Jayski's® Silly Season Site

#33 Team Past News and Rumors

NOTE: many of the links in the past news will be old and may not work
decided it was not worth the time to go thru each one on all the Team Past News pages

RCR #33, APR #33 below in 2004

2007 News

2006 News

Neighbors not happy with RCR engine noise, RCR working on problem: Until a few months ago, racing the engines at the Richard Childress Racing [#'s 07,29,31,33 in Nextel Cup] garage in Welcome, NC was never a problem, according to residents. Then, the team cleared 10 acres of forest between its buildings and nearby neighborhoods for its expansion. Those trees served as a muffler for the noise. Now that they're gone, people say the noise is unbearable. Some neighbors said the noise rattles their windows. Monday night, the Davidson County Commissioners granted RCR a zoning request that green lights the expansion. While the neighbors were disappointed with the decision, RCR spokesman Bill Patterson said the racing team will plant cypress trees along the back property line to create a buffer. Patterson also said the team has spent $500,000 on reducing noise and will do more. Neighbors said they'd like to see a sound reduction wall.(wxii12.com)(12-12-2006)

Holiday Inn/RCR Cup debut Nov 19th UPDATE: no real details, but on the Holidayinn.com site, it shows [bottom right corner] a #29 Holiday Inn Chevy [which has been raced by Jeff Burton for Richard Childress Racing (RCR) in the Busch Series] but it has a driver 'greened' out and says "November 19: The Last Race, A Cup Debut, A New Teammate", the teammate could be Scott Wimmer, who has been testing for RCR lately and has been rumored to be running a partial Busch/Cup scheduled for RCR in 2007, possibly in the #33 4th RCR Chevy.(11-8-2006)
UPDATE: Holiday Inn Hotels and Resorts will expand its winning Busch Series program with Richard Childress Racing (RCR) in 2007 to a full season of competition with co-drivers Jeff Burton and Scott Wimmer. The program is the next step of this season’s 10-race program with Burton behind the wheel of the #29 Holiday Inn Chevy. In those ten starts, Burton earned one victory (June 3 at Dover International Speedway in Delaware), five top-five and seven top-10 finishes. Wimmer is also scheduled to drive RCR’s #33 Chevy with sponsorship from Holiday Inn, in this season’s Nextel Cup Series season finale, Nov. 19 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. “It’s an honor to be able to continue and grow our relationship with an American icon like Holiday Inn,” said Richard Childress, president and CEO of Richard Childress Racing. “Jeff Burton, Pat Smith (crew chief) and the entire team have done a solid job on the competition side and the folks at Holiday Inn have done a great job in promoting their program to their customers. We’ve had pretty good success the past couple of years running a two-driver program and we think that will only continue with the Holiday Inn team in 2007.” Burton and Wimmer will split the 35-race season down the middle, though which driver runs an 18th race is yet to be determined. Plans for 2007 also call for Wimmer to compete in two still-to-be-determined Nextel Cup Series events in RCR’s #33 Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS with primary sponsorship from Holiday Inn. “I’m really excited about the opportunity to drive for Richard Childress and his Busch Series program,” said Wimmer. “Being teamed up with Jeff Burton, and having Kevin and Clint (Bowyer) to draw from, is one of the big reasons why I decided to drive for RCR. I’ve raced in NASCAR for almost six years and have never had a teammate. It’s something I’ve always been missing in my career so I’m really looking forward to it, especially with someone the caliber of Jeff Burton. Growing up in the Midwest, I think I had every birthday party from the time I can remember until I was 14 or so at a Holiday Inn Holidome so it’s great to be driving for them. We had a lot of fun in those Holidomes and I’m looking forward to having just as much fun in their race cars.” Call 1-800-HOLIDAY or log onto www.holidayinn.com for more information or to book a reservation.(Richard Childress Racing PR)(11-9-2006)

4th RCR team in 2007? UPDATE: Richard Childress is considering a fourth car, probably with Holiday Inn as a sponsor.(Ford Racing)(8-28-2006)
UPDATE: Car owner Richard Childress' long-rumored fourth Cup team may be closer to fruition, according to sources. The big question is who the driver might be. As hot as Childress' stuff is right now, potential drivers should be clogging the phone lines to his Welcome shop. Jeff Burton, one of Childress's drivers, was less than enthusiastic last year when a fourth team was proposed, for fear it would take away from the three other teams, which at that time weren't very spiffy. Now, however, Childress' three men - Burton, Kevin Harvick and rookie Clint Bowyer - are all hot, and Bowyer has been a distinct plus for the operation.(Winston Salem Journal)(9-4-2006)

4th Childress Team? Jarrett considered: Before Dale Jarrett accepted Michael Waltrip's offer to run Toyotas on the Nextel Cup tour next season, Jarrett considered a ride with Chevrolet's Richard Childress, in a fourth Childress car, as part of a six-year package, according to sources close to the situation. Under the proposed Jarrett-Childress deal, Jarrett would have signed on for three more seasons as a driver, 2007, 2008 and 2009, and UPS would not only have followed Jarrett to Childress' but would have agreed to another three years of sponsorship beyond 2009, according to sources. However the deal never came down, in part because Childress was leery of expanding to a fourth team, given the problems he had when expanding to a third Nextel Cup team.(Winston Salem Journal)(5-20-2006)

4th RCR team,,,with Mears? denied: RCR team sources tell [Marty Smith - NASCAR.com] the organization would like to add a fourth team with [Casey] Mears [current driver of Ganassi's #42 Dodge] as driver, but RCR spokesman David Hart discounted the speculation Wednesday. "No decisions have been made to add a fourth team with Casey Mears or any other driver," Hart said.(NASCAR.com)(4-27-2006)

2005 News

RCR..no plans to run Tracy: Richard Childress Racing gave Champ Car driver Paul Tracy a two-day test at Michigan in August and said he would let him race at that track if the session went well. The two ultimately decided not to enter the race. Now Childress says there have been no further discussions. "Paul and I haven't talked in about a month," Childress said. "We're just trying to get our in-house program put together for next year."(ESPN.com/RPM)(10-16-2005)

Bowyer in, Tracy on hold: The Paul Tracy experiment in NASCAR is on hold, according to team owner Richard Childress. Childress, who tested the Champ Car driver in August, is focused on helping Nextel Cup driver Kevin Harvick win the $1 million bonus for finishing 11th (his current position) and Clint Bowyer win his first Busch Series title. Bowyer is 49 points behind Martin Truex Jr. following Saturday's United Way 300 at Kansas. Childress said he would rather give Bowyer -- and not Tracy -- a chance in a Cup race before the season ends. "I think he's ready," he said.(Indianapolis Star)(10-9-2005)

Tracy offered another ride in another seires..to run Cup at Atlanta: Champ Car driver Paul Tracy is now being wooed by the brand new A1 Grand Prix series to drive for the so-called Team Canada entry. According to yesterday's edition of Autosport magazine owners of the A1 series have approached Tracy about driving in selected races after the Champ Car finale at Mexico City Nov. 6. But Charlie Johnstone -- Tracy's agent -- said Tracy "is not seeking" a job in the A1 series. The other issues facing Tracy include his deal with his Forsythe Championship Racing team. Tracy is slated to try to qualify a Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet at the Bass Pro Shops MBNA 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway Oct. 30. Contacted by The Toronto Sun, Forsythe public relations specialist Joe Kirklin was adamant that Tracy would be with the team in 2006 and even 2007. "Paul has a multi-year agreement with Forsythe for this year and beyond," Kirklin told the Sun. "We look forward to continuing to battle for the championship this season and winning more championships with Paul in the future." Johnstone, on the other hand, said yesterday that Tracy still has designs on debuting in the NASCAR Nextel Cup Oct. 30 in Atlanta with RCR. "Atlanta is still on as far as I know,"Johnstone told the Sun. Tracy has also been contacted by the Hall of Fame Nextel Cup team owned by former NFL quarterbacks Roger Staubach and Troy Aikman.(Toronto Sun)(10-1-2005)

RCR, Tracy Decide Not to Run at MIS: After two days of successful testing at Michigan International Speedway (MIS), Richard Childress Racing (RCR) and Paul Tracy have decided that not enough time remains before the Aug. 20 GFS Marketplace 400 at MIS to prepare for Tracy's first entry in a NASCAR event.
"I'm very impressed with Paul's ability in a race car, whether it's a Cup car or a Champ Car, but it was just too short a time to put the right program together," said Richard Childress, president and CEO of RCR. "Paul's a champion and he had a very good test but we want to do this right and be fully prepared to give him a maximum effort." Childress hopes to race Tracy again later this year.
"I have the greatest respect for the guys that drive Cup cars week-in and week-out," said Tracy. "It takes a lot of preparation to be ready for a highly competitive event like the NEXTEL Cup Series and we just didn't have the time to do the job right. I want to thank Richard for giving me this opportunity and the crew guys at the test for all of their effort. My primary goal this year is the pursuit of the Bridgestone/Ford Champ Car World Series Championship."(RCR PR)(8-12-2005)

Tracy tests at Concord [Caraway], talks about NASCAR - CORRECTION: Paul Tracy said team owner Jerry Forsythe would like him to stay with the team. But Tracy has an opportunity that could lead him away from open-wheel racing after this season. Tracy drove a stock car for the first time Tuesday on a half-mile oval in Concord, N.C. -- an experience he called "a completely, completely different deal." It was Tracy's first spin in a heavy stocker after logging 231 Indy car races and 30 victories. Tracy used a rented former NASCAR Cup car to acclimate himself to driving a stock car. Next, he faces a key test Monday and Tuesday at Michigan International Speedway in a Cup car owned by Richard Childress Racing. "I just wanted to learn how to start the thing and know how to put it in gear," Tracy said. "I needed to know how to put the seat belts on. It went OK. The test will be real important. I have to qualify for the (Aug. 21) race on time." If all goes well, Tracy will try to qualify Childress' No. 33 Chevrolet when the Cup series returns to the Michigan track in two weeks. "If I qualify for the race, I'll be happy to finish on the lead lap," Tracy said. "I'll take the chance. I feel I have the driving ability. Racing is racing is racing."(Las Vegas Review Journal)
CORRECTION: have been told Tracy tested at Caraway Speedway in Asheboro, NC, ran some laps, then on his second session, backed the car into the wall, no word on damage or if he continued to practice.(8-5-2005)

Paul Tracy to run for RCR at Michigan UPDATE: Robin Miller of Speed Channel reports: It won't be official for a few days but Paul Tracy will make his long-awaited NASCAR debut in three weeks at Michigan, driving a fourth car for Richard Childress [probably the #33 team]. The 36-year-old Canadian and Champ Car's winningest active driver is expected to test at MIS this week. Tracy, who will have to qualify on speed, has been hinting for the past year or so he wants to try NASCAR full-time down the road.(Speed Channel)(7-31-2005)
MORE: After nearly two decades as an open wheel racer, Canadian Paul Tracy figures its time to sit in a race car with fenders. The 2003 Champ Car World Series champion has struck a deal with NASCAR team owner Richard Childress to test a stock car over the next two weeks with the eventual goal of competing in the Nextel Cup race at Michigan International Speedway on Aug. 21. Tracy will get behind the wheel of a stock car for the first time in his career on Tuesday at Concord (N.C.) Speedway in an ARCA car prepared by former stock car driver and now driving instructor Andy Hillenburg. Tracy then will head to MIS the day after the Brickyard to test the #33 Chevrolet for Childress. If everything falls into place, Tracy will make an attempt to qualify for the race at MIS, which he'll have to do based on speed. Regardless of the outcome of the next three weeks isn't ready to say he's moving to NASCAR. Tracy's interest in NASCAR dates back to 1999 when a friend showed him an article in a NASCAR publication that quoted Childress as saying he'd like to see Tracy in a stock car. Tracy isn't the first open wheel driver in recent years to dabble in the world of stock cars. Several have unsuccessfully attempted the transition into NASCAR, including past Champ Car champion Jimmy Vasser, Scott Pruett, Christian Fittipaldi and most recently Mexican driver Michel Jourdain Jr., who ran in the Busch Series this year. Vasser drove two Busch races for Braun Racing in 2003, a year during which he raced in NASCAR, the Indy 500 and in his regular Champ Car ride. Tracy isn't ready to make any official announcements. "Check back with me in a couple of weeks," he said. "I'm going to drive a car a couple of times. I want to go do the race and then, think about what I want to do."(Yahoo!Sports)(8-1-2005)
UPDATE: Open wheel star Paul Tracy will test August 8-9 at Michigan International Speedway in Richard Childress Racing's (RCR) #33 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series Chevrolet in preparation for the Aug. 21 GFS Marketplace 400. The Ontario, Canada native is the 2003 Champ Car World Series champion and has 30 victories, ranking him first among the series' active drivers and third all-time. Tracy is currently second in the 2005 point standings with two victories (Milwaukee, June 4; Cleveland, June 26), six top-five finishes and two pole positions after eight of 14 races. He finished second in the July 31 Taylor Woodrow Grand Prix of San Jose (Calif.).
"Paul and I have talked about an opportunity like this for the past couple years and it has finally come together for Michigan," said Richard Childress, president and CEO of RCR. "I'd like to thank Gerry Forsythe and Forsythe Championship Racing for allowing us the chance to give this a try. This will be Paul's first shot in a stock car but he obviously has a great deal of talent and knows how to win races and championships. We'll take a look at how things go after the test and, if all goes according to plan, get him ready for the Cup race the next week." Tracy is looking forward to testing his driving skills again at the MIS oval. He competed in Champ Cars there 10 times (1992-2001), earning four top-five and seven top-10 finishes and a pole position (2000). The 2000 pole speed set the track qualifying record at 234.949 mph (30.645 seconds). "I'm very excited about this opportunity especially at Michigan where I have a lot of experience," said Tracy. "Driving a NASCAR NEXTEL Cup car will be totally new to me but my focus is to develop a package that will help Kevin (Harvick), Jeff (Burton) and Dave (Blaney) and their teams for the race weekend. I want to do whatever I can to help."(RCR)(8-2-2005)

