Chad McCumbee
Encyclopedia
Chad McCumbee is an American
stock car driver. He currently drives the #1 ModSpace Ford Fusion
for Andy Belmont Racing
in the ARCA Racing Series and has run four full seasons in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. He is also known for his portrayal of Dale Earnhardt, Jr.
in 3: The Dale Earnhardt Story
.
Dirt Series events, all which he accomplished in the five-year span from 1995–2000. He was also Allison Legacy Series National and Regional championship along with Rookie of the Year in his very first full season in the series in 2001. He also won the 2002 national title becoming the first and so far only 2-time champion of the series. In 2003, he started late model racing at Myrtle Beach Speedway
, and became the youngest rookie winner at the track.
McCumbee made his ARCA RE/MAX Series
in 2004 at Michigan International Speedway
for Hillenburg, but wrecked the #10 Fast Track Driving School Chevy after 21 laps and finished 37th. He finished fourth in the point standings in 2005, his first full year of competition, continuing to drive for Hillenburg, winning one pole and gathering ten top-ten finishes.
for MRD Motorsports
. After failing to qualify for the season opening event at Daytona International Speedway
, he had two consecutive top-fifteen finishes before MRD closed, moving him to the #08 Green Light Racing
Chevy owned by Bobby Dotter
. He finished 9th in his first race with the team at Texas Motor Speedway
, and split time in the next five races between Green Light's #07 and #08 entries with occasional sponsorship from U.S. Restoration, before moving to the #08 permanently with Garmin
/The GPS Store as sponsor. He had two seventh-place finishes through the year and finished seventeenth in season points. During the season, he briefly was a member of Chevrolet
's driver development program
, but his contract was not renewed at the end of the season.
McCumbee drove first 15 Craftsmen Truck
races in the 2007 season for Green Light Racing. his best finish with Green Light was 13th twice at Daytona
and Dover
. On August 14, he left Green Light Racing, and on the 20th announced he would drive for MRD Motorsports
replacing Blake Bjorklund
with The GPS Store and Garmin coming with him to sponsor the #8. With The #8 team, he scored his first top ten of the year at Las Vegas. McCumbee took the truck to a near upset victory at Texas
before spinning his tires on a restart which lead to being wrecked while leading with two laps to go and he finished 13th. On May 2, 2007, Petty Enterprises
announced McCumbee would make his NEXTEL Cup
debut, filling in for Kyle Petty
while he was in the TNT
broadcast booth, for one race at Pocono on June 10, 2007 in the Pocono 500
. Goody's Cool Orange Headache Powders
sponsored the car, and McCumbee finished 25th in that race. Petty tabbed him again for Michigan in the 3M Performance 400
because of Petty's broken hand. Clutch problems after a spin and forced the team behind the wall for more than fifty laps resulting in a 41st place finish. He also won his first two ARCA races, at Nashville Superspeedway
and Pocono Raceway
respectively, driving for Andy Belmont
.
McCumbee started the 2008 season with a 7th at Daytona, and had a then career-best finish of 5th at Atlanta, before picking up his career best finish of 2nd place at Charlotte in the Malcomson Construction truck. He ended the season 11th in the points standings. He also continued to run part-time for Petty's #45 entry with Marathon American Spirit Motor Oil
sponsoring, making a total of six starts but failing to qualify on three occasions. His best finish was 17th at Pocono. He was the top choice for Kyle Petty's replacement in the 45, and signed a contract to drive for Petty full-time in 2009. A deal was made to merge Gillett Evernham Motorsports and Petty Enterprises which formed Richard Petty Motorsports, and as a result, McCumbee lost his Sprint Cup ride.
For the 2009 Camping World Truck Series Season, McCumbee rejoined SS-Green Light Racing to be driver of the #07 Chevy with sponsorship from ASI Limited and The GPS Store. He had two top-ten finishes early in the season, and despite funding from Tiwi and Valvoline, he was replaced for four races during the season by other drivers bringing funding, and fell to nineteenth in points. He reunited with Hillenburg to drive the #49 Fast Track Racing truck for two races in 2010. In April 2010, McCumbee made his NASCAR Nationwide Series debut at Texas Motor Speedway
. Driving the #09 Ford for RAB Racing
, he finished 31st after starting 20th. Also in April, it was announced that McCumbee had signed with Andy Belmont
to run the remainder of the 2010 ARCA Remax Series season in the #1 Ford. For the Pocono race on June 6,Chad will drive the #64 Gunselman Motorsports
Toyota
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
stock car driver. He currently drives the #1 ModSpace Ford Fusion
Ford Fusion
Ford Fusion is a name used on two different models of cars from the Ford Motor Company.* Ford Fusion * Ford Fusion / Ford Fusion Hybrid...
for Andy Belmont Racing
Andy Belmont
Andy Belmont is a retired stock car driver and team owner. Belmont began racing at an early age before moving south. In 1987, he was named the NASCAR Dash Series Rookie of the Year, then he won the championship the next year as a car owner. Andy posted three wins in the DASH Series...
in the ARCA Racing Series and has run four full seasons in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. He is also known for his portrayal of Dale Earnhardt, Jr.
