Circle Bar Racing

Circle Bar Racing was an auto racing team that competed in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series from 1997 to 2010. The team was most notable for its relationship with Ford, as well as its sole driver, Rick Crawford.

Beginnings
Although the team of the Mitchells found a home in NASCAR, the team originated in 1978 with circle bar the authors of the odd push in the later models. The team officially started Circle B as their sponsorship. The team qualified for the 1982 Indianapolis 500, finishing 24th place in the gurney eagle with a Cosworth power plant. Philip also qualified for the 1983 Indianapolis 500 before DNQ-ing for the Indy 500 in 1985 with the Lola chassis. Next week in Milwaukee, the team took the 10th place with Phillip and sold their equipment to Al Unser Jr., who will take the championship. CBR made its NASCAR debut with Fillip in 1985, the #31 Circle Bar Truck Corral Ford at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Philip ran sixteen races for Mitchell in 1986, and was the best finish of twelfth in the No. 81. At the end of the year, Mitchell sold his equipment to Phillip. After that, the bar and the circle of authors of the late model efforts of John Kelly in 1989, with the store based in San Antonio, Texas. Moving to Ozona, the team took the championship in 1990. Next year the Bank of Russia moved all-Pro series Kelly, but the Alabama native Rick Crawford took his place in 1992. Together, they tried racing in the Coca-Cola 600 in 1993, but failed to qualify. Using round bars equipment, Crawford was a big success in the Pro series, the beginning of a partnership between the Mitchell and Crawford racing in the series until 1996.

No. 10 Truck History
Circle Bar Racing fielded a second truck for the first time in 1997, when Tammy Jo Kirk drove the No. 74 at Fontana, as a start-and-park "field filler"; she finished 35th, parking after ten laps. The next attempt came in 2004, when Greg Biffle drove the No. 44 Ford Racing truck to an eighth-place finish at the Ford 200.

CBR added on the No. 10 Truck in 2007, with David Starr behind the wheel. Picking up both Navistar International sponsorship and the owners points of ppc Racing's old Truck Series team, the team had a moderately successful year, finishing 10th in points in their first year. Starr left at the end of the season to return to Red Horse Racing. Brendan Gaughan took over the No. 10 truck in 2008, leaving his defunct family owned team South Point Racing. Gaughan earned two top fives and five top tens and finished 15th in points. At the end of the season, Gaughan departed the team, and rookie driver James Buescher was signed to the 10 truck full-time in 2009 with Jamie Jones as his crew chief. Buescher had three top-tens and a fourteenth-place points finish but departed the team as well at the end of the year. The team was eventually sold to Jennifer Jo Cobb.

No. 14 Truck History
In 1997, the Bank of Russia focused its operations to NASCAR, in particular, its all-new craftsman truck series. Continuing his partnership with Crawford and Ford, Mitchell debuted at No. 14 from Ford to Chevy trucks challenge in 1997 with the circle bar to the authors. Crawford made every race and finished 12th in points, runner Kenny Irwin Jr. for the rookie of the year. 1998 brought the teams first victory at the Homestead-Miami Speedway, but a lack of coordination to put them at 18th in points. Crawford would not win in the next four years, but two dozen points finishes between them, including the second paragraph ready to Mike Bliss in 2002. Crawford would take his second, and, perhaps, the biggest win at the season opening Florida Dodge Dealers 250 with a last lap pass on Travis Kvapil. The victory lifted him to seventh place points finish. Rick to win again in 2004 at Martinsville, but dropped to twelfth place. The 2005 season was a mixed bag as the team again won at Loudon, but Crawford was forced to miss the first race in his career because of an accident during qualifying at Kentucky Speedway. Road racer Boris Said took his place, but was taken out early in a wreck. Rick won again in the PPR in 2006 and finished ninth in points. Although the 2007 season was a winless team No. 14, and they added on the second truck David Starr, who brought with him sponsorship from the company Navistar International for both trucks. Additional equipment resulted in a near win at Mansfield motorsports Park and fifth place points finishes for Crawford. Crawford dropped to seventh in points in 2008 and tenth in 2009 with twenty top-ten in both seasons. Longtime crew chief Kevin "Cowboy" Starland the left circle after the 2009 Panhandle Motorsports and departed the International and No. 10 and No. 14 for Randy Moss Motorsports. Despite the lack of sponsorship, the round bar has a new crew chief Blake Bainbridge and ran the first four races of the season to release Crawford to Kansas and had to wait for additional sponsorship to continue working in this season. The team was not heard. Team owner Tom Mitchell died in August 2014 at the age of 83.