MB Motorsports

American auto race team

MB Motorsports was an American professional stock car racing team that competed in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. The team was based in Foristell, Missouri, and was owned by Mike Mittler until his death in 2019. The team was one of few to field entries every year since the Series' inception in 1995 until 2018. The team formed partnerships with Young's Motorsports, Norm Benning Racing and Copp Motorsports at various points in its history.

MB Motorsports debuted at the 1995 Sears Auto Center 125 at The Milwaukee Mile. Tony Roper drove the No. 26 Mittler Brothers Machine & Tool F 150 to a 22nd place finish. He made another start weeks later at Martinsville Speedway, but finished 27th after suffering rear end problems. Mike Wallace drove the next race at North Wilkesboro Speedway, but finished 29th after an engine failure. The team only made two starts in 1996. Kenny Irwin Jr. drove the first race, and started and finished 32nd. The next race came at Flemington Speedway, where Michael Dokken exited the race after seven laps due to electrical problems. In 1997, the team made a total of three races, with the first one coming at I 70 Speedway with Rick Beebe qualifying ninth but finishing 24th. Jerry Robertson made an additional two starts with Mainstream Technology/Lucas Oil sponsorship, his best finish being 26th. Doug George began the 1998 season with MB, but a failure to finish higher than 30th and three consecutive DNQs forced him out of the ride. The team switched to a part time schedule for the rest of the season, with Randy MacDonald, Beebe, and Bryan Reffner driving. Randy Nelson ran the 1999 season opener, but only completed fifteen laps. Robertson returned to run three races in the MB truck, but only finished one race. Jamie McMurray ran five races for the team, and had a best finish of eleventh at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. McMurray was selected to make a full time run for Rookie of the Year in 2000, but left midway through the season for TKO Motorsports. Tony Roper returned to the team and drove the rest of the season. During the O'Reilly 400K at Texas Motor Speedway on October 13, Roper crashed heavily on lap 33, and suffered a neck injury that would prove fatal the next day. Roper was one of four NASCAR drivers, including Adam Petty, former MB Motorsports driver Kenny Irwin, and seven time Cup Series Champion Dale Earnhardt to be killed on track in less than nine months. MB returned to the track in 2001, switching to the No. 63. Rookie Larry Gunselman joined the team, bringing sponsorship from Waterloo Tool Storage, and occasionally running Chevrolets. He ran seventeen races and had a best finish of sixteenth at Kansas Speedway. Mike Harmon also drove one race at Dover International Speedway, but finished thirty fifth after an early ignition failure. Gunselman drove three early races for MB in 2002, but the team stopped running for a few races until Carl Edwards was hired to run seven races. He recorded the first top ten finish in team history at Kansas. Regan Smith drove two races late in the season, but failed to finish a race. In 2003, Ronnie Hornaday drove two races with Summer Bay Resort sponsoring, but suffered engine failures in both races. David Stover drove the rest of the team's schedule and had two top twenty finishes. In 2004, rookie driver Chris Wimmer drove ten races with Porter Truck Sales sponsorshing, and had a best finish of eighteenth. Justin Allgaier competed in four races the following season, but only had a best finish of 26th, and failed to qualify for five races. After several DNQs in 2006 with J. R. Patton, Allgaier returned the next season for three races, with a best finish of twenty