RC Wine...the good stuff: A bottle of 2004 Childress Vineyards' Barrel Select Pinot Gris was chosen as one of the top wines produced by celebrity wine proprietors in today's USA TODAY. Legendary NASCAR championship team owner Richard Childress is also the proprietor of Childress Vineyards, located at the gateway of the Yadkin Valley in Lexington, N.C. In a "Food & wine" column ("Heard about stars through the grapevine", July 8, 2005), columnist Jerry Shriver wrote about celebrities involved in winemaking and the taste test USA TODAY entertainment reporter Donna Freydkin conducted with 11 wines having celebrity connections. Freydkin mentioned the Childress Vineyard selection first, commenting that she "preferred the smooth, easy-to-drink-while-sitting-on-your-porch character" of the North Carolina wine crafted by award-winning winemaker Mark Friszolowksi.
The list of celebrities, other than Richard Childress, proprietor of Childress Vineyards president and CEO of Richard Childress Racing, included: movie director Sofia Coppola; her father, director Francis Ford Coppola; the rock band Doobie Brothers, music legend Bob Dylan; golfers Ernie Els, Greg Norman and Arnold Palmer; Vince Neil, lead singer for Motley Crue; and acting legends Fess Parker and Fred MacMurray.(RCR PR)(7-10-2005)

RCR makes changes in the engine dept: Richard Childress Racing (RCR) continues to make personnel moves to improve its championship-winning engine department. Engine shop manager Spenny Clendenen, an RCR employee since 1985 and head engine builder from 1995 to 1997, has been named to the position of general manager in charge of the department’s business and administrative responsibilities. He will also be the focal point for RCR’s customer engine program, which furnishes engines for Kevin Harvick, Inc. (Busch and Truck), PPI Motorsports (NEXTEL Cup) and Morgan-Dollar Motorsports (Truck). Rick Mann has been named chief engine builder and will oversee all competition-related responsibilities. He brings 17 years of NASCAR engine building experience and nearly 30 years of overall engine building experience to his new position. Assistant engine shop manager Danny Lawrence, an RCR employee since 1985 and head engine builder from 1998 to 2001, has been named assistant chief engine builder. He will responsible for all at-track activities involving RCR’s NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series team engine tuners and will assist Mann at the shop. "I think the reorganization we’ve made is a positive new start to our entire engine department,” said Richard Childress, president and CEO of RCR. ”We’ve had tremendous growth at RCR over the past couple of years and the workload we’ve asked our management group to be responsible for was keeping us from achieving the success I know we’re capable of. These moves, in addition to bringing on Nick Hayes to head up our engine research and development department, have put RCR in a much better position to reach the goals we’ve set for ourselves.” A new engine shop manager will be named at a later date.(RCR Site)(7-8-2005)
AND Nick Hayes has been named by Richard Childress Racing (RCR) as its engine research and development director and will lead all RCR engine research and development activities from a newly-created R&D facility at the RCR complex. Hayes comes to RCR after a well-documented yet unique career at Cosworth, which is based in England, including spells in Formula One engine design, development and track support before rising through the ranks to lead its F1 program through the late 1990s. Recent years saw him leading all technical activities at Cosworth as Technical Director. The move to RCR marks the start of a new chapter in Hayes' illustrious and successful race engine career that has covered a wide variety of series but, until now, has not touched NASCAR significantly.(RCR PR)(7-10-2005)

Sad News: Richard Childress Racing's (RCR) fabrication shop manager Paul Wise passed away this morning after a brief illness. He was 58. Wise was employed by RCR since January 2003 after spending two-and-a-half years in a similar position with Dale Earnhardt, Inc. All six RCR cars competing this weekend at Daytona International Speedway, in both the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series and NASCAR Busch Series, will carry "In Memory of Paul Wise" decals. Funeral services will be conducted at 2 p.m. Thursday, June 30, at Charity Baptist Church, 2420 Brantley Road in Kannapolis, N.C. The Rev. R.J. Hammond and the Rev. Gene Beaver will officiate. The body will be placed in the church one hour prior to the service. Internment will follow at Carolina Memorial Park in Kannapolis. The family will receive friends from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., Wednesday, June 29, at Charity Baptist Church.
Born Jan. 6, 1947, in Cabarrus (N.C.) County, Wise was the son of C. Winfred Wise and Ethel Howell Wise of Kannapolis. He was a U.S. Air Force veteran of the Vietnam War and was a recipient of the Air Force Commendation Medal. He worked with many NASCAR teams during his career. He was preceded in death by a daughter, Paula Jean Wise, Feb. 14, 1975.
In addition to his parents, he is survived by his wife, Barbara Austin Wise; son, Jason Paul Wise and wife, Brittany Cromer Wise, and granddaughter, Jayleigh Austin Wise of Kannapolis; sister, Anne W. Watts and husband, Charles, of Raleigh; brothers, Phil Wise and wife, Lynda, of Kannapolis and Mark Wise and wife, Derlene, of Raleigh; along with 13 nieces and nephews.
Memorials may be sent to the American Cancer Society, Dancers for Cancer, c/o Carolina Dance, 2353 Concord Lake Road, Suite 110, Concord, N.C. 28025.(RCR)(6-28-2005)

Korbel Champagne to sponsor the #33 at Infineon: Richard Childress Racing (RCR) and Korbel California Champagnes have reached an agreement for a one-race sponsorship with 2000 SCCA Trans Am Champion Brian Simo piloting RCR’s #33 Korbel California Champagnes Chevrolet Monte Carlo in this weekend’s NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series Dodge/Save Mart 350 at Infineon Raceway. Established in 1882 in Sonoma County's Russian River Valley, Korbel Champagne Cellars produces the United States' most popular méthode champenoise champagne. Owned and managed by the Heck family since 1954, Korbel currently makes 10 champagnes and a limited amount of still wine. In a separate facility, Korbel also produces one of the country's most respected brandies. Korbel California Champagnes reminds race fans to “Celebrate Responsibly.” (RCR PR)(6-23-2005)

Simo to run the #33 at Sonoma: some nice background about Brian Simo as folks may not know much about him: Brian Simo will return to NASCAR Nextel Cup racing this week, driving the #33 Chevrolet with Richard Childress Racing. Simo, of Carlsbad, Calif., will be up against NASCAR’s rule reserving 36 [including the champ prov for #11-Labonte] of the 43 starting positions for series regulars, but is confident of his chances of qualifying for a fourth career Cup start. “RCR has been great to work with and I’m really looking forward to racing with [crew chief] Bobby Leslie and [engine-builder] Danny Lawrence. I appreciate what Richard Childress and RCR have accomplished, and it’s great to have the opportunity to run with them,” Simo said. “There are only seven spots, so we’ll try to first make it into the field, then worry about the race. We can’t afford any mistakes in qualifying, so we probably need a less-than-fast run, but solid enough to get in the show.” Simo competed in three previous Cup races. In his last time out, with no testing or advance seat time, he qualified 15th of 48 drivers in only his second attempt at single-lap qualifying and raced as high as fifth place in his third race. He has also contested several NASCAR Busch Series races, where he led on two occasions before retiring with mechanical failures. He won the highly competitive Trans-Am Series championship in 2000 and was first or second in the series for five consecutive years. In sports cars, he has achieved success in every race he has entered – a 10-lap GTS win and a GTS1 podium finish in the Rolex 24 At Daytona, two IMSA GTS victories and two GT podiums in the 1000-mile Petit Le Mans.(Speed Channel)(6-23-2005)

Another Earnhardt: Another generation of the Earnhardt family visited victory lane at Wythe Raceway in Rural Retreat, Va., earlier this month. Jeffrey Earnhardt, son of NASCAR driver Kerry Earnhardt and the grandson of the late Dale Earnhardt, won the Hornet Division feature two weeks ago. Earnhardt took the lead halfway through the 15-lap race for drivers age 12-16 and steered his four-cylinder car to victory lane, where he celebrated with his father and a group of Earnhardt fans. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution)(5-30-2005)

Bowyer to make Cup debut at Phoenix: Clint Bowyer will make his NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series debut driving the #33 Sylvania Chevrolet Monte Carlo. RCR also runs the #33 with Kerry Earnhardt under the Bass Pro Shops banner. The #2 ACDelco Busch Series pit crew that will jump over the pit wall for Friday’s NASCAR Busch Series race will perform the same duties Saturday night. Gil Martin, crew chief of the #2 team, will call the shots Saturday night, as well.(RCR) see images of the car on my #33 Team Schemes page.(4-20-2005)

Bowyer to debut at Phoenix: Richard Childress said on Speed Channel's NASCAR Nation that his Busch Series driver, Clint Bowyer, will make his Nextel Cup debut at Phoenix International Raceway in the #33 Chevy with Sylvania as the sponsor.(3-17-2005)

Earnhardt tests the #33 at Talladega: Kerry Earnhardt and his Richard Childress Racing team are fine-tuning the black #33 Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet for the fast-approaching Daytona 500. While the season opener is the true focus of the next two days of testing, they're also gaining a little more information for May 1, when Earnhardt will drive the machine in the Aaron's 499 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series race. Toyota Racing Development booked the two-day test for its NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series teams, and allowed Earnhardt to share track time with truck drivers Johnny Benson, Bill Lester and Mike Skinner of Bill Davis Racing's #23, 22 and 5 teams, as well as Robert Huffman of Darrell Waltrip Racing's #12 team. Earnhardt said he still hopes to run a full season in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series in the Billy Ballew-owned #15 Chevrolet powered by Dale Earnhardt, Inc. engines. (Talladega Superspeedway PR)(1-28-2005)

2004 RCR News

Kerry Earnhardt tests truck at Talladega, will run #33 there in spring: Kerry Earnhardt, 34, the eldest son of Talladega Superspeedway's top winner Dale Earnhardt, will drive the #15 Chevrolet owned by Billy Ballew in the Craftsman Truck Series next year. The team hopes to run a full season, but is still working on sponsorships, Earnhardt said. Dale Earnhardt, Inc. will supply the team with engines, as it did last year when driver Shane Hmeil brought its first victory in Las Vegas. Although the truck series does not compete at Talladega, Earnhardt said fans can expect to see him behind the wheel of the #33 Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet owned by Richard Childress again here in 2005. Childress, who found unparalleled success as team owner for Earnhardt's late father, fielded the cars in both Talladega events last year, and Earnhardt said they plan to work with the sponsor to do it again next year. He also expects to be in the car at Daytona.(Talladega Superspeedway PR)(12-9-2004)

Kerry Earnhardt coast-to-coast UPDATE just in the Showdown: Kerry Earnhardt has received an invitation to race in the NASCAR Toyota All-Star Showdown on Saturday at Irwindale (Calif.) Speedway. Earnhardt, who drove in eight races and finished 17th in the Grand National Division West Series while also participating in Nextel Cup and Busch series races this season, was extended the invite after two of the top 15 drivers were unable to attend. At the Showdown, the top 10 Southwest Series drivers will face off against the top 10 drivers from the other three series (Midwest, Northwest and Southeast) that comprise the NASCAR AutoZone Elite Division. The Toyota All-Star Showdown begins Thursday with a full day of practice. On Friday night, each division (AutoZone Elite Division and NASCAR Grand National Division) will hold twin 50-lap preliminary races. The results of those races will establish the starting lineups for Saturday's feature races, with the 50-lap race winners starting up front in the main events. On Saturday, the AutoZone Elite Division all-star field will race for 125 laps, followed by the NASCAR Grand National Division all-stars (from the Busch North Series and West Series) in a 150-lap showdown. Friday's and Saturday's events will be telecast live on SPEED Channel [listed on my TV Listings page or right hand side of this page].(NASCAR.com), Earnhardt is also scheduled to run the Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway on Sunday.(11-11-2004)
UPDATE: Earnhardt will not run in the Southern 500, will concentrate on the NASCAR Toyota All-Star Showdown at Irwindale (Calif.) Speedway.(11-12-2004)

Kerry Earnhardt back in the #33 at Atlanta: Kerry Earnhardt will drive the #33 Bass Pro Shops Chevy at Atlanta Motor Speedway for Richard Childress Racing. This is the same car Kevin Harvick raced last spring at AMS. Earnhardt tested at AMS Tuesday, Oct. 19 and Wednesday, Oct. 20 in preparation for the Bass Pro Shops MBNA 500. Bobby Hutchens and Bobby Leslie will serve as co-crew chiefs of Earnhardt's #33 Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet this weekend. Former crew chief Gil Martin has taken over the reigns of the #2 ACDelco Busch Series entry replacing Butch Hylton. Martin will continue in that role with driver Clint Bowyer in 2005. Earnhardt will sport a special paint scheme this weekend highlighting Bass Pro Shops' support of the National Wild Turkey Federation. The #33 also showcased the NWTF during the NEXTEL Open at Charlotte. Earnhardt won the 2001 Pork the Other White Meat 400 ARCA Re/Max Series race at AMS. Additionally, he made one other ARCA start at the Hampton, Ga., track (11/18/00), where he finished sixth. In addition to his driving duties with RCR, Earnhardt has been wheeling the #20 NAPA Chevrolet for Bill McAnally Racing (BMR) in the NASCAR Grand National Division, West Series. In eight starts for BMR, Earnhardt boasts two top-five and four top-10 finishes. In just eight West Series races with BMR on a 13 race tour, Earnhardt finished 18th in the final championship standings.(RCR PR)(10-27-2004)

