In the world of NASCAR, times have gotten tough.  Teams are struggling to survive, and partnerships are being forged to prevent some of these teams from making a complete exit from the sport.  These days, the face of racing is changing on a daily basis.  I took a few moments to explore what it means to be involved as an independent, single vehicle team at Key Motorsports, a NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series organization on the outskirts of Mooresville NC. 

 

Key Motorsports has an interesting story and one well worth telling. Curtis Key decided to go racing in 1992, not as a profession but as a passion, by purchasing the assets of the race team owned by former NASCAR Busch Grand National Series Champion Tommy Ellis.  Mr. Key, a successful plumbing, HVAC and electrical contractor out of Chesapeake, Virginia, had determined that golf, sailing, hunting, fishing or taking long vacations to exotic places were not his idea of fun. Having held a long-time interest in auto racing, though, he took on the task of building his own team to support his passion for the sport. 

 

Key’s interest grew as his team did, and his foray into the Busch Series put him in the driver's seat to watch the burgeoning of popularity in the sport he loved.   Key Motorsports raced out of Mr. Key's hometown of Chesapeake for three years before making the move to the Mooresville area from where the operation was based for the following four years.  A family tragedy unfortunately forced Mr. Key to give up his dreams of racing in 1999 and return to his family and business in Virginia. 

 

With the thoughts of making it in big time auto racing never far from his thoughts, Mr. Key, showing the steel determination required for success in any business and in particular Motorsports, made his return to the racing arena in 2002.  This time, he opted to join the ranks of the fierce competitors of the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series and fielded an entry in the 2004 Daytona season opener.

 

Mr. Key returned to Mooresville, NC in late 2005 after realizing that the area offered the talent and technology required to run a competitive team.

 

In 2006, Key Motorsports completed its first full season of competition in any Series and enjoyed some solid runs in the NCTS that included several top 15 and top 20 finishes with the help of a variety of drivers.

 

As the 2007 season opener approaches, Key Motorsports has kicked into high gear and is hoping that the fate of the team does not lie like so many others before them - behind a locked door and in a darkened shop. 

 

Having acquired championship crew chief Barry Dodson and enlisting talented drivers is not all that it takes to create a fiscally sound and successful race team.  Like most, Key Motorsports has strived to find corporate sponsorship, and as a good number of teams in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck

Series are finding out, it has been a challenging adventure.   Not to be deterred from his ultimate goal of simply fielding a competitive race team from week to week, Key has readied his staff for this season’s Series’ opener in Daytona with or without sponsorship. 

 

In NASCAR like the corporate world, the big conglomerates seem to be gobbling up everything available, thus making it extremely difficult for the little guy to survive.  They just may be underestimating this "little guy", however.

 

Curtis W. Key, Sr. has a passion for the sport, and despite having the odds stacked against him, he has battled hard to be in the position in which he is in today.

 

"I have spent nearly $2 million since November 2005 to be in the position I am in now, and I am determined to have that investment provide a return, but it’s not in terms of revenue. It’s in successful outings on the race track,” Key explained. "However, I won't be able to do it much longer without getting the help of corporate sponsorship, so I have a 4-person sales and marketing staff doing nothing but contacting potential sponsors.

I have always believed that the more things you throw up against the wall, sooner or later something has to stick. That's what I am counting on to make 2007 the best year ever for Key Motorsports." 

 

Key's no. 40 truck performed reasonably well in testing at Daytona this past week, and his goals are obviously clear - qualify for the race and run well.  When you watch the season opener this year, set your driver preferences aside and just for a moment remember to cheer for "the little guy". This team can use all the help they can get.