Circle Sport Racing was an American professional stock car racing team that competed in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series. The team was formed in 2011 as LTD PowerSports, fielding the No. 50 for T. J. Bell, and later in 2012, the team fielded the No. 40 and the No. 33 part-time in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, while fielding the No. 27 in the Camping World Truck Series. In 2014, the team pulled out of the truck series and began fielding the No. 40 Cup car full-time, alongside the part-time No. 33.
Throughout most of its existence, the team was legally known as Hillman-Circle Sport LLC, with the No. 33 and No. 40 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series entries branded as Circle Sport LLC and Hillman Racing respectively. During this time, Circle Sport (which purchased the No. 33 from Richard Childress Racing seven races into 2012) rented the No. 33 points to RCR for several races per season.
After the 2015 season, the team shut down, with parts of the team sold to RCR and Premium Motorsports. Circle Sport owner Joe Falk later became an investor of the Leavine Family Racing team, merging Circle Sport to form Circle Sport – Leavine Family Racing. The team returned in 2017 as Circle Sport, merging with The Motorsports Group. Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series
Car No. 33 history
In 2011 Joe Falk, former owner of LJ Racing, returned to team ownership in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, running the No. 50 for LTD Powersports with driver T. J. Bell on a limited basis starting with the Southern 500 at Darlington. Bell competed for Rookie of the Year during the season, but only qualified for five races, four of them with Falk's team, which failed to qualify for nine additional races.
2012 and ROTY The team entered the No. 40 as Hillman Racing at the 2012 Daytona 500 for Michael Waltrip, and at Bristol for Tony Raines, failing to qualify at Daytona and withdrawing from Bristol prior to practice. Before the April race at Texas, Falk announced that he was purchasing the No. 33 Sprint Cup Series team from Richard Childress Racing. The team, one Childress had planned to run for only the first five races of the season due to lack of sponsorship, was transferred to Falk's ownership after the sixth race at Martinsville. Falk and Mike Hillman formed Circle Sport to field the 33 team. The 33 team ran Martinsville with Hermie Sadler as a collaboration between Circle Sport and RCR. The team's first race under full Circle Sport control was at Texas, where Tony Raines drove an unsponsored Chevrolet. Falk planned to run a number of drivers in the car over the remainder of the season, including Raines, Jeff Green, Stephen Leicht, Austin Dillon, Hermie and Elliott Sadler, and C. E. Falk. However, in late May it was announced that Leicht would be competing for the team for the majority of the remainder of the season, attempting to win Rookie of the Year honors, except for the June race at Michigan, where Childress ran the No. 33 for Austin Dillon. Cole Whitt also ran some races in a Start and park role. Leicht would win Rookie of the Year honors despite competing in just 15 races, finishing with a team-best 26th at Watkins Glen.
2013 For 2013, Circle Sport maintained its alliance with Richard Childress Racing. Former BK Racing driver Landon Cassill took over the No. 33 for the majority of the season with Dillon and Brian Scott in the 33 as an Richard Childress Racing entry. For the road courses, road course ringer Ron Fellows ran the 33 for Circle Sport with sponsorship from Canadian Tire. Following the introduction of the No. 40 entry at Indianapolis, Tony Raines and Landon Cassill would rotate seats in these cars when Circle Sport fielded both the 33 and 40 entries.
2014 The 33 was run as an Richard Childress Racing entry for the first two races of 2014 with Brian Scott and family sponsors Shore Lodge and Whitetail Club. Timmy Hill drove the next two races for Circle Sport. Hill was involved in a controversial wreck at Bristol immediately following an accident. Hill was running in last place, when Matt Kenseth (in second place at the time), checked up for a wreck in front of him. Hill did not see the caution lights and did not cut his speed, smashing into Kenseth's back bumper at high speed. Fox analyst Darrell Waltrip first stated in a harsh tone "Good grief.", and then called it a "rookie mistake" for Hill (who had run for rookie of the year in 2013), though he slightly recanted his harsh tone later in the broadcast.
