Kurt Busch will drive the No. 78 in the Sprint Cup Series this season, replacing Regan Smith. Smith will drive for JR Motorsports in the Nationwide Series.

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Veteran Mike “Tiny” Houston has been hired as pit crew coach. He will oversee the development of the crew. Houston previous served as front tire carrier for Hendrick Motorsports’ No. 88 Chevy and driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. He also served in the same role with the No. 24 team and Jeff Gordon and the No. 48 team and Jimmie Johnson.

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The team made a push to field two full time Nationwide teams in 2013, but it is becoming increasingly likely that the team will only field the No. 5 full time. A second car will be fielded on a limited basis with Dale Earnhardt Jr and other drivers behind the wheel.

That leaves Cole Whitt without a ride.

The No. 5 will feature sponsorship from TaxSlayer.com.

JRM General Manager Kelley Earnhardt Miller said:

Our goal is always to field two full-time teams  and that could still happen next year with other potential opportunities  but what we have right now is a strong team with Regan and Greg that will compete for a championship, and a part-time team with Dale Jr. that will compete for wins. Our focus is to streamline our company and equip those teams with everything they need to compete at a high level.

Smith signed with JRM after filling in for Earnhardt Jr in the No. 88 Hendrick Motorsports Chevy while Earnhardt Jr recovered from concussions. Smith was told he would not be back with Furniture Row Racing earlier this year. FRR opted to hire Kurt Busch.

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Smith’s car is the only one that, at this time, is slated to run the full schedule. The team hopes to field the Nos. 5 and 7 full time in 2013, with Dale Earnhardt Jr driving the No. 88 in select races. JRM hopes to keep Cole Whitt, putting him in the No. 7.

JRM General Manager Kelley Earnhardt Miller said:

We feel it is important for our sponsors, our fans, and even Dale to keep his Nationwide Series number consistent with his Cup number. His brand is associated with the #88. That’s what makes him distinguishable on the race track, so it’s only natural that he drives the #88 all the time. To do that, we are making our #5 Chevy our full-time entry. We hope to have Cole in the #7 full time in 2013, and we are working hard on securing sponsorship for that.

JRM has made a lot of changes recently. Earlier this year, the team parted ways with Tony Eury Sr and Tony Eury Jr. They also hired veteran crew chief Ryan Pemberton.

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Busch removed his helmet and climbed out of the car. But, after assessing the damage and figuring the car could be fixed, Busch jumped back into the car and attempted to drive it back to the garage. Safety crews were still working on the car as this happened, and Busch drove away while a crew member had his arm in the car and a medical kit was on top of his car. The medical kit fell off.

NASCAR ordered him to stop, to keep him from scattering debris on the track. But, because Busch didn’t have his helmet on, he didn’t get the message.

Eventually, he did stop and he was parked for the remainder of the afternoon.

Busch was making his final start in James Finch’s No. 51 car, as he moves to Furniture Row Racing’s No. 78 this week as he readies for 2013.

Afterwards Busch said:

This is the way my life works. Today is a perfect example: I am leading, I wreck, I run out of gas. I tried to get back in the race, and now NASCAR is yelling at me because I don’t have my helmet on, and I’m trying to get it to the garage so the guys can work on it. Now I’m in trouble. This little storm right here; this is my life. I’m not complaining; I put myself in a lot of these situations.

While I don’t see anything that, on its own, should have resulted in Busch getting parked, Busch isn’t given as much leeway as other drivers because of his other transgressions. He doesn’t get the benefit of the doubt. For example, if a driver like Mark Martin or Jimmie Johnson did the same thing, I have a hard time believing NASCAR would have parked them for the rest of the race.

Busch, however, is subjected to more scrutiny and harsher penalties because of his previous actions. Almost anything Busch does or says during or after a tough run is attributed to anger, whether or not he is actually angry.

If Busch jumps in the car and drives off with no helmet, he may have done so to get back to the garage as fast as possible, so he didn’t lose more time. But, because of his history, it is assumed he did so in anger. If Busch drives off, knocking a medical kit off his car in the process, he may have drove off without seeing it. But, again because of his history, it is assumed that he drove off in anger, not waiting for the crew to get their equipment off the car.

Busch is right when he says he put himself in this situation. He doesn’t get the benefit of the doubt because of his previous behavior. And, he never will again.

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Steve Barkdoll, of Phoenix, said:

We’re looking forward to having Regan in our car. Regan performed the tire test at Kansas, and that should be helpful at intermediate tracks. We believe he can help get our program back on track and help attract sponsorship going forward.

This deal seems to be a one-off deal, with no word on who will drive the team’s No. 51 after Charlotte.

