Haas-Carter Third Team? UPDATE 3:

Haas-Carter Third Team? UPDATE 3: Haas-Carter Motorsports has booked Daytona International Speedway for two test days next week, but neither of that team’s regular cars is expected to participate in the session. Travis Carter, who co-owns the #26 and #66 Fords with Carl Haas, plans to test his #46 entry at Daytona. No driver has been named to run the car(Daytona Beach News Journal)(6-19-2001) UPDATE: Also, Haas-Carter Motorsports will test its #46 Ford June 26-27 at Daytona. Kirk Shelmerdine will be at the wheel of the Haas-Carter entry. The grandstand will be open at no charge for the test with entry through the Daytona USA lobby(Daytona Beach News Journal)(6-20-2001) UPDATE 2: Haas Carter Motorsports has a two-day test scheduled this week(Tuesday and Wednesday – June 26-27th) at Daytona and will use their “third team,” a #46 Ford, to conduct preparation for the July 7 Pepsi 400 rather than either the #26 or #66, driven by Jimmy Spencer and Todd Bodine, respectively. Kirk Shelmerdine, the late Dale Earnhardt’s former crew chief and a race winner in the ARCA RE/MAX Series, will be the designated driver for the test(NASCAR.com Buzz)(6-25-2001) UPDATE 3: Haas-Carter Motorsports participated in a two-day test session on Tuesday at Daytona International Speedway with driver Kirk Shelmerdine and the #46 Ford. Owner Travis Carter says he’s unsure whether or not he’ll field a third team for the 43rd annual Pepsi 400 on July 7. “We want to run it sometime, but I doubt (the car) would be ready for the Pepsi race,” Carter said. “Perhaps Talladega. (The test) is a good opportunity to learn something for all the cars. In order to do that, we need a third car to do it. “We hope to learn a little something for the 26 and 66. You’re always looking to expand your operation and that’s what we’re doing, looking to expand to a third car. As much as I hate to say it, it looks like it’s the nature of the beast.” Shelmerdine, a veteran of the ARCA RE/MAX Series, knows his way around tracks like Daytona International Speedway. He won the pole for the 2000 Discount Auto Parts 200 Presented By ACDelco at the “World Center of Racing.” Said Shelmerdine of the test: “You can’t just jump right in there. There’s a lot of research that goes into it. From our standpoint, we’re going to test a lot and see what happens after that. I don’t think there’s time to get prepared even if you had a year. There’s so many more things on the list to get through in order to hit the ground running.” Carter says Shelmerdine would be a potential driver to put into the #46 Ford if the team chooses to enter the car in a race. “If we run the car at one of these races, he would be probably a good candidate to run it,” Carter said. “We’re tweaking the minor stuff,” Carter said. Said Hillenburg: “We’re a lot better than our last trip here. We feel a lot better about this test.”(DIS Site/PR)(6-27-2001)