Smith to drive #41 in Atlanta
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| Regan Smith |
Stewart-Haas Racing will run the No. 41 Chevrolet at Atlanta Motor Speedway this weekend with Regan Smith behind the wheel for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500, the organization announced Monday.
Smith will begin driving the No. 41 car during an open test session at Atlanta on Thursday, according to a team release.
An interim driver for the Kobalt 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on March 8, and races beyond that, has not been determined, according to the team.
Kurt Busch, the full-time driver entering the season, was suspended by NASCAR for an indefinite amount of time on Friday after the conclusions reached by Kent County (Delaware) Commissioner David Jones stated that a "preponderance of the evidence" indicated that Busch "committed an act of domestic violence" against former girlfriend Patricia Driscoll last September at Dover International Speedway. The findings were released four days after a Delaware family court granted Driscoll's request for an Order of Protection from Abuse, stemming from their alleged altercation in Busch's motor coach. Both of Busch's appeals were denied on Saturday.
Busch's punishment fell under two headings in NASCAR's rule book: Section 12.1.a: Actions detrimental to stock car racing; and 12.8: Behavioral penalty.
Smith, last year's NASCAR XFINITY Series runner-up, subbed for Busch in the Daytona 500 and finished 16th, which was the second-highest result for the four SHR cars in the field.
Smith has made six career starts at Atlanta in the Sprint Cup Series and has a pair of 14th-place finishes. His average finish is 24.3 at the 1.54-mile track.
The Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 is set for Sunday, March 1, at 1 p.m. ET with TV coverage on FOX.