#32 Team Past News and Rumors
2005 News

  • Hamilton Jr. released from #32 ride UPDATE: PPI Motorsports (PPIM) announced that Bobby Hamilton Jr. will no longer be the driver of the #32 Tide/Downy Chevrolet. “I want to thank Bobby for his efforts over the past year and a half,” said Cal Wells III, owner of PPI Motorsports. In 44 starts for PPIM, Hamilton Jr. has produced three top-15 and 13 top-25 finishes. “I wish Bobby nothing but the best as he pursues his options for next season,” stated Wells. PPI Motorsports, based in Hickory, N.C., fields the #32 Tide/Downy Chevrolet in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series. Since joining the series in 2000, the team has earned two wins, three pole positions, ten top fives and 26 top tens. The team also owns multiple titles and victories in off-road and open-wheel racing and celebrates its 25th year in racing this season.(PPI Motorsports)(12-22-2005)
    STATEMENT: the official statement from Bobby Hamilton Jr. regarding his release from PPI: "Today [Thurs] PPI notified me that I was terminated. I'm looking forward to talking to teams about the opportunities that are still out there for next year and beyond. I've been a full time driver in Busch or Cup for five years, I've won races, I'm still just 27, and I know I can drive. While I don't agree with PPI's decision, I have only best wishes for Cal and the whole team as they prepare for next season.(Motorsports Management PR)(12-23-2005)

  • Kvapil to PPI? UPDATE 4 Official: Travis Kvapil recently received his release from #77 Penske Racing, but he is not expected to be out of work for long. Kvapil, 29, is the latest candidate for the #32 PPI Motorsports ride. Bobby Hamilton Jr. has not been re-signed.(Sporting News), Ricky Craven has also been rumored to be going back to the #32, but that seems like a slim chance.(12-12-2005)
    UPDATE: been told that Hamilton Jr. is signed thru 2006 with PPI Motorsports and has not been released from his contract.(12-13-2005)
    UPDATE 2: Bobby Hamilton, Jr. will return to the #32 Tide Chevrolet in 2006. He is still under contract to Cal Wells, who can't find an upgrade in talent on the current NEXTEL Cup unemployment line and will most likely stay with the second generation driver.(RacingOne)(12-14-2005)
    UPDATE 3: hearing Kvapil will be named the new driver of the #32 Tide ride, could be as soon as today [Wed].(12-21-2005)
    UPDATE 4: Cal Wells made a move on Thursday that should stop the #32 from spinning out. Wells announced that Travis Kvapil is replacing Bobby Hamilton Jr. in the #32 PPI Motorsports Chevrolet in 2006. Kvapil, 29, was released from the #77 Penske Racing Dodge at the end of last season. Although he finished 33rd in the Nextel Cup standings, that was three positions higher than Hamilton Jr., who failed to qualify at Charlotte and was replaced on the road course races. Regardless, Hamilton had an average finish of 32nd. In Hamilton's defense, his engines were inconsistent at the start of the season. Wells did his best through a lease program with Richard Childress Racing but engine failures led to two DNFs. Secondly, Hamilton lost crew chief Harold Holly midseason. Danny Gill filled in until after the first race of the Chase, when Hamilton gained the ever-so-savvy James Ince. But the relationship never took off, as the driver appeared to be mailing it in towards season's end. The stark comparison must be made between Hamilton and Ricky Craven, Hamilton's predecessor in the #32. Craven ran only 26 races in 2004 and finished 34th -- two positions ahead of Hamilton, who competed in 33 events. Craven finished 27th in 2003 and a PPI career-high 15th in the 2002 standings. Wells simply couldn't afford to let the downward spiral continue. Although Kvapil's rookie season was a struggle, his championship in the Craftsman Truck Series is proof of his ability to win and points race. His demeanor on and off the track has been compared to fellow Wisconsinite Matt Kenseth. Kvapil's desire to succeed combined with Ince's strong work ethic will help overcome the obstacles facing a single car team until Wells can find the funding to expand his operation.(Sporting News)
    AND PPI Motorsports (PPIM) announced that 2003 Truck Series Champ Travis Kvapil will be behind the wheel of the #32 Tide/Downy Chevy for the upcoming 2006 Nextel Cup season. “PPI Motorsports is excited to have Travis join the Tide Racing team,” said Cal Wells III, owner of PPI Motorsports. “I believe he will be a strong addition to our organization especially under the tutelage of crew chief James Ince. The two of them, along with the new crew we have assembled, have the ability to reach the goals set forth by this organization. We have experienced some unfortunate setbacks over the last two seasons and I am determined to get PPI Motorsports back in contention for race victories in 2006. I believe Travis can certainly make that happen for us and I am proud to have him on board.” Kvapil, a native of Janesville, Wis., will embark on his second full season in NASCAR’s premiere series after competing last year for Penske-Jasper Racing where he recorded two top-10 and 18 top-25 finishes. He was able to join PPIM when Penske-Jasper Racing released him after a joint decision was made by Penske and sponsor Kodak not to field the #77 car in 2006. “As the saying goes, when one door closes another will open,” said Kvapil. “I feel fortunate that the door to PPI Motorsports has opened to me. I want to thank Cal for giving me the chance to drive one of the most recognizable race cars in NASCAR. Tide has been in the sport for a long time and has experienced a lot of success in the past. I am honored and will do everything I can to become a part of the Tide winning tradition. All of the resources to succeed are in place here at PPI Motorsports so I am excited to get the season started.”(PPI Motorsports)(12-22-2005)

  • Hamilton Jr. released from #32 ride: PPI Motorsports (PPIM) announced that Bobby Hamilton Jr. will no longer be the driver of the #32 Tide/Downy Chevrolet. “I want to thank Bobby for his efforts over the past year and a half,” said Cal Wells III, owner of PPI Motorsports. In 44 starts for PPIM, Hamilton Jr. has produced three top-15 and 13 top-25 finishes. “I wish Bobby nothing but the best as he pursues his options for next season,” stated Wells. PPI Motorsports, based in Hickory, N.C., fields the #32 Tide/Downy Chevrolet in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series. Since joining the series in 2000, the team has earned two wins, three pole positions, ten top fives and 26 top tens. The team also owns multiple titles and victories in off-road and open-wheel racing and celebrates its 25th year in racing this season.(PPI Motorsports)(12-22-2005)

  • Craven back at PPI #32? Already having turned down what he termed "intriguing offers" to fill full-time rides in Busch and Truck, Ricky Craven's plan is essentially to sit on the sidelines and wait for temporary openings to appear in the Nextel Cup circuit next season. The goal is to impress owners in whatever limited opportunities he has, thereby putting himself in position to secure a permanent seat in 2007. There's an outside chance Craven could return to the Nextel Cup circuit with former boss Cal Wells for the coming season. Talks with the PPI Motorsports team continue, though it's getting late in Silly Season and circumstances would need to change for that offer to be acceptable. Craven is interested in signing a one-year deal with a competitive, multi-car operation that will give him a crack at achieving the coveted win that drives his determination to this day: victory at New Hampshire International Speedway. And he's confident that opportunity will come along. "I absolutely believe I'll be racing again, and I expect to race Nextel Cup," Craven said. "I just don't know where, or when, or who it will be with. At this time it doesn't appear it's going to be full-time in 2006, and I'm okay with that."
    Wells and Craven parted ways prior to the finish of 2004, but the driver would not deny that it is Wells with whom he is currently negotiating his Cup return. As the only driver in the past five years to win as part of a single-car team, Craven said after the split he would return only to a multi-car outfit. He intends to honor that statement -and it could be part of a PPI expansion. "The fact is, Cal and I have had discussions," said Craven, who has raced for eight owners in parts of 11 Cup seasons. "Cal is a friend, and although the circumstances in 2004 were uncomfortable for both of us, we'd certainly entertain racing together again. Part of my criteria is that he become a bigger company, because that is key in all of us having success together. He certainly is headed in that direction. He's working hard to build his race team and his company, and I'm not sure that's going to happen, but I wouldn't rule out racing with the Tide team again. We've had discussions, but we're not there. I think it's a stretch to think that could happen right now." It is expected that Bobby Hamilton Jr., who replaced Craven, will be out of the #32 Tide car next season after he finished 36th, but the point is fast approaching when it will be too tough to start a second team in time for the season opener at Daytona in February.(Concord Monitor)(12-7-2005)

  • Craven may start Truck team, looking for Cup ride: Ricky Craven said Monday he doesn't expect to race full time next year. "I'm not going to pursue full-time Busch or Truck Series opportunities and it's late in the game for Nextel Cup," said the 39-year-old Craven, who has run 278 Nextel Cup races in his career. "I'm not saying it won't happen [in Nextel Cup], but I don't expect it this late." He reiterated he doesn't want to drive for a single-car Cup team or a team that doesn't have the resources to be competitive. "I'm not interested in just racing. I don't want to be a field-filler. That's not how I want to race," said Craven. "I've established my criteria for that. I am interested in racing in the Truck Series part time. It's a wonderful series. I may even pursue that with my own team. If I did that, I would still have an opportunity to race Nextel Cup." He indicated he would be interested in a part-time ride for a good, established Nextel Cup team, also. There are rumors circulating that Bobby Hamilton Jr., who replaced Craven in the Tide #32 Nextel Cup Chevy 16 months ago, won't return to drive for PPI Motorsports and team owner Cal Wells III next season. Would Craven return to the team with which he won two Nextel Cup races, the only single-car team to do so over the last five years, and posted 10 top-fives and 24 top-10s in their 3 1/2-year relationship? "I certainly have an interest in helping Cal. We're friends. We'll see. But it needs to be a different situation," said Craven, referring primarily to Wells' ability to land a second team and sponsor.(Bangor Daily News)(11-22-2005)

  • Driver Change at PPI? UPDATE: hearing Bobby Hamilton Jr. will probably not return as the driver of the #32 Tide Chevy for PPI Motorsports in 2006. Dave Blaney has been rumored for the #32 ride as well as the #22 Caterpillar Dodge ride, IF the #77 shuts down, Travis Kvapil could head to either the #22 or #32 teams.(11-17-2005)
    UPDATE: #32 Car owner Cal Wells still isn't revealing his plans for 2006, but he said that tentative plans to do some deal next season with Doug and Robert Yates didn't get off the planning board. There has been considerable speculation about Wells, a longtime Chevy man, and the Yateses, with Fords, doing a team together. But Wells said he'll remain with Chevrolet. "I've heard everything, and things are going on that will be exciting - but I'm not part of that," Wells said. "There was a door that opened and closed a couple of weeks ago. Doug and I are good personal friends, and I would do whatever he might want. I have immense respect for Doug. And we kicked around some ideas, that probably got talked about around the garage. But all of that was incredibly premature." So what will Wells have for 2006? "We're all racing for our jobs, Bobby Hamilton Jr. included," Wells said. "But Bobby is my driver today, and we'll see where it goes."(Winston Salem Journal)(11-22-2005)

  • Hamilton Jr. tests at Gateway: #32 PPI Motorsports and driver Bobby Hamilton Jr., tested the #32 Tide Chevy at Gateway International Raceway on Tuesday, November 8 in preparations for this weekend’s event at PIR.(PPI Motorsports)(11-10-2005)

  • #32 Tests at Kentucky: #32 PPI Motorsports and driver Bobby Hamilton Jr., will be testing at Kentucky Speedway on Wednesday, November 2 in preparations for this weekend's event at Texas Motor Speedway. Chassis #67 will be utilized.(PPI Motorsports)(11-2-2005)

  • Driver Change - Hamilton Jr. In, Chaffin Out: on Speed Channel's NASCAR This Morning, it was mentioned that Bobby Hamilton Jr.. who failed to qualify for the Bass Pro Shops MBNA 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway on Friday in the #32 Tide Chevy, will take over the #92 Chevy that Chad Chaffin qualified. Chaffin was to start 43rd as will Hamilton Jr.
    AND PPI Motorsports (PPIM) through a partnership with car owner Bob Jenkins will race the #32 Tide/Downy Chevrolet with driver Bobby Hamilton Jr. in today’s Bass Pro Shops MBNA 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway. “Bob and I forged a relationship at Talladega a few weeks ago,” said Wells. “And he was gracious enough to continue the partnership with PPIM at Atlanta. We are looking forward to fielding our #32 Tide/Downy Chevrolet in today’s event as well as accomplishing our goal for the weekend which is a top-25 finish.”(PPI Motorsports)(10-30-2005)

  • Dickerson-Wells split: #32 Tide Car owner Cal Wells had hired Eddie Dickerson, a well-known chassis man, to engineer new cars, but the two split two weeks ago.(Winston Salem Journal)(10-28-2005)

  • What's up with Blaney for 2006: Dave Blaney, who will be replaced by Clint Bowyer in the #07 RCR car in 2006, has spoken with team owner Cal Wells [#32 Tide Chevy] but is waiting to see how Silly Season shakes out before committing to a ride.(Sporting News)(10-17-2005)

