FDNY Racing Bio
FDNY Racing is an American professional stock car racing team owned by Jim Rosenblum and based in Concord, North Carolina. The organization competes part-time in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, fielding the No. 28 Chevrolet Silverado primarily for driver Bryan Dauzat while maintaining a mission to support firefighters and police officers.
Early Life and Background
FDNY Racing began operations in 1978 under the ownership of Jim Rosenblum, who had been involved in motorsports ownership since the late 1960s. The team traces its roots through several banners, including Jim Rosenblum Racing, Jocko’s Racing, Linro Motorsports, and Golden Annie Racing before adopting the FDNY Racing identity.
The team established its base in Concord, North Carolina, a longstanding hub for stock car racing operations. Its identity shifted significantly after the September 11 attacks when Rosenblum partnered with figures connected to New York City first responders to refocus the team’s public mission and community outreach.
Path to MotorSports
Rosenblum entered NASCAR competition with entries in the Winston Cup Series during the 1980s and later pivoted into the newly created Truck Series in 1995. Early activity included fielding a variety of drivers and truck numbers as Rosenblum sought sustainable ways to keep an independent operation running amid fluctuating budgets and the rising costs of top-level stock car competition.
The team’s development has relied on a part-time program and a rotating roster of drivers and partners, a model that allowed FDNY Racing to remain active in national-level motorsports while supporting charitable work tied to New York City fire and police organizations.
FDNY Racing Career
Early Career (1978–1994)
From its founding in 1978 through the early 1990s the operation ran under several names and focused on entries in the NASCAR Winston Cup Series. Rosenblum formed Linro Motorsports in the 1980s and fielded Cup entries beginning in 1983 with drivers such as Jocko Maggiacomo and others. The Cup program produced modest results and was ultimately curtailed as costs rose.
Across its Winston Cup activity the team recorded a best finish of 24th on two occasions and appeared in a series of one-off and part-time efforts through 1993. Rosenblum’s persistence through that period laid groundwork for the team’s later Truck Series commitments.
Winston Cup Breakthrough (1983–1993)
FDNY Racing’s predecessors debuted in the Winston Cup Series in 1983, with Linro Motorsports entering races that included road courses and superspeedways. Drivers such as Jocko Maggiacomo and road-course veteran Oma Kimbrough represented the operation in select events and helped the team gain experience at the national level despite limited resources.
The team’s Cup entries never produced podiums or pole positions, and by the early 1990s the owner shuttered the Cup effort as team economics shifted and attention moved toward opportunities in other NASCAR series.
Craftsman Truck Series Breakthrough (1995–Present)
FDNY Racing first entered the NASCAR Truck Series in the series’ inaugural 1995 season, initially fielding trucks under Rosenblum’s ownership with drivers including Kerry Teague. The organization ran intermittently through the late 1990s and early 2000s, experimenting with different drivers and numbers before adopting the No. 28 as its primary truck number.
Following the September 11 attacks, Rosenblum partnered with retired firefighter Mike Bolnik and RahMoc Enterprises owner Bob Rahilly to rebrand the team as FDNY Racing in 2002. The rebrand formalized the team’s charitable mission: volunteers from New York City fire and police departments took part in the effort, and the team pledged winnings to the Uniformed Firefighters Association Widow’s and Children’s Fund.
Throughout the 2000s and 2010s FDNY Racing pursued a part-time Truck Series schedule, entering a variety of drivers including Conrad Burr, Joe Ruttman, Andy Lally, Wes Burton, and others. Bryan Dauzat made his Truck Series debut with the team in 2014 and would go on to become the organization’s most frequent driver in the No. 28 program.
Key competitive moments in the Truck Series era include the team’s first top-ten finish at Talladega Superspeedway in 2018 when Bryan Dauzat drove the No. 28 to an eighth-place result. FDNY Racing also recorded a ninth-place finish at the 2024 Daytona event, one of the team’s best results in the Truck Series.
Current Team Era (2018–Present)
Since the late 2010s FDNY Racing has been defined by part-time entries centered on Bryan Dauzat and a sustained tie to its charitable mission. Dauzat’s runs produced the team’s first top-ten at Talladega in 2018 and continued to provide occasional competitive showings in major events at superspeedways and other select tracks.
The organization continued to operate on a limited schedule through the COVID-19 pandemic, taking advantage of revised qualifying and entry rules in 2020 to expand its race count when opportunity allowed. The program remains owner-operated by Jim Rosenblum and dependent on volunteers and short-term partnerships to field competitive entries.
Driving Style and Strengths
FDNY Racing has shown relative strength in high-speed, superspeedway events where drafting and attrition can compress the field and provide opportunities for smaller teams to finish well. The team’s best finishes have come at Talladega and Daytona, underscoring its ability to capitalize on chaotic, large-track race conditions.
Notable Events and Milestones
Major milestones include the 2002 rebranding to FDNY Racing to honor first responders, the first Truck Series top-ten at Talladega in 2018, a high ninth-place finish at the 2024 Daytona race, and the visible tribute livery and decals used after the 2005 fire-related losses. The organization has maintained a public charitable focus since 2002, directing proceeds to the Uniformed Firefighters Association Widow’s and Children’s Fund.
FDNY Racing Career Wins
Across national NASCAR competition FDNY Racing has not recorded a race victory or pole position. The team’s race totals and participation reflect a long-running independent effort rather than a results-driven factory program, with its competitive highlights concentrated in strong finishes at select events.
NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Highlights
In the Craftsman Truck Series the No. 28 Chevrolet Silverado has produced multiple noteworthy finishes but no victories. The team’s first top-ten came in 2018 at Talladega with Bryan Dauzat in eighth, and a ninth-place result at Daytona in 2024 stands among the program’s best outcomes.
Other Wins & Perfromances
FDNY Racing’s broader motorsports activity includes a history of Winston Cup entries in the 1980s and 1990s under various team names. Those programs provided experience and continuity that helped Rosenblum sustain a long-term presence in NASCAR’s national series despite limited budgets and the operational challenges of independent ownership.
FDNY Racing Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Owner Jim Rosenblum has been a central figure in the organization since its founding and has a motorsports background that predates FDNY Racing. Rosenblum operated teams in the Trans-Am Series in the 1960s and began owning stock car teams in 1968; his long involvement in motorsports informed the team’s endurance through decades of competition.
Personal Life
Jim Rosenblum is a native of Mamaroneck, New York, and his brother Norman Rosenblum has worked with the team. Rosenblum has received public recognition tied to his work with first responders, including civic distinctions related to the team’s charitable outreach.