After Scott drove the 33 at Auto Club as an RCR entry, David Stremme took over the Circle Sport entry at Martinsville, Darlington and Richmond, while failing to qualify at Texas. Scott and RCR ran the car again at Talladega (where Scott won the pole award) and Charlotte, with Hill returning to Circle Sport in between at Kansas. Stremme ran at Dover, Michigan and Kentucky, while Alex Kennedy ran at both Pocono races and the road courses, with more races possible. Bobby Labonte ran an RCR car under the Circle Sport banner at Daytona in July, the same one that sat on the Talladega pole with Scott.
At the Camping World RV Sales 301 at Loudon in July, 72-year-old veteran Morgan Shepherd ran a Circle Sport car with Thunder Coal sponsoring its third race. The 33 team created another controversy when Shepherd wrecked Joey Logano, who was running second at the time. Shepherd was, as Logano pointed out, the slowest car on the racetrack. NASCAR defended Shepherd, saying he maintained a minimum running speed in relation to the leaders. Shepherd finished as the last car running in 39th place, 27 laps down.
Stremme returned to the No. 33 at Indianapolis with Thunder Coal, but failed to qualify. After Kennedy's previously announced starts at Pocono and Watkins Glen, the team fielded him for a fifth time at Michigan. Stremme then ran Bristol. Ty Dillon drove an RCR entry at Atlanta in August. Dillon had tested a car numbered 33 for Furniture Row Racing at Texas in March.
At Richmond, the No. 33 was renumbered No. 90 to honor Junie Donlavey, with Stremme driving. The one-off was painted in the style of Donlavey's Truxmore-sponsored cars and the decklid contained the names of the 67 drivers who raced for Donlavey. Stremme was originally on the entry list at Chicagoland, but was replaced at the last minute by Travis Kvapil. Stremme ran New Hampshire and Dover, after which Hill returned for the second Kansas race and Charlotte. Stremme was again placed on the entry list at Talladega before being replaced by Kvapil, who delivered the No. 33 its first top ten finish (sixth, tying a career-best mark for Kvapil as well) under the Circle Sport banner on the same day Cassill piloted the No. 40 to the overall team's first top five. Kvapil would run Martinsville as well, with Hill returning again for Texas, in the final race of 2014 for the No. 33 under the Circle Sport banner.
RCR returned for the final two races of the season with Ty Dillon at Phoenix and Brian Scott at Homestead.
2015
RCR drivers were scheduled to be in the No. 33 at the first three races of the season, with Ty Dillon at Daytona and Brian Scott at Atlanta and Las Vegas. However Scott, scheduled to run at Atlanta for Circle Sport, would give up his ride to HScott Motorsports after Michael Annett failed to qualify his normal HScott ride (under NASCAR rules, Joe Falk was credited with the owner's points). Road racer Alex Kennedy returned to the team at Phoenix, became the primary driver of the No. 33 when under Circle Sport control and declaring for Rookie of the Year. However, Derek White drove the July race at New Hampshire, bringing sponsorship from Braille Battery and Grafoid. After Watkins Glen in August, Kennedy was replaced as Circle Sport's primary No. 33 driver with a series of drivers, including Mike Bliss and B. J. McLeod. Kennedy returned to the team at Dover.
After the season, Falk joined Leavine Family Racing's ownership group after splitting with Hillman, retaining control of the charter granted for the #33 and using it on Leavine's #95 for the season.
In 2017, Circle Sport returned after merging with The Motorsports Group, with Jeffrey Earnhardt driving the No. 33.
In 2018, the team planned to run a limited schedule with Joey Gase after Falk partnered with Go Fas Racing, but the team did not make any attempts in the season.
There were talks of Austin Theriault running for this team in at least Loudon in 2019 in partnership with GFR, but plans ultimately fell through.
