SGR employees were informed yesterday that the team is shutting down, and all but one employee was reportedly laid off. Multiple sources say the shutdown occurred after Gallaher informed Sharp that his services would no longer be required. Sources close to the situation say the team may subsequently be reopened under Gallaher’s sole ownership.
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| Bill Gallaher |
Gallaher, a resident of Santa Rosa, California, is a successful real estate developer specializing in premium retirement communities and serves as Chairman of the Board of First Community Bank, based in that community. He was announced as Sharp’s new partner on August 7 of this season, with Gallaher saying of his new partner, "Eddie has proven he is a winner, not only in racing but also as a person which is exactly what I look for in a successful business combination. (I) look forward to using my expertise to bring this team to a new level of success.”
Sharp has crafted a lengthy resume in the sport. He formed Eddie Sharp Racing in 2005 and quickly became one of the dominant forces in ARCA Series racing. He won the 2009 ARCA championship and finished second in 2007, 2008 and 2010, winning a total of 19 races. He moved to the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series in 2011 after purchasing many of the assets of Kevin Harvick, Inc., and won a pair of races in 2012 with drivers Justin Lofton and Cale Gale.
The team fielded Camping World Truck entries this season for a number of different drivers, including Lofton, Austin Dillon, Max Gresham and Daniel Hemrick. SGR finished a season-high third with Gresham at Charlotte Motor Speedway in May, Lofton finished fourth in the 2013 season opener at Daytona International Speedway.
Sharp was unavailable for comment today, attempts to contact Gallaher were unsuccessful .
