NTS Motorsports was an American professional stock car racing team that competed in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. The team was owned by Californian Bob Newberry, coming into its current form after Joe Denette Motorsports merged with Newberry's NTS team, both of which originally had support from Kevin Harvick. The team's final race was at Daytona in 2016.
History
Joe Denette Motorsports
After Thornburg, Virginia native Joe Denette was laid off from his job in 2009, he entered the lottery, buying a "fistfull" of Mega Millions tickets with the initial dream of buying an RV to travel to races each week. Denette matched six numbers in a May 1 drawing and won $75.6 million, taking a lump sum payment of $46 million. With the money, Denette contacted fellow Virginian and former full-time driver Hermie Sadler about starting his own team in the Camping World Truck Series. After consulting with then team owner Kevin Harvick of KHI, Denette founded his own team in 2011, with trucks and support from KHI and engines from Pro Motor Engines. Denette hired another Virginian, Jason White, who brought sponsorship from GunBroker.com. Coincidentally, Denette bought 23 lottery tickets for his big pay day, and White's sponsor carried the number 23. Hermie's brother and Harvick's Nationwide Series driver Elliott Sadler drove a second truck, the No. 24, for a few races near the end of the season. The team endured some growing pains in 2011; though they scored seven top tens and a pole with Sadler at Bristol, White finished 15th in points. The team fielded both trucks full-time in 2012 with Denette, a long-time Bill Elliott fan, renumbering the 23 truck to No. 9.
NTS Motorsports
Meanwhile, NTS Motorsports was founded by former driver Bob Newberry, also a friend of Kevin Harvick and his father Mike, in Bakersfield, California, fielding cars for son Brennan in the United States Auto Club, K&N Pro Series West, K&N Pro Series East, and the ARCA Racing Series. Mike Harvick served as the younger Newberry's early crew chief. The team ran part-time in the Truck Series with Newberry in 2011 and 2012.
2013–present: merger
In December 2012, JDM merged with NTS, and adopted the latter's name to run the No. 9 truck with Ron Hornaday Jr., the No. 24 truck with Brennan Newberry, and the No. 14 truck with several drivers including Kevin Harvick for the 2013 season. The team moved into Harvick's former KHI facility in Kernersville, NC, with Harvick as an adviser and Bruce Cook as competition director. Hornaday would be released with one race to go in the season.
In 2014, the team expanded to two full-time rides and two part-time rides fielding multiple drivers, including Chase Pistone, Ron Hornaday Jr., Gray Gaulding, Justin Lofton, Austin Dillon, and Brennan Newberry. Dwayne Gaulding was also brought on as the VP of Operations for the team. Newberry was set to run a 12-race truck schedule, while 16-year-old Gaulding competed in 9 races on tracks one mile or shorter. The team also ran two full-time entries in the K&N Pro Series East and a part-time entry in the Nationwide Series with SS-Green Light Racing.
Camping World Truck Series
Truck No. 9 history
The 9 truck was the original entry out of Joe Denette Motorsports. It began as the number 23 truck, with Jason White and sponsor GunBroker.com moving over from SS-Green Light Racing. White scored two top fives and five top tens en route to a 15th-place points finish, and would leave with his sponsor to start their own team. In 2012, four-time series champion Ron Hornaday Jr. would be signed to drive the now-9 truck, moving over from the closed KHI operation of mutual friend Kevin Harvick. Coming off a four win season, Hornaday struggled with the young team, posting two top fives and six top tens against three crashes and five total DNFs to finish 13th in points. It was Hornaday's first season without a win and, at the time, his worst finish in points.
Hornaday returned to the 9 truck for the full season in 2013. After nine top 10 finishes but struggles to find regular sponsorship, the team released Hornaday with one race to go in the season. Hornaday ran Turner Scott Motorsports' 34 truck with his sponsor Smokey Mountain Herbal Snuff at Homestead-Miami, and moved to their 30 truck in 2014. Former KHI driver Nelson Piquet Jr. took over the No. 9 at Homestead.