Dale Earnhardt, Jr.
* NOTE: References to "Earnhardt", "he", and "him" refer to the subject of this article, unless otherwise specified. References to his father will include "Sr."...
in 3: The Dale Earnhardt Story
3: The Dale Earnhardt Story
3: The Dale Earnhardt Story is a 2004 television movie produced by ESPN documenting the life of NASCAR driver Dale Earnhardt, his poor upbringing in Kannapolis, North Carolina, his rise to dominance in NASCAR, his relationship with his son, Dale Earnhardt, Jr., and his death in the 2001 Daytona 500...
.
Early career
McCumbee began his career racing go-carts at the age of ten. He has more than 100 victories in local, regional and national World Karting AssociationWorld Karting Association
The World Karting Association, or WKA, is the largest sanctioning body for kart racing racing in North America. The WKA was founded in 1971 and is located directly behind Charlotte Motor Speedway in Concord, North Carolina. The WKA is believed to currently have approximately 5,000 members...
Dirt Series events, all which he accomplished in the five-year span from 1995–2000. He was also Allison Legacy Series National and Regional championship along with Rookie of the Year in his very first full season in the series in 2001. He also won the 2002 national title becoming the first and so far only 2-time champion of the series. In 2003, he started late model racing at Myrtle Beach Speedway
Myrtle Beach Speedway
The Myrtle Beach Speedway, originally named Rambi Raceway, was built in 1958 and is located on U.S. Route 501 near Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.The speedway is a semi-banked asphaltic oval track that spans...
, and became the youngest rookie winner at the track.
McCumbee made his ARCA RE/MAX Series
ARCA RE/MAX Series
-History:The series started as a local touring group. Led by John Marcum, the Midwest Association for Race Cars was formed with drivers like Iggy Katona and Nelson Stacy being early drivers.The series became a part of the Daytona Speedweeks in 1964...
in 2004 at Michigan International Speedway
Michigan International Speedway
Michigan International Speedway is a two-mile moderate-banked D-shaped superspeedway located off U.S. Highway 12 on more than in Brooklyn, in the scenic Irish Hills area of southeastern Michigan. The track is used primarily for NASCAR events. It is sometimes known as a "sister track" to Texas...
for Hillenburg, but wrecked the #10 Fast Track Driving School Chevy after 21 laps and finished 37th. He finished fourth in the point standings in 2005, his first full year of competition, continuing to drive for Hillenburg, winning one pole and gathering ten top-ten finishes.
NASCAR
McCumbee moved to the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series in 2006, initially as driver of the #06 Chevrolet SilveradoChevrolet Silverado
The Chevrolet Silverado , is the latest line of full-size pickup trucks from General Motors.-History:...
for MRD Motorsports
MRD Motorsports
MRD Motorsports is an American NASCAR team. The team is owned by Dave Malcolmson but has been inactive as of 2009.Malcolmson originally started the team in the Allison Legacy Series as a driver before retiring as an owner. Malcolmson would debut his team in the Goody's Dash Series before moving up...
. After failing to qualify for the season opening event at Daytona International Speedway
Daytona International Speedway
Daytona International Speedway is a race track in Daytona Beach, Florida, United States. Since opening in 1959, it has been the home of the Daytona 500, one of the most prestigious races in NASCAR. In addition to NASCAR, the track also hosts races of ARCA, AMA Superbike, Grand-Am and Motocross...
, he had two consecutive top-fifteen finishes before MRD closed, moving him to the #08 Green Light Racing
Green Light Racing
SS-Green Light Racing is a NASCAR Camping World Truck Series team. Owned and operated by businessmen Ken Smith and Steve Urvan and former driver Bobby Dotter, the team fields the #07 Toyota Tundra for several drivers and the #81 Zachry Industrial, Inc. Toyota for David Starr...
