Bring on the Herd!

Showing Herd pride, fans will see the schematic of the #75 Marshall Dodge Charger, sanctioned by NASCAR, during the Capitol City Classic tonight.
The car isn’t complete yet, said Herd Racing LLC majority shareholder Dana Tomes, but he’s hoping and believing to have it ready realistically for the Nationwide Series (formerly Busch) by California, Las Vegas and Phoenix, Feb. 24, March 10 and April 20 respectively.

“It all comes down to money,” Tomes said. The plan is to raise $1.5 million from Marshall University alumni and another $1.5 million from shareholders. The university has signed on to allow the team to use the Marshall name, logo and slogan, “We Are Marshall.” The school is not a financial sponsor, Tomes said.

Car sponsorships range in price from $200,000 for the entire car for one race, to $1,000 to put your company or name on the sidepost for a race.

There is a potential audience of at least 60,000 fans at the tracks, and another 1 million viewers on television, Tomes estimates.

Because of his Marshall University ties, Brett Rowe, 40, of Barboursville has been chosen as the car's driver. Rowe formerly drove in the Busch Series for Revelocity Racing and Day Enterprises. In 2007, Rowe had eight starts, finishing as high as 21st in the Gateway 250. He ran 22 in the Pepsi 300, and had six DNF's.

As money comes available, at least $300,000 per race for car, driver, crew and transportation, Herd Racing will enter the fields. Also a part of the decision of where to race will be proximity to Huntington. Accessibility for the local fans would include Kentucky Speedway, and tracks in Tennessee and Virginia, Tomes said.

Fortunately for the team, they are not having to build a car from the chassis up. With the premier series, Sprint Cup (formerly Nextel Cup), moving to the Car of Tomorrow, hundreds of standard race cars are available. Herd Racing has purchased cars from Yates Racing, Tomes said, and as funding is available, will continue to do so.

Another advantage the Herd team has is partnering with Faith Motorsports with raceshops in Hickory, N.C., in which Tomes is a backer of driver Morgan Shepherd.

“We want this to be something in which the alumni and Huntington can take pride,” Tomes said.