NASCAR: Phoenix Racing wants Regan Smith, AJ Allmendinger and Kurt Busch for 2013

Phoenix Racing will have Regan Smith to drive its car for the Daytona 500 and plans to have Smith and AJ Allmendinger share a car for its Sprint Cup team in 2013.

The team also hopes to have Kurt Busch for Nationwide Series races. Phoenix Racing general manager Steve Barkdoll said on Tuesday that the team plans to enter a Cup car for the entire season and a Nationwide car for restrictor-plate events plus other select races. Regan Smith will drive the Cup car at Daytona and possibly in seven to 10 races throughout the season. As for Allmendinger, Barkdoll said he expected his first race to be at Phoenix.

Both Smith and Allmendinger drove for Phoenix Racing after Busch left the team late last year. Allmendinger did four races while Smith did two for Phoenix Racing. Smith has a full-time Nationwide ride for JR Motorsports in 2013, while Allmendinger said last week he had no NASCAR plans set for 2013. He was fired by Penske Racing in July 2012 after failing a NASCAR drug test.

“It will be more than likely AJ at Phoenix and the next handful of races. Regan, with his concentration on the Nationwide deal, he’s going to pick and choose the ones that he wants,” Barkdoll was quoted as saying by Sporting News. As for the Nationwide car, Barkdoll is hoping to reunite with Busch, who won a Nationwide race at Daytona for the team as well as driving the Cup car most of the year.