  • Driver changes at Talladega: #00 - Bobby Hamilton Jr. replaced Mike Skinner; #34 - Mike Skinner replaced Hermie Sadler..Tide is going on the #00 and Aaron's going to the #34 for the UAW-Ford 500 at Talladega Superspeedway on Sunday.(NASCAR Stats Services)(10-1-2005)
    AND the deal was with the #34 Front Row Racing team and #32 owner, Cal Wells, which failed to make the race with driver Bobby Hamilton Jr. So Wells made a deal with Chris Edwards, owner of the #34 Ford that Hermie Sadler qualified for the race. But since the #34 is a Ford this week [usually a Chevy], the Wells made a deal with Jenkins and Mike Skinner, moving Skinner to the #34 Ford and using the #00 car, which is really the #92 [owners points #192 Bob Jenkins the owner] and will run the #32 in the race with Tide as the sponsor. Running the race will NOT get the #32 team owner, Cal Wells, any owners points for the race, driver Bobby Hamilton Jr. will of course get drivers points since he will start the race in the car, but has to start in the rear of the field due to the drivers change. Sadler was supposedly compensated for letting the switch happen as well as the owners of the #34 and #192 [#00]. The #00/92 was an odd deal already, as a deal between Jenkins and #00 [#100] team owner Michael Waltrip to run Skinner and Aaron's along with the #00, similar to the deal between Waltrip and Bill Davis Racing to run the #00 Dodge with Aaron's and Kenny Wallace a few weeks ago.(10-2-2005)

  • New Crew Chief for the #32: PPI Motorsports (PPIM) announced today that James Ince, team manager of the #32 Tide/Downy Chevy driven by Bobby Hamilton Jr. in the Nextel Cup Series will take on the additional role of crew chief effective immediately. Danny Gill, who has served as crew chief since July 20, has been released from PPIM to pursue new opportunities. “I was fortunate two weeks ago to have James Ince join my organization,” said Wells III, owner of PPI Motorsports. “We have been trying to do this for a very long time. He is a proven winner and with his vast array of experience, he was my first choice for the team manager position. However, after further review of the Tide team’s on-track performance, I feel it is necessary to have him assume the role of crew chief for the remainder of the season. I am trying to do everything I can to give Bobby all the necessary elements to excel in the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series and I feel James is the one who can help raise the overall performance level of this race team. Both driver and crew chief are winners so I believe this is a win-win situation for everyone involved. I want to thank Danny Gill for his assistance during our team’s transition period after the departure of Harold Holly, he came to us highly recommended by Bobby Hamilton Sr. and I appreciate everything he has done for PPI Motorsports and the Tide Racing program. I wish him much success in the future.”
    Ince is no stranger to the crew chief ranks in NASCAR racing. A native of Springfield, Missouri, Ince has won in every series he has ever raced. At the helm, he has led NASCAR veterans Johnny Benson, David Green, Kevin Lepage, Ted Musgrave and Rich Bickle to their best all-time finishes. The spotlight was heavily shown on Ince starting in 2000 when he was paired for three seasons with driver Johnny Benson. Together they produced a total of 14 top-five and 31 top-10 finishes in NASCAR’S premier series. Their best result came in November 2002 when Ince guided Benson to his first career Nextel Cup victory at North Carolina Speedway. Ince’s most recent endeavor in the Cup Series was earlier this season when he served as crew chief for driver #66-Hermie Sadler during the first two events.(PPI Motorsports)(9-19-2005)

  • Ince to PPI Racing UPDATE on Hamilton Jr.: former crew chief James Ince is back on the NASCAR Nextel Cup tour. #32 car owner Cal Wells has hired Ince to become team manager for driver Bobby Hamilton Jr. along with Eddie Dickerson, a veteran car builder and shop foreman. How driver Bobby Hamilton Jr. might fit into all this is unclear. Hamilton hasn't said much about his plans for 2006, and has been dodging questions on the issue for the past month.(Winston Salem Journal)(9-11-2005)
    UPDATE: Bobby Hamilton Jr. Saturday denied reports that his Nextel Cup [#32 PPI Racing] team is about to fold. "I know that's been going around but there's nothing to it," Hamilton, a Nashville native and fourth-generation racer, joined Cal Wells' PPI Motorsports team around mid-season last year, replacing Ricky Craven. He signed a three-year contract. Hamilton said of reports that began circulating during last week's race at California and continued in the days leading up to last night's race at Richmond International Raceway. "We've been hiring some new people and making plans and I expect to be back next year." Hamilton posted his best finish (11th) in the season's third race at Las Vegas Speedway. Since then the team has struggled, with an average finish of 30th. The Hickory, N.C.-based team fields only one car, and Wells said that puts it at a disadvantage to multi-car teams in terms of testing and technology. Wells said he would like to give Hamilton a teammate if he can find sponsorship for a second car. Hamilton was a winner in the Busch Series, and Wells continues to express confidence in his ability to compete in NASCAR's top division. Hamilton, while frustrated, likewise said he has faith in the team's potential. "It has won before (with Craven) and if we can get all the pieces to fit together it can win again," he said.(Tennessean)(9-12-2005)

  • Hamilton Sr. to run Indy, maybe more, not retire?: Bobby Hamilton [#04] will try to qualify for the Aug. 7 Brickyard 400, his first race in NASCAR's top tier since he left at the end of the 2003 season. "If I can qualify, I'll be in the race," said Hamilton, who won the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series championship last year and is currently third in the standings. "It's a no-pressure thing and I'm looking forward to it." Hamilton said he is dabbling in Nextel Cup for two reasons. He hopes to transfer some of the chassis technology to his truck racing team, and also help his son, Bobby Jr., get his [#32] car up to speed. Bobby Hamilton Jr. has struggled in his first full Nextel Cup season. "We're working together, helping each other," the senior Hamilton said. "We were at Indy testing last week and I had the quickest lap and Little Bobby the second-quickest. After Indy I may run a few more Cup races on some tracks that we need help on." Hamilton purchased the Nextel Cup car from PPI Racing, the team for which Bobby Jr. drives, and rebuilt it at his racing complex in Mt. Juliet. "It's a good car," he said. "I'm anxious to race it. I've still got a lot of buddies over there and it'll be fun to see them," said Hamilton, who has run five Busch Series races this season for Sadler Racing [#95] in addition to his full-time truck schedule. Hamilton hopes to eventually evolve his truck racing team into a Nextel Cup team, with his son driving for him. Earlier this year Hamilton said he intended to retire from driving at the end of this season in order to oversee his team and develop young drivers on a full-time basis. Since then those plans have become less definite. "I'll do what I think is best for my race team," he said. "It's hard to predict the future."(Tennessean)(7-27-2005)

  • Huffman out of the #12 Truck ride? Hamilton Jr. in? UPDATE: it was reported on Speed Channel's coverage of the Memphis Truck Series race by Ray Dunlap, that Robert Huffman, driver of the #12 Darrell Waltrip Motorsports Toyota in the Truck Series, would be replaced for the final ten races of the 2005 season with a Nextel Cup regular with "a clean uniform" but the driver couldn't be named due to contract issues. Word is that Bobby Hamilton Jr. could be the driver, not sure if that means Hamilton Jr. leaves the #32 PPI Racing job or will run double duty...but Chevy in Cup and Toyota in Trucks, both teams factory backed, seems unlikely.(7-23-2005)
    UPDATE: Hamilton Jr. will run the #12 Toyota for DW in all but one or two races. Hamilton Jr. will do double duty, running the #32 car in all but one race as Ron Fellows will run the #32 car at Watkins Glen, so Hamilton will be free to run the #12 Truck at Nashville on the same weekend.(7-24-2005)

  • Holly leaves #32 team UPDATE 3 sabbatical over, Holly to #44 Busch team: hearing that #32 PPI Motorsports crew chief, Harold Holly has left the Tide team and driver Bobby Hamilton Jr., been told Danny Gill will assume crew chief duties at Chicagoland Speedway.(7-5-2005)
    UPDATE: two Nashville, TN TV stations [NBC affiliate WSMV-TV and CBS affiliate WTVF-TV] reported and interviewed driver Bobby Hamilton Jr. and he confirmed that Harold Holly has left the #32 car as crew chief. It was a mutual decision between Holly and #32 car owner Cal Wells. Holly wants to get back to Busch for less hectic schedule and it was time for a change. The new crew chief will be Danny Gill (Hamilton drove ARCA car with him as crew chief).(7-6-2005)
    UPDATE 2: Contrary to published reports, Harold Holly remains under contract with PPI Motorsports and is currently taking a sabbatical leave for several weeks. Filling in for Holly is Danny Gill.(PPI Motorsports)(7-6-2005)
    AND Call Wells told Claire B. Lang XM Satellite NASCAR Radio this morning that Harold Holly is still working for him but is on a several week sabbatical. "What's Harold's doing is he's on a short sabbatical. He's reviewing our performance challenges. He's reviewing where we're coming up short, what we need to evolve and to change," Wells told CBL. Wells said they've hired Danny Gill to come in and straighten out the shop because the prouduct they have been delivering to the crew chief has not been of the quality that Wells said he's been proud of in the past. Wells further said that Bobby Hamilton Sr. assisted in the hiring of Danny Gill to help square away things in the shop. Gill will cover things for the next couple of weeks as Harold delves into, "where our challenges are." Wells says " Harold's going to come up with some thoughts and ideas and direction that is going to make us better." Wells told CBL that he wanted to clairify that, "Harold Holly is still with PPI, that rumors to the contrary are inaccurate and that Harold is a good friend a confidant a supporter and I am a supporter of him."(XM Satellite NASCAR Radio)(7-6-2005)
    UPDATE 3: Labonte/Haas Racing announced today the appointment of Harold Holly as crew chief of the #44 U.S. Coast Guard Shield of Freedom Chevrolet beginning this weekend at the NASCAR Busch Series event at Pikes Peak International Raceway. See more on my Busch Series site.(7-18-2005)

  • Bobby Sr. tells Bobby Jr. to move on: That's the advice Bobby Hamilton Sr. offered his son, #32-Bobby Hamilton Jr., in regards to Hamilton Jr.'s ride with Cal Wells' #32 team. Ron Fellows, a road racing specialist, will drive for Hamilton Jr. this weekend because the team is outside the top 35 in car owner points and must qualify to make the race. Asked what he's told his son during this season, Hamilton Sr. said: "To find something else to drive," he said. "I mean, there's too many chiefs and not enough Indians there. They've got just enough employees to survive, barely get to a race track and survive a Nextel Cup deal. I think the world of the owner [Wells]. I know the crew chief and driver have a ton of talent together. Hopefully, they can land back on their feet someplace else.''(Roanoke Times)(6-25-2005)

  • Hamilton Jr. could go work for his Dad....if: Bobby Hamilton Jr. has one year left on his contract, but should his status in the #32 Tide ride change, he has a backup plan--race for his father. Bobby Hamilton Racing fields three teams in the Craftsman Truck Series and just opened a new shop. With sponsorship, BHR could start a Cup team. "We haven't figured out what we're doing yet," Hamilton Jr. says. "If Tide leaves--and there's been pretty strong rumors about them leaving--you have to be prepared for what happens. Dad's deal is there. It's always been there, but you hate to throw this deal away based just on rumors."(Sporting News), see my #32 Team News page for those past rumors.(6-13-2005)

  • Tide 2 Go at Pocono: The #32 PPI Motorsports Chevy for Bobby Hamilton Jr.'s paint scheme continues to be Tide to Go. It is promoting Procter and Gamble’s new instant stain remover that helps eliminate fresh food and drink stains. Tide to Go works well on tomato juice, ketchup, BBQ sauce, grape juice and coffee. It is convenient to carry in a briefcase, car, purse and kitchen. It is available in stores now.(PPI Motorsports)(6-10-2005)

  • Fellows in the #32 at Infineon Raceway: PPI Motorsports announced that veteran road course driver Ron Fellows will climb behind the wheel of the #32 Tide/Downy Chevy for the upcoming NASCAR Nextel Cup event at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, CA, on June 26. PPIM’s owner, Cal Wells III made the decision based on NASCAR’s current qualifying rules. Bobby Hamilton Jr., remains the driver of the Tide ride. “I want to stress the fact that I have the utmost faith in my driver, Bobby Hamilton Jr.,” said Wells. “Unfortunately, our team has suffered a string of bizarre circumstances that has equated to 37th place in the NASCAR Nextel Cup owner points. I felt, as did Bobby Jr., qualifying would be a major concern at Infineon since we may have to race our way in. Therefore, I believe it is in the best interest of the team to turn to one of the best road course racers in motorsports to help improve our results. Fellows can not only help our owner points but also provide the Tide team with a legitimate shot at winning at the race.”
    “It’s no secret I do not have the experience or the professional road course schooling needed to feel comfortable about qualifying successfully at a road course,” added Hamilton Jr., who has raced only three times in his career at Watkins Glen in the NASCAR Busch Series. “The Tide team is not in a situation to take chances so putting Fellows in the car is a good decision.”
    Fellows, 45, is recognized as one of North America’s best road course drivers. From Mississauga, Ontario, he has a vast array of NASCAR experience after wielding Chevrolets in all three NASCAR series. To his credit, he has five NASCAR victories and has won in every level of competition he’s raced. Currently, he drives full time in the American Le Mans Series for Corvette Racing. His most recent win came last month at Road Atlanta. Fellows and teammate Johnny O'Connell drove the new Corvette C6.R to its first victory as well as tying the ALMS record with 22 career wins.(PPI Motorsports)(5-26-2005)
    Watkins Glen too? from a GM Pres Release, comments by #32 Team Owner, Cal Wells: "And I think we'll bounce back and dig in. And, you know, we've got Ron (Fellows) driving for us at the road courses and I'm sure he'll get it in the show there. So, I think we'll be fine. We'll claw our way back." Sounds like Fellows will drive at Watkins Glen in August also?(GM RP)(5-27-2005)