first. Cameron Dodson then took over for four races and had a best finish of 24th. Scott Lynch drove one race, and Brad Keselowski drove in two races under a partnership with K Automotive Racing. Jason White drove the season opening race in 2007 with GunBroker. com sponsoring, but the race ended in a crash. For the rest of the season, Scott Lynch and Jack Smith shared the ride with Cooper Bussman sponsoring. The team also fielded a second truck in the first time in its history at Gateway International Raceway. Smith drove but qualified and finished last, failing to complete a lap. In 2008, Diversified Partners sponsored the season opening race with P. J. Jones driving, but he wrecked early. Jones and Smith drove two races a piece, with Allgaier returning with a 24th place finish at Kentucky Speedway. The team also fielded a second truck, the No. 36 at Texas Motor Speedway. J. C. Stout finished 34th after an early vibration put him out of contention. In 2009, Mittler fielded the No. 63 again, this time for Tim Andrews at Chicago and Texas, where he finished 25th both times, and for Ben Stancil at Kansas, Kentucky, and Charlotte, with a best finish of 19th. For 2010, young driver Nick Hoffman made his Truck Series debut at IRP finishing 23rd. Jack Smith ran at Kansas, Texas, and Gateway, impressing with all top 25 finishes. Hoffman and Smith would return to MB the following year, with Hoffman running at Nashville and Kansas but only scored a best finish of 25th. Smith's return to MB brought sponsorship from Seal Wrap, as well as consulting from Paul Andrews. Making six starts that season, Smith would get a career best finish of 11th at Atlanta. However, Smith was suspended by NASCAR for failing a drug test. Young driver Tyler Tanner, who brought sponsorship from EF 65, made his debut at Martinsville. The team stuck to the trio of Hoffman (two races), Smith (six races), and Tanner (one race) for a part time effort in 2011. Smith recorded the best finish, an eleventh, but was indefinitely suspended by NASCAR at the end of the season for violating its substance abuse policy, ending any partnership between the team and Smith. Switching to truck number 65 in 2012, only five races were run, two apiece with Justin Jennings and Scott Stenzel and one with Chris Lafferty. Jennings returned to the team and No. 63 in 2013, with Stenzel again returning for one. MB went full time in 2014, the first season since its inception that a full time effort was made. However, a partnership with Young's Motorsports, then in its infancy, was needed to make it through the season. Jennings ran a large portion of the schedule, but Stenzel and Blake Koch also drove Mittler trucks during the season. In 2015, 16 year old Jake Griffin from Quincy, Illinois, was hired to drive for the team. Griffin, the youngest driver to win a NASCAR sanctioned event after winning a race at age 14, made his debut with the team at Martinsville. At Eldora Speedway, dirt racer Bobby Pierce won the pole in his first attempt. He then finished 2nd after contending for the lead the entire race, despite running an old 2013 Chevy body. Justin Jennings and Tyler Tanner ran the majority of the schedule for the team, which fielded two entries; a full race 63 and a start and park 36. Bobby Gerhart drove the No. 36 at Talladega and finished 12th. The team shuttered the 36 as entry counts rose in 2016. The No. 36 only starts were at Daytona and Talladega with Bobby Gerhart. The team (No. 63) rotated through a number of drivers, some veteran, some developmental. Pierce started 1st although he didn't win the pole at Eldora but contact during the race resulted in a 25th place finish. Midway through the season, the team made a deal with Norm Benning Racing to have Benning field his own trucks