Kerry Earnhardt to the Trucks? during the Truck Series race at California Speedway, it was mentioned that there is a chance that Kerry Earnhardt will race the #15 Bill Ballew truck in 2005. Shane Hmiel is driving the truck this year, has won a race and there is a good chance Hmiel will move up to Nextel Cup in 2005, running the #23 Dodge.(10-3-2004)

Sauter returns to Cup with RCR: Mag-Lite Flashlights and Johnny Sauter are teaming together this weekend to light up the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series in the Chevy Rock and Roll 400 at Richmond International Raceway. Sauter will be driving the #33 Richard Childress Racing (RCR) Mag-Lite Chevrolet with additional support from the GM Card. Sauter will have backing from Mag-Lite and the GM Card for both the Richmond and Phoenix Nextel Cup Series events. Known for its excellent design, the Mag-Lite flashlight was introduced in 1979. Police officers, firefighters, and mechanics quickly spread the word about the rugged, reliable anodized aluminum flashlight, which would change the portable lighting industry forever. Often referred to as the "Work of Art that Works," the Mag-Lite and Mini Maglite flashlights have received many prestigious honors and awards. Mag-Lite is also proud to be a leader in the current renaissance in American manufacturing. All Mag-Lite products are made domestically and bear the "Made In The USA" tagline. Sauter identifies with the "Made In The USA" tagline as the youngest of 12 brothers and sisters from the Midwest, but he might better identify with the tagline, "Racing at Richmond." Sauter will be a busy man this weekend driving in all three NASCAR events (Trucks, Busch and Cup) at RIR.(Mag-Lite PR/Co-Pilott Motorsports Marketing), Sauter also mentioned on FSN's Totally NASCAR that he may run the #33 in the NHIS Cup race next week if the car comes out of Richmond intact.(9-8-2004)

Kerry Earnhardt race update: Despite a slow leak in his right-rear tire, Kerry Earnhardt held on for a seventh-place finish at Irwindale Speedway, Saturday Night in the NASCAR Grand National Division, West Series NAPA Auto Parts 150. Earnhardt qualified the Bill McAnally Racing (BMR) #20 NAPA Belts and Hoses/NAPA Auto Care Chevy 12th in the 26-car field and raced among the front-runners for the majority of the night. Earnhardt's teammate Austin Cameron won the event, marking three straight NASCAR West Series' victories for Cameron and BMR. Earnhardt's next NASCAR West Series appearance will come in two weeks at Stockton (Calif.) 99 Speedway for the NAPA Auto Parts 200. The following week, Earnhardt will return to NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series competition driving the #33 Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet for Richard Childress Racing at Michigan International Speedway.(RCR PR)(8-2-2004)

Martin Moved to Crew Chief of RCR Special Teams Program: Gil Martin has been named crew chief for Richard Childress Racing's (RCR) special teams program. Martin's new responsibilities will include the crew chief roles for the #33 Bass Pro Shops team (with driver Kerry Earnhardt) in the Cup Series and the #29 ESGR team (with an all star cast of drivers) in the NASCAR Busch Series. He has been the team manager for RCR's #29 GM Goodwrench team since midway through the 2002 season. He served as the team's crew chief for the first 23 races before handing the reins over to current crew chief Todd Berrier. The three races remaining on the 2004 Bass Pro Shops calendar are Aug. 22 at Michigan International Speedway, Oct. 3 at Talladega Superspeedway and Oct. 31 at Atlanta Motor Speedway. The ESGR team is scheduled to race twice more this season -- Sept. 25 at Dover International Speedway (with Earnhardt/Air National Guard & Air Force Reserves) and Nov. 21 at Homestead-Miami Speedway (with Harvick/Coast Guard Reserve). Martin has earned two victories as a crew chief in the Cup Series and 11 in the Busch Series. Martin replaced Gary Cogswell, who was released July 13.(RCR PR)(7-20-2004)

Kerry Earnhardt finishes 4th in West race: Kerry Earnhardt turned in a strong performance Saturday night at Evergreen Speedway finishing fourth in his NASCAR Grand National Division, West Series debut. Earnhardt, a veteran of 65 NASCAR Busch Series starts and four NASCAR NEXTEL Cup starts, qualified his Bill McNally-owned #18 Napa Auto Care Chevrolet sixth in the 24-car field and lurked in the top-five for the majority of the 200-lap event. While tire stagger issues kept Earnhardt from challenging for the win, he paced himself throughout the night at the bumpy five-eighths mile Monroe, Wash., oval. Earnhardt's Bill McAnally Racing teammate Austin Cameron won the event with fellow BMR driver Jeff Jefferson scoring runner-up honors. Next up for Kerry Earnhardt in the NASCAR Grand National, West Series will be a trip to Irwindale (Calif.) Speedway Saturday, July 31, for the NAPA AUTO PARTS 150 presented by Southern California Pipe Trades.(RCR PR)(7-20-2004)

NRA on the #33: The #33 Bass Pro Shops Chevy with Kerry Earnhardt driving, will sport a special paint scheme this weekend saluting the National Rifle Association (NRA). The NRA boasts a membership of approximately 4 million people and is the foremost conservation and firearms safety organization. Additionally, the NRA certifies over 48,000 firearm instructors who train millions of gun owners every year. Over 11,800 certified law enforcement instructors educate members of the law enforcement community along with military personnel. The "Eddie Eagle" gun safety program has reached over 16 million kids since 1998. The NRA has spent over $100 million over the last 10 years on gun safety and education programs.(RCR PR)(7-1-2004)

Changes at RCR: A change in management occurred last week when Richard Childress Racing [#'s 29,30,31,33] promoted Mike Dillon, a former Busch Series competitor and Richard Childress' son-in-law, to general manager. Bobby Hutchens was named vice president of competition. Childress says RCR has been operating as a three-team organization despite its growth to five full-time teams in Cup and Busch. Childress did not rule out additional changes with his teams if performance does not pick up. Dillon added, "We're trying to improve all aspects of competition, and the change will take some of the weight off Bobby's shoulders." The move will allow Hutchens to spend more time with the engineering and R&D departments.(FoxSports/Sporting News)(6-7-2004)

RCR Crewman wants Biffle: Crewmen at Richard Childress' shop are chomping at the bit with the possibility of acquiring Greg Biffle. "We need someone to step this operation up a notch," an RCR crewman said. "And Biffle could do that. Childress needs to get him - no matter what it costs."(Winston Salem Journal)(6-5-2004)

Engine Competition UPDATE: there was some sort of Engine Competition at NASCAR Institute between Richard Childress Racing and Hendrick Motorsports. XM Satellite NASCAR Radio reports that RCR had the fatest time of 19:52, but nothing is official yet barring penalties.(5-26-2004)
UPDATE: Lanny Barnes and Todd Hamm of Richard Childress Racing (RCR) defeated Mike Maiwald and Shane Parsnow of Hendrick Motorsports Tuesday night in the final round of the 2004 Clevite Engine Builder Showdown. The four-round competition, which began in January at Hendrick Motorsports in Charlotte, N.C., and concluded with the final round at the NASCAR Technical Institute in Mooresville, N.C., requires each team build an engine from the block up and specifies that it run for one minute. The RCR team turned in a time of 19:52 minutes while the Hendrick team finished in 20.33 minutes. Each team was penalized one minute for a rules infraction (the RCR team cross-threaded an oil pan nut), canceling what would have been a record time for Barnes. RCR has won two of the last three final rounds of the Clevite Engine Builder Showdown. Danny Lawrence, RCR's assistant engine shop manager, won the event in 2002 and was runner-up last year. Barnes defeated Lawrence in the semifinals this year. Lawrence owns the record time for the build, 20:26 minutes, which he established during the 2002 competition. This was Barnes' fourth appearance in the competition and first time in the final. Richard Childress, president and CEO of RCR, attended as an analyst for The Speed Channel's coverage of the event, which is scheduled to air July 18 at 8:00pm/et.(RCR PR)(5-26-2004)

Kerry may attempt the 600 also: #33-Kerry Earnhardt hopes to enter next week's Coca-Cola 600 as well. "We're going to see how the all-star race goes and make sure we have a good enough car to make the race and get in the Coca-Cola 600," he said. "If everything goes well, we'll make that decision Saturday night."(ThatsRacin.com)(5-22-2004)

Kerry Earnhardt to run the Nextel Open: #33-Kerry Earnhardt will pilot chassis #112 from the Richard Childress Racing stable at Lowe's Motor Speedway in the Nextel Open. This is the same car Kevin Harvick drove to a 13th-place finish in February at Rockingham. Harvick also raced this car last season at Texas (3/30/03), California (4/27/03) and Michigan (6/15/03). The NASCAR NEXTEL Open will be Earnhardt's second Cup Series start of 2004 for RCR. His most recent appearance came last month at Talladega where he qualified 36th and finished 35th. While the end result was a less than desirable outcome, Earnhardt was running inside the top-15 when he was tapped by another car and spun into the inside retaining wall, ending his day 63 circuits short of the scheduled 188 lap distance. Earnhardt will sport a special paint scheme this weekend highlighting Bass Pro Shops support of the National Wild Turkey Federation. Earnhardt tested chassis No. 93 May 10-11 at LMS in preparation for the NASCAR NEXTEL Open. Earnhardt also tested at Michigan International Speedway last week in preparation for the Sirius 400, June 20. The NEXTEL Open will be Earnhardt's second NASCAR Cup attempt at LMS. He attempted to make the UAW-GM 500 in October 2002 with FitzBradshaw Racing, but missed the field due to lack of owner championship points after rain washed out qualifying. Earnhardt won the 2001 EasyCare Vehicle Service Contracts 100 ARCA Series race at LMS. Additionally, he made two other ARCA starts at the suburban Charlotte track, recording second and 20th-place finishes.
Crew Gary Cogswell says: "Kerry and I have tested together twice at two different tracks and I think I have a pretty good direction as to what I need to give him so he can drive the car hard. I'm eager to go this weekend. Kerry is really motivated. He knows he has a chance to drive a quality car with a lot of support behind him to help him run well. As far as expectations go, we just want to be able to race. We want to win, but we're not going to put the cart in front of the horse. To me, if we can run the whole race competitively - if we can pass cars, if we get passed that's ok, as long as we can pass too. If we can stay out of trouble and run all the laps we'll call it a good day."(RCR PR)(5-18-2004)

Kerry gets shunned by Mikey UPDATE: Kerry Earnhardt was so angry at Michael Waltrip for their run-in at Talladega that he grabbed a radio from the DEI rig during the race and tried to talk to Waltrip, but Waltrip wouldn't reply. Then Earnhardt, according to sources, showed up at DEI's Monday meeting, to talk with Waltrip, but Waltrip skipped the meeting.(Winston Salem Journal)(5-3-2004)
UPDATE: Kerry Earnhardt is Montana with Richard Childress fishing (they are shooting a segment for an upcoming show called NASCAR Outdoors - not sure where or when it will air). Earnhardt is not blaming Waltrip for the incident and knows it was not intentional. He told Claire B. Lang on XM Satellite Radio [before Earnhardt left for Montana]: "I'm sure Michael didn't intend on taking me out, he just come down, I think [Jeff] Gordon was there [Gordon tapped Waltrip, who had no place to go]. He got turned sideways and, fortunate for him that I was on the bottom to keep him from going through the infield there. So, it was an unfortunate situation for myself to get taken out in that manner - but it was part of racing - it was speedway racing. I'm sure all those other (Talladega) wrecks didn't happen intentionally either."(XM Satellite - NASCAR Radio 144)(5-4-2004)