  • Tide to Go at Charlotte on the #32: #32-Bobby Hamilton Jr. will be sporting a new paint scheme for his sponsor Tide for both the Nextel All-Star Challenge festivities and the Coca-Cola 600 at Lowe’s Motor Speedway. Tide to Go, a new instant stain remover that helps eliminate many fresh food and drink stains on the spot will be featured on the #32 PPI Motorsports Chevy.(PPI Motorsports)(5-21-2005)

  • Tide to Roush? UPDATE: hearing that Tide could be the new sponsor for the #6 Roush Racing Ford in 2006, leaving the #32 PPI Motorsports team [Bobby Hamilton Jr. driver] at the end of the season. Mark Martin currently drives the #6 and is retiring from full-time Nextel Cup racing after 2005 [supposedly going full-time Truck Series racing] and Pfizer/Viagra is in it's fifth year of sponsoring the #6 team. As rumored, Ricky Craven could be reunited with Tide and take the wheel of the #6 Ford in 2006. Craven ran the Tide colors from 2001 thru late 2004 with PPI Motorsports.(5-17-2005)
    UPDATE: been told the Roush part of this is not true, that Tide plans to honor their contract thru 2006.(5-17-2005)

  • Hamilton Jr. has troubles in Nashville UPDATE: #32-Bobby Hamilton Jr. hurried home from Saturday night's Nextel Cup race in Phoenix to compete at Music City Motorplex [see image of Hamilton's car there] yesterday afternoon, but made an early exit with a badly-rumpled car and equally-ruffled feathers. Hamilton and Mark Day crashed while jockeying for second place just 10 laps into the debut of the track's new All American Late Model Challenge Series. The front of Hamilton's car was crushed and he said he had no control of his steering when he came down pit road and smacked into Day's parked car. ''This is why Mark Day is where he's at now,'' said Hamilton, who is in his first full season in NASCAR's Nextel Cup Series. ''Someday when he's sitting around explaining to his kids why he never got anywhere in racing, he can tell them (stuff) like this is why.'' Hamilton had planned to run four of the remaining five Challenge Series races, but after yesterday's incident he said: ''I won't be back. If they can't control their competitors any better than this, I don't want any part of it. I come in here on my day off to race and help the track get a little publicity, and something like this happens.'' Hamilton claimed the incident was a carryover from a highly-publicized rift between Day and former Fairgrounds driver Deborah Renshaw. Renshaw quit racing at the track because of the controversy and now drives in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series for Bobby Hamilton Sr. ''Day ran off Deborah because he couldn't beat her,'' Hamilton said, ''and now he pulls something like this.'' The senior Hamilton, who was watching the race from track-side, said: ''Day just put him in the wall.'' Day, a veteran racer from Clarksville [TN], was asked to give his version of the incident but declined comment.(in part from the Tennessean)(4-25-2005)
    UPDATE - could face charges? Hamilton, Jr.'s first appearance at the famed Nashville Fairgrounds track (now called Music City Motorplex) in years ended with fist flying and police cars cruising the pits. And the incident could lead to Hamilton, Jr. facing an arrest warrant. The incident that got the fracas started began 10 laps into the All-American Late Model Series Challenge when Hamilton and Mark Day’s cars touched on the back straight, shortly before entering turn three. The incident sent Hamilton’s car into the outside wall, severely damaging the front end. With hampered steering, Hamilton limped his car around the track for more than a lap. His crew later said that he was unable to turn the car into the pits, so he was forced to stay on the track. According to Hamilton, he finally regained enough control to navigate onto pit road, where he made contact with Day's car, which was pitted behind Hamilton's stall. One of Day’s crewmembers, William Scogin, who was checking the left front of Day’s car, was slammed into the pit wall by Day’s car when Hamilton’s car hit it. A brawl immediately ensued, with both crews going after each other. The antics caused a red flag that parked the remaining field on the back straightaway until track officials could gain control of the situation. Scogin, who met with Metro Nashville Police at the track, told MTRN that he was considering swearing out a warrant on Hamilton, Jr. for vehicular assault. Day said that he was surprised by Hamilton’s actions after the incident. Day insisted that the on track incident was a racing accident. Hamilton, who started fourth, was racing Day for second at the time of the crash. Hamilton’s crew later claimed that the damage to Hamilton’s car caused the pit road crash and that Hamilton didn’t intend to hit Day’s car.(Middle Tennessee Racing News)(4-26-2005)
    UPDATE 2: Nextel Cup driver Bobby Hamilton Jr. and local driver Mark Day have each been fined $1,000 and they and their crew chiefs have been suspended from racing at Music City Motorplex after an incident on Sunday. The two were involved in an accident in turn four. Day drove to the pit area. Hamilton's car, which received front-end suspension and steering damage, struck Day's car when entering his assigned pit box directly in front of Day's pit. Crews from each team scuffled but were quickly subdued by officials. Hamilton blamed Day, who would not comment after the race. ''Firm action is required to prevent these types of situations from continuing,'' track president Joe Mattioli said. ''Competitive racing is one thing, but we cannot and will not allow this type of behavior.''(Tennessean)(4-27-2005)

  • Hamilton Jr. tests at Martinsville: #32-Bobby Hamilton's team was the only NEXTEL Cup team testing at Martinsville Tuesday, joining almost a half-dozen NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series teams. Hamilton won't be back for a second day of testing on Wednesday, but several NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series drivers will be testing, including Ricky Craven, Todd Kluever and Justin Allgaier, all coming back for a second day, and Bill Lester, Shieage Hattori, Johnny Benson, Mike Skinner and Brandon Whitt will join them. Because of the possibility of rain, Darrell Waltrip, David Reutimann and Robert Huffman have moved their Truck Series tests to Thursday, joining David Starr, Bobby Labonte, Regan Smith, Tam Topin, Alex Yontz, Bill Lester, Johnny Benson, Mike Skinner, Todd Bodine, Steve Park and Brendan Gaughan. Tickets for both the Advance Auto Parts 500 on Sunday, April 10, and the Kroger 250 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race, on Saturday, April 9, may be purchased by calling 1.877.RACE.TIX from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Tickets for both events also may be purchased online at www.martinsvillespeedway.com.(Martinsville Speedway)(3-23-2005)

  • Hamilton plans to retire after 2006 season; Cup team for Jr. UPDATE no retire: #4-Bobby Hamilton plans to hang up his own helmet at the end of next season. ''I'll race this year and next year, that's my plan,'' he said. ''I've got some bright young drivers racing for me and it's going to be fun to devote my time to running the team and helping them develop. ''I've got hundreds of trophies from the early days stored at home,'' Hamilton said. ''Eventually I plan to bring them all here and fill an entire wall with the stuff that Little Bobby and I have collected over the years.''
    :'Little Bobby'' is Bobby Hamilton Jr., Hamilton's 27-year-old son who is in his first full season in Nextel Cup [#32 Tide Chevy]. Sometime in the future Hamilton hopes to expand his team into the Nextel Cup Series, with his son doing the driving.(Tennessean)(3-8-2005)
    UPDATE: Contrary to published reports, Sirius Speedway (MRN/Sirius Satellite Radio) is reporting that Bobby Hamilton has no plans to retire following the 2006 season. In fact, Hamilton is currently negotiating a three-year sponsorship deal that would keep him in the truck at least through the end of the 2007 campaign.(3-11-2005)

  • Give Kids the World Schemes returns...at California: Tide Racing returns to the track at California Speedway Feb. 25-27 with a special paint scheme honoring longtime charitable partner Give Kids The World, a nonprofit resort for children with life-threatening illnesses. The #32 Tide/Give Kids The World Chevrolet will feature star decals that have been signed by children who visited Give Kids The World Village during “An Evening with the Stars” - a special event Feb. 14 at which children signed their names on the decals and posed for photographs with a replica star-covered Tide race car and Tide driver Bobby Hamilton, Jr. FOX Sports analyst Jeff Hammond also participated as the event’s emcee. Along with this special car at Fontana, Tide will be represented by a local family who recently visited Give Kids The World Village. The Marks family of Los Angeles visited Give Kids The World in April 2003 at the wish of Zachary, now age seven. Called “Zachie” by his family and friends, Zachary was diagnosed with a genetic disorder called Neurofibromatosis, Type 1 (also referred to as NF1). Many children's manifestations of NF1 are skin tumors, café-au-lait spots and internal tumors. Zachary has two tumors, one in his optic pathway which impairs his vision and another in his brain. He receives treatment every Friday, but is doing extremely well. Zachary has a twin sister, Cassandra (Cassie) and an older brother, Nicholas (Nick), age 14. His parents, Joyce and Ron, own an audio/video company in Los Angeles. The entire family will attend Sunday’s race as honorary members of the Tide Racing/Give Kids The World team. As the star-filled paint scheme shows, the stars at Give Kids The World are the children - and the stars that adorn the #32 Tide/Give Kids The World Chevrolet in Fontana help symbolize the more than 67,000 children the Village has served to date from all 50 states and more than 50 countries worldwide. For more information about Give Kids The World, please visit www.gktw.org.(PPI Motorsports Site)(2-25-2005)

  • a 'cool' Tide look for Daytona: The heat is being turned up on NASCAR NEXTEL Cup teams preparing for the start of the 2005 season as well as the sport’s most prestigious event, The Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway on February 20. However, for PPI Motorsports and its driver, Bobby Hamilton Jr., they’re managing to keep cool in their blue #32 Tide ride. “I’ll be driving a totally different looking car,” explained Hamilton, Jr., who will be driving in his first-ever Daytona 500 as well as running his first full season in NASCAR’s premiere division for PPI Motorsports in the #32 Tide-sponsored Chevrolet Monte Carlo. I’m really excited that Tide is running this special car celebrating the recent launch of Tide Coldwater.”
    “The neon orange Tide car has been an Icon in NASCAR for 18 years, but not at this race,” commented Bev Larkin, spokesperson for Tide. “Tide is changing the paint scheme to a ‘cool blue’ to call attention to Tide Coldwater, the latest addition to the Tide family of detergents. Our expectation is to raise awareness of the benefits of washing in cold water and make millions of NASCAR fans aware of the fact that they could potentially save up to $63 a year* just by using Tide Coldwater and switching the temperature dials on their washing machines to cold.” The paint scheme, created exclusively for Daytona, showcases Procter and Gamble’s (P&G) newest laundry detergent, Tide Coldwater. Tide Coldwater was designed to deep clean in cold water and be fabric-and-color safe. The concept behind the new detergent is to give consumers the opportunity to wash their clothes in cold water saving money and energy. Tide Coldwater debuted in most grocery, mass and club stores nationally last month. When the #32 Tide Coldwater Chevrolet Monte Carlo takes to the race track at The World Center of Speed for Speedweeks, P&G along with the Alliance to Save Energy are asking race fans and consumers to “take the plunge” by accepting the “ColdWater Challenge” at www.coldwaterchallenge.com. The challenge dares consumers to wash in cold water to save up to $63/year. Also by taking the challenge, fans will receive a free product sample and find more money-and-energy saving tips. In addition, Tide Coldwater has donated $100,000 to the National Fuel Funds Network, which assists state and local groups that help low-income families pay their energy bills.(PPI Motorsports Site). See an image of the scheme on my #32 Team Schemes page.(2-11-2005)

  • Wells 2nd Team? Gaughan? another team? Cal Wells has been looking for a sponsorship deal for a second Cup team for the past few years, given the difficulty of being a single-car team on the tour. Now it appears he has finally put together that deal - with Brendan Gaughan. Gaughan drove last season for Dodge's Roger Penske as a rookie, but Gaughan is now without a Cup ride. Gaughan has an 18-race Dodge truck deal in place for this season with the Las Vegas team his father sponsors. Now, according to unconfirmed reports, Wells is ready to announce hiring Gaughan to drive this season as teammate with Bobby Hamilton Jr. But other sources say that while Gaughan is ready to announce a new Nextel Cup ride, it may not be with Chevy's Wells but rather with a car owner working for another manufacturer..(Winston Salem Journal)(1-27-2005)

