CNC Racing

CNC Racing is a race team founded by Chris N. Cooper, founded in 1987. CNC Racing was orginally a single car operation, with Cooper acting as the owner and driver. After the boycott and the formation of American Autosport Racing League, CNC Racing joined as a three car operation.

## AARL One Series History

### Car Number 0 History

#### Mattie Bliss (2004-)

Mattie Bliss transitioned with CNC Racing to the AARL, bringing along longtime sponsor Exxon Mobile. Bliss had a rocky start to the 2004 campaign, finishing 15th at the season opener. Bliss however strung together three top ten finishes, and captured a top five at Daytona. Bliss dominated the Wall 400, qualifiying on the outside pole and leading over half the laps to cruise to his first victory, and CNC's third of the season.

In 2005, CNC Racing as a whole regressed. Mattie Bliss was unable to capture a victory, but proved to be CNC's star rather then teammate Peter Zipadelli, finishing 7th in the standings, where his second best teammate finished 10th. Bliss only notched two top five finishes, one less than last year, and he finished top ten six times, three less than his 2004 campaign. Bliss was signed to a two year contract after performing above the quality of his car.

For Bliss's 2006 season the 27 year old began with a DNF at Dover, but quickly rebounded with a runner up at Richmond, and a top five at Rockingham. After some high top ten finishes, Bliss would win his first race since 2004, at Sonoma. He would finish his season with four top fives - the most in his career up to that point. He would also earn eight top tens, which was an improvement of two over the year prior. Bliss would finish 6th on the year, coming into the last year of his contract. In 2007, Bliss would be unable to recapture victory lane, finishing runner up at Road Atlanta and third at La Crosse, both newly added tracks for the 2007 season. Those would be Bliss's only top fives of the season, two less than the year prior despite the increase of races on the year. Bliss would finish 7th in the point standings, the best out of the CNC Racing cars.

Coming into 2008, Bliss had some contract talks with Borland Racing, to replace the retiring Tommy Wingo, but Borland decided to go with in-house Elle Webb, leaving Bliss free to resign at CNC Racing, where he signed a two year deal with an option for him to leave after the first year, if he decides. In 2008, Bliss would win at Road Atlanta, his first win since the 2006 season. Bliss would finish 6th in the points, with a year left on his contract as he turns 30. Bliss would not excercise his option to leave CNC Racing, staying for 2009, earning a win at Daytona. Bliss would finish 8th in the point standings, the worst of his career. He would also run a race in AARL Two, finishing 4th after getting damage. After the 2009 season, Bliss would sign an extension with CNC Racing, keeping him in the 0 through 2012.

Bliss would have a even poorer 2010 season, finishing 9th in the point standings, while only finishing in the top five three times. In 2011 Bliss would earn three top fives, and would not win, his first winless season since 2007. Bliss finished 10th in the point standings, coming into the final year of his contract.

### Car Number 15 History

#### Jim Long (2004)

The only driver for CNC that they did not bring over from the other series, Jim Long was poached from Smith Racing. Long had a disapointing start to the 2004 season, finishing outside of the top ten two out of the three first races. He managed to crack the top five just once, in the second to last race of the season at Talladega. Long was the only CNC driver to not win a race, causing CNC to not offer him another contract for the 2005 season.

#### Kevin McCoy (2005-2006)

Kevin McCoy was signed to CNC Racing after his sponsor stepped up, like what they agreed to do in 2004 originally. However, the driver McCoy split his 2004 ride with, Andy Raines, took over their shared ride for the full 2005 season, causing McCoy to sign a one year deal with CNC Racing. McCoy finished 10th place in the point standings, with 102 points, exactly the same total as his predecessor, Jim Long notched. However, McCoy was able to win at Rockingham, something Long couldn't accomplish.

McCoy signed a one year deal to remain at CNC Racing for the 2006 season, in which he had a very suprising breakout year. Starting with two top tens, McCoy would win at Rockingham, and would finish in the top ten for eight races out of ten on the year. He would finish 4th in the point standings, the best points finish for any CNC driver ever at that point. After this very impressive showing, Sacks Enterprises would sign him for the 2007 season, leaving CNC to replace him with second year driver Sara Swayne.

#### Sara Swayne (2007-)

Sara Swayne would join CNC Racing in 2007, on a one year deal. Swayne came off of her rookie year, finishing 14th in the standings for PPI Autosport, and finishing runner up for Rookie of the Year. At CNC, she would earn four top fives, and finish 9th in the point standings. Swayne would sign a two year deal, through 2009. In 2008, Swayne would earn her first career win at Pikes Peak, and finish in the top five three times, one less than 2007. Swayne would finish 8th in the points, an improvment of a position from her first year at CNC.

In Swayne's 2009 season, she would improve even further, finishing 6th in the point standings, the best CNC driver that year, earning a win at La Crosse. Swayne would be approached by Borland Racing for 2010, but decided to sign a massive contract extension with CNC, the longest in AARL history at that point, a deal lasting through 2014. Swayne would have a somewhat quiter 2010 season, still improving in the point standings to 5th, and earning a win at Pike's Peak, but that year the focus at CNC was towards her underpreforming teammates, finishing 9th and 11th in the standings. Despite this, it seemed certain that the twenty-six year old would be poised to take the next step in 2011. However, Swayne had a quiet 2011 season, once again finishing 5th in the point standings, and earning a single win at Wall Stadium. However, while she stayed solid her teammates would only continue to get worse, and it seemed like Swayne was begining to regret her massive contract with CNC.

