Travis Carter Enterprises (later known as Haas-Carter Motorsports, K Mart Racing, BelCar Motorsports and Richardson-Haas Motorsports) was a NASCAR and USAR Pro Cup team. It was mostly owned by former crew chief Travis Carter and Carl Haas. The team previously fielded entries in the Winston Cup Series before closing. It returned in 2007 to field a full-time entry for rookie Kyle Krisiloff.

Winston Cup

Beginnings After purchasing Mach 1 Racing from Hal Needham following the 1989 season, Travis Carter Enterprises debuted at the 1990 Daytona 500, as the No. 98 Chevrolet sponsored by Winn-Dixie. Butch Miller was the driver, who finished 22nd. Miller drove the car in 23 races that year, posting one top-ten finish before he was replaced by Rick Mast, who finished out the year and garnered an additional top ten. In 1991, Jimmy Spencer took over as Banquet Foods was the sponsor, and finished 25th in points. Spencer ran just seven races with the car in 1992, before the team suspended operations temporarily.

Multi-car

Travis Carter Enterprises returned in 1994 as the No. 23 Camel Cigarettes-sponsored Ford Thunderbird driven by Hut Stricklin. After posting one top ten finish that year, Stricklin was removed as Spencer returned to the team again. Spencer ran in the car for several years, the big change coming when Winston became the sponsor in 1998. That year, Spencer looked poised for a top-ten finish in points, but injuries kept him from doing that as he was replaced by Ted Musgrave and Frank Kimmel while he nursed his wounds.

At the end of the year, Carter announced he would expand his team to a multi-car operation, with three-time champion Darrell Waltrip driving the No. 66 Kmart Ford and Haas coming on board as a partner. The new team had previously been the No. 27 owned by David Blair Motorsports. Waltrip amassed the largest number of DNQ's he had ever had during his career. In 2000, he retired from the Winston Cup, his lone highlight being an outside-pole qualifying effort at the Brickyard 400. Kmart also sponsored Spencer's car beginning in 2000, after the team's previous sponsorship agreement with R. J. Reynolds expired, with the team switching to No. 26 after acquiring the number from Roush Racing. Waltrip's replacement was Todd Bodine (who drove a third car in Waltrip’s final race, the No. 46) who won three pole positions and finished 29th in points. After 2001, Spencer departed, and Joe Nemechek signed on to replace him. Unfortunately, during the offseason, Kmart went into bankruptcy, and the team's status was in danger. Nemechek ran a mere handful races that year before his team was folded, and after subbing in several races afterward he signed with Hendrick Motorsports to drive the No. 25 car. Bodine attempted the first few races in the No. 66 and qualified on the pole for the Las Vegas race, but he eventually was parked for several weeks while the team looked for a sponsorship. Frank Kimmel returned for six races in the No. 26 with his National Pork Board sponsorship from the ARCA series. Bodine eventually returned to race the No. 26 after Haas-Carter found full-time sponsorship from Discover Card and split time in the ride with his older brother Geoff Bodine. The 66 car returned part-time later in the year, with Japanese racer Hideo Fukuyama running a handful of races.

BelCar Motorsports In 2003, HCM merged with minority owner Sam Belnavis to form BelCar Motorsports. The No. 26 team switched to No. 54 with the U.S. National Guard as the sponsor. Bodine struggled, posting one-top ten finish and finishing 31st in points. Fukuyama, meanwhile, made an attempt at Rookie of the year honors in the No. 66, but that was soon aborted due to a lack of funding. At the end of the season, the Army/National Guard and Belnavis left for Roush Racing. Still, the team looked like it might come back. Carter teamed up with a British-based motorsports group called TorqueSpeed. The team was to be known as TorqueSpeed Carter and run a limited Cup schedule in 2004 with John Mickel as the driver. However, this new alliance never saw the track.