Cogswell to RCR? UPDATE 2 it's official: hearing current #12 Fitz-Bradshaw Busch Series crew chief, Gary Cogswell, is leaving to go to Richard Childress Racing but not sure in what capacity. Tim Fedawa drives the #12 car.(4-21-2004)
UPDATE: Gary Cogswell has tendered his resignation as crew chief of the #12 FitzBradshaw team and driver Tim Fedewa and will take a similar position at Richard Childress Racing working with its part-time Busch and Cup teams, ThatsRacin.com has learned. Cogswell will work this weekend's race at Talladega with Fedewa before he leaves. Fedewa is currently ninth in points. "While we wish Gary the very best of luck, we feel the team can continue to build on the positive momentum it has built so far," said team co-owner Armando Fitz.(ThatsRacin.com)(4-22-2004)
UPDATE 2: Richard Childress Racing announced today the hiring of veteran crew chief Gary Cogswell to head up the #33 Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet Monte Carlo of driver Kerry Earnhardt in the NASCAR Cup Series and the all-star cast of the #29 Employer Support of Guard and Reserve (ESGR) Chevy in the NASCAR Busch Series. Most recently, Cogswell served as crew chief for the #12 Chevrolet and Busch Series driver Tim Fedewa. Last season, Cogswell called the shots for Todd Bodine in NASCAR's premier division with the #54 Ford.
"It's an honor for me to be able to join RCR," said Cogswell, a 13-year NASCAR veteran. "Most of the racing world, whether it be people who work on race teams, the casual fan or the serious fan, recognize RCR as one of the cornerstones of NASCAR. I was very flattered to be considered for this position and to be honest it really didn't require much thought on my part to accept. This organization has been here so long and is so solidly planted into the sport that I feel like I'll never have to look for another job." Cogswell owns 14 NBS victories as a crew chief, as well as seven poles, 51 top-five and 85 top-10 finishes. A native of Holt, Mich., Cogswell began his professional racing career after moving south in 1991. "Gary has been a winning NASCAR crew chief for 10 years. We're very excited to have him at RCR working on our ESGR and Bass Pro Shops programs," said Richard Childress, president and CEO of Richard Childress Racing. "We've put together a strong team for those two programs and I know Gary will work very well with Bobby Hutchens (RCR's general manager of competition team manager for the ESGR and Bass Pro Shops programs) and the crew. This move will only make the team stronger."(RCR PR)(4-28-2004)

Testing at Kentucky UPDATE 1a: Kentucky Speedway's weekly calendar shows plans for four Nextel Cup drivers and two Busch Series drivers to test this week. Cup testers expected on Wednesday are #12-Ryan Newman, #0-Ward Burton and #24-Jeff Gordon and #25-Brian Vickers. Vickers is also scheduled to test on Thursday. The track says #24-Mike Harmon and Chad Blount are expected to test Busch Series entries on Wednesday and Thursday. The track says the schedule is subject to change and says spectators may watch testing from its Fan Center.(NASCAR Scene Daily Newsletter)(4-12-2004)
UPDATE: Kentucky Speedway's updated test schedule for today [Wednesday] shows Kerry Earnhardt testing a research and development Chevrolet from Hendrick Motorsports. Hendrick had been expected to test Jeff Gordon in the #24 Chevrolet and rookie Brian Vickers in the #25 Chevrolet, but the schedule today shows only Vickers and Earnhardt, the eldest son of the late Dale Earnhardt, on hand from the team. The ASA tests on Friday the 16th.(NASCAR Scene Daily Newsletter)(4-15-2004)
UPDATE 1a: been informed....Kerry Earnhardt is at Kentucky doing a motor test for Dale Earnhardt Inc. NOT testing for Hendrick.(4-15-2004)

#33 Crew Member Injured: During the first caution period in the Daytona 500 on Sunday, John Wallace, a tire carrier for #33-Mike Skinner, fell from the wall onto pit road, suffering a hairline fracture of his right arm and requiring 8-10 stitches in his forehead, just above his nose, team general manager Bobby Hutchinson said. "A tire from (#32-Ricky Craven) rolled into our pit as John was jumping off the wall, and he landed right on it," Hutchinson said. Hutchinson said another crew member filled in for Wallace on Skinner's next two pit stops, and then after Robby Gordon was caught up in a multi-car crash on Lap 70, a tire man from Gordon's crew filled in on Skinner's team. (Daytona Beach News Journal)(2-16-2004)

Sponsor for the #33: during Speed Channel's Wed Nextel Cup practice, it was mentioned that Bass Pro Shops and Tracker Marine Boats would be the sponsor of the #33 RCR Chevy and driver Mike Skinner for the Daytona 500. The sponsor is NOT AOL as I earlier reported. Also see the PR at RCR's site.(2-11-2004)

Skinner back with RCR at Daytona [UPDATE]: Mike Skinner will return to Richard Childress Racing, at least for the Daytona 500. Skinner, who won the 1995 Craftsman Truck title for Childress, is racing full time in the No. 42 Toyota truck, but he will drive the #33 Cup car for RCR at Daytona with Bobby Leslie as crew chief. RCR's #2 AC Delcxo [Ron Hornaday] Busch team will pit Skinner's Cup car at Daytona. RCR pit crew coordinator David Smith says the snowstorm that hit the Carolinas last week hampered the crews' practice. "We're still digging out the stalls so we can practice," Smith says. Smith swapped the #s 2 and 21 Busch pit crews in the offseason.(Yahoo Sports/Sporting News)(2-2-2004)

Kerry Earnhardt to run five Cup races for RCR in the #33 UPDATE 2 Skinner in the Daytona 500?:- Kerry Earnhardt will compete in five NASCAR Nextel Cup Series races in 2004 for Richard Childress Racing (RCR) in the #33 Bass Pro Shops Chevy. Earnhardt, 34, is the eldest son of Dale Earnhardt who, with RCR, earned 67 race wins and six of his seven NASCAR Cup Series championships. He is scheduled to compete April 25 at Talladega, May 22 at Lowe’s Motor Speedway in Concord for the NASCAR All-Star Challenge, July 3 at Daytona, Oct. 3 at Talladega and Atlanta on Oct. 31 [Halloween]. Earnhardt has one Nextel Cup start, driving the #71 Marcis Auto Racing Chevrolet at Michigan on Aug. 20, 2000. He also has 65 NASCAR Busch Series starts since 2000, earning two top-five and five top-10 finishes. In 11 starts over two seasons (2000-01) in the ARCA RE/MAX Series, he had four wins, seven top-five and eight top-10 finishes. RCR and Bass Pro Shops have maintained a relationship since 1998, when the nation’s leading retailer of premium outdoor gear signed on as an associate sponsor of the No. 3 GM Goodwrench Chevrolet. That same year, Dale Earnhardt drove a Bass Pro Shop paint-schemed car in The Winston at Lowe’s Motor Speedway.(RCR PR)
AND Earnhardt will attempt to make the starting field for the Daytona 500.(Gaston Gazette)(1-22-2004)
UPDATE: been told by RCR there are no plans for Earnhardt to run the Daytona 500.(1-23-2004)
UPDATE 2: from a FoxSports column - The color black is part of Bass Pro Shops sponsorship package for the five Nextel Cup races that they plan to do. In fact, I [Larry McReynolds] think Mike Skinner is going to drive the #33 car in the Daytona 500, but I think it's going to be an AOL car.(FoxSports)(1-26-2004)

Andy Petree Racing #33

2004 News

Andy Petree joins Michael Waltrip Racing: Andy Petree, former car owner and championship crew chief, joins Michael Waltrip Racing, Inc. (MWR) effective in Bristol, Tenn., this weekend. "In an effort to continuously improve our race cars," car owner Michael Waltrip explained, "we've turned to a man whose knowledge of NASCAR has carried him to the pinnacle of stock car racing. Andy's experience will help us assess and grow our existing Busch and Cup programs. Aaron's Sales and Lease Ownership is a great sponsor and we have to win for them."
"In general, Andy has become a part of Michael Waltrip Racing to help move us forward. Performance has been respectable overall, but we are not up to par with the teams consistently winning races. While spending time at the race shop, evaluating our equipment and getting to know the team members, Andy will also serve as the acting crew chief on the weekends."
"Michael needs help and I am available," Petree said. "I am going to hang out with these guys for a while and see what we can accomplish. Michael has a great organization in place, so I am here to simply give my opinion and see where I can be beneficial to his teams."(Michael Waltrip Racing PR)(8-27-2004)

Menard to DEI? UPDATE 4 and NOT CLOSED: Motorsports.com is reporting that Dale Earnhardt Incorporated racing is set to announce the joining of Paul Menard [current driver of the #33 APR Chevy] to the DEI stable of drivers. Menard will run a yet unannounced numbered car with a Menard Home Improvement stores sponsorship. The sponsorship is stouter than the money deal with NAPA Auto Parts, and for five years. Menard will run three years of Busch and two years of Cup under the new contract. The team's first Busch event is set to be New Hampshire International Speedway.(from Motorsports.com)(6-6-2004)
UPDATE: “You know more than I do," was all Menard would tell BGNRacing.com of the rumor regarding his racing future. A team representative for Chance2 said he had not been informed of any plans regarding Menard and was unsure of a possible new DEI entry into Busch.(6-6-2004)
AND hearing that Chance 2 [Dale Earnhardt Jr./Tersa Earnahrdt's Busch team] has signed Busch north standout Ryan Moore, for seven Busch Series races in 2005, and full time in 2006.(6-5-2004)
UPDATE 2: hearing the deal was signed on Friday, June 4th, a 5-year deal, it would be a DEI deal, not Chance2 and would be the #1 DEI team [for Cup] with the first few years in the Busch Series.(6-7-2004)
UPDATE 3: been told that Paul Menard and Andy Petree Racing have parted ways.
UPDATE 3a: BGNRacing.com is reporting that beginning at New Hamshire International Speedway, Menard will be driving a Busch Series DEI entry for the remainder of the year.(6-9-2004)
UPDATE 4: The three-year racing plan between Wisconsin native Paul Menard and Hendersonville's Andy Petree was abruptly cut to just five months on Tuesday when Menard announced that he was bolting from Andy Petree Racing [APR] immediately to race for Dale Earnhardt, Inc., leaving APR without a driver, a major sponsor or a clear future midway through the 2004 Busch Series season. Menard signed a three-year deal with APR last fall that had him running two years at the Busch level with Petree with the option of moving up to the Nextel Cup ranks in the third year of the contract. But a five-year offer from DEI was too good to pass up, and Menard broke the news on Tuesday that he was leaving for good and taking his sponsorship with him. Attempts to contact Menard, who has been living in Asheville [NC], were unsuccessful. His telephone number has been disconnected. It was devastating news for APR, which has been struggling to find sponsorship dollars ever since the end of the 2002 season, its final year at NASCAR's premier level. Lack of money forced Petree, who at one time consistently ran two cars in the Nextel Cup series, to drop full-time into the Busch circuit this year while cutting his staff from more than 100 to around 30 [actuall it was 32]. Now, APR general manager Steve Barkdoll says, Petree will again have to sharply cut his workforce. But Barkdoll insisted Thursday that APR was not shutting its doors and planned to try to run at least two more Craftsman Truck Series races this year. "We went from about 30 employees down to 10 unfortunately," Barkdoll said. "But we're not giving up. We still have some truck races to run with (our sponsor) Monaco, and we are going to keep trying to put together some sponsorship deals in the future." With Menard, Petree thought his money woes were over for a while. The talented young driver from Eau Claire, Wis., had brought some major sponsorship dollars to APR in the form of Menards, a company owned by his father, John. When Petree had two cars racing at the Nextel Cup level three years ago, he had as many as 110 employees working at the shop located off Upward Road in East Flat Rock. He was hoping to get back to NASCAR's top level some day, and he believed that Paul Menard was his ticket. But the results with Petree weren't what the young Menard was hoping for in his first full year at the Busch Series level in 2004. In 14 races so far this season, Menard hasn't had a top 10, with a 13th-place showing on May 23 in Nazareth, Penn., representing his best showing. Menard finished 21st at last weekend's MBNA 200 in Dover, Del., to stay 22nd in the points standings. Menard is one of 22 drivers to have started all 14 Busch races this year, though he's ahead of only two in the points standings. Still, among Busch rookies only leader Kyle Busch has more points, and Menard won APR $284,830 this year. The split was a friendly one, Barkdoll said. "We understand his decision. Paul was in the shop on Wednesday talking to everyone, and it really wasn't a bad deal. We wish him the best of luck," Barkdoll said. Barkdoll said Petree hasn't said much following the announcement and still hasn't released an official statement about Menard's decision. Petree was unavailable for comment on Thursday.(Henderson Times-News)
HOWEVER been told by sources with the team, that while 20 of 32 employees have been laid off, the shop is still open and will run a few truck races in 2004 while regrouping.(6-11-2004)

APR Looking for Help: Andy Petree Racing announced today that they are looking for some crew members that will travel with the car each week. "We have been able to fill most of positions that are needed, but we are still a couple of crew members away from having our roster complete." said Steve Barkdoll GM of APR. Car Chief/lead mechanic and a fabricator/mechanic looking to travel each week with the road team is our priority. Experience is key! People that fit these criteria and are looking for a great opportunity should call APR at (828) 698-0335.(4-20-2004)

Petree selling Cup stuff; concentrating on Busch: Over the next five days, Andy Petree is going to finally empty some space in his shop complex outside Asheville, N.C., via a comprehensive auction to clear out a huge inventory of Nextel Cup racing equipment. "We've never had a sale in the eight years I've owned the team," Petree said. "And we've got tons of stuff, just everywhere, so we're getting rid of all of the Winston Cup stuff." Petree, who will race the full Busch Series schedule for the first time this season, using #33 Menards Chevrolets for promising driver Paul Menard, is selling at auction some 20 cars in various states of assembly. He also has about 20 engines -- from fresh to broken -- and countless spare parts and equipments. "We're selling all of our Winston Cup stuff because we've kind of changed the way we're doing our deal, this year," Petree said. "We're running all Busch cars, which we didn't have that many of, so we're having to build all new cars and all new engines. There really wasn't any sense in keeping all that Winston Cup stuff around. We had enough stuff lying around to do two Winston Cup teams and a Busch team -- and now we're just a full-time Busch team. It didn't make much sense to have, I think 185 gear sets in the shop; when 60 will do you plenty (so) we're just getting rid of a lot of stuff we don't need that's taking up space and resources."(NASCAR.com)(1-22-2004)

