page_title: Leavine Family Racing
section_title: Car No. 59 history
hierarchical_section_title: Leavine Family Racing / NASCAR Cup Series / Car No. 59 history
caption_attribution_description: English: Michael McDowell
context_page_description: Leavine Family Racing is an American professional stock car racing team that as of 2020 competes in the NASCAR Cup Series. Owned by Sharon and Bob Leavine, the team is headquartered in Tyler, Texas, but operates its racing team from a shop in Concord, North Carolina. In 2016, longtime NASCAR team owner Joe Falk became part of the ownership group, merging his Circle Sport operation with Leavine Family Racing, however as the 2016 season came to an end, Falk left the team securing his charter, and causing Leavine Family Racing to purchase a charter from Tommy Baldwin Racing.
  Leavine Family Racing currently has a technical alliance with Joe Gibbs Racing, with Christopher Bell driving the No. 95 Toyota Camry. The team previously fielded Fords with a technical alliance with Team Penske from 2011 to 2015, and Chevrolets with a technical alliance with Richard Childress Racing from 2016 to 2018.
  On July 23, 2020, it was reported that Bob Leavine solicited bids for the team due to the financial fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic.
context_section_description: In 2016, Circle Sport - Leavine Family Racing, as part of the Circle Sport merger, agreed to have Ty Dillon drive the No. 95 for the 2016 Daytona 500. Michael McDowell would attempt the race in a second entry, the No. 59 Thrivent Financial / K-Love Chevy. McDowell qualified the 500 by finishing 14th in his Can-Am Duel race. McDowell had a commendable finish in the car during the Daytona 500, finishing 15th. This was the only start in 2016 for the No. 59 other than the season finale at Homestead. Before the weekend, the team acquired a charter from the No. 7 team of Tommy Baldwin Racing, which guaranteed the No. 59 a spot in the race. The car finished 10th in the race, after avoiding a big crash that took out the teammate's No. 95 car with just a few laps left in the race.
caption: Michael McDowell in the No. 59 at Daytona International Speedway in 2016.
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