Rebirth In 2004, Carter left NASCAR's top division to focus on mentoring his son Matt Carter who was working his way up the stock car ranks in the USAR Hooters Pro Cup Series. For two years, Carter drove for other teams while under his father's guidance.USAR Pro Cup :: News

In 2007, Travis Carter announced his return to NASCAR with the help of Newman/Haas Racing co-owner Carl Haas, Indianapolis Motor Speedway chairman Mari Hulman George, and Mi-Jack Products founder Michael Lanigan. The team ran in the Busch Series under the Carl A. Haas Motorsports banner. Their driver was Kyle Krisiloff, and they carried the No. 14 with ppc Racing's No. 22's owner points from 2006. Sponsorship was originally limited to Clabber Girl, owned by Hulman & Company. Later in the season Walgreens and Eli Lilly and Company signed on to sponsor the car. At one point in the 2007 campaign, the team was to be merged with Yates/Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing as a part of a deal between team owner Carl Haas and Nextel Cup owner Robert Yates. The team was to be the second Busch team for YNHL until Robert Yates announced his retirement following the 2007 season and ended the partnership with Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing. Krisiloff was released at the end of the season, and the team lost its sponsors as well. The team began the 2008 season under the banner of Richardson-Haas Motorsports, and the team ran at Daytona in 2008 with David Gilliland sponsored by Music City Illinois but crashed out. The team was to run at Auto Club Speedway with Eric Norris but withdrew.

Results Primary Car 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 1990 Butch Miller 98 Chevy DAY22 RCH28 CAR13 ATL20 DAR17 BRI14 NWS25 MAR18 TAL16 CLT18 DOV14 SON31 POC23 MCH23 DAY23 POC8 TAL34 GLN25 MCH12 BRI16 DAR29 RCH19 DOV17 24th 2894 Rick Mast MAR NWS CLT CAR PHO ATL 1991 Jimmy Spencer DAY RCH CAR ATL DAR BRI NWS MAR TAL CLT DOV SON POC MCH DAY POC TAL GLN MCH BRI15* DAR RCH DOV MAR NWS CLT CAR PHO ATL 25th 2790 1992 DAY CAR RCH ATL DAR BRI NWS MAR TAL CLT DOV SON POC MCH DAY POC TAL GLN MCH BRI DAR RCH DOV MAR NWS CLT CAR PHO ATL 42nd 571 1994 23 Ford DAY33 CAR26 RCHDNQ ATL17 DAR17 BRI14 NWS20 MAR20 TAL18 SON20 CLT12 DOV9 POC13 MCH22 DAY42 NHA36 POC22 TAL25 IND36 GLN30 MCHDNQ BRI35 DAR14 RCH30 DOV32 MAR23 NWS22 CLT21 CAR27 PHO24 ATL16 26th 2711 1995 Jimmy Spencer DAY CAR RCH ATL DAR BRI NWS MAR TAL SON CLT DOV POC MCH DAY NHA POC TAL IND GLN MCH BRI DAR RCH DOV MAR NWS CLT CAR PHO ATL 26th 2809 1996 DAY CAR RCH ATL DAR BRI NWS MAR TAL SON CLT DOV POC MCH DAY NHA POC TAL IND GLN MCH BRI DAR RCH DOV MAR NWS CLT CAR PHO ATL 15th 3476 1997 DAY CAR RCH ATL DAR TEX BRI MAR SON TAL CLT DOV POC MCH CAL DAY NHA POC IND GLN MCH BRI DAR RCH NHA DOV MAR CLT TAL CAR43 PHO ATL 20th 3079 1998 DAY CAR LVS ATL DAR BRI TEX MAR TAL CAL CLT DOV RCH MCH POC SON NHA POC IND GLN NHA DAR RCH DOV MAR CLT TAL DAY PHO CAR ATL 14th 3464 MCH31 Ted Musgrave BRI20 1999 Jimmy Spencer DAY CAR LVS ATL DAR TEX BRI MAR TAL CAL RCH CLT DOV MCH43 POC SON DAY NHA POC IND GLN MCH BRI DAR RCH NHA DOV MAR CLT TAL CAR PHO HOM ATL 20th 3307 2000 26 DAY CAR LVS ATL DAR BRI TEX MAR TAL CAL RCH CLT DOV MCH POC SON DAY NHA POC IND GLN MCH BRI DAR RCH NHA DOV MAR CLT TAL CAR PHO HOM ATL 22nd 3188 2001 DAY CAR LVS ATL DAR BRI TEX MAR TAL CAL RCH CLT DOV MCH POC SON DAY CHI NHA POC IND GLN MCH BRI DAR RCH DOV KAN CLT MAR TAL43 PHO CAR HOM ATL NHA 16th 3782 2002 Joe Nemechek DAY40 CAR33 LVS19 ATL25 DAR17 BRI43 CAL25 36th 2830 Frank Kimmel TEX33 MAR40 TAL35 RCH42 CLT26 Todd Bodine DOV18 POC18 SON26 DAY7 CHI26 NHA6 IND34 GLN8 MCH26 BRI43 DAR33 RCH5 NHA42 DOV40 KAN34 TAL23 CLT37 MAR30 ATL41 CAR42 PHO22 Geoff Bodine MCH19 POC34 HOM32 2003 Todd Bodine 54 DAY18 CAR42 LVS20 ATL28 DAR43 BRI40 TEX11 TAL28 MAR37 CAL25 RCH23 CLT23 DOV12 POC11 MCH37 SON23 DAY13 CHI33 NHA19 POC8 IND23 GLN35 MCH43 BRI37 DAR17 RCH42 NHA35 DOV17 TALDNQ KAN11 CLT29 MAR40 ATL42 PHO22 CAR16 HOM11 31st 2976

