Andretti to the #96? UPDATE 2 No: Rumor has it that John Andretti could be in for a switch to the #96 Cal Wells Ford. According to the source, Andretti could be headed to Cal Wells’ #96 McDonalds Ford in 2002, replacing Andy Houston, who has endured a season full of headaches so far this year, his first in the series(NASCAR.com Buzz)(6-18-2001) UPDATE: sources at PPI Motorsports say that this report is false and that Andy Houston is not going to be replaced as the driver of the #96 Ford(6-19-2001) UPDATE 2: Cal Wells insists rookie Andy Houston’s job is not on the line, despite rumblings that things were not going well at the Hickory team. “Yes, I’ve heard those same rumors, too,” Wells said. “In fact, I read where John Andretti was going to drive the car. I talked to John two years ago about possibly driving for me, but he said he was going to drive for Richard Petty, so I backed off, and I have not talked to him since, other than to say ‘Hi.’ “So there are a lot of rumors going around. But McDonald’s is solidly behind us; I was with them on Friday. And they are solidly behind Andy Houston. And it is incumbent on me to provide the right package for Andy, and I haven’t done that yet.” So, Houston will be in Wells’ car the rest of the season? “Absolutely,” Wells said. And next year? “I have a five-year contract with him, and he has a one-year contract with me,” Wells said. “In other words, I can option him up. And I would certainly option him before our due date, which is sometime in September. I fully expect him to be in the car next year. I don’t see any reason why he shouldn’t be.(Winston Salem Journal)(6-25-2001)
