HOF and Yates join for Sprint Cup

HOF will have their No.96 entry operated by Yates Racing from their workshop in Concord, North Carolina, meaning the end of their former partnership with Joe Gibbs Racing. The team will now run a Ford Fusion, having previously switched from Chevrolet to Toyota last year.

A driver for what will effectively become Yates Racing's third car is expected to be named soon. David Gilliland, Travis Kvapil and Paul Menard are currently under contract for the team but it remains to be revealed which car each will drive this season.

The announcement of the partnership comes only days after Petty Enterprises joined forces with Gillett Evernham Motorsports, as teams continue to feel the impact of the economic downturn in the US economy.

"This partnership with Hall of Fame is a great stepping stone for the Yates organisation," said Yates Racing's Max Jones. "Through this partnership, we are able to continue the expansion of our shop and field another Sprint Cup entry. We, along with Ford Racing, welcome Hall of Fame Racing and look forward to a very successful season."

Last season, JJ Yeley started as the driver of HOF's No.96 car after losing his seat at Joe Gibbs Racing to Kyle Busch. He was released by the team in August and replaced by a number of drivers including Joe Gibbs' protege Joey Logano.

"Jeff Moorad and I knew it would take time to construct the right model to improve our competitive position in the sport and we think we've come a long way to achieving that through our association with Yates Racing," said HOF's co-owner Tom Garfinkel.

"We're proud to be associated with Doug, Max and Ford Racing in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series."

The Hall of Fame Racing entry will run for the first time on February 12 during the Daytona 500 Gatorade Duels. The car will have to be qualified for the season-opener through the duels, as it finished last season out of the top-35 in the owner standings.