“New Nationwide Team experiences “Miracle Month” preparing for debut”
Mooresville, NC (June 28, 2010) … It’s been nothing short of a miracle,
but Carl Long and the Fleur-De-Lis Motorsports team are ready for their
NASCAR Nationwide Series debut in the Subway Jalapeno 250 powered by
Coca-Cola at the Daytona International Speedway on July 2nd.
Fleur-De-Lis Motorsports was formed by Craig Partee to compete in the
four NASCAR Nationwide Series COT races in 2010. Partee, owner of
Fleur-De-Lis Construction in Seneca Falls, New York, has an extensive
background in motorsports as a driver in SCCA and a crewmember in the
NASCAR K&N East, Nationwide, and Sprint Cup Series. After months of
planning, Partee purchased a former NASCAR Sprint Cup Series COT
chassis from DEI, Inc. on Tuesday, June 1st. That same day, Partee
arranged a motor deal with Automotive Specialist Racing Engines.
With basically three men – Partee, Crew Chief Morris Van Vleet, and
driver Carl Long – the team cut the body off the car, fixed the roof,
and had the front horns and rear wheel hubs changed to meet NASCAR
requirements for the Nationwide Series COT. The car was taken to the
NASCAR Research & Development (R & D) Center for certification on
Monday, June 14th. Later that afternoon, the car was approved and taken
to the body shop for further preparation.
Van Vleet, Partee, and Long picked up the car from the body shop and took it to the paint shop on
Saturday, June 19th. They got their Chevrolet from the paint shop
Tuesday night, June 22nd, and began building the car in Van Vleet’s
Mooresville, North Carolina shop on Wednesday, June 23rd. Seven days
later on Tuesday, June 29th, Fleur-De-Lis Motorsports will unveil their
#68 Chevrolet at Daytona International Speedway. For those of you
counting, that’s 29 days from purchasing the chassis to rolling the
newly-finished Nationwide Series COT entry out of the hauler at
Daytona. That’s quite an accomplishment for three men with a dream.
Of course, this project would not have been possible without the
support of several businesses. Fleur-De-Lis Motorsports will have the
support of Marro’s Truck & Welding, A+ Plumbing and Heating,
Fleur-De-Lis Farms, Fleur-De-Lis Construction, and The Garlic Garage
for the Subway Jalapeno 250 at Daytona.
“It’s been a very hectic and fast-paced month,” Partee stated. “I’m
approaching this team just like I’ve done with my business – with long
hours and hard work. My company believes in “turning dreams into
reality” for home and business owners. I’ve turned my dreams into
reality with this race team, and I believe that I can do the same for
our team members, sponsors, and supporters.”
“I’m excited about the opportunity to drive for Craig (Partee) and
Fleur-De-Lis Motorsports,” Long added. “I’ve known Craig for several
years and have worked with Morris (Crew Chief Van Vleet) in the NASCAR
Camping World Truck Series this year in selected races. I know how hard
these guys have worked to make this dream come true. It’s really been a
‘labor of love’ for all of us.”
Practice for the Subway Jalapeno 250 powered by Coca-Cola begins at 1
PM on Wednesday, June 30th, and will continue Thursday with two more
sessions at 2 and 5:30 PM. Qualifying is 1 PM ET on Friday with the
100-lap, 250-mile race set to start at 8 PM ET.
- Fleur-De-Lis Motorsports Press Release
