FDNY Racing Overview
FDNY Racing is an American professional stock car racing team that competes in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. Owned by Jim Rosenblum and based in Concord, North Carolina, the team fields the No. 28 Chevrolet Silverado primarily for part-time driver Bryan Dauzat. Founded in 1978 and rebranded in 2002, FDNY Racing carries a unique identity that blends competition on the track with a community mission.
The team is operated by volunteers drawn from the New York City Fire Department and the New York City Police Department, and every dollar earned in prize money is donated to the Uniformed Firefighters Association Widow’s and Children’s Fund. Across its history, the organization has run under several banners, including Jim Rosenblum Racing, Jocko’s Racing, Linro Motorsports, and Golden Annie Racing, before adopting the FDNY Racing name in honor of first responders affected by the September 11, 2001 attacks.
Founding and Organizational Origins
Jim Rosenblum, a native of Mamaroneck, New York, was a street drag racer in his youth before being inspired by friend and 1960 Indianapolis 500 winner Jim Rathmann. He began competing in the Trans-Am Series during the 1960s, later winning a championship, and entered stock car ownership in 1968. The racing operation that would eventually become FDNY Racing opened its doors in 1978, with Rosenblum personally funding the team from the beginning.
During the 1980s, Rosenblum established Linro Motorsports, a banner under which he fielded cars in the NASCAR Winston Cup Series for his friend Jocko Maggiacomo starting in 1983. The team also operated under the Golden Annie Racing name, which Randy LaJoie later drove, and fielded additional entries carrying numbers 13, 27, and 29. Other Cup drivers included Eddie Bierschwale, Gary Balough, Jeff McClure, Bob Schacht, and Kerry Teague, with the program continuing in the Cup series through 1993.
Growth Into NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Competition
The Truck Series launched in 1995, and Rosenblum fielded an entry in its inaugural season for driver Kerry Teague as the No. 51. Teague’s best results with the team were 13th-place finishes at Tucson Raceway Park and Bristol Motor Speedway. Through the late 1990s and into the early 2000s, the team ran one-off entries for several drivers before being revived on a steadier footing. In 1999, the operation switched its car number to 28, the number it has carried ever since.
After the September 11 attacks, Rosenblum partnered with retired firefighter Lieutenant Mike Bolnik, who suggested rebranding the team in support of those affected. Partnering with RahMoc Enterprises owner Bob Rahilly, Rosenblum renamed the team FDNY Racing in 2002. The team consists of volunteers from the New York City Fire and Police Departments, and all winnings are donated to the Uniformed Firefighters Association Widow’s and Children’s Fund.
FDNY Racing Competitive Journey
FDNY Racing has run more than 100 races across its history, with 27 starts in the Winston Cup Series and 74 in the Craftsman Truck Series, recording zero victories and zero pole positions. The team has competed at iconic tracks such as Daytona International Speedway, Talladega Superspeedway, Charlotte Motor Speedway, Bristol Motor Speedway, and Pocono Raceway, with steady part-time scheduling defining much of its modern era.
Early Seasons and Development (1978–2001)
From its founding in 1978 through 1993, Rosenblum’s organization competed in the Winston Cup Series with cars numbered 13, 27, and 29, posting a best finish of 24th, achieved twice by Jocko Maggiacomo and Oma Kimbrough at Pocono and Watkins Glen. After the Truck Series debuted, Rosenblum fielded both Cup and Truck teams before closing the Cup program because of rising costs.
The Truck program launched in 1995, with Kerry Teague earning the team’s early best results. The program paused and restarted multiple times, fielding one-off runs for T. J. Clark, Ritchie Petty, and Perry Tripp in 1996, and a failed qualifying attempt with Terry McCarthy in 1997. After revival, drivers Ronnie Hoover (1999), Kenny Allen, and Conrad Burr (2000) carried the team, with the car number changing to 28 in 1999.
Breakthrough in NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series (2002–2017)
The team’s rebrand to FDNY Racing in 2002 marked a defining organizational moment, anchored by its community mission. Conrad Burr returned to qualify for all but one race in six attempts that year, while Joe Ruttman also ran a race for the team at Darlington Raceway. In 2005, the team’s Daytona truck carried a decal reading Always remember… never forget, honoring firefighters who had died earlier that year, an example of how the team weaves its tribute mission into its race-day identity.
The operation continued with part-time schedules featuring drivers such as David Ragan, Carl Long, Brandon Knupp, Wayne Edwards, Andy Lally, Chad McCumbee, and Wes Burton, with mixed qualifying results. In 2014, Ryan Ellis joined the team on a part-time basis, leading the Daytona Preseason Thunder test at 186 mph. Bryan Dauzat made his Truck Series debut in the No. 28 at Bristol that year, completing four laps before retiring with suspension problems, and went on to become the team’s primary driver in the years that followed.
Modern Program and Current Direction (2018–Present)
In 2018, FDNY Racing announced on its Facebook page that the Daytona season opener would be the team’s last, with Rosenblum set to retire. Despite the announcement, the team returned at Talladega, where Dauzat finished eighth, delivering the team’s first top-ten finish. During the 2019 season opener at Daytona, Dauzat’s truck suffered braking problems on pit road and struck jackman Billy Rock, who was diagnosed with a broken shoulder and later released from the hospital.
The team continued a part-time schedule in subsequent seasons, with Dauzat and the No. 28 Chevrolet running more races than originally scheduled in 2020 after the field expanded due to COVID-19-related changes. In 2024, Dauzat survived a final-lap crash at Daytona to finish ninth, the second-best result in team history. The team continued its long-time alignment with Chevrolet into 2025, with Bryan Dauzat as its primary driver and Concord, North Carolina remaining its operational base.
Philosophy and Competitive Strengths
FDNY Racing’s identity is built on perseverance, volunteerism, and a community-first mission, with every member of the crew donating time and every winnings dollar directed to charity. On track, the team has historically focused on part-time entries at superspeedways and select intermediate tracks, where the Chevrolet Silverado package has suited the program’s resources and personnel.
Key Milestones and Major Moments
Notable milestones include the team’s rebrand in 2002, its tribute decal honoring fallen firefighters in 2005, Ryan Ellis’s 186 mph test at Daytona in 2014, the team’s first top-ten finish at Talladega in 2018, Dauzat’s ninth-place run at Daytona in 2024, and the continued commitment to the Uniformed Firefighters Association Widow’s and Children’s Fund.
FDNY Racing Achievements and Results
Across more than 100 combined starts in the Winston Cup Series and the Craftsman Truck Series, FDNY Racing has yet to record a victory or a pole position, and the team has not won a drivers’ championship at either level. Despite the absence of wins, the team has earned a respected reputation for its longevity, its tribute-driven identity, and the consistency of its part-time schedule.
Craftsman Truck Series Achievements
FDNY Racing’s Truck Series program has produced 74 recorded starts, with the team’s first top-ten finish coming at Talladega in 2018 and the second-best result arriving at Daytona in 2024. The team has repeatedly attempted marquee races at Daytona, Talladega, Charlotte, Bristol, and Pocono, and continues to enter the No. 28 Chevrolet Silverado on a part-time basis with Bryan Dauzat behind the wheel.
Series Achievements
FDNY Racing’s combined history includes 27 Cup Series starts and 74 Truck Series starts, with no wins, poles, or drivers’ championships recorded at either level. The team’s defining accomplishment is its sustained operation since 1978, its community mission, and its status as one of the longest-running independently owned teams associated with the New York City Fire Department.
