Mike Harmon Racing Overview
Mike Harmon Racing is an American professional stock car racing team that competes part-time in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series and the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. Founded in 2005, the organization is based in Denver, North Carolina, and is co-owned by Mike Harmon, Michael Clayton Sr., and Gary Keller. The team is best known for fielding the No. 74 entry across multiple NASCAR national series, with Chevrolet and Toyota vehicles powering its current campaigns.
Across more than 480 combined starts in NASCAR’s top three national series, the team has built a reputation as a developmental operation that provides opportunities to a long list of drivers. Major sponsors over the years have included Veterans Motorsports Inc., Realty.com, and SAVE22. Although Mike Harmon Racing has yet to record a race victory or a pole position, the team continues to field entries in national-level NASCAR competition and frequently partners with other small teams to expand its racing footprint.
Founding and Organizational Origins
Mike Harmon Racing traces its roots to 2005, when the operation made its first appearance in the ARCA Menards Series at the July Pocono race with the No. 78 car driven by Art Seeger. The following season, Harmon drove the No. 38 entry in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series (then the Busch Series) for Oostlander Racing, gaining full-time experience as a driver-owner. After two races in 2007, Harmon purchased the team and restructured it as Richardson-Netzloff-Harmon Racing, naming it for co-owners Donnie Richardson and Eddie Netzloff alongside himself.
In 2008, the team operated under the name Elite 2 Racing before Harmon became the sole owner in 2009 and rebranded the organization as Mike Harmon Racing. The early years centered on building a lean, single-car operation out of a small shop, with Harmon frequently behind the wheel to keep the program active. The team’s identity from the outset was shaped by a willingness to field start-and-park entries while slowly expanding into more competitive programs as funding and personnel allowed.
Growth Into NASCAR National Series Competition
The team’s transition into national NASCAR competition came in 2007, when the No. 44 was fielded for 12 races in its debut O’Reilly Auto Parts Series season. Harmon drove eight of those races, with Johnny Borneman III and Jennifer Jo Cobb also making starts. Throughout the late 2000s and early 2010s, the program built experience by rotating through multiple car numbers, including the No. 48, No. 84, and No. 24, while developing its first working alliances with neighboring teams.
By 2011, the team had settled on the No. 74 as its primary identity, debuting the car at Auto Club Speedway. The mid-2010s brought a series of partnerships that expanded the team’s presence, including work with Rick Ware Racing on the No. 17, the addition of the No. 47 as a sister car, and a 2017 sponsorship from Veterans Motorsports Inc. that also brought military veterans onto the team crew. These alliances helped the team field more than 250 entries across the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series over a 15-season span.
Mike Harmon Racing Competitive Journey
Mike Harmon Racing’s competitive arc has been defined by gradual expansion, frequent driver rotation, and a willingness to form technical and operational partnerships with other independent teams. From its early days as a single-car start-and-park operation, the team grew into a multi-car program that fields entries in both the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series and the Craftsman Truck Series, while occasionally supporting ARCA Menards Series starts.
Early Seasons and Development (2005-2010)
The team’s earliest competitive years were spent building credibility in lower-profile entries. After the 2005 ARCA debut at Pocono, Harmon ran a full season in 2006 with the No. 38 before buying the program and rebranding it ahead of the 2007 season. The 2007 and 2008 campaigns, run under the Richardson-Netzloff-Harmon Racing and Elite 2 Racing banners, focused primarily on qualifying efforts and learning the rhythms of the national series. Harmon himself drove the majority of the team’s entries during this stretch.
By 2009, the rebranded Mike Harmon Racing team launched its truck series program with the No. 42, debuting at Memphis. That same year, the operation began building ties with other small teams, a strategy that would become a hallmark of the program. Early sponsorships were modest, and the team frequently battled to make races, but the foundation for long-term participation in NASCAR was firmly in place by the end of 2010.
Breakthrough in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series (2011-2019)
The 2011 season marked a turning point with the debut of the No. 74 car at Auto Club Speedway, which has remained the team’s signature number ever since. Throughout the early 2010s, the team relied heavily on start-and-park strategies, with Harmon, J. J. Yeley, Kevin Lepage, and others sharing seat time. In 2013, the team began to move away from constant start-and-park racing, scoring stronger finishes at Road America and Daytona and bringing in a wider range of drivers.
By 2017, the partnership with Veterans Motorsports Inc. brought renewed visibility, and a multi-race collaboration with Rick Ware Racing on the No. 17 added another layer of competitiveness. The late 2010s saw the team fielding a constant rotation of drivers, including Bayley Currey, Kyle Weatherman, Gray Gaulding, and Joe Nemechek, while continuing to expand its alliances. The team’s best owner-points finish of 30th came in the 2020 season, building on the groundwork of the previous decade.
