NFL Star Randy Moss Forms Truck Team for Latter Half of 2008

An unlikely candidate has formed a Craftsman TruckAikman, and Roger Staubach are among the latest
Series team that will begin racing later this season.casualties. The superstardom that Moss has sustained
With help from Integrity Sports Marketing, LLC,through a decade of professional football leaves
Randy Moss, a record-breaking wide receiver withskeptics doubting whether he can prolong his interest
the New England Patriots, started Moss Motorsports,in building a NASCAR team from scratch-along with all
LLC in late April. He has yet to announce sponsorshipthe headaches that come from early frustrations and
or which nameplate his team will use. An unnamedmultiple setbacks as more money is pumped into an
driver is expected to race a limited schedule for theoperation that may not succeed.
remainder of 2008 and run full time in '09. The truckMoss signed a three-year $27 million deal with the
is expected to be No. 81, the same number MossPatriots in February. Clearly, the Foxboro franchise
wears with the Patriots.does not want their star receiver to become
Moss has played in the National Football League fordistracted on the gridiron.
10 seasons, mostly with the Minnesota Vikings, andIt took three years for Aikman and Staubach to give
has been a NASCAR fan for several years. Heup on Hall of Fame Racing, although the team still
previously sponsored a local dirt track program in hisexists under new ownership. Proven personnel and
home state of West Virginia and recently decided tofirst-rate equipment are hard to get and harder to
get involved with big time auto racing. He plans tokeep for established teams like Petty Enterprises and
continue his association with the Urban Youth RacingDale Earnhardt Inc. NASCAR giants such as Jack
School in Philadelphia in addition to his involvementRoush have had to take on partners just to keep up.
with American Youth Football.While NASCAR strives for diversity, Moss also carries
Driver candidates have not been mentioned whileconsiderable baggage after a series of legal and
Moss has had preliminary discussions with differentpersonal problems since his high school days, when he
car manufacturers. He would prefer to hire a youngpleaded guilty to a battery charge that caused Notre
driver or two once his program is off the ground,Dame to revoke his scholarship offer. He was later
acknowledging that an experienced racer with instantdismissed from Florida State before transferring to
name recognition is the right move initially.Marshall University, where his record-setting play
Other professional athletes have tried to becomeplaced him fourth in the Heisman Trophy balloting and
NASCAR owners in the past with little success. NFLmade him a first-round draft pick by the Vikings after
head coach Joe Gibbs made a successful transition,his sophomore year in 1998.
but Hall of Fame quarterbacks Terry Bradshaw, TroyHe has his work cut out for him.