville Speedway is an International Speedway Corporation-owned NASCAR stock car racing track located in Ridgeway, Virginia, just to the south of Martinsville. At in length, it is the shortest track in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. The track was also one of the first paved oval tracks in...
. Driving the #98
Mach 1 RacingMach 1 Racing is a former NASCAR Winston Cup Series team. It was owned by Hollywood stuntman Hal Needham and actor Burt Reynolds. A team owned by Chris Edwards ran under this name from 2004 until 2006....
Ford he ran 100 laps before experiencing a mechanical failure and finished the race in 39th place. In 2005, he would attempt three races with
Front Row MotorsportsFront Row Motorsports is team that competes on NASCAR Sprint Cup circuit. The team began running part-time in 2004 as Means-Jenkins Motorsports under a partnership with Jimmy Means and restaurant entrepreneur Bob Jenkins, with Jenkins becoming the full team owner in 2005. The team fields the #34...
and
Mach 1 RacingMach 1 Racing is a former NASCAR Winston Cup Series team. It was owned by Hollywood stuntman Hal Needham and actor Burt Reynolds. A team owned by Chris Edwards ran under this name from 2004 until 2006....
. Chaffin was able to qualify for the
Checker Auto Parts 500The Checker O'Reilly Auto Parts 500 is a NASCAR Sprint Cup stock car race held at Phoenix International Raceway in Avondale, Arizona.-Past winners: - Race shortened to 257 laps/miles due to rain....
at
PhoenixPhoenix International Raceway, or just PIR, is a one mile tri-oval race track located in Avondale, Arizona. It opened in 1964, as the new home of major open-wheel racing in the Phoenix area, replacing the track at the Arizona State Fairgrounds as an automobile racing venue.-History:Due to a change...
and finished the race in the 43rd position after overheating issues. He began the 2006 season in the #92 Oak Gloves Chevrolet driving for
Front Row MotorsportsFront Row Motorsports is team that competes on NASCAR Sprint Cup circuit. The team began running part-time in 2004 as Means-Jenkins Motorsports under a partnership with Jimmy Means and restaurant entrepreneur Bob Jenkins, with Jenkins becoming the full team owner in 2005. The team fields the #34...
, however he switched to the #34 Oak Gloves Chevrolet within the organization after two races. After another eight races, he would yet again move within FRM, this time to the recently acquired #61 team. Chaffin has currently made four of the fourteen races he has attempted, three in the #34 Oak Gloves Chevrolet and two in various cars with #61 team. At the beginning of the 2007 season, Chaffin switched to the #37
R&J RacingCarter Simo Racing is a NASCAR Sprint Cup team. The team currently fields the #08 U.S. Chrome/SoBe Ford Fusion/Toyota Camry for Boris Said and Terry Labonte. It is owned by John Carter, road racer Brian Simo, and entrepeneuer Rick Clark...
car but was replaced by
John AndrettiJohn Andretti , is an American race car driver. He currently drives the #34 Chevrolet Impala in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series for Front Row Motorsports out of Statesville NC. He has won in CART, NHRA Top Fuel Dragsters, endurance racing and NASCAR stock car racing...
before qualifying for a race. After
Mike BlissMichael Bliss is a NASCAR driver. He is currently a free agent, previously driving the #1 Miccosukee Indian Gaming Chevrolet for Phoenix Racing in the Nationwide Series. Mike began racing at age 10...
' resignation as the driver of the #49
BAM RacingBAM Racing was a NASCAR racing team based in Charlotte, North Carolina, United States, owned by Beth Ann and Tony Morgenthau. The team's #49 Toyota Camry ran in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series until 2008....
Dodge on June 27, 2007, Chaffin was selected as one of the replacements along with
Larry FoytLarry Foyt is a semi-retired NASCAR driver and IRL driver. He is the grandson and adopted son of A. J. Foyt, and a cousin of A. J. Foyt IV. His biological mother is Terry Lynn Foyt, daughter of A. J. Foyt, who divorced his biological father Larry Gene Roberds when he was an infant. He also drove in...
