Larry Gunselman
Encyclopedia
Larry Gunselman is an American
former race car driver. He has made a total over 100 starts and over 2 million in earnings in all three of NASCAR's top divisions. He is the owner of Gunselman Motorsports
, which fields the #64 Toyota in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.
Gunselman began racing in various West Coast series before moving to the Winston West Series, where he won the Most Popular Driver award in 1996. That same year, he made his NASCAR debut in the Winston Cup Series at Sonoma
. He qualified 43rd and finished 36th in the #35 Race Stuff/Olson Technology Ford Thunderbird
. He would qualify the next year, picking up sponsorship from Caterpillar, Inc. after David Green
's entry failed to qualify. Gunselman attempted two races in Cup in 1998 in the #37 and #58 cars, but failed to qualify for both of them.
He would return to competition in 2000 driving for Brevak Racing in the Craftsman Truck Series
. He crashed out of his debut at Cicero, and had two twenty-sixth place finishes in the next two races. In 2001, he joined MB Motorsports
and picked up sponsorship from Waterloo Tool Storage. He drove seventeen races that season with a best finish of 16th at Kansas Speedway
, as well as including an additional start at Texas Motor Speedway
for Troxell Racing. He started out 2002 with MB, but was released after three starts. After making a few Busch Series starts for Brian Weber, Gunselman hooked up with DF2 Motorsports and ran fourteen races with the team, his best finish a 16th at Talladega Superspeedway
. He would move to Day Enterprise Racing the following season, and qualified for every race. He had an eighteenth place finish at Talladega and finished 21st in points at season's end.
Gunselman began 2004 by running the first two races of the season for MacDonald Motorsports
, but remained out of racing until the middle of the year, when he ran five races for Mach 1 Racing
in the Lucas Oil
Ford Taurus
, where he failed to finish higher than 33rd. He attempted to qualify for the 2005
and 2006 Daytona 500
for Ware Racing Enterprises
, but did not make either race. After spending 2007 out of the sport, he returned to the Nationwide Series in 2008 when he was hired as the driver of the #91 Chevy for MSRP Motorsports
, but was released after ten races. Shortly afterwards, he was hired by Derrike Cope
to drive his #74 Dodge Ram
in the Truck Series, and later by Johnny Davis to drive the #0 Chevrolet Monte Carlo
in the Nationwide Series. Following the season, he formed Gunselman Motorsports
, which fielded the start-and-park #64 Toyota Camry
in the Sprint Cup Series for parts of three seasons. After the 2011 Daytona 500, Gunsleman partnered with Front Row Motorsports
to manage the #37 and # 64 teams he owns.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
former race car driver. He has made a total over 100 starts and over 2 million in earnings in all three of NASCAR's top divisions. He is the owner of 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:...
, which fields the #64 Toyota in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.
Gunselman began racing in various West Coast series before moving to the Winston West Series, where he won the Most Popular Driver award in 1996. That same year, he made his NASCAR debut in the Winston Cup Series at Sonoma
Infineon Raceway
Infineon Raceway, formerly Sears Point Raceway, is a road course and drag strip located on the landform known as Sears Point in the southern Sonoma Mountains near Sonoma, California, USA. The course is a complex series of twists and turns that go up and down the hills...
. He qualified 43rd and finished 36th in the #35 Race Stuff/Olson Technology Ford Thunderbird
Ford Thunderbird
The Thunderbird , is an automobile manufactured by the Ford Motor Company in the United States over eleven model generations from 1955 through 2005...
. He would qualify the next year, picking up sponsorship from Caterpillar, Inc. after David Green
David Green (NASCAR)
David A. Green is a NASCAR driver. He won the Nationwide Series championship in 1994. His two younger brothers, Jeff and Mark have also competed in the NASCAR circuit...
's entry failed to qualify. Gunselman attempted two races in Cup in 1998 in the #37 and #58 cars, but failed to qualify for both of them.
He would return to competition in 2000 driving for Brevak Racing in the Craftsman Truck Series
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...
. He crashed out of his debut at Cicero, and had two twenty-sixth place finishes in the next two races. In 2001, he joined MB Motorsports
MB Motorsports
MB Motorsports is a NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series team based in Foristell, Missouri owned by Mike Mittler. The team is one of few to field entries every year since the Series' inception in 1995...
and picked up sponsorship from Waterloo Tool Storage. He drove seventeen races that season with a best finish of 16th at Kansas Speedway
Kansas Speedway
Kansas Speedway is a tri-oval race track in Kansas City, Kansas. The speedway was built in 2001 and currently hosts two annual NASCAR race weekends. The IndyCar Series also raced at the speedway until 2011...
