Casey Atwood

Casey Lee Atwood (born August 25, 1980) is an American former stock car racing driver. A former competitor in NASCAR competition, he is the youngest pole winner in Busch Series history, earning a pole start at the age of seventeen. Atwood's performance led many to label him as "the next Jeff Gordon," and landed him a factory-backed Dodge ride in the Winston Cup Series with Evernham Motorsports for 2001. His struggles at the Cup level over two seasons, however, derailed his career, with his last Cup start coming in 2003 at the young age of 22. Atwood made sporadic starts over the course of the year, none equal to his second race, but after moving from Larry Lockamy's part-time team to Hensley Racing in September, he had strong showings at Atlanta (where he started 36th but made his way to the front) and Homestead (where he claimed his second pole). By the end of 1998, he had won two poles and five top-twenties in thirteen races.

In 1999, Atwood joined the Brewco Motorsports No. 27 Castrol GTX Chevrolet team for his first full season in the NASCAR Busch Series. Atwood became the youngest winner in Busch Series History when he won at the Milwaukee Mile at the age of eighteen on July 4, 1999, which would stand until Joey Logano bested Atwood's mark by winning the Meijer 300 at Kentucky Speedway on June 14, 2008 at the age of eighteen years and 21 days. He started 35th and finished nineteenth, two laps down. He made two more starts that year and earned his first top-ten, a tenth place finish at Homestead. Atwood moved up to NASCAR Winston Cup full-time in 2001 in the No. 19 Dodge Dealers/UAW car for Evernham's team Evernham Motorsports, a newly formed team under the Dodge banner, to compete for Rookie of the Year honors. Atwood was the youngest driver in the series in 2001. He was nicknamed the "Next Jeff Gordon", due to Gordon's similar rise from Busch to Cup at a young age, and 26th in points. Atwood posing with a young fan at Dover in 2004, courtesy of the U.S. Navy In 2002, with the signing of Jeremy Mayfield to drive the No. 19, Atwood moved from Evernham's team to the No. 7 of Ultra Motorsports as part of an alliance between Evernham and Ultra owner Jim Smith, where Smith's team would switch from Ford to Dodge and receive equipment and engines from Evernham. The team was known as Ultra-Evernham Motorsports, and sponsored by Sirius Satellite Radio. Atwood struggled throughout the year, having zero top-tens, and just one top-ten qualifying effort and finishing 35th in points. Atwood ran the last race of the year in Evernham's No. 91 Dodge and qualified 12th, but finished poorly.

In 2003, Atwood drove Evernham's No. 91 research and development car for two races. At Pocono Raceway with sponsorship from Mountain Dew LiveWire, Atwood finished 40th after engine troubles. He also ran in the Brickyard 400 without sponsorship, but was only able to muster a 31st-place finish. Atwood's most recent appearance in the series was a failed qualifying attempt in the No. 95 car for the 2006 Ford 400 at Homestead. He was driving a Brewco-prepared Scott Towels/Kleenex Ford for Stanton Barrett.

Return to Busch/Nationwide

After his release from Evernham Motorsports in the Cup Series, Atwood was expected to return to Brewco's 27 (recently vacated by Jamie McMurray), Atwood was thirteenth in points at the time, and he fell back to nineteenth by the end of the season. In 2005, he drove four races for Evernham Motorsports in the No. 6 Unilever Dodge.

In early to mid-2006, Atwood practiced and qualified the No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Chevrolet for J. J. Yeley in select races, due to conflicts with Yeley's Nextel Cup Series schedule. Atwood would also occupy this role in 2009 for Kyle Busch. Atwood would later say that these cars, prepared by former Brewco mechanic Jason Ratcliff, were the best he'd ever driven.

Personal life Atwood currently resides in Nashville. He married his longtime girlfriend, Laura, in 2005. They have two daughters together.

Motorsports career results

NASCAR (key) (Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time. Italics – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led.)