with MB's owner points in select events. Bobby Gerhart now drove the No. 63 at Daytona in 2017. The team developed a partnership with Copp Motorsports fielding No. 36, No. 63 and No. 83, similar to the one with NBR the previous season. The team has recently start and parked with various drivers. Landon Huffman drove the No. 83 (usually Copp's number) for the team at Martinsville (fall). Kevin and Kyle Donahue also drove for MB Motorsports with 6 starts between the two. The brothers made history in 2016 being the first in NASCAR to both debut in the same race. Kevin and Kyle have made starts in the 63 and the 36 truck. On May 10, 2019, Mittler died from with cancer at age 67. Various tributes to Mittler were made during the 2019 season: for the Truck Series' 2019 North Carolina Education Lottery 200 at Charlotte Motor Speedway, the trucks carried a special decal, while the Mike Mittler Memorial Trophy was presented to the winner of the CarShield 200 at World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway. NASCAR Xfinity Series driver Garrett Smithley drove a paint scheme honoring Mittler in the Sport Clips Haircuts VFW 200 at Darlington Raceway.

Year Driver No. Make 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 Pts 1995 Tony Roper 26 Ford PHO TUS SGS MMR POR EVG I70 LVL BRI MLW22 CNS HPT RCHDNQ MAR27 Andy Brass IRP23 FLM Mike Wallace NWS29 SON MMR PHO 1996 Kenny Irwin Jr. HOM PHO32 POR EVG TUS CNS HPT BRI NZH Randy Porter MLW22 LVL Rick Beebe I7022 IRPDNQ Michael Dokken FLM30 GLN NSV RCH NHA MAR NWS SON MMR PHO Ken Bouchard LVSDNQ 1997 Andy Belmont WDWDNQ TUSDNQ HOM PHODNQ POR EVG 53rd 387 Rick Beebe I7024 NHA TEX BRI NZH Jerry Robertson MLW26 LVL CNS30 HPT IRPDNQ FLM NSV MARDNQ SON MMR CAL PHO Doug George GLNDNQ RCH Perry Tripp LVSDNQ 1998 Billy Bigley Jr. WDWDNQ 31st 1177 Doug George HOM33 PHO30 POR30 EVG32 I70DNQ GLNDNQ Randy MacDonald TEX32 BRI MLW28 NZH CAL PPR IRP23 NHA FLM NSV HPT26 GTY20 MAR SON MMR PHO Bryan Reffner LVL15 RCH35 MEM28 Rick Beebe LVS26 1999 Randy Nelson HOM30 PHO EVG MMR MAR MEM PPR 33rd 777 Jamie McMurray I7024 BRI IRP24 GTY30 HPT RCH LVS11 LVL TEX28 CAL Jerry Robertson TEX25 PIR GLN MLW25 NSV33 NZH MCH NHA 2000 Jamie McMurray DAY20 HOM22 PHO33 MMR30 MAR PIR GTY23 MEM20 PPR32 EVG TEX14 KEN17 GLN MLW31 NHA NZH MCH 31st 1260 Tony Roper IRP30 NSV34 CIC RCH21 DOVDNQ TEX29 CAL 2001 Larry Gunselman 63 DAY18 HOM36 MMR26 MAR17 GTY23 MLW19 KAN16 KEN22 NHA31 IRP31 NSH CIC24 TEX35 LVS33 PHO CAL29 26th 1446 Chevy DAR36 PPR32 NZH33 RCH SBO Mike Harmon DOV35 TEX MEM 2002 Larry Gunselman Ford DAY31 DAR32 MAR GTY30 PPR DOV TEX 30th 1035 Carl Edwards MEM23 MLW28 KAN8 KEN18 NHA MCH IRP19 NSH RCH TEX24 LVS36 CAL Regan Smith SBO29 PHO30 HOM 2003 Ronnie Hornaday DAY27 DAR MMR MAR CLT32 DOV TEX 36th 775 David Stover MEM25 MLW18 KAN27 KEN GTW26 MCH IRP35 NSH BRI17 RCH NHA CAL LVSDNQ SBO TEX30 MAR PHO HOM 2004 Chris Wimmer DAY ATL MARDNQ MFD36 CLT DOV TEX MEM36 MLW20 KAN18 KEN21 GTW24 MCH IRPDNQ NSH33 BRI25 RCH36 NHA LVSDNQ CAL29 TEX27 MAR PHO33 DAR 35th 1095 Brad Keselowski HOMDNQ 2005 J. R. Patton DAYDNQ CAL ATL 41st 589 Justin Allgaier MARDNQ GTYDNQ MFD CLT DOV TEX MCH MLW26 KAN36 KENDNQ MEMDNQ IRP NSH BRI RCH NHA LVS27 MAR ATL TEX27 PHO HOMDNQ 2006 J. R. Patton DAYDNQ CAL ATL GTYDNQ CLTDNQ MFD DOV TEXDNQ MCH 37th 1017 Justin Martz MARDNQ Justin Allgaier MLW22 KAN21 KEN36 MEM Cameron Dodson IRP29 NSH NHA24 MAR30 ATL TEX PHO30 Brad Keselowski BRI34 HOM24 Scott Lynch LVS35 TAL 2007 Jason White DAY35 CAL ATL MAR 34th 793 Scott Lynch KAN20 CLT DOV27 TEX MCH IRP31 NSH BRI GTW26 NHA LVS TAL MAR ATL33 TEX28 PHO Dodge HOMDNQ Jack Smith Ford MFD27 MLW25 MEM KEN27 2008 P. J. Jones DAY35 CAL ATL MAR 35th 609 Chevy TEX23 MCH MLW MEM Jack Smith Ford KAN22 CLT MFD32 DOV GTW22 NHA LVS TAL MAR ATL TEX21 PHO