. In his first attempt to qualify of the season at
LoudonNew Hampshire Motor Speedway is a oval speedway located in Loudon, New Hampshire which has hosted NASCAR racing annually since the early 1990s, as well as open wheel racing during the 1990s. The track was originally the site of Bryar Motorsports Park before being purchased and redeveloped by Bob...
, Chaffin made the race after
Brian VickersBrian Lee Vickers is an American NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver. Vickers was the 2003 Nationwide Series champion, and at age 20, the youngest champion in any of NASCAR's three top-tier series. He currently drives the #83 Red Bull Toyota Camry for the Red Bull Racing Team.-Early years:Vickers...
and the #83
Team Red BullRed Bull Racing Team, , is an auto racing team that races in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. The organization is owned by Red Bull owner Dietrich Mateschitz. Jay Frye is the general manager of the operation based in Mooresville, North Carolina...
Toyota were disqualified after failing post-qualifying inspection. In 2008, he will attempt to qualify the #34 Chevrolet for
Front Row MotorsportsFront Row Motorsports is team that competes on NASCAR Sprint Cup circuit. The team began running part-time in 2004 as Means-Jenkins Motorsports under a partnership with Jimmy Means and restaurant entrepreneur Bob Jenkins, with Jenkins becoming the full team owner in 2005. The team fields the #34...
in the
August Pocono raceThe 2008 Sunoco Red Cross Pennsylvania 500, the twenty-first race of the 2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup season and was held on August 3 of that year at Pocono Raceway in the village of Long Pond, Pennsylvania. ESPN carried the race beginning at 1 PM US EDT and MRN along with Sirius Satellite Radio had...
.
Busch Series
His NASCAR career began in a 1993
Busch SeriesThe NASCAR Nationwide Series is a stock car racing series owned and operated by the National Association of Stock Car Auto Racing. It is promoted as NASCAR's "minor league" circuit , and is a proving ground for drivers who wish to step up to the organization's "big league" circuit, the Sprint Cup...
race at
RockinghamRockingham Speedway, formerly North Carolina Motor Speedway and later North Carolina Speedway is a racetrack located in Rockingham, North Carolina...
. He drove three races in the #16 31-W Insulation Chevrolet with a best finish of 29th in his debut. In 1994, he would again turn to the #16 and had a best finish of 20th in seven races. During 1997 he ran one race in the #87
BellSouth MobilityBellSouth Mobility, LLC headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, was a BellSouth subsidiary.BellSouth Mobility operated wireless networks using many different wireless communication standards. The most widely used of these technologies is called Digital AMPS, or D-AMPS...
Chevrolet and posted a finish of 19th at
NashvilleNashville Superspeedway is a motor racing complex located in Gladeville, Tennessee , United States, about 30 miles east of Nashville. It is a concrete oval track 1 1/3 miles in length...
. Again in 1998 he would just run one race, this time in a family owned #84 Logan's Roadhouse Ford, where he would finish 28th. In 1999, Chaffin made nine starts, three with his family owned team and six with #77 Lear Corporation Ford featuring Tony Hall as the owner. He would have a best finish of 9th at
RichmondRichmond International Raceway is a 3/4-mile , D-shaped, asphalt race track located just outside Richmond, Virginia in Henrico County. It hosts the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and Nationwide Series. "America's Premier Short Track" also was formerly host to the Indy Racing League IndyCar Series...