2003 News

Andy Petree Racing News: Andy Petree Racing (APR) and Monaco Coach Corporation announced plans for primary sponsorship in 2004. "This marks the fourth consecutive year that we have the opportunity of working with such a committed company, we have really enjoyed this relationship and look forward to winning again for Monaco Coach Corporation in 2004. We got involved with Monaco Coach Corporation over four years ago and haven't looked back. Their sales and marketing department really understand the benefits of being involved in NASCAR and that helps us focus on the performance side of our operation. I can't say enough good things about the group of people that run Monaco Coach Corporation." said Steve Barkdoll, General Manager of APR.
Monaco will sponsor driver Paul Menard in the season opening ARCA event in Daytona, FL on February 7, 2004. The focus will then shift to the Craftsman Truck Series in Martinsville, VA on April 17, and Indianapolis Raceway Park, IN Aug. 6. Plans also include a Monaco Coach Corporation entry into the Craftsman Truck Series race at Richmond, VA on September 9, as APR attempts to defend their two-year consecutive win streak.(APR PR)(1-7-2004)

APR Looking for Help: Andy Petree Racing (APR) fresh off of their announcement of a three year program with Paul Menard is looking for help. "We are in a unique situation of having a long term program and are looking for key personnel to fill in the voids that we have in our team" said Steve Barkdoll, Vice President of APR. "We will be excepting resumes by fax and email for the next two weeks". "We need experienced fabricators, pit crew members, and a truck driver to fill out our roster". Resumes can be sent to APR by fax (828-698-8052) or other contact info on their site: www.andypetreeracing.com [click on Interact].(11-11-2003)

Petree Racing and Menard win ARCA race at Talladega UPDATE no sell: Andy Petree Racing's Paul Menard, 23, ended a tumultuous weekend by holding off Billy Venturini by 0.151 seconds Saturday to capture his first ARCA victory in the Food World 300 at Talladega Superspeedway. He earned his first pole earlier this season at Winchester, Ind. Menard had the fastest speed in Thursday's qualifying session but it was disallowed when his #33 Chevrolet failed post-qualifying inspection. Since Menard is running only a limited schedule this season in ARCA, he had no provisionals to fall back on. So, his Andy Petree Racing team bought the car #26 from driver Brad Smith and took his place in the field. "We had the best car all weekend. We had a problem in qualifying. You live and you learn," Menard said. "This is a new deal for us and these guys gave me a hell of a car. We were just hanging on there at the end. Billy Venturini and Tony Ave are my buddies. They probably could have gotten a run on me, but they stuck with me." Menard has run a combination of ARCA, NASCAR Busch, Truck and Winston Cup races this season. He entered the Talladega race to become qualified to run on superspeedways as he starts his first full season in the Busch series in 2004. Two drivers involved in a multicar accident on Lap 69 of 113 were taken to area hospitals. Ken Weaver was taken to the University of Alabama-Birmingham Medical Center, and Keith Segars to Northeast Medical Center in Anniston, both for observation.(ThatsRacin.com), NOTE: Kurt Busch, who started on the pole finished 28th [accident] and Boris Said, being coached by Ernie Irvan finished 24th [accident] in his first superspeedway race. And Christi Passmore finished 5th.[see full results at the ARCA Racing site](9-27-2003)
UPDATE - didn't sell ride: Brad Smith didn't sell his ride, but was injured and couldn't race, from his site: The owner/driver of the #26 Ford was injured Thursday when his ride caught fire during his qualifying run at Talladega Superspeedway. He spent two nights at the Medical Center at the University of Alabama in Birmingham before beginning his trip back to Michigan Saturday morning. So the #26 team had a 38th place provisional starting spot for Saturday’s Food World 300, but they had neither a car nor a driver for the event. What do you do in a case like that? You find someone who has both. Wisconsin native Paul Menard, who was fastest in Thursday’s qualifying session, found his time disallowed when his rear quarter panel didn’t pass inspection. His car owner, Andy Petree, didn’t have enough points for a provisional, as the team had run only three other ARCA events this season. The 26 got the owner’s points for the event, as well as a little extra exposure for the team.(Brad Smith site)(9-28-2003)

Petree Racing back at Sonoma with Menard: Paul Menard will get his chance to see where he stacks up with the Winston Cup boys this weekend in Sonoma, CA, ruuning the #33 Chevy at Infineon Racway for team owner Andy Petree. Petree, who has been involved in Winston Cup racing since 1982 but had to sit out this year after he was unable to land a major sponsor for his cars, will have his Andy Petree Racing logo back on a Cup track this weekend at Infineon Raceway. Menard will be making his first-ever Winston Cup start as part of Petree's 18-race summer school for the up-and-coming driver. So far, Menard has competed in two ARCA races and two Busch Series events. Those four races were on ovals, but Menard doesn't mind turning both ways for a change. Menard's father, John, a home improvement businessman and owner of an Indy Racing League car, decided to help with the finances by co-sponsoring the cars with Turtle Wax.(Hendersonville Times News)(6-17-2003)

Petree and Menard to do ABC and T schedule UPDATE: it was announced on XM Satellite- NASCAR Radio (Subscription Required) that Paul Menard will drive a ABCT schedule for 18 races for Andy Petree Racing [APR] in 2003. A=ARCA, B=Busch Series, C=Cup and T=Trucks. The team will be sponsored by Turtle Wax and Manard. First scheduled race is the Salem ARCA race on April 27th and goes thru to the Phoenix Cup race in November. Menard is currently in college and after he finishes up, he will move to North Carolina. Menard will spot for Petree at Martinsville, who will run the Truck Series race there.(XM Satellite- NASCAR Radio Subscription Required), see more info about Paul Menard at Teammenard.net and more about APR at www.andypetreeracing.com.(4-9-2003)
UPDATE: Andy Petree has made a commitment to build the future of his racing team by developing young talent, likewise Paul Menard, 22, the son of Eau Claire home-improvement businessman and Indy-car owner John Menard, has made a commitment to learning this year, both on and off the track. Menard who is pursuing a degree in business at University of Wisconsin Eau Claire, will tackle an 18-event racing schedule driving a Turtle Wax“sponsored Chevrolet for APR that will include races in the Truck Series, Busch Series, Winston Cup Series and ARCA. Over the past three seasons, Paul Menard has been working his way up the NASCAR ladder, competing in the ReMax Challenge Series fulltime, while also running selected events in the Southwest Tour Series. At the close of 2002, Menard won the November Phoenix Southwest Tour event at Phoenix with a late race pass of Ken Schrader, something that caught the intrigue of NASCAR veteran, Andy Petree. "To be honest, I didn't even see the race; I was driving like crazy to get to the track to see as much as I could because I promised Kenny (Schrader) I would watch it," said Petree, owner of Andy Petree Racing. "I got there a few minutes too late and called Kenny as I was crossing the bridge to find out what happened. He said he got beat by some kid and finished second. I said, "What kid?" He said, "Paul Menard“ the kid just chased me down, got underneath me on the last lap and won it. He did a great job." Paul Menard's Andy Petree Racing Chevrolet will be sponsored by Turtle Wax and will likely carry the #33 across all series he will compete in this year. The first event will be the ARCA race in Salem, IN April 27. See full Press release at the Team Menard site.(Co-Pilott PR)(4-10-2003)

Petree back to racing...in the Trucks: Andy Petree hasn’t lost his focus on continuing his strong NASCAR Winston Cup stock car racing program. The winning veteran car owner will also continue his "hands-on" experience, and is driving in Sunday’s NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race at Mesa Marin Raceway. Monaco Coaches, which sponsored Petree in the Daytona 500 and has enjoyed a corporate relationship with the team for several years, will sponsor Petree in this race, as well as some additional Truck races this season. "We’re still looking for sponsorship for the Winston Cup program, and we’re still working towards that every day," Petree said. "But when that sponsorship comes about, we need to be ready to hit the ground running. Running these truck races gives our guys some time at the track and it gives us some information we can use for our car when we get back to racing." Petree has run at the front in the Truck Series before. In his last outing as a driver - Indianapolis (Ind.) Raceway Park in August - he led a large portion of the middle of the race, and ran in the top five through most of the night before a last-lap crash collected him. He qualified third and ran as a top 10 through most of April’s race at Martinsville. The last time the Monaco Coaches truck ran at all, Tony Stewart drove it to victory at Richmond, Va., in September. Petree said his organization was still fielding calls from potential Winston Cup sponsors. "Like I said, we’re talking to people every day, and we’re talking to anybody who wants to talk," Petree said. "We didn’t build what we had by giving up, and we’re moving forward. We’re planning on continuing what we’ve built in Winston Cup, and continuing to build on a new Truck tradition too." Monaco, a Coburg, Ore., based corporation has become one of the world’s leading RV manufacturer since it was founded in 1968, and remains one of the fastest-growing in the industry.(Williams Company PR)(3-18-2003)

No Petree Team at the Rock: #33/55 team owner Andy Petree's 2003 Winston Cup program extends only a few races beyond the Daytona 500. And the next is four months -- not four days -- away. "What next?" Petree asked rhetorically, with a wry smile. "That's a good question (and) I was just thinking that, as I was walking over here. I don't know -- we've got a few things we're going to do: Busch racing, Truck racing, some ARCA races." After cutting back to one full-time [#55 Chevy with Bobby Hamilton] team in 2002 realized he needed more funding from the other backer to continue even a single team in 2003. He had one hoped-for merger, with NFL owner Jerry Jones, fail to come to fruition and he continues to seek sponsorship or a partner to continue his Winston Cup operation on some level. His deal with Monaco Coaches, which is centered on several Craftsman Truck Series events, included only the Daytona 500 in Winston Cup. Petree is looking ahead to several announcements and getting back to his shop complex to get his remaining employees back to work on race vehicles for all three of NASCAR's national series. "We've got about 25 guys and we've got enough to do to keep them all busy," Petree said. "We'll be working hard, but it will be hard not to be at all the Winston Cup races like we've been in the past." Petree said he would drive the next race for APR, in a Monaco-sponsored Chevy truck at Mesa Marin Raceway in Bakersfield, CA. That program encompasses four races, and Petree said he would also reprise his successful outing -- at least in qualifying -- in the Truck Series race at Martinsville Speedway. He said he also had a fully sponsored program for a "young driver to run some Busch, Truck and ARCA races, though not a full season." "That will enable us to keep our core group of employees together while we try to build for 2004," Petree said. "Our next Winston Cup race is at Sears Point, and we got another young driver that we can't announce yet, for there." Petree acknowledged he was pleased at the performance of former CART Indy car driver Christian Fittipaldi, who made only his second Winston Cup start in the series' biggest race.(see full story and quotes at NASCAR.com)(2-19-2003)

Some news on Petree and Melling: Two years ago, spirits could not have been higher at Andy Petree Racing. The team employed more than 100 people who built engines and cars that were competitive in NASCAR's top series. It was part of a research and development alliance that also included Richard Childress Racing and Dale Earnhardt Inc [RAD]. It placed its two cars in victory lane within the span of one season, despite an operating budget nearly half of those of larger Winston Cup teams. Despite winning a pair of Winston Cup races, team owner Andy Petree has lost both his primary car sponsors over the past two years. He has one-race deal that will allow him to compete in the Daytona 500, but his operation's future is uncertain beyond that. Petree's efforts to find sponsors to replace the ones he lost have proven futile. Now, the shop employs only about 30 people. The team has signed a one-race deal with the Monaco motor coach company so it can compete in next week's Daytona 500. Beyond that, when Andy Petree Racing will return to the track is unclear. Those two, breakthrough victories in the 2001 season now seem like a distant memory. "We never foresaw this at all," said Steve Barkdoll, the team's executive vice president and general manager. "We keep asking ourselves, how did we get into this position? It's just a tough market out there right now." Petree is without a sponsor despite a track record that includes two race wins, 53 top-10 finishes, and over $16 million in winnings in six years as a car owner. NASCAR operates a New York office with a primary purpose of helping its teams secure sponsorship. The office recently arranged a meeting between Andy Petree Racing and a potential sponsor, helping the team built its presentation and offering data on how other companies have been able to build their business through sponsorship. NASCAR representatives even attended the meeting "to help back up their sport," Barkdoll said. Some teams are able to recover quickly when a sponsor leaves. Others aren't. Either way, it makes for an unsettling time for Winston Cup car owners, whose budgets run into the tens of millions of dollars and who need corporate sponsorship to survive. A few lower-tier operations, like Donlavey Racing and Melling Racing -- both fixtures in the sport for decades -- have had to shut down because of a lack of sponsorship. But the past two years have proven that even teams capable of winning poles and races are not immune from sponsorship difficulties. "So many companies were go-go-go," said Lake Speed Jr., team manager for Melling Racing, which suspended operations in December after being without a primary sponsor for the full 2002 season. "Once they saw the economy slowing down later in 2001, that ended, and it's never come back. Before that, people wanted to spend more than the next guy. It was escalating. If one guy spent $8 (million), it was, 'What can I get for 10?' After 9-11, it was, 'How cheap can I get it?' There's no safety net in NASCAR, nothing to protect a team owner," Melling's Speed said. "Any kind of (corporate) scandal, any kind of freak deal, it could affect anybody. On the business side, you've got to work twice as hard for every dollar as you did before. Other teams have had to scramble. Maybe they're not to the point where we are, but nobody is safe." The teams most directly affected by the sponsorship drought of the past few years are hoping to make comebacks. Melling, Speed said, is "riding out the storm" until economic conditions improve. Andy Petree Racing has received some help from Petty Enterprises, which has supplied a driver for the Daytona 500 (Christian Fittipaldi) as well as some sponsorship leads. The Petree shop is also hoping for better days ahead. "We won't be running a full season this year," Barkdoll said. "But we're very optimistic that we're going to put something together, and be back in 2004 with a full Winston Cup program."(MUCH more to this story at the Charleston Post and Courier)(2-9-2003)

