Team Season in Review - The Motorsports Group

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Despite not having a Charter for the 2016 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, things were moderate for Curtis Key's The Motorsports Group this season making twenty nine of the thirty-six races this season. They started the season at Daytona hoping to luck into a spot into the 58th Annual Daytona 500 via the Can-Am Duels. Sadly the team had the odds stacked against them and those spots were filled by the time the checkered flag. Josh Wise would be the driver who would attempt to make the Daytona 500 with The Motorsport Group and he would be the primary driver for a majority of the 2016 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.
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The following weekend in Atlanta, The Motorsports Group would return to the track it made its debut in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series the previous year with NASCAR Veteran Ron Hornaday Jr. who finished 42nd in the 2015 Folds Of Honor Quik Trip 500. Josh Wise would better that best finish by a few positions finishing 39th in his first race of 2016. Wise would head to the west coast with TMG with the Odds stacked against an non-chartered team. Wise would qualify for all three races on the west coast with a best finish of 34th coming at Phoenix. Wise would gain a 35th place finish at Las Vegas and gain a 36th place finish in California.
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TMG and Josh Wise would return to the East Coast where he would qualify in four races in a row with a best finish of 33rd coming at Bristol in the Food City 500. Josh Wise and TMG would find themselves on the bad luck side once again at Talladega where the team would DNQ. Wise wouldn't let that bother him though as he would stay determined to continue the success story without a charter.
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Wise and The Motorsports Group would return the following weekend at Kansas and the team would make a run for the Chartered teams money qualifying for six races in a row. Another DNQ at Daytona would be a let down but wouldn't be a knockout punch as the team would get back on their feet and would only DNQ one race (Indianapolis) the remainder of the regular season. Wise would qualify the car in the remaining six races of the regular season bringing home a season best 26th place finish at Watkins Glen. During that time The Motorsports Group and Josh Wise would gain a new primary sponsorship in the form of Incredible Bank. Incredible Bank would sign on for two races with a special meaning at one track. At Darlington, Josh Wise would run a throwback paint scheme to the late Dale Earnhardt Sr. Josh would finish 29th in Incredible Bank's TMG Debut and would bring back the awesome orange colored car back at Chicagoland where Josh would finish 38th.
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With Chicagoland would come the Chase and Josh Wise would be counting down the races until the season ends looking to gain the best possible finish he can. At Charlotte, Josh started 40th and would race his way up to a 29th place finish winning the 3M Hard Charger Award gaining the team an extra $10,000 dollars.
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Josh Wise and TMG would skip Talladega but speculation would linger within the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series garage that Josh Wise wouldn't be in the #30 at Martinsville, Phoenix, and Homestead. That speculation would turn into a reality with the announcement that Gray Gaulding would make his NASCAR Sprint Cup Debut at Martinsville with The Motorsports Group. Wise would be the driver coach for Gaulding starting at Martinsville. In his NASCAR Sprint Cup Series debut, Gray Gaulding would bring the #30 Feed the Children Chevrolet SS home in 39th after rear gear issues troubled the team. The following weekend at Texas, Josh Wise would return to the seat to race in one more race for TMG. Wise and TMG would be at a stern disadvantage with the car being setup for the daytime and them racing at night. Gaulding would return to the car at Phoenix where he would do a little better than he did at Martinsville finishing 37th after having fuel pump issues. Gray Gaulding and TMG would look to set off into the sunset at Homestead but again bad luck would be on their side and the team would miss Homestead by one position, ending TMG's and Gray Gaulding's season.
Despite having those six DNQ's, TMG did more than many expected to begin with and many are asking what The Motorsports Groups plan is for the 2017 Season. Gray Gaulding has revealed he will race a full season in 2017 but it's unknown on if it'll be with The Motorsports Group or not. Be sure to stay tuned to The Motorsports News Source for all of your latest news about The Motorsports Group and the Continued Success of a Team Without a Charter. (Koelle,2016)

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