Smith is said to be a candidate to drive for JR Motorsports in the Nationwide Series next season. Smith’s former crew chief Ryan Pemberton moved to JRM last month, which could make Smith a good fit for the team.

Update: Dale Earnhardt Jr sustained a concussion in a last lap crash at Talladega, and he will miss the next two Sprint Cup races. Smith will fill in for him in the Hendrick Motorsports No. 88 Chevy, meaning he won’t drive the No. 51 Phoenix Racing Chevy at Charlotte. No word on who Smith’s replacement will be.

Update 2: AJ Allmendinger will drive the No. 51 car at Charlotte.

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FRR General Manager Joe Garone said:

Though we have made strides as a resourceful single-car Sprint Cup team, we are not where we want to be, which led us to the difficult decision of making a driver change as we move forward. Kurt’s exceptional driving talent has the capacity to take a team to another level. We look forward to having Kurt join our Denver-based organization and feel his racing experience will play an important role as we plan ahead to 2013.

Busch added:

Furniture Row Racing has the commitment, talent and resources to compete at a high level in the Sprint Cup Series. I have watched with admiration on how this team has grown over the years and that is why I am excited about the opportunity as I eagerly look forward to a new chapter in my racing career.

Busch spoke with Richard Childress Racing about a 2013 Cup ride, if sponsorship could be found. With signing with FRR, Busch moves to a satellite RCR team.

Busch was released from Penske Racing’s No. 22 at the end of last season after a series of high profile meltdowns. He joined Phoenix Racing for the 2012 season, but the team has struggled to find sponsorship.

Update: According to SPEED’s Race Hub, Regan Smith’s final race in the No. 78 Furniture Row Racing Chevy will be the Good Sam Roadside Assistance 500 at Talladega Superspeedway on Oct. 7. Kurt Busch will take over driving duties the following week at the Bank of America 500 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

Update 2: With Kurt Busch leaving Phoenix Racing after the Good Sam Roadside Assistance 500 at Talladega Superspeedway, Phoenix owner James Finch is looking for a driver to take over that car.

Finch, who has run the No. 51 Sprint Cup Chevy without sponsorship for much of the season, said he is looking for a driver who brings financial backing (read: sponsorship) with him.

AJ Allmendinger, who has been suspended since July for failing a drug test and was recently reinstated, could be a candidate, though he doesn’t have a sponsor to bring with him.

Regan Smith could be another candidate, but like Allmendinger, he doesn’t bring sponsorship.

Finch is also said to be considering Camping World Truck Series driver James Buescher  and Nationwide Series driver Justin Allgaier.

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Smith confirmed the change after qualifying for the Sylvania 300 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, but he wouldn’t speculate on reasons for the change.

There has been speculation that the team was trying to hire Kurt Busch. Earlier this year, FRR expressed interest in hiring Kurt Busch to drive a second FRR Chevy, if sponsorship could be found. It now appears that the team will hire Busch to replace Smith, though nothing official has been announced.

Update: Kurt Busch has been signed to drive the No. 78 in 2013.

Update 2: According to SPEED’s Race Hub, Regan Smith’s final race in the No. 78 Furniture Row Racing Chevy will be the Good Sam Roadside Assistance 500 at Talladega Superspeedway on Oct. 7. Kurt Busch will take over driving duties the following week at the Bank of America 500 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

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Furniture Row Racing is said to be one of the teams considering Busch. With the team’s commitment to Regan Smith in the No. 78, it is highly unlikely that Busch would replace him. So, the most likely scenario is FRR fielding a second car for Busch.

Busch has also spoken with Richard Petty Motorsports about a potential ride. RPM could replace Aric Almirola with Busch in the No. 43, but the team seems set (and is performing) with Marcos Ambrose in the No. 9 Ford. Busch could also join the team in a third car, though that car would need sponsorship, and RPM officials would need to feel that they are ready to field a competitive third team.

Richard Childress Racing is also said to be an option, one FoxSports calls Busch’s “best option to get his career back on track.” While that is true, Busch would have to secure sponsorship, something he has been unable to do with Phoenix. It would also mean becoming teammates with Kevin Harvick. Because both are type A personalities, and both are known for their abrasive styles, they could butt heads both on and off the track. But, with a championship under his belt, RCR could be willing to take the risk on Busch.

Busch was released from the No. 22 Penske Racing team at the end of last season following several radio tirades and tense exchanges with reporters. Busch was also suspended for one race this season for another tense exchange with a reporter.

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Hyder will be at Iowa Speedway, serving as crew chief for JTG’s K&N Pro Series East team and driver Cale Conley.

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