Getty ImagesInspired by the efforts of NFL players who have preceded him into the motorsports arena, New England Patriots All-Pro wide receiver Randy Moss announced plans Tuesday to field a Moss Motorsports team in NASCAR's Craftsman Truck Series.
Details are sketchy at this point, with the team's driver, manufacturer and sponsors yet to be selected, but Moss hopes to make his CTS debut as an owner later this season, with the intent of running the full season in 2009.
The interest in racing isn't new to Moss, a 1998 first-round draft pick out of Marshall. He sponsors a local dirt track program in his native West Virginia and serves as a goodwill ambassador for the Urban Youth Racing School headquartered in Philadelphia.
Moss plans to attend one or more non-companion truck races in June, if he can schedule the appearances around NFL minicamps. The likely choices are June 6 at Texas Motor Speedway or June 28 at Memphis Motorsports Park, where he also has been asked to serve as grand marshal.
"There are a lot of NASCAR fans in the locker room," Moss said in a statement released Tuesday. "We've seen a lot of football players get involved -- guys like Dan Marino and Troy Aikman, to name a couple. I think it's a good fit and gives some of the companies I am already working with an additional outlet. It's a smart move on the marketing side of things, but on the personal side of things, I think it's going to be a lot of fun."
Moss already has begun to make preliminary moves.
"We know it takes time to build a team from the ground up, and we have some good people working with us to get that process started," Moss said. "We are talking to the manufacturers, and we're already evaluating some drivers.
"Eventually I'd like to be able to have our team work with some of the young guys that are working hard to make it up the ladder, but right now it might make more sense to find a driver with a lot of experience to get us started. But we really don't have anyone in mind. We'll look at who is available and find someone that can help us compete and win as quickly as we can."
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