  • Gaughan and 2nd PPI team? UPDATE 2: hearing former #77 Cup driver [and current #77 Truck Series driver] Brendan Gaughan may be running a 2nd PPI Motorsports Nextel Cup team [#96?], not sure if full-time or limited schedule. PPI Motorsports currently fields the #32 Tide Chevy for Bobby Hamilton Jr.(1-18-2005)
    UPDATE: Brendan Gaughan would neither confirm nor deny a published report that he is close to signing a deal that would have him running the 2005 NASCAR Nextel Cup Series season in a second PPI Motorsports Chevrolet. PPI, which is owned by Cal Wells, fields the #32 Chevy for Bobby Hamilton Jr. Gaughan only said that he is committed to running 18 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series races -- including all that are companion events on Nextel Cup weekends -- in the #77 Orleans Racing Dodge. Steve Park will return to the Las Vegas-based team this season and drive the #62 Dodge in all 25 races. Gaughan reiterated last weekend during truck testing at Daytona International Speedway that he had not ruled out the possibility of also competing in the Nextel Cup Series this season. "I may be looking at a few things (in Nextel Cup)," Gaughan said. "There's talk about a lot of things. I let everybody talk. I listen to all the deals. You never know what might be there. A lot of people have called and expressed some interest (and) I've called a few people and expressed interest. I'm fortunate right now that people look at my last season and think something else had to be wrong besides the driver. My sponsor thinks that and a lot of teams think that. I'm at a point in my life where I can kind of do it like I want and right now I want to come run 18 truck races with my Orleans guys."(Las Vegas Sun)(1-22-2005)
    UPDATE 2: Defending Grand American Rolex Series Daytona Prototype co-champion Max Papis has become a fixture around NASCAR garage areas, and has even tested cars for owner Ray Evernham, among others. Last week at Daytona, Papis said he had established a relationship with owner Cal Wells, and Thursday Wells confirmed he'd love to put a program together for the personable Italian. "I'd love to run him in the two road course races," Wells said of the driver who was named to the 12-man field for the IROC Series on Wednesday. Wells also said that, despite rumors to the contrary, he was not ready to announce any definite plans for the second Nextel Cup team he has been attempting to launch since last season. "When the economy is right, the performance hasn't been there," Wells said. "But I think Bobby (Hamilton Jr.) and Harold (Holly, crew chief) will bring that."(NASCAR.com)(1-23-2005)

    2004 News

  • Super 8 re-ups with PPI: Super 8 Motels has announced the renewal of its associate sponsorship of PPI Motorsports' #32 Chevrolet for Bobby Hamilton Jr. in the Nextel Cup Series. Financial terms of the deal were not announced.(NASCAR Scene Daily Newsletter)(12-18-2004)

  • Beam leaves PPI? UPDATE: hearing team Manager/crew chief Mike Beam has left the #32 Tide Chevy / PPI Motorsports (Cal Wells' team) and will be the new crew chief for Michael Waltrip's #99 Aaron's Dream machine Busch team.(10-7-2004)
    UPDATE: Cal Wells says Beam wants to work in one of the other more time-friendly series so that he can spend more time at home. Beam is already mulling over offers in both the Busch and Truck Series.(FoxSports/Totally NASCAR)(10-8-2004)

  • Congrats! Chris Williams, gasman and mechanic on the #32 Tide Chevy that Bobby Hamilton Jr. drivers, became a first-time father on Monday, September 20th. Mother, Karie, delivered a baby boy named Cameron Bailey at 6:30 p.m. weighing in at 8 lbs., 3 oz.(PPI Motorsports)(9-24-2004)

  • Craven's Last Start in the #32: Ricky Craven will make his final appearance in the #32 Tide Chevrolet this weekend at his home track, New Hampshire International Speedway. Craven will also take his first turn behind the wheel of a NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series truck in the companion race this weekend at NHIS. He will drive the #47 ACXIOM Chevrolet. The #32 Tide Chevrolet will feature a special paint scheme at New Hampshire this weekend for a new product, "Tide with a touch of Downy." Tide with a touch of Downy is a combination of the cleaning technologies of Tide and the softness and freshness technologies of "Downy Through-the-Wash". "Downy Through-the-Wash" is a new formula of Downy that contains detergent-compatible softness technologies to deliver softening even when it's added to the wash cycle. Look for Tide with a touch of Downy in these three scents - Clean Breeze, April Fresh and Soft Ocean Mist - and experience a touch of softness you never imagined from Tide! The #32 team debuted this paint scheme last month at Bristol and will also run this paint scheme at Martinsville this fall [with Bobby Hamilton Jr. driving](PPI Motorsports PR)(9-15-2004)

  • Hamilton Jr. takes over the #32 Tide car starting at California / UPDATE 6: It was reported on Fox Sports Net's Totally NASCAR show that PPI Motorsports is building cars for 2005 #32 Tide Chevy driver, Bobby Hamilton Jr. and Hamilton Jr. may be in one of those PPI Motorsports Chevy's by Martinsville on Oct 24th. No word on if it will be in the #32 Tide Chevy [and Craven out?] or if he will run PPI Motorsports 2nd car, #96, that Johnny Benson tested in May.
    MORE Sources close to Bobby Jr.'s future Cup team, the 32 Tide Chevrolet, say that cars are already being built for Bobby Jr. and that he could be in that car some time this year. Perhaps as early as Martinsville.(FoxSports)(8-26-2004)
    UPDATE: during Speed Channel's NASCAR Live on Friday afternnon, Bob Dilner said he was told Ricky Craven will be in the #32 Tide Chevy for the rest of the 2004 season.
    AND Car owner Cal Wells was noncommittal about reports that Bobby Hamilton Jr. might replace Ricky Craven in his cars before the end of the season, but Wells said he would like to have Hamilton in his car for the last four or five races. "But we're committed to finishing the season the way we are.... but anything can happen," Wells said. That indicates it could be up to Craven what happens next.(Winston Salem Journal)(8-28-2004)
    UPDATE 2: Cal Wells will keep Ricky Craven in the #32 Tide Ford the until season's end, even though his '05 driver, Bobby Hamilton Jr., was recently released from his Busch Series ride. If Craven were to find an opening, Wells says he would not be opposed to plugging Hamilton into the spot early to gain familiarity with the team.(FoxSports/Sporting News)(8-30-2004)
    UPDATE 3: hearing that Ricky Craven is out of the #32 Tide Chevy immediately and Hamilton Jr. will run the car at California and test at Hickory this week to get acquainted.(8-30-2004)
    UPDATE 4: Despite recent pronouncements that such a deal would be unlikely, it now appears NASCAR Busch Series driver Bobby Hamilton Jr. will get an early start in his Nextel Cup ride with PPI Motorsports for next season. Barring last minute disapproval from PPI's sponsor, Procter & Gamble [Tide], Hamilton Jr. should take over the driving duties for the #32 Tide Chevrolets beginning this weekend at California Speedway.(ThatsRacin.com)(8-31-2004)
    UPDATE 5: Bobby Hamilton Jr.'s Nextel Cup career could begin sooner than expected. Fox Sports Net's Sean Pragano has learned that Hamilton has asked to be in California on standby to drive the #32 Tide Chevrolet contingent upon contract negotiations between current driver Ricky Craven, owner Cal Wells and sponsor Procter and Gamble. Hamilton Jr.'s former Busch Series crew chief Harold Holly is expected to take over crew chief duties for Mike Beam on the #32 as soon as Hamilton takes over that ride, again, as early as this weekend.(FoxSports)(9-2-2004)
    UPDATE 6 - Hamilton Jr. In; Craven will run at NHIS: PPI Motorsports announced today that Bobby Hamilton, Jr. will assume driving duties for its #32 entry in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series starting with this weekend's event at California Speedway. Ricky Craven will return to the #32 entry for one more race, the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series event at New Hampshire International Speedway held on September 19, 2004. Owner Cal Wells III said, "We are very grateful Ricky Craven chose to allow us the opportunity to get a head start on the 2005 season and let us put Bobby Hamilton, Jr. behind the wheel of the #32 car. This will give Bobby Jr. and the team a chance to work together for the remaining events to build a foundation for next season. We are also very excited to be taking Ricky back to New Hampshire this fall." Mike Beam will continue to serve as crew chief for the remainder of the 2004 season. Harold Holly, who was hired to serve as crew chief for Hamilton, Jr. in 2005 for the #32 team, will also play a role in Hamilton, Jr.'s transition with PPI Motorsports this season.
    "Harold has already made considerable contributions to next year's program," said Wells. "We had announced previously that Harold and Bobby Jr. would start testing under the PPI Motorsports banner, and Harold has been working on building cars for Bobby Jr. in preparation. We understand Harold has obligations to his current employer and do not want to distract him from his duties. However, Harold will be atop the pit box on race day to acclimate both himself and Bobby Jr. to the organization." Bobby Hamilton, Jr. has 20 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup starts to date, including six in the #09 car during the 2004 season.(PPI Motorsports PR)(9-2-2004)

  • More Downy for Craven at Bristol:The #32 Tide Chevrolet that Ricky Craven drives will debut a new paint scheme at Bristol this weekend for a new product, "Tide with a touch of Downy." Tide with a touch of Downy is a combination of the cleaning technologies of Tide and the softness and freshness technologies of "Downy Through-the-Wash". "Downy Through-the-Wash" is a new formula of Downy that contains detergent-compatible softness technologies to deliver softening even when it's added to the wash cycle. Look for Tide with a touch of Downy in these three scents - Clean Breeze, April Fresh and Soft Ocean Mist - and experience a touch of softness you never imagined from Tide! The No. 32 team will also run this paint scheme at New Hampshire International Speedway and Martinsville this fall.(PPI Motorsports PR)(8-25-2004)

  • Wells to shut down engine dept, signs with RCR: Cal Wells, owner of the #32 Tide Chevy, just signed a 2-year engine contract with Childress to supply all his engines and will shut down his own engine department. "I just couldn't keep up," Wells said.(Winston Salem Journal)(8-23-2004)

  • Craven's 2005 Plans? Not Telling, to the #31?: Ricky Craven, current driver of the #32 Tide Chevy, who announced last month that he was leaving PPI-Motorsports/Tide Chevy team after this season with two years left on his contract, doesn't want to talk about his plans beyond this season. "I've had discussions [with other teams] but I'm still a month away from talking about that," said Craven Friday morning. It is important for me to continue to focus on this program. I'm 100 percent committed to finishing the year out the right way and all the team members know that. I want to finish what I started with Cal [PPI Motorsports owner Cal Wells III]. It's absolutely critical for me to run well in the next couple of months and for the team to finish strong," said Craven. He pointed out that he has raced with "a lot of these people for four years. I've gone to Victory Lane [twice] with them. It's a fabulous group of people. There's concern, speculation and uncertainty from their standpoint [about their futures] and I'm trying to help with all that. We may not be in the middle of a playoff run but there's still a lot to race for." The latest speculation has Craven taking over Robby Gordon's ride in the #31 Cingular Wireless Chevrolet for Richard Childress Racing. Gordon is considering starting his own Nextel Cup team if he and Childress decide to part ways. Childress has a three-car team with #29-Kevin Harvick, Gordon and recent addition #30-Jeff Burton, who left Roush Racing to hook up with Childress. Burton will debut for RCR this weekend at the GFS Marketplace 400 at Michigan International Speedway. Scott Miller, Craven's crew chief last season, has recently been named team manager for Harvick's team. Craven will make his debut in a NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race at New Hampshire International Speedway on Sept. 18, the Sylvania 200.(Bangor Daily News)(8-21-2004)

  • Hamilton Jr. will not be a rookie: Bobby Hamilton Jr. will not be running for 2005 Raybestos Rookie of the Year as he started 10 races in one season, 2001, a driver cannot start more then seven Cup races in one season and run for the award.(7-29-2004)