2002 News

Bodine news - all three, Todd back with the #26? Geoffrey testing the #26 and for Brett, run Daytona with APR? in the 24 hours of Daytona? Geoffrey Bodine along with Jerry Nadeau embarks on a tour with the Armed Forces Entertainment Program in support of "Operation Enduring Freedom", to help maintain morale for service members in Afghanistan and other Southeast Asia sites for a week. Bodine's brother Brett was supposed to be a part of that group, but business commitments forced him to change his plans. Once back, Geoffrey Bodine will be testing the #26 Haas Carter Motorsports Ford for brother Todd, who is still recuperating from back surgery in November. Geoffrey tested for the team on Dec. 12 and 13 at Talladega Motor Speedway. Haas Carter's Web site said the team expects to have its sponsorship package for 2003 signed very soon, with Todd as its driver. Speculation is that the Army National Guard will be one of the team sponsors [Jayski note: but that is supposed to be the sponsor for the #54 BH Motorsports team]. Geoffrey will also help conduct tests for middle brother Brett Bodine [#11] in January, with Geoffrey testing a second team car to the #11 driven by Brett. Brett is finalizing his 2003 plans, which will likely see the Hooters restaurant chain return as the team's sponsor and involved somehow in the ownership of the team. Geoffrey's plans for 2003 are beginning to take shape after he split with the #09 James Finch-owned Phoenix Racing team last month. Bodine did a limited schedule of races for that team, finishing a best of third in the Daytona 500. Bodine, who has sponsorship from the Miccosukee Indian Gaming casino for a limited Winston Cup schedule, has been shopping for a new team. Geoffrey is supposedly talking to Andy Petree Racing [#33 and #55] about driving for them in the Daytona 500. However, the Web site www.thatsracin.com reported that team owner Andy Petree has secured a single-race sponsor for his #55 car in the Daytona 500. The name of the sponsor has not yet been released, but Web site www.jayski.com reported that it may be motor home builder Monaco Coaches. Petree had been lining up Ken Schrader as his driver, but Schrader signed with BAM Racing on Friday. Petree is now looking for a replacement driver. If a deal with Bodine materializes, the Indian gaming casino, which is based in Florida, will probably show up as an associate sponsor on a Petree car for Daytona. As for the remaining Winston Cup races that Bodine has sponsorship for (thought to be 12 to 20 races), Bodine has not said whom he'll eventually hook up with. Also, Geoffrey Bodine could join fellow Cup drivers Kevin LePage and Kyle Petty in competing in the Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona sports car event on Feb. 1 and 2. Cegwa Sport Daytona Prototype team is interested in him for the ride in the prestigious endurance race. The team will field a 4.3-liter Toyota-powered Fabcar this year in the series, which makes two stops at Watkins Glen International.(in part from the Star Gazette)(12-26-2002)

APR News: Andy Petree Racing will be allowed to pay back a $5 million loan earlier than expected following approval by a county panel Monday. The Henderson County Industrial Facilities and Pollution Control Financing Authority waived a 45-day notice period to let the company go ahead and repay a loan made by Wachovia bank. The money was in the form of bonds that the state allowed Petree to borrow privately through an Industrial Revenue Bond agreement, authority president Herbert Young said. Such bonds have been in place for industrial development for more than 25 years, Young said. Andy Petree Racing is considered a manufacturing industry, and that's why it qualified for this type of loan, he said. Because these types of bonds are loans and industries have the right to pay them back, the money is not considered a gift, Young said. The money comes from a private source, but the borrower must have state government approval and the authority acts as a conduit, he said. The company struggled to find sponsorship for one car for the 2003 season. That was a far cry from 2001 when Petree fielded a two-car team, with both the #33 car, sponsored by Oakwood Mobile Homes and the #55 car, sponsored by Schneider Electric, posting victories. But a pullout by Oakwood Mobile Homes sidelined the #33 car. And a recent announcement that Schneider Electric will no longer be a full sponsor of the #55 car has put its future in doubt. At one time, Petree employed 110 people but now only has 25 full-time employees. Petree has a single-race sponsor lined up for the season-opening Daytona 500, general manager Steve Barkdoll said. The sponsor will be announced after the new year.(Hendersonville Times News)(12-26-2002)

Petree has Daytona 500 sponsor, now needs a driver UPDATE: NASCAR Winston Cup owner Andy Petree has secured a single-race sponsor for his #55 car in the Daytona 500. Andy Petree Racing, based in Henderson County, NC, has been scrambling in recent months to land a sponsorship after electrical distribution company Square D said it could no longer afford to run an entire schedule. The new sponsor's name will be announced after the new year. Petree now must find another driver for the #55 after Ken Schrader signed up Friday with the BAM Racing Dodge next year. Petree had been trying to line up Schrader to drive #55, APR general manager Steve Barkdoll said. "Schrader had the opportunity to drive the BAM car full time, so we told him to take it," Barkdoll said. First Petree was forced to lay off employees, now he's looking for investors for his team. Times are tough for Petree, still scrambling to keep his Winston Cup team afloat. After laying off 25 employees last month, Petree is hoping an outside investor can step in and keep things running. He has enough employees left to send Schrader to the Daytona 500, but more money will have to appear before he can plan for any more races.(ThatsRacin.com/AP)(12-22-2002)
UPDATE: hearing the sponsor will be Monaco Coaches, still no word on the driver.(12-24-2002)

APR news - theft, layoffs and 2003: On July 30, Andy Petree Racing suffered a financial blow when a safe containing cash [$291k?] was stolen from Petree's office off Upward Road. An official with the State Bureau of Investigation office in Asheville said Wednesday that the SBI was still investigating the theft. When the theft happened, the Henderson County Sheriff's Department and the SBI questioned everyone in the shop and even employees who were recently laid off, said Kevin Youngblood, who was the parts manager at APR and was laid off earlier this year. "They wanted to keep everything hush-hush there at the shop, and it's no wonder," Youngblood said. "I know that there haven't been any charges filed, but I do know that everyone at the shop was questioned about the safe. It wasn't just the money missing. It was the entire safe." Petree was in Daytona Beach, Fla., on Wednesday spending time with his family for the holidays. He refused to comment on the missing safe, but did discuss the upcoming NASCAR season. Petree is still seeking more sponsorship dollars to help fund his #55 Chevy for next season's NASCAR circuit and hopefully rehire several of the employees who have been laid off this year. Petree has had as many 110 employees working for APR, but as of Wednesday there are just 25 employees, he said. "If we don't sign a sponsor in the next few weeks, (the layoffs) aren't going to make a lot of difference. We haven't closed the doors yet but we had to do layoffs to sustain our business," Petree said. Petree said that Ken Schrader, who drove the #33 Chevy for Petree in the late '90s, will be the driver of the #55 car in 2003 if the team can land more sponsors to help pay the bills in the coming year. Schneider Electric was the primary sponsor of the car in 2002 and plans on being the sponsor again in 2003. Petree said he still needs more sponsorship money for the #55 car to run the full Winston Cup schedule next year. He said the #55 team already has two 2003 Chevy Monte Carlos built, one for speedways and the other for tracks requiring more downforce. (Hendersonville Times News)(11-28-2002)

a Petree Announcement UPDATE 2 No merger or buyout: ......Andy Petree took time out to talk a little bit about what everyone’s been talking about in the racing world for the past few months — his rumored deal with Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones for a two-car team next season. His answer to the obvious question was the same. “I really don’t have anything to say on that right now. We don’t have an announcement yet,” Petree said. He did, however, reveal later in the day that he would make an announcement Friday morning at Darlington, S.C., concerning his plans for next season. Petree was out of town Monday, but APR executive vice president/general manager Steve Barkdoll said the main reason for the announcement was to just let everyone know what’s going on. “We just felt like it was time to tell everyone APR’s plans for next year, and that’s all it’s going to be,” Barkdoll said.(Hendersonville Times News)(8-28-2002)
UPDATE: Andy Petree Racing will remain a major factor in NASCAR Winston Cup racing, just won’t be carrying silver and blue colors, and no large stars will be on the cars in 2003.. The long-discussed arrangement between Andy Petree, the top chassis and mechanical mind among NASCAR Winston Cup owners, and the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys will not be completed. “We’re moving forward and we’re doing everything we can to finish this year on a strong note, and to have a great 2003,” said Petree, the only owner in the sport to have won two NASCAR Winston Cup championships in a “hands-on” capacity. “We do need additional sponsorship but that’s an area we’ve been working on throughout this process. We are in discussions with Schneider Electric/Square D regarding the future - they are a great partner of ours - but we know we still need additional sponsorship support. This is a tremendous marketing opportunity for a corporation at a price I know is unmatched in this sport,” Petree said. “Andy Petree Racing has a lot to offer a sponsor, and we feel somebody will step up and take advantage of this,” he said. “This is a chance for a company to partner with our program, to do so at a price that is incredibly reasonable and to receive a tremendous boost in their sales and awareness. Keep in mind that we also have a strong and on-going relationship with General Motors, and they have been tremendous supporters of ours through all of this,” he added. “With friends like that behind you, great things have to be ahead for you.” Petree said the ending of the Dallas Cowboys discussions should not be a factor in bringing in sponsorship. “We worked hard to put something together but we both knew we had to do something soon. They let me know they just couldn’t get everything done in time for 2003. They made the decision to end the discussions for 2003. I needed to make the announcement today so we can continue working on sponsorship for Andy Petree Racing.. “The Cowboys are great people and I believe they were serious about putting something together,” he added. “The fact of the matter is we are here to win races, plain and simple. And we’re going to continue to do that.”(Williams Company)(8-30-2002)
UPDATE 2 - sponsor and driver could stay; to Pontiac? ....although Petree said there is a remote chance Hamilton could stay. Hamilton may now be the front-runner for Chip Ganassi's Havoline team. "We've got Schneider Electric, which has supported us quite a bit over the years and has been a great supporter of ours. We're trying to extend that with them, but we need some more help. We needed to get the word out that we're not doing this Cowboys thing so that it doesn't lock us out of some opportunities that are out there right now."(Speed Channel)
AND Petree still hopes to have a two-car team next season. He now plans to continue his association with Schneider Electric and Square D, the primary sponsors of the #55 Chevrolet driven by Bobby Hamilton, who is not returning to the team in 2003. Petree said he now plans to continue his relationship with General Motors. The team was expected to switch to Ford next year if the Cowboys deal had been completed. Cowboys owner Jerry Jones has a relationship with Ford as a corporate sponsor of the NFL team. Petree said it's possible his team will switch to Pontiac next season, but all those discussions were pending the outcome of the Cowboys' plans.(Dallas Morning News)(8-31-2002)

Wallace released from DEI and... Kenny Wallace has been released from his DEI contract in 2002. Wallace was hired to first drive the #1 car for Steve Park, and be on stand-by for the rest of 2002 in case there was another need for him in any of the DEI cars. DEI decided that since it was obvious that their drivers were no longer in need of substitutes and that they were paying a full driver salary to someone that was sitting at home on Sundays watching the race on TV, that the contract could be ended, and see a full press release of the Wallace/Petree/ATT deal at Kenny Wallace Racing site.(8-30-2002)

Petree and Wallace back together..Kenny...at Talladega UPDATE: hearing that Kenny Wallace and Andy Petree Racing will be reunited at Talladega Superspeedway for the EA SPORTS 500 on October 6th. The sponsor will be 1-800-CALLATT. Kenny will drive the same #33 Chevy that featured Carrot Top in Daytona – driven by his brother Mike in the Pepsi 400. Also hearing that on Monday, Wallace, APR & ATT will announce their search for a crew chief – in a most unique manner.(8-24-2002)
UPDATE: Kenny Wallace will make a one-time return to the racing stable of Andy Petree Racing (APR) for the October running of the EA SPORTS 500 at Talladega Superspeedway, and take one lucky NASCAR fan along for the ride. 1 800 CALLATT for Collect Calls will roll out a national promotion in support of the APR/Wallace reunion – a unique sweepstakes that places one fan atop the pit box as Honorary Crew Chief for the #33 CALLATT Racing Team as the culmination of four days of motorsports immersion. During the promotional period (August 26th to September 22nd, except for September 11th), NASCAR fans completing a collect call using 1 800 CALLATT will have the chance to be entered into the 1 800 CALLATT for Collect Calls Fall 2002 NASCAR Sweepstakes to claim the seat next to team owner Andy Petree on the first weekend in October. Mike Wallace drove the 1 800 CALLATT entry to a 13th-place qualifying effort in Daytona for Andy Petree Racing, advancing to the top-10 in the Pepsi 400 before Steve Park sent him spinning through the tri-oval at Daytona International Speedway. Wallace has since taken the reigns for AJ Foyt’s team, which left CALLATT and Andy Petree looking for a wheelman for their Superspeedway encore at Talladega. “1 800 CALLATT is excited to be sponsoring Kenny Wallace and #33 Chevrolet of Andy Petree Racing in Talladega for the EA SPORTS 500," said Carol Eversen, General Manager, 1 800 CALLATT for Collect Calls. “It's a wonderful opportunity to show our continued support for NASCAR by running the car and for NASCAR fans by giving them this once-in-a-lifetime chance to win a very special weekend, where they will be totally immersed in the sport. When we ran the car in the Pepsi 400 in Daytona earlier this year, we were able to witness the tremendous passion that NASCAR fans have for their sport, as well as their affection for the Wallace brothers. With Mike unavailable, it was only natural that we keep our driver choice ‘in the family’ for Talladega. We are thrilled to have Kenny behind the wheel to drive both our car and our national promotion.” For team owner Andy Petree, the highly visible partnership and national promotion is another opportunity for a team under his guidance to excel on a Superspeedway, something APR teams have done consistently over the past few seasons. “This continues to be an exciting opportunity for APR,” Petree said. “To be reunited with a driver like Kenny Wallace, with whom we had such an enjoyable relationship, in combination with such a unique national promotion from a NASCAR-savvy brand like 1 800 CALLATT on a Superspeedway – well, we’re certainly playing to our strengths. The last time Kenny drove at Talladega, he was SO close to his first Winston Cup win,” Petree recalled. “We’re anxious to put him a position to erase that ‘almost’ from the record.”(ignition, Inc)(8-29-2002)