. Chaffin made 18 starts in 2000, all except for one in the #77 Lear Corporation Ford. He would post his best finish again at
RichmondRichmond International Raceway is a 3/4-mile , D-shaped, asphalt race track located just outside Richmond, Virginia in Henrico County. It hosts the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and Nationwide Series. "America's Premier Short Track" also was formerly host to the Indy Racing League IndyCar Series...
with an 11th place. In 2001, he would drive for
Team Rensi MotorsportsRensi-Hamilton Racing is a NASCAR Busch Series team owned by Ed Rensi, Gary Weisbaum, Bobby Hamilton, Jr., and formerly Sam Rensi. The team has also competed in the Winston Cup Series, Craftsman Truck Series, and ARCA racing series...
and
Day Enterprise RacingDay Enterprises Racing is an active NASCAR Nationwide Series race team that currently fields the number 05 and 85 31-W insulation/Certain Teed entry on a weekly basis. The drivers of the car in the 2008 season were Burney Lamar, Brett Rowe, and Casey Atwood...
. Making 14 starts, he would have a best finish of 16th at
AtlantaAtlanta Motor Speedway is a track in Hampton, Georgia, twenty miles south of Atlanta. It is a 1.54-mile quad-oval track with a seating capacity of over 125,000. It opened in 1960 as a standard oval. In 1994, 46 condominiums were built over the northeastern side of the track...
. 2002 is Chaffin's most active year in the
Busch SeriesThe NASCAR Nationwide Series is a stock car racing series owned and operated by the National Association of Stock Car Auto Racing. It is promoted as NASCAR's "minor league" circuit , and is a proving ground for drivers who wish to step up to the organization's "big league" circuit, the Sprint Cup...
to date with 26 starts out of the 34 races. The majority of these starts came in the #16 31-W Insulation Chevrolet owned by
Day Enterprise RacingDay Enterprises Racing is an active NASCAR Nationwide Series race team that currently fields the number 05 and 85 31-W insulation/Certain Teed entry on a weekly basis. The drivers of the car in the 2008 season were Burney Lamar, Brett Rowe, and Casey Atwood...
. Although he struggled to finish many of the races because of mechanical failures he was able to achieve a best finish of 12th at
TalladegaTalladega Superspeedway is a motorsports complex located in Eastaboga, Alabama, United States. It was constructed in the 1960s in place of the abandoned Anniston Army Airfield by International Speedway Corporation, a business controlled by NASCAR's founding France family along with Daytona...
. Chad was absent from the series for two years before returning for a race in 2005. He finished 36th in his only start during that year. For the 2006 season Chaffin was expected to compete in up to 15 events for
Day Enterprise RacingDay Enterprises Racing is an active NASCAR Nationwide Series race team that currently fields the number 05 and 85 31-W insulation/Certain Teed entry on a weekly basis. The drivers of the car in the 2008 season were Burney Lamar, Brett Rowe, and Casey Atwood...
in the #05 31-W Insulation Chevrolet, but ended up only making 2 starts for the team, then returned later in the year to make a single start for Sadler Bros. Racing. He has one career Top 10 finish in over 80 starts.
Craftsman Truck Series
Chad first raced in the Craftsman Truck Series in 2000 with three different teams. He raced the #84 Romeo Guest Associates Ford owned by Long Brothers Racing to his best finish of the season a 3rd at
NashvilleNashville Superspeedway is a motor racing complex located in Gladeville, Tennessee , United States, about 30 miles east of Nashville. It is a concrete oval track 1 1/3 miles in length...
. He returned in 2001 and again raced with Long Brothers Racing and had a best finish of 4th. In 2002, he started only two races as well and was unable to finish either of them in a family owned car. For the next two years he drove the #18
DickiesWilliamson-Dickie, more commonly referred to as Dickies, is an American company headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas that manufactures and sells work-related clothing and other accessories, including back packs, steel-toe boots, and belts....