  • Hamilton Jr./Holly to PPI? UPDATE 2 - OFFICIAL: The stir in the Winston [um..Nextel] Cup garage today came courtesy of Cal Well II’s PPI Racing team, which announced late last night that they’d be parting company with driver Ricky Craven at the end of the year. Wells’ #32 crew chief Dave Carpentier status with the team, is solid, according to him, “I’ve still got over two years left on my contract and I plan on honoring my commitment to the team.” Wells’ team has been in the news in recent weeks said to be looking at elements of Team Rensi Motorsports, run by brothers Sam and Ed Rensi, along with business partner Gary Weisbaum. Ed, who fields the #25 Ford in the Busch Series, did confirm with TFR that he’s spoken to Wells about his talent and that there will be a change at the end of the year as a result of those talks.
    “Cal Wells approached me before Dover and told me that he wanted to talk to both Harold [Holly] and Bobby [Hamilton Jr.] about going over to PPI,” Rensi told TFR today. “I said – and I take this position with anybody who has ever worked with me, if you’ve got an opportunity to improve yourself God bless you. I’ll do everything I can to help you. Harold has made a tremendous contribution to our team as has Bobby. They’re both very talented young men who are on the upslope in their careers and Nextel Cup is something that everybody dreams of and I’m certainly not going to stand in their way. I wish them the very best. Harold is a very good friend of ours,” Rensi added. “He’s not only an employee but he’s a damn good friend. We’re happy to have him working for us. Both of those young fellows are moving forward. Cal did it the right way. [Wells] came and chatted about it and talked about it. I’ve know Cal since his days with McDonald’s and I said, ‘Hey man, if you’ve got a position for him and you can treat him right and help them further their careers, I’m all in favor of it.’ In fact I’ve said all along if Bobby and Harold can get the right kind of a situation that would make them happy and further their careers, I’d drive them over there. I’m frankly disappointed that they’re not going to stay in the Ford family because Ford has done so much for us but I can’t control that.” Rensi has asked Harold Holly to help the team with the team re-building project. “Harold and I and Sam and Gary have had continuing conversations and we’re going to kind of let Harold direct us to who he thinks our next crew chief ought to be,” Rensi told TFR. “Harold is a good friend of the family. The last two years have been terrific. I love working with the guy and we said, ‘Hey Harold, have you got any ideas about who we ought to hire as crew chief?” While the deal between Hamilton and Well’s in not quite done the paperwork on Holly has been completed, according to team members on Rensi’s operation. TFR asked Rensi about his once talked about plan to move to Cup, and where they stand now. “Money,” answered, in a word. “I’m not going to go Nextel Cup racing unless I have the money to do it the right way. How are you going to compete with DEI and Childress without money? You can’t do it.”(Team Ford Racing Site)(7-24-2004)
    UPDATE: Cal Wells' pending split with Ricky Craven at the end of the season is not unexpected, given the team's slump. Since last year's win at Darlington, things have gone slowly downhill. Now Wells says he could within the week announce Bobby Hamilton Jr., 26, in the car for next year, with Harold Holley as crew chief. Wells also said, again, that he would like to expand to a second team. With only 35 full-time Cup teams, and with 43 spots on the grid available each weekend, it would seem likely that Wells could put something together.(Winston Salem Journal)(7-26-2004)
    UPDATE 2 - OFFICAL: PPI Motorsports announced today it has signed a driver-crew chief team to helm the #32 Tide Chevrolet full-time in 2005: Bobby Hamilton, Jr., and Harold Holly. Hamilton, Jr., currently drives the #25 car in the NASCAR Busch Series. He owns five Busch wins, of which four were earned with Holly as his crew chief, and finished a career-high fourth in the series in 2003, just 43 points behind champion Brian Vickers. Hamilton, Jr., also has 19 Cup starts to his credit, including five to date this year in the #09 Dodge. Holly currently serves as crew chief for Hamilton, Jr., and the #25 Busch Series team. After joining the team, Holly quickly helped propel them to a series-best four wins in 2003 and into championship contention this season. Holly also has championship experience, having earned the 2000 NASCAR Busch Series title with the largest margin in history (616 points) as crew chief to driver Jeff Green. From 1999-2001, Holly and Green earned 13 wins, 13 poles, 56 top-fives and 72 top-10s, finishing no less than second in championship points each year. Overall, Holly has amassed 25 wins in 248 Busch series starts to date. By signing Hamilton, Jr., and Holly in tandem, Wells hopes to capture the same chemistry that has propelled the duo to four wins and championship contention in the NASCAR Busch Series.
    "We are excited about Bobby's potential in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series," Wells said. "He's been a standout performer in the Busch series and has several Cup starts already to his credit, and he's definitely ready for a shot at full-time Cup racing. Harold, with his championship experience and proven ability to lead and motivate a team, is a tremendous asset to our overall organization. We expect the two to be a strong, positive force for our team and in the Cup garage."
    "All I can say is I'm more than ready to go Cup racing," said Hamilton Jr., who has turned down full-time Cup rides in the past to wait for the right time in his career. "I'm excited about this chance to drive full time in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series for PPI Motorsports in the #32 Tide Chevrolet. What makes this even better is the chance to keep working with Harold. He's been a great leader for our Busch team and has inspired all of us to perform at our best and achieve what we set out to do. I'm also grateful to the people at Team Rensi Motorsports for giving me the opportunity to drive for them the past two seasons and wish them all the best."
    "Working with PPI Motorsports represents a great opportunity for me to transition full-time into the Cup series, something I've wanted to do if the right chance came along," said Holly. "The environment is very similar to what I've been accustomed to, and I believe that Bobby and I together can find success with this team. I'm looking forward to getting started." Both Hamilton, Jr. and Holly will begin testing under the PPI Motorsports banner later this month. Current #32 crew chief Mike Beam continues to serve as the team's crew chief this season and will help oversee the transition. PPI Motorsports, based in Hickory, N.C., fields the #32 Tide Chevrolet in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series. Since joining the series in 2000, the team has earned two wins, three pole positions, ten top fives and 20 top tens. The team also owns multiple titles and victories in off-road and open-wheel racing and will celebrate its 25th year in racing in 2005.(PPI Motorsports)(7-28-2004)

  • Mike Beam resumes Crew Chief role for Tide Team: Cal Wells has reinstated crew chief duties to competition director, Mike Beam for the #32 Tide Racing team. Beam returned to PPI Motorsports as competition director at the end of 2003 after a one-year absence from the team, while Dave Charpentier was hired as crew chief. "Mike Beam has been operating as the crew chief on the Tide team for some time now," said owner, Cal Wells. "Despite the fact that we announced last week that Ricky Craven will be parting ways with PPI Motorsports at the end of the season, I am committed to making sure the team has all the right elements in place to perform to their potential for the rest of the 2004 season. Mike and Ricky have a successful history together which is why I decided to make the change. Chemistry between driver and crew chief is essential at the competition level of NEXTEL Cup racing and I need to make sure I'm providing the best combination to make our Tide team run up front. I need to make sure Ricky has what he needs in making decisions about the car and calling the races." While with PPI Motorsports during the 2001 and 2002 season, Beam and Craven scored one win at Martinsville in the spring of 2001, and three pole positions at Michigan, Rockingham and Darlington.(PPI Motorsports PR), no word on what Dave Charpentier is doing or if he is still with the team, as reported the other day, he is quoted as saying he is signed thru 2006 with PPI.(7-26-2004)

  • Craven to Retire? UPDATE 2 to Roush: Ricky Craven announced last night he will be separating from his team at the end of the 2004 NASCAR season and possibly retiring [see past news on the #32 Team News and Links page]. After a disastrous start to the season, Craven, of Newburgh, Maine, said car owner Cal Wells decided to terminate his contract at the end of the 2004 season. With two years left on his contract, financial terms were settled. "We've had a lot of heated discussions and it's mutual and I agreed to finish this year,'' Craven said. ``This is a performance business. I'm going to work as hard as I can for the rest of the 2004 season.'' Craven then speculated that after the season he may retire from NASCAR.[but doesn't expand of offer anymore](Portland Boston Herald)
    HOWEVER an excerpt from the Press Herald: "I still have a passion to compete," said Craven, the popular driver from the tiny Maine town of Newburgh. "I still hate to lose. I still have the hope and desire to succeed in this business and to compete at this level. I'm interested in exploring the options that might be available to me next year."(in part from the Portland Press Herald)(7-23-2004)
    UPDATE: Q: ARE YOU THINKING ABOUT POTENTIAL RIDES FOR 2005?)
    A - Craven: "Part of the strategy of announcing this weekend and going into the second half of the season is that this is the beginning of the end of our association (with Cal Wells). We still have a lot of racing left. But I absolutely intend on racing next year and for a few more years. But if I'm not, I'll capitalize on the time off to teach my boy to go bird hunting or chase a moose in northern Maine or do something that has been completely opposite of what I've done for 25 years."(GM PR)
    AND Craven could be getting a look-see from Bill Davis for a possible second-team shot.(Winston Salem Journal)(7-25-2004)

    UPDATE 2: Despite Craven’s struggles this season, he has attracted some interest to drive for a new team in 2005. One owner who could be interested is Jack Roush, whose five-car team includes Siemens 300 winner Kurt Busch, defending Nextel Cup points champ Matt Kenseth, Jeff Burton, Mark Martin and Greg Biffle. “Ricky Craven is on my short list of people that I think can do a nice job in these cars,” said Roush. Roush runs Fords and Craven’s best year came in 2002 when he was driving a Ford for PPI-Motorsports. Craven finished 15th in points with nine top-10 finishes, including three top-fives, and two poles. Craven said, “If I get what I consider an opportunity that I can enjoy and be competitive or productive for 2005, then great. I’ll look forward to that. But I won’t just race part time. I’m not interested in just being here. The bottom line is I want to have a good ride. I definitely would like to race a couple more years,” said the 38-year-old Craven. “I’m still relatively young. When I came back to Cal [in 2001], I ran in the top 10 [at various stages of races] every week. For two and a half years, we were very, very competitive. I felt like I had earned that. I earned that through my years of Busch North and Busch Grand National. and even my frustrations in Winston Cup led me to the win at Martinsville and the win at Darlington. That’s the way I want to end my career.”(Bangor Daily News)(7-26-2004)

  • Craven out of the #32? DENIED [he is in the car at NHIS] UPDATE 5 Official - Parting Ways after 2004: hearing that driver Ricky Craven and the #32 PPI Motorsports team have parted ways. Not sure who will drive the car at New Hampshire, but hearing a future pairing for the team could include driver Bobby Hamilton Jr. and his Busch crew chief, Harold Holly. Johnny Benson could end up in the car a race or two, but is supposedly commited to PPI's 2nd car, the #96 Chevy which supposedly will run 10 races later this season. Seems like odd timing, if true, as one of Craven's best tracks is New Hampshire International Speedway, the next race.(7-13-2004)
    UPDATE: a PPI Motorsports spokesperson says.....NOT TRUE.
    UPDATE 2: Ricky Craven denied a rumor Wednesday that he has been fired from his NASCAR Nextel Cup team. Craven said that he has not lost his ride in the Tide Chevrolet for the PPI Motorsports Team as rumored on the Jayski.com Web site. "There's no truth to it at all. I have no idea where it [the rumor of being fired] came from and how it got started," said Craven, who is spending time with his family in their vacation home on Moosehead Lake in Greenville during a rare off-week in the Nextel Cup schedule. Team owner Cal Wells III could not be reached for comment. Craven is under contract to PPI Motorsports through the 2006 season.(Bangor [Maine] Daily News)(7-15-2004)
    UPDATE 3: Insider Racing News is hearing that that Harold Holly has signed to take over crew chief duties on The Cal Wells owned #32 Team at the end of the 2004 season. Holly is the current crew chief for #25-Bobby Hamilton Jr. in the Busch Series. Hamilton Jr. stated last week that 2005 would be the time for him to move up to the Nextel Cup Series but no word on whether he would follow Holly to the #32 team.(Insider Racing News)(7-21-2004)
    UPDATE 4: hearing there will be some sort of announcement at NHIS that PPI Motorsports and Craven will announce, they will part ways at the end of the 2004 season, hearing Holly is signed for 2005 and negotiations are on for Bobby Hamilton Jr. to drive the car in 2005.(7-22-2004)
    UPDATE 5 - Wells & Craven to part ways after 2004 season: Joint statement released today [Thurs night] by PPI Motorsports team owner, Cal Wells and driver, Ricky Craven: "PPI Motorsports and Ricky Craven remain committed to each other and to getting the #32 team into the top-25 in points this season. Together, PPI Motorsports and Craven have evaluated the team's performance-related challenges and agree that it is in their mutual best interest to part at the end of 2004 and explore opportunities for 2005 and beyond. Both Cal and Ricky want to see the best for each other and remain focused on the second half of this season."(PPI Motorsports PR)(7-23-2004)

  • Craven to test at Kentucky: Kentucky Speedway's weekly calendar shows that Ricky Craven is expected to test PPI Motorsports' #32 Chevrolet on Wednesday. The track says fans are permitted to watch from the Fan Center but cautions that schedules are subject to change.(NASCAR Scene Daily Newsletter)(7-12-2004)
    UPDATE: been told Craven is NOT testing at Kentucky this week.(7-13-2004)

  • Craven ride in jeopardy? DENIED 2: #32-Ricky Craven could be one of the first drivers to be on the way out of their present rides. Craven has had a miserable campaign, with no top-10 runs and a best finish of 16th. He’s 31st in points driving for Cal Wells’ PPI Motorsports.(Alton Telegraph)(6-13-2004)
    UPDATE: #32-Tide Chevrolet car owner Cal Wells denies a published report driver Ricky Craven’s job is in jeopardy. "I don’t know where it came from" said Wells prior to the start of Sunday’s Pocono 500. Wells added, "Despite the pathetic performance we’ve had so far this year I think we’ve got a reasonable shot at getting a program (second team) for next year. We’ve been looking around a lot, so maybe that’s part of it, I don’t know. It’s a chemistry thing and we haven’t hit it." Craven is in the first of a new three year contract with the Tide team.(PRN's Garage Pass Radio Show/Sporting News)(6-13-2004)
    UPDATE 2: Wells hasn't ruled out moving crew chief Dave Charpentier to a different position, saying the team "hasn't hit on the chemistry" yet.(FoxSports/Sporting News)(6-14-2004)

  • Tide Racing Proud New Partner of Victory Junction Gang Camp: Tide, the number-one selling laundry detergent in America and sponsor of the #32 Tide/Downy Chevrolet driven by Ricky Craven in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series, announced today it has become a proud new partner of Victory Junction Gang Camp, a camp offering weekly sessions for children with life-threatening illnesses beginning this June in Randleman, NC. Tide’s relationship with Victory Junction includes the following elements:
    Official sponsorship of Victory Junction’s laundry hut, freshly painted in Tide orange, yellow and blue and officially named “Tide’s Soap Box Racer”
    Brand-new Whirlpool appliances in the laundry hut, courtesy of Tide
    Annual supplies of Tide laundry detergent and Downy dryer sheets to meet the needs of Victory Junction on a year-round basis Tide NASCAR racing simulator and slot car game for Victory Junction’s recreational facilities.(PPI Motorsports PR)(5-27-2004)

  • Benson to test the #96 PPI Chevy: Johnny Benson is testing the #96 Chevy for PPI on Monday, May 10th and Tuesday, May 11th. PPI is looking to secure sponsorship towards the last third of the season, and if they receive the sponsorship, then Benson would be the driver. They are using this test to acclimate Benson to PPI and working with the team. The hopes are to run the race in the fall at Lowe's Motor Speedway.(5-11-2004)

