Innovative Motorsports (IMI) is a former NASCAR team. It was owned by George DeBidart and began racing in the Busch North Series in the mid-1990s, before moving to the Busch Series in 1998.

Winston Cup Innovative ran four Cup races during its tenure. Using the No. 98 Chevy purchased from Michael Waltrip Racing, Kenny Wallace ran the Pepsi 400, the Tropicana 400, the Brickyard 400, and the Sirius at the Glen. His best finish was 29th.

Car No. 98 results Year Driver No. Make 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 Pts 2002 Kenny Wallace 98 Chevy DAY CAR LVS ATL DAR BRI TEX MAR TAL CAL RCH CLT DOV POC MCH SON DAY42 CHI29 NHA POC IND32 GLN36 MCH BRI DAR RCH NHA DOV KAN TAL CLT MAR ATL CAR PHO HOM 54th 240

Busch Series Car No. 47 history Innovative debuted on the Busch Circuit at the 1998 NAPA Auto Parts 300. Andy Santerre was the driver of the car, the No. 47 Monro Muffler and Brake Chevrolet Monte Carlo, and finished 25th. Santerre was the driver for the whole season, grabbing two top-tens, a pole at Richmond, and NASCAR Busch Series Rookie of the Year honors. The next season, Santerre suffered a broken leg in a crash at Daytona, and missed half of the year. Elliott Sadler filled in for him, posting two top-ten finishes. Santerre returned and won his first career race at Pikes Peak International Raceway. Santerre struggled making the field, and was released. Hermie Sadler finished the year, his best finish a 22nd at Phoenix.

Sadler took over the car full-time in 2000, as it was renumbered the No. 30 and receiving sponsorship from Little Trees. Sadler struggled making races as well, and would soon be released. Chad Little replaced him, but when his performance didn't improve over Sadler's, Sadler came back to finish the year, and posted a seventh-place run at Pikes Peak.

After the team did not run in 2001, it returned in 2002 as the No. 47 with rookie Shane Hmiel driving with sponsorship from Mike's Hard Lemonade. Hmiel had two poles, eight top-tens and a sixteenth-place points finish, finishing behind Scott Riggs and Johnny Sauter for Rookie of the Year. The team closed after that.

Car No. 47 results YearDriverNo.Make12345678910111213141516171819202122232425262728293031323334Pts 1998 Andy Santerre 47 Chevy DAY25 CAR25 LVS26 NSV16 DAR37 BRI11 TEX19 HCY29 TAL38 NHA17 NZH34 CLTDNQ DOV37 RCH43 PPR22 GLN12 MLW23 MYB13 CAL34 SBO15 IRP29 MCH36 BRI16 DAR20 RCH10 DOV38 CLTDNQ GTY4 CAR23 ATL21 HOM40 26th 2609 1999 DAY42 DOVDNQ SBODNQ GLN30 MLW13 MYBDNQ PPR1 GTY19 IRP35 BRI13 DARDNQ 31st 2238 Mike Swaim Jr. CAR40 Elliott Sadler LVS7 ATL42 DAR35 TEX42 NSV16 BRIDNQ TAL CAL5 NHA15 RCH35 NZH12 CLT28 Ricky Craven MCHDNQ Ward Burton RCH32 Hermie Sadler DOV42 CLTDNQ CARDNQ MEM23 PHO22 HOM30 2000 30 DAY14 CAR20 LVSDNQ ATLDNQ DAR41 BRIDNQ MLW17 NZH11 PPR7 GTY27 IRP17 MCH36 DAR31 DOV27 CAR24 MEM23 PHO30 HOM42 34th 2256 Chad Little TEXDNQ TALDNQ CAL12 RCHDNQ CLT31 DOVDNQ Philip Morris NSVDNQ SBO28 MYB36 BRI40 RCH42 CLT32 Mike Olsen NHA26 Butch Leitzinger GLN2 2002 Shane Hmiel 47 Pontiac DAY5 TAL21 DAY34 21st 3416 Chevy CAR36 LVS42 DAR19 BRI10 TEX26 NSH19 CAL23 RCH21 NHA4 NZH19 CLT31 DOV33 NSH9 KEN19 MLW6 CHI23 GTY26 PPR24 IRP39 MCH25 BRI24 DAR29 RCH28 DOV10 KAN14 CLT10 MEM11 ATL20 CAR8 PHO41 HOM16 2003 Regan Smith DAY CAR LVS DAR BRI TEX TAL NSH CAL RCH GTY NZH CLT DOV NSH KEN MLW DAY CHI NHA PPR40 IRP MCH BRI DAR RCH DOV KAN CLT MEM ATL PHO CAR HOM 121st 0