Chevy owned by Bobby Dotter
Bobby Dotter
Bobby Dotter is a racing car driver from Chicago, Illinois. His father, Bob Dotter, is a three-time champion the Auto Racing Club of America. Dotter has made 209 starts in the NASCAR Busch Series, posting 42 top-tens and four poles. In 2000, Dotter began running in the NASCAR West Series for Gene...
. He finished 9th in his first race with the team at Texas Motor Speedway
Texas Motor Speedway
Texas Motor Speedway is a speedway located in the northernmost portion of the U.S. city of Fort Worth, Texas – the portion located in Denton County, Texas....
, and split time in the next five races between Green Light's #07 and #08 entries with occasional sponsorship from U.S. Restoration, before moving to the #08 permanently with Garmin
Garmin
Garmin Ltd. , incorporated in Schaffhausen, Switzerland, is the parent company of a group of companies founded in 1989 by Gary Burrell and Min Kao , that develops consumer, aviation, and marine technologies for the Global Positioning System...
/The GPS Store as sponsor. He had two seventh-place finishes through the year and finished seventeenth in season points. During the season, he briefly was a member of Chevrolet
Chevrolet
Chevrolet , also known as Chevy , is a brand of vehicle produced by General Motors Company . Founded by Louis Chevrolet and ousted GM founder William C. Durant on November 3, 1911, General Motors acquired Chevrolet in 1918...
's driver development program
Driver development program
A Driver development program is a program used by racing teams to develop younger drivers. It is widely used in both Formula One and NASCAR, usually consisting of a team signing a driver to a multi-year contract in which they run in minor-league racing divisions A Driver development program is a...
, but his contract was not renewed at the end of the season.
McCumbee drove first 15 Craftsmen Truck
Craftsman Truck Series
The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series is a pickup truck racing series owned and operated by the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing...
races in the 2007 season for Green Light Racing. his best finish with Green Light was 13th twice at Daytona
Daytona International Speedway
Daytona International Speedway is a race track in Daytona Beach, Florida, United States. Since opening in 1959, it has been the home of the Daytona 500, one of the most prestigious races in NASCAR. In addition to NASCAR, the track also hosts races of ARCA, AMA Superbike, Grand-Am and Motocross...
and Dover
Dover International Speedway
Dover 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...
. On August 14, he left Green Light Racing, and on the 20th announced he would drive for MRD Motorsports
MRD Motorsports
MRD Motorsports is an American NASCAR team. The team is owned by Dave Malcolmson but has been inactive as of 2009.Malcolmson originally started the team in the Allison Legacy Series as a driver before retiring as an owner. Malcolmson would debut his team in the Goody's Dash Series before moving up...
replacing Blake Bjorklund
Blake Bjorklund
Blake Bjorklund is an American stock car racer. His parents are Craig and Diane Bjorklund. In addition to racing stock cars, he has also raced snowmobiles...
with The GPS Store and Garmin coming with him to sponsor the #8. With The #8 team, he scored his first top ten of the year at Las Vegas. McCumbee took the truck to a near upset victory at Texas
Silverado 350K
The WinStar World Casino 350K is a NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race that takes place at Texas Motor Speedway. The 1999 race was 300 kilometers and the 2000 race was 400 kilometers. Starting in 2001, the race is now 350 kilometers. From 2001 through 2004, the races were 146 laps...
before spinning his tires on a restart which lead to being wrecked while leading with two laps to go and he finished 13th. On May 2, 2007, Petty Enterprises
Petty Enterprises
Petty Enterprises was a NASCAR racing team based in Randleman, North Carolina, USA. The team was owned by Richard Petty, his son Kyle Petty, and Boston Ventures. At the time of its folding the team operated the #43 and #45 Dodge Chargers in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. Petty Enterprises ran from...
announced McCumbee would make his NEXTEL Cup
NEXTEL Cup
The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series is the top racing series of the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing . The series was originally known as the Strictly Stock Series and Grand National Series . While leasing its naming rights to R. J...
debut, filling in for Kyle Petty
Kyle Petty
Kyle Eugene Petty is a former American NASCAR driver and is currently a co-host for NASCAR RaceDay and panel member for NASCAR Smarts which are both on SPEED. He also commentates for TNT in the summer. He is the son of racer Richard Petty, grandson of racer Lee Petty, and father of the late Adam...
while he was in the TNT
Turner Network Television
Turner Network Television is an American cable television channel created by media mogul Ted Turner and currently owned by the Turner Broadcasting System division of Time Warner...
broadcast booth, for one race at Pocono on June 10, 2007 in the Pocono 500
Pocono 500
The 5-hour Energy 500 is the first of two stock car races held at the Pocono Raceway in Long Pond, Pennsylvania, on the NASCAR Sprint Cup schedule in mid-June, the other being the Pennsylvania 500, usually held in early August. The Pocono 500 replaced a 400-mile race at Texas World Speedway on...
