Born: June 23, 1963
Hometown: Napa, Calif.
Marital Status: Married, Margo
Children: Phillip, Victoria
First Career Craftsman Truck race: 1999

As one of the few driver/owner combinations left in NASCAR’s three major racing series, Phil Bonifield continues to maintain a competitive edge on-and-off the racetrack. Last season, Bonifield finished in the top-20 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series driver points’ standings, just one of many records set during the season. Now in 2004, Bonifield will own and drive the No. 86 Red Line Synthetic Oil at Advance Auto Parts Chevrolet Silverado while fielding a second team with the No. 25 Chevrolet Silverado under the same sponsorship.

At the age of 10, Bonifield competed on BMX bicycles across the United States. From 1979 to 1983, Bonifield won the championship four times (1979, ’80, ’81 and ’83) and the world championship twice (1979 and ’82).

In 1987, Bonifield raced go-karts in Northern and Southern California with the likes of Casey and Clint Mears, Bruce Sarver and Kevin Harvick. For the next three years, Bonifield raced in a host of different series including the Skip Barber Series and SCCA Regional Series in its Formula Atlantics.

1991 brought Bonifield into the NASCAR AutoZone Elite Division, Southwest Series. Bonifield competed part-time the following year before making his move to North Carolina in 1993. He began as an instructor at the Buck Baker Driving School and started his own fabrication shop for several top-notch teams including Hendrick Motorsports in Charlotte, N.C.

Bonifield assisted the Red Line Synthetic Oil Corp. with initiating its East Coast distributorship in 1995. His leadership and hard work has helped increase sales for the organization. Today Red Line Synthetic Oil Corp. has a presence throughout many series including sponsorship of Bonifield’s two-truck program.

1996 saw Bonifield become a team owner in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series with driver Clint Mears in a No. 82 Red Line Synthetic Oil Chevrolet Silverado. The team did not qualify for its first event at Martinsville Speedway but continued to assemble a fulltime team. For the next three years, Bonifield had a host of drivers behind the wheel including Ken Bouchard, Clint Mears and David Starr.

In 1999, Bonifield added driver to his resume making his first NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series event at Evergreen Speedway on April 4th. The Napa, Calif.-native finished 30th that day and would compete 13 more times with partner Tom Mazzuchi as co-owner of Team 23.

Bonifield again shared driving duties in 2000 with the likes of Bill Lester, Morgan Shepherd, Dana White and Lance Hooper. The following year, Bonifield assembled a three-truck program by mid-season and earned a career-best 24th-place finish twice at California and Las Vegas Motor Speedways. The team name changed to Team Racing to signify the additions of the Nos. 25 and 86 truck teams.

In 2002 with Team Racing, Bonifield competed in 11 events and finished a season-best 31st three times. His efforts placed him 31st in the 2002 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series driver standings.

2003 was a turnaround for Bonifield and Team Racing. Bonifield is coming off a record-setting season, earning 15 career-finishes at racing facilities including Daytona International and Kentucky Speedways and Memphis Motorsports Park. His career-best finish of 23rd at Memphis aided Team Racing is getting two of the three truck teams in the top-25 owner points standings.

This year Bonifield will field two, fulltime truck teams in the 2004 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. Bonifield’s decision to a two-truck operation is an effort to concentrate on a earning a top-15 position in the driver and owner points’ standings. Bonifield, a resident of Concord, N.C., lives with his two children Phillip and Victoria.