Car No. 33 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 Pts 2011 T. J. Bell 50 Toyota DAY PHO LVS BRI CAL MAR TEX TAL RCH DAR38 DOV CLTDNQ KANDNQ POC39 MCH SON DAY KENDNQ NHA 53rd 14 Chevy IND42 POCDNQ GLN37 MCHDNQ BRIDNQ ATLDNQ RCHDNQ CHI NHADNQ DOV KAN CLT TAL MAR TEX PHO HOM 2012 Tony Raines 33 DAY PHO LVS BRI CAL MAR TEX34 TAL38 37th 253 Jeff Green KANDNQ Stephen Leicht RCH35 DARDNQ CLT39 DOV35 POC33 MCH SON41 KEN41 DAY42 NHA32 IND31 POCDNQ GLN26 MCHDNQ BRI40 ATLDNQ RCH36 NHA34 MAR34 TEXDNQ PHO35 HOMDNQ Cole Whitt CHI37 DOVDNQ TAL40 CLTDNQ KANDNQ 2013 Landon Cassill DAY PHO32 LVS42 BRI33 CAL30 MAR33 TEX34 KAN29 RCH25 TAL22 DAR30 CLT37 DOV32 POC38 MCH KEN36 DAY24 NHA32 IND MCH32 DOV38 KAN33 CLT TAL37 HOM33 38th 441 Ron Fellows SON22 GLN35 Tony Raines POC38 BRI32 ATL RCH33 CHI40 NHA41 MAR41 TEX PHO43 2014 Timmy Hill DAY PHO LVS38 BRI43 CAL KAN40 CLT KAN33 CLT36 TEX35 PHO HOM 40th 337 David Stremme MAR39 TEXDNQ DAR36 RCH35 TAL DOV37 MCH39 KEN35 INDDNQ BRI31 ATL NHA40 DOV37 90 RCH36 Alex Kennedy 33 POC39 SON39 POC28 GLN33 MCH34 Bobby Labonte DAY26 Morgan Shepherd NHA39 Travis Kvapil CHI38 TAL6 MAR41 2015 Brian Scott DAY ATLQL 35th 458 Michael Annett ATL29 LVS Alex Kennedy PHO38 CAL MAR33 TEX37 BRI33 RCH39 TAL KAN CLT36 DOV POC MCH SON25 DAY KEN40 POC38 GLN28 DOV38 CLT34 KAN MAR33 TEX Derek White NHA39 IND Travis Kvapil MCH40 TAL35 Mike Bliss BRI37 DAR32 RCH CHI B. J. McLeod NHA34 Ryan Ellis PHO40 HOM 2017 Jeffrey Earnhardt DAY26 ATL33 LVS32 PHO39 CAL39 MAR36 TEX40 BRI27 RCH35 TAL28 KAN33 CLT40 DOV27 POC34 MCH35 DAY37 KEN29 NHA33 IND26 POC36 MCH35 BRI40 DAR30 RCH34 CHI34 NHA38 DOV37 CLT30 TAL38 KAN26 MAR38 TEX33 PHO29 HOM32 37th 160 Boris Said SON29 GLN30† - Qualified but replaced by Michael Annett
Car No. 39 history
2015 The No. 39 was placed on the entry list at Texas in April 2015, with Travis Kvapil driving. The car is part of the Hillman Racing-Gordon Smith stable. However, the team opted to withdraw on the Wednesday before the race. The No. 39 made its next attempt at the Sprint Showdown at Charlotte, also with Kvapil behind the wheel. Again, the team withdrew by Wednesday before the race. The week after at the Coca-Cola 600, the No. 39 was put on the initial entry list, and attempted the race. However, they posted the 42nd-fastest speed and, with no owner points to fall back on, failed to qualify. The team attempted the Dover race as well, but ran 37th, one spot short of qualifying on speed, and once again missed the race.
Car No. 39 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 Pts 2015 Travis Kvapil 39 Chevy DAY ATL LVS PHO CAL MAR TEXWth BRI RCH TAL KAN CLTDNQ DOVDNQ POC MCH SON DAY KEN NHA IND POC GLN MCH BRI DAR RCH CHI NHA DOV CLT KAN TAL MAR TEX PHO HOM 51st 0
Car No. 40 history
2012–2013: Part-time