Five-time Super Bowl linebacker Bill Romanowski joins NASCAR team

Former NFL linebacker Bill Romanowski is a new minority owner and sponsor of Swan Racing, a single-car team in NASCAR’s premier Sprint Cup Series, the team said Thursday.

Swan Racing, majority owned by Brandon Davis, plans to enter next month’s season-opening Daytona 500 with two-time Daytona 500 winner Michael Waltrip behind the wheel.

David Stremme then will take over the team’s No. 30 Toyota for the rest of the season. Waltrip also is a co-owner of his own NASCAR team.

Romanowski, who appeared in five Super Bowls, played 16 seasons in the NFL with the San Francisco 49ers, Philadelphia Eagles, Denver Broncos and Oakland Raiders. He retired after the 2003 season.

“I am thrilled to jump into the NASCAR world,” Romanowski said in a statement. “Brandon has a vision for how to build a championship contender and I’m eager to be part of it.”

Romanowski’s health-supplement company Nutrition53 -- 53 was his uniform number -- will be the primary sponsor on Swan Racing’s car for 10 Cup races and an associate sponsor for the remaining 26 races of the season.

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