### Car Number 84 History

#### Jake Watts (2010-)

Jake Watts would compete in two AARL One races in 2010. In his first AARL One race at the season opener at Dover, he would finish 15th, and at Bristol he would just finish outside the top ten, at 11th. Opting out of the 2010 Rookie of the Year race, he would have finished fourth of five if he hadn't.

### Car Number 97 History

#### Peter Zipadelli (2004-2006)

Peter Zipadelli, CNC Racing's star driver was brought over to the AARL after some strong convincing, by way of a generous three year contract. CNC's star driver was succesful, as expected, winning the first race of the AARL's history, coming at Dover. After a string of three finishes outside of the top ten (two of which being DNFs) Zipadelli returned to victory lane at Daytona. Zipadelli had won two races, but his four DNFs marred down his chase for the cup, finishing in a dissapointing 9th for the year, narrowly beating out teammate Jim Long by a single point.

Peter Zipadelli continued to regress in 2005, finishing in the top five only twice. The thirty four year old did manage to win at the season finale, but that was his only win of the season, winning one less then in 2004. Zipadelli finished outside of the top ten six times, causing him to finish 13th, further dissapointing CNC, who thought he would continue being a star in the AARL. In 2006, the last year of his original contract, Zipadelli would only decline, finishing inside the top ten only four times, and recording his first season without a top five finish. He would be the worst finishing CNC driver at year's end, by ten spots, causing him to not be resigned at season's end. Somewhat suprisingly, he signed a one year deal with HYT Racing, with the expectations that it would be a roughly laterall move.

#### Mike Parrott (2007-2009)

Mike Parrott was signed to CNC Racing, after losing his ride at Sacks Enterprises, because he insulted the team owner. He was signed for three years, through 2009, in a somewhat suprising move, since although Parrott had shown brilliance, he has been unable to become consistent. In his first race for CNC, Parrott earned a fourth at Dover, but finished 19th at Richmond, continuing to be inconsistent that season. However, he managed to score his second career win at Pikes Peak, and finished runner up at Talladega. Parrott would finish a single point above teammate Sara Swayne, at 8th in the final standings, coming into his second year at CNC with even higher expectations upon him, as he was the only CNC Racing driver with a win in 2007.

In 2008, Parrott was unable to return to victory lane, only finishing inside the top five three times, and finishing two spots worse in the points. As his contract expired after the 2008 season, it was very doubtful that he would return to CNC Racing. Although it was expected CNC Racing would move on from Parrott, they decided to resign him for a single year, since they had no solid drivers to replace him. In his lame duck season with the team, Parrott would regress further, finishing a horrible 12th in the points. Parrot would earn only two top tens, again finishing two more spots worse in the points, finishing 5th in the only AARL Two race he started, leaving CNC Racing after the 2009 season as expected.

#### Carlo Soto (2010-2011)

Carlo Soto joined CNC Racing for the 2010 season, finishing poorly, only earning two top fives, and finishing 11th in the point standings. Very similar to the Mike Parrott situation from 2008, they had no viable replacements for Soto, and so decided to resign him for his own lame duck year with the team, announcing before the green flag had waved once on the 2011 season that Jake Watts would be replacing Soto for the 2012 season. In his final year with CNC Soto would earn two top fives, and only four top tens, en route to finishing a very poor 13th in the point standings.

## AARL Two Series History

### Car Number 0 History

#### Jake Watts (2009-)

Jake Watts signed on with CNC Racing for his rookie season, racing in AARL Two full time. Watts started with two top 15 finishes, then broke into the top 10 at Bristol and La Crosse. Watts DNF'd at Rockingham and Talladega however, owing, in part to his 10th placed finish in the points. Watts would sign a two year extension with CNC Racing, returning to the 0 in the AARL Two for 2010, and running two AARL One races in the 84. Jake Watts would improve immensely in his 2010 season, earning his first top five, totaling three top fives on the season, and only finishing outside of the top ten twice. Watts would return to the 0 for the 2011 season, and it was announced before the season began that he would drive the 97 in AARL One in 2012.

### Car Number 97 History

#### AARL One Regulars (2009-)

The 97 car was split between the three AARL One drivers for CNC Racing, with Mattie Bliss and Mike Parrott running a single race each, while Sara Swayne drove for 6 races. Parrott would finish 5th in his race at Bristol, underpreforming, while Bliss would finish 4th at Wall, with damage. In Sara Swayne's six races in the car, she would DNF at Pikes Peak, and finish 6th at Road Atlanta, but finish inside the top five for her other four starts, finishing runner up at Rockingham. Swayne would lead the most laps at La Crosse and Rockingham, and earn three poles, but was unable to capture a victory.

Again in 2010, CNC's second car in AARL Two was split between it's three AARL One drivers. Mattie Bliss would run three races, and Carlo Soto two while Sara Swayne would fill out the other five. In his three races, Bliss would have a best finish of 3rd, while Soto's best finish was 6th. While Swayne was in the car, she managed a win at Milkwaukee, and a runner up at Wall, finishing the season 20th in the points, despite missing half of the season.