Notebook: Keller tabbed for second Rensi car

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- Team Rensi Motorsports, owned by former McDonald's USA president and CEO Ed Rensi and his brother Sam, announced Wednesday that the fast food company would sponsor the team's second full-time car in the NASCAR Busch Series, driven by veteran Jason Keller.

Jason Keller Credit: Team photo

McDonald's executed a "multi-year agreement" to sponsor the red, black and yellow No. 35 Ford that will be driven by Keller, who has driven full-time in the series since 1994.

Team Rensi Motorsports, which also fields the No. 25 Ford that will be driven this season by Ashton Lewis, has five career wins and has posted three top-10 finishes in the owners' point standings since joining the Busch Series in 1998.

Keller, 34, a native of Greenville, S.C., has enjoyed a successful career in the Busch Series, finishing in the top 10 in the season standings the past five years and seven of the last nine. His best point finish was second -- in both 2000 and 2002.

"This is a great opportunity and I'm looking forward to being part of a solid operation with Team Rensi and having an association with a legendary company in McDonald's," Keller said. "I've been affiliated with excellent sponsors in the past, but having McDonald's is special. This is the most excited my two children -- Joe and Jade -- have been about a sponsor."

McLaughlin subs for Stewart

Mike McLaughlin, who drove for Joe Gibbs Racing's Busch Series team in 2001-2002, returned to JGR at the Daytona test as a substitute for Tony Stewart in the No. 20 Chevrolet.

Mike McLaughlin Credit: Autostock

According to a representative from the Howard-Boss Motorsports team for which Stewart is scheduled to drive in the Speedweeks opening Rolex 24 At Daytona, Stewart missed last weekend's sports car test with that team because of the Chili Bowl Midget race in Tulsa, Okla., followed by a trip to Australia.

This is the second consecutive year that McLaughlin has stood in for Stewart at Daytona's Preseason Thunder testing. In 2004, Stewart opened the test and McLaughlin ran Stewart's car the second day.

Petty, Gordon surprised by new Daytona

Richard Petty spoke for the old guard and Jeff Gordon spoke up for youth Tuesday -- but both unanimously said Daytona's infield renovations were nearly mind-boggling.

"I spent 15 minutes trying to find the racetrack once I got through the tunnel," Petty said. "I'm overwhelmed with it. When I came here for the first race in 1959, we didn't come down here and test then -- we just came and ran the race.

"So the changes are unreal. I'm going to have to spend the rest of the day trying to find where I'm at in Daytona and I've been coming since they first opened the place. It's like a first trip again -- even more so now because I'm overwhelmed with it more than I would've been then."

Jeff Gordon talks with crew chief Robbie Loomis during testing Tuesday. Credit: Autostock

Gordon's first trip to Daytona was for testing before the 1992 season, and the situation was an eye opener for him, as well.

"It's definitely a big change when you've been coming here for a long time -- this is my 12th season in the Cup Series, anyway," Gordon said. "You get to where you work your way into these tracks and you have an area where you like to park and you know where your truck is and where you team is and everything.

"Today when I came in, I didn't even know if my team was here (laughing). I didn't see my car and I was on the wrong side of the garage -- but it's really awesome."

Gordon was only one of the competitors who complained about the racecars' traffic flow within the new garages.

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"We've got to work a little bit on the flow of how the cars come in and out of the garage," Gordon said. "But this is certainly beautiful. I'm trying to get coordinated with what was here before and I'm sure everybody is doing the same thing."

Kyle Petty's concern was simpler.

"I'd like to know who has the mathematical formula to figure out bathrooms at these racetracks," Petty said. "They have a garage area for what, 600 people and they have two toilets and three (urinals). There is no formula."

For the record, there are three separate restroom facilities in the Nextel Cup garage.

Talladega testing

A couple teams might have been warming up for upcoming Preseason Thunder sessions with a test Tuesday and Wednesday at Talladega Superspeedway.

Joe Ruttman tested a Phoenix Racing Nextel Cup car for owner James Finch, while Johnny Sauter tested Phoenix's Busch ride -- which is his full season gig. Former ARCA RE/MAX Series driver Keith Segars tested a Cup car for Morgan-McClure Motorsports.