Petree-Jones announcement at Darlington? Andy Petree, in discussion for most of the year to partner with Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, said he should know his plans for 2003 by next week. "I'll have something to talk about at Darlington next week if all goes as planned," he said. Jones is expected to buy a portion of Petree's team and the duo has reportedly been shopping for drivers. Bobby Hamilton currently drives for Petree, but both parties have said they are splitting at the end of the season. Petree admitted he tried to get Rudd, but never really had a chance even though he "felt like I had a lot to offer."(CNNSI/AP)(8-25-2002)

Petree and Wallace back together..Kenny...at Talladega UPDATE: hearing that Kenny Wallace and Andy Petree Racing will be reunited at Talladega Superspeedway for the EA SPORTS 500 on October 6th. The sponsor will be 1-800-CALLATT. Kenny will drive the same #33 Chevy that featured Carrot Top in Daytona – driven by his brother Mike in the Pepsi 400. Also hearing that on Monday, Wallace, APR & ATT will announce their search for a crew chief – in a most unique manner.(8-24-2002)
UPDATE: Kenny Wallace will make a one-time return to the racing stable of Andy Petree Racing (APR) for the October running of the EA SPORTS 500 at Talladega Superspeedway, and take one lucky NASCAR fan along for the ride. 1 800 CALLATT for Collect Calls will roll out a national promotion in support of the APR/Wallace reunion – a unique sweepstakes that places one fan atop the pit box as Honorary Crew Chief for the #33 CALLATT Racing Team as the culmination of four days of motorsports immersion. During the promotional period (August 26th to September 22nd, except for September 11th), NASCAR fans completing a collect call using 1 800 CALLATT will have the chance to be entered into the 1 800 CALLATT for Collect Calls Fall 2002 NASCAR Sweepstakes to claim the seat next to team owner Andy Petree on the first weekend in October (see my Racing Contest page for more info and what the winner will get). Mike Wallace drove the 1 800 CALLATT entry to a 13th-place qualifying effort in Daytona for Andy Petree Racing, advancing to the top-10 in the Pepsi 400 before Steve Park sent him spinning through the tri-oval at Daytona International Speedway. Wallace has since taken the reigns for AJ Foyt’s team, which left CALLATT and Andy Petree looking for a wheelman for their Superspeedway encore at Talladega. “1 800 CALLATT is excited to be sponsoring Kenny Wallace and #33 Chevrolet of Andy Petree Racing in Talladega for the EA SPORTS 500," said Carol Eversen, General Manager, 1 800 CALLATT for Collect Calls. “It's a wonderful opportunity to show our continued support for NASCAR by running the car and for NASCAR fans by giving them this once-in-a-lifetime chance to win a very special weekend, where they will be totally immersed in the sport. When we ran the car in the Pepsi 400 in Daytona earlier this year, we were able to witness the tremendous passion that NASCAR fans have for their sport, as well as their affection for the Wallace brothers. With Mike unavailable, it was only natural that we keep our driver choice ‘in the family’ for Talladega. We are thrilled to have Kenny behind the wheel to drive both our car and our national promotion.” For team owner Andy Petree, the highly visible partnership and national promotion is another opportunity for a team under his guidance to excel on a Superspeedway, something APR teams have done consistently over the past few seasons. “This continues to be an exciting opportunity for APR,” Petree said. “To be reunited with a driver like Kenny Wallace, with whom we had such an enjoyable relationship, in combination with such a unique national promotion from a NASCAR-savvy brand like 1 800 CALLATT on a Superspeedway – well, we’re certainly playing to our strengths. The last time Kenny drove at Talladega, he was SO close to his first Winston Cup win,” Petree recalled. “We’re anxious to put him a position to erase that ‘almost’ from the record.”(ignition, Inc)(8-29-2002)

Jones-Petree? Maybe Not? Questions continue to swirl around the Jerry Jones-Andy Petree operation. Little has been heard from this side of the garage in several weeks. Petree is doing a delicate balancing act, with Jones looking at a Ford operation and Petree a long-time GM man. According to GM sources, there is now the possibility that the Petree team could field Pontiacs next season instead of Fords. If it is Fords, though, one possible driver pick could be BGN driver Scott Riggs. Another possible pick: Ken Schrader, depending on what happens with his current [#36 MB2] team, which is looking for a sponsor.(Winston Salem Journal)(8-24-2002)

Starr to Cup/Petree/Jones in 2003? CTS driver David Starr said he has been contacted about the driver's vacancy on the NASCAR team being assembled by Cowboys owner Jerry Jones and current Winston Cup [#33, #55] team owner Andy Petree. Ricky Rudd, the team's first choice, apparently is preparing to sign with car owner Chip Ganassi for 2003. Starr, a regular in the CTS, said Cowboys marketing executive John Hickman attended Friday night's race at Indianapolis Raceway Park. Starr finished 34th in that event and fell from second to seventh in the points chase after, ironically, crashing with Petree's truck. Starr said Hickman recently told him to expect a call from Petree, who has yet to officially announce the structure of his partnership with Jones. "You could say I'm still a candidate," said Starr, who is in his first year of driving full time for truck owner Wayne Spears. "It all depends on how my season ends up. I might want to stay in the Truck Series another year and get some more experience. It wouldn't be a dumb move on my part. Right now, I'm just focused on trying to win this championship."(Fort Worth Star Telegram)(8-4-2002)

Compton out of the #14 car; Wallace in...for now: Stacy Compton and A.J. Foyt Racing have broken off their contract agreement, so Compton will no longer drive the #14 Conseco Pontiac. Compton said he told Foyt the team needed better equipment and more people in the shop to be more competitive on the circuit. Compton said Foyt believed the team had what it needed to race, so they agreed to part ways. Compton heads to Pikes Peak for Saturday's BGN race, he also plans to run Jim Harris' truck in four or five races this year.(WSET TV site)
AND Mike Wallace will be in the #14 car at Pocono but hasn't been asked to drive after that. Has spoke to the team after their test at Indy test and probably could be in the car if he wants with a good run at Pocono(Sources).
AND II: A.J. Foyt made the latest abrupt change of direction in his career as a car owner when he informed Stacy Compton this week that he was released as the pilot of the #14 Conseco Pontiac. Mike Wallace will replace Compton, beginning with this weekend's Pennsylvania 500 at Pocono Raceway. Wallace participated in a two-day test at Indianapolis Motor Speedway earlier this week, preparing for the Aug. 4 Brickyard 400. Wallace will be the sixth driver that Foyt has used in his Winston Cup cars in the last two-and-a-half seasons, following Mike Bliss, Dick Trickle, Rick Mast, Ron Hornaday and Compton.(NASCAR.com)
See much past news on this on the #14 Team page, all the updates were getting toooooooo large.(7-26-2002)

Petree in a truck at IRP: Fresh from a successful test at Indianapolis Raceway Park, Andy Petree will drive his own truck in next week’s CTS race event at the .686-mile oval. "Whether or not we ran wasn’t dependent upon (Tuesday’s) test but I wanted to have tested before we formally announced we were running the race," said Petree. "We took a Winston Cup car up there and learned some things, got me some time behind the wheel, and I think we’re going to have a good run in the race next week. Darrell Waltrip tested some with us, and that has to help." Petree will make his second start in the Truck series, having been a major factor in pole qualifying and the race in April at Martinsville. Petree qualified third, and ran among the leaders until late in the race when a mechanical problem sidelined him. He is fielding a truck for Winston Cup star Tony Stewart in September at Richmond, and hasn’t ruled out driving a second truck himself in that event. Petree tested a Winston Cup car at IRP but feels that will help his team not only with the Truck series races at IRP and Richmond, but also to this Winston Cup team at like speedways. One of the team’s associate sponsors is expected to sponsor the Truck for IRP, and Petree said he is still talking with potential sponsors for the race at Richmond.(Williams Company PR)(7-23-2002)

More Rudd and Jones: Ricky Rudd met this week with car owner Andy Petree to discuss a possible ride next year with Petree and Jerry Jones in Fords, according to team sources.(Winston Salem Journal)(7-10-2002)

Petree Announcement UPDATE - 2 AT&T and Carrot Top: hearing a major sponsorship announcement and car unveiling for Andy Petree Racing and driver Mike Wallace in Charlotte, NC on Thursday morning, June 27th, for the Pepsi 400 at Daytona.(6-24-2002)
UPDATE: For Daytona, Petree will be back to two cars, with Mike Wallace behind the wheel of the #33 Chevy and Bobby Hamilton, as usual, piloting the #55 Schneider Electric Chevy. “We are going to have a press conference Thursday in Charlotte to announce the sponsorship deal on the 33 car for Daytona,” Steve Barkdoll, APR’s executive vice president/general manager, said Monday at the shop. “We are looking forward to a good relationship with that sponsor. The company is well known, and right now, as it has been in the past for us, it’s just a one-race deal.”(Henderson Times)(6-25-2002)
UPDATE: fans are invited to attend a press conference to unveil primary Sponsorship of the #33 Chevy for the Pepsi 400 at Daytona International Speedway on Thursday, June 27, 2002 at 11:00am/et, at Polk Park, Charlotte, NC.(Corner of Trade & Tryon Street in Uptown Charlotte). Take 85 to 77 South, then Exit #11 (Brookshire Freeway.), then take the Tryon/Church Street Exit, next turn right on Tryon Street. Polk Park will be on the right.(6-26-2002)
UPDATE 2: Watch for the ATT, 1-800-callatt, sponsored Carrot Top car being driven by Mike Wallace at the Pepsi 400 in Daytona on July 6th, 2002 (Mike Wallace Site) AND Car owner Andy Petree and driver Mike Wallace have picked up sponsorship for the July 6 Pepsi 400 at Daytona from 1 800-CALLATT for Collect Calls. The single-event sponsorship has all parties excited, including APR’s honorary crew chief, pitch man Carrot Top. “I've tried imagining the excitement of the moment – of seeing my face on the 1 800 CALLATT car, cruising around the track in Daytona in front of the best fans in the world. I'm definitely psyched to be in on the action,” Carrot Top said. “As a huge NASCAR fan, all I can say is that it's going to be so cool - and my face is more attractive at 200 mph anyway!” For team owner Andy Petree, the highly-visible partnership is an opportunity for a team under his guidance to excel on a superspeedway, something APR teams have done consistently over the past few seasons.(ThatsRacin.com), see images of the car on my Paint Scheme Gallery.(6-27-2002)

Petree buying Ford equipment? UPDATE 4 Penske Dodge? Denied by Wallace: But insiders say that this week [Andy] Petree [#'s 33/55] has been on a six-figure shopping spree buying cars and parts from Penske.(Sporting News) AND Chevy car owner Andy Petree and Jerry Jones, of the Dallas Cowboys, still haven't announced anything officially, but sources say that Petree and Jones have bought a number of Fords from Penske South.(Winston Salem Journal)(6-15-2002)
UPDATE: Andy Petree Racing has purchased several Fords from the Penske South team in preparation for switching to the Ford Taurus next season when Petree becomes a partner with Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, a Penske official confirmed Sunday. Petree now uses Chevrolets with the No. 55 Schneider Electric car that Bobby Hamilton drives, but the team, which will be back to two cars next year, will switch to the Taurus in 2003 because of a sponsor relationship the Cowboys have with Ford. The fact that Roger Penske is willing to sell some of his cars to Petree could be an indication that the two-car Penske team may switch to Dodge next year as Penske has been talking to Dodge officials for more than a month.(Dallas Morning News - may need to register to read)(6-17-2002)
UPDATE 2: been told that the equipment that Andy Petree bought from Penskee was sold at an open auction. The vast majority of the equipment were surplus items and most of it came from now defunct Jeremy Mayfield team [was #12 last year]. Also been told that the Penske team will be sticking with Ford and are still developing new cars and engines.(6-19-2002)
UPDATE 3: Once again, Robin Miller, of RPM 2 Night on ESPN2 said on Wednesdays show that Penske Racing will switch to Dodge.(6-21-2002)
UPDATE 4 - NO DODGE: Rusty Wallace has dismissed talk that Penske Racing will switch to Dodge for the 2003 Winston Cup season. "There is nothing to that at all," Wallace said. "We have so much time invested in what we are doing. We are not changing." Penske Racing has been one of Ford's flagship teams since 1994, when they switched to Ford from Pontiac.(NASCAR.com Buzz)(6-22-2002)

