Leavine Family Racing Secures Charter for 2017; Homestead

The #59 Returns this weekend for the first time since the Daytona 500
Circle Sport Leavine Family Racing

Officials at Leavine Family Racing have announced that they will have a guaranteed spot by virtue of a charter for the 2017 Season and for this weekends Ford 400 at the Homestead-Miami Speedway. The Charter the team has used this season came from the Circle Sport part of the Circle Sport Leavine Family Racing which will be splitting following the race on Sunday in Homestead.

The Charter for Homestead and 2017 will be coming from
Tommy Baldwin Racing who will be ceasing full time operations following
2016
Sarah Crabill/Getty Images

“Leavine Family Racing is committed to continued growth on and off the race track,” said owner Bob Leavine.  “The charter is a meaningful step forward for our team and provides us further stability as we look towards success in 2017 and beyond.  We are confident that the purchase of the charter and continued improvement on the track will lead to increased revenue opportunities.”

Michael McDowell has gained his best career finish at 15 of the 23 tracks
this season and gained 9 Top-20 finishes, the most of his career this season
Circle Sport Leavine Family Racing

Bob and Sharon Leavine have been active in NASCAR since 2010 when they became sponsors in the NASCAR Nationwide Series and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series.  Leavine Family Racing was formed in 2011 and has grown to an organization employing 25 people with a race shop in Concord, N.C across the street from the Charlotte Motor Speedway.
The Charter was purchased from Tommy Baldwin Racing who will be ceasing their full time operations following Sunday's Ford 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway which means Regan Smith is out of a ride following the 2016 Season. In qualifying this evening at Homestead, Regan Smith will act as if he doesn't have a Charter and that is true. The Charter has been transferred to the #59 Thrivent Financial Chevrolet SS and the second entry for Circle Sport Leavine Family Racing which means Michael McDowell will not have to qualify his way into the show tonight.
Michael McDowell is expected to be the driver of the #95 for Leavine Family Racing next season with Todd Parrott returning to the Pit Box. It'll be the first Daytona 500 next season that McDowell will not have to race his way into which has to be a tremendous relief as long as McDowell does return to the team in 2017. Thrivent Financial has already announced that they will not return to the #95 in 2017 which means the team needs to gain more sponsorship. Nikko and Toy State will be associate sponsors on the #95 this weekend which means they could possibly be moving over from the #7 to the #95 in 2017 with the #7 not racing Full Time.
Many of these details will be ironed out during the off season and of course keep it tuned to The Motorsports News Source for all of your latest 2017 NASCAR Season News during the Off Season! (Koelle,2016; In part from Leavine Family Racing)