Nextel Cup Series NASCAR Nextel Cup Series results Year Team 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 Ref 2000 Evernham Motorsports 19 Ford DAY CAR LVS ATL DAR BRI TEX MAR TAL CAL RCH CLT DOV MCH POC SON DAY NHA POC IND GLN MCH BRI DAR RCH19 NHA DOV MAR25 CLT TAL CAR PHO HOM10 ATL 54th 328 2001 Dodge DAY20 CAR18 LVS24 ATLDNQ DAR26 BRI20 TEX36 MAR26 TAL30 CAL39 RCH12 CLT42 DOV29 MCH30 POC38 SON41 DAY28 CHI28 NHA12 POC15 IND 41 GLN22 MCH10 BRI17 DAR25 RCH27 DOV9 KAN43 CLT24 MAR25 TAL39 PHO14 CAR20 HOM3 ATL20 NHA16 26th 3132 2002 Ultra-Evernham Motorsports 7 DAY35 CAR39 LVS41 ATL32 DAR26 BRI18 TEX35 MAR38 TAL26 CAL28 RCH22 CLT17 DOV14 POC11 MCH39 SON21 DAY20 CHI28 NHA36 POC28 IND38 GLN27 MCH42 BRI18 DAR28 RCH24 NHA34 DOV32 KAN42 TAL34 CLT30 MAR21 ATL38 CAR29 PHO 35th 2621 Evernham Motorsports 91 HOM37 2003 DAY CAR LVS ATL DAR BRI TEX TAL MAR CAL RCH CLT DOV POC40 MCH SON DAY CHI NHA POC IND31 GLN MCH BRI DAR RCH NHA DOV TAL KAN CLT MAR ATL PHO CAR HOM 61st 113 2006 Brewco Motorsports 95 Ford DAY CAL LVS ATL BRI MAR TEX PHO TAL RCH DAR CLT DOV POC MCH SON DAY CHI NHA POC IND GLN MCH BRI CAL RCH NHA DOV KAN TAL CLT MAR ATL TEX PHO HOMDNQ NA -

Daytona 500 Year Team Manufacturer Start Finish 2001 Evernham Motorsports Dodge 21 20 2002 Ultra-Evernham Motorsports 36 35