Car No. 48 history The second Innovative car made its debut in 2000 at Daytona with Mike McLaughlin, sponsored by Goulds Pumps. He wrecked and finished 26th. McLaughlin struggled through the course of the season, and had six top-tens en route to a 24th-place points finish. Just before the 2001 season, McLaughlin quit the team for Joe Gibbs Racing, and was replaced by Kenny Wallace. Wallace had two poles as well as a victory in North Carolina Speedway, finishing 10th in points. After Stacker 2 came on as a sponsor, Wallace improved to seventh in points in 2002 and had thirteen top-tens, but did not win. After the No. 47 team closed its doors, Hmiel moved to the 48 and had ten top-tens and was in eighth in points, when he was suspended by NASCAR for violating its drug policy. Jeff Green, Todd Bodine, Carlos Contreras, Randy LaJoie, and Kerry Earnhardt finished out the year for the team.

Car No. 48 results YearDriverNo.Make12345678910111213141516171819202122232425262728293031323334PtsRef 2000 Mike McLaughlin 48 Chevy DAY26 CAR15 LVS43 ATL21 DAR33 BRI42 TEX40 NSV2 TAL14 CAL41 RCH25 NHA33 CLT32 DOV10 SBO24 MYB30 GLN5 MLW28 NZH34 PPR8 GTY36 IRP34 MCH5 BRI28 RCH30 DOV34 CLT39 CAR16 MEM24 PHO15 HOM31 23rd 2845 Ward Burton DAR5 2001 Kenny Wallace DAY8 CAR4 LVS24 ATL19 DAR4 BRI5 TEX43 NSH36 TAL10 CAL38 RCH8 NHA5 NZH32 CLT30 DOV12 KEN35 MLW16 GLN11 CHI14 GTY6 PPR9 IRP11 MCH22 BRI3 DAR18 RCH23 DOV2 KAN25 CLT32 MEM21 PHO10 CAR1 HOM25 12th 3799 2002 DAY10 CAR12 LVS8 DAR5 BRI6 TEX25 NSH11 CAL14 RCH17 NHA26 NZH12 CLT12 DOV7 NSH6 KEN9 MLW18 CHI28 GTY19 PPR13 IRP5 MCH18 BRI6 DAR11 RCH10 DOV9 KAN22 CLT22 MEM19 ATL18 CAR9 PHO30 HOM24 8th 4078 Pontiac TAL9 DAY35 2003 Shane Hmiel DAY TAL DAY 13th 3866 Chevy CAR LVS DAR BRI TEX NSH CAL RCH GTY NZH CLT DOV NSH KEN MLW CHI NHA PPR IRP MCH BRI DAR RCH Jeff Green DOV39 CLT24 Todd Bodine KAN29 ATL18 CAR19 Randy LaJoie MEM30 Kerry Earnhardt PHO25 Carlos Contreras HOM17

Car No. 30 results YearDriverNo.Make12345678910111213141516171819202122232425262728293031323334PtsRef 2001 Christian Fittipaldi 30 Chevy DAY CAR LVS ATL DAR BRI TEX NSH TAL CAL RCH NHA NZH CLT DOV KEN MLW GLN CHI GTY PPR IRP MCH BRI DAR RCH DOV KAN CLT MEM PHO CAR HOM39 46 2002 DAY CAR LVS DAR BRI TEX NSH TAL CAL RCHDNQ NHA NZH CLTDNQ DOV NSH KEN MLW DAY CHI GTY35 PPR IRP MCH BRI DAR RCH DOV KAN43 CLT MEMQL† ATL CAR PHO HOM Chad Chaffin MEM

Craftsman Truck Series In 2004, Innovative closed its Busch teams, and signed with Toyota to field entries in the Craftsman Truck Series, the No. 12 driven by Robert Huffman and the No. 21 driven by Hank Parker Jr. Huffman, a rookie, had six top-tens, but failed to finish nine races and ended up twenty-third in points. Parker Jr. had four top-tens and finished 17th in points. Due to a lack of funding, Innovative closed up for good at the end of the season, with Huffman's team being sold to Darrell Waltrip Motorsports, and Parker's team to Capital Motorsports.

Truck No. 12 Results Year Team No. Make 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 Pts 2004 Robert Huffman 12 Toyota DAY ATL MAR MFD CLT DOV TEX MEM MLW KAN KEN GTW MCH IRP NSH BRI RCH NHA LVS CAL TEX MAR PHO DAR HOM 25th 2363

Truck No. 21 Results Year Team No. Make 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 Pts 2004 Hank Parker, Jr. 21 Toyota DAY18 ATL33 MAR12 MFD19 CLT22 DOV3 TEX23 MEM12 MLW17 KAN21 KEN22 GTW5 MCH29 IRP15 NSH15 BRI6 RCH20 NHA9 LVS21 CAL15 TEX13 MAR31 PHO23 DAR35 HOM17 17th 2737

References

External links George Debidart - NASCAR Owner