Secondary Car 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 1999 Darrell Waltrip 66 Ford DAY21 CAR27 LVS25 ATL20 DAR41 TEX25 BRI32 MAR12 TAL26 CAL15 RCH25 CLT43 DOVDNQ MCH39 POC34 SON12 DAY38 NHA33 POC25 IND42 GLN15 MCHDNQ BRI14 DAR29 RCH32 NHADNQ DOVDNQ MAR23 CLTDNQ TALDNQ CAR34 PHO26 HOM43 ATLDNQ 37th 2158 2000 DAY32 CAR39 LVS38 ATL31 DAR43 BRI31 TEX24 MAR43 TAL26 CAL29 RCHDNQ CLTDNQ DOV33 MCHDNQ POCDNQ SON28 DAY27 NHA33 POC22 IND11 GLN20 MCHDNQ BRI42 DAR42 RCHDNQ NHA29 DOV31 MAR27 CLT30 TAL35 CAR37 PHO33 HOM36 ATL34 36th 1981 2001 Todd Bodine DAYDNQ CAR34 LVS5 ATL18 DAR33 BRI32 TEX35 MAR43 TAL41 CAL28 RCH30 CLT37 DOV15 MCH42 POC25 SON33 DAY12 CHI14 NHA15 POC43 IND24 GLN5 MCH23 BRI32 DAR40 RCH18 DOV15 KAN42 CLT17 MAR12 TAL41 PHO29 CAR41 HOM17 ATL16 NHA31 29th 2960 2002 DAY31 CAR32 LVS29 ATL DAR BRI TEX MAR TAL CAL RCH CLT DOV POC MCH SON DAY CHI 47th 345 Geoff Bodine NHA43 POC IND GLN MCH BRI DAR RCH NHA Hideo Fukuyama DOV39 KAN TAL CLT MAR42 CARDNQ PHO HOM ATLDNQ 2003 Hideo Fukuyama DAY CAR LVS33 ATL DAR BRI TEX TAL MAR CALDNQ RCHWth CLT DOV POC MCH SON43 DAY CHI NHA POC IND GLN MCH BRI DAR RCH NHA DOV TAL KAN CLT MAR ATL PHO CAR HOM 63rd 98

See also Other teams owned by Carl Haas: Newman/Haas Racing Haas Lola

References

External links Travis Carter Winston Cup Owner Statistics Carl Haas Owner Statistics