Nationwide Series NASCAR Nationwide Series results Year Team 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 Pts Ref 1998 Lockamy Racing 28 Chevy DAY CAR21 LVS NSV2 DAR BRI40 TEX HCY TAL NHA21 NZH CLT DOV RCH13 PPR GLN MLW24 38th 1359 Brewco Motorsports 27 Chevy MYB28 CAL SBODNQ IRP MCHDNQ BRI DAR Washington-Erving Motorsports 50 Ford RCHDNQ Hensley Motorsports 63 Chevy DOV24 CLT16 GTY30 CAR17 ATL11 HOM14 1999 Brewco Motorsports 27 Chevy DAY17 CAR5 LVSDNQ ATL16 DAR28 TEX35 NSV2 BRI15 TAL8 CAL18 NHA5 RCH20 NZH33 CLT34 DOV36 SBO10 GLN41 MLW1* MYB29 PPR8 GTY7 IRP32 MCH42 BRI15 DAR26 RCH31 DOV1 CLT23 CAR43 MEM30 PHO26 HOM34 13th 3134 2000 DAY31 CAR32 LVS11 ATL26 DAR42 BRI21 TEX7 NSV24 TAL17 CAL22 RCH8 NHA7 CLT14 DOV11 SBO13 MYB11 GLN12 MLW43 NZH7 PPR6 GTY29 IRP31 MCH37 BRI9 DAR27 RCH34 DOV17 CLT22 CAR8 MEM6 PHO14 HOM20 8th 3404 2003 FitzBradshaw Racing 82 Chevy DAY CAR LVS DAR BRI TEX TAL NSH CAL RCH GTY NZH CLTDNQ DOV NSH CHI21 ATL28 37th 1422 14 KEN9 MLW19 DAY27 NHA32 PPR IRP MCH BRI18 DAR10 RCH11 DOV25 KAN CLT32 MEM7 PHO8 CAR HOM43 2004 DAY15 CAR19 LVS36 DAR9 BRI34 TEX21 NSH20 TAL13 CAL29 GTY23 RCH14 NZH6 CLT17 DOV18 NSH7 KEN22 MLW32 DAY24 CHI13 NHA31 PPR9 IRP8 MCH25 BRI10 CAL26 RCH2 DOV24 KAN22 CLT20 MEM ATL PHO DAR HOM 19th 3130 2005 Evernham Motorsports 6 Dodge DAY CAL MXC LVS ATL NSH BRI TEX PHO TAL DAR RCH CLT DOV NSH KEN9 MLW DAY CHI21 NHA26 PPR26 GTY IRP GLN MCH BRI CAL RCH DOV KAN CLT MEM TEX PHO HOM 76th 408 2006 Joe Gibbs Racing 18 Chevy DAY CAL MXC LVS ATL BRI TEX NSH PHO TAL RCH DAR CLT DOV NSH KEN MLWQL† DAY CHI NHA MAR GTY IRP GLN MCH BRI CAL 52nd 814 Brewco Motorsports 27 Ford RCH23 DOV29 KAN17 CLT17 MEM17 TEX18 PHO23 HOM21 2007 37 DAY CAL MXC LVS ATL BRI NSH TEX PHO TAL RCH DAR CLT DOV NSH KEN MLW NHA DAY CHI GTY IRP CGVQL‡ GLN MCH BRI CAL RCH 80th 412 Baker Curb Racing DOV14 TEX26 PHO HOM 27 KAN18 CLT22 Joe Gibbs Racing 20 Chevy MEMQL† 2008 Day Enterprises 05 Ford DAY CAL LVS ATL BRI NSH TEX PHO MXC TAL RCH DAR CLT DOV NSH KEN MLW NHA DAY CHI GTY33 IRP CGV GLN MCH BRI40 CAL HOMDNQ 93rd 201 Curb Racing 27 Ford RCH23 DOV KAN CLT MEM TEX PHO 2009 Day Enterprises 85 Chevy DAY CAL40 TEXDNQ PHO41 HOM 44th 1178 05 Ford LVS35 TEX27 PHO31 TAL CLTDNQ CHI37 IOW35 GLN MCHDNQ ATL38 Chevy BRI25 NSH22 RCH25 DAR43 DOV43 NSH40 KEN MLW25 NHA40 DAY GTY34 IRP BRI41 CGV RCHDNQ DOV36 KAN36 CALDNQ CLTDNQ Joe Gibbs Racing 18 Toyota MEMQL±† - Qualified for J. J. Yeley · ‡ - Qualified for Greg Biffle · ± - Qualified for Kyle Busch

Craftsman Truck Series NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series results Year Team 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 Pts Ref 1996 Chuck Spicer Racing 48 Chevy HOM PHO POR EVG TUS CNS HPT BRI NZH MLW LVL I70 IRP FLM GLN NSV32 RCH NHA MAR NWS SON MMR PHO LVS 123rd 60 2005 Bobby Hamilton Racing 4 Dodge DAY14 CAL11 ATL22 MAR GTY MFD CLT DOV TEX MCH MLW KAN KEN MEM IRP NSH BRI RCH NHA LVS MAR ATL TEX PHO HOM 52nd 348

ARCA Re/Max Series (key) (Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time. Italics – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led.) ARCA Re/Max Series results Year Team No. Make 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 Pts Ref 2002 Evernham Motorsports 19 Dodge DAY ATL NSH SLM KEN CLT KAN POC MCH TOL SBO KEN BLN POC1* NSH ISF WIN DSF CHI SLM TAL CLT 100th 260 2004 FitzBradshaw Racing 14 Chevy DAY NSH2 SLM KEN TOL CLT KAN POC MCH SBO BLN KEN GTW POC LER NSH ISF TOL DSF CHI SLM TAL 98th 245

Season still in progress 1 Ineligible for series points