[media-credit name=”Greg Arthur” align=”alignright” width=”300″]
[/media-credit]After subbing for Dale Earnhardt Jr. for two Sprint Cup Series races, Regan Smith has been signed by JR Motorsports to drive the No. 5 Chevrolet in the Nationwide Series for the full 2013 schedule. Smith will make his JRM debut this year, running the season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway on November 17 as a teammate to Cole Whitt and Danica Patrick.
“This is an extremely good opportunity for me,” Smith said in the team release. “Dale Jr. and I first started talking about this several years ago, but the timing never matched up to where we could make it happen. Now it’s time. I’m happy to be a part of this organization. I don’t want to just win races. I want to be the team that dominates races and contends for the championship.”
This will mark the first season for Smith in the Nationwide Series since 2007, when he scored three top-fives and five top 10s. The 29-year-old has competed in all levels of NASCAR competition, winning the Sprint Cup Series Rookie of the Year Award in 2008 and winning the Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway in 2011 driving for Furniture Row Racing. His latest Sprint Cup Series race, this past weekend at Kansas, he finished seventh after starting 40th.
“Regan has always impressed me,” Dale Earnhardt Jr. said. “He gets the most of his car, no matter what he’s driving or who he’s driving for. He takes care of his cars and gets good finishes. With his experience and ability, we feel he can excel in our equipment. He has a super personality, and his ability to work with everyone here at JR Motorsports and Hendrick Motorsports will be important in getting us back to the winner’s circle.”
Smith was called to run the No. 88 Sprint Cup Series car for Hendrick Motorsports for Charlotte and Kansas after Earnhardt Jr. sat out those races due to suffering a pair of concussions.
“It has been a whirlwind couple of weeks for me, but it’s been great,” Smith said. “Filling in for Dale Jr. was an honor, and it got me acclimated to the Hendrick Motorsports group, which obviously JR Motorsports works with hand in hand. I was glad to fill in for Dale Jr., and I’m happy that he’s back in his race car this week at Martinsville.”
JR Motorsports General Manager Kelley Earnhardt-Miller added that Smith is the only driver slated to run a full season in 2012. The team is hoping to run a second driver full-time in the No. 7, with Earnhardt Jr. competing in select Nationwide Series races in the No. 88.
“We feel it is important for our sponsors, our fans, and even Dale to keep his Nationwide Series number consistent with his Cup number,” Earnhardt Miller said. “His brand is associated with the No. 88. That’s what makes him distinguishable on the race track, so it’s only natural that he drives the No. 88 all the time. To do that, we are making our No. 5 Chevrolet our full-time entry. We hope to have Cole in the No. 7 full time in 2013, and we are working hard on securing sponsorship for that.”