Dodge for
Bobby Hamilton RacingBobby Hamilton Racing-Virginia was a former NASCAR racing team. It was owned by four-time NEXTEL Cup winner and 2004 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series champion Bobby Hamilton until his death on January 7, 2007. Bobby Hamilton, Jr. was given ownership after the death of his father, but the younger...
and had two wins in 2004 (
Dover International SpeedwayDover International Speedway is a NASCAR-sanctioned race track located in Dover, Delaware, owned by, and serving as the corporate headquarters of, Dover Motorsports, Inc. It is co-located with a harness racing track, Dover Downs, and shares the complex with Dover Downs Hotel & Casino...
and Indianapolis Raceway Park). He finished a career best 10th in the final points standings in 2003 and 2004. In 2005, he drove for three different teams and competed in 21 of the 25 races. Chaffin began the season in the #30 Germain Racing Toyota and had a best finish of forth before bring replaced by
Todd BodineTodd Bodine is a NASCAR driver. Todd is the younger brother of former racers Geoff Bodine and Brett Bodine. Bodine is known for his reckless driving style and bald head, which has given him the nickname The Onion...
. Despite being replaced, Wyler Racing selected Chaffin as their driver and he ran 10 races with them placing 9th as his best finish.
Jack SpragueJack Sprague is a NASCAR Camping World Truck Series driver. He is currently a free agent. Sprague has finished in the top-ten in the points standings almost every year he has raced in the trucks, and won three championships in 1997, 1999, and 2001 while driving for Hendrick Motorsports.-...
then replaced Chaffin and he was left without a ride. He ran one final race in 2005 with #13 ThorSport Racing Chevrolet and finished 13th at
PhoenixPhoenix International Raceway, or just PIR, is a one mile tri-oval race track located in Avondale, Arizona. It opened in 1964, as the new home of major open-wheel racing in the Phoenix area, replacing the track at the Arizona State Fairgrounds as an automobile racing venue.-History:Due to a change...
. For 2006, he was scheduled to drive the #40 Chevrolet for
Key MotorsportsKey Motorsports is a NASCAR team owned by Curtis Key. The team currently fields the #40 Chevrolet driven by Scott Wimmer in the Nationwide Series and Mike Bliss in the Camping World Truck Series...
in the opening races of the season, but has since left to focus on his Nextel Cup team. Ryan Moore, a
Dale Earnhardt, Inc.Earnhardt Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates is a NASCAR team based in Concord, North Carolina, United States, owned by Dale Earnhardt's widow Teresa Earnhardt, Chip Ganassi, and Felix Sabates...
development driver, has replaced him as of Charlotte. Chaffin also made one start this season in the #02 Team Copaxone Chevrolet for Sutton Motorsports. It was announced on July 3rd that Chaffin would drive the #59 Harris Trucking Ford for
HT MotorsportsHT Motorsports is an American truck racing team from Martinsville, Virginia owned by trucking company owner Jim Harris. It currently fields the #24 Zachry Holdings Toyota Tundra for David Starr and the #25 Harris Trucking Company Toyota Tundra for Terry Cook in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck...
after
Steve ParkStephen Park is a professional race car driver. Park is currently racing in the #35 Waste Management Recycle America Monte Carlo in the NASCAR Camping World East Series 2009....
's departure. He has not attempted any Truck Series races in 2007. In his career, he has had 2 poles, 11 Top 5, and 26 Top 10 finishes in his first 81 starts. As of 2008 Chad is currently driving in the Truck Series in 2008 with his best finish of 17th at the O'Reilly Auto Parts 250 in 2008 and is currently 24th in drivers points.
ARCA career
Chaffin's only attempt in ARCA came in 2000 with his own Chaffin Motorsports. The #92 Upstate Helicopters Ford, which was a 97 Thunderbird, qualified third for Pro2Call 200 at
DaytonaDaytona International Speedway is a race track in Daytona Beach, Florida, United States. Since opening in 1959, it has been the home to the biggest and greatest race in all of NASCAR, "The Great American Race", the Daytona 500. Today the facility has a seating capacity of almost 168,000 spectators...
. He would exit the race after a transmission failure on lap 10, leaving him in the 40th position.
External links