10-10-345 (AT&T) has not yet informed the #45 Tyler Jet Motorsports either way of their plans for the 2000 season. The team also laid off the engine department and will outsource for the rest of 1999 and 2000. Chief Engine Builder Claude Queen and one other indivudual from the motor room have been retained to work on R&D and the possiblere-opening of the in-house motor program at a later date. From team owner Tim Beverley: “This was by no means any form of a cost-cutting move, but just the opposite. It’s going to cost us significantly more to purchase these motors from a reliable outside source. We are that committed to make this program stronger … even with just five races to go.” No word on who is building the engines for the team AND from the TNN site: “Effective at 8am this morning, I no longer work at Tyler Jet Motorsports,” former general manager Tom Mitchell told country.com Motorsports today. Citing a “difference of opinion” with team owner Tim Beverley on the direction the team should take, Mitchell stated that he thought it in the best interest of all concerned that he resign. And his future plans? “I might just go up to my house in the mountains, break out my ski gear and spend the winter skiing,” he chuckled. One of his last official actions at Tyler Jet was to lay off eight of 10 employees in the team’s engine shop effective immediately. Its head Claude Queen, has a contract with Tyler Jet, so he’s still with the team. According to Mitchell, the team has lately been using Hendrick Motorsports engines for its Winston Cup qualifying efforts, and now the team is negotiating to use the outside engine supplier for all of its Cup engine needs for the rest of the ’99 season( TNN )
