West Wardsboro [Vermont] businessman Bill Jenkins has purchased the car number, owner points, and equipment from the #26 team formerly campaigned by Roush Fenway Racing and driver Jamie McMurray in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. Jenkins plans to contest the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series schedule beginning with next month's Daytona 500 at Daytona Int'l Speedway in Florida. "I'm a huge race fan and I've always wanted to do this," Jenkins told Vermont Motorsports Magazine on Tuesday. "The opportunity presented itself, and I took it." Jenkins and his wife, Sandy, are the owners of Latitude 43, an organic soap company. Originally from New York City, Jenkins moved to New England in 1990 and has homes in Vermont and Maine. He plans to keep strong ties to the northeast with his new adventure, starting with the core of the team; Jenkins has hired North Haverhill, N.H. native Frank Stoddard as crew chief. Stoddard won 17 Sprint Cup Series races with Roush-Fenway Racing and driver Jeff Burton in the late 1990s and early 2000s. "We have a shop in Concord, N.C. and we could do all of our business down there, but we're staying true to Vermont," said Jenkins. "I consider Vermont my home, and I have for almost 20 years. There are a lot of race fans here in Vermont, and I'd like to think this may be a big deal for them and give them something to cheer for. We will do all of our banking through Vermont and try to focus on the state as much as we can." Jenkins said that he realizes there is a lot of work to do before the season starts on Feb. 14 in the biggest stock car race in the world. "We don't have any sponsors, and I realize that we will be the only blank canvas in the top-35 at Daytona," he said. "We've been contacted by several companies that otherwise couldn't become involved in NASCAR for various reasons, and we think we'll find something soon." The 61-year old said he drew inspiration from a close friend, Middlebury car dealership mogul and veteran Devil's Bowl Speedway racer Gardner Stone, before he made the transaction with Roush-Fenway: "One of Gardner's favorite sayings is 'Life isn't a dress rehearsal.' I've been around racing since I was a kid. I remember guys driving around with cigarettes in their mouths and their arms hanging out the window. Now, all these years later, I finally have a chance to get involved. It's all very exciting. I celebrated for about ten minutes when we signed the deal, but then I put my head down in the ditch and got to work. (Vermont Motorsports Magazine)
Joey Logano got his second NASCAR Toyota All-Star Showdown trophy and Sergio Pena nearly made a historic debut on the national stage. Logano, 19, held off the 16-year-old Pena and two-time race winner Matt Kobyluck for the victory in the 225-lap race Saturday before a sold-out crowd in Toyota Speedway at Irwindale. It was Pena's first career race in NASCAR's top developmental series and it came in the non-points, postseason event, which has earned the moniker the "Daytona 500 of short-track racing." Logano made his mark by winning as a 17-year-old rookie in the 2007 edition; Pena, who only has one year of Late Model racing on his resume, nearly out-did that. “He was really good,” Logano said of Pena. “I had to really be methodical in every move I made.” Logano and Pena waged a race-long battle for the lead from drop of the green. For most of the race it was the Pena in heated pursuit of the 2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Rookie of the Year. Pena was able to grab the lead on several occasions. Logano, however, got the best of two late-race restarts to pull away for the victory. Kobyluck got by Pena briefly on Lap 218, and by the time Pena got back to second four laps later, he didn't have enough time to track Logano back down. “I had a blast,” Logano said. “I have fun every time I come out there to Toyota Speedway [at Irwindale], and obviously these wins make it a lot more fun.” Logano joined Kobyluck as the only two-time NASCAR Toyota All-Star Showdown winners in the seven-year history of the event. He crossed the line first in the 2009 race, but was penalized to last place for aggressive driving on the last lap. Logano paced a race-high 171 laps Saturday night and has led 341 in his three NASCAR Toyota All-Star Showdown appearances. It was a whirlwind weekend for Pena, from Winchester, Va. Driving for Revolution Racing and Drive For Diversity, Pena beat out three 
teammates Thursday in a race-off for a chance to qualify for the Showdown. He easily did that, earning the pole in Friday's qualifying. Then in Saturday’s race he was involved in five lead changes with Logano. “We had a really good run at the start, and strong car throughout on both the long runs and the short runs,” Pena said. “This has been a huge learning experience for me, and I enjoyed every lap of that race.” Following Logano, Pena and Kobyluck in the top five was Joe Gibbs Racing development driver Matt DiBenedetto and Andrew Myers. Eric Holmes, David Mayhew, Eddie MacDonald, Paulie Harraka and Steve Park rounded out the top 10. Reigning NASCAR K&N Pro Series West Champion Jason Bowles finished 11th while K&N Pro Series East 2009 titlist Ryan Truex was relegated to 26th after a late-race accident. NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver – and California native – David Gilliland had a top-five car early in the event, but an electrical issue on the restart following the first competition caution ended his day prematurely. Richard Childress Racing’s Sean Caisse, who was also looking at a to-five run, exited the race shortly after as well with mechanical issues. (NASCAR MEDIA)