HOM Justin Allgaier KEN24 IRP NSH BRI 2009 Ben Stancill DAY CAL ATL MAR KAN25 CLT19 DOV TEX MCH MLW MEM KEN35 IRP NSH BRI GTWDNQ NHA LVS MAR TAL TEX PHO HOM 47th 386 Tim Andrews CHI25 IOW 2010 Jack Smith DAY ATL MAR NSH KAN14 DOV CLT TEX15 MCH IOW GTW23 45th 432 Nick Hoffman IRP23 POC NSH DAR BRI CHI KEN NHA LVS MAR TAL TEX PHO HOM 2011 DAY PHO DAR MAR NSH34 DOV CLT KAN25 TEX 37th 143 Jack Smith KEN18 IOW29 NSH IRP28 POC MCH BRI ATL11 CHI23 NHA KEN LVS TAL MAR TEX26 HOM 2012 Caleb Roark DAYDNQ 40th 106 Tyler Tanner 65 MARDNQ CAR Scott Stenzel Chevy KAN24 CLT DOV TEX24 KEN Justin Jennings Ford IOW23 IOW20 KEN Chris Lafferty Chevy CHIDNQ POC MCH BRI ATL LVS24 TAL MAR TEX PHO HOM 2013 Scott Stenzel 63 Ford DAYDNQ MAR CAR TAL25 MAR 35th 176 Justin Jennings Chevy KAN18 CLT DOV TEX24 KEN30 IOW23 CHI30 LVS TEX19 PHO HOM Ford IOW28 ELD23 POC MCH BRI MSP 2014 Justin Jennings Chevy DAY16 MAR25 KAN16 CLT29 DOV19 TEX26 GTW32 KEN18 IOW15 POC32 MCH23 BRI16 CHI22 LVS21 MAR35 TEX23 PHO34 HOM22 21st 457 J. R. Heffner ELD18 NHA23 Scott Stenzel MSP24 TAL22 2015 Justin Jennings DAYDNQ DOV28 KEN22 BRI20 CHI19 TEX25 20th 513 Garrett Smithley ATL18 POC16 MCH14 HOM28 Jake Griffin MAR26 IOW27 Tyler Tanner KAN15 CLT21 TEX17 GTW16 TAL26 Bobby Pierce ELD2 MAR22 Daniel Brown MSP27 Akinori Ogata NHA18 LVS23 PHO27 2016 Reed Sorenson DAYDNQ 32nd 130 Garrett Smithley ATL18 Spencer Boyd Ram MAR28 Bobby Pierce Chevy KAN23 DOV26 CLT27 ELD25* Mike Bliss TEX28 Jake Griffin IOW21 GTW30 BRIDNQ Norm Benning KEN28 POC23 MCH27 MSP20 LVS26 TEX32 PHO26 HOMDNQ Jesse Little CHI29 Akinori Ogata NHA31 Ryan Ellis TALDNQ Kyle Donahue MAR31 2017 Bobby Gerhart DAY21 TAL11 27th 274 J. J. Yeley ATLDNQ TEX29 Kyle DonahueMAR16 GTW16 IOW26 Kevin Donahue KAN21 TEX27 CHI29 Todd Peck CLT32 MSP29 LVS29 Camden Murphy DOV32 KEN30 NHA27 Bobby Pierce ELD6 Travis Kvapil POC26 B. J. McLeod MCH24 Landon Huffman BRI20 Chris Windom MAR32 HOM26 Ted Minor PHO31 2018 Bobby Gerhart DAYDNQ TAL23 32nd 146 Akinori Ogata ATL30 Scott Stenzel LVS32 Kevin Donahue MAR30 KAN32 GTW12 J. J. Yeley CLT32 IOW32 CHI29 Kyle Donahue TEX28 MAR22 TEX Bayley Currey KEN30 POC32 Kyle Strickler ELD31 Timmy Hill MCH32 BRI MSP LVS Jesse Iwuji PHO27 HOM

Year Driver No. Make 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 Pts 2004 Patrick Lawson 26 Ford DAY ATL MAR MFD CLT DOV TEX MEM MLW KAN KEN GTW MCH IRPDNQ NSH BRI RCH NHA LVS CAL TEX MAR PHO DAR HOM 83rd 16 2007 Jack Smith 68 DAY CAL ATL MAR KAN CLT MFD DOV TEX MCH MLW MEM KEN IRP NSH BRI GTW36 NHA LVS TAL MAR ATL TEX PHO HOM N/A 0 2008 J. C. Stout 36 DAY CAL ATL MAR KAN CLT MFD DOV TEX34 MCH MLW MEM KEN IRP NSH BRI GTW33 NHA LVS TAL MAR ATL TEX26 PHO HOM 47th 210 2009 Jack Smith DAY CAL ATL MAR KAN CLT DOV TEX MCH MLW MEM KENDNQ IRP NSH BRI CHI IOW GTWDNQ NHA LVS MAR TAL 58th 186 Tim Andrews TEX25 PHO HOM 2011 Tyler Tanner 65 DAY PHO DAR MAR NSH DOV CLT KAN TEX KEN IOW NSH IRP POC MCH BRI ATL CHI NHA KEN LVS TAL MAR30 TEX HOM 68th 14 2014 Scott Stenzel 36 Chevy DAY MAR KAN31 CLT CHI29 LVS28 HOM33 32nd 153 Ram GTW28 KEN IOW ELD POC MCH Blake Koch DOV35 TEX BRI35 Chevy TEX32 Justin Jennings MSP26 NHA29 TAL35 MAR Tyler Tanner Ram PHO21 2015 Justin Jennings Chevy DAY ATL MAR KAN27 CLT30 TEX26 GTW29 IOW31 KEN ELD POC31 MCH32 MSP29 NHA32 LVS29 30th 241 Tyler Tanner DOV31 BRI32 CHI32 TEX31 Bobby Gerhart TAL12 MAR Bobby Pierce PHO16 HOMDNQ 2016 Bobby Gerhart DAY12 ATL MAR KAN DOV CLT TEX IOW GTW KEN ELD POC BRI MCH MSP CHI NHA LVS TAL17 MAR TEX PHO HOM 38th 37 2017 Camden Murphy DAY ATL MAR KAN30 CLT POC28 MCH25 HOM27 38th 91 J. J. Yeley DOV29 TEX Kevin Donahue GTW IOW KEN Chris Windom ELD19 BRIDNQ MSP B. J. McLeod CHI30 NHA LVS TAL MAR TEX PHO 2018 Bayley Currey DAY ATL LVS MAR DOV KAN29 CLT TEX IOW GTW CHI KEN ELD POC MCH BRI MSP LVS TAL MAR TEX PHO HOM 55th 8