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Innovative Motorsports

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Innovative Motorsports
Owner(s)George DeBidart
BaseCharlotte, North Carolina
SeriesWinston Cup, Busch Series, Craftsman Truck Series
Race driversAndy Santerre, Mike McLaughlin, Chad Little, Kenny Wallace, Shane Hmiel, Robert Huffman, Hank Parker Jr.
SponsorsLittle Trees, Gould Pumps, Mike's Hard Lemonade, Toyota Tundra
ManufacturerChevrolet, Toyota
Opened1998
Closed2005
Career
Drivers' Championships0
Race victories2

Innovative Motorsports (IMI)[1] is a former NASCAR team. It was owned by George DeBidart and began racing in the Busch North Series in the mid-1990s, before moving to the Busch Series in 1998.

Winston Cup

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Innovative ran four Cup races during its tenure. Using the No. 98 Chevy purchased from Michael Waltrip Racing, Kenny Wallace ran the Pepsi 400, the Tropicana 400, the Brickyard 400, and the Sirius at the Glen. His best finish was 29th.

Car No. 98 results

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Innovative Motorsports No. 98
NASCAR Winston Cup Series results
Year Driver No. Make 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 NWCC Pts
2002 Kenny Wallace 98 Chevy DAY CAR LVS ATL DAR BRI TEX MAR TAL CAL RCH CLT DOV POC MCH SON DAY
42
CHI
29
NHA POC IND
32
GLN
36
MCH BRI DAR RCH NHA DOV KAN TAL CLT MAR ATL CAR PHO HOM 54th 240

Busch Series

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Car No. 47 history

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Innovative debuted on the Busch Circuit at the 1998 NAPA Auto Parts 300. Andy Santerre was the driver of the car, the No. 47 Monro Muffler and Brake Chevrolet Monte Carlo, and finished 25th. Santerre was the driver for the whole season, grabbing two top-tens, a pole at Richmond, and NASCAR Busch Series Rookie of the Year honors. The next season, Santerre suffered a broken leg in a crash at Daytona, and missed half of the year. Elliott Sadler filled in for him, posting two top-ten finishes. Santerre returned and won his first career race at Pikes Peak International Raceway. Santerre struggled making the field, and was released. Hermie Sadler finished the year, his best finish a 22nd at Phoenix.

Sadler took over the car full-time in 2000, as it was renumbered the No. 30 and receiving sponsorship from Little Trees. Sadler struggled making races as well, and would soon be released. Chad Little replaced him, but when his performance didn't improve over Sadler's, Sadler came back to finish the year, and posted a seventh-place run at Pikes Peak.

After the team did not run in 2001, it returned in 2002 as the No. 47 with rookie Shane Hmiel driving with sponsorship from Mike's Hard Lemonade. Hmiel had two poles, eight top-tens and a sixteenth-place points finish, finishing behind Scott Riggs and Johnny Sauter for Rookie of the Year. The team closed after that.

Car No. 47 results

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Innovative Motorsports No. 47
NASCAR Busch Series results
Year Driver No. Make 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 Owners Pts
1998 Andy Santerre 47 Chevy DAY
25
CAR
25
LVS
26
NSV
16
DAR
37
BRI
11
TEX
19
HCY
29
TAL
38
NHA
17
NZH
34
CLT
DNQ
DOV
37
RCH
43
PPR
22
GLN
12
MLW
23
MYB
13
CAL
34
SBO
15
IRP
29
MCH
36
BRI
16
DAR
20
RCH
10
DOV
38
CLT
DNQ
GTY
4
CAR
23
ATL
21
HOM
40
26th 2609
1999 DAY
42
DOV
DNQ
SBO
DNQ
GLN
30
MLW
13
MYB
DNQ
PPR
1
GTY
19
IRP
35
BRI
13
DAR
DNQ
31st 2238
Mike Swaim Jr. CAR
40
Elliott Sadler LVS
7
ATL
42
DAR
35
TEX
42
NSV
16
BRI
DNQ
TAL CAL
5
NHA
15
RCH
35
NZH
12
CLT
28
Ricky Craven MCH
DNQ
Ward Burton RCH
32
Hermie Sadler DOV
42
CLT
DNQ
CAR
DNQ
MEM
23
PHO
22
HOM
30
2000 30 DAY
14
CAR
20
LVS
DNQ
ATL
DNQ
DAR
41
BRI
DNQ
MLW
17
NZH
11
PPR
7
GTY
27
IRP
17
MCH
36
DAR
31
DOV
27
CAR
24
MEM
23
PHO
30
HOM
42
34th 2256
Chad Little TEX
DNQ
TAL
DNQ
CAL
12
RCH
DNQ
CLT
31
DOV
DNQ
Philip Morris NSV
DNQ
SBO
28
MYB
36
BRI
40
RCH
42
CLT
32
Mike Olsen NHA
26
Butch Leitzinger GLN
2
2002 Shane Hmiel 47 Pontiac DAY
5
TAL
21
DAY
34
21st 3416
Chevy CAR
36
LVS
42
DAR
19
BRI
10
TEX
26
NSH
19
CAL
23
RCH
21
NHA
4
NZH
19
CLT
31
DOV
33
NSH
9
KEN
19
MLW
6
CHI
23
GTY
26
PPR
24
IRP
39
MCH
25
BRI
24
DAR
29
RCH
28
DOV
10
KAN
14
CLT
10
MEM
11
ATL
20
CAR
8
PHO
41
HOM
16
2003 Regan Smith DAY CAR LVS DAR BRI TEX TAL NSH CAL RCH GTY NZH CLT DOV NSH KEN MLW DAY CHI NHA PPR
40
IRP MCH BRI DAR RCH DOV KAN CLT MEM ATL PHO CAR HOM 121st 0