. Goody's Cool Orange Headache Powders
Goody's Powder
Goody's Powder is an over-the-counter pain reliever, in powder form, marketed and sold by GlaxoSmithKline Pharmaceuticals. Goody's contains aspirin, caffeine, and acetaminophen, in a formula similar to Excedrin, a product of Novartis. The formulation of "Goody's Extra Strength Headache Powders" is...
sponsored the car, and McCumbee finished 25th in that race. Petty tabbed him again for Michigan in the 3M Performance 400
2007 3M Performance 400
The 2007 3M Performance 400 is the 23rd race in the 2007 NASCAR season and was scheduled to be held on Sunday, August 19, 2007 at the Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn, Michigan...
because of Petty's broken hand. Clutch problems after a spin and forced the team behind the wall for more than fifty laps resulting in a 41st place finish. He also won his first two ARCA races, at Nashville Superspeedway
Nashville Superspeedway
Nashville Superspeedway is a motor racing complex located in Gladeville, Tennessee , United States, about 30 miles southeast of Nashville. On August 2, 2011, it was announced that Nashville Superspeedway will not host any NASCAR events in 2012. It is a concrete oval track 1 1/3 miles in...
and Pocono Raceway
Pocono Raceway
Pocono Raceway also known as the Tricky Triangle, is a superspeedway located in the Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania at Long Pond...
respectively, driving for Andy Belmont
Andy Belmont
Andy Belmont is a retired stock car driver and team owner. Belmont began racing at an early age before moving south. In 1987, he was named the NASCAR Dash Series Rookie of the Year, then he won the championship the next year as a car owner. Andy posted three wins in the DASH Series...
.
McCumbee started the 2008 season with a 7th at Daytona, and had a then career-best finish of 5th at Atlanta, before picking up his career best finish of 2nd place at Charlotte in the Malcomson Construction truck. He ended the season 11th in the points standings. He also continued to run part-time for Petty's #45 entry with Marathon American Spirit Motor Oil
Marathon Oil
Marathon Oil Corporation is a United States-based oil and natural gas exploration and production company. Principal exploration activities are in the United States, Norway, Equatorial Guinea, Angola and Canada. Principal development activities are in the United States, the United Kingdom, Norway,...
sponsoring, making a total of six starts but failing to qualify on three occasions. His best finish was 17th at Pocono. He was the top choice for Kyle Petty's replacement in the 45, and signed a contract to drive for Petty full-time in 2009. A deal was made to merge Gillett Evernham Motorsports and Petty Enterprises which formed Richard Petty Motorsports, and as a result, McCumbee lost his Sprint Cup ride.
For the 2009 Camping World Truck Series Season, McCumbee rejoined SS-Green Light Racing to be driver of the #07 Chevy with sponsorship from ASI Limited and The GPS Store. He had two top-ten finishes early in the season, and despite funding from Tiwi and Valvoline, he was replaced for four races during the season by other drivers bringing funding, and fell to nineteenth in points. He reunited with Hillenburg to drive the #49 Fast Track Racing truck for two races in 2010. In April 2010, McCumbee made his NASCAR Nationwide Series debut at Texas Motor Speedway
Texas Motor Speedway
Texas Motor Speedway is a speedway located in the northernmost portion of the U.S. city of Fort Worth, Texas – the portion located in Denton County, Texas....
. Driving the #09 Ford for RAB Racing
RAB Racing
RAB Racing with Brack Maggard is a team the competes in the NASCAR Nationwide Series and formerly the ARCA RE/MAX Series. It is co-owned by former NASCAR driver Robert A. Benton Sr. and his son Robert Jr. along with Georgia businessman and Southern Pan Services founder Brack Maggard and was founded...
, he finished 31st after starting 20th. Also in April, it was announced that McCumbee had signed with Andy Belmont
Andy Belmont
Andy Belmont is a retired stock car driver and team owner. Belmont began racing at an early age before moving south. In 1987, he was named the NASCAR Dash Series Rookie of the Year, then he won the championship the next year as a car owner. Andy posted three wins in the DASH Series...
to run the remainder of the 2010 ARCA Remax Series season in the #1 Ford. For the Pocono race on June 6,Chad will drive the #64 Gunselman Motorsports
Gunselman Motorsports
Max Q Motorsports is a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series team owned by former driver Larry Gunselman. The team currently fields the #37 Ford Fusion.-History:...
Toyota