Finch working on driver lineup for No. 51

UPDATE #2 Phoenix Racing will put Regan Smith in its car for the Daytona 500 and plans to have Smith and AJ Allmendinger share driving duties for its Sprint Cup team in 2013. It also hopes to reunite with Kurt Busch for Nationwide Series races. Team general manager Steve Barkdoll said Tuesday that the team plans to field a Cup car for the entire season and a Nationwide car for restrictor-plate events plus other select races. Smith will drive the Cup car at Daytona and possibly in seven to 10 races throughout the season. Barkdoll said he expects Allmendinger's first race to be at Phoenix.

The team plans to announce sponsorship for the Cup events at Daytona and Las Vegas as well as the Nationwide race at Daytona soon. Barkdoll said the current plan is to run a full season in Cup but if no sponsorship materializes during the season, the schedule could be cut back. The team will use Hendrick engines all season, Barkdoll said. Sporting News

01/08/13 James (Finch) telling Newschannel 7 Sports he's committed to run at least 18 Cup races in 2013, starting with the Daytona 500. He says he's secured a sponsor for both Daytona races in February, but won't announce that sponsor until after the first. James says Regan Smith will drive for Phoenix in the Daytona 500. Finch will use Smith for some other Cup races, though he'll have to share Smith, since he will drive the Nationwide Series for JR Motorsports. Allmendinger is another driver Finch would like to use on the Cup Series.

AJ ran the final four races of 2012 for Phoenix and James says he liked how AJ handled the car. Allmendinger though apparently considering some offers to race Indy cars. As for running the whole cup circuit, Finch says he's hoping for some early success and that more sponsorship will come along, making running a full slate more possible. News Channel 7, Panama City Beach, FL

12/28/12 Lynn Haven, FL—Racing fans will see James Finch and Phoenix Racing on the Sprint Cup Circuit next season, you can count on that.

Last year Finch gave Kurt Busch a chance at redemption, and the Phoenix team had to tolerate all of Busch's nonsense, his constantly wrecking cars, and his eventual ungrateful departure.

That and a lack of sponsorship left Finch rethinking his desire to continue with Cup racing.

James though telling Newschannel 7 Sports Friday he's committed to run at least 18 Cup races in 2013, starting with the Daytona 500. He says he's secured a sponsor for both Daytona races in February, but won't announce that sponsor until after the first.

James says Regan Smith will drive for Phoenix in the 500. Finch will use Smith for some other Cup races, though he'll have to share Regan Junior, since Smith will drive the Nationwide Series for JR Motorsports.

Allmendinger is another driver Finch would like to use on the Cup Series. AJ ran the final four races of 2012 for Phoenix and James says he liked how AJ handled the car.

Allmendinger though apparently considering some offers to race Indy cars.

As for running the whole cup circuit, Finch says he's hoping for some early success and that more sponsorship will come along, making running a full slate more possible.