Car No. 48 history

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The second Innovative car made its debut in 2000 at Daytona with Mike McLaughlin, sponsored by Goulds Pumps. He wrecked and finished 26th. McLaughlin struggled through the course of the season, and had six top-tens en route to a 24th-place points finish. Just before the 2001 season, McLaughlin quit the team for Joe Gibbs Racing, and was replaced by Kenny Wallace. Wallace had two poles as well as a victory in North Carolina Speedway, finishing 10th in points. After Stacker 2 came on as a sponsor, Wallace improved to seventh in points in 2002 and had thirteen top-tens, but did not win. After the No. 47 team closed its doors, Hmiel moved to the 48 and had ten top-tens and was in eighth in points, when he was suspended by NASCAR for violating its drug policy. Jeff Green, Todd Bodine, Carlos Contreras, Randy LaJoie, and Kerry Earnhardt finished out the year for the team.

Car No. 48 results

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Innovative Motorsports No. 48
NASCAR Busch Series results
Year Driver No. Make 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 Owners Pts Ref
2000 Mike McLaughlin 48 Chevy DAY
26
CAR
15
LVS
43
ATL
21
DAR
33
BRI
42
TEX
40
NSV
2
TAL
14
CAL
41
RCH
25
NHA
33
CLT
32
DOV
10
SBO
24
MYB
30
GLN
5
MLW
28
NZH
34
PPR
8
GTY
36
IRP
34
MCH
5
BRI
28
RCH
30
DOV
34
CLT
39
CAR
16
MEM
24
PHO
15
HOM
31
23rd 2845
Ward Burton DAR
5
2001 Kenny Wallace DAY
8
CAR
4
LVS
24
ATL
19
DAR
4
BRI
5
TEX
43
NSH
36
TAL
10
CAL
38
RCH
8
NHA
5
NZH
32
CLT
30
DOV
12
KEN
35
MLW
16
GLN
11
CHI
14
GTY
6
PPR
9
IRP
11
MCH
22
BRI
3
DAR
18
RCH
23
DOV
2
KAN
25
CLT
32
MEM
21
PHO
10
CAR
1
HOM
25
12th 3799 [2]
2002 DAY
10
CAR
12
LVS
8
DAR
5
BRI
6
TEX
25
NSH
11
CAL
14
RCH
17
NHA
26
NZH
12
CLT
12
DOV
7
NSH
6
KEN
9
MLW
18
CHI
28
GTY
19
PPR
13
IRP
5
MCH
18
BRI
6
DAR
11
RCH
10
DOV
9
KAN
22
CLT
22
MEM
19
ATL
18
CAR
9
PHO
30
HOM
24
8th 4078 [3]
Pontiac TAL
9
DAY
35
2003 Shane Hmiel DAY
17
TAL
3
DAY
10
13th 3866 [4]
Chevy CAR
35
LVS
12
DAR
13
BRI
7
TEX
3
NSH
14
CAL
8
RCH
8
GTY
13
NZH
19
CLT
38
DOV
13
NSH
34
KEN
19
MLW
18
CHI
16
NHA
15
PPR
14
IRP
4*
MCH
9
BRI
4
DAR
28
RCH
10
Jeff Green DOV
39
CLT
24
Todd Bodine KAN
29
ATL
18
CAR
19
Randy LaJoie MEM
30
Kerry Earnhardt PHO
25
Carlos Contreras HOM
17

Craftsman Truck Series

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In 2004, Innovative closed its Busch teams, and signed with Toyota to field entries in the Craftsman Truck Series, the No. 12 driven by Robert Huffman and the No. 21 driven by Hank Parker Jr. Huffman, a rookie, had six top-tens, but failed to finish nine races and ended up twenty-third in points. Parker Jr. had four top-tens and finished 17th in points. Due to a lack of funding, Innovative closed up for good at the end of the season, with Huffman's team being sold to Darrell Waltrip Motorsports, and Parker's team to Capital Motorsports.

Truck No. 12 Results

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Innovative Motorsports No. 12
NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series results
Year Team No. Make 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 NCTS Pts
2004 Robert Huffman 12 Toyota DAY
36
ATL
29
MAR
34
MFD
DNQ
CLT
16
DOV
11
TEX
28
MEM
16
MLW
36
KAN
24
KEN
10
GTW
27
MCH
9
IRP
23
NSH
8
BRI
32
RCH
6
NHA
32
LVS
31
CAL
17
TEX
29
MAR
10
PHO
31
DAR
9
HOM
35
25th 2363

Truck No. 21 Results

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Innovative Motorsports No. 21
NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series results
Year Team No. Make 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 NCTS Pts
2004 Hank Parker, Jr. 21 Toyota DAY
18
ATL
33
MAR
12
MFD
19
CLT
22
DOV
3
TEX
23
MEM
12
MLW
17
KAN
21
KEN
22
GTW
5
MCH
29
IRP
15
NSH
15
BRI
6
RCH
20
NHA
9
LVS
21
CAL
15
TEX
13
MAR
31
PHO
23
DAR
35
HOM
17
17th 2737

References

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  1. ^ "Busch Series His Hmiel Ticket". Motor Racing Network. October 17, 2002. Archived from the original on 7 February 2016. Retrieved 7 February 2016.
  2. ^ "Kenny Wallace – 2001 NASCAR Busch Series Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved April 4, 2023.
  3. ^ "Kenny Wallace – 2002 NASCAR Busch Series Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved April 4, 2023.
  4. ^ "Shane Hmiel – 2003 NASCAR Busch Series Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved April 5, 2023.
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