More on Petree/Jones: Jerry Jones and Andy Petree still haven't finished their deal to team up next season, but Jones is pushing hard to land a top-notch driver. One man on Jones' optimistic list is Tony Stewart [has been denied by Stewart and Gibbs in about every media outlet], according to team sources. Stewart isn't figured to be interested in leaving the Joe Gibbs camp, but that his name has come up shows that Jones is thinking big. Petree says there's been no movement on the Jerry Jones front in the last week, but team sources say that General Motors executives are now trying to put together a deal to keep Petree in the GM fold, possibly in Pontiacs next season.(Winston Salem Journal)(6-10-2002)

Jerry Jones and Petree close to a deal UPDATE 2 Jarrett says no: Nearly a year after acknowledging an interest in owning a Winston Cup car, Jerry Jones and the Cowboys are close to buying controlling interest in the Andy Petree racing team, Petree said Wednesday. "We're just about there," Petree said. "I think we're where we need to be to get it done. We've been close for a long time, and all we need to do is get it down on paper so it reflects all of the things that we've talked about." Petree declined to discuss specifics of the negotiations, but said the sides had cleared all major obstacles. Under the agreement, the Cowboys would handle the racing team's marketing; Petree would have final say on racing matters. One Cowboys source said a letter of intent, normally the final step before a contract is drawn up, has not yet been written. Still, two team sources said the Cowboys expect the deal to be done this summer, well before the start of the 2003 Winston Cup season. Two Cowboys sources said the football team would pay at least $6 million to buy a stake in Petree Racing. The sources said the Cowboys total expenses would be about $21 million, with approximately $15 million per year to operate two cars on the circuit and pay for equipment, drivers, trailers to haul cars and other expenses. A Cowboys source said the club has discussed unveiling its cars during halftime of a regular-season game, perhaps the Thanksgiving Day game against the Washington Redskins because of the national-TV exposure. Buying a stake in Petree's team would make the Cowboys the first sports franchise to be a primary sponsor for a major Winston Cup car. Several sources said the Cowboys have had preliminary discussions with Pizza Hut about sponsoring a car, and Pizza Hut spokeswoman Julie Hildebrand confirmed the club had made a proposal but nothing more than that. One Cowboys source and one NASCAR source said the Cowboys have also had preliminary talks with Ciclon Energy Drink about sponsoring a car. Elmer Scheiber, Ciclon's chief executive officer, could not be reached for comment. A NASCAR source said the Cowboys are interested in having one well-known driver and one driver with local ties. Team officials have talked to David Starr, who lives in Irving, about potentially being one of the racing team's two drivers next season. Starr, who declined to comment, run in the CTS. "The next step is getting a driver," Petree said. "That's why we have to get the contracts signed. Then we can press on." A team source said Tuesday the club is close to an agreement with Ford to become the club's sponsor in the car/truck category. Petree acknowledged the racing team will switch from Chevrolet to Ford next season because the car maker has a deal with the Cowboys.(Dallas Morning News - may need to register to read)(5-23-2002)
UPDATE: Car owner [#33 and #55] Andy Petree said he and Jerry Jones of the Dallas Cowboys have finally come to an agreement to run a two-team Winston Cup operation next season, and sources close to the situation say that the top driver on Jones' list is Dale Jarrett, the 1999 series champion now driving for Robert Yates and that Jones is willing to pay whatever it takes to get him. Petree wouldn't confirm or deny Jarrett is on the list, but Petree, an Asheville car owner, said the Jones-Petree operation would be fielding two strong teams with top drivers. And Petree said that Bobby Hamilton's contract was up at the end of this season, leaving that situation unsettled.(Winston Salem Journal)(5-24-2002)
UPDATE 2: Despite recent reports to the contrary, Dale Jarrett has no plans of leaving Robert Yates Racing. And in fact, he's agitated that such speculation has surfaced and no one so much as asked him about it. "I'm (ticked) off about it," Jarrett said, stationed behind his transporter Saturday morning at Lowe's Motor Speedway. "I respect (the media) enough that when y'all come to me and ask me something, I tell y'all the truth. And so far, nobody's come to me and asked me if I'm going anywhere." Jarrett was rumored to be making a move to Andy Petree Racing to drive the #55 Chevy. He confirmed that Petree had inquired about the partnership, but at no time did he give any notion that he might change rides. Petree, meanwhile, said he is still in negotiations with Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones about a potential partnership, but declined to discuss the matter. Jarrett said his contract at RYR, as well as that of sponsor United Parcel Service, runs through the 2004 Winston Cup season. He also said that Yates is currently negotiating with UPS about an extension, with Jarrett as driver, through 2006.(NASCAR.com)(5-25-2002)

Petree, Jones, Ford and an UPDATE : [Jerry] Jones is expected to announce soon that he will purchase controlling interest in the two-car Winston Cup team of Andy Petree. Some of the details still need to be worked out, but Jones is close to breaking new ground by making the Cowboys the first NFL franchise with a full-time presence in NASCAR. By 2003, a blue and silver car with the Cowboys star could be turning laps. The Petree cars are Chevrolets now, but don't be surprised to see a switch to Fords next season when the new arrangement begins.(Dallas Morning News - need to register)(2-20-2002)
UPDATE: The Dallas Morning News reports that Ford executives have spoken with Winston Cup team owner Andy Petree about switching from Chevrolet to Ford next season after he completes a deal to sell part of his team to Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones. Ford wants to make "the Petree-Cowboys organization one of its manufacturer-supported teams, which could be worth as much as $7.5 million a year," the paper says.(Winston Cup Scene Daily Newsletter)(5-2-2002)

Wallace, APR and Preen at the Winston: Andy Petree Racing, Preen Lawn and Garden Products and Mike Wallace will teqam up again at The Winston. Wallace will drive the #33 Preen Chevrolet for Petree in The Winston, NASCAR's version of the All-Star Game, Saturday night, May 18, at the 1.5-mile Lowe's Motor Speedway. "As good as that trioval grass looks at Lowe's, Preen has probably been to The Winston before," said Wallace. "For me, it's my first time in the sport's All-Star Game. I'm pretty excited." Wallace has started three events for Andy Petree Racing this season, including the season-opening Daytona 500, the Rockingham 400 and the Talladega 500 (where Preen sponsored the car). Preen, America's leading weed preventer for lawns and gardens, has sponsored Andy Petree Racing in two previous NASCAR events. A product of Greenview, the consumer products division of Lebanon Seaboard Corporation, Preen was on Petree's #33 Truck at Martinsville on Saturday, Apr. 13, in a race which saw Petree run second for a long time and in the top 10 throughout the race until late in the event. Preen sponsored Wallace behind the wheel of the Aaron's 499 at Talladega on Apr. 21.(Williams Company PR)(5-1-2002)

Stewart NOT leaving Gibbs for Jones: #20 Home Depot driver, Tony Stewart and team owner Joe Gibbs both sought Saturday to debunk a rumor emanating from Cowboys headquarters in Texas concerning the driver's availability. According to a source, Jones already has contacted Stewart about becoming lead driver for the two-car team the Cowboys' boss is negotiating to form with current owner Andy Petree [#33 and #55 cars]. "They'll have a tough time doing that [signing Stewart]," said Gibbs, who won three Super Bowls as coach of the Washington Redskins - the Cowboys' hated rivals - before founding his Winston Cup organization in 1992. "I'll own the Dallas Cowboys if they try and get Tony Stewart. You can put that down there." Gibbs spoke from a position of power, in that he has Stewart, crew chief Greg Zipadelli and primary sponsor Home Depot signed through the 2004 Cup season.(Fort Worth Star Telegram)(4-21-2002)

Petree/Waltrip to race at Richmond? Andy Petree's racing career still may not be over. Yesterday, the owner said he is considering running in the Truck race at Richmond International Raceway this fall. Darrell Waltrip said the same thing after running at Martinsville. Could they both be heading to the local short track? Stay tuned.(Richmond Times Dispatch)(4-21-2002)

More on Jerry Jones and Petree: Car owner [#'s 33 and 55] Andy Petree said his talks with representatives from the Dallas Cowboys continue. Petree has been in discussion with Cowboys owner Jerry Jones since last October about partnering. "We still haven't finalized anything about what we're going to do and how we're going to do it, but we are talking really daily," Petree said. "If we're going to do something, we're probably going to need to get something done in the next 30 to 45 days."(Roanoke Times)(4-17-2002)

DW and Petree have tough luck in CTS race at Martinsville: #17-Darrell Waltrip finished 34th with a broken rear end and #33-Andy Petree finished 31st after an accident took him out.(4-14-2002)

APR Sponsor for Talladega and CTS race: Preen, America's leading weed preventer for lawns and gardens, will sponsor the Andy Petree Racing organization over the next two weeks. A product of Greenview, the consumer products division of Lebanon Seaboard Corporation, Preen will be on the CTS Truck driven by Petree at Martinsville this weekend, and will be on the #33 Cup Chevy driven by Mike Wallace at Talladega next week. New Preen For Lawns was launched this Spring. It kills weeds and even fertilizes up to four months, twice as long as traditional fertilizers. The only product of its kind that effectively kills and prevents weeds in one step, it is found at neighborhood garden and hardware centers. Preen ˜N Green For Gardens is endorsed by the American Rose Society. The first opportunity will come in Saturday's Truck race at Martinsville but the next in the Winston Cup race next week at Talladega. "Having two cars at Talladega is always a plus. The way we ran there last year and the way Mike Wallace ran there last year, we feel we can do a lot with the Preen Chevrolet and the Schneider Electric Chevrolet (of driver Bobby Hamilton)," Petree said. "The past few years we've really been good there, and we think we can be great next week too." The Preen Team gets its start this week with Petree behind the wheel of his CTS Truck at Martinsville. This will be Petree's first Truck race, though he has ARCA and other stock car racing experience.(Williams Company PR)(4-9-2002)

Jones and Petree news UPDATE: Jerry Jones, the Dallas Cowboys' owner, had a dinner meeting with [#33/55 Car owner Andy] Petree over the weekend to discuss Jones' plans to buy into part of Petree's Asheville operation. The two have been talking about teaming for more than a year now, but management issues may be holding things up.(Winston Salem Journal).(4-8-2002)
UPDATE: Cowboys owners Jerry Jones didn't show up in the garage area at Texas Motor Speedway, but he did have a dinner meeting with Winston Cup team owner Andy Petree to discuss Jones' plan to buy a majority ownership in Petree's team. Jones and Petree need to finalize how the team will be structured next season. Other NASCAR owners have said they believe Petree, a former Winston Cup crew chief, will continue to be in control of all the race-related decisions.(Dallas Morning News)(4-9-2002)

Nemechek back to Petree? Joe Nemechek may return to Andy Petree's #33 team later this year as teammate with Bobby Hamilton. Nemechek left Petree at the end of last season when Petree's sponsorship ran out. Mike Wallace will run Petree's second car at Talladega.(Winston Salem Journal)(4-8-2002)

BACE and APR UPDATE: BACE Motorsports and Andy Petree Racing announced the formation of a strategic alliance in conjunction with BACE Motorsports Cup debut with driver Chad Little. BACE Motorsports will field the #74 Chevy in up to 15 Winston Cup events during the 2002 season with engines and chassis supplied by Andy Petree Racing (APR). Additionally, the alliance includes the continuous sharing of information between the #74 Team and Andy Petree Racing's current Winston Cup entry, the #55 Chevy driven by Bobby Hamilton.. The two teams will work together to exchange technical information learned on and off track in efforts to increase their collective performance. Both teams feel the information sharing is an integral part of the partnership. Little, a former NASCAR Winston West Champion, will pilot the #74 entry in a limited schedule, initially focusing on intermediate tracks, as the team actively seeks corporate sponsorship.. Following BACE's debut at California Speedway on April 28, 2002, Little will run The Winston Open and Coca-Cola 600 at Lowe's Motor Speedway, then the June events at Dover and Michigan. Additional events will be named as the 2002 season progresses.(ignition, inc. PR)(4-4-2002)
UPDATE: Petree is expected to reach an ownership agreement with Cowboys owner Jerry Jones that will begin next season.(Dallas Morning News).(4-5-2002)

Petree tests at Martinsville UPDATE: It was a strange gathering in the garage area at Martinsville Speedway Tuesday: a Winston Cup team owner driving a BGN car, hoping to gain enough seat time to help him make the CTS race at the track on April 13. Andy Petree, owner of the #55 Schneider Electric Chevy driven by Bobby Hamilton and the unsponsored #33 Chevy driven by Mike Wallace has an opportunity to drive a truck at martinsville, but he felt like he needed some practice laps on Martinsville’s tight .526-mile oval. But in the CTS, private test sessions are not allowed. That’s why Petree showed up with a BGN car. “We got a Busch car to come here and make some laps and get a feel for the race track,” said Petree, who ran a handful of BGN races at Martinsville in the early 1990s. “It