, as well as including an additional start 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....
for Troxell Racing. He started out 2002 with MB, but was released after three starts. After making a few Busch Series starts for Brian Weber, Gunselman hooked up with DF2 Motorsports and ran fourteen races with the team, his best finish a 16th at Talladega Superspeedway
Talladega Superspeedway
Talladega Superspeedway is a motorsports complex located north of Talladega, Alabama, United States. It is located on the former Anniston Air Force Base just outside the small city of Lincoln. It was constructed by International Speedway Corporation, a business controlled by the France Family, in...
. He would move to Day Enterprise Racing the following season, and qualified for every race. He had an eighteenth place finish at Talladega and finished 21st in points at season's end.
Gunselman began 2004 by running the first two races of the season for MacDonald Motorsports
MacDonald Motorsports
MacDonald Motorsports is a NASCAR team owned by former driver Randy MacDonald and his wife Pat. They field the #81 Eagle Convenience Stores/Heartland Harley Davidson Dodge Challenger for Donnie Neuenberger, Scott Wimmer and rookie Blake Koch in the NASCAR Nationwide Series...
, but remained out of racing until the middle of the year, when he ran five races for Mach 1 Racing
Front Row Motorsports
Front Row Motorsports is a team that competes in the NASCAR Sprint Cup. 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...
in the Lucas Oil
Lucas Oil
Lucas Oil Products is a manufacturer and distributor of automotive oil, additives, and lubricants. It was founded by trucker Forrest Lucas and his wife Charlotte in 1989....
Ford Taurus
Ford Taurus
The Ford Taurus is an automobile manufactured by the Ford Motor Company in the United States. Originally introduced in the 1986 model year, it has remained in near-continuous production for more than two decades, making it the fourth oldest nameplate that is currently sold in the North American...
, where he failed to finish higher than 33rd. He attempted to qualify for the 2005
2005 Daytona 500
The 2005 Daytona 500 was held on February 20 at the Daytona International Speedway. The Grand Marshal was Matthew McConaughey. Dale Jarrett started on pole, but lost the first lap to Jimmie Johnson, and fell back down the field after a small bump from behind from Dale Earnhardt Jr.The first caution...
and 2006 Daytona 500
2006 Daytona 500
The 2006 Daytona 500 was the first race in the 2006 NASCAR Nextel Cup season. It took place on February 19, 2006 at Daytona International Speedway.-Qualifying and Gatorade Duels:...
for Ware Racing Enterprises
Ware Racing Enterprises
Rick Ware Racing the self-proclaimed "Biggest Little Team in Motorsports" has competed in every NASCAR sanctioned series, ARCA Series, the WMA Motocross Series, AMA Arenacross, Motocross and Supercross Series, Summer X-Games and Rolex Grand-Am Series since 2008 and is owned by former driver Rick...
, but did not make either race. After spending 2007 out of the sport, he returned to the Nationwide Series in 2008 when he was hired as the driver of the #91 Chevy for MSRP Motorsports
MSRP Motorsports
HP Racing, formerly named MSRP Motorsports and later Prism Motorsports, is a NASCAR team competing in the Sprint Cup Series and the Nationwide Series. It is owned by former NASCAR driver Phil Parsons and Randy Humphrey, along with their wives Stacey and Marcia...
, but was released after ten races. Shortly afterwards, he was hired by Derrike Cope
Derrike Cope
Derrike Cope is a NASCAR driver. He is best known for his win in the 1990 Daytona 500. He currently drives the #28 Chevrolet for Jay Robinson Racing in the Nationwide Series and the #75 Chevrolet/Dodge for his own team in the Sprint Cup Series.-Early years:Cope was born in San Diego, California...
to drive his #74 Dodge Ram
Dodge Ram
The Dodge Ram is a full-size pickup truck manufactured by the Chrysler Group LLC. As of late 2010, it has been sold under the Ram Trucks brand. Previously, Ram was part of the Dodge lineup of light trucks...
in the Truck Series, and later by Johnny Davis to drive the #0 Chevrolet Monte Carlo
Chevrolet Monte Carlo
The Chevrolet Monte Carlo was an American-made two-door coupe introduced for model year 1970, and manufactured over six generations through model year 2007. It was marketed as a personal-luxury coupe through most of its history, with the last model version being classified as a full-sized coupe...
in the Nationwide Series. Following the season, he formed 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:...
, which fielded the start-and-park #64 Toyota Camry
Toyota Camry
The Toyota Camry is a series of mid-size automobiles manufactured by Toyota since 1982, and sold in the majority of automotive markets throughout the world...
in the Sprint Cup Series for parts of three seasons. After the 2011 Daytona 500, Gunsleman partnered with Front Row Motorsports
Front Row Motorsports
Front Row Motorsports is a team that competes in the NASCAR Sprint Cup. 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...
to manage the #37 and # 64 teams he owns.