Did the late Burt Reynolds ever own a NASCAR team? All you need to know
Burton Leon Reynolds Jr., popularly known as Burt Reynolds, was one of the most iconic stars in the 1970s. A renowned name in American popular culture, and a Golden Globe award winner, Reynolds was involved in NASCAR, and even owned a team. The name of his team was Mach 1 Racing, and as of 2024, it is no longer functional.
Reynolds was born on February 11, 1936, to Harriet Fernette "Fern" and Burton Milo Reynolds Sr. in Lansing, Michigan. He attended the Florida State University and started his acting career with Theatre in 1956. Reynolds first came into the spotlight with his roles in television series such as Gunsmoke, Hawk, Dan August and 100 Rifles. However, he rose to prominence with Deliverance in 1972.
Besides these, he also played leading roles in White Lighting, The Longest Yard, Smokey and the Bandit, etc. Finally in 1997, after spending four decades in the film industry, he won the Golden Globe Award for the Best Supporting Actor.
During his time as a movie star, Burt Reynolds teamed up with Hollywood stuntman Hal Needham to form Mach 1 Racing. The team debuted in the 1981 Sprint Cup Series season, and started with one charter, the #22 Pontiac driven Stan Barrett.
Mid-1981, Mach 1 Racing brought in their second car, the #33 for Harry Gant. In total, the team had three drivers race for them: Barrett, Gant and Morgan Shepherd. They had Skoal as sponsor and Buick as Manufacturer.
Burt Reynolds passed away on September 6, 2018, at the age of 82 in Jupiter, Florida, United States.
Mach 1 Racing's NASCAR statistics and it's future
In 1989, Hal Needhan, co-owner of the team, sold Mach 1 Racing to Bill Edwards, marking the end of the team. In their eight year Cup Series stay, the team entered 237 races, claiming nine victories, 13 pole positions, 68 Top 5s, and 110 Top 10s.
The team has since evolved into Front Row Motorsport. Currently owned by Bob Jenkins, FRM competes in the Cup Series with two full-time charters for Michael McDowell and Todd Gilliland.
Notably, FRM also fields a part-time car for Kaz Grala, and has Ford as their manufacturer. In the 2024 Cup Series championship, McDowell is placed in 22nd place, one place ahead of his teammate Gilliland.
Front Row Motorsport was in the news recently after they became one of the two Cup Series teams to disobey NASCAR's latest Charter agreement. The Jenkins-owned team and 23XI Racing also filed a lawsuit against NASCAR over anti-trust issues.