Furniture Row alliance with RCR delivers 07's points

DENVER -- Furniture Row Racing has expanded its personnel roster in anticipation of running the full Sprint Cup Series schedule, and it will start the season locked into the starting lineup for the first five races thanks to a technical and engineering alliance with Richard Childress Racing, which includes a set of owners' points.

RCR had the 21st-place owners' points from 2009 that were accrued by driver Casey Mears in the No. 07 Chevrolet. That team has been eliminated due to no sponsorship.

Smith

"Being a single-car team against the mega, multi-car teams has put us at a huge disadvantage over the years," FRR general manager Joe Garone said. "Now that we have formed an alliance with RCR, we will have the ability to be secured in the top 35 and keep a better pace with the other multi-car teams. RCR has always been a leader and a winner, and we are proud to be affiliated with Richard Childress and his outstanding organization."

On the surface Furniture Row looks basically the same. But behind the scenes it's a whole new look as the team made significant personnel moves during the offseason as it readies to return to a full 36-race schedule in 2010. Furniture Row owner Barney Visser started his team in 2005 and has run a mix of full and partial schedules since.

The team's driver (Regan Smith), car number (78) and car manufacturer (Chevrolet) remain the same. But beyond that the Denver-based team is quite different than it has been in recent years. For starters, more than 20 new employees were hired during the offseason, increasing Furniture Row's growing staff to more than 60.

"No question we stepped it up the past few months," Garone said. "We have a deep commitment to excel and went after and acquired some of the best and experienced talent in the NASCAR garage to go along with our already talented staff. The excitement and anticipation levels at the shop are at an all-time high."

Regarding the team's decision to return to full-time Cup racing, Garone said, "Furniture Row Companies is a national chain with more than 330 stores in 31 states. Utilizing the NASCAR sponsorship has proven to be the most cost-effective way to advertise on a national level."

The newness of the behind-the-scenes Furniture Row Racing team includes a new crew chief (Ryan Coniam), new car chief (Pete Rondeau), new managing director of competition (Mark McArdle) and two new race engineers in Cole Pearn and Josh Browne. Each comes to Furniture Row with an experienced NASCAR background.

Coniam was a race engineer at Michael Waltrip Racing, McArdle was an engine and technical specialist in Indy Car racing with Penske Racing and Ilmor Engineering. For the past six years, he oversaw the engine program at Evernham Motorsports, which eventually transformed into Richard Petty Motorsports. Rondeau, a former crew chief at Dale Earnhardt Inc, was the director of research and development the past four years at Richard Petty Motorsports. Engineers Pearn and Browne also came from high-profile positions -- Pearn at RCR and Browne at Red Bull Racing Team.

"I went to the shop last week and it was like I was entering it for the first time -- it was just a different atmosphere," said Smith, who begins his second season as driver of the No. 78. "The new people, the RCR alliance plus an already strong foundation bring a new spirit and it's all great. I've never been this pumped prior to the start of the season. And to know that we don't have to go through the gut-wrenching qualifying process -- especially at Daytona -- is an incredible relief."

Related:
• Furniture Row Racing fills three key positions