  • 2nd PPI Team? UPDATE: PPI Motorsports may have a couple cars and a couple crew chiefs in the mix this week when it tests at Kentucky Speedway in Sparta, KY. PPI owner Cal Wells III has long craved a second team to run alongside Ricky Craven's #32 Tide Chevrolet. He said the search is picking up steam. "It's a little premature to be talking about a second team," Wells said. "We've been working on some sponsorship opportunities and they're cooking pretty good. We're not quite zeroed in yet on what we're going to do, we're just talking away on it. We're going to take Rick to Kentucky this week (to test)," Wells said. "We're looking at maybe running two cars, the number 32 and 96, to sort through a couple of issues we've got." Former Cup crew chief Joe Garone, who most recently has been a high-ranking official at NASCAR's research and development center in Concord, N.C., will accompany PPI, Garone said at Martinsville. Garone has left NASCAR and is looking to get back into the Nextel Cup garage as a crew chief. Wells said his sponsorship talks might result in a limited program of races later this season. "Our talks have got us close to, not a full deal, but maybe a few races later in the season, in the second half of the year," Wells said. "We're probably looking at something in the last third of the season."(NASCAR.com)(4-22-2004)
    UPDATE: Johnny Benson could become a second driver for Cal Wells, as teammate with Ricky Craven, depending on how sponsorship works out. Wells and Craven haven't had great luck this season and Sunday, Craven's engine broke just seven laps into the race.(Winston Salem Journal)(4-27-2004)

  • Seven Cup Drivers to run Special Chevy Trucks: The Chevrolet Silverado All-Stars, pairing NASCAR NEXTEL Cup drivers with superstar musical celebrities in the Truck Series. Michael Waltrip will be the first of seven different drivers to pilot the #47 Chevy All-Stars Silverado in individual races during the 2004 NCTS season. His musical partner, Sheryl Crow, will be featured in the special paint scheme for the first All-Stars race - the Charlotte Tailgate 200 at Lowe's Motor Speedway on May 21. Following the program debut at Lowe's Motor Speedway with Michael Waltrip, the following Chevy drivers with their specific musical partners will pilot the #47 Chevy All-Stars Silverado: Robby Gordon, Bristol (August 25); Tony Stewart, Richmond (September 9); Ricky Craven, New Hampshire (September 18); Bobby Labonte, Martinsville (October 23); Driver To Be Announced, Phoenix (November 5); and Ward Burton, Darlington (November 12). Serving as primary sponsor of the #47 Chevy All-Stars Silverado is Acxiom, a worldwide data services company. This Silverado entry will be campaigned by Morgan-Dollar Motorsports, with whom Acxiom has been partnered since 1998 in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series.(GM PR)(3-13-2004)

  • Craven Hosts 7th Annual Snowmobile Charity Ride and raises over quarter of a million for charity: Ricky Craven hosted his 7th Annual Snowmobile Ride for Charity on Saturday, January 31, 2004 in Greenville, Maine. Craven, through the generous support of the riders and businesses involved, raised $253,500 for various charities, the largest amount he has ever raised in one year. Over 575 riders participated in the ride this year (the largest number they have hosted to date), and for a donation of $125, each rider shared in a 60-mile snowmobile ride through the hills of Moosehead Lake, an autograph session with Ricky and owner of PPI Motorsports, Cal Wells, and received breakfast and lunch. Around 500 prizes were given away thanks to the sponsors of the event: Arctic Cat, Tide, VIP Discount Auto, Brake Service and Wal-Mart. In addition, there were special raffle items given away, including a 2003 GMC Truck, an Arctic Cat ATV, and an Arctic Cat snowmobile.
    Five charities received a sum of $48,500 each: The Marrow Foundation, the international leader in the facilitation of unrelated marrow and blood stem cell transplantation; Children's Miracle Network, an International non-profit organization dedicated to helping children by raising funds and awareness for 170 children's hospitals throughout North America; The Make-A-Wish Foundation of Maine and New Hampshire, a foundation that grants the wishes of children with life-threatening illnesses in order to enrich the human experience with hope, strength and joy; The Travis Roy Foundation, a foundation designed to help with care and research for victims of paralysis, created on behalf of Travis Roy who was paralyzed in his first shift in his first college hockey game; Give Kids the World, a charity that allows children with life-threatening illnesses and their families to stay in a special village and enjoy the many Central Florida theme parks and attractions. Additional donations were made to Moosehead Riders Snowmobile Club and to the Greenville school system.
    For his charitable work, Craven was the recipient of the 2003 NASCAR USG Person of the Year award, which recognizes a driver for his off-track efforts. In addition to the award, Craven was given $100,000, all of which he donated to the charity ride ($50,000 of which went to the charity ride and the other $50,000 was split between the five charities before the event, each receiving $10,000 before the charity ride donation). Over the seven-year history of the ride, Craven has been able to donate a total sum of $820,110 to the charities involved.
    “This year’s snowmobile ride was so rewarding,” said Craven. “It gets bigger and better every year, and I am so grateful to everyone that supports this cause, because it takes a lot of people to make it successful. I want to thank everyone from the riders to the corporate sponsors who make this possible, but there are many people behind the scenes that donate their time and hard work to make this event so great. From the committee that works all year long on this, to the workers of the event including the talented trail groomers, I cannot thank each of them enough for their efforts. I want to also recognize my mother, Nancy, who spends all her time making this event a success. I’m very blessed that we have so many people who believe in this cause and I hope we can continue to grow this event year after year because it really does touch so many lives!”(PPI Motorsports PR)(2-4-2004)

    2003 News

  • New #31 Team Members: Scott Miller has returned to Richard Childress Racing as team manager for the #31 car after working with #32-Ricky Craven for a year at PPI Motorsports as the crew chief. Miller will join crew chief Chris Andrews and driver Robby Gordon along with newly named car chief Todd Osborne, who came from Ganassi Racing's #40 car. Andrews inherited the pit crew from RCR's #30 team, which he describes as "awesome."(Yahoo Sports/Sporting News)(12-31-2003)

  • Craven to test at Kentucky CORRECTION: Kentucky Speedway says Ricky Craven is scheduled to test PPI Motorsports' Nextel Cup entry Wednesday and Thursday. While testing is closed, the track says fans can watch from the front of its fan center. The team, which fielded the #32 Tide Pontiac for Craven this season, is scheduled to switch to Chevrolet next year in the wake of General Motors' decision to end its Pontiac NASCAR program.(Winston Cup Scene Daily Newsletter)(12-2-2003)
    CORRECTION: being told the dates for this test are wrong and the #32 will test at Kentucky on Dec 17th and 18th after wind tunnel testing on Dec 10th. Fans can watch from the front of the Turn 3 Fan Center.(12-3-2003)

  • No 2nd Team for PPI: PPI Motorsports team owner Cal Wells III is determined to avoid the collapse that saw the #32 Tide Pontiac driven by Newburgh's [ME] Ricky Craven plummet from seventh to 27th in the Winston Cup points standings over the final 26 races of the 36-race season. It is Craven's worst finish in his three seasons with PPI Motorsports. They were 21st in their first year together and 15th in 2002. Mike Beam, who was the crew chief in 2001 and most of 2002, will return as the competition director for the Tide racing program, and David Charpentier will replace Scott Miller as the crew chief. Craven said having Beam and Charpentier on board are positive developments. Wells said he was "very pleased" to have them on board and indicated there will also be personnel changes in the engine program. The PPI Motorsports team built its own engines for the first time this past season instead of leasing them, but the Tide Pontiac's average qualifying position was a dismal 26th. The team failed to finish 10 races, six more DNFs than it had a year ago. Four were the direct result of engine failure. Wells and Craven praised Miller for the job he did as a crew chief. "He was in a tough position. He was hired at the end of 2002 and he came in during a transition period because two people had left: Mike and [race engineer] Roy McAuley," said Craven. "It was like having a sixth man coming off the bench and having him play a couple of positions. I certainly appreciate Scott." Wells said Miller "didn't have the right chemistry" with Craven. Wells did say there won't be a second team as he and Craven had hoped. So they will again be a single-car team competing against the multi-car teams that dominate the point standings. Wells pointed out that "three months ago, I would have said the chances were nine out of 10 that we'd land another sponsor and a second team." But it didn't work out. "That was pretty disappointing," said Craven, whose two wins over the last three years are tops among single-car teams. Pontiac has pulled out of Winston Cup racing, so the Tide logo will be on a Chevy next season. They also hope to keep the pit crew together.(in part from the Bangor News)(11-27-2003)

  • Beam leaves RCR for Wells UPDATE plus a new crew chief for the #32: Crew Chief Mike Beam has left Richard Childress Racing and the #30 AOL Chevy team to become the team manager for car owner Cal Wells’ operation.(PRN's Garage Pass Radio Show)(11-19-2003)
    UPDATE: PPI Motorsports today announced it has hired former Tide Racing crew chief Mike Beam as competition director for its racing programs. Beam is joined by David Charpentier, who will serve as crew chief for the #32 Tide Chevrolet driven by Ricky Craven. Scott Miller, crew chief for the #32 Tide Pontiac in 2003, is exploring options both within and outside of the team's engineering group. Beam, a veteran NASCAR Winston Cup Series crew chief, returns to PPI Motorsports after serving as crew chief for Richard Childress Racing's #30 AOL Chevrolet in 2003. As competition director, Beam will help focus the organization's in-house operations toward increased performance. He will also work with Charpentier and the crew of the #32 Tide Chevrolet to ensure the team's at-track competition needs are met. Beam served as crew chief for PPI Motorsports' #32 Tide Racing program from 2001-2001 and helped lead the team to its first NASCAR Winston Cup Series win (Martinsville, October 2001), three pole positions, and seven top-five finishes.
    Charpentier, former engineering manager for Dale Earnhardt Inc. (DEI), entered the professional motorsports ranks after seven years in the Navy's nuclear power program and consulted for several teams, including Sabco Racing, Rudd Performance Motorsports, Butch Mock Motorsports and Hendrick Motorsports. In 1999, Charpentier joined DEI and was instrumental in the team's growth from one to three successful Winston Cup teams.(PPI Motorsports PR)(11-24-2003)

  • Fire Supression in the #32: #32-Ricky Craven is the only driver in the field whose car is equipped with a fire suppression system designed to deploy dry chemical powder following a rear-end collision. A Scottsdale, AZ-based company manufactures the device.(Arizona Republic)(11-2-2003)

  • #250 for Craven: #32-Ricky Craven will make his 250th career Winston Cup start today at Phoenix.(11-2-2003)

  • PPI to the Wind Tunnel: PPI Motorsports [#32 Tide Pontiac] will take two cars to the Aerodyne Wind Tunnel in Mooresville, NC. on Wed., Oct. 22. The two new chassis have bodies that incorporate the rules changes NASCAR has instituted for the 2004 season. Crew Chief Scott Miller, on the Wind Tunnel Test: "We're taking two 'down force' cars to the tunnel. The main reason we're doing that is just that that's the way it shook out in terms of scheduling. This is a baseline test to see the difference in down force the new rules package creates. We expect to see less down force than we presently have, due to the tighter tolerances on the templates and the smaller rear spoilers. We'll use this test as a benchmark to determine which areas we need to improve on."(PPI Motorsports)(10-22-2003)

  • Barker to Wells? or Roush? Andrews to Martin's team? Robert "Bootie" Barker, on leave of absence from Jasper Motorsprts #77, might be a crew chief candidate for one of Roush Racing's cars or Cal Wells' second car next season. Paul Andrews, crew chief for Jeff Burton, could be headed to teammate Mark Martin's #6 Ford, though owner Jack Roush says there has been no discussion about a change.(FoxSports/Sporting News)
    AND Robert (Bootie) Barker’s is expected to go back to Bill Davis Racing, his former employer.(Gaston Gazette)(10-20-2003)

  • Tide and Craven re-up with PPI Motorsports: Longtime NASCAR Winston Cup Series primary sponsor Tide has extended its sponsorship of the #32 Tide Pontiac fielded by PPI Motorsports through 2006. Tide representatives made the announcement today during a team gathering at Lowe's Motor Speedway in Concord, NC. Downy has also extended its commitment to PPI Motorsports with a renewal of its longtime associate sponsorship of the Tide Racing Program, and 2004 marks the introduction of a new Procter & Gamble brand to the PPI Motorsports stable: Mr. Clean AutoDry Carwash. Newly-launched Mr. Clean AutoDry Carwash, a revolutionary car care system that gives you a spot free clean and shine with no need to hand dry, is currently being introduced to NASCAR through a five-race NASCAR Busch Series program [with #17/98 Wally Dallenbach]. The brand's blue and green logo will appear on the #32 Tide Pontiac beginning next February at Daytona.(PPI Motorsports PR)
    AND PPI Motorsports announced today it has extended its contract with Ricky Craven to serve as driver of the #32 Tide Pontiac in the NASCAR Winston Cup Series through 2006. Since joining PPI Motorsports in 2001, Craven helped earn the team's two wins to date: a career first for both Craven and PPI Motorsports in Martinsville (October 2001); and this season's dramatic, .244-second-margin victory in March at Darlington Raceway. Currently in his ninth season of NASCAR Winston Cup Series competition, Craven has earned a total of two wins, six pole positions, 17 top fives, and 24 top tens. He also owns Rookie of the Year titles in NASCAR's Winston Cup (1995), Busch (1992), and Busch North (1990) series, along with the 1991 Busch North Series Championship title.
    "I'm very proud to be part of the Tide team, and I'm excited about our future," Craven said. "We've already established some pretty incredible milestones together, and I'm looking forward to achieving even more of our goals as a team in the years to come."(PPI Motorsports PR)(10-11-2003)

  • Sponsor Rumor - Wells 2nd team: Subway [Jared and Subs] to the 2nd Cal Wells/PPI Motorpsorts team?(10-1-2003)

  • Kodak to PPI with Nemechek? UPDATE: Kodak was expected to make an announcement this week about its future in NASCAR, but that has apparently been delayed. The company has just announced a major change in its business, away from film toward digital, and it's unclear how that might play in its marketing plans. Kodak apparently won't be back with [#4 Morgan McClure] Larry McClure next season. Kodak could sponsor Cal Wells' proposed second team, with Joe Nemechek.(Winston Salem Journal)(9-28-2003)
    UPDATE: According to a Cal Wells team member, the rumor of Joe Nemechek driving a second Pontiac for the team sponsored by Kodak, appears to be absolutely false. The unnamed source said that no additional parts, tools or evidence of a second car have been spotted anywhere on the Wells premises.(Insider Racing); seems to be an odd rumor as Wells himself has stated he is close to signing a sponsor for a 2nd team.(9-29-2003)

  • more on Wells 2nd team effort: Cal Wells has been working on a second team, and though the team isn't any closer to announcing its plans, Wells says, "Decision time is imminent." More from Wells: "We have to have the money to do this, but we are really, really close. Our organization is developed to a point where we could really get things done if we have the opportunity with a second team." Wells says he has talked to Joe Nemechek about driving for his team and adds that his objective is to find the "proper teammate" for driver Ricky Craven.(FoxSports/Sporting News)(9-24-2003)

  • #32 Crew Gets $700 From Benny: The seven PPI Motorsports crewmen who go over the wall to service the No. 32 Tide Pontiac received a very special award prior to the start of the Sylvania 300 last weekend. NBC/TNT announcer Benny Parsons presented the crew with a check for $700, or $100 per crewman. When Parsons was at PPI's shops last week to interview team members for an unrelated piece that was to air during the New Hampshire race broadcast, he was shown a replay of one of the Tide crew's pit stops from the recent race at Richmond International Raceway. The videotape showed the Tide crew performing a four-tire pit stop in 12.9 seconds. Parsons has an ongoing "wager" with all NASCAR Winston Cup teams, in which any crew that completes a four-tire stop in under 13 seconds receives $100 per man. What did Parsons say about forking over the cash? "I guess I'll have to keep a closer eye on these guys."(PPI Motorsports PR)(9-18-2003)

  • 2nd Team for Wells in 2004? UPDATE 2: #32-Ricky Craven, whose single-car team has struggled at times in a sport dominated by multi-car operations, may soon get some help. "I believe Cal is well on his way to having a second team, as early as next year," Craven said this week at Darlington, referring to car owner Cal Wells III. Wells fielded two cars in 2001, but dropped back to one after losing a sponsor.(Charleston Post and Courier)(8-24-2003)
    UPDATE: hearing Busch Series driver Scott Riggs [#10 Nesquik/ppc Racing Ford] could end up in the 2nd PPI Motorsports Ride and the team is close to signing a sponsor.
    However being told that the team has brought in at least two other drivers to talk to in the past week who were not Riggs.(9-2-2003)
    UPDATE 2: Cal Wells may again be close to a second Winston Cup team, and if he can put it together, Joe Nemechek has a good shot at the ride.(Winston Salem Journal)(9-15-2003)

  • Did You Know? Entering the weekend, #32-Ricky Craven has completed more laps at New Hampshire International Speedway than any other NASCAR driver, making his way around the Magic Mile 6,673 times throughout his days on the Busch North, Busch and Winston Cup series. He will relinquish his lead temporarily today, when Mike Stefanik (6,609 laps) gains 100 in the Featherlite Modified competition, but Craven will regain his distinction when he climbs into his No. 32 Tide ride for Sunday's Sylvania 300.(Concord Monitor)(9-12-2003)

  • New Tide site: New Look for Tide Racing Website - Procter & Gamble, Tide's parent company, recently relaunched the Tide Racing website, which features a newly revamped design. Fans visiting the site can find information on the Tide Racing team, read about the history of Tide's 16-year involvement in NASCAR, and purchase Tide Racing merchandise. Fans can see the new design of the site by visiting www.tideracing.com.(PPI Motorsports PR)(9-10-2003)

  • All the way from Alaska: Special Guests - If an award were given out to the couple that traveled the farthest to attend this weekend's NASCAR Winston Cup (NWC) event at Richmond International Raceway, Joyce and Bob Gilliam would definitely be in the running. The couple, who are both over 60 years old, are flying in from Anchorage, Alaska, to attend their first NWC race. The Gilliam's are the Grand Prize winners in Super 8 Motels' Race Weekend Getaway Sweepstakes. The couple will serve as Honorary Pit Crew members on Ricky Craven's #32 Tide Pontiac pit crew on Saturday night, and will meet Craven prior to the event. Super 8 Motels, Inc. is an associate sponsor of the #32 PPI Motorsports team.(PPIM PR)(9-4-2003)

  • Craven Tests at Milwaukee: #32-Ricky Craven and the PPI Motorsports (PPIM) team spent Wed., Sept. 3, testing at The Milwaukee Mile track in Wisconsin. The team tested with chassis No. 49, the same car it plans to use in the Sept. 14 NASCAR Winston Cup event at New Hampshire International Speedway. PPIM used the last of its five "official" tests at Indianapolis Motor Speedway earlier this year, so the team is now testing at tracks that do not host Winston Cup events.(PPIM PR)(9-4-2003)

  • Craven's Store Damaged by Fire UPDATE: An early morning fire has gutted Ricky Craven Motorsports North store along Searsport Avenue. The fire was reported to authorities at 6:30am. The store is owned by Ricky Craven, a Newburgh native who races on NASCAR's Winston Cup Circuit. Lowell Keene told VillageSoup that he noticed some black smoke coming from the rear of the building but could not see any flames. More info at the Belfast VillageSoup.(8-31-2003)
    UPDATE: A fire gutted a store owned by Winston Cup driver Ricky Craven on Sunday. The state fire marshal's office is investigating the cause. Waldo County officials learned of the fire around 7 a.m. Sunday when a caller reported smoke inside Ricky Craven Motorsports North. The store was unoccupied at the time and no injuries were reported. The business, which opened in September 2000, sold all-terrain vehicles, snowmobiles, motorcycles and racing paraphernalia associated with Craven, a native of nearby Newburgh. Lauri Matheson, Craven's sister and manager of the store, described the fire as a setback that would not put an end to the business. "We are ready to fight and build a new business," she said. "It's life, it does happen. We're not going anywhere." Matheson said in addition to merchandise, trophies and other memorabilia were destroyed. "A lot of it's priceless," said Matheson, adding that a temporary office was being opened. Craven learned of the fire just before the Southern 500 in Darlington, S.C., his sister said. "Then he went out there and raced a great race," Matheson added. Craven, who won at Darlington in March, finished eighth Sunday.(Charlotte Observer/AP)(9-1-2003)

  • Tide Celebrates Fifth Anniversary of Give Kids The World Coloring Contest at Darlington Design, Die Cast Raise Awareness and Funds for Non-Profit Village for Children with Life-Threatening Illnesses
    Imagine a place where all your meals are served in a gingerbread house; where a bunny rabbit named Clayton is mayor and tucks you into bed each night; where you could eat ice cream any time you wanted; where wishing wells burp and grandfather clocks snore; where Christmas is celebrated every Thursday, complete with gifts for everyone and a visit from Santa Claus…
    For children with life-threatening illnesses, the Give Kids The World Village is just this place. And a little of that magic is being brought to this year's Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway with a special Tide/Give Kids The World paint scheme on Ricky Craven's #32 Tide Pontiac.
    Fifth Anniversary of Coloring Contest
    Since 1999, Tide and Give Kids The World have invited children who visit the Village to create a paint scheme for one race on the #32 Tide Pontiac. This year's winning design was created by 19-year-old Lisa Healey of Amherst, N.Y., and pays tribute to every contest winner to date, including Vanessa Alvarez (2002, Loudon), Colin Albo (2001, Charlotte), Heather Mason (2000, Phoenix), and Tiffany Rich (1999, Martinsville).
    Lisa visited the Village in 1998 with her brother, Russell, a wish child who battled leukemia. Russell has since passed away, but their time together at the Village served as inspiration for Lisa's contest-winning entry. Lisa and her family are also attending the Southern 500 to watch "her" car compete in Sunday's NASCAR Winston Cup Series event.
    Die Cast Fundraiser
    In addition to the special paint scheme, Tide has produced 50,000 1/64th-scale collectible die cast cars featuring Lisa's design. Racing Champions donated the cars to help Tide raise funds for the Village - an effort that has produced more than $1.3 million in the past five years. Cars are available online at Blair.com, and all proceeds go directly to Give Kids The World.
    100% of the proceeds from these cars goes directly to Give Kids The World. Offer valid until December 31, 2003, or as supplies last.
    Give Kids The World
    Give Kids The World is a non-profit resort that creates magical memories for children with life-threatening illnesses and their families. Wish-granting organizations coordinate transportation to Orlando, while Give Kids The World provides accommodations at its whimsical resort, attraction tickets, and meals for a weeklong, fantasy vacation for more than 5,000 families each year. Since its founding in 1986, Give Kids The World has welcomed families from all 50 states and 50 countries. For more information, please visit www.gktw.org.
    Program Partners
    Tide is joined this year by two of its #32 Tide Racing partners in support of Give Kids The World: Blair Corporation (and its website, Blair.com), the nation's premier multi-channel direct marketer providing apparel and home products to the value-conscious consumer; and Super 8 Motels, Inc., the world's largest economy motel chain.

  • Race Fan Reenlists at PPI Motorsports' Shops: Petty Officer First Class Brian Wilkes, a 10-year veteran of the United States Navy, has been a race fan for as long as he can remember. When Wilkes, a resident of Hickory, N.C., learned he could choose the site of his reenlistment ceremony, he immediately thought of a way to incorporate his love of NASCAR into this special day. On Tuesday, Aug. 26, Wilkes stood among family and friends, and a dozen or so #32 Tide Pontiacs, as he recited his oath of enlistment at PPI Motorsports' sho in Hickory. Following the ceremony, PPI driver Ricky Craven posed for photos and signed autographs for the Officer and his guests. Wilkes and his entourage were then given a tour of PPI's facilities.(PPI Motorsports PR)(8-28-2003)

  • Maine Times: Ricky Craven - From Newburgh to Daytona by Steve Craig

  • Craven to be honored in his hometown: Ricky Craven will return to his hometown of Newburgh, ME, Wed., July 30. Craven will be honored with signs that will be placed on the main roads around the town. The signs will read, "Welcome to Newburgh, Maine, hometown of NASCAR driver Ricky Craven." State representative Brian Duprey, who introduced the legislation that secured permission to place the signs, says that Craven means a lot to the local area. Maine State Representative Brian Duprey: "Ricky's a big hometown hero from a small town. He's helped to put Newburgh on the map, and he's never forgotten where he's from. I'm sure this means a lot to him, but it also means a lot to the community. We're proud to call him one of our own." Ricky Craven: "I'm very humbled by this honor. I'm extremely proud of where I'm from. Even though I spend a lot of time in North Carolina, I keep ties to the area through my home on Moosehead Lake, my business and my charity Snowmobile ride. I'm just a kid from a small town who got lucky, so I try everyday to make the people of Maine proud."(PPI Motorsports PR)(7-30-2003)

  • Soap Box Derby UPDATE add Stewart: #32-Ricky Craven and #25-Joe Nemechek will fly to Akron, OH, following the final practice session at Pocono Raceway on Saturday afternoon. The two drivers will attend the 66th-annual All-American Soap Box Championship at Derby Downs in Akron, where they will present trophies to the winners of the event. Craven and Nemechek will also take part in a special match race in adult-sized soap box racers.(PPI Motorsports PR), also for more info, see the All-American Soap Box Derby site.(7-22-2003)
    ADD STEWART: Following Saturday's final practice for the Pennsylvania 500 NASCAR Winston Cup Series race at Pocono Raceway, Home Depot Chevrolet driver Tony Stewart will fly to Akron, Ohio to participate in festivities surrounding the 66th running of the All-American Soap Box Derby. The Home Depot, the world's largest home improvement retailer and title sponsor of the All-American Soap Box Derby, invited Stewart to take a break from his Winston Cup duties to join the 430 youngsters competing for more than $50,000 in scholarship awards. "Soap Box racing is all about the kids," said Stewart, who started racing go-karts at age seven and was a three-time karting champion.. "I've been in their shoes, where you're doing all you can to be your best, and testing your hard work against a bunch of other kids who are doing the same thing.. Being in Akron is the payoff for all of their efforts, and I'm happy to share in the excitement with them."(True Speed Communication PR)(7-23-2003)