Breakthrough in the Craftsman Truck Series (2009-Present)
The team’s truck series program began in 2009 with the No. 42, driven by Harmon in four races. Over the following years, the operation expanded to include the No. 74, No. 84, No. 1, No. 49, No. 66, and No. 86, often through partnerships with teams such as TJL Motorsports, Glenden Enterprises, Brandonbilt Motorsports, and Bolen Motorsports. Drivers like Jordan Anderson, Tim Viens, Wendell Chavous, Paige Decker, and Joe Hudson took turns behind the wheel of the team’s trucks.
After several quieter seasons, the truck program gained new momentum in 2025 with the announcement that Dawson Cram and Caleb Costner would share the No. 74 Toyota at Pocono Raceway and Richmond Raceway, respectively. Cram’s 32nd-place finish at Pocono marked the team’s return to the series, and Boston Oliver also drove the No. 74 at Indianapolis Raceway Park later in the year. The truck series entries have helped the team maintain a presence in two national series simultaneously.
Modern Program and Current Direction (2020-Present)
The modern Mike Harmon Racing operation has been defined by the addition of co-owners Michael Clayton Sr. and Gary Keller, the latter a former JD Motorsports co-owner. The team has continued to field both the No. 74 and the No. 47 in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series, while also expanding its truck series activities. Sponsorship from SAVE22, Realty.com, and Avail Financial has helped stabilize the program, and technical partnerships have given the team access to additional owner points and equipment.
Recent seasons have featured a deep rotation of drivers, including Dawson Cram, Gray Gaulding, Ryan Vargas, Jade Buford, and Stanton Barrett, as the team works to qualify for races with limited resources. The 2020 theft of the No. 47 race car, pit box, and trailer from a Cracker Barrel parking lot in Kingsland, Georgia, valued at approximately $400,000, remains a defining moment in the team’s history. A 2022 final appeal victory rescinded a crew chief suspension and fine while still leaving the team with a 75-point deduction at the start of the season. Looking ahead, the team has begun to acquire owner points from other operations, such as Alpha Prime Racing and Barrett Cope Racing, to improve its qualifying position in upcoming races.
Philosophy and Competitive Strengths
Mike Harmon Racing’s core identity is built on perseverance, partnership, and opportunity. The team thrives in scenarios where a smaller operation can lean on alliances with other independent teams to gain track time, owner points, and equipment. Its strengths include a willingness to develop young and part-time drivers, adaptability across both the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series and the Craftsman Truck Series, and a steady presence in superspeedway and road course events where smaller teams can occasionally outperform expectations.
Key Milestones and Major Moments
Important milestones include the team’s 2005 ARCA debut at Pocono, the launch of the iconic No. 74 in 2011, the 2017 Veterans Motorsports Inc. sponsorship that brought veterans into the team’s workforce, the 2020 owner-points high of 30th, the 2020 theft of the No. 47 equipment, and a successful 2022 final appeal that cleared the crew chief’s suspension. The 2025 return to the Craftsman Truck Series with Dawson Cram and the ongoing acquisition of owner points to aid qualifying efforts mark the latest chapter in the team’s long-running NASCAR story.
Mike Harmon Racing Achievements and Results
Mike Harmon Racing has accumulated more than 480 combined starts across the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series, the Craftsman Truck Series, and the ARCA Menards Series since its 2005 founding. While the team has yet to record a race victory, pole position, or drivers’ championship, it has consistently provided competitive opportunities to a wide range of drivers and has developed a respected reputation as one of NASCAR’s longest-running independent operations.
O’Reilly Auto Parts Series Achievements
Since debuting in 2007, Mike Harmon Racing has logged 358 entries in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series. The team’s best owner-points finish came in the 2020 season, when it placed 30th, and a 2021 seventh-place finish by Bayley Currey at Phoenix Raceway stands as the organization’s best result. The 2020 partnership with Joe Nemechek and Kyle Weatherman produced a 34th-place owner-points finish, while the team’s decade-long use of the No. 74 has made it a familiar presence on the grid.
Craftsman Truck Series Achievements
Across 83 combined starts in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, the team has recorded no victories or pole positions. The 2025 return to the series with Dawson Cram, Caleb Costner, and Boston Oliver represented a renewed commitment to the truck program, with Cram’s 32nd-place run at Pocono Raceway marking the team’s first truck start of the season. The truck program has served as a proving ground for drivers like Jordan Anderson and Tim Viens, and has remained a key part of the team’s identity.
ARCA Menards Series Achievements
Mike Harmon Racing has made 45 combined starts in the ARCA Menards Series, beginning with the 2005 Pennsylvania 200 at Pocono. Entries have spanned multiple car numbers, including the No. 78, No. 24, No. 31, No. 06, and No. 94, often run in collaboration with allied teams. Although the team has not recorded a series victory, its presence in ARCA has helped develop driving talent and build operational experience for the broader NASCAR program.