  • Craven Remembering a Friend: #32-Ricky Craven will honor the memory of a friend this weekend at New Hampshire International Raceway. The visor of Craven's helmet will carry decals reading "In memory of Allen Brann 1943-2003." Brann, who passed away from a heart attack in January, was the track photographer for many years at Oxford Plains Speedway in Maine, and was the vice-president and co-founder of the Maine Vintage Race Car Association. Ricky Craven: "Allen was a great guy. He was one of the few individuals with such a wonderful loyalty to the sport of auto racing. I remember him well from the first days of my racing career and have always admired and appreciated him. This is just a small way of remembering him and his contributions to the sport."(PPI Motorsports PR)(7-17-2003)

  • Andy Houston back to PPI: Driver Andy Houston is exploring new racing options. Houston began the 2003 season as the driver of the #15 Billy Ballew Motorsports truck in the Truck Series. He posted the team's best-ever finish in the season opener at Daytona International Speedway, bringing the truck home in the fifth position. Houston and Ballew decided to part ways recently due to the lack of sponsorship for the team. "Since I can't be in a good quality ride right now, I want to stay on top of things with the latest technology," explained Houston. "I want to stay sharp in the driver’s seat so I am prepared when a good ride opens up." While Houston is currently assisting PPI Motorsports in their testing efforts, he continues to look for a successful team to drive for. "I love being back with Cal Wells and the PPI crew, however, I want everyone to know that I am available if a ride opens up. I have agreed to help Cal and Ricky [Craven, driver of the #32 Tide Ford] until I can find a more permanent position within the racing community." Houston made his Cup debut with Wells in 2001, running 17 races in the #96 McDonald's Ford before McDonald's reduced their primary sponsor efforts.(globalPERFORMANCE Company PR)(6-8-2003)

  • Craven is the First Quarter NASCAR USG Person of the Year: Despite temperatures in the single digits back on January 25, well over 500 winter weather enthusiasts joined NASCAR Winston Cup Series driver Ricky Craven in his home state of Maine to participate in the sixth annual Ricky Craven Charity Snowmobile Ride. The event totaled nearly $200,000 in contributions that were targeted to numerous charities, the most money raised in the history of the ride. For his efforts in staging the event and generating significant charitable funds, Craven has been named the 2003 First Quarter NASCAR USG Person of the Year. USG, the Official Building Products Supplier of NASCAR, is in its first year as sponsor of the NASCAR USG Person of the Year program. The award is designed to honor drivers, not only for their accomplishments on the track, but for their community service contributions and charitable efforts. For the purpose of determining the NASCAR USG Person of the Year Award winner, the NASCAR Winston Cup season has been divided into four quarters in which drivers are nominated for their off-track efforts. A select group of panelists will select one of the four quarterly finalists as the NASCAR USG Person of the Year. This award will be presented the week of the NASCAR Winston Cup Series Awards Ceremony in New York City, along with a prize of $100,000. The prize will be divided evenly between the driver and the charity of his/her choice. In addition to the NASCAR USG Person of the Year, USG also sponsors the Driver of the Race Award, which goes to the eligible driver who wins each of the 36 NASCAR Winston Cup championship events. Each USG Driver of the Race Award winner receives $2,500 with an additional $2,500 going to the charity of his/her choice.(NASCAR PR), this used to be the True Value Person of the Year.(5-2-2003)

  • Wrong tires? Ricky Craven's crew apparently got the left-side tires on the right and the right sides on the left on the last stop.(Winston Salem Journal)(4-14-2003)

  • So What Happened to Craven? #32-Ricky Craven will start 38th here on Cal Wells III's owner provisional points after posting no speed during qualifying. Craven took the #32 Tide Pontiac Grand Prix out after #30-Jeff Green's run. But Craven backed off, claiming there was oil on the racetrack. In his post-qualifying comments, Green admitted his #30 AOL Chevy was carrying a little too much oil in its tank, and it affected his second lap. "I guess we blew some oil out and [it] got on our right rear tire up off [Turn] 4, going to the white flag," Green said. "I smelled the smoke, so I knew I wasn't going to be able to go another lap." NASCAR officials, however, said that Craven officially had taken the green flag and would not be allowed to make another attempt.(Fort Worth Star Telegram)(3-29-2003)

  • WOW! now that was a great race: #32-Ricky Craven won the The Carolina Dodge Dealers 400 is on at Darlington Raceway by a few inches [2/1000th's of a second] with him and #97-Kurt Busch beating and banging the last lap, both slapping the wall a few times. Busch had no power steering the last 10 laps. It is Craven's 2nd career Winston Cup win and he is the 40th driver to ever win a Cup race at Darlington [thanks Mike Joy]. It is the first career win for #32 Crew Chief Scott Miller and the first win by a single car team since Craven won in 2001. Crave last won at Martinsville in Oct 2001, 46 races ago. Busch has 3 top fives this year, all 2nds. #77-Dave Blaney was 3rd, his first ever top five finish in 116 races [the best for Jasper Racing since Robert Pressley finished 2nd at Chciago in 2001]. Only 10 drivers finished on the lead lap. After a wild start, only 4 cars ended up in the garage. Kind of funny, the two best finishes this year so far are at the tracks rumored to lose their spring race dates [Rockingham and Darlington]. #17-Matt Kenseth keeps the points lead at 760, with #20-Tony Stewart at 703. If five races so far this season, there are five different pole winners and five different race winners.
    See my Darlington Race Info Page for my race rundownm cautions and notes.
    Re-Air: the race will be re-aired on Speed Channel, Wed, Mar 19th, 8:00pm/et (enhanced) and Thurs, Mar 20th, 1:00am/et and at 3:00pm/et.
    Result Links at: Jayski's Darlington Race Results
    ThatsRacin.com, NASCAR.com or Motorsports One.(3-16-2003)

  • Craven could be honored in hometown: A bill before the transportation committee would allow the state to put signs up in Newburgh, Maine, honoring the town as the home of the NASCAR driver. Lawmakers on the transportation committee are being asked to authorize roadside signs honoring Ricky Craven in his hometown of Newburgh. Craven was Winston Cup Rookie of the Year in 1995, and since then has staged a couple of comebacks. Craven finished fourth in the Subway 400 at North Carolina Speedway on Sunday.(wlbz2.com)(2-26-2003)

  • Craven's ride most successful yet: The 6th annual Ricky Craven Snowmobile Ride for Charity raised a stunning $185,122 for the Children's Miracle Network, the Make-A-Wish Foundation, the National Marrow Donor Program, the Travis Roy Foundation and Give Kids the World. After checks totaling nearly $35,000 each were passed out to the charities, Craven also donated $1,000 to the Moosehead Riders Snowmobile Club and $10,000 to the Greenville [ME] school system.(Central Maine Daily Sentinel)(1-27-2003)

    2002 News

  • Audible Alert tested by Craven: After the final Cup race in November at Homestead, #32 PPI Motorsports conducted a private test of the Audible Alert driver notification system. Driver Ricky Craven voiced his support for the Audible Alert system following testing, stating "The product has lots of potential. The idea of having a closed system to alert each of the 43 drivers at the same time is a great idea. Hopefully this is a product that will make Winston Cup racing safer for all of us drivers."
    "Ricky (Craven) thought it had potential, and everyone that Audible Alert has come into contact with has liked it," said Jeff Huber, General Manager of PPI Motorsports. "There would probably be a couple of drivers alive today if this device had been accepted a couple of years ago. I sincerely believe that NASCAR is taking a good look at it." There is great promise for the Audible Alert system, with other top touring series critically evaluating the potential use of the driver notification system for 2003, including ASA and ARCA.(Racefan)
    What is the Audible Alert System? it is the first ever sound-based track warning system. A short audible alert tone is used to notify every driver of changing track conditions and associated flags at exactly same time. This will reduce the dangerous multiple car accidents that occur when one driver reacts to a caution while the car behind is still racing at full speed. Re-starts are improved drastically by using the green alert tone to notify every driver simultaneously when the track goes green.(Invader Technologies site)(12-19-2002)

  • New #32 Crew Chief: PPI Motorsports has hired Scott Miller as the crew chief of the #32 Tide Pontiac driven by Ricky Craven. Miller, a past employee of PPI, has a long history of involvement with NASCAR Winston Cup racing as well as other forms of motorsports. Beginning his racing career as a motocross rider in AMA, Scott progressed to racing Formula Vees and then into NASCAR's Winston West division where he won a number of poles and was a race winner. After moving from behind the wheel in 1985, Scott worked in open wheel racing and eventually moved into Winston Cup in 1995. In 1997, Scott joined Richard Childress Racing as a chassis/shock specialist. Crewing with the legendary Dale Earnhardt #3 Goodwrench team, Scott worked with the team for over 3 years that included a number of victories. In 2000, Scott worked with PPI Motorsports on the McDonald's team before returning to RCR in 2001.(PPI Motorsports PR)(12-11-2002)

  • Wells' new crew chief to leave? UPDATE 2: Widespread garage reports tell Ford Racing that Cal Wells’ choice for crew chief of the #32 is ready to leave the team. Within the past two weeks that Wells indicated that he was going to swap current crew chief Mike Beam with team engineer Roy McCauley. That plan appears to have taken on a shaky path now that McCauley is in play for another job in the garage.(Ford Racing)(11-17-2002)
    UPDATE: Cal Wells is trying to shake up his race team, which went winless this season, despite several strong runs by Ricky Craven. And Wells' crewmen are wondering what Wells might do. Wells has already decided to move Mike Beam, his crew chief the past few years, to a new position and promote chief engineer Roy McCauley to crew chief. But Beam is trying to move on to another team, and McCauley is considering his options, also. Beam says he would be content "for things just to stay the same, but that's not what Cal wants." McCauley would say only that he doesn't have any offers on the table.(Winston Salem Journal)(11-18-2002)
    UPDATE 2: Roy McCauley and PPI Motorsports have parted. McCauley was the team's lead engineer before stepping in for Mike Beam as crew chief for Ricky Craven toward the end of last season. Beam joined Richard Childress Racing and will be crew chief for Jeff Green on the #30 AOL Chevy.(Sporting News)(12-9-2002)

  • Beam to ppc Racing #10? UPDATE nope - Beam to RCR: former #32 PPI Motorsports Cup crew chief, is expected to announce a move to the ppc Racing [BGN] team of Scott Riggs [#10] in the upcoming weeks.(Winston Cup Scene need subscription and Acrobat to read online)(11-29-2002)
    UPDATE: Richard Childress Racing made some changes to its race teams Monday, announcing veteran Mike Beam as driver Jeff Green's new crew chief for the 2003 season. Beam served as crew chief for PPI Motorsports and driver Ricky Craven most recently. Beam replaces Todd Berrier, who will oversee RCR's research and development program. Beam's career as a crew chief began in 1981 with Kyle Petty. Since then, he's worked with many notable drivers, including Richard Petty, Michael Waltrip, Bill Elliott, Sterling Marlin, Elliott Sadler, and for the past two seasons, with Craven. Beam has three victories (two with Elliott and one with Craven), 16 poles, 55 top-five and 153 top-10 finishes. He also has six top-10 finishes in the season point standings.(ThatsRacin.com)(12-2-2002)

  • Childress still looking for #30 Crew Chief, Beam?: Car owner Richard Childress is still working on finding a new crew chief for the #30 AOL team and driver Jeff Green. Sources have told PRN's "Garagepass" Ricky Craven's crew chief Mike Beam might move over from the Tide team to take that job. Beam was supposed to be stepping down from the #32 crew chief and be more of a manager for the team.(11-26-2002)

  • Wells' new crew chief to leave? UPDATE Beam to leave? Widespread garage reports tell Ford Racing that Cal Wells’ choice for crew chief of the #32 is ready to leave the team. Within the past two weeks that Wells indicated that he was going to swap current crew chief Mike Beam with team engineer Roy McCauley. That plan appears to have taken on a shaky path now that McCauley is in play for another job in the garage.(Ford Racing)(11-17-2002)
    UPDATE: Cal Wells is trying to shake up his race team, which went winless this season, despite several strong runs by Ricky Craven. And Wells' crewmen are wondering what Wells might do. Wells has already decided to move Mike Beam, his crew chief the past few years, to a new position and promote chief engineer Roy McCauley to crew chief. But Beam is trying to move on to another team, and McCauley is considering his options, also. Beam says he would be content "for things just to stay the same, but that's not what Cal wants." McCauley would say only that he doesn't have any offers on the table.(Winston Salem Journal)(11-18-2002)

  • Update on Beam: Mike Beam will be the crew chief of Cal Wells III’s #32-Ford through the end of this year. After the season Beam will step aside and turn over the lead wrench duties to Team Engineer Roy McCauley. Beam is looking for something a little easier on the travel schedule with Wells’ operation. The reports of Beam being a spotter for the team were twisted somewhat, in that Beam spotted for driver Ricky Craven last week, but it was because the team’s regular spotter couldn’t make the trip to Atlanta. Considering the speed associated with the track Beam did the job rather than risk Craven’s safety on a beginner in the spotters stand.(Ford Racing)(11-2-2002)

